The Battle of the Swarm, and the Spoils of Slaughter

Kyr was coiled, comfortably on the floor of a second floor hub. The blood of a moth stained his fangs and tail blade, dyeing them a blue-green color. He'd felt small spores release little bits of magic into him, trying to afflict him with various conditions. It'd taken only a slight pulse of his own mana to purge the weak magical effects. He felt... close. Close to full. He had hunted and killed almost three dozen giant bats, and now two moths. Considering the combat he'd been in before even that, he knew he was close. Kyr could feel that strange internal force, slowly built up within himself. He'd started to feel it ever since his evolution.

His head was elevated, looking up at those same giant bats hanging from the ceiling. He was curious if they would fall victim to the same effects he'd been able to shrug off. If they did, he might be able to kill a few more. Not because he was hungry or needed food, but because he wanted their wings. Kyr had once spent hours watching them fly, from one perch to another. Now, he spent those hours hunting, and killing them. His friend and creator, Sybas, had told him it was the most likely way to gain that flight. After all, Sybas was not truly all powerful, unlike what some of the younger species thought.

Kyr didn't mind however. That was his job, to do what Sybas could not. Sybas could not move, could not fight. So Kyr would move and fight for him. And in return, Sybas gave him a home, he gave him power, and Sybas had given him life. And by helping Kyr try and chase flight, he gave Kyr one of his first dreams.

When Sybas expanded their connection, and gave Kyr the location of an invading enemy, Kyr lifted his head and released a powerful hiss. Without even thinking about it, a shimmer of light glowed in his eyes. The sound became infused with mana, the hiss turning from an expression of anger at the invasion, and into a literal manifestation of that anger. A shockwave of force echoed outward with that hiss, pushing roughly through the air.

For a brief moment, Kyr hesitated, stunned by the accidental result. But the slight undercurrent of worry that had been laced through his connection with Sybas overruled even that surprise. He immediately turned and began slithering his way back towards the first floor's entrance into the second floor. The almost twelve meter length of his body producing a scraping noise against the stone, his focus on speed rather than stealth. Sybas was worried, and Kyr would show him that there was no reason to be. The invaders had earned death.

As he snaked his way upwards he briefly saw Leira, the lynx, bound her way upward as well. A satisfied hiss rumbled out of his large frame, glad that the strongest of his home's defenders were being brought to push back this swarm. The nascent light from the first floor began to come into view, through the light haze of the tunnel Kyr was making his way up. And at the same time, he watched as a six-legged creature with a thin armor across it's body bounded into view. It screeched, jaws opened hideously wide.

It only took a moment for Kyr to examine the creature, all the while coiling himself into a tall and wide pile. While he would not fight this way, he would begin from that position. His tongue flickered out as he watched more and more of that same creature flooding into view. Finally, they began surging forward, splitting from one massive wave into thinner columns as they split into each of the five tunnels that led from the entrance and further into the second floor. Seeing the sudden wave of creatures surging towards him, Kyr decided to test if he could replicate what he had accidentally done earlier.

The glow from his eyes became bright, much brighter than it had been earlier. The golden scales running down his back becoming slightly luminous as the mana they generated and stored began to flow through Kyr's body. His jaw fell open, and he screamed out a hiss towards the charging creatures. This time a storm of force erupted forward, immediately rushing down the tunnel and rebounding onto itself, strengthening from the multiplied force. When it slammed into the creatures it completely blew them backwards.

Three of them impacted the wall of mana wrong and their heads snapped instantly, another five were tossed so hard that they were impaled on nearby stalactites and stalagmites. Over twenty of the creatures were simply picked up and tossed backwards, sending them flying overtop the heads of their charging brethren. Despite the power of the hiss however, Kyr felt a massive chunk of his built up mana vanish into the attack. He refrained from following the attack up with another one, not wanting to risk losing the strengthening mana if the fight lasted too long. Instead, his muscles tensed and the coiled lengths below his heavy arrow-shaped head rose slightly.

The first one of the invading beings reached a distance of around eight meters when Kyr shot himself forward. A streak of turquoise scales, flying forward shocklingly quickly. Kyr's fangs sunk deep into the creatures neck, easily piercing the chitin across its body. At the same time, his tail whipped up and over, slamming the tail blade through another of the charging beasts. His jaws released quickly, rearing his head back for another strike. At the same time, his tail blade shot free and swung around in a fast arc to his other side, easily slicing through the throat of the creature that had just been about to leap at him.

