Testing out the efficiency of a function meant to completely obliterate a creature was quite the hard thing to do when the Core itself had no real desire to put one of its own creatures inside. So… what was one to do when the stone needed to be seen if it could kill yet also not kill a creature?

One made a fake creature. A fake creature with all the specifications of a real one, having the sturdiness and general appearance of the real thing. With how much time the Core had gotten on its hands, it had become something of an easy past-time to just… study the ants’ structures. The Core likely knew more about how those things were built than any other within a radius of a hundred kilometres. Even the ant queen barely had a chance of being able to do what the Core was about to do.

And what was it doing? It was making a replica of the creatures with the sole help of Physical Arcane. Every little spot was one made on the model, every piece with its specific tensile strength added. Every change in strength or structure was allowed to be formed, the Core stopping at nothing. The creation itself was quite easy, after all, with how much time had been spent on making those details possible. There were points where it might have seemed abstract yet the Entity just worked layer by layer, adding more details with each. And by the end, a perfect replica of a level two creature stood, flawless in its appearance.

Or well… flawless when ignoring the glowing, slightly translucent piece of Arcane that it was made out of. That was one detail that couldn't be fixed, no matter what was done. The colouring was simply there to stay, it seemed. Though, there was luckily little chance for a two-ton rock would discriminate based on colour. It was perfect like that. Having already placed the replica inside the corned off corridor, the Core began the scenario.

The fake ant had just walked inside the corridor, ready to be checked for any Mana. Both sides would then be closed off to make sure there was no running away while also making sure that no more could come inside accidentally. There would normally be found nothing on the creature but it seemed that black Mana was found on the underside of the left front foot. That meant that it was time for death.

Releasing the Arcane matter holding the stone from above, it tilted down instantly, gaining speed in the half-second spent on it. There was nothing that could stop it at that point, nothing which would allow the creature to survive. The perfect replica, able to withstand precisely the same mass as the normal creature, was destroyed in an instant, its legacy not allowed to live on.

… Holding on just a moment to take away the final conclusion, the Core looked to the very bottom. The very bottom that the two tons of stone had not hit for some reason, allowing a small piece of the feet to remain within the borders of life. It wasn't enough for anything to survive, truly, but not much chance was allowed with Black Mana. In the example, the Black Mana had even been found under one foot. What good did it do to destroy everything but the spot that was contaminated?

No, looking further, it seemed that the walls at the bottom were slightly angled. It was enough to truly make a difference in the long-running, wear and tear likely destroying it before anything else, but the Core couldn't accept that either way. It needed to be effective from the first point on and that was exactly what it would make sure of. Manually cutting away that extra centimetre of width on the walls, the Entity was satisfied seeing that last bit of Arcane slipping back into the Core’s pockets, nothing able to withstand the massive weight of the stone. Simply destroying the larger slab, it was recreated on the top, new Physical Arcane already in place to take the weight. It seemed that the entire thing was ready for its first customers.

Which… were meant to come within a few minutes. The Core had placed pressure on the time just enough to make sure everything was right. Resetting it all to its intended starting positions, the Core took a glance at how the transportation of the [Blood-Moss] was doing.

The [Infested] had been working hard on their tasks, having put most of the needed matter down perfectly. While there were still a few missing spots, such a thing would be handled with natural growth rather than anything else. The time for more improvements was gone, after all, the time for the actual runs had started. The Moss was signalling the end of preparation and the welcome of the creatures that had fought long and hard.

…

The creatures who had fought long and hard seemed delayed. Making sure that its memory was freshened up, it seemed that they were running a bit late. Five whole minutes brave where they were meant to have come back. Since another level had been gained when they were out, the Core very much doubted that they were dead. But could it be that one had been injured? A bite or two to the legs could seriously hamper the walking speed of the creatures, only truly becoming obvious later on in the journey. The parts of the Core that were inside the creatures might only have realized that when it was already too late. If that had happened…

Well, there was nothing wrong with waiting a few extra minutes. Though, there was also nothing wrong with sending out bits of Mana, just to be sure that they were close. One hundred Mana spent in one burst had never harmed anyone, after all. Putting it all out instantly, the Core was indeed delighted to see that things were going swell. The six which had been sent out were moving at higher speeds towards the old entrance, never stopping once to rest. The Entity was happy to see them moving so quickly so that they wouldn't break the orders too much but was also slightly unhappy that it would have to send out an order to make them go right back the way they came. After all, the new entrance was another way. Just before sending that one out, however, the burst of Mana reached a new section of the cave. One that was only twenty or so meters behind the group of allies.

