Antelligent Design

72. Fleeing South (again)

We have to delay our escape for a few minutes until Crinis came back to herself, but we don’t dare allow her the extra time to evolve. Her fighting strength is required to help us in the tunnels. If we manage to break free and make it to the surface, then she can probably evolve whilst riding on my back if it comes to it. Until then, we need her alert.

I can’t help but think she must have achieved the Level a long time ago and has just been avoiding it, but I’m glad she finally managed to ‘fess up’. Perhaps she felt pressured by how dire our situation is? Whatever the reason, I can only be glad for it. Claws crossed she’ll have a bit more confidence going forward.

Once everyone is prepared, we enact our plan, such as it is. Bust out into the tunnel, kill everything we see, bust back into the escape tunnel, kill everything we see, break out to the surface in the church, kill everything we see.

There’s a sort of simple elegance to the plan that quite appeals to me. At any rate, we’re successful. Relying on the simplest and most direct methods, we chomp, stab, punch and tear limb from limb everything that comes our way. We’re lucky, though. The seemingly bottomless horde of monsters that had been sent after us is nowhere to be seen. In fact, those zombie monsters might have done us a favour by killing the spawned monsters that crowded the escape tunnel. We had to contend with far fewer monsters on the way out than we did on the way in. So that’s a plus!

Things are a little less simple when we reach the surface.

I’d like to say it was me who anticipated the ambush and foiled it with my brilliant tactics, a lie I don’t even believe Crinis would have been able to swallow. It’s unfortunate, but Morrelia is the one who makes us pause in our escape. Not one hundred metres away from the surface entrance beneath the church.

[You know they’ll have an ambush in place, right?] she asks as she eyes me askance.

[Of course,] I lie.

She nods to herself as if relieved. Not having a human face helps a lot when deceiving humans, I decide. My antennae had waggled like crazy as I’d spoken the obvious lie; my face, which is literally a part of my skeleton, remained silky smooth.

My own pets are a little wiser to my deception. Crinis shifts uncomfortably on my back and Tiny looks at me with slack-jawed astonishment. Stupid pets! Don’t give the whole game away!

[How do you think we should deal with it?] I prompt Morrelia, hoping to keep her distracted.

She rubs her chiselled chin and contemplates. Whoever her parents were, they had some serious jaw genes going on. Morrelia is a solid unit for a woman already, but her jawline was so damn sharp, it could probably cut steel.

[Do you think you could rustle up another one of those giant bomb things?] she asked.

I clack my jaws with joy.

After charging up my Gravity Bomb to a ludicrous degree, I unleash it at the entrance from a safe distance away, Morrelia helping to ensure proper planning is executed in the deployment of this particular magic.

[You have defeated a Level 22 Garralosh Commander.]

[You have gained XP.]

[You have reached Level 32. One Skill Point awarded.]

[You have reached Level 33. One Skill Point awarded.]

[You have reached Level 34. One Skill Point awarded.]

HA! None of your fancy tricks this time, you idiot crocodile!

I aimed the spell to hit right next to the opening, and it would appear the Garralosh Commander had been prowling in the hopes of catching us the instant we exited the tunnel!

BWAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!

THE POWER!

Internally I cackle with glee as we charge to expunge the remaining monsters that haven’t been caught in the blast. Taken aback by the devastating strike that instantly killed the strongest monster amongst them, they’re completely unprepared for the savagery of our follow up assault. I take my time tormenting the weaker monsters and squeeze a couple of Levels into Shredding Bite, allowing me to upgrade it to the next rank, Severing Bite (III).

This particular Bite Skill tree continues to be distasteful, specialising in separating monsters into parts. As an active Skill, it’s even more horrifying, allowing me to slice off monster’s limbs from range. Crinis is delighted by it, giving further evidence of the dark road on which she treads.

After her evolution, who knows exactly what she will become?

I’m nervous… I’m kind of worried to perform Core Surgery and manipulate the outcome. I’d inevitably have to ask her how she wanted it to go and I’m not sure I wanted to hear it.

Speaking of evolution, that Gravity Bomb helped push me closer than ever before to my next evolution. Only six more Levels and I’d be there.

Once we finish off the remaining monsters, Morrelia keeps watch so we have the opportunity to chow down on the commander. We don’t want to waste any time in the event that Garralosh herself comes to collect the corpse as she did last time, so I can’t blame Morrelia for wanting to avert her eyes from this rapid feasting.

It gets messy, real quick.

The rewards are worth it though. The entire corpse hasn’t quite been obliterated by the Gravity Bomb and we fall upon what remained with relish. I manage to obtain a hundred and fifty Biomass from the remains, as well as the greater prize.

[Compatible rare core detected. Would you like to absorb or reconstitute the core?]

[Warning: Absorption will take you beyond your current limit.]

Mua… Muahaha… MUAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!

The core is MINE!

Filled with glee, I rip out the core and hold it in my mandibles, triumphant. I’ve managed to retrieve it after all. Mother will have to accept it!

Not willing to wait around any longer, we cut to the south as fast as we can. Us monsters had our cores recently topped off, and I return to my constant effort to absorb Mana from the air using External Mana Manipulation in order to continually top off my core and increase my up time.

Even so, Morrelia and I make a point to veer to the east occasionally in order to keep tabs on Garralosh and its lizard handler, along with the horde of thousands of monsters it was bringing along for the ride. They’re moving along the road that winds around the forest toward the south. Garralosh lumbers in the middle, easily visible even from a great distance, the Ka’armodo mage and its attendants not far behind.

Their marching speed isn’t too hot. Probably trying to maintain the Mana in the cores of all the monsters who have them. If they don’t find an entrance to the Dungeon on the way, they’re going to have trouble. Although I wager the lizard would be scrying for that. I really needed to know more about scrying magic and how the heck it works. Morrelia wasn’t sure but she thought it might be an extension of air magic. Still, beholding the sheer size of the horde arrayed against us, and the gargantuan dino of a croc in the centre, brings home again just how difficult the upcoming struggle will be.

The colony can’t afford to lose. We won’t be spared from the jaws of the foe, just as we wouldn’t spare the enemy if we emerge victorious. Unable to flee, it’s backs to the wall time for my family. I will do everything in my power to ensure they come out the victor.

Mind buzzing furiously, we run south.