Kyr easily used his much larger body to slam another into the wall, before lunging past one more to sink his fangs into the next creature. His serpentine body quickly coiled around the beast he'd lunged past, his mana-enhanced strength exerting enough pressure to begin cracking the chitin plates, crushing the being. By this time, more and more of the creatures were coming close and within range. The mana-enhanced scales of Kyr's hide however, kept their claws from slashing through. and his constant twisting movement deflected biting attacks, keeping them from finding the right position to be able to punch through.

His tail blade whipped quickly through the air, dyed bright crimson red as it sliced through muscle, chitin, and even bone. His fangs flashed a bright white and red, ripping through the many creatures hides. His much larger body alternatively smashing into the nearest creatures or crushing them one at a time. As Kyr continued his rampage through the beings, some slipped past him. But the bodies began to stack, and Kyr's bright scales began to run red with blood.

I watched as the tunnels of the second floor began to flood with red. The exit from the first floor led to a split into five tunnels, all leading deeper into the second floor. In the first tunnel, the Armorer Skorpion and one of the Kerberus Skorions fought. The claws and bites of the Broodlings merely skidded off of the shell of the Armorer, only managing to inflict even light wounds on the creatures legs and stinger. On the other hand, few of the Broodlings survived long enough to make an attack against the Kerberus Skorpion. It's dual stingers lashing out again and again while its reinforced pincers ripped through flesh.

The second tunnel held Leira, and no Broodling could threaten her. Their chitin was worthless to her claws, being sliced through and cut to ribbons with barely any effort. She was roaring and hissing in rage at the Broodlings. Her every movement bringing at least one down. I watched as she swept one heavy paw across her front, the impossibly sharp claws cutting through three different Broodlings at one.

One tunnel over, the Ironstone Lasher and the Kobold fought side by side. The majority of the tunnel was filled with the Lasher's tendrils, iron spikes piercing and slashing through Broodlings. Again and again, they just kept dying more and more. Standing close to the Ironstone's body, stood the Kobold. Every time the sheer numbers of the Broodlings managed to push one past the tendrils of the Ironstone, the Kobold would be ready to rake his claws across them. He lifted one of the Broodlings, grunting as it's claws gouged his shoulders and legs, before turning to the side and heaving downwards. The Broodling released a blood-curdling screech as the Kobold slammed it down onto a nearby stalagmite.

At one point, I felt a spike of sudden concern when a Broodling managed to catch one of the Ironstone's tendrils in its powerful jaws. The teeth were strong enough, and it took too long to shake the beast off. The tendril was half chewn through by the time teh Kobold managed to tear the Broodling away. Quickly after that, the Ironstone let out a shriek of pain when the Broodlings continued target this weakened tendril. After too many claw strikes to the crippled tendril, it was finally shorn through. I was already writing off the tendril, and preparing to summon all the nearby stonecloaks when my attention was caught. The Kobold darted forward, seizing the cut off spike. He took a moment even as he retreated back towards the Ironstone Lasher to scrape away the flesh that had been attacked to the spike. Almost another meter of iron was still covered in blood and viscera as the Kobold held the spike in his hand, it's sharp point and edge covered in blood. I watched as he began to use it to cleave apart and through the broodlings, wielding the lost spike as a weapon.

The fourth tunnel held Kyr. I'd initially been somewhat worried, given he was far more suited for one on one fighting. He was busy proving me wrong though. His tail blade was cutting through the Broodlings with ease, and he was ripping through their chitin with his fangs. His sheer size and length was enough to send the smaller creatures flying should he slam into them. And more than that, he'd managed to wind around and crush multiple of the Broodlings, cracking them with ease. The few Broodlings that had fallen into the pit trap had suffered similar cracking, showing me just how powerfully he could squeeze them.

The last tunnel was occupied by the last of the two Kerberus Skorpions. Behind him, he was supported by dozens and dozens of smaller Rock Skorpions. Relying on their armored bodies, they would sting and then either be killed of managed to back away fast enough. All the while, the Kerberus Skorpion drew all of the Broodlings' attention. While the other one of the Kerberus Skorpions was able to focus on offense, this one was focused entirely on defense. Simply ensuring it managed to survive, while relying on the Rock Skorpions around it to help kill the swarming beings.

