RinoZ
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Chapter 1160 - The Golden Path
🕑 Added 2023-05-12 09:15:52 +0000 UTC“What’s the plan, Solant?”
Of course, the responsibility for determining the strategy of the team fell to her, and she embraced it. Even under these circumstances, against this level of odds, she welcomed that pressure.
“I’m not sure yet…” she said, “I need some time to think on this. There are many unknowns and we must plan for them all.”
The others nodded. They knew her abilities and trusted in her judgement, just as she trusted in them. Without that harmony, they would never have been as successful.
Trust your leaders, trust your followers.
She nodded to herself. That was wise. She should add it into her growing list of precepts. She didn’t have a name for the manual she was constructing yet, but it formed the basis, the guidelines, of her approach to strategy and battle.
The Depiction of Fighting.
… didn’t seem right.
The Symphony of Battle.
Better… but not quite it.
She shook her head. Useless thoughts, these didn’t matter. The Endless had just been challenged to an unprecedented match, one that threatened to derail their win streak and take the shine from their aura of invincibility.
It couldn’t be allowed to happen! Not even against the Eldest could she bring herself to yield without a fight!
The rest of the team stood around her, confident she would have an answer.
“We must ensure we properly understand our advantages,” the small ant began slowly.
“We outnumber the Eldest,” the scout Scipiant pointed out.
“There’s something to that, though it likely won’t matter much. A broad formation should prove to be more effective. What else?”
“The rules of Tunnel Ball?” the soldier, Attilant, pointed out. “In a direct confrontation, we wouldn’t stand a chance, but in the game, both we, and the Eldest, are constrained by the rules.”
“That’s an excellent point,” Solant agreed. “Tunnel Ball allows for direct confrontation, but that’s not how you win. It’s possible to lose the fight, but win the war, so long as the ball reaches the other end.”
The group continued to huddle, brainstorming ideas.
“The Eldest is likely to underestimate us,” Washingtant, the mage suggested. “We are evolutions behind, and pose no threat of actually harming them. This could give us an opening.”
“True, but dangerous to rely on the possibility,” Solant mused. “Are we aware of any weaknesses of the Eldest?”
The ants shifted, nobody volunteering any information.
“I thought as much. There just isn’t that much which is known about the Eldest. With certainty, I mean. It will be difficult to win if we are unable to know our enemy….”
It had been easy to collect information on their Tunnel Ball opponents. Solant was able to watch them train, watch them play, engage them in discussion about the exercise. In an afternoon she could dissect an opponent's strengths and weaknesses with laser-like precision.
This particular opponent however….
“Leonidant!” she snapped.
“Yes!” a scout stepped forward.
“I need you to try and do some reconnaissance. We need intelligence on the Eldest, whatever we can get. Going into battle blind is the worst possible way to do it.”
The fearless scout nodded grimly and turned to leave.
At that moment, a crushing weight suddenly pressed down on them, as they felt an indomitable presence appear somewhere in the nest. The power that emanated from that monster shook their legs and rattled their carapaces’.
“What on Pangera is that?” Washingtant snapped, her antennae waving wildly.
Solant brought herself under control.
“I believe our opponent may have just arrived in the nest….”
The others stared at each other incredulously, and then, suddenly, the oppressive weight faded until it was gone, as if it had never been.
Solant’s eyes gleamed.
“This could be our greatest triumph. We must do everything to prepare. Leonidant, go! The rest of us will begin to workshop our tactics and drills. We will not go down without a fight!
__
YEEEOUCH!
And I mean that quite sincerely. Both the YEE, and the OUCH! The moment I arrive in the second stratum, unceremoniously deposited in the nest by Brilliant, who doesn’t even have the good graces to say goodbye, instead just vanishing back into the squiggle dimension or wherever the heck she goes enroute to her lab.
Of course, the Call immediately kicks up a fuss and I feel like my soul itself is being yanked out of my business district. The pain… is bad. Really bad. I cannot believe I agreed to come up here just to crush some hatchlings at Diggy Ball or whatever they called it.
I should never have agreed to this!
But then… champions are such an important part of the Colony’s development. Vibrant is the strongest soldier in the family, with her own battalion of speedsters wreaking havoc wherever they go. Brilliant is… a pain in the thorax, but is also the most fearless and unique mana researcher in the Colony! We need them! This Solant will prove to be just as valuable an asset, and if the best way to make contact is to get up here and dto the sports then that’s what I’m going to do.
Except it hurrrrrrrrrrts….
Wait, why the heck is everyone looking so wobbly?
Lousy Brilliant wasn’t accurate enough to drop me in some nice, isolated area, instead I’m in the centre of some major thoroughfare, and when I look down, I realise I’m perched atop a statue of myself! Just how big is this thing?!
Oh, right, the ants are getting rocked by my aura.
Most of the family around here are tier four or five, being exposed to the emanations of my superior grade, tier seven core is too much for them to handle. I quickly restrain myself, pulling it back in so everyone can continue going about their business.
Speaking of which. I need to work out where the heck I’m meant to go. I haven’t been up here in ages.
“Uhhhh. Directions? Anyone?”
