Colony's Hope

Evolution

Skye stared hard at the screen, tapping their third leg against the ground. It wasn't an easy choice, what to evolve into. Should they stay relatively small, but potentially become a queen in time? They thought about it, clicking an ant song as they thought. They finally came to a decision, though they mentally begged Mother forgiveness for it.

They needed to be bigger if they wanted to stand a chance against other ant colonies. Especially seeing the fire ant queen...in their current state of being, they didn't stand a chance. And...if that dream was to be believed, there might be more to this world than just survival. That thought was a bit grim but it helped them decide on a course of action. Determinedly they selected the tree that would change them from one of the smallest ants to a fairly decent sized ant.

Clicking the tree that would allow them to change their species, they nodded firmly to themselves. What they didn't expect was to pass out after confirming the selection. Waking back up was a chore, as they felt like they were in a fuzzy blanket. It was warm and comfortable, but strange at first. Then they recognized it as the cocoon used to transform from larvae to adult. Chewing through the cocoon, they stepped out of it and started examining themselves.

The screen popped up, congratulating them on Evolving:

You have become Formicidae Lasius Niger,

Species Name: Common Black Ant.

Caste:Undecided

Evolution Possible

Lvl 1:

Hp 95

Mp 23

Str 42

Dex 50

Con 60

Skills bite lv 7 wall climb lv 7 , sticky glue level 1 (spell)

Evolution Possible at lvl 14

Noting that they were about twice the size of their last form, they grunted as they realized that the tunnels were too small now. They also realized they were hungry. Moving towards the food cache, they opened the tunnels up a bit more. Once they had reached it, they started to fill themselves up. They made a mental note that evolving took a lot out of them; it made sense, growing up cost nutrients and energy.

Sighing, finally sated, they started opening the tunnels up more. They left the entrance the same size, however. They could still fit, just, and it made for a good defense against any raiding insects or other predators. They were still alone, however, with no queen to serve. No sisters to be commrades with. Going back to their sleeping spot, they just flopped with a sigh. It was going to be a long, lonely time for the forseeable future.

*

New Quest Added

Found a new colony

It is time to found a new colony; either find a mate or steal some eggs from a neighboring colony.

Difficulty: Extreme

That was what Skye woke up to the next morning. This new quest...this...impossible mission. There didn't seem to be a timer on it, but still...they started punching at the dirt walls with their fists, glad they actually had hands instead of just legs. They were furious just then; how were they to go egg raiding when they were alone?! It was hard enough to do with an army at your back. They simply couldn't do this on their own.

They would've kept on hitting the wall had the tunnel not given them a stern warning with a dirt clod directly on their head. Yelping, they rubbed their head irritably. Sighing, they headed out of the nest, working on gathering materials for weapons. If they were going to do this, they would actually need tools. They wondered if they would need armor as well. They ignored the pop up screen at first, barely noticing that it said Crafting Learned.

They stopped briefly when that information was processed, then shrugged. It only made sense, really. Gathering and making tools generally did count as crafting, even if they were basic rock tools. They thought to themselves that they had returned to the caveman days. Another, snider voice responded that a caveman was stronger than an ant with no tools. Mandibles and such could only go so far...though, they had learned a spell it seemed, by evolving. So it wasn't all bad being an ant.

It took them all day to gather the needed materials, and stash them inside. They had also gathered some food along the way, finding that some of their prior predators were much less of a threat now. They still weren't able to take on birds or most vertibrates, but the bee that had been such a handful before was a cakewalk after their evolution. They were glad of that, as they found bees to be their favorite protein; it certainly tasted better than the stink bugs that seemed to be common in this area of the forest.

Once they had eaten, they started work on a tool...only to end up falling asleep halfway through crafting it. The long day had been exhausting, especially after evolution. There was some benefit to being an ant: they had no spine to worry about. Therefore, it didn't matter what position they fell asleep in, they weren't going to wake up with a bad back or neck. Of course, Skye would only realize that after they woke up.

*

The next few days were tedious for the lone ant; gathering materials, food and aphids wasn't exactly interesting. Well, the aphids were at first, as it hadn't been something they had expected to be able to do. However, they did remember that the black garden ant was one of the ones to cultivate the honeydew producing insects. Getting them back to the tunnel proved to be the hardest part, as they were rather dullwitted.

They were also big compared to pharaoh ants, and unwieldy, requiring Skye to widen the entrance to allow passage. Once the insect was inside, however, it was easy enough to lead them to the special chamber that they had made for them. They gathered a multitude of these insects, hoping that they had at least one breeding pair. The food for them was easy enough to get: they ate leaves, which were plentiful in the forest.

Once they had set their nest up, and gotten some tools and weapons ready, they started scouting out the land further from the nest. It was nerve-wracking to leave the safety of their territory, where they knew every inch of the landscape. Still, they held tight to their makeshift spear...it wasn't as well formed as Mother's halberd had been, but for a first attempt it was good, and it would provide some defense against enemy troops. That, and the bark armor they'd made, would hopefully keep them alive during their scouting mission.

They eventually picked up a scent they had hoped and dreaded to find: another colony, one of the same species as them. They turned to return home and make plans when they realized something: there was only one scent, and it wasn't far-spread like a well-established colony's would be. No, instinct and memory were telling them that this was a brand new colony, with a single queen. Unusual for this species, but it did sometimes happen.

Clicking their mandibles together, they made a snap decision and started following the trail. It wasn't easy, as it was a few days old. Still, if they could find the nest, maybe they could do what ants do. The queen was vulnerable currently, with no workers to protect her. She likely was having to gather her own food and dig her own tunnels currently, as it took a few days for the new brood to hatch.

Eventually, they found the entrance to the nest and went in, holding their spear in front of them. Unlike their first home, there was no glow to light the way. They had to find the nesting chambers by feel and scent alone. They did find it...and they found the Queen. She turned to face them, currently in the middle of egg laying. Skye held up the spear, swearing that they could hear boss music playing.

A warning bell crossed the screen: warning, high level ant in near proximity, proceed with extreme caution!