The Antventure Begins

52. R and R

Rest and relaxation, Anthony, you hard working ant, you. Don’t you deserve a break? Haven’t you worked hard enough for the moment?

Why yes, I have to say your words are wise!

Time for a break.

Before returning to the nest, I packed myself full of Biomass and managed to gain ten points, a massive haul! Clearly the creatures were highly evolved, at least two evolutions for sure for them to provide such rich Biomass.

Not to mention my Level has risen to seven. I’m practically swimming in Skill Points!

Another large discovery was also made. I was able to recover two cores from the Berserkers. Hoping their cores would grant some sort of bonus, they simply increased my maximum Mana when I absorbed them. They did, however, increase my maximum by four points each, which brought my new max MP up to 36!

I wonder how much further until I max out my core?

If my guess is correct, I’ll be able to evolve again at Level ten. I won’t even consider evolving without a completed core unless I’m forced into it. The best possible evolution, every time! That’s my policy.

In celebration of my incredible wealth and to let my nerves rest after coming so close to death—not to mention suffering the trauma of having two legs chopped off—resting within the colony is in order. I’m not leaving until my Mana Manipulation has reached Level five so I can upgrade it and spend all of my Skill Points.

When Tiny and I awake in our empty chamber, I practice Mana Manipulation until my energy reserves are empty. I can practice a lot more now that my core is upgraded. Hopefully it won’t take long to level it up.

Once my tank is drained it’s time to spend my Biomass! So much to spend. It’s hard to choose! I could upgrade my Carapace all the way to +5 and still have a point leftover. This is an attractive option, helping me tank up and pick a mutation advancement. I could upgrade my Regenerative Healing Gland to +4, which would be nice.

Antennae could be taken to Level four, which would leave three points to spend on other things…

Damn choices!

In the end I think I have to prioritise the mutation advancements. Each and every one of them has been a huge boost, I’m sure my carapace will prove no different.

[Would you like to upgrade your Carapace to +5? This will cost nine Biomass.]

Sure!

[At this Level you may choose a mutation advancement. Select from the menu.]

Once more the extensive list of possible mutations unfolds in my mind and I try not to be distracted by all the shiny choices.

Venomous Carapace, cause poison to infect things that strike you? Spiked Carapace, be covered in sharp barbs? Aerodynamic Carapace, increased movement speed. What the heck?

There are all sorts of options that provide strange abilities and bonuses. Like the Sloped Carapace which helps deflect piercing attacks by making the outer shell angled, or the Flexi Carapace that bounces back blunt force strikes.

What I really want from my upgrade is an all-around defence improvement. Something I can rely on to protect me. I have an image in my mind of a brutal armoured truck, bursting through the small fry, their small attacks pinging off the hardened armour.

I think I’ve found what I’m after.

[Diamond Carapace: Significantly hardens the outer carapace, increasing its resistance to physical harm.]

It may not be flashy, it may not do anything exciting, but it’s exactly what I’m after. The weakness of this upgrade is that it does nothing to protect from magical damage or any kind of status effect. From what I can gather, it provides the greatest increase to physical protection.

I’ll need to find other solutions to those other types of attack later. For now, most of the threats I face are physical in nature, so this upgrade will be a huge help.

[Do you wish to confirm Diamond Carapace?]

Heck yeah!

Oh… Oh no. No, no, no—DAMMIT!

Without the distraction of life-threatening battle to divert my mind, the mutation experience is completely torturous. My carapace covers my entire body, and the whole thing feels like it’s on fire. Hot barbs of maddening itch pierce through me every now and again, causing me to spasm and jerk my legs madly as I flop about on the ground.

Tiny watches the whole process with a curious expression.

Damn ape! Why do you get to look so relaxed?

Mind you, he is definitely getting larger.

Eventually the mutation is over, and I take a moment to admire my new carapace. The colour seems deeper somehow. Here and there some parts of the shell reflect the light, shimmering occasionally in the gloom of this room. Don’t tell me there is actual diamond blended within my carapace?

Does this mean… my shell is now worth a ton of money?

I hope I haven’t just put a huge target on my own back…

Next order of business is to snack up!

This time I was smart enough to shear off some food and transport it back to my sleeping space once I was full. Of course, to prevent my fellow workers from taking it away I had to bury it and sleep on top of that spot.

Merrily I unearth my morning Berserker snack. Tiny and I dig in. A little dirt doesn’t spoil the food when you’re a monster eating other monsters. It all tastes disgusting anyway.

After finishing the meal, I gain another two Biomass, leaving me with three points.

I immediately use them to mutate my Antennae to +3. My offensive capability has increased, now my defensive capability has also increased, but I still want sensory superiority to be a focus. When I finally start to mutate past +5, I’ll return to upgrading eyesight and then antennae. Deep down, I want to find the other monsters before they find me. That just seems like a good policy.

After everything has settled down my status now looks like this:

Name: Anthony

Level: 7 (II)

Might: 31

Toughness: 22

Cunning: 25

Will: 18

HP: 50/50

MP: 3/36

Skills: Excavation Level 1 (II); Improved Acid Shot Level 5 (II); Enhanced Grip Level 1 (II); Crushing Bite Level 5 (II); Advanced Stealth Level 3 (II); Piercing Chomp Level 3 (II); Tunnel Sense Level 4 (I); Mana Manipulation Level 4 (I)

Mutations: Focused Eyes +5; Antennae +3; Restrictive Acid Gland +5; Legs +1; Infused Mandibles +5; Diamond Carapace +5; Regenerative Healing Gland +1; Pheromone Gland

Species: Mature Ant Worker (Formica): Skill Points: 5

Biomass: 0

Such a quantum leap from how I was just after being born!

I feel happy I’m laying a solid foundation for future growth. Getting all of my mutations up and focusing on my core and magic skills will surely pay dividends in the future.

Since I’ve reconnected with the colony there’s at least some level of safety that surrounds me. Unless we continue to get attacked…

All of my Biomass and MP spent, I take Tiny out for a walk around the nest. There are many workers sporting new mutations today, some larger mandibles or longer antennae here and there. The colony must have consumed well over a hundred Biomass. It would be impossible for the queen to take all of it, so the workers were able to reap some rewards.

Paying a visit to the nursery, there are quite a few new pupa along one wall. This is the final stage of infancy, after they grow in these cocoons the new hatchling workers will emerge. What’s more impressive is the huge clutch of new eggs that have appeared in one corner. There must be dozens of them!

The queen really went all out.

If the colony can secure enough food to grow these guys into adulthood, then we could double in size very quickly, which would in turn help secure my own safety.

We will rise together my ant brethren!

Tiny and I play with the larvae for a while and then pay a visit to the royal chamber. Not unsurprisingly, the queen is taking a nap, resting after her exertions of the last few hours. She must have emptied out all of her Mana to cast that healing spell. I can vaguely understand just how mentally draining it is to shift that much Mana.

Quite a few workers are standing guard around her, ensuring nothing untoward happens to the most important individual in the colony.

Except for me that is. Heh.