Well… this is almost disturbingly relaxing. I almost can't remember what it feels like to have so little to do. While the Colony is out battling against the wave, I myself have precious few responsibilities. Tiny, Invidia and Crinis are called out to fight with increasing frequency, their initial timetable proving insufficient to hold off the hordes of monsters crashing into the fortress every second of every day.
They get great combat experience, pushing their Skills and abilities while wracking up Biomass and Levels. As long as they manage to tangle with a few heavy hitters crawling out of the woodwork, then they should reach the evolution threshold by the end of the wave, no problem.
Between now and then is an awful lot of desperate fighting that I'm not participating in. Gweheheheheh.
Ah, the indolent life! I wish I knew what it was like.
Because I might not be fighting, but that doesn't mean I'm not busy. My ant soul wouldn't tolerate an actual break. Neither would the endless stream of judgement coming through the Vestibule.
I slack off for a few hours, which is apparently all it takes. Every passing ant starts thinking about how lazy I'm being, which of course, I can hear. It doesn't take long after that for them to start openly yelling at me, accusing me of the worst sorts of selfishness, which is not on, frankly.
I've worked hard, dammit!
What I went through out there in the fifth… I don't even want to remember how disgusting it's been! The horrific slime and mucus slopping all over my carapace… yuck! Let's not even mention the parasites and other creepy-crawlies I've had to deal with. It's been a rough time ever since I woke up from my evolution, and even before that was quite difficult.
But it's exactly that level of shame that drives me to stick to diligent mana training for the first time in… a while.
If I'm throwing spells around, then my siblings can't accuse me of being lazy! Hah!
It doesn't take long for me to realise just how valuable the practice routine that Coolant and Propellant gave me actually is. As my spells have gotten larger and more complicated, I've drilled them hard to try and make casting them second nature, but no matter how much I try, they're simply too involved to be able to auto-pilot to that extent.
Especially the Singularity. With the sheer quantity of power involved, I have to devote an enormous amount of attention to ensuring it doesn't go haywire on me, along with keeping up with the fiendish complexity.
Breaking the extraordinarily difficult spell construct into discrete chunks allows me to practise it hundreds of times a minute, using my many minds to run multiple at the same time. With nosy, judgemental sisters keeping the pressure on, I spend most of my time every day just running the first chunk of the Singularity spell over and over and over again. When I get too bored, I switch over to a few other spells, but the vast bulk of time is spent on just that.
And… wonder of wonders, it actually starts to make a difference. I get faster, more confident, more capable. Whether it's my main mind or my mind constructs doing the work, pulling together the lines of the spell gets easier and easier. Of course, this is only a tenth of the final product, but it proves just how much improvement is possible if I stick with it.
Which I do. As the days tick by, I work on the second chunk, then the third, my minds churning endlessly, never growing tired, while I knuckle down and try to get the spell to a point I can throw it out much more readily.
Of course, I still get to talk to my friends every time they drop by the chamber to rest.
Tiny is in here the most, since he does absurd amounts of damage, but lacks the staying power or self control to really stick it out there for a long shift. I'm told it isn't impacting the defence all that much, since he basically lightning bolts the entire tunnel before retreating for a snooze and a snack.
[How's it going, Tiny?] I ask him as he wanders in, looking exhausted.
He gives me a drained thumbs up before slumping against the wall and slowly sliding down to the ground. He's asleep before he even hits the floor.
I prod him with my antenna, but it's no good, he's dead to the world. All I can do is sigh and go back to practising.
Four hours later, he wakes up, yawns hugely, then ponderously climbs to his feet.
[You want some food, Tiny?]
Scratching at his belly, he nods sleepily.
[The Colony left some for you over there. Don't eat that bit, though, that's my lunch.]
A small thumbs up as he sways and trudges his way towards the Biomass, his eyes barely open. Stuffing his face gradually brings him back to full wakefulness and by the time he's done, those bat-eyes are wide open and alert. Slapping at his chest and arms, he starts to pump himself up, his ears twitching with excitement.
[Heading back out already?] I ask him. [Don't you need more rest?]
[No,] he replies, pulling a powerful flex to show off his overbearing physique. [Ready for fight!]
[Alright then. Knock 'em dead. See you in a few hours.]
He usually lasts around five or six hours, which means he's resting as often as he's fighting, pretty much. The difference is that he fights a heck of a lot more than Crinis and Invidia, who are much more tactical about where and when they intervene.
Not long after he marches out, Crinis slips into the chamber, crawling out of a nearby shadow and trying to slip into my carapace before I notice that she's arrived.
[Oi! None of that!]
[Master,] she pleads, [I'm so tired…. Let me in there so I can rest.]
[You can rest anywhere! No way. Have some food and get some sleep. Sheesh!]
Grumbling, she does as I say, wolfing down a portion of Biomass before curling up into a little ball which I lift up and put on my back.
More spell practice for me….