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Chapter 1063 - Size Up
🕑 Added 2022-10-24 10:25:10 +0000 UTC“So how does it feel, Eldest?’
I turn a little to look down at Advant. I’d never really considered before, because I’d never really had to, that the position of my eyes and shape of my head blocks my vision to the ground beneath me. Unlike a human, with a handy dandy neck, I can’t exactly look down.
So when Advant approaches close to my legs and wants to chat, I actually can’t see where she is. I lower my legs on one side to change the angle and I spot her on my left.
“Oh, there you are. What do you mean by that?”
“To be a tier seven? You’re reaching levels of power that most in the Colony can only dream about.”
I feel a little uncomfortable when she puts it that way.
“What do you mean? You’ll reach this point soon enough. Bit of time, Biomass and cores are all you need and bam, you’ll be my size before you know it.”
Or bigger, considering her energy is mostly dedicated to physical growth, whereas I split mine. To my surprise, she shakes her antennae in denial.
“No, I don’t think there will be many who manage to take the leap that you have. The amount of resources required to push one of us to such a high tier is hard to justify. There are over a million members of the Colony now, each and every one of them in need of cores to fuel their evolutions. We must consider the strength of the overall family.”
“We still need a few heavyweights,” I suggest, “that big burny demon was a good counter to our normal swarm tactics. Having one big shot to take it down fast is the right call.”
“I agree with you, but I don’t think that will be me,” she sighs. “I have responsibilities as a member of the council, I can’t be hoarding resources and putting myself on the frontline all the time. Vibrant will likely be supported to make a push toward evolution, but I doubt I will ever reach tier seven.”
Huh. It’s a sobering thought. I’m tempted to say something like “if you wait long enough, you’ll surely get there eventually,” but that doesn’t really work. Sure, a monster will accumulate Biomass and experience throughout their life, but cores are a different matter. If the population of the Colony continues to grow in the manner that it has, then the demand for this precious resource will only continue to grow. If the Colony decides they would rather direct that resource to bringing up new members as opposed to investing at the top end… its hard to argue with the decision.
After all, I was the one who insisted we do everything we could to boost each individual in the Colony.
“It’s hard to describe,” I say, trying to give a better answer. “I’m not used to being this big, for starters.”
Of all my evolutions, this is by far the largest increase in size I’ve had. Other than the tier five soldiers, almost everyone around me can walk straight under my carapace without me even having to lift myself up.
Comparing back to my human body is almost pointless. My mandibles are longer than I was tall, even before the leg thing. In short, I’m huge! The tunnels and caverns I roamed through in the first stratum are forever off limits to me now, there’s just no way I would fit!
I have to admit, thinking back to that period, it feels good to know I could totally stare down a croca beast with trivial ease.
Tiny is still taller than me, but it terms of total mass, he’s fallen far behind me for the time being, something that appeared to hurt his feelings. At least, he was sulking up a storm when I woke up, flexing quietly in a corner.
“I’ll be able to give you a better answer when I little more time has passed,” I tell Advant. “For now, I’m still not used to a lot of things.”
The soldier nods.
“Well, what are your plans for now, Eldest?”
I’d love to experience less pain….
“I’ll return to the fourth and help things get rolling down there for the moment. You’re all safe enough for the time being, even though the demons are going crazy. When you need me, send word and I’ll pop in to help.”
I can probably use the Mother Tree’s gate to head back, but I’ll have to rely on Brilliant to bring me back in an emergency.
“As far as I can tell, you’re going to have a harder time than I am,” I tell her, “but you’re all way better at organising this sort of defence than I am. Once we get dug in, a million demons won’t be enough to break through.”
Now that the Queen and the rescue force has returned to friendly territory, the short term emergency has been resolved, but the ongoing danger in the demon stratum continues to grow. The Colony needs to get to work preparing for the onslaught, and I need to prep myself for battle with possibly multiple tier eight demons.
Not looking forward to that….
“Alright, I’d better get going then. Good luck Advant,” I snap her a quick salute which she returns after a moment of surprise. “Take care of our people. I’ll make sure at least half of the troops in the fourth come back to support.”
“That’s not necessa-” she starts to reply, but I rush off without letting her finish.
They want them all to stay and protect me. Bah! As if I need it!
I really need to find Sarah and see what she’s up to as well. She’d be a great help in the current situation. I don’t want to catch up with her just so I can laugh about being bigger and taller. That’s just nonsense.
