Chapter 86 Still much to learn (1/2)

As I ate the mana cloud beneath me grew more intense, radiating a blinding glow that forced me to turn my head away to avert my eyes.

Curse my lack of eyelids! Sometimes an ent.i.ty just has to blink!

There is a bright flash and then the intensity of the light fades, allowing me to turn back and observe what the heck just took place.

The mana cloud is still there, lazily swirling as the glowing energy leeches out of the walls, but there is also a centipede! A brand new claw centipede uncurls itself and upon seeing me staring down at it, immediately opens its claws and charges!

CHOMP!

[You have defeated level 1 claw centipede]

[You have gained experience]

That was one short life…

Holy bus.h.i.+ness of the grey one! This is a sp.a.w.n point?!

I hadn't had confirmation of this point yet, I had no idea how all of these monsters were being created. I hadn't seen any monsters procreating, giving birth or any such thing, but that didn't mean that it didn't or couldn't happen. Here though I have proof! Evidence! Monsters are sp.a.w.ned from concentrated mana points in the ground, possibly also in caves!

But why? And how?! Is the creation mana I saw in the menu? If so, who is doing the creating? Is this simply a natural phenomenon in this world, a by-product of mana? It seems ridiculous to suggest that in any place the strange energy form that is mana exists, monsters will begin to spontaneously pop out of the ground!

Just what is going on in this place?

This doesn't explain the behaviour of the centipedes however , it makes so much sense. Of course the centipedes would construct a mound around a sp.a.w.n point, reinforcements would literally pop out of thin air and begin to work with the rest of them.

Perhaps in each mound a n.o.ble can also be found? Is it the n.o.ble centipede that gathers its followers together, creating the mound around a sp.a.w.n point? Or do the centipedes perform this action themselves?

Interesting nonetheless.

Of course, the other aspect of this discovery is what it could mean for the colony…

A sp.a.w.n point is essentially a creature manufacturing location. Looking down the mana cloud is already beginning to recover its intensity, growing brighter with each pa.s.sing second. It is entirely possible this location will spit out a new centipede every hour! Free food for the colony! An endless supply of weak individual monsters to plump up those larvae and swell our numbers!

The only problem is.. How to connect it to the nest without drawing too much attention. We aren't too far from the ant hill here, it should be possible, if tedious to dig a tunnel that will connect this location to the nest. Such an endeavor would probably take a full day of digging, even with the excavation skill.

Once connected how will I manage this location? I would probably need to put down a pheromone trail to bring workers here so they are in position the moment the centipede sp.a.w.ns.

It doesn't seem worth it to create such a long tunnel and divert the workforce just for one centipede an hour… but securing such a safe and reliable food supply is also important!

With a sinking feeling I gradually realize what I should do.