Quotes

### Chapter 2: Coming to grips

Was that society a more equitable place? When the worth of a human being can be weighed with such precision, strict roles and structures are easy to maintain, perhaps back then, when the qualities of each individual were more nebulous, it allowed greater freedom, greater choice in a persons' life? Many believe the System elevated us, empowered us to fight back against the great cataclysm, but many of the wise question this narrative, we know what we gained in the Descent, but we can no longer recall what we lost.
— Exert from page 15 of "Ruminations on the pre-Descent society" by Illarion the heretic.

### Chapter 6: Exploration is perilous

It has also become surpassingly clear over the years that the lasting effect of the Rending on the human psyche is fear. Our race may never be free of the terror that took root when the very ground beneath our feet became our enemy, the source from which our nightmares sprung to life.
— Exert from "Legion College Record volume V: years 213-289AR

### Chapter 11: Forced relocation.

The Path is our road to ascension, to a greater state of being, the system will uplift us, but only if mortal kind is united will we be able to pursue the Path to its final destination.
— Exert from the Holy Book of the Path.

### Chapter 16: Currents and undertows

Some of my predecessors have postulated that the Dungeon uses the waves as a device to repopulate itself when monster numbers are too low and regular spawns are not sufficient to maintain a healthy population, whatever that may be. There is evidence to suggest that lower monster numbers increases the likelihood of a wave.

Yet there are records of waves occurring even when the dungeon is pact to bursting, though it is far more rare for this to happen, to be sure.
— From the private notes of Alberton, Loremaster of the Legionem Abbyssi, Liria.

### Chapter 44: Something new

What is agreed is that at some point during that world shattering event, where monsters from the deepest reaches of the Dungeon roamed free on the surface, causing destruction everywhere they went, a group of individuals gathered to found the Deep Legion.
The organisation grew rapidly, recruiting from the populace and was able to strike effectively and well against the monsters on the surface as well as counter attack into the Dungeon. Nobody can explain why they were so successful where other human forces were not.

To this day, some three thousand years later the Legion persists as independent military organisation that regularly monitor and explore the Dungeon, in some places they are still trusted with a regulatory role, overseeing access to the Dungeon in their customary strict fashion.
— Quote author

### Chapter 66: The Heat Factor

Their findings are frequently controversial and often disputed but I myself tend to believe that the views they have published are reasonable conjectures based on the evidence. The first, generally agreed principle is that the ambient mana level on the surface of Pangera rose greatly, more than doubling immediately before the crises struck.
The rapid advancement and reliance on magical techniques exploded in this time, a brief period that the scholars refer to as a 'golden age'.

They also postulate that at this time the Dungeon was already fully formed underground something that other scholars hotly dispute. The logic appears to be sound however. It is known that gargantuan, mighty monsters emerged from beneath the surface shortly after the cataclysm began and there are no known records of such monsters spawning ever since. If they hadn't been battling and evolving in the Dungeon for many years, perhaps even hundreds of years, then where did they come from?
— Excerpt from "The origins of the great beasts, a historical treatise" by Oliander.

### Chapter 73: Establishing the network

However a unified approach and the free sharing of information has proven impossible to facilitate. Each kingdom, church, organisation or private army or noble house than has devoted resources into plumbing the depths and secrets beneath our feet has withheld their own slice of information from the common perception. Hoarding slivers of information like family treasures.
There Is much information that has been publicly confirmed, however, enough that all citizens have a reasonable awareness of the world below, the dangers and opportunities that can be found there.
Some the key information regards the various Strata, the levels, defined by both their depth and the concentration of mana found there.
The First Strata is generally accepted to lie from the surface to five kilometres deep. It is frequently referred to as the Strata of Beasts, since most of the monsters found there are exaggerated, terrible hybrids of creatures that have long existed on the surface.

As for the lower Strata, the second and below, information is much harder to corroborate.
— From the 'Knowledge of the people, a series of essays' by the Magio Scholar Tarius.

### Chapter 101: Storm Kong

The Legionem Abyssi's defensive attitude towards the Dungeon and restrictive policies towards it are well known to all major scholars.
The Church of the Path and those of the broader faith regard the Dungeon as a holy place, the battling of monsters and the harvest of materials from within a religious calling. The more fanatical branches of the church are rumoured to conduct all manner of rituals within the Dungeon and certainly encourage all members of the faithful to seek enlightenment beneath the earth.

