Antvance into the Unknown

80. Out to Fight in the New Digs

Travelling the lands of the Colony was not something I was eager to undertake. My decision to pursue this venture was only made after repeated, and passionate, requests from you, my dear readers. I was as intrigued as all of you, I’m sure, when word of this strange new place reached my ears in Derinon.

A land of people cooperating with monsters from the Dungeon? Utterly scandalous! The old biddies and I were all too happy to titter over tea and imagine what such a place would be like. For my part, I was content to leave it to the imagination and dedicate myself to my cross-stitching, but you wouldn’t have it, would you, reader?

My publisher all but broke down my door one morning, a barrel full of letters under one arm and his face as red as a baboon’s rear. For a man with such pitiful physical stats, it was a rather impressive sight. After I sat the man down and got a stiff drink into him, he explained that demands for a travelogue detailing this wondrous new place had been pouring in.

The people had spoken, he declared to me, and urged that I make preparations for the journey as soon as possible.

What am I if not your humble servant, dear reader? Not a week later, I had packed my bags and begun the long trek to the wild frontier! It was enough to make my bonnet spin, let me tell you. Naturally, I have been joined by several strapping lads charged with ensuring my safety, and they assure me they are up to the task.

Fear not, dear reader! As safely as possible, I, your beloved Tolly, will step foot where others fear to tread and bring you the vivid stories of faraway lands that you so crave. Await my next missive with bated breath, for we are only a few days away from the borders.

What will we see? Find out next time!

—Excerpt from Chapter One of Travelling Tolly in the Lands of the Colony, published in the monthly Pangera Gazette

[epigraph,]

Freshly mutated and ready to go, my team of all-powerful, world-beating, tier six monsters makes its way out of the evolution chamber in the heart of the nest and out to the borders. We’ve got new wheels, time to take ’em for a spin.

We don’t get far before Tiny is already swinging his fists, a broad grin on his face. It’s a shame we have to leave his armour behind since it no longer fits him. Even his noggin grew larger to the point his helmet wouldn’t go on again.

Another visit to Smithant will be required, I think. And I haven’t forgotten my promise, so I probably need to get measured up for some armour as well. At least I can say I’ve genuinely been busy helping defend the Colony during the wave. Hopefully, that mad ant won’t give me too much grief over it…

Regardless of insane blacksmiths, by the time we reach the front, there’s a tangible excitement in the air as both Tiny and Crinis are eager to test out their new selves.

“Greetings, Eldest, back again already?” the general on duty at this checkpoint asks.

“Hey there!” I greet her. “Yep, the crew has evolved, and we are ready to unleash some pain on the wave. How’ve things been here?”

She shrugs with her antennae even as she keeps her eyes laser focused on the never-ending warfare around the choke point.

“The pressure continues to build. We received a new wave of reinforcements a few hours ago, which certainly helps. I’ve increased the active garrison size by twenty percent and added a new shift to the rotation. Hopefully it’s enough.”

“It’ll be fine!” I try to instil some confidence. “We’ve held on this far, haven’t we? We’re likely more than halfway through it.”

The general doesn’t seem as uplifted as I’d hoped.

“We’ll see,” is all she says. “It’s a general’s job to stay pessimistic. I’ll keep expecting the worst and hope it pans out better than that.”

“Probably a good play,” I say. “If it’s all the same to you, mind if we poke through the choke point and fight?”

“Go for it. Just make sure you coordinate with the garrison.”

Having gotten permission, we sidle on and arrange with the ants in the thick of the action to allow us through the next time they pull back, which gives us a minute or so of wait time.

[Alright then,] I say to my two newly minted pets. [Who’s going to go in first?]

Tiny looks at me like I’m insane, and Crinis just sighs.

[I hear you, Tiny, loud and clear. You’re the first cab off the rank.] I laugh, and the big gorilla slaps his bare chest with glee. [Just remember you don’t have any armour on. Your bones might have hardened up, but the rest of you hasn’t, alright? Be careful.]

He nods, but I can tell he isn’t really listening, his eyes already fixated beyond the choke point as his fingers curl into fists, electricity sparking across his body. I can only roll my eyes—metaphorically—and ask Invidia to take care of the big idiot.

The ants pull back, giving us the space to charge forward. Not wasting a second, Tiny unleashes a shattering war cry and slams his massive fists into the ground, cracking the stone beneath our feet and sending himself barrelling into the teeth of the wave.

I can already feel the Mana spinning in Invidia’s grasp as he weaves numerous barriers and healing spells. Tiny is oblivious to all of it. As the claws and fangs of the innumerable monsters reach for him, he rears back a fist wreathed in pulsing light and launches it forward, his eyes ablaze with joy.

BOOM!

Like a cannon had gone off or an artillery shell just landed, a loud roar rattles my head just as a dazzling light blinds my eyes. What the heck was that? Unwilling to hesitate, I rush in right behind the big ape and prepare myself to fight, only to find that with one punch, Tiny has managed to vaporise a dozen shadow monsters, clearing space around the opening.

What in the name of the great googly-moogly…

“Roar!”

Tiny bellows with rage and joy, his fists sparking with lightning. The chittering crackle of electricity grows louder and louder until he reaches back and throws out his fists in a sharp one two combo, smacking directly into a hulking shadow slug that reared up in front of him.

BOOM! BOOM!

Two near-simultaneous detonations ring out, and despite being blinded by the flash once more, I get a better view of what’s going on. The moment his fist lands, the energy contained is unleashed in a calamitous burst, striking like a burst of lightning and devastating whatever stands before him. It’s almost as if he’s throwing a bolt of lightning with each punch!

This must be the work of the Lightning Ignition Gland, allowing him to unleash more of the Mana in a shorter time frame, allowing him to charge his fists in record time. It’ll drain his Lightning Mana at a rapid pace, but what does that matter in the face of this devastating amount of damage? There can’t be much that would be able to stand in front of him long enough for him to deplete both of his lightning glands.

The massive, bat-faced ape roars, throwing his head back and smashing his fists into his chest in a display of primal dominance. I can practically feel the glee radiating off my oldest pet as his fists chitter anew with sparking lightning, and he steps forward, seeking more challengers.

Well, it looks like he’s pretty darn pleased with his evolution. When he finally runs out of juice, we’ll see how Crinis feels about hers.