I rush across the demon plains, exchanging greetings and waves with the many, many ants I pass along the way. It feels like the entire stratum has come alive as the Colony has moved in with much larger numbers. Construction is occurring all over the place, forts here, walls there, bridges, raised roads, nests, mines, forges.
The wheels of industry turn ever forward, especially when its ants doing the driving. The gigantic nests we’ve constructed under the plate cities we conquered were just the beginning apparently. I feel sorry for anyone who thinks they get rid of us once we decide to move in, even the demons. It aint happening!
Driven by the ceaseless pain of the Call, I rush back to the garden of the Mother Tree.
Asides from the agony of the Ancient inflicted curse, I’m also a little concerned about Crinis. She’s always been a little… attached to me, ever since she was reforged as a pet. I’m hoping she’s been able to cope with the separation.
I’m sure it’s fine. I’ve been gone for what… a couple of hours?
Comments
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter!
Koala Man
Ok a salary , like in exchange for work ? It would be taken as an insult by the ants . They work,, ,For The Colony ! ,, they will naturally assign cores to those that the colony deem will be the most useful , for the greater good of the colony. Have to remember that the ants that The Queen lays once she evolves again will be natives of the forth strata( 3rd?) with all the advantages that gives. They will probably never see the surface because of that
Kenneth Garcia
I was thinking more like a Core a week that way eventually they can save up themselves
Grey Knight Lord
That does not take away the main issue. Not enough cores to go around. Even if they paid the ants one core for a day of work, it’s still too many.
Kenneth Garcia
What if you gave ants a salary i.e cores
Runaway_Cactuar
I nominate Leroy to be the heavyweight. The fact that she'll never die makes this an investment that's guaranteed to pay dividends for the Colony~
MrrC
I really want a short story of an extended war between the Colony and the Demons
Koala Man
When The Queen evolves again she will start laying eggs in the lower lvls, the hatchlings she produces there will be 4th strata natives and probably more op from birth than their 1st strata sisters
Adam
I feel that has already started to happen first in Anthony then has started to naturally occur in the champions that occasionally pop up the first being vibrant that is slowly filling that role
Dan K
Could be a possible mutation for the queens if they ascend high enough.
Desmond Cheong
Maybe trial a method to let grubs be born with a core. If Anthony give “speech” to ants, would core be possible?
Anthony Romanov
Tier 7 Immortals even bigger BOOM.
Anthony Romanov
Anthony has gravity manipulation. So he mostly just uses it on himself to lighten himself. He weights several metrics tons but is light as a feather.
Brandon14754
They'd probably want a good ratio of casts as well
Littleme02
That's probably just going to happen naturally.
Greyg
Rushed back it’s simply a statement also on the demon plains i don’t think it particularly matters how more so what he sees along the way
Grey Knight Lord
Honestly, the colony needs to start a program where they pick one ant out of every 5,000 to pile resources to get to high tiers. Numbers are not going to cut it much longer.
Rahsheem Reid
Even the occasional enigma in tje construct is pushing the whole too grow and encompass the new fold in the pattern.
Rahsheem Reid
They are all parts of a ideal social structure moving as one
Nathan C
How did he get back to the garden? That was one layer up, I have a hard time seeing Anthony being able to walk up a pillar, let alone around a plate city. He could maybe use gravity magic, but if he did I'd like to see that mentioned. Thanks for the chapter
Rahsheem Reid
Thousands of human lives sacrificed for The betterment of the colony. It’s super interesting bc the colony has sooooooooooo so so so many working parts at once
Rahsheem Reid
Anthony: *leaves* Crinis: *inaudible shrieks” Colony: yeah just funnel all threats too the three mouths that looks like a unending chainsaw disposal. The legion, Golgari, and Lizard ppl: 🫢😧😲😐😶🫥🫣
Rahsheem Reid
Who remembers what happened when Anthony was captured.
Anthony Romanov
Crinis is NOT coping AT ALL!!! I can't wait till Mother Tree pops in on Anthony, telling him to stop his pet horrifying shrieking noise that sounds through 4th dungeon.
Amelgar
oh god it's been HOURS!? Crinis is totally going to look for a skill/organ to stick to Anthony no matter what now...
Frank Moore
Thanks! How are you and the fam? Saving Vrillant is the next big emergency.
Jbb4Play
Not first
Briar
Crinis is almost guaranteed to be coping poorly to say the least. I can’t wait to find out what’s happened/ is happening.
