Chapter 410 Tunnel time (1/2)
My mandibles close with a mighty crunch and another ma.s.sive centipede has met an early grave.
[You have slain level 15 Adult Claw Centipede]
[You have gained experience.]
To one side, Tiny is pinning down a rotting rabbit and he is repeatedly punching it in the head until it stops moving and on the other, Crinis continues to work her dark magic on the creatures unfortunate enough to fall into her clutches.
[Got things under control, team?]
[URAAA!] Tiny bellows, both in my mind and out loud as his fists finish their work.
[Yes, Master. These low cla.s.s filth will be out of your way in just a moment. Do not trouble yourself over them.]
[I mean, they aren't really any trouble.]
[Just leave them to me! I mean… us.]
[Uh… okay.]
It may just be me, but I feel that Crinis has become a little more intense lately. She's always been a little bit … on edge. But since the Garralosh fight she's been fighting hard for every sc.r.a.p of experience she can get her horrific, barbed limbs on.
[How close are you to evolving now Crinis?]
[… I still need six more levels.]
[Don't stress about it. We'll get you up to level twenty in no time flat. You're doing great work, no need to beat yourself up.]
[Yes, Master.]
I can tell from the sullen knot she's making with her tentacles that she's not happy. Tiny is still flexing his hands and eagerly eyeing our surroundings looking for things to beat up. I can't help but sigh a little. Both of my pets are feeling the desire for strength. I understand it, now that I've reached tier five, my strength has skyrocketed. Crinis doesn't want to feel useless and Tiny doesn't want to fall behind.
I need to get my hands on some appropriate level cores for them in preparation. Tiny will need a rare core, who knows where I can get my mandibles on one of those. I think Crinis will be fine with a special core evolution. Trying to absorb a rare core at her tier may not be safe.
[Let's keep looking around. We must be getting close to the forest expanse by now.]
The three of us clean ourselves up for a moment, scanning our defeated foes for cores to absorb and eating a little Bioma.s.s before we move on. I've been trying to get back to the place I saw Formo, since that would be the obvious place to start searching. We've been pus.h.i.+ng through the twisting tunnels of the Dungeon for three days, taking a brief nap to refresh ourselves after the first fifteen hours.
We are far from the colony here and the support from my Vestibule has begun to fade. I'm honestly surprised it goes this far, I'm a long way out after all. Perhaps further mutations to increase the range will keep me in touch with my siblings from a truly ridiculous distance. Food for thought.
The tunnels before us are dark and oppressive once more, now that the light of the walls has faded back to a muted glow. Jagged stone formations cast pointed shadows at odd angles and the constant shrieking roar of monsters has been replaced by the muted scurrying and furtive battles that I recall from my 'youth'.
The mana levels are still higher than they were when I was born, but we are back to a much more comfortable state of affairs. Certainly travelling is much more comfortable than it was before. Our trio continues to pick our way forward through the tunnels. I focus on my antennae as we travel, ensuring that I try and pick up every lurking creature. Running through all these tunnels is doing wonders for my tunnel map, I'm filling in all sorts of new territory. As this tiny slice of the Dungeon continues to unfold in my mind map, the thousands of smaller and larger tunnels that twist in every direction, branching seemingly infinitely, the sheer size and complexity of the Dungeon is starting to come into view.
It's big. It's real big.