The Cold Blades of Illirethil, the Wise Ones of Coggar Nothan, the Eastern Empire of Kallasar, all have their own traditions and expectations towards the Dungeon that they have cultivated over thousands of years.
— Quote author

### Chapter 121: Territory

Rare mineral types never seen before, underground trees who's wood contains incredible properties, gems infused with mana are all highly prized, but the monsters themselves have always held the greatest treasure.
It is well known on the surface that certain monster parts, when treated correctly, can be prevented from dissolving back into the Dungeon and then turned into miraculous equipment and tools that cannot be replicated using only surface materials. Although expensive to purchase, items crafted from monster parts can be found in almost any civilised town, often something as simple as plough could be constructed using centipede fangs as the blade, or carved completely from the tough bones of a larger beast.
More sought after still are the precious monster cores. It isn't known exactly how or why monsters form cores, but what is known is that they constantly absorb and compress mana, giving the monsters a rich source of power within their own bodies, something no surface race has been able to achieve. Mages are able to perform their miracles by drawing on and shaping the energy found in the area around them or from specially crafted mana stores on their person, but none has ever achieved the internal storage that the core allows monsters.

What's more, the core of a monster retains these properties after death, constantly absorbing and storing mana. When combined with skilful enchanting techniques, cores, especially larger, powerful ones, can be used to create the most powerful weapons and artefacts, hence their incredible value.
— Excerpt from 'Cultural study of Pangera and the Dungeon'. Chapter 6. By the Magio Scholar Tarius

### Chapter 132: Back into the breach once more!

Indeed, over the centuries, as all the sentient species of the surface delved into the Dungeon, eager to unlock its mysteries, it was discovered that some monsters are simply spawned stronger than others. Faster, more powerful, more intelligent and altogether more deadly.
When these monsters reached maturity they typically were able to display a leadership type quality amongst other monsters of their own kind, gathering together bands of followers, groups of monsters that grew in power rapidly due to the leadership and guidance they received.
It is generally accepted that this is the reason such monsters came to be known amongst scholars as 'Champions'. Mercenaries and freelance explorers were more crude and direct with their naming, out of fear these elite monsters caused in them as well as the strength they displayed, the common name for such monsters became 'Brutes'.
It isn't known why such monsters spawn, or how. They appear infrequently in normal times but numerous studies suggest that in times of great conflict or upheaval in the Dungeon the spawn rate of champions rises tremendously.
Some have claimed that Champion monsters can grow so powerful as to exert their controlling influence over monsters not of their own kind, forming armies of mixed monsters in the depths that rampage endlessly until they burn themselves out in endless conflict, or settle down and go into hiding.

Such claims are often rebuffed, as little evidence of such has reached the surface in the time of writing.
— Excerpt from Chapter 4 - Dungeon Champions, from 'The Dungeon Monsters, a primer' by Hedger Oldfinger.

### Chapter 149: Fall like dominos

I myself have only been drawn into this topic since there is no clear answer, making the research at the very least interesting, if not worth public attention. I know you are something of an expert on the Time of Rending Orlus so I wanted to write this letter to consult you on a few points. In the Dungeon explorations it isn't too hard to get reliable figures on monsters in the first two strata, even if some sound exaggerated.
Among the largest of these I've been able to confirm is the "Mega Death Python Emperor" at 250 metres long with a diameter of six metres. This monster has been confirmed and documented over six times in the last century alone. If we were to say length is not equivalent to height in our search for 'largest' we could highlight the tallest monster I've been able to find on record, the "Twilight Cyclops King" which was recorded in the same expanse in the second strata three times one hundred and fifty years apart. According to those reports the monster stood no less than fifty metres tall.

Both of know that these monsters, as enormous as they may be, are nothing compared to what legend says walked the surface during the Cataclysm. In the far east they say that one monster created a mountain range simply by pushing its head up through the ground. My frustration is that no records exist of these monsters at all! As far as I can tell there hasn't been a single sighting of such a creature in the thousands of years since. You've read much more on the subject that me Orlus, if you could give me some direction I would be eternally grateful.
— "A letter to Orlus on the subject of monster size" sent by Scholar Scipio of the Imperial College.

### Chapter 188: The Marsh Expanse

Records do indeed suggest that there were numerous religions in the time before the Descent, when the system changed our very understanding of the world. In many lands and across many races there was a wide variety of ways in which people practiced faith based organisations. Whether those divinities were real or imagined is hard to determine now since only a smattering of writings from that time remain and no doubt these religious organisations where shattered during the Cataclysm and then purged by the surging Church of the Path.
There have been curious reports from those who have pressed deep into the World Below that they have at times felt the presence of an otherworldly spirit, a powerful feeling of reverence. Other writings which the church attempted to supress have been unearthed detailing the experiences of those who claim to have actually met divine beings within the Dungeon, come face to face with them, even spoken to them.

