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Chapter 1565 - Vented
🕑 Added 2025-03-20 06:28:28 +0000 UTCSolant was deep in reflective meditation when she perceived a messenger was fast approaching. Not for the first time, she considered implementing a network of mind-mages for near instantaneous delivery of messages, but again had to shelve the idea. Even though the Colony could provide the number of mages to create such a network through the fortress, their expertise was far better spent on battlefields, where their spells were capable of inflicting tremendous damage from a relatively safe distance.
Being a leader meant mastering the art of the possible.
A good idiom. Solant nodded to herself with satisfaction, resolving to add it to her annals of wisdom. One day she would be satisfied that the collective words would contain enough knowledge to be of worth to other generals, then and only then was she prepared to share them. For now, they remained a collection of her personal thoughts and idioms.
Drawing her antennae through the elbow joints of her front legs, cleaning them and simultaneously using the action as a mental trigger to cast away extraneous thoughts, she made herself ready to receive news. When the scout was finally admitted to her chamber, Solant felt as if her mind had been cleansed, all baggage and weight thrown out and leaving behind a placid lake.
“What news do you bring?” she asked the clearly tired messenger.
“The vents have opened again,” the scout reported. “I was told to inform you as soon as possible.”
Solant leaned back in her seat, pressing her forelegs to the sides of her head.
Yes, this had always been a possibility and been planned accordingly. Was this timing coincidental, or did it signify something greater? She pondered on the issue for several minutes before she lowered her legs again.
“Take me to Cobalt and Tungstant,” she said.
“They… they were the ones who sent for you.”
“I know.”
Despite this occurrence, Solant was still at peace. Still calm. No ripples marred the surface of her lake. The fifth had proven to be a worthy challenge for her, but so far, everything had been within her expectations. She was confident. She didn’t lose.
Cobalt and Tungstant were arguing, not an unusual occurrence lately. It seemed that, as the two ants developed their Skills and grew more experienced in design, engineering and construction, differences in opinion cropped up more and more. To Solant, this was a strength, they had the chance to test their ideas against another and defend them in rigorous debate, ensuring they were sound. But she sensed the two siblings were less comfortable with these arguments, too used to agreeing with each other to get any benefit of their dialogue.
“Sisters,” Solant greeted them as she arrived, nodding respectfully to the scout who had acted as her guide. “I’ve been told the vents are open again. Why have you sent for me?”
“Because it’s an emergency?” Cobalt said, irritated. “There are seventeen vent sites within the fortress and each of them is spilling highly concentrated doom at a high rate.”
“We have completed our countermeasures, did we not?” Solant asked.
“Just because we built systems that haven’t ever been tested before, doesn’t mean we solved the problem!’ Cobalt burst out. “Now that they’re being used, we have to check every single inch of them to make sure there aren’t any leaks or mistakes!”
“Of course,” Solant said soothingly. “I would expect nothing less.”
She turned to the vent site nearby which the two sisters had likely been arguing over. The vents were… interesting. The ants had, obviously, investigated them extensively after the first incident. As it turned out, excavating them was possible, but difficult. As it turned out, each vent was connected to a fleshy tube that ran through the rock and connected to something far, far below. If they wanted to, the Colony could have ripped them all out and been done with it, but Solant had other ideas.
So, an emergency plan had to be put in place. Right now, the vent was capped with an elaborate device created by the finest enchanters the Colony had produced. It acted much the way the walls of Zluth’s prison did, or indeed the intakes of the platforms, drawing the mana in without letting it come into contact with a surface. Everything the mana of the fifth touched was corrupted, after all, nothing it came into contact with could ever contain it.
This cap then fed the energy into a network of pipes that eventually connected to the mana channels that fed the wuffer collectives.
“And what seems to be the issue?” Solant asked. “You were arguing when I arrived. I assume there is a matter that needs to be resolved?”
“What? Oh… no, that’s fine.”
“Fine, is it?” Tungstant spoke up for the first time, fixing her sibling with a hard stare. “It didn’t seem ‘fine’ a moment ago.”
“We don’t need to bother Solant with it,” Cobalt insisted. “It’s an issue for the two of us to sort out.”
“Personally, I don’t mind getting another person’s opinion. It can give an outside perspective that may prove useful.”
“There’s no need.”
Solant clacked her mandibles softly, drawing their attention back to her.
“I presume this matter has something to do with the construction of the caps? Or the distribution of extra wuffers?”
“What? No,” Tungstant shook her head. “We’ve been arguing over the proper ratio of sugar in tea, and what measure we should use for it. Cobalt thinks we should continue to use the human ‘spoons’ measurement, but I argue we should move to a new metric, since we don’t use spoons. What are your thoughts?”
Solant eyed the two of them.
“I am returning to my meditation,” she said, then turned and left.
Comments
ManguKing
They need to get a pet that could fit through those vents and follow them down.
Robothaus
"the walls of Zluth’s prison did" should be Goszi not Zluth
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter!
Roombot
I’m looking forward to the publication of Solant’s Art of War
Roombot
Ants have varying sizes based on caste and evolution tier, though!
Roombot
Not to mention their great surprise upon finding the vents suddenly flooded with ultra-high-density purified mana…
Celeria Rosencroix
_And my gladness upon perceiving the confirmation of my intuition in this is sublime._ :3
alt31415
WHERE
taukid
Her disappointment is immeasurable, and her day is ruined.
Dailion
Well, we now know how Solant plans to use the mana collected in the center of the fortress, she will flush it down the vents! it's so obvious now, massive amounts of clean purifying mana rolling in the vent system, it may very well reach a heart an turn it normal again
DrDankness
Lmao. Solant’s disappointment is palpable
TheLostGolem
The Krath open the vents thinking it will cause Existential dread to the invaders. Vents open. Ants have a heated debate over proper sugar ratios in tea.
Ether's Blessed One
Colony. Arguing over Tea. Sugar and Biscuits. While Territory Claiming. I got it, The Ants Are British!!
Runaway_Cactuar
Use the metric system, you dummies!
Nathan Emerson
A simple wired telephone or telegraph would allow fast communication.
ibb606
the arteries out of the hearts 👀
thatbrodou
AMOGUS MENTIONED
Grey Knight Lord
You know, when the vents start absorbing again, have them absorbed super dense purified mana. A natural distribution system
SuperNewbie
Amongst us
C Gillan
Real questions of life there. Given size of ants of the colony a rubix cube sized sugar cube is my suggestion to the discussion.
strainge guy1
That adds extra processing requirements! And the additional issue of what if one likes 1.5 lumps!
Buck
The argument of the proper way to measure sugar being added to tea is pretty hilarious. 😂
Brandon14754
Glad to see the vents can be cut off in case they ever need to, also interesting that it's a fleshy tube
Brandon14754
And they can invent grants as a measurement, and 1,000 grants can be one milo-grant
fair3238
"When it comes to matters involving siblings, even a leader can be mistaken." Another idiom to add by Solant.
Georgeous
Sugar Cubes are the answer!
Deathburn
But Solant, using a proper measurement system is essential! Without a properly designed system, inefficiency abounds, and with inefficiency, you cannot properly prepare
Test Test
Among us
