Chapter 138 Family (1/2)
Overall we managed to harvest six cores from the wide section of tunnel, including two tasty looking ones from the Bone Lizards. All in all this has been an extremely profitable trip! It feels good to get levels and Bioma.s.s again so freely like this! Now that I don't have to worry so much about the colony surviving the terror of the wave, I'll be able to head down here with Tiny every now again in order to make sure my personal strength isn't lagging too far behind!
I can already feel more heat readings from the walls growing with every pa.s.sing second. A new wave of monsters is about to sp.a.w.n and I'd rather not get tangled up with them. I collect my pa.s.sengers and tell Tiny that it's time to leave.
The big ape has mostly healed up after consuming all of that Bioma.s.s but his fist still looks like it's in rough shape. Not too surprising considering what he punched! More importantly he looks relaxed and happy, something I haven't seen for over a week now.
Being a little careful with ourselves we begin the long trek to the surface one more, clearing out the monsters who had sp.a.w.ned behind us as we'd descended. The two little ones are probably the members who gained the most from this trip. I'm not sure that eating more advanced Bioma.s.s expedites the growth of young monsters but it probably does, I'll be interested to see how much Crinis has grown tomorrow. Since Vibrant is a fully grown monster, albeit a small one, she will have gained a truckload of Bioma.s.s from consuming a creature two evolution levels above her, perhaps as many as fifteen points!
Considering how limited her stomach capacity is, getting so many points from one meal is quite an amazing haul!
Eventually we make our way back to the surface. I climb out first in order to detect if there are any humans or other creatures around the opening to the tunnel. We need to be somewhat careful moving in and out of here as we aren't too far from the human settlement. Some caution goes a long way in avoiding unnecessary complications!
Since we've cleaned out the lower tunnels twice there shouldn't be too much there for the humans in the church to fight, just the very weakest monsters who sp.a.w.ned above where my new tunnel connects to the old one. Not only have I protected their lives, I've also robbed them of experience. Truly giving with hand and taking with the other. Gweheheh.
To be honest, I haven't hurt them at all, and taking little steps like this to protect my colony, my family, is surely permissible right? Gandalf?
Eh. My conscious is clean.
The four of us begin the long trek back into the forest, well, two of us begin the long trek back into the forest. I'm fairly certain that Vibrant has fallen asleep on my head. Judging by the rhythmic expansion and contraction of the little ball on my back, Crinis has also!
Why I oughtta!
Ah fine. They've had a big day I suppose. The faster they digest that Bioma.s.s and grow the sooner they'll be off my back and working hard for the colony. Just you wait you little freeloaders…
It takes a few hours to walk back to the anthill and things are perfectly peaceful on the journey.
However, when we are almost there, faint sounds of battle attract my attention.
My heart slows in my chest as I recognise the sound of human voices shouting and the clash of steel. People are fighting near the colony!
Immediately I start sprinting forward at top speed, not caring that my rapid movement has jolted my two pa.s.sengers awake. Tiny seems to detect my rising panic and rumbles after me as quickly as his long arms reach out and seize the ground.
With every step my heart is pounding and a scream is rising in my head. Not my family! Not my family! Not my family! NOT AGAIN!
The sickening sounds of weapons crunching through monster flesh are enough to bring tears to my eyes. I mean, if I had tear ducts. Just let my colony be safe!
In a few moments that felt like hours we finally burst onto the scene. The anthill rises like small mountain to my right, dominating the center of the clearing, workers pour out of the top, mandibles clacking with rage, antennae twitching angrily, no doubt sensing the call to arms pheromones that have summoned the workforce to battle!
To my left are ten humans, each equipped with glittering weapons and armour, intricately adorned with insignia and embossed filigree. Two mages stand at the back, ornate staves in their hands and flowing robes running over their shoulders. These are some of the most elaborately equipped humans I've ever seen.
And they are ma.s.sacring the ants.