Chapter 600 - Punching out the numbers (Patreon)

It is no mystery to the theorists of the Colony why most of the races we encountered were initially hostile. Our kind is dangerous, it's for precisely this reason that we were able to deal with others as equals, because we were strong, a threat. Mutual destruction isn't the best stance to begin inter-species diplomacy, but it was all that was afforded us, most of the time. 

The existence of other intelligent societies of monsters did help to pave the way for us. After all, the Sapients of Pangera had been dealing with their kind for thousands of years. Often an antagonistic relationship, with a laundry list of broken alliances and betrayals, on both sides, but at the very least there was an established framework they could use to converse with us.

Here it was that the Eldest had the greatest effect. Whilst the attention they gave to foreign policy was sporadic at best, (though many would say that the intention of the Eldest was to raise the capacity of the Colony to handle its own problems, rather than the failing of an mighty being with a limited attention span, my own thoughts on this topic are detailed to a greater degree in my other writings), the attitude that the Colony adapted in dealings with other races was set by the Eldest very early in our history. 

It was a point of view that, whilst never stated explicitly in council documents, nevertheless governed all interactions between we ants and others. The Colony was, is, and always will be, open, supportive and willing to work with any who approach us. We have worked immensely hard to bring up those who did not spurn us, raised villages to mighty cities, cities to great nations, nations to mighty empires. Aggression, war and bad faith were always met with the same, but only until our enemies were able to change their stance. Once an olive branch was extended, the Colony was always willing to accept it.

Naturally, this has caused the Colony to be on the receiving end of its share of betrayals, yet it is the opinion of most Scholars within the Colony that this was a necessary cost of pursuing a peaceful agenda. We have always been able to make the argument that we were in the right, that we dealt in good faith. In this way our reputation spread across the world, and did more work in our favour than anything else.

Our name became a byword for fairness, but also for a disproportionate response. Give the Colony a kindness, and they will repay it tenfold, do them a disservice, and they will do the same.

Too many were unable, or unwilling to heed this message and receive the Eldest's kindness. The destruction that followed in those instances is, in this scholars opinion, both the Eldest's greatest failing, and greatest triumph.

• Diplomacy      and the Colony - A treatise by Historiant.

My conversation with Grey and White rolls on for more than an hour. His people, the er, Folk, seem to be an interesting lot. He's quite cagey about where exactly they live, which is understandable, I suppose. As far as he knows, Coolant and I are the friendly face of what is actually a ravenous horde, intent on sniffing out their cities and consuming their young. When I tell him about the one city we have actually sort of conquered, he at first expresses some doubt that such a thing has actually occurred, but when I continue to affirm the existence of Rhylleh, a city under the administration of the Colony (to all intents and purposes) he expresses a desire to go and see it for himself.

When I tell him about the existence of a village where the Colony and humans coexist, he's equally interested in taking a peek. Then it became my turn to become a little cagey. I wasn't against him looking at the village, so long as Enid didn't mind, but I didn't necessarily want him to know where it was, either. Without a more full and thorough understanding of portal and gate magic, we don’t' know that more advanced societies can't just pop a magic portal into existence anywhere they want. 

Grey himself mentioned that sections of the Folk are likely to be openly hostile to us without denying that he himself may feel that way, so it's not as if he's necessarily a trusted agent. In the end, we part ways with a generally positive vibe. I'll leave the particulars of how this interaction is handled from this point onward to the council. I've managed to put my point of view across, I think, and I get the sense that Grey is prepared to be upfront with the Colony, which is better than I expected.

White is another story. I get nothing out of her, regardless what I try. When I direct a question to her directly, she merely turns to look at Grey and he answers in her place. When I tried to slip a sneaky question to her directly, namely: [is this ugly guy keeping you against your will?], she stifled a giggle and shook her head. In the end, White remains a mystery. An apprentice of some kind, apparently, but more than that, I have no idea.

Heading out into the tunnel, I re-join with my pets and make our way back through the tunnels of the nest to our own private chamber. Interestingly enough, the Colony hasn't made much of an effort to decorate this space without asking me. This chamber reminds me of the original ant nests, back before I'd made them smarter. Unadorned dirt walls, a nice ovoid sort of shape. It's cozy. Also, it's nice not to see my own damn face every time I look at a wall.

[Alright gang. Get your Biomass and Skills in order. We need to crunch the numbers before we head out and do some power levelling. Make sure that you're in tip top shape!]

Each of my pets, my closest allies, react in their own way. Tiny smacks himself on the chest with both fists, excited for the battle to come. Crinis tightens her grip on my carapace at the mention of danger, no doubt considering all that she'll need to protect me from, and probably worrying about a few, far-fetched scenarios. Invidia's eye just gleams as he thinks about the Biomass and experience his victims possess, resources that he now years to seize.

I just shake my head and crack open my menu, ready to poke about and check on my progress. 

Name: Anthony

Level: 51 (Rare) (V)

Might: 91

Toughness: 79

Cunning: 64

Will: 45

HP: 158/158

MP: 300/300

Skills: 

General:

Master Excavation (IV) Level 3; Expert Grip (III) Level 7; Expert Stealth (III) Level 6; Tunnel Guide (III) Level 9; Iron Mind (IV) Level 21; Expert Stamina (III) Level 19; Still Meditation (IV) Level 4; Snap Dash (IV) Level 5;

Mana:

Mana Craft (V) Level 15; Condensed Mana (IV) Level 7; Finer External Mana Manipulation (IV) Level 9; Mana Hoarder (IV) Level 15; Master Mind Magic Affinity (IV) Level 17; Directed Mana Sensing (IV) Level 2; Expert Healing Magic Affinity (III) Level 11; Advanced Blue Fire Magic Affinity (V) Level 2; Expert Stone Magic Affinity (IV) Level 18; Gas Magic Affinity (IV) Level 26; Ice Magic Affinity (IV) Level 31;

Pet:

Further Pet Communication (III) Level 4; Core Crafting (IV) Level 13; Pet Growth Speed (I) Level 5;

Defensive:

Master Exo-Skeleton Defence (IV) Level 26; Expert Dodge (III) level 19; Expert Endure (III) Level 10; Expert Grace (III) Level 5;

Offensive:

Deadly Acid Shot (III) Level 19; Master Precise Shooting (IV) Level 11; Omen Chomp (IV) Level 35;

Mutations: 

Senses:

Perimeter Eyes +15, Far-sight Oracle Antennae +25;

Defence:

Complete Diamond Carapace +25, Braced Healing Inner Carapace Plating +25; 

Physical:

Rapid Absorption Legs +15, Mana Flooded Mandibles +25, Frequent Potent Regeneration Gland +25, Loquacious Pheromone Gland +15, Vast Hungering Stomach + 25; Hyper-Twitch Musculature +20, Instant Transmission Sub-Neural Network +20;

Acid:

Mana Binding Acid +15, Hyper Pressurised Acid Nozzle +10; Potent Acid Concentration Gland +10, Fatiguing Acid Stimulation Gland +10;

Mental:

Unyielding Coordination Cortex +25;

Mana:

Bottomless Gravity Magic Gland +15, Endless Collective Will Vestibule +25;

Species: Juvenile Colony Paragon (Formica Sapiens)

Skill points: 15

Biomass: 423

Quite a few Skills have ranked up recently and I have a ton of Biomass to spend. I really need to check and see if anything new has been unlocked recently also. Time to get busy chatting to old friend Gandalf, I suppose.