The Antventure Begins

65. Mutation Trepidation

Gah! The extra options really make my head spin sometimes.

As usual, I need to decide exactly what I want my antennae to be for and choose the advancement that will make them better able to do that job.

If I wanted to make myself a purely magic focused monster, the Antennae magic enhancement would be a very solid choice, letting me build advantages on advantages. However, I’m not the sort of person to go for the specialist option. Perhaps it isn’t the smartest path, but I don’t want to be bad at any particular aspect and cover that up by being especially strong in another.

Perhaps my magic would reach greater heights with an advancement like this. Only, wouldn’t my sensory options be too limited? I just don’t feel comfortable moving away from what the antennae were originally designed to do. Which is to detect stuff, be it scent or motion. I’ll narrow my options down to those that increase my detection ability.

After letting go of some of the juicy and far out there selections, I settle on a few that seem to make the most sense.

Of those, the one that purely enhances smell is probably the most pedestrian. This option is a little beige even for me.

Another choice adds more sensitive hairs to the outside of the antennae, turning them into potent motion sensors. While I like this idea, I also don’t. Being able to detect movement without having to see it is kind of cool, but because I’ve invested so heavily in my compound eyes, which also have a huge range of sight, there isn’t a whole lot of need for more motion detection.

An option that really piques my interest is one that allows the antennae to develop heat sense. If I’m understanding the description correctly, the antennae will mutate to include a heat source sensitivity, kind of like having thermal vision for your nose.

This sounds like a good idea. It will provide a new option covering something that was lacking before. I’ll be able to detect monsters around corners by the heat they give off, potentially detecting creatures underground or inside nests before they’re visible to my eyes. It may even be possible to count the centipedes inside that centipede mound without ever having to stick my head in it.

Infrared Antennae. I’ll choose this!

Well… isn’t this nice…

I’m. On. FIRE!

How is it possible I continue to forget this stupid itch!

The antennae are the worst. A horrible burning itch drilling right into my head. The intensity is right up there with the regeneration and pheromone glands. Why dammit, why!

Eventually the nightmare stops and control is regained.

Every. Damn. Time.

Somehow, I manage to push the horrible sensation that accompanies every mutation into the back of mind almost immediately after it happens. Is it just that I don’t want to remember these terrible experiences?

Quite possibly.

With all of the mutating done, a single Skill Point awaits to be spent. I’m not too sure on this one. I’m building up more and more skills, and they’ll need upgrading eventually. On the other hand, there were many useful skills I skipped over in order to invest in my magic related skills that I could make good use of now.

No, I’m determined to spend it. There are several skills I’ve been hungry for and I shall resist the urge no longer!

[Exo-Skeleton Defence: Improves the user’s ability to utilise their external skeleton to deflect blows and resist damage.]

I wanted this skill to assist my desire to tank up, but couldn’t afford it, choosing to prioritise my magical path at all costs. Now I shall cleanse this regret!

Confirm this purchase. Gimme!

When it is all said and done my status now looks like this:

Name: Anthony

Level: 8 (core) (II)

Might: 31

Toughness: 22

Cunning: 25

Will: 18

HP: 50/50

MP: 50/50

Skills: Excavation Level 1 (II); Improved Acid Shot Level 5 (II); Enhanced Grip Level 1 (II); Crushing Bite Level 7 (II); Advanced Stealth Level 3 (II); Piercing Chomp Level 3 (II); Tunnel Sense Level 4 (I); Mana Shaping Level 2 (II); Forceful Mana Level 2 (I); External Mana Manipulation Level 1 (I); Mana Sensing Level 1 (I); Core Mechanic Level 1 (I); Exo-Skeleton Defence Level 1 (I)

Mutations: Focused Eyes +5; Infrared Antennae +5; Restrictive Acid Gland +5; Legs +1; Infused Mandibles +5; Diamond Carapace +5; Regenerative Gland +4; Pheromone Gland +2

Species: Mature Ant Worker (Formica): Skill Points: 0

Biomass: 0

My foundation is becoming increasingly solid. The original goal of upgrading all my mutations to +5 and stacking as many mutation advancements as possible is slowly coming to fruition. Once I get my Regenerative Gland to +5, I’ll only have two more body parts remaining and perfection will be reached!

Now that I’m Level eight, I’m anticipating an evolution at Level ten. With my beyond perfect core, I’m ready to do that at any time. Everything is coming up, Anthony.

Opening my small chamber, Tiny and I step out of the darkness and into the bright light. What a nice break we had. I feel refreshed and newly improved, bursting with vigour and drive! Although I’m still in pain…

Tiny has also benefited from our time of sleeping and feasting. His growth continues to accelerate. He’s probably double the size he was when he was first born. No longer able to ride comfortably on my back, he’s going to have to walk and climb as best he can.

Keep up, little guy! We don’t have all day.

The ape monster seems almost a little petulant being forced to run alongside me, using his knuckles to propel himself much as a gorilla would.

Up on the ant hill, the usual workers are in attendance, carefully watching the forest. Several move in and out of the nest, heading out between the trees to follow trails or scout for food.

Hopefully they don’t run into too much trouble. The forest is absolutely crazy at the moment.

Tiny and I advance down into the cool shade of the nest. The veins of light are continuing to extend themselves into the tunnel, the thin tendrils at the end moving almost visibly at the edges.

Deep in the nest there is a frenzy of activity, and it isn’t hard to see why. While I was sleeping and eating, the queen and workers were busy laying the foundations of the colony’s future.

Checking into the brood chamber, a huge number of eggs laid after the Berserker invasion have hatched into little larva. The newly hatched monsters fill the chamber to the brim! The workers have made use of all the available food we’ve secured and stuffed the little grubs full.

The poor little things have almost gone spherical. Are they grubs or bowling balls?

I try to resist the temptation to roll them around. I’m worried they’d roll right out of the chamber and fall down the tunnel.

I know we need them to grow quickly, but seriously guys, show a little restraint!

The larvae can barely move; they’re so full. The workforce is in attendance however, monitoring each grub to ensure they’re in peak condition. Judging by the size of their abdomens, these workers all have fairly full social stomachs. I wager that as soon as a grub shows any sign of digesting, the only fate that awaits it is to be packed full once again.

Good luck, larvae! Do your best to grow into strong ants.

Most of the larvae that were in here before have either spun their cocoons and become pupae or already completed this phase and graduated into Hatchling Workers. New brethren for the workforce are always welcome.

Exiting the brood chamber, I head farther into the nest and notice a new tunnel cut into the wall on my left. Curiously, Tiny and I wander down it to find out why.

I was right to think the brood chamber was full. the workers appear to have agreed with me and dug out another one!

After the colony absorbed another big chunk of Biomass, the queen got right to work. In the dark chamber are ten workers tending to a massive clutch of eggs. There must be two or three hundred of them here!

Well, this is what I was hoping for when I brought the colony into that fight. These eggs and larvae in the chamber above represent an incredible opportunity for the colony. If they can mature and hatch, the workforce will grow from around two hundred workers to well over eight hundred. With those numbers, we’ll be able to jumpstart the growth of the next generation and the generation after that. It won’t be long until this colony is filled with thousands of ants.

Then what could possibly stop us?