Whether such tales can be taken seriously or not is difficult to say, at depths such as these where the mana saturation is at suffocating levels the mind has been known to play tricks. It can also be speculated that such creatures may well have been highly intelligent and powerful monsters. Though some would argue there is little difference between a supremely powerful monster and a god, that way lies the true heresy. Those mortals who fell into the worship of the beasts who ravaged this world during the Rending were exorcised from society at its conclusion at their monster worship ended with them.
— "The banned writings of Jivani the faithless" from the secret library of the Path

### Chapter 213: Feast of Croc

The fundamental underpinning aspects of the System, however, remain elusive and resistant to study. There are many theories on the topic of experience that range from reasonable to absurd but the topic is one that resists study as it is so intangible. The system at no point quantifies experience in a number, making it impossible to ascertain just how much is gained from any one activity. Estimates can and have been made, by having two subjects of the same level attempt to reach the next by different means, one through study and one through combat, for example, and educated guesses can be achieved through such means, but just what experience is, remains as distant a piece of understanding as ever.

There are those who believe, somewhat mystically, that experience taken from a living thing, a monster, is the purest form, the true intention of the System and any other source is secondary to this. The church of the Path has long extolled the view that nothing truly dies so long as it's experience is absorbed by another living creature, that the 'essence' is preserved and made part of a stronger whole. This seems harmless enough when applied to monsters, but should one extend that dangerous logic to the killing of other people, an activity that also awards XP, some of the dark rumours that swirl around that faith, particularly in its early years, begin to gain credence.
— "Experience of the System, origins Myths and Legends, by Jivani the faithless" from the secret Library of the Path.

### Chapter 232: Discussions

There was a great deal of knowledge to be discovered. Mapping out trees, discovering the various unlock conditions and skill fusion requirements was a daunting task only made possible by the collective efforts of many contributors.

In many ways the search to complete this knowledge goes on, as the very limits of the System are yet to be explored. Perhaps only the eldest has found the final skills in the tree, but if she has, then hasn't shared that information. Perhaps that is for the best.
— Roricant the philosopher. "The Struggle to Adapt".

### Chapter 236: Learnings and Worship

Who else but we would ever dream of something like this? None of the other peoples would have the mettle, the commitment, to see such a project through to the end. In my eyes, it is yet another example of our superiority. The others don't see it as I do, they are filled with remorse. I care nothing of the fates of those beneath us, or for myself. Only the completion of our work can move me.
She is sleeping now. Deep, restful slumber, I hope. It is my fervent wish that she does not wake until we are done. To see the look in her eyes would break me. It would break us all.

But we wouldn't stop.
— Excerpt from a private journal, page 344, Author unknown.

### Chapter 239: The troops arrive

Their power was overwhelming. None could stand before them, when they moved, cities fell, nations crumbled and people died. Like immutable law they were heedless of the plight of mortals, more akin to the forces of nature than creatures.
We record their sacred names here, that future generations might fear and venerate them as they deserve.
Yarrum the Eternal Worm.
Theorazzn of the Decaying World.
Syssernix the Dark Spear.
Morribolg of the Fetid Earth.
Carriflare the Hell Flame.
Rigorite the Mountain Breaker.
Tarriflyx the Hunger.
Arconidem the Demon God.
Zothoth who Feasts on Sanity.
Torra the Dread Dog.
Gon the Sightless Freak.
Yolesh the Ever Dying.
Lerrewyn the Grasping Tree.
Horgran the Butcher.
Perrianon of Blood.
Kygar the Storm Bringer.
Ruminominex Shaper of Earth.
Braxxin who Froze the Sky.

Odren the Father of Monsters.
— Excerpt from 'The Gods of Rending' in the imperial Library of Shuth, Author unknown.

