The look at the Status Screen had ended not long after the discussion on how different stats could impact the user in different ways. The Queen didn’t have much to truly say about much which the Core didn’t already know, but one minor detail was important enough to remember. While there was no hard limit on creatures being spawned, that minor protection created by a smaller tether was still something that cost a chunk of the Core’s Mana. While in lower numbers, it was barely noticeable, having a thousand with that connection would drain Energy faster than one would expect. Certainly, an expense not paid for easily, though it was negligible when compared to the costs sustained before. It wasn’t something that could be kept up for long, though, the requirements to give each ant focus to sustain it being too much work.

Technically, one could have foregone such a thing, simply set up an environment where the creatures could feed themselves. It would include a larger farm, a watering hole, and maybe some areas where additional food sources could be gained. But… the costs of such a thing was higher than what the Core would ever make back from the army. It hardly had any room as it was. Where did it expect to get enough space where a hundred ants could live comfortably and without the need for additional care? There was no real chance of that happening. While the costs and maintenance were way too high no matter what, space was the more defining reason that it wasn't possible.

‘How did you expect us to reach the outside world, by the way?’ the Core asked the Queen, not entirely sure how that part of the previously discussed plan was meant to work. They were meant to bring people into the Core’s Domain, sell them on the idea of free Ore and relatively weak creatures, and then slowly exploit them for their gain. It was a good plan, if not for the problems surrounding potential outreach. ‘We can’t truly expect to be found down here in the caves, after all.’

‘Yes, I do see your point on that one,’ the Queen said, sounding more tired than the Core thought she should have been. Looking through her, the Entity could find no real reason for the tired state. It knew that it wasn't sleeping deprivation, and all the vitals were within average limits, so there was no real physical reasoning behind it. How peculiar. ‘Since those Enlightened don’t like to go down in the cave system, to begin with, making the plot down here would make it quite the weakness.’

‘Why don’t they want to come down here?’ the Core asked, feeling curious about that. The cave seemed perfectly fine to the Entity, not a thing wrong with it. The narrow tunnels provided easy corridors that could be looked through, and the complex structural map allowed for a large variety of routes that could be optimized over time. If anything, it should have been the dream placement for everybody. ‘It would seem perfect for nearly any sizes below two meters tall, except for that [Worm] you made a bit ago.’

‘That creature of mine does generally work wonderfully in this environment, yes,’ the Queen agreed before quickly turning around her opinions. ‘But the Enlightened beings are generally not ones made out of logic. Many have fears about entrapment down in this way, though that would likely be an actual problem for them due to their lacking [Perception]. Without a good inner map, getting lost would become rather easy for some, after all. And when you mix in their weirdly high standards for air quality, it can become rather hard to satisfy them.’

Those [Enlightned] beings seemed harder and harder to truly like, the Core beginning to think that Monsters were superior after all. While the humanoid species were more prone to a higher set of Mental Stats, they were weaker in the physical ones. What it wouldn't give to see a creature with proper balance. Or, well, it supposed the Queen was a good example of that.

‘How big are you when compared to one of the Enlightened, by the way?’ the Core questioned the Queen, wanting to see if it had anything to do with size. Perhaps their lacking stats were due to a lacking size?

‘I believe I am three fifths the height of an elf since I remember getting to about the stomach of one. It is hard to tell what that comes to with the other beings, however, since their heights don’t match evenly. I do hear that some or more of the [Failures] could get to heights of over two meters.’

Huh. That was quite something. The Core simply based these [Elves] as the base height for now. Since the Queen was about half their height, it would mean they… could survive well enough in the tunnels if the size was the only factor. Yet it also seemed that size didn't change weaker constitutions. And weakness wasn’t that appreciated down in those tunnels. Food was rather hard to find, after all, if one wasn’t without the need of such things or just fed the perfect amount through the power of a Mana-Tether.

