Chapter 406 Lets get back to business (1/2)

Finally! Back in the nest and away from the crazy! The Kaarmodo is gone (hopefully) and I have nothing to worry about. Let's go get it!

Full of energy, I barrel into the nest and charge down the main shaft. I'm heading for that Dungeon and nothing's going to stop me! Lumbering behind, Tiny shares my enthusiasm. He missed the entire battle and I can tell he's sour about it. The closer we get to the Dungeon, the brighter the big ape's eyes become. By the time we make it to our old resting place his ears are twitching with excitement. I'm with you Tiny, it'll be great to get back to the simple life!

[Eldest.]

No. Pls. Don't do it to me like this. I was so close. So d.a.m.n close!

[What is it Victor?]

The now much smaller than me general crawls out of a side tunnel to appear in my line of sight.

[I was hoping to have a quick word before you left.]

[Okay, Victor. Hit me. What's happening.]

[The council wants to elevate Vibrant to the position left vacant by Grant's pa.s.sing. She's the logical choice as the next eldest soldier in the colony, even if she probably won't be around all that much. What do you think?]

[It's fine with me,] I say, a little exasperated. [You don't need me to okay these things. Just do what you think is best.]

[Of course. We just wanted to make sure you approved.]

[It's fine,] I repeat. [Is there anything else?]

I'm itching to go here.

The general hesitates for a brief moment before she shrugs off her concerns.

[I think we'll talk to you when you get back. This time is important for the development of the colony. We don't want anything to go wrong.]

[What could go wrong?] I laugh. [There's nothing here to stop us right now.]

Even I feel the slight chill in the air that descends in the face of my brazen overconfidence.

[Okay. I'll check in with you guys when I get back. Just keep it simple. Everyone needs to keep learning, keep growing the colony and secure more territory, but slowly. No need to complicate things.]

[As you say, Eldest. That's what we thought also.]

[Alright then. I'll drop in to see Mother when we get down there. Catch you later Victor.]

And finally free!

Tiny, Crinis and I burst out into the Dungeon at last! Muahahaha! Time for these stupid monsters to become my stress relief!

The last vestiges of the wave are beginning to fade now, monsters no longer spring from the walls fully formed, mana levels are sinking back to what I got to experience for a brief time just after I was born. It hasn't fallen to that point yet though, and sp.a.w.n rates from normal sp.a.w.n locations are still higher than normal. The colony has been busy cleaning out the tunnels around the nest as fast as possible in order to make use of this. Even the farms have largely been abandoned now, left to try and develop their own ecosystems, hopefully a few sp.a.w.n locations develop and they can still be used, albeit in a reduced way.

It takes a little while, but we eventually find some action away from the nest where the colony hasn't been able to clear away all the monsters and we smash them like a bowling ball hitting some very brittle pins.