### Chapter 266: Back from patrol 1

*Others simply don't understand the lines drawn between those races who existed before the Descent of the System (often referred to as 'The First Born') and those who came after (somewhat derogatorily referred to as 'The New Blood').*
*Before the Time of Rending, mana began to infuse the surface, giving rise to magic and many other wonders. At the same time that mana concentrated in certain places and within some things, a process that only accelerated as the Dungeon opened and the surface became flooded with mana at levels that have never been seen again.*
*This mana injection changed the surface of Pangera forever, not only due to the monsters that devastated its surface but also by giving rise to new races, such as the Bruanchii, a race of sentient tree like creatures that appeared from a single tree in the southern wilds. Or the Brathian, the aquatic creatures who developed from Lake Bratha after it become flooded with mana during the Rending when a Dungeon opening connected to the Lake.*

*The Elder races have not always welcomed these newcomers peacefully and when the Dungeon monsters receded, a new wave of conflict began when Old Blood began to mix with New. Eventually peace was established and cooperation began. After all, the System does not recognise the 'Civilised Races' as monsters, therefore it would be unnatural to fight against each other, at least that is what the Church of the Path has always preached. Others, such as the Sophos, were not so lucky. Branded as monsters by the system they were first excluded and then hunted, causing them to conceal their underground settlements and withdraw from contact with those they had fought beside during the Rending.*
— *Excerpt from 'Ruminating on the Races' by scholar Fuandri'll of the Kaarmodo.*

### Chapter 271: Purpose going forward

*Honestly Ranlon, I don't know why you waste your time in that third rate college of yours. A scholar with your pedigree would be more than welcome here at the tower. I know of your distaste for 'petty nobility and their feckless children', as you have put it, but surely you must be feeling the pinch, rolling around in the dirt with those commoners.*
*As far as Demons and their ilk, I have managed to scrounge up a few records for you. Only a few groups have ever admitted to making contact with the Demon clans, the Legion, a few Mercenary companies of renown and several of the old empires. All of their public statements on the matter agree that the Demons were cordial, did not attack and allowed them to leave in peace, but in every other way they were detestable. Trickery, lies, deception and entanglement supposedly come as second nature to the Demon clans, making any negotiation with them a tangled nightmare.*
*A few successful trades have been reported, but those were only secured after shrewd bargaining and open threats of violence and retaliation from both sides.*
*Everyone knows that the different clans differ vastly from one another and that the wild 'beast demons' infest the tunnels of the third strata, but specifics are just impossible to find. I've put the word out that if a text should be unearthed from the archive with pertinent information to have it brought to my attention but that is the best I can do for the moment.*

*Do consider my offer Ranlon, I'd hate to see a mind so bright rot away for such paltry people.*
— *Excerpt from 'Letter to Ranlon' by Magio Scholar Barrentalio of the Gold Tower.*

### Chapter 291: Bird is the word

The question that needs answering is why? Environmental pressures do not account for such a rapid extinction of a species from the Dungeon on their own. Monster populations are incredibly adaptable, even the less intelligent species are known to adjust behaviours and select different mutations in order to adapt to the ever changing conditions around them at lightning quick speeds.

So why the dearth of Scorpionem monsters? Some of my peers have suggested that they were hunted to extinction, a prospect I find laughable. These creatures were featured in a study detailing their detrimental *takeover* of a large swathe of Dungeon territory, and we are to believe that they were exterminated by the surface races? Not a single documented case of a Dungeon species, let alone genus, being driven extinct by surface intervention exists.

And why? Because we cannot prevent or control Dungeon spawns. When a large population of one monster gathers together, it is known to cause a spawn point to form, but it isn't required. Destroying all of one species at a point does not prevent them from being spawned elsewhere. It's almost as if the Dungeon decided that it didn't need or want to spawn Scorpionem monsters anymore, so it stopped. Had they fulfilled their purpose? Were they deemed to be unsuccessful? We are on the edge of a very important question, one that touches on the very nature and purpose of the Dungeon.

Does the Dungeon *choose* which monsters are spawned and where? If so, the implications are terrifying.
— Excerpt from 'Biodiversity in the Dungeon, a dissertation on its breadth and purpose' by Xinci

### Chapter 311: Approaching Liria

We saw this path as inevitable. The moment the truth was learned, our feet were marching on this road. Others would not, *could* not accept this reality. It is no fault of theirs. They are not built as we are. Perhaps they cursed us, wailed against us in their palaces and war councils. It matters not.

