The Antventure Begins

57. Practice Makes Perfect

My new Mana practice is a little more involved than my old method, since I now have three skills to train instead of one.

Mana Shaping is fairly straightforward to train: Draw the Mana out of my core, and rather than simply releasing it from my body, I hold the Mana within myself and attempt to create the simple symbols and designs the skill in my mind suggests I need to learn how to create.

I can only imagine that combined with other skills, these shapes will enable me to cast spells in some way.

External Mana Manipulation is similarly simple to practice. Just extend my senses to grasp hold of the Mana in the air and attempt to shift it around. Sounds simple, right?

Unfortunately, the above two exercises are completely mentally exhausting, even more than my original Mana Manipulation practice. I’m so damn tired! If I have to keep doing this every day for wizard knows how long, I’ll totally flatline mentally before I have a chance to hunt.

I’m starting to reconsider my earlier opinion on having extra brains. During my next evolution I might take a look and see if it’s possible to attach a sub-brain to my core or somewhere else in order to help carry some of this mental burden.

Such an addition would make practice far less burdensome and therefore more efficient.

What’s the big deal about an extra brain anyway? I’ve got six legs now where in the past I only had two, and frankly, it’s an improvement. There’s no need to get so fussy about such a small thing as the number of brains one has!

Probably…

After exhausting myself and not receiving any Levels for it, I drag myself out of the nest for the next part of my day, Tiny once again hitching a ride on my back.

How long will it take until he’s useful? He might be adorable in his mini form, but I’d rather he was larger and a bit more capable.

He’s nearly twice as large as he was when he was first formed out of the monster core. Consequently, he’s been able to eat more food which fuels his growth even faster. At his current pace I think he’ll probably be larger than me in the next four days. How long it will take for him to reach his original massive size, I have no idea.

As we make our way up the tunnel to the ant hill in the large open space, I can sense some agitation from the few workers ahead of me. Is something going on?

When we emerge into the open air, I take a moment to scan our surroundings. On the edge of the trees not far from the ant hill is the source of the workers unease. Two massive wolf-like creatures, their powerful, draconic tails twisting and lashing the air behind them, are prowling back and forth, watching the much smaller ants with greed in their eyes.

These guys are most certainly the evolved form of the Wolf Dragon Cubs I’d encountered long ago in the upper tunnels. Compared to their smaller selves, these guys are easily twice that size and their fangs and claws are larger, not to mention their most potent weapon, that muscular tail. I remember well the shattering force they can exert when swinging that fearsome thing around.

In fact, studying the two beasts more closely, the tail of one is significantly larger than the others. It also appears to glimmer in the light, as if covered by some kind of metallic sheen above the scales.

Could this monster have achieved a mutation advancement for its tail? I’ll need to be careful.

Now I’m left wondering why these two have appeared here and now. Are they related to the nest of cubs the colony raided a few days ago? Or are they simply eyeing off the tremendous amount of Biomass represented by an entire colony of much smaller and weaker creatures like ants?

If they try to raid this ant hill, they are simply courting death. I’ll easily rally the brethren and bring them down! In fact, even as the much larger monsters are eyeing off the colony, I’m busy eyeing them off, greed accumulating in my heart.

If I’m able to take these two down, there might even be a full Level in it for me, not to mention the Biomass. Between the two monsters I could expect five or perhaps even more points! Enough to possibly mutate my antennae and another body part as well.

Once the thought enters my mind it proves extremely hard to shake.

Get a hold of yourself, Anthony!

Don’t let greed push you to an unreasonable action. If I attempt to fight here, there is zero chance the colony won’t get involved and I don’t want any workers to die randomly due to my actions.

Does that mean I let these two stalkers go?

Absolutely not! Are you crazy?

Acting casual, as casual as a giant ant monster can, I join in a trail of workers drifting into the forest.

These guys never stop after all. Even if I’m practising magic or having a nap, the workforce is always going to be out scouting and fighting to secure food. Right now is no different.

Once I’ve followed the trail far enough that the plant life is obscuring me from view, I enter shark mode and Stealth into the undergrowth, making my way back around until I arrive behind the last position I’d seen the wolves.

Sure enough, the pair of them are still on the edge of the tree line, pacing back and forth with their eyes on the ant hill.

Going to take a bite out of the colony, eh?

What if the colony were to take a bite out of you?

Chuckling to myself, I look around for a nearby tree to give me the view I need. Finding a likely candidate, I climb up and cast my eyes about. Yes, from up here I have a clear view of the two Wolf Dragons. Not only a clear view, but also a clear shot.

If these guys want a taste of an ant, I’ll let them sample the products of my commercial district first!

POW!