Anyway, the [Enlightened] was rarely going to come down to the Core through their own volition, which made it clear that something needed to be done to make that happen. Some sign that much could be gained from simply stepping down into the tunnels which had no natural lighting other than random flecks of Mana bursting.

‘How are we going to make the people come down to us of their own volition if they don’t know what’s down there, to begin with?’ the Core asked, not sure of how else to phrase it. ‘There doesn’t seem to be any obvious ways, from what I’m seeing.

‘Yet again, little rock, I must applaud your intellectual skills. You are truly the pearl of this generation,’ the Queen said, sending a few mental claps along. They all felt a bit sassier than they needed to be but the Core set that aside in favour of listening to what she had to say. ‘But, you are sadly correct in your guesses. There is no real way for us to do it without first already having shown off our potential. Not that you should take that as a defeat, however. Instead, look upon it as an opportunity for change.’

‘... What exactly are you thinking about changing around?’ The Core needed to question, more than a little suspicious of the Queen. It knew that she couldn’t do anything to harm it yet that did not stop any ideas about what could be going on inside her head. Oh, what the Core wouldn’t give for the ability to directly interface with it.

‘Your immediate location. Or at least part of it,’ the Queen answered. ‘You have too much space centred around this part of the cave. While I would love to call your hours of work great, I have to be perfectly honest and say that it might not hold up for much more time. There is little need for so much defence in the direction of the tunnel system when it's the outside you need to be worried about. So much can be cut away so easily. I would suggest just dumping the entire thing and moving up the tunnel a hundred meters to make it easier for everybody.’

The Core needed about three seconds before the answer was a resounding no. There was no part of the Entity that desired anything close to moving out of its current room. It could cut away the lower section that it had created if needed, but the current Main-Domain was not something it would ever throw away. It had too many memories and its instincts were screaming at the mere thought of putting it away.

‘I can take that resounding wave of negativity as a no on that front,’ the Queen summarized, clearly able to feel that small crackling in the Core’s mind. That led to it wondering about how much could be felt when it truly started up, yet that would be saved for a time where it happened naturally. There was no need to test it out now. ‘Not that I truly expected it, though. You are all so tight-knitted to your pieces of rocks.’

‘Do you mean to tell me that Cores are normally territorial and highly defensive about the area they have claimed for themselves?’ the Core asked, more than just believing it. The instincts inside purred at the thought of disembowelling the slightest insect that dared step foot upon its holy land. And there were also some ideas about spreading out even more when the chance came ringing, which was quite a weird thought to have but the Entity supposed it could not judge.

‘Oh, most definitely. One of my older leaders tried to strike a deal about refuge with one of the older Cores in the west. The response was a wave of [Boss-Tier] monsters sent our way. It was quite the thing back in the day, but it did ingrain me with that truth in my mind. A Core shall never trust another soul on its land.’

That was understandable. Who exactly would trust somebody when they could kill the Core in one fell swoop if given a second of an opening. The Crystal that was its Main Body was not that strong after all. It could likely survive a kick or two but being swung against a hard piece of rock would likely be enough to shatter it. Or… swung by a strong person could do it. The increase in [Vitality] could likely make it survive two swings from the average enemy. Not enough to matter but it was fun to know.

‘Going away from that tangent, would it be possible to hear any other ideas? Since you were expecting this result, I have to guess that you had another solution prepared,’ the Core requested, hoping for the result that would give it the most amount of gain.

‘Of course, I have! But before I ask, I just have to make sure that you would let go of the… other room you have. Not sure if you had a name for it or anything yet,’ the Queen asked.

‘I am currently calling the Manalock room and, yes, I can remove it if needed,’ was the answer the ant got.

‘Manalock? With a name like that, I guess one can’t feel too bad about tearing it down,’ the Queen said a bit too loudly, not seeming to release that the maker of that name was very close by. ‘But, I suppose the name doesn’t matter. What does matter is one other thing. What we can use previously known information for. Little Rock, do you want to know a little trick about the use of space?’