RinoZ

B4C35 - Plotting Gods

The Duke of the Western Province, Lion of the River Gate and hand of the Emperor, Raugrave Kenmor, strode the halls of his castle with dignity befitting his station.

As the Oracles had commanded, he had obeyed. Leveraging all the power of his station, the entirety of the province had been mobilised to hunt down and eliminate that which had displeased the gods. So far, things had been going well, yet the ramifications of failure were ever on his mind.

Trailing in his wake, a...

Chapter 1415 - War in the Shadows

Externally, Crinis writhed, hundreds of limbs slipping into the shadows before they emerged outside the safe-zone, tearing apart the raging beasts who threatened to attack her Master’s family.

Internally, Crinis writhed, with anger! How dare these disgusting creatures try to take apart anything that her Master wanted to build? The rage fuelled her as she launched attack after attack, spending herself unreservedly to annihilate the foe.

It was costly. Every time s...

B4C34 - Terrible Alchemy

“He’s moving too fast,” one voice hissed in the darkness. “The mortal has been possessed by madness. No risk is too great for him and he puts us in danger at every turn. You need to rein him in.”

“Rein him in? You think he listens to me?” another replied, no less vexed. “After I fulfilled the Mistress’ demand and brought him to her, he hasn’t trusted a single thing I’ve had to say!”

“You have to try, you frozen bitch! He’s going to get all of us ...

Chapter 1414 - Sneaky Spirit

I’m going to be honest, it takes me a while to find out where those vibrations are coming from. Too long, if you want to be strict about the clock, which I should be. Once I start chasing down that tingle, it becomes almost impossible to ignore.

It’s tricky to get at it. The source seems to be moving? At the same time, it isn’t. Something fishy is most definitely going on, but as long as I keep moving forward, as long as the sense in my antennae keeps getting stronger, then I know...

B4C33 - The Frozen Peak

Sorry bod is so late this week. Next one tomorrow.

Brom Innson shivered. Even here, within the thick, stone walls of Skyice Keep, the cold was piercing. No matter how many layers he wrapped around himself, it seemed to stab deep into flesh, driving shards of unspeakable chill right into his bones. 

“By the gods, I hate this place,” he muttered to himself.

At least, he intended to keep it to himself.

“Stop whining, old man,” the fier...

Chapter 1413 - I Know That Song

The eggs weren’t destroyed! Whoo! Regardless of what I might think of the Krath (it isn’t good), I didn’t want to see a bunch of eggs get roasted by the purification process. 

They were definitely changed though. No longer black, they were… lighter. Not quite white, more like a… a sombre sort of grey. Reaching out with my senses, I could tell that the life present within them was still there, if perhaps a little muted from what it had been before.

Chapter 1412 - The Eggs that Were Left Behind

Things are happening all over the place. More and more ants pour down into the fifth through the entrance. Even now, hours into the invasion, the flow of troops has not slowed. In fact, it has only accelerated. I can sense them all through the Vestibule, feel their iron-hard resolve and selfless determination.

Then I sense someone who has a little too much selfless determination.

Is that Leeroy? What in the name of heck is she doing down...

Chapter 1411 - Acid Lake

I just can’t believe how terrible it is down here. Well, I can believe it, but just when I think the fifth can’t get any worse, it somehow manages to find a new low. We haven’t even managed to dig that deep into the stratum, maybe a kilometre, and already things are going to plops, as Isaac would say.

“What is that, Brendant?”

“What do you mean, Eldest?”

“I mean, what are we looking at?”

“Isn’t it obvious what we’re looking ...

Chapter 1410 - New Leadership

“There isn’t time! We need to abandon the Slimeground!” 

“Are you a traitor to the tribe? We fight!”

Zluth could hear the heated argument even before he arrived. He’d pushed himself to the limit to race back through the twisted and narrow gaps between the tunnels, and even so, he’d barely returned ahead of the flood of deadly blue mana that had begun to fall deeper into the stratum.