We did what had to be done.
—
* Author unknown

### Chapter 330: Musings

What is the System? Divine intervention, most would say, certainly in the human kingdoms where the Church of the Path is most entrenched. A power that was granted to the wise that they may defend the light of civilisation from evil and temper themselves in battle, that they might prove themselves worthy.
What is the Dungeon? Providence, they would say. A place of trial, where the gifts of the System are to be developed to fulfilment, so that the worthy might be discerned and given their proper due. That, was the Path.
But I was shown that it wasn't so. Even now I am surprised that it didn't shake me more, I had been diligent and faithful all of my life, trained with the priesthood with such zeal that I had graduated two years ahead of my peers. The masters at the Temple of Ways in Croninheim had anticipated great things from me, but even they could not have anticipated the insights I would gain.
I was shown a *new* way, a different path. The depredations and depravities of the church had blinded it to the truth of the world in which we lived. What is the System? A tool, nothing more. A tool to be grasped by strong hands and wielded by each individual to forge a path of their own. The Dungeon? It is not of the divine, but of the earth. It is a tool, nothing more.

I lost an arm in order to glimpse the *true* divinity, that creature who forged a path of compassion, of sharing, protection and purity with the tools that others made objects of their worship. For that blessed realisation I was cast low by mortal hands, only to be raised high by the winds of the divine.
—
* Excerpt from 'The Path Reforged' by Beyn Naligic the Apostate.

### Chapter 344: Planning is hard

*What is this world, with its endless trials and monsters, but purgatory? This is not where we are meant to be. This is not a place where anyone belongs. Only at one point in history was it possible for our lord to reach out to us, to enlighten us to the truth. Our society was told many secrets which we recorded in the Book of Red Truth.*
*Since that initial communication, we have not heard from our master, but messages have been passed through intermediaries and we know that progress has been made.*
*Nineteen is not enough. Twenty are required. There are those with potential out there, we have seen them, found them. If we can raise one up, lift it to the pinnacle that is required, then the circle will close and the way will be opened.*

*We are everywhere, in all nations and amongst all peoples. It is only a matter of time.*
— From the writings on the Red Truth, Author Unknown.

### Chapter 381: Aphid Time, Spending up

— *Question posed by Orisan'shan. Founder of the Closed Circle Society at the Academy of Stone Soul.*

### Chapter 395: Departure

*No, the real promise and opportunity of the Dungeon lies below. Where the mana grows thick, and takes on attributes as it is exuded into the air. The second strata, the shadow realm, is the first such challenge. It should not be assumed that only shadow mana can be found here, but it is for sure the thickest. There are other insidious and dark forces at work here. Undead, terrible lightless and cold creatures abound in this layer, making it far more dangerous than the first. But the rewards are commensurately great.*

*The Dungeon is always fair. Greater risk means greater reward. Cores are more abundant there, not to mention the incredible wealth of attributed minerals and materials. The armour of the Undying Phalanx of Rillex was crafted from metals mined in this layer, the powerful death mana sustained those men beyond what their bodies could endure. Such are the rewards of the deeper delves.*
— Quote author

### Chapter 401: Tunnels of shadow

*But this is far from the only threat. Starting in the second strata, the Dungeon spawns more complex eco-systems. The Shadow Sea (as some refer to it) being the first of these makes it no less deadly. Large and terrifying monsters may require most of a would-be delvers' attention, but the stone and tunnel holds innumerable fatal threats.*

*Then there's the cold, relentless biting cold. Without the proper Skills and preparation, it saps away energy, drains focus and is yet another burden, along with the unending dark, that weighs on the mind. Many a brave Mercenary has been broken by the second strata without ever battling a monster there. It is a place that is inimical to the sapient races of the surface, designed to trap and destroy them, break and bury them. Yet we persist in rushing toward our doom, desperate to unlock the wealth and mystery of the world beneath our feet. No sooner had a team conquered the second strata than they rushed into the third, only to find a whole new world of challenges that awaited them.*
— *The conditions of the Dungeon, Magio Scholar Tarius.*

### Chapter 426: The latest candidate

*We were arrogant in that time. Our bones were as strong as the stone in which we made our homes and our cities rose high to the sky and deep beneath the ground. As the Eldest of the children of Pangera, we saw this world as ours to inherit and control. From our great fortress capital Marrazan we projected our strength outward from the Mother Mountain and forged the first great surface empire.*
*As the mana rose and the calamity befell us, the first sign of the doom to come was a faint grinding echo reported by the deepest miner Triads. For weeks the sound grew louder until even wisest and most powerful of our Shapers in their towers high atop the peaks couldn't sleep for the incessant noise. As if the mountain itself ground its teeth, the sound was said to drive some to despair as it grew louder day by day. Despite this warning, it was a great shock to our people the day Yarrum came. Who could have possibly been prepared for such a thing?*
*If you go to Marrazan today, and should you be granted entry to the lower tunnels by the Sentinels, there you would find a