Antelligent Design

93. Revel

We slaughter a heck of a lot of monsters in the third ambush. By abusing the limitations of the control used on the monsters, we continuously charge, battle, retreat and recover until our entire force is exhausted from the slaughter, unable to keep up with the last retreating monsters. Even Tiny collapses, punched out.

Soldiers have been lost. Fighting means casualties and I will just have to get used to the idea. Even when including the scouts that we’d lost, a third of the number committed, the losses versus the damage inflicted looks fantastic for the colony. Not only had thousands more monsters been killed, but the experience and Biomass will be claimed by the colony in full. Enough Biomass for every soldier who participated in the battle to pump their evolutions up and empower themselves for the next fight.

I myself slump to the ground, trusting that some ants will keep a lookout, and slip directly into torpor, only to awaken a few hours later with a developing issue.

My core! So empty! The gnawing feeling of my energy bleeding into the air is starting to cause that sharp pain I’d become all too familiar with. I bring up my status and look at how much Mana remains inside my core. Down to under ten MP! I’d gone all out in the battle so it shouldn’t be a surprise, but yikes. That’d been close!

No time to lose!

[Tiny, Crinis, are you around?]

[Yes, Master.]

[Zzzzzzzzz.]

[…Tiny, food.]

[Arruah!]

Damned ape.

[We need to recharge our cores as soon as possible, stuff your faces as best you can and let’s go.]

With no further ado, I join the soldiers who’re busy chowing down on the literal carpet of Biomass across the forest floor, shovelling food into my mouth. Once my first, fully mutated stomach is filled, I diligently switch to my social stomach and keep on going until I’ve expanded in size like a swollen balloon.

Another stockpile of Biomass locked away. I really don’t get the full value out of these low tier monsters, but my mutations are taking a huge chunk out of the penalty, which seriously helps.

With my own feasting done, I waddle over to the nearby scouts and let them know I’ll be heading to the Dungeon location the colony prepared in advance to charge up my core. The poor saps were in charge of disposing of the colony’s dead and it is saddening to see the fallen soldiers lying lifeless, somehow appearing smug and satisfied. I’d been a bit worried at one stage that the ants would eat our dead, Biomass being Biomass after all, but they have unexpectedly followed a more traditional Earth ant path.

Colonies of ants on Earth are, generally speaking, very clean. Since they live in damp, underground environments where mould and fungus can thrive, it’s super important they be as spotless as possible. To that end, the ants undertake many behaviours to ensure a squeaky-clean nest: grooming themselves constantly to remove contamination, using their natural acid to disinfect themselves and each other, rotating the soil inside the nest with soil on the surface to aerate it and very importantly, establish a garbage site.

The garbage site is usually close to, but a respectable distance from the nest itself. It’s in this place that the workers carry the waste of the colony. The poop goes here, the bits of food the ants can’t eat, and the colony’s dead.

In the case of Earth ants, that means a heck of a lot of dead bodies, since the lifespan of most workers is about one month, depending on the species. In the case of my colony here on Pangera, we haven’t had many dead to worry about, so it’s not been much of an issue.

My heart twinges watching the scouts drag the bodies and pile them neatly away from the battlefield.

With Tiny alongside, and Crinis riding on my back, we set off at a solid but obese pace. The horde should be ahead of us at the moment, but since the path they’re following curves wide around the forest and we’re moving through it, we’ll be able to get ahead of them in no time.

We set off at a slow run, each weighed down by our food intake. Me especially since I had to carry Crinis and her void stomach. How much she could fit in there, I’ve no idea. Since she weighs more than I do, it must be a ton! My stick-like legs are shaking, holding up the balloon of infinite hunger. I vow to myself that after my evolution, I’ll beef my legs up to the point where carrying three Crinis’s won’t faze me in the slightest!

After our bodies start digesting the food and doing… whatever it does with it, still no idea where the waste goes—perhaps our digestive system is faultless and there isn’t any waste?—we are able to pick up the pace.

I take some time to check the Skills on my status after the battle and I’m delighted to see that I’ve Levelled again. It’s getting close! And my more physical battle Skills have also seen a significant amount of growth. Hours of solid battling would do that, I suppose.

Name: Anthony

Level: 37 (Special core)

Might: 41

Toughness: 29

Cunning: 44

Will: 35

HP: 58/58

MP: 8/240

Skills: Expert Excavation Level 5 (III); Deadly Acid Shot Level 4 (III); Enhanced Grip Level 5 (II); Advanced Shattering Bite Level 15 (IV); Advanced Stealth Level 6 (II); Splintering Chomp Level 19 (III); Tunnel Map Level 7 (II); Mana Transformation Level 11 (III); Advanced Condensed Mana Level 3 (III); Finer External Mana Manipulation Level 3 (III); Empowered Mana Sensing Level 2 (II); Core Surgery Level 6 (III); Expert Exo-Skeleton Defence Level 11 (III); Distant Pet Communication Level 3 (II); Rapid Dash Level 8 (II); Expert Water Magic Affinity Level 2 (III); Expert Stamina Level 1 (III); Pet Growth Speed Level 1 (I); Mana Scrooge Level 7 (II); Expert Cerebral Endurance Level 12 (III); Profound Meditation Level 5 (III); Advanced Precise Shooting Level 7 (II); Severing Bite Level 13 (III); Advanced Mind Magic Affinity Level 5 (II)

Mutations: Heightened Perimeter Eyes +20; Future Sight Infrared Antennae +15; Mana Binding Acid +15; Rapid Osmotic Legs +15; Bright Empowered Mandibles +20; Hardened True Diamond Carapace +20; Regrowth Regeneration Gland +15; Loquacious Pheromone Gland +15; Expansive Gravity Magic Gland +15; Networked Coordination Cortex +15; Supportive Inner Carapace Plating +15; Selective Gluttonous Stomach +20

Species: Dispersed Mind Ant (Formica Sapiens)

Skill Points: 14

Biomass: 288