Chapter 55 Timber. (1/2)

Looking at the thick trunk of the large tree before me I flex my mandibles cautiously. Hopefully these infused mandibles are up to the challenge.

Ignoring the deafening noise of the little chimps above me I wander up to the base of the tree. The aggravation of the monsters only becomes more intense as I approach, the small creatures look almost comical with their faces twisted in incandescent rage, completely infuriated that a single enemy would dare approach their territory.

Turning my head I can see three workers have followed my trail to the area where I had finished it, about fifty meters away from the tree. Once they arrive there they muddle about, turning here and there, looking for the location of the food which the trail had indicated to them existed in this place.

Not to worry chaps, I'll be serving it up to you shortly!

Infused mandibles!

As soon as I activate it with a thought, mana begins to flood out of my core, rus.h.i.+ng through my body and into my mandibles. The build of energy becomes more and more intense until I almost wonder if there is anything I can't bite through with all this power.

Combined with the strength generated by my active skills I can pack a tremendous force into every bite.

Under the bewildered and disbelieving eyes of an entire tree full of monstrous apes I rear back my head and then darting forward I unleash the full force of my might upon the tree trunk.

Piercing bite!

Crunch!

The sharp edges of my mandibles sink deep into the strange wood these trees are composed of, sending splinters flying into the air and bouncing off my carapace. After this bite I don't cut off the flow of mana, letting it continue to pour out of my core and fuse with my jaws, vastly increasing their strength.

Again, piercing bite!

Crunch!

And again!

Crunch!

My mana is depleting at a furious pace, the power of these mandibles does come at a steep cost. For a monster with a poorly developed core they would be almost completely useless but thankfully I've been able to reinforce my core a quite a few times and I'll only continue to improve it further in the future!

Crunch!

The apes above are completely apoplectic with rage now, almost foaming at the mouth in their anger. I think they may have finally realised what I'm up to, some of them are starting to descend the tree in order to contest my actions.

But it's too late.

Crunch!

CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAK!!!

Oh! Here we go!

I secure Tiny on my back and dash away from the tree, moving across the path of descent and turning my head so I can watch the show.

The huge tree, with all of its shocked occupants on board, slowly begins to lean over.

The apes become completely silent in horror as their world literally starts to fall around them, whilst they are still in it.

TIMMMBEEEERRRRR!

CRASH.

With increasing speed the tree tilts and then falls to the ground with a tremendous boom, the sound of whistling leaves and shattering branches resounds through the forest.

Followed by the indignant howls of hundreds of tiny apes!

The three workers stare silently at the bizarre spectacle of a horde of injured apes pouring out of the wreckage of their tree home like angry demons. Possible even to a monster ant this site is truly something fresh and original.

For the colony!

Gleefully I charge forward into the gathering throng of ape monsters, Tiny hooting and roaring on my back like an enraged knight, who is also an ape.