There were [Wild] ants chasing them. More than had been seen for a very long time, numbering in the lower fifties. It was hard to couldn't that one second of sight not being nearly enough time to look precisely. But… the Core knew from that fact alone that it wasn't good.

What was it to do? Simply let them in through the main entrance and hope none were infected with the Black Mana? It almost seemed like that was the only choice possible, the only other thing being that it needed to let them die. And that latter option was without any chance of happening, the creatures clearly having grown stronger in the time since they had first come out to hunt. A few even seemed to have grown to the level of a fifth level, their size outmatching all others by quite a bit. That meant that they had to get in as quickly as possible to not let their possible demise ruin getting the Core’s hands on the Pattern for it.

Wait. No. The Core couldn't let them in. This… everything was the perfect scenario for that. From an easy perspective, there was no other good solution but to let the creature in instantly with the hope that nothing was amiss. Yet doing so would be the perfect plan for the [Queen of Hollows] to bring discord. The Queen Ant was suspiciously not among the horde of newer ants which didn't make much sense since they were quite the type to bring with them during the larger attacks. It could only be meant that this wasn't meant t destroy the Core. It was only meant to weaken it immensely. And how was that done? By letting six [Undead] into its ranks, turning at spots where nothing could be done easily. The Core had seen through the plan. Or at least it hoped it did, there still beign a chance that the horde had simply grown to that size without the Intelligent Ant’s intervention. If so, stopping them from coming in would be nothing other than an extreme loss. And if the Core then wanted to protect the group, it would have to get its other creatures outside as well, making every advantage of defending utterly useless. Nothing worked.

But it had to work. The Core had to figure out a way to make it work. The ants inside couldn't go outside to help the group come closer and closer. Likewise, the ants couldn't come inside due to them needing to go through the other entrance. But, to go through that entrance, one needed to get past the horde of ants already running towards them. The Core was at an impasse. It needed to get through the problem soon. If not, it would have to get a result that wouldn't end well.

Which part could be changed? Where could it alter the scenario that applied to the actual reality at play? What part could be changed? Well, the first two was out for the count in an instant. The Core refused to send out the ants, knowing that they would lose when not having the advantage. And it also rejected the sheer notion of letting the ants side, since that was just asking to lose a majority of its available forces. The destruction was out of the realm of what had been already seen.

No, it had to be the last variable. The route over to the other entrance. The route was blocked due to the horde. But! There were other ways that the creatures could run, other paths that could be taken. With how immense the place was, there was little reason to believe that no part was with only one path to lead over there. Instead of simply believing the Core had lost opportunity, it could use more Mana to let it see further into the so-called maze of caves and natural connections. With how utterly complex it was, there had to be another route possible to take.

Another hundred Mana was spent, an additional fifty being put on top to make sure the range was as high as it needed to be. It was sent with a more widespread force, not able to force its way through rock and instead of using the natural air around it. That meant that the Mana could only be in a place where the ants could get to. While some areas weren't accessible because of that, it didn't truly matter since the ants wouldn't have been able to gain anything from it anyway. So, the Mana was pushed out, with enough pressure inside to cause quite the effect.

There! By running to the left instead of inside the Core’s domain, the ants would be able to take the place down, take another left, two rights, one left more and then run along the curve for what seemed like… a hundred meters before finally finding the needed entrance. It would allow for them all to get there, though… did they have Stamina enough?

[APpraisals] gave back a negative result, so the Core knew it had to give each a larger dose of [Stamina-Recovery]. It understood fully that it would allow for Black Mana to develop but it wasn't like that truly mattered. They wouldn't be able to turn fully with that pitiful amount, over a hundred Mana needed before worries needed to be had. Anything would be found easier with the boost, in fact. The Core just needed for them to reach that damned entrance.

And that was seeming more impossible for each second. While the horde of creatures behind was all level one, they still have speed in their favour. Larger bodies did not allow much in that regard, the smaller ones having an easier time running. With how much more distance there was to cover… they wouldn't make it without help.

