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Chapter 1163 - Rocking the Stadium
🕑 Added 2023-05-17 04:28:56 +0000 UTCWhen the Colony goes all in on something, they really do go all in. I was obviously aware of that, but seeing the gigantic stadium that they’ve built to host games somehow still manages to shock me.
Did they really need to go this hard? Holy moly. The thing is enormous!
And there are ants everywhere. As well as people! I was asked to head to the venue well ahead of the game, there’s a waiting area for the teams before they go out onto the pitch apparently, but as I make my way over, the place is already packed!
The second I step out in the cavern that holds the stadium, a great cheer goes up from the gathered humans, and even the ants start clacking their mandibles in appreciation! Apparently, they learned to mimic clapping? There’s tens of thousands gathered already, and the game isn’t for four hours.
I pick my way through the crowd carefully, essentially walking above them, placing my legs in whatever gaps I can find.
“Nice to see you all. How’ve you been? Shouldn’t some of you be working?”
“Speak for yourself!”
“Oi! I am here to work!”
And thus, Tunnel Ball officially became classified as work for the participants.
It was rather embarrassing being the centre of attention in all that, but once I make my way beneath the stadium and away from all those prying eyes, I feel a lot more comfortable.
Back in the day, when I was a lot smaller, it wasn’t that hard to move through a group or area without being ogled to quite such a degree. Now that I tower above every other ant and human, things have gotten a little more difficult.
Even here, beneath the stadium, I can hear the crowd gathering overhead. There’s a steady drumbeat of feet, and a resonant click-clack of claws, for hours. In the chamber itself, I focus on keeping my core topped, pulling in the mana of the second stratum, to try and overcome the amount leaking out of me.
The mana in my core is so much more dense than that in the atmosphere around me, energy is constantly being drained by my highly evolved body, and the rate of replacement simply can’t keep up. Only by actively seizing energy and pulling it in can I maintain an equilibrium. If that wasn’t bad enough, I have the Call, more powerful than I’ve ever felt it before, yanking on my spirit, demanding I go deeper down into the Dungeon to meet the Ancients’ requirements.
Those bums.
It’s incredibly, mind-bendingly painful, but my willpower has grown strong! I can handle it. By… a bit. The sooner I can get this match over with and drag our new champion down into the depths with me, the better.
After stewing in the waiting room, I’m absolutely raring to get going by the time the match comes around. The noise overhead is deafening at this point, a constant dull roar. I have no idea how many people are out there, or ants, for that matter. I can feel the vibrations, through the walls. My antennae are steadily going crazy. So many vibrations, rattling through the stone, rumbling through the air. The fine hairs along my feelers are practically dancing.
“Eldest, we’re ready for you.”
“Finally…”
I pull my legs back under my body and push, levering myself up from the position I had flopped onto the ground. No need to waste energy.
I transform from a limp fish to a dignified Eldest in a second! Gweheheheh. Now to really dazzle the crowd!
I move into a narrow tunnel, in which I barely fit, that connects the waiting area to the pitch, weaving magic as I do. The exit from the tunnel is blazingly bright ahead of me, illuminating the field beyond. As I emerge into the open, my legs are barely touching the ground.
The roar that greets me as I leave the tunnel is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. There are thousands of humans here, perhaps tens of thousands. I didn’t even realise we had so many! Have we conquered more cities in the first and second stratum without me even knowing about it?
And high above, covering the dome-shaped ceiling, there are thousands upon thousands of ants, a hundred thousand at least, rustling and climbing over each other as they clack their mandibles in approbation.
How could I let my audience down?
Rising majestically into the air, I float upward, pulled by a Well I have cunningly inverted to disguise the spell. The crowd gasps in shock and admiration as I take to the skies, rising up to become level with the tiered rows of seating, and then higher still, until I can happily slap antenna with the ants on the roof!
BWAHAHAHAHA! Behold my flying majesty!