Comments
Gopard
I agree he would feel bad... But I feel like thats pretty much the only "lesson" he could teach Solant. Because I mean even if he was some genius tactician, he's still starting alone... That means "tactics" will always come down to the most effective way of levering his insane magic and strenght/speed/mass advantage to utterly destroy any "tactics"! Or in other words the "Bulldozer-Tactic" it is! :) But I'm sure RinoZ will have some funny and interesting turns in this match not just "Anthony played and (insert absolutely ridiculous destruction of the other team here) won!" :).
LeDude
Just reached here from book 1 after a marathon read. Thanks RinoZ for the wonderful entertainment your world has brought me. I enjoyed it and it was quite the read. Can't wait to see how it ends, though it looks like I'm here for the long haul. Around ~1k chapters to go
TheRaptorOfHermes
Man Rinoz.. your story never stops putting a smile on myface.. its one of the few things in my life i look forward to in this in these dark times...
Gonvas
the gland took most of the evolutionary energy the evolution had. The rest of the evolution was sub-par and because of that most Immortals spent the rest of the energy on the physical stats.
Sarah Stillman
I don't think Smithant is a champion as all champions effortlessly gain a group around them who follows them and Smithant doesn't fulfill that. I think it's important that not every ant who stands out is seen as a champion as that would undermine the average, lovable, hard-working any. Although, I could see the artist ant (Leonardo?) being the 2nd champion as they definitely have a following who makes artwork in every nest the colony creates.
alt31415
We don't /know/ the immortals didn't get one at tier 6, we just know they got their Phoenix Fire. No details on anything else.
Nathan Quitugua
Def. The colony has the numbers game and work ethic on lock...and any champions they are able to get are just force multipliers on that. Though I wanna say that Smithant is actually the 3rd champion and Solant is the 4th to come along. You have Vibrant who is effectively a shock troop/cavalry. Speedy and lethal but not built for long engagements. You have Brilliant thats thier mad scientist who is furthering the understanding of the colony on Magic in the realms of spacial and probably gravity magic. And my own head canon is Smithant being the 3rd champion to come along who is their foremost leader in industry and innovation. Last but not least, we have Solant, the War Genius, sees every engagement as a chess match. The only problem i see is if Solant can juggle the risk vs reward scenario and doesn't fall prey to her pride.
Nathan Quitugua
There are no known rules yet but im guessing basic rules are dont kill your opponent and get the ball to the other side.
Sarah Stillman
Someone absolutely called it. The new champion is a Sun Tzu ant and it was something which was desperately needed, with all of the insane enemies that the colony will be facing!
Sarah Stillman
... you really think that Anthony is going to cram the rules?
Gonvas
Brilliant has been spending her time as a T5 researching space magic. We didn't see her grinding lvls to evolve. I don't think she's a T6 or that she's close. Vibrant might have a reset from 4th or deeper. The immortals didn't get one. The regular ants, if they have a reset, I expect it to be 3rd stratum material.
alt31415
Love the 'yeeouch'. Can't help but feel like Solant's gonna use the Call, somehow learning about it. Though regarding 'restraining his Aura', when exactly did Anthony... learn to do that? (Also, just an idle curiosity, I'm curious what sort of resets other members of the Colony are getting. Vibrant and Leeroy are both Tier 6 and I think Brilliant is either there, or close)
Koala Man
Don’t know but I’d think Anthony would feel bad about wining by gravity domain , it’s not in the spirit of the game , his dash is insane tho and he’s bulky enough to just smash through most of what they can put up. I imagine he won’t need to domain them . His biggest problem will be the same sort of thing a big body builder faces when he tries to scratch the middle of his back , can’t reach cause he’s too big
Forrest Ogden
Not that you were supposed to do this previously or anything but it was suuuuper fun for me watching you meld what at first seemed like a side story, into the main story line! Usually the stories many crescendo's are followed by something light, and with this that's still the case, but the steady involvement of Anthony coupled with the seamless transition into the next segment of the story oooh that's delicious. For me personally it keeps the high from the Herald's arc (I'm not trying to trend set forgive me if we're calling it something else) rolling right into this! Seriously this might be one of favorite parts of the book for the for a reason unrelated to the story: the way your prowess as an author is displayed and how your able to reach us and keep us engaged. Once again I thank you for the great reading material c:
Grey Knight Lord
If Magic is allowed a single Gravity Domain will keep them in place as he scores constantly. If not, pure aura oppression of a Mythic monster as show. Should do the trick
CentaureHeart
Love the name of the ants
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter! So is magic allowed in Tunnel Ball? If so a single gravity well and the game is over no? I'm expecting something like that to happen to the end of the game, when pure brute force don't have Anthony winning as handidly as he really should and then he goes "So what was your mistake here little Hatchling, how could you have won?" And the will be "nothing, sometimes victory is impossible!" (I think this should be the general message Solant needs to learn here!)
Bluesun Rise
Sorry was unsure whether I should put it in my comment. I'm pretty sure that with the hint in this chapter the name is supposed to be a sun tzu reference, since sol is another word for the sun and all (sun tzu wrote 'the art of war')
strainge guy1
Maybe I'm being dumb, but I don't get it, can someone explain?
Bluesun Rise
Been wondering for the entire time what the thought behind solants name was but man that's a round about way of naming her.
Jayson Legott
What are the exact rules of tunnel ball I can’t remember? Like what is allowed and what isn’t? Or can someone point me in the direction of what chapter they are talked about? I think one thing Solant has going for them is experience with tunnel ball where Anthony has 2 days to cram.
Koala Man
Lol nice one Brilliant