But what could the Core do? Reject the rejection from before and send out another group to distract the horde? It felt wrong to do and even more wrong to think of as a good decision. But they needed assistance…

A thought came to the Core at that moment, along with it remembering how many spears it had floating around in the middle of its Main Domain. There were fifty spears for around fifty creatures. If each could kill one, then it would allow for much to be gained. If the strategy worked, it would allow for the group to survive.

Yet… how was it expected to aim at all? It could only alter the course while the spears were inside its domain and the narrow entrance wasn't exactly the greatest choice to aim from. The horde wasn't even in sight yet! And those that would be in sight while running past would only be seen for the briefest of moments, making it nearly impossible to hit more than a few.

Could it open up the walls to aim better? The idea certainly seemed good but the Core had to remember the consequences of doing that now. Too large a hole would mean Mana seeping out, which would then stop it from having access to much of the new room. If that was lost, then the entire effort would be pointless. Such a weakness had to be fixed after the fight, lest it would burden it forever.

Not having anything other to do, the Core was forced to rely on the small and narrow entrance. Its line of sight was not the greatest because of it, and the Entity knew it would be forced to rely on timing rather than sight. Though… there was no requirement to kill them all. It just needed to delay them long enough for the other creatures to run away.

And that was the intention had. Making sure that the group of allies knew where to run, the Core looked back at the horde with frequent pulses of Mana. The spears in its domain were starting to accelerate, the sheer number and speed of them making it hard to control. Yet the determination of the Entity, and the knowledge that failure would bring death for its underlings, made it stop from falling. Pure [Willpower] made it possible, the focus required being enough to make pain pulse in the Core’s head. But it did not waver, even when the strain warned it of further damage.

There was nothing else that was done except hold the spears at peak velocity while also looking out for when to shoot. The group of allies had run past already, making it clear that the enemies were getting close. With how it took the spear seconds to travel from its domain and out into the place where it could harm them, the timing was required. The spacing of the creatures would make it hard for lucky shots to happen, yet the similarly close distance to the ground would also allow for the spears to hit from the sides. As long as one creature was in that line of fire, it would be hit. And that was all the Core desired.

The time came and the first spear was fired. It hit the first ant right into the brainstem, crushing every piece of it in an instant. The time spent on reinforcement had held up through the preparations, and the time for reckoning came around. The death of an ally didn't stop a single [Wild] ant from running at full speed, never even recognizing that they were being aimed at. The third and second spear came flying as the horde finally began to appear, the forerunners already dead.

After that, all fifty spears were fired in the space of ten seconds. It was brutal. Much weer missed. Just as many had several spears inside them, their closeness to the door allowed for more spears to be taken due to their body mass. The Core was not happy about that but felt some joy from seeing so many lying on the ground. Only ten or so remained standing, the back-end of the troop surviving. And even then, their running had been broken, the requirement to get through so many bodies being quite the detriment.

With so few remaining, the Entity considered sending out orders for the capture of the broken bodies. Mana was Mana, after all. Yet… a deeper search into those bodies, one made with constant currents of Mana, allowed for a horrifying truth to appear.

The [Queen of Hollows] had foreseen the death of her creatures. And she had prepared them in the only way she knew. By making sure they would assist her, even in death. It was something of its own to see an entire horde rise from the dead, flesh falling off all at once, eyes beginning to glow in a deadly black and blue. All turned their head towards the Dungeon’s domain for the smallest of seconds before turning back towards the group of fleeing ants. Then the chase was started up once more, though it was hard at the start. The Arcane Spears still sat comfortably inside skulls and bodies.

Though… that was ignored, bones were pushed again, and it was all a hard attempt to run, but they ignored it nonetheless. The [Undead] were not to be trifled with when it came to endurance, for they could handle as much pain as was thrown at them. They felt nothing at all, always able to take another step. However, the spears did poke and prod all that was close, making it hard to run as a group and further slowing them down. The Core knew that the allies would make it in time.