He burst into the opening, only a few hundred metres from the hidde...

Chapter 1409 - Nest Construction

“MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!” Isaac roared, though he felt as though he needn’t have bothered.

The targets of what his mother had lovingly called ‘motivational yelling’ were a squad full of human couriers, carrying supplies for the ant builders. Even before he’d opened his mouth, they were hauling backside just as quickly as they could, almost running with heavy burdens slung over their shoulders.

Well, he was here to make sure the supplies moved according to schedule, an...

B4C32 - Waste Management

Bit short so I may modify this later.

Priest Balwyn Galloway had a headache coming on. 

“You can’t possibly be serious,” he groaned, “how are they running out of capacity again?”

“They’re understaffed,” his useless aide, Crillian, told him, “or at least, that’s what they’re claiming. Many of their workers have fled. Supposedly.”

Galloway grit his teeth, anger and fury building within him until it eventually petered...

B4C31 - Golden Wings

Another chap today hopefully.

“Are you sure this fuckhead is any good, Fee?” MacRielly said doubtfully.

“You were full of confidence when we left the Birdcage,” she replied, not slowing her pace.

“I was just happy to be out,” he admitted. He cast a doubtful eye to the shabby buildings around them. “Would a highly qualified Arcanist really be living in a place like this?”

Feolin rolled her eyes. 

“Is that snobbery I hear? Fr...

Chapter 1408 - Tidal Wave

Zluth had known the Krath would refuse to attack the giant ant, so he’d repositioned himself on the other side of the tunnel. He’d had to dodge several members of his own tribe on the way. The Krath’lath still had sway amongst the members of the Slee tribe, and he couldn’t be too careful.

Still, it was necessary that he be able to truthfully claim he had done the task assigned to him. So he slithered down the tunnel, using his cunning and guile to evade the ants and his o...

Chapter 1407 - Smash the Slugs!

The giant, bat-faced gorilla turned away from the small, slightly uneven section of dirt he’d been picturing himself punching and saw the first of the attacking monsters begin to charge. Excitement sparked in his belly, along with actual sparks, but it was a mild sort of interest at first. A few beasts, most of which would be blown apart by the friendly one before they even reached him, weren’t something to get too worked up over.

But then, something amazing hap...

Chapter 1406 - Krath Assault!

The ‘yolk’ of the egg reveals itself to be even more disgusting than what I had supposed. As the ant line behind me prepares for battle, the goop sprayed into the air turns out to be an entire colony of semi-liquid grasping hands. They flutter through the air before raining down onto the ground. I get a particularly bad feeling about these hands, so I flex my legs and use an empowered dash to get the heck out of there.

Instead of landing on my carapace, the wriggling hands la...

Chapter 1405 - The Fifth Reveals Itself

We are back! Sorry I didn't get anything up last week. Trip was good, but very busy!

Things have been going well so far. As expected, the Krath had something waiting for us, but the Colony had trusted that I’d be able to deal with whatever they conjured up. I feel like the amount of faith they put in me has only gotten higher after word of the incident at Greystone had gotten around.

Our evil, maniacal opponents will have cooked up something truly despica...

Chapter 1404 - The Endless March

A truly transparent effort. Zluth could have almost praised the Krath’lath for how blatant she was, but it was difficult when the treachery was aimed at him. He controlled the frothing rage that sizzled through his veins along with the acid. Before his departure, he’d exchanged a look with Goszi. So far, things were moving along the path the old Krath had envisioned.

The Krath’lath was vulnerable, her initial plan a total failure. Now she was desperate, lashing out and orde...

Chapter 1403 - Bombs Away

The Krath’lath couldn’t wait to see the ant melt into goop once the tide of red mucus arrived. Seeded with the incredibly potent red-rust moss, it was capable of dissolving even the Krath. The ant wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Clack all you want!” she screamed down at it. “You’ll be soup soon enough!”

