Damn this horde, damn it to its monstrous, scaly core. I've been at this for hours now, engaged in an endless tug of war with Setsulah mage servants, and to a lesser extent, their hidden master who remains tucked somewhere in the centre of the slowly moving monster mass.

Thankfully Garralosh hasn't reared her ugly head again. When I felt that aura pressure mounting on me my heart nearly leapt out of my mouth and into my loving face hands. I am not ready nor willing to go face to face with that giant mega-monster yet. Hopefully after I've evolved I'll have some chance of dealing with it, though I've no idea how. I'll be evolving into a tier four creature and although I've been told that Garralosh may not be as highly evolved as I think, she must be tier six or seven. I refuse to believe she's tier five, refuse!

Given that's the case, however, I do have hope. I think the Queen was tier five, which means that she'll have advanced to tier six, with the aid of the rare core no less. Although a lot of her evolutionary energy has been spend on her reproductive capacity, I'm hopefully that between the two of us we'll be able to hold off the big Croc and the Kaarmodo from devastating our family members.

Claws crossed.

But to get to that point I need to defeat some monsters and that is proving difficult!

Oh snap! Lighting!

BOOM!

I threw myself to the side at the last moment as a jagged lance of light stabbed down from above, sending a burst of soil into the air in the place I had been standing. Stupid Kaarmodo! Annoyed, I pick myself up and wave one claw at the sky.

I know you're watching you stupid Wizard Lizard! Too bad I don't have any fingers, otherwise I'd give you something to look at!

I generally don't like to be rude, but this Lizard is really getting on my nerves. Every time I take a rest anywhere close to the horde, the pot shots come out. To say that it's getting irritating would be an understatement. Without my future sense antennae, I'd have been thoroughly cooked by now.

At least I've managed to gain a few skill levels, but getting raw XP is getting harder and harder the closer the horde gets to the nest. I can't afford to wait much longer!

Currently my status looks like this:

Name: Anthony

Level: 39 (Special core)

Might: 41

Toughness: 29

Cunning: 44

Will: 35

HP: 58/58

MP: 176/230

Skills: Expert Excavation (III) Level 5; Deadly Acid Shot (III) Level 7; Advanced Grip (II) Level 6; Shattering Bite (IV) Level 15; Advanced Stealth (II) Level 9; Splintering Chomp (IV) Level 2; Tunnel Map (II) Level 6; Mana Transformation (III) Level 13; Condensed Mana (III) Level 7; Finer External Mana Manipulation (III) Level 8; Empowered Mana Sensing (II) Level 9; Core Surgery (III) Level 6; Expert Exo-Skeleton Defence (III) level 14; Distant Pet Communication (II) Level 5; Flicker Dash (III) Level 2; Expert Water Magic Affinity (III) Level 3; Expert Stamina (III) Level 5; Pet Growth Speed (I) Level 1; Mana Coveter (III) Level 1; Expert Cerebral Endurance (III) Level 19; Profound Meditation (III) Level 10; Advanced Precise Shooting (II) Level 8; Severing Bite (III) Level 18; Enhanced Mind Magic Affinity (II) level 7;

Mutations: Perimeter Eyes +15, Future Sight Infrared Antennae +15, Mana Binding Acid +15, Rapid Absorption Legs +15, Empowered Mandibles +15, True Diamond Carapace +15, Regrowth Regeneration Gland +15, Loquacious Pheromone Gland +15, Bottomless Gravity Magic Gland +15, Adaptable Coordination Cortex +15, Supportive Inner Carapace Plating +15;

Species: Dispersed Mind Ant (Formica Sapiens)

Skill points: 18

Biomass: 7

All of my goals are currently within reach! Just two more levels in severing bite and I'll be able to prompt the System for the skill fusion. And ONE. MORE. LEVEL.

Just one!

I'm so damn stressed! Just let me fight some stupid monsters already! I need to evolve!

Wait…

HAP!

BOOM!

Missed again you stupid Lizard! Shove off already! I threw myself onto my back and wiggled aggressively at the sky. Scry THAT you reptile!

Whoops!

BOOM!

Haha! Getting mad are you?! Not liking my dominance display? I've got plenty more where that came from!

Oh boy, the clouds are starting to gather, think it's time to move on. I gathered myself and moved around the horde toward the location I sensed Tiny and Crinis where operating. I'd asked them to fight away from me in the hopes that we could split up the Mage Servants but it hadn't worked. The horde was seemingly happy to absorb the massive losses that my two pets were able to inflict, so long as I was kept at arm's length.

Which meant that the two of them were getting some great experience and raising their skill levels, which was great, just a shame it didn't help me to do the same. Gah! I'm tired of trying to go around these stupid mages to get at the horde. With their very own eye in the sky, I just haven't been able to get a hold of them. It's starting to fall to night time now, and the horde is expected to reach the colony sometime tomorrow. I'm running out of time!

Wait a second. Maybe I'm thinking about this situation all wrong. What if I didn't try and avoid the servants to get to the horde, but avoided the horde and tried to get at the servants? After all, the servants are perfectly prepared to step forward and fight me, I don't have any trouble at all getting into a scrap with them. It's not an easy fight by any means, but with the exception of that one time, I haven't actually been trying to fight them, just keep away from them.

If you won't let me get experience from the horde, then I'll just have to take it from your servants, Mr Kaarmodo. I can hardly be blamed that’s it come to this.

Gweheheheheh.

But how am I going to do it? I'll need help, that's for sure. Tiny and Crinis will have to group up with me, maybe even Isaac and his group as well. They might be able to provide some ranged fire support. It's risky though. The second the Lizard Wizard realises what I'm doing, they are going to come down on me hard. Even harder than they have before.

And I'll need to be quick. If the fight drags on, there is a good chance Garralosh will wander over and that's not something I'm prepared to deal with right now.

One last roll of the dice to level up. Let's see how this goes.