But more still needed to be done. The Core needed to make sure that the undead could be killed before they set foot into the protected parts of its domain. If they reached the new room, they would be able to stand in front of the closed-off barriers and not much else. Until that is, they decided to start attacking it, gnawing at it with their festered mandibles. It would likely not be as effective but it would destroy with time. And that destruction would allow the Black Mana to seep in, giving the Queen more control of the environment. If she chose to use it, that is. The Core was still not sure how effective the queen could be at a larger range. But it also wasn't like the Entity was hoping to find out.

No… the creaturs needed to meet their death beforehand. And for that, they all needed to be crushed. While the Entity desperately wished it had prepared for such a scenario where the new room would be overrun, it knew that it would have to instead improvise. But what was there to do? Creating all the mechanisms needed to crush them all would be without a chance of happening.

The Core could still destroy them, however. Even without that. Slowing them down again just needed to happen. With enough resistance, they would move slowly, making it possible to simply spawn the Stone atop their heads and bodies, instead of positioning it early on. However, that wasn't a terrible idea either. The Core already knew where they would be. If it just layered the stone atop… yes, it would work. It could work. The Core knew it could.

Beginning preparations on just that, it saw again, using another burst to do it, that the group of ants were starting to come into the room. They ran as fast as they could, all six doing their damndest to make it the whole way. But-

Wait. Six? No… No, no, no! The Core had only prepared five, thinking it more than enough. It had made the mistake of thinking the process calm and patient instead of needing to be rushed. Couldn't it just force two creatures in one? No, it couldn't. That had the very real possibility of letting one life, the two bodies likely enough to resist the massive pressure if positioned right. What could be done then?

The Core just hoped that it could get the creatures through fast enough for the last one to get through as well. Thinking about it, there only needed on another ant to be checked through before the last could get the luxury of being behind a wall of stone. If not… the tunes of the hollow bones coming every closer haunted the Entity. It had to be quicker.

And quicker it would be. Forcing the creatures to sprint more than ever towards the five corridors, the Core locked five of them up with the last one staying outside and waiting patiently. It was the level five one, the Entity thinking it had the largest chance of survival if worst came to worst. Having already set up the basic traps for the room, it began on the inspection of the first creature.

Supplying its energy to potentially fuel any black Mana that was hiding, the Core found… nothing. Even under the skin, inside the organs, inside the brain, and inside the small pockets of gas that had been created through sheer exhaustion from the creaturs part. Letting through to the other side, the Entity began to open up to let the level five entry as well.

That was when the [Undead] reached the part of the tunnel where the Core had control. It was only fifteen meters inside, however, more than enough to sprint in under two seconds. And knowing those creaturs, it was clear that it was exactly what was begin done. Hurrying the process, the Core made the level five ant jump over the last bit, not wanting to wait until it was down entirely. The undead came into the room just as it started to raise itself again.

The Core let stones fly from the ceiling yet none hit the first of the undead, it running faster than gravity could take hold of the traps. It was a dance of speed and the enemy was winning. It had sensed the opening that the Core couldn't close quickly, and it was trying to take it for itself.

Through what could only have been called an extreme feat of strength, the [Undead] jumped four full meters, reaching the top of the stone slab being raised. It then tried to jump through the small gap that would have allowed it to gain access to the prepared level five. However, no such thing was allowed.

Using twenty full Mana to both reinforce and speed up the slab, the Core stopped that from happening. By the time that the creature had gotten its head inside, the rest of the body had been utterly crushed. However, the creature was very much still alive, the skull trying to move around with low amounts of success.

That wasn't good. Not wanting it to be alive or anything close to what it was now, the Core summoned a smaller rock above the skull and smashed it into the ant. Black smoke came out as a response but that was dealt with quickly. The level five was too important to let die because of something like that.

Outside, the battle was still ongoing. More and more undead came through the tunnel. The stones on top had already been mostly dropped, making it clear that the prepared trap had failed. They were looking around the room though, not sure where to go. Those moments spent in confusion was what the Core needed to get the group of allies through the inspection.

No Black Mana was found. The [Queen of Hollows] had allowed them to be free without it. Nothing had been done to them. The Core could have let them in at the main entrance without any problems attached. Now… the queen knew of the entrance and had more than a little number of creatures inside. The Entity was screwed as it was.

Yet it only got worse when the build-up of Mana made those exoskeletons creak, the sound of growth being the worst thing possible to the Entity’s ears. Time had allowed progress for the [Undead].

They had reached level two.