I gradually lower myself down, attempting to maintain a dignified pose in the air as I do so. Only then do I spy the Endless at the other end of the pitch, watching me drift down towards them with a clear and calm gleam to their eyes.
Oho…. Here are today’s victims. And I see Solant, right in the middle, her eyes revealing the calculations running at a million miles an hour within her mind.
No matter how much you think, it won’t be enough!
My claws finally touch down and I release the gravity well. Dominating entrance, successful.
Holy moly my core is low….
The Endless approach the midline and I realise I’m supposed to meet them there, trundling forward even as I hastily suck in more mana to replace what I lost.
“Greetings Eldest,” Leonidant says, stepping forward to greet me respectfully.
I look down at them.
“This is going to be an interesting day for you all. A lot of new experiences are coming your way.”
“I-I’m not sure what you mean?” Leonidant hesitates.
I rub my antennae together gleefully.
“You’ve never had a match quite like this, right? Ten against one? In front of a crowd like this?”
“That’s true,” she nods.
“And of course, you’ve never lost before either. Try to make things interesting, Solant. I didn’t come all the way up here to be bored! GWEHEHEHEH!”
I taunt them with a loud mandible clack, right in their faces.
“You can take offence, if you want, Eldest,” Solant says suddenly.
“Gladly.”
I turn and make my way back to my side of the pitch. I can’t wait unleash my power upon these opponents and send the crowd into glorious rapture!
Comments
Vora_Vixen
I personally think it would be very funny if he lost lol
Vora_Vixen
I tried reading that story but I had to drop it. The author has potential though.
TheRaptorOfHermes
Go solant!
The Retryer of Worlds
I hope that Anthony doesn't lose due to stats and the potential blow to prestige. Would dampen the overall story in my opinion due to everything else going on and that this is a side outing. 'The sooner I can get this match over with and drag our new champion down into the depths with me, the better.' Will this turn into more instances of like Brilliant and Vibrant, where Anthony gets dragged into easily avoidable trouble?
Bradthebugguy
Anthony is letting his pride start to rule him if things go well in my opinion he will lose and get back to himself push back the dark one
sebsebs
So many flags he's raising to make sure he loses
Time Advenit Semper
I really hope Anthony doesn’t lose once, show those little buggers who’s who!
CentaureHeart
I'm hyped for this!
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter!
Gopard
Yes, but the speed they have is different here. I mean Anthony has more mass but most importantly has sooo much more stats that mean if they were ever "racing" he could easily outrun them and for coverage there's magic(earthwall, ice wall, etc...).
Rahsheem Reid
I’m sure this is playing along with the story along the line but it’s not very interesting too me now that we are so far deep in the story… it’s so many others too speak on and we already got a few side chapters on them.
Grey Knight Lord
On webnovel their is a novel called Last Egg: Reincarnted as a Dragon in a game, and the MC Vesuvius does the same thing as Anthony in adding more brains or sub brains, just that the evolutions in that are better controlled.
Paragon
Uh oh.. why does it sound like Anthony is heading straight for a face slapping
alt31415
I mean, I can imagine that Anthony retires, win or lose, just because of how much it hurts to be in the 2nd.
CUI13
Now, I am concerned that Anthony is getting too cocky, but from one of the Tolly chapters, I seem to recall that Anthony only ever played one game, and retired immediately afterwards. I feel like it would be unlike Anthony to lose at the game and immediately quit. I also feel like it would be less than helpful for Solant, if The Endless get crushed easily, or if they manage to win. So I hope that Anthony does pull out a win, but that he has to work a bit for it.
Kenneth
we eating so good tonight, i can't wait for the next chapter
Koala Man
He’s in for a surprise , ever seen a cattle dog round up a big arse Bull ?
alt31415
You are... a mean, mean person, Rinoz. I'm crying.
Ibuks5
A one time mass release would be better than this cliff we're on. We can wait a few more days
Thunderhoof
Why you torture us like this?
