Antvance into the Unknown

42. Pillars of the World

[Master, we need help!] Crinis’ call shocks me out of my daze and I rush over to assist them against the unending crush of demons who’ve crested the top of the pillar. They’re charging up the ramp, securing their positions against their fellow demons.

[No worries, I’m here!] I call as I leap back into the fight, my mandibles pumping and minds spinning a new domain.

Without the overwhelming crush of shadow monsters, the Fire Domain no longer serves a purpose, as the demons are at least partially resistant to it. All production of Blue Fire Mana is discarded, and the construct now starts to pump out pure Ice Mana which is deftly woven into the new domain.

Likewise, the Lava Mana I was working with before is also cast aside in favour of the much easier to work with air. In only a few seconds, the first compressed bolt of air is ready, and I fire it at a lithe, weasel-looking demon trying to slip past us. Caught unawares, the beast only has time to roar indignantly before the powerful gust of air carries it over the edge of the ramp and plummeting to the depths below.

Ice Domain!

The moment I release the spell, the air around us becomes frigid and infused with spinning chunks of ice that bounce harmlessly from my allies but detonate with a sharp crack when they hit anything else. At first, I’m wholly satisfied with this new domain, the demons certainly aren’t big fans of the ice, but after a few seconds, I notice something I may have overlooked. The amount of Mana it takes to maintain this domain is unbelievable! Even over this short period, the sub-brain in charge is starting to frizzle from overwork as it tries to maintain and produce the Ice Mana necessary to keep it running at the same time.

The reason why is readily apparent: it’s too damn hot here! The Ice Mana is being consumed way too quickly! Cursing inside, I throw away the Ice Domain and switch to air, both sub-minds working together to pump out the same type of Mana to hurl bolts of compressed air at my foes.

[How are you holding up, Crinis?]

[I’m fine, Master!] she replies, her voice steely with determination.

[Don’t give me nonsense, Crinis,] I warn her as we battle back and forth with the demons. [Give it to me straight, that’s an order!]

[My strength feels like it’s being sapped,] she grudgingly admits. [And my flesh doesn’t move through the shadows as easily as before.]

Of course, without the naturally abundant Shadow Mana and darkness of the second stratum, her powers don’t work half as well as they did before. Another problem quickly becomes apparent.

[Is it just me, or are these demons tougher than they were before?] I gasp as the bladed arm of a nasty-looking horror scrapes across my carapace before I can snap forward with my mandibles and end the threat.

[The cold must have weakened them when we fought them before,] Crinis guesses. [Here, they are surrounded by their natural affinity, and it is empowering them.]

Dangit! This is actually way harder than I thought it would be. Despite arriving at the most perfect natural choke point we could hope for—the ramp is no more than fifty metres wide and every demon who climbs the pillar has no choice but to move up it if they want to reach the stratum above—we may not be able to hold here as long as I’d hoped.

[Hold on for a little longer, then we’ll fall back and make a break for the second stratum! Alright? If anyone is struggling, make sure you let Invidia know!]

“I really don’t think you should stay here, Eldest!” Protectant appears to tell me in person, her antennae twitching in all directions as she nips forward to bite at the legs and joints of the demons near Tiny. “This situation is too unstable, there’s no need to take the risk!”

“We’re alright,” I tell her, forcing my exhausted body to keep moving as yet another demon fronts up to me, charging toward my much larger frame with reckless abandon. “Just hang on a little longer and then we’ll retreat. We’d be fine if all of you were tier five already…”

“Is this really the time for that, Eldest?”

Probably not, but the slow progress of my security guards is getting frustrating. The demon slashes with its claws and I blast it in the chest with a condensed burst of air, sending its wiry frame flying through the air and over the edge of the ramp. It’s a quick and painless way to deal with the enemy, though it doesn’t work nearly as well on the heavier ones.

As we continue to battle hard, it’s clear that we’re being forced to give ground as the press of demons only grows thicker with the passage of time. For every one we put down, another two are ready to take their place. Even if the bulk of them are only tier three or four, in this environment they’re much tougher, moving faster and hitting harder than when we fought them above.

“ROOOOOOAAAAR!” A rumbling bellow ripples through the air and my antennae whip around as I try to work out where the heck that came from.

From below? Over the edge of the bridge, I see a massive arm covered in dripping black tar reach up and dig into the stone, thick muscles bulging to haul the rest of the monster up to the top of the pillar.

[We’ve got a big one here, guys! Keep your eyes peeled!] I tell my desperately fighting pets.

The spark of battle ignites in Tiny’s eyes anew when he spots the enormous demon cresting the pillar, a broad grin splitting his bat features.

[You stay here!] I order him. [This one’s mine!]

Seriously, how would any of his species survive without a babysitter?

Heedless of the smaller demons crushed by its bulk, the newcomer smashes its arms down and lifts the rest of its massive body into view and I get my first glimpse of the full creature. It’s huge, bigger than Tiny, bigger than me, bigger even than the Queen. Clearly, this one is built heavily around its physical stats. The monster has thick slabs of muscle that remind me of Garralosh. The sheer overwhelming physical presence is also similar.

Two squat, powerful legs hold up its concrete wall of a frame. The monster is hunched at the shoulders, its head little more than an open circular mouth ringed with teeth. At the end of each of its absurdly thick arms aren’t the hands or fingers I would have expected to see. There’s two more mouths, just as wide and lined with barbed teeth as the one in its head. Its whole body drips with black tar that steams and sizzles against the hot stone beneath its feet. No two ways about it, this dude is ugly.

Having gotten its feet under it, the monster reaches lazily with one arm, the muscles in its forearm twitching strangely. Faster than my eyes can see, a spear-like tongue is launched forward, piercing its target in an instant. The poor victim is dragged back into the arm, its body vanishing into that horrific ringed maw as the arm bulges grotesquely around it.

Not only is it ugly, it’s nasty! What is up with these demons? Its meal complete, the giant monster starts to move forward, clearly intent on mounting the ramp and ascending to the second stratum. Then it lays eyes on me and my group.

“A FEAST?” it bellows with mad joy. “INSECT. I WILL WELCOME YOU INTO MY GULLET!”

It can talk? Is this thing tier six! A chill rolls over my carapace. Please tell me it’s not higher than that…