And she would feed the muck to the Blubbeasts, letting them grow fat on the Biomass!

The big ant couldn’t hear or understand her, but it paid no mind to th...

B4C30 - Coven to Coven

“Isn’t this nice?” Tyron said with false joviality. “Me, a humble Necromancer, bringing my betters together at the table. You must be so pleased to have a chance to talk together at last.”

For a moment, he’d thought Yor was just going to try and rip his head off. She may very well have succeeded too; he wasn’t sure precisely what the vampire was capable of, or how much she could get away with. Fortunately, his head remained on his shoulders and the two of them… or...

Chapter 1402 - The Krath’lath’s Plans!

“What is happening?!” the Krath’lath screamed.

The acid and fury bubbled throughout her slug-flesh, causing it to sizzle and pop at the edges. 

The pain only sharpened her rage. The surrounding Krath leaned back from her, unwilling to fall prey to her wrath. They too felt the mindless rage of their kind rising. The ants were coming! Finally, they were coming! 

Each and every one of them needed to suffer in the acid pits for this invasion! And yet. And ...

Chapter 1401 - The Colony Invades!

Well, let me say this, Solant really does know how to host a get-together. I get the best view, because, as usual, I’m the lucky chap who gets to go down the tunnel first. Which means I’m right in the middle of the staging ground as the full invasion force takes shape around me. As Solant had predicted, it takes hours for everyone to get into place, not just row after row of ants, but the allies going down with them, the wuffers, the carvers and all the materials they need to const...

B4C29 - Living in the Shadows

Tyron sighed as he sat down on his bed. It had been a risk revealing himself to Cerry and Flynn, but it was a measured one. Who were they going to reveal him to? The moment Cerry popped her head above the parapet, she was going to get it taken off, and Flynn wanted to marry the girl, putting her at risk was not something he could handle. For better or worse, his apprentice had chosen his side the moment he’d helped Cerry hide from the authorities.

The Necromancer leaned back an...

Rollin' Out

Just a heads up that I'm travelling next week.

I will do my best to get all the posts up etc, but I may fail! Thought I'd put a warning up ahead of time.

Hope you're all doing well out there! :D

Chapter 1400 - The Massing Masses

After recovering from my mutation session, the gang and I head out to get some practice with our new abilities. We need to get accustomed to things before the invasion starts, and that time is rapidly approaching.

Every time we return to the Colony, the staging grounds are more and more full. Battalion after battalion of ants, along with the auxiliaries who are mixed in with them. I’m not entirely comfortable with those antennae-wearing priests being included with the troops, b...

Chapter 1399 - Slime Sage

Things were in a precarious state amongst the tribe. Zluth was struggling to contain the rage that boiled away inside him, bubbling alongside his internal acid. The ants had vanished once again, enraging all of the Krath who were denied their opportunity to rend the invaders limb from limb.

It was clear the monsters were planning something, coming in, testing the waters and then leaving again. They were studying, learning, preparing for the time they could move into the fifth str...

Chapter 1398 - More Mutating

Just those two mutations are going to cost me one hundred and sixty five a piece. It’s so expensive to mutate at this tier… and it’s harder than ever to get a decent amount of Biomass! Those stomach mutations are a lifesaver, seriously.

Moving on, I think it’s time to take a look at some other, key body parts that could use some powering up. First of all, the Vestibule.

I’ve focused entirely on increasing the range so far, all the way to +30 and it really pulls in...

B4C28 - City of Darkness

The great wall of Kenmor loomed in the distance, so wide it was difficult to see the curve as the carriage approached. Tyron sat, tense, eyes darting from his hands folded in his lap to the open window. Rain drizzled down, spattering through the opening and onto his cloak, but he paid it no mind.

There was a pall over the land, a shadow that didn’t seem to solely be due to the low-hanging clouds. The side of the Emperor’s Way, the road that ran through the centre of the city,...