Chrysalis

My massive ant body hurtles through the air as if I've been fired out of a cannon with my mandibles open wide. The air whistles past, pushing my antennae back against my head with the force. I'm seriously moving now, I can almost taste that demon now! Even as I prepare for the chomp, the monster doesn't appear to have given up. Resentment and anger are accumulated in that eye and it flashes blindingly green once more!

I knew it would come down to this! I've no way to dodge and no way out. Flying head on, if that laser hits me it'll drill straight through my head and roast my brain, I can't allow it to happen!

All four of my brains reach out toward the demon and grasp hold of the immense mana flooding into that eye. Being so close to it, I can feel the weave of mana being concentrated in that eye and even in this situation I can appreciate the sheer skill on display. The dense threads of mana are weaved with such speed and precision it shocks me. The little demon is painting a four dimensional masterpiece with thousands of individual brushstrokes in a matter of seconds. The mastery such a feat requires is astounding! Not that I can allow it to happen…

Desperate to prevent the spell from firing I use every bit of my Will to take hold of the mana and rip it apart. As I fly through the air, my jaws prepared to crunch, a contest of minds takes place and I'm severely outmatched. As I try to seize the mana taking shape within the eye and break it, destroying the fragile work the demon has created, it tries to lock the mana in place, holding it firm and denying my attempts even as it races to finish the spell before I can bite it.

Once again I'm left in awe at the sheer mental power of the creature. So this is what a true master of magic looks like! Even though it has evolved one more time than I have, I really didn't expect the difference to be this severe. How the hell does it pack so much raw brain into that tiny body?! It's insane!

It might be an unfair arm wrestle, but it's one that I have no choice but to win! Victory or defeat is measured in a matter of milliseconds. In this strange slow motion world that we occupy I can already see the dark energy that manifests my omen chomp taking shape at the edges of my mandibles. In less than a second they'll expand outward and close on the soft, squishy body of this demon, ending it. I just have to delay the laser beam until then!

Frantic, I redouble my efforts! If you can build, then I'll destroy! RIP! RIP! RIP! RIP! RIP! RIP! RIP! Every mind I possess is working at its maximum capacity, my entire body is screaming in pain. We have to get there in time!

To my horror, my antennae begin to tingle and something I really don't want to see begins to take shape in front of my eyes. From the centre of that bulging eyeball a phantom laser blasts outwards, lancing toward my head, directly between my eyes.

NONONOONONONONONONNONOONOONONONONONONONO!

I'm so damn close!

Tear! Destory! Demolish! Anything! Like an insane child going to town on a pinata I cannot be stopped, recklessly trying to destroy every piece of mana I can get my mental hands on.

But it's not enough! The Will of the demon is as solid as Iron and the real laser blasts out from the eye, spearing down the trail left behind by its future echo. AHHHHHHHH NOOOOO!

MOTHER!

CHOMP!

Silence reigns over the combat area as the dust settles. For a brief, paralysing moment I'm not even sure if I'm alive or dead. My body feels dead. Am I dead? Is Gandalf going to speak to me again or will my soul just dissipate into nothing? Geez, my head hurts. The worst part of four brains means four simultaneous headaches is a real thing I have to deal with. It sucks.

If my head hurts… then I must be alive. Surely you don't get afterlife headaches?! I attempt to wiggle my antennae and to my joy I find I can still move them! Aha! I live! I'M ALIVE! Almost unable to believe it, I start tapping my head all over with my antennae, just trying to confirm that my head still exists. I swear I saw that laser zap straight into my head…

Creepily, I find that it actually did. Right between my eye orbs a significant hole has been drilled directly into my carapace. In a thousandth of a second it probably would have tunnelled all the way through and into my brain. My body goes completely weak with relief. That was way too close. Holy moly, I can't take many more of these!

At the same time I can feel a giddy excitement welling up inside me, making me shake with silent ant-laughter.

I live! Against all the odds, I still live! Screw you Dungeon! Get stuffed Shapers! I roll with all the punches and I'm still kicking! This insect is here to stay! BWAHAHAHAAAAA!

Wait a second… I haven't received the Dungeon notifications!

I roll to my feet and scrabble to turn around. Where the heck is the demon?! Heart in my mouth, I rush to where I'd collided with it and breathe a sigh of relief. It might not be dead, but it's not looking so hot. The eye has been crushed and its body is a wreck. It's a minor miracle that it's still alive. The tenuous connection between us still exists and I feel a voice whisper in my mind.

[I wanted … your everthinggg.]

I look down on the now pitifully broken body of the demon.

[You… are freakin' weird man. I can't lie.]

CHOMP!

[You have slain level 57 Luminare Daemon Invidia (VI)]

[You have gained experience!]

[You have reached level 24.]

[You have reached level 25.]

[You have reached level 26.]

[You have reached level 27.]

[You have reached level 28.]

The moment the demon is confirmed dead, something bizarre happens. As if a hole connected to a world of grossness opened, a flood of brain matter and bits explode out the back of the demon's head. The creepy mouth also materialises a connection to the main body and launching out from behind comes a gigantic, distended stomach. In a matter of seconds a huge pile of offal has appeared, steaming in the dim light of the combat area.

Uh … delicious?