Upping The Ante

6. Breaching the Surface

After breaking into the smaller tunnel to feast, it has been two full days. Two days of nothing but digging and snatching the occasional hour of shut-eye.

The colony was able to harvest quite a haul, bringing up piles of Biomass to feed the queen, workers and larvae, providing much-needed energy for the labours ahead.

Before the colony dug far enough that our little capsule pocket passed completely over the opening, we managed to make a few raids, grabbing enough of a food store that it should be sufficient to feed us until we make it to the surface.

The problem was the Mana veins. After connecting our escape pocket to that smaller tunnel, the veins grew and extended into our escape vessel so rapidly, we weren’t really able to do anything about it. After just a few hours, they were spreading beneath our feet, and not long after that, the heat sources started to appear.

I did what I could and warned the ants. Tried to get extra guards near the larvae, many of whom had reached maturity after the last feed and began to spin their cocoons, turning into pupae. Despite these preparations, we still lost a few hatchling workers and a couple of larvae.

Although painful, there really wasn’t anything more we could have done. The colony needed to be fed, and without Biomass, there was no way those grubs would have lived to reach maturity anyway.

At least, that’s what I say to console myself.

And now the veins are growing so fast, we can’t out-dig them. It isn’t long before our entire escape tunnel is lit, and we just can’t seem to leave the things behind. Thankfully, we must be high enough in the Dungeon that only weaker monsters are spawning.

On top of all that, our digging had been slowed considerably by large patches of rock that required the application of my Infused Mandibles to crunch our way through. Currently, we’ve pushed through a second patch and the going is much smoother. Soft earth all the way.

According to my Tunnel Map, which increased in Level again to three, we shouldn’t be too far away from the surface. It’s hard to tell. I don’t know if the surface is flat or not between the entrance I know of and the location we’re digging toward. I mean, there is a slim chance we’ll dig up underneath a river or even the ocean, which would make me a little salty.

Heh.

I’m no digging expert, but hopefully if that were the case, we’d notice the soil getting progressively more damp. There’s been no sign of such a change, so onward we go!

I haven’t dropped my spell training as I dig either. Using my sub-brain, I’ve been continuing to practice my Mana Shaping skills, reaching the mighty Level eight! Handling the Mana into the various patterns has become so much easier. Which isn’t to say it still isn’t brutally challenging. Having had more practice constructing a few of the patterns though, I’ve noticed my proficiency has increased along with my familiarity.

Which just goes to show I shouldn’t solely rely on the skill to improve myself. Actively practicing a certain pattern will make me better at using it, even if my Level doesn’t necessarily increase.

I also began to experiment more with External Mana Manipulation. Damn, is that hard! Mana inside my body is so much easier to handle than Mana outside of it. Reaching out to grasp it with my mind feels like pulling my thoughts out of my own head and using them as a rope to pull in nearby energy.

I manage to Level the skill up once before I go back to my shaping practice. I feel the latter is simply far more profitable right now.

Currently my status looks like this:

Name: Anthony

Level: 8 (core) (III)

Might: 41

Toughness: 29

Cunning: 32

Will: 22

HP: 50/50

MP: 45/58

Skills: Excavation Level 8 (II); Improved Acid Shot Level 5 (II); Enhanced Grip Level 1 (II); Shattering Bite Level 2 (III); Advanced Stealth Level 6 (II); Piercing Chomp Level 5 (II); Tunnel Map Level 3 (II); Mana Shaping Level 8 (II); Forceful Mana Level 4 (I); External Mana Manipulation Level 2 (I); Mana Sensing Level 4 (I); Core Engineering Level 2 (II); Advanced Exo-Skeleton Defence Level 3 (II); Pet Communication Level 2 (I)

Mutations: Focused Eyes +5; Infrared Antennae +5; Restrictive Acid Gland +5; Absorption Legs +5; Infused Mandibles +5; Diamond Carapace +5; Limb Regeneration Gland +5; Pheromone Language Gland +5; Deep Gravity Magic Gland +5

Species: Mind Ant (Formica)

Skill Points: 4

Biomass: 13

There’s been a few small improvements to my skills after all of the digging and fighting. The gradual improvement of my Mana skills is what has left me most pleased. Yapping at Tiny whenever I get bored has also helped improve my Pet Communication skill, which was an unexpected plus! I can hear him more clearly from a bit farther away now.

Ultimately though, I’m really hoping we hit the surface soon. I need a chance to take stock and plan the next course of action for myself and the colony. I can’t make any plans at all until I know what will greet us when we get up there.

Hopefully we wind up in a nice empty forest with no civilisation for hours in any direction. Then we could hide and ride out the wave.

I’ll keep my six sets of claws crossed!

According to the Tunnel Map, we should be relatively close to the surface. With such an important milestone approaching, I decide to share it with the queen, digging inexhaustibly beside me as always.

“I think we should reach the surface soon! It’ll be nice to stop digging for a change.”

“Yes, the family needs to rest,” the queen said without pausing in her work. “I hope no more children are lost as we dig.”

Even now she is still primarily worried about her children. I wonder if this is a learned personality or if the Dungeon creates every Queen Ant this way.

“Hopefully we won’t be attacked any more once we reach the surface and can take a breather,” I suggest, then, curious, “Do you know what the surface is?”

“No.”

“How do you know that it will be good for us to go there?”

“One of my children told me so.” I can almost hear laughter in her voice, as if suggesting her children could be wrong or incorrect in any way, or would mislead her, is simply not a situation that exists in her mind.

Maybe it doesn’t. What sort of ant would lie?

As I’m pondering that situation, my mandibles scrape something. Dammit! More stone… I’m sick of carving through this stuff, my face already hurts like it’s on fire!

Grumbling to myself, I start to channel Mana into my Infused Mandibles in order to tear through the stone a bit easier. The queen backs up slightly to give me more space at the front. When it comes to tearing through the rock, my mandibles outperform even hers a little bit. And to be honest, I think she secretly enjoys the break—she is the only member of the colony to not have a moment of torpor since the wave broke.

CRUNCH. CRUNCH. CRUNCH.

Working mechanically, my mandibles slam closed, easily ripping into the stone. Shorn off pieces crumble away, raining down on my face and bouncing off my carapace.

Kinda seems like these stones are giving way? Perhaps they’re just a bit loose.

They also seem quite regular for underground rocks…

Ah well.

CRUNCH. CRUNCH. CRUNCH. CLATTER!

After digging for a few more minutes, the stones suddenly fall around me, revealing an open space beyond.

Did we make it?

Excited, I force my head through the gap, pushing away the stones in order to get a better view.

Where are we?

What greets my eyes is a touch surprising. My compound vision ensures I get a complete picture at once.

We are inside what looks like a stone building with a high vaulted ceiling. On either side of me, long wooden chairs are arranged in rows, all facing the same direction. A crowd of people has recoiled on either side, pressing each other against the walls and looking at my ant face in horror.

All of this is shocking enough.

Just that would have been terrible.

But it’s not what seizes my attention.

Before me, at the front of the room, where all of the chairs are facing, is a pulpit with a robed figure pointing at me with powerful emotion twisting his face. And behind that man, is a statue.

That statue…

Is… Is that… Sir Ian McKellan?

Gandalf?