I watched as my creatures slaughtered Broodling after Broodling, dozens, then a hundred, two hundred all falling beneath them. And slowly, what had been an unstoppable tide of monsters, subsided. What had been a wave of destruction and unending hunger, snapping its jaws at everything in sight, began to wither. The Kerberus Skorpions whipped their stingers forward again and again, the Armorer bathed in their blows and strikes and moved forwards anyways. The Ironstone Lasher was a whirlwind of iron and death, cutting any Broodling that approached apart. And within that whirlwind, the Kobold stood, his scales ripped and torn, heaving for breath and looking for the next one to die on his claws and new iron weapon.

Leira was a veritable avatar of death unto herself. Bodies were stacked as high as she was tall. Her claws were unmarked, the chitin so weak that it didn't even merit a mention before their power. The gem in her forehead pulsed with light and power, torrents of Earth mana even now running into her claws and strengthening her. But beyond them all, Kyr had killed the most. The twelve meter long serpent had crushed every Broodling to choose his tunnel. Dozens and dozens had their throats ripped out by his fangs, and far more than that were slashed open by his tail blade. Broodlings had been treated as little more than toys in front of his strength, his coils and length a colossus to the invading creatures.

And now, as the last of the Broodlings lay dying, I felt the power click. And then click. And then click. The power of my creatures reaching that crucial threshold that would send them over the edge and into their evolutions. Leira, Kyr, the Kobold, and over five different Rock Skorpions. I took a moment to survey my dungeon before I let myself begin triggering their evolutions.

The first floor was a wreck. Littered in mixed bodies of spiders, Broodlings, skorpions, rats, and stonecloaks. The stream was polluted with bodies, floating or sinking into the depths of the waters. The few remaining denizens of the first floor were hidden away in their secretive nests and breeding holes. Skorpions and rats all looked out across the destroyed floor and turned back within, not ready to emerge yet. Unfortunately, there were no surviving stonecloaks, they had all died. The second floor on the other hand, had fared much better. The confined tunnels prevented the Broodlings from simply swarming across my creatures, letting their individual power slaughter them. More bodies than I'd ever had to deal with spread across my grounds.

Focusing, I began to slowly expend mana, the power rushing outwards and sinking into the bodies. As the mana sank in, I began to slowly disintegrate the mana itself. And as I did, the flesh that had bonded with it began to disintegrate as well. The bodies began collapsing, disappearing and withering from existence. I'd seen this before, had done this before, but never on such a scale. I only stopped the outflowing mana when over half of the bodies had fallen out of existence, losing their tether to physicality as I let the unformed magic fizzle from existence.

And finally, I let the messages I'd been holding back roll across my mind.

You have gained the schema for : Lykesis Bloom

Lykesis Bloom

The Lykesis Bloom is a surprisingly deadly brand of Sporeshroom. With their light, tan colored exterior, they appear almost completely harmless. Should one inhale their spores however, they would quikly find themself paralyzed and unable to move. More than that, should enough spores be brought into a creatures system, it may even start producing a static resonance, creating sparks within the creatures body.

You have gained the schema for : Tyralis Bloom

Tyralis Bloom

The Tyralis Bloom is also known as, "The Fear Bloom". Inhalation of the Tyralis Bloom's spores leads to the sprouting of a deep fear, causing extreme panic in a creature. Should enough spores be introduced into a creature, it may even create a level of paranoia in the creature.

You have gained the schema for : Destral Bloom

Destral Bloom

The Destral Bloom has a deep black stalk, with a dark crimson cap. The spores given off by this variant of Sporeshroom will quickly begin burning the lungs of any creature unfortunate enough to inhale them. Should too many spores be ingested, this can even lead to death.

You have gained the schema for : Psyalis Bloom

Psyalis Bloom

The Psyalis Bloom is a specially insidious Sporeshroom. The spores given off by the dark, almost black purple mushroom will induce a feeling of dizziness and confusion in a creature. Too much exposure to these spores will lead to increasingly severe reactions such as visual or auditory hallucinations, paranoia, delusions, and even psychosis in extreme cases. The most dangerous part of this variety of Sporeshroom, is that unlike other types, the spores do not need to be ingested. Mere contact is enough to initiate symptoms.

I was slightly confused at first, trying to figure out where these schemas were coming from. Then I quickly remembered the Sporewing Moths. They must have brought the spores with them into the dungeon, and either the spores died or they combined and then the plant itself died, thus granting me the schema. While unexpected, I was more than welcoming of this change. Having quickly understood the supposed effects of the Sporeshrooms, my mind was already thinking of ideas. But there were far more messages crashing into my consciousness. First in my mind, were the Rock Skorpions, all five with the same two evolution choices, the second seemingly gained from fighting beside the Kerberus Skorpion.

Your creature, a Rock Skorpion, has reached the threshold for evolution!

Please Select your desired evolution!

Giant Rock Skorpion (Uncommon) : The Rock Skorpion is an ambush predator, and little has changed with their larger brothers and sisters. Aside of course, from the size of their prey. Where the regular Rock Skorpion might consider some who fall for its disguise to be too large, the Giant Rock Skorpion will have no such thoughts.

Kerberus Skorpion (Uncommon) : The Kerberus Skorpion focuses on the offensive potential within their stinger. With two tails and two stingers, the Kerberus Skorpion attacks rapidly and without fear. The Kerberus Skorpion is also able to completely regrow both tail and stinger should it lose one. More than that, their venom specifically induces extreme pain to distract and cripple their target.

Awakener

None

The choice was easy to me. I quickly chose two of the Skorpions to become Giant Rock Skorpions, only so I could gain the schema for if I ever needed it. The other three that had reached their evolutions, all began to glow with a light that would transform them into Kerberus Skorpions as well. After the Skorpions, came Leira.

Your creature, a Rock-Claw Lynx Adolescent, has reached the threshold for evolution!

Please Select your desired evolution!

Rock-Claw Lynx (Exotic) : The Rock-Claw Lynx is a powerful and apex hunter. Their size, power, and claws make them a threat for any creature to be wary of. Even mighty Drakes must be careful when confronting a full grown Rock-Claw Lynx. A terror in the dark of tunnels, beware the roar of stone. Or else you may just find yourself the prey of one of these powerful creatures.

Chimera (Exotic) : This creature has come into contact with a vast array of creatures. It has sparred with a Gladiator Skorpion, met and been acknowledged by a Kraken, and lives in the dense mana of a dungeon. It will take traits from it's life, and become a chimera, boasting the strengths it has found and very little weakness.

Awakener

Gem-Claw Lynx (Exotic) : The Gem-Claw Lynx is vanishingly rare. Unlike its weaker kin, the Rock-Claw, the Gem-Claw is a creature absolutely intune with the Earth mana that flows through it. Not only will the vast amounts of Earth mana available to the Gem-Claw strengthen their emerald claws, but it will also be able to manifest that mana into manipulations of Earth. The very ground it's enemies stand upon will become their foe, with the Gem-Claw capable of using Earth magic with an ease that spellcasters will be in awe and terror of.

As I read, I felt a slow curl of satisfaction whisp its way through my consciousness. The full grown Rock-Claw Lynx would most likely have been preferable to the Chimera, given their descriptions. And yet... My title had finally shown itself. Awakening the connection Leira had formed with the Earth empowered emerald she had taken. Without hesitation, I selected Gem-Claw Lynx. And I could feel my core shfit the slightest bit in anticipation of what she would become.

Following directly on the heels of Leira's evolutions, was the Kobold's. It beign his first, I didn't expect much.

Your creature, a Kobold, has reached the threshold for evolution!

Please Select your desired evolution!

Lizard-Folk (Uncommon) : The Lizard-Folk are not commonly known to be related to dragons, and yet their blood runs through their veins. Faster, stronger, and more nimble that Kobolds, the Lizard-Folk had only negligably more awakened blood. And yet that is all it takes for their power to be so increased.

Drake-Kin (Uncommon) : Drake-Kin are a surprisingly rare breed of Drake descendents. The blood of ancient dragons is only slightly less diluted in their own blood than a Kobolds. They are much larger and stronger as well, drawing this increase from the Drake's they are descended from.

Awakener

Drake-Kin Warrior (Scarce) : This Kobold has found itself wading through blood and turmoil from the first moments of its life. When it awoke, it survived the Gladiator Skorpion, saw a Rock-Claw Lynx Adolescent hunt, and fought a Stonecloak. Every moment of its life has been carved from conflict and sheer stubborn survival. The conflict, descended from the vicious and violent Drakes. This Kobold has fought against hordes, facing an enemy it does not understand and did not flinch. It has shown the fearlessness of a warrior, and has found the weapon to match it.

My mana-vision focused in on the Kobold suddenly, my surprise from reading his evolution causing me to study him in closer detail than I had. His scales were torn in a dozen places, dark crimson blood seeping slowly from the wounds. And yet, he still stood at his full height, alternatively looking back up the tunnel and to the Ironstone Lasher he fought beside. Gripped in one claw, was the meter and a half of iron. Narrowing to a sharp point, and with one side filing down to an edge, the scavenged spike did make a formidable weapon. In his other claw, was the shattered off lower mandible of a Broodling. He had scavenged it from one of the bodies, having seen what a difference a weapon made. Even as I watched, he was weighing it in his hand, shifting it until he was holding a smoother section with the fangs jutting outward as if it were an axe.

Yes, I decided, surprising even myself a little. I'd taken little interest in the Kobold, and I now knew that to be a mistake. He did had what the message called the fearlessness of a warrior. At times he could be mistaken as to be fearful, scrambling away from enemies. But everytime, it could be traced back to them simply being too strong for him to have faced at the time. And so, I resolved to fix my error. I had written him off as a fill in Guardian, but he was not. The light began to envelop him, as he began the evolution into a Drake-Kin Warrior.

And finally, Kyr. He was coiled in his tunnel. Patient, and waiting. He knew I would not leave him behind, and when he felt my gaze turn to him, he hissed softly. Somehow, I knew he was expressing the hope for flight. I reached out, and connected to his mind for a moment. Do not fear, you will fly. Even if I must bring you every flying creature I can reach, you will.

Your creature, a Giant Mana Serpent, has reached the threshold for evolution!

Please Select your desired evolution!

Naga (Rare) : This creature's intelligence has grown beyond their species, and so has their control over magic. With a humanoid upper body, and a serpentine lower body, a Naga is a natural master at manipulating mana. They are suspected to be one of the ancient teachers of magic, for they can weave spells with incredible ease.

Mana-Forged Wyrm (Exotic) : The Mana-Forged Wyrm is a powerful serpentine creature, often ruling over a domain many kilometers to a side. They produce prodigious amounts of mana, and use it to fortify their scales, sharpen their tail blades and fangs, and bolster their strength. Their massive size is as much of a threat as anything else however, proving them to be living forces of destruction.

Awakener

Winged Serpent (Exotic) : Rarely does a creature have a strong enough desire and will to affect their evolution, and even more rarely does a creature have a deep enough bond with a Dungeon Core to have this will multiplied. This creature has hunted every winged creature it could, bringing them from the sky in hopes of ascending itself. The Winged Serpent is the answer to those hopes, to those dreams, and to that will. A Winged Serpent flies partly due to their wings, and partly due to the incredible amount of magic they can summon into being. The Winged Serpents are suspected to be one of the ancient teachers of magic, for the massive amounts of mana they produce and can weave into spell.

I felt a glow of sudden satisfaction of happiness, finding an awakening that would provide my oldest creature something he dearly wanted. And more than that, it would give him something that only Leira's own evolution might be able to match; true magic. The ability to cast spells and use true magic, according to their will. At the same time as I chose the evolution, I shared its details with Kyr. And as he was enveloped in white light, a low triumphant hiss echoed from him.

Deep below Joristal Mountain, through winding tunnel and dark cavern, one of the Young Queens stirred. One of the Brood Host's scouting swarms had been completely killed... Over three hundred Broodlings killed, disconnected from her consciousness. Her large, split mandibles shook with a low cry of anger. In the briefest flash of a moment, her mind connected to the Overqueen's. And when the response came, she hissed in satisfaction. Her request had been allowed. She could lead a full War-Horde, and crush whatever insolence had sprouted. Slaughter whatever had dared strike down their Broodlings.

Her massive form lumbered from her worn seat, twelve legs moving slowly to carry her to the egg chamber. She leaned down, her split mandibles opening slightly. A crooning hiss emerged, and her breath washed over the unhatched Broodlings, the Spine-Throwers, the Acid-Spitters, and the Veriflies.

And a true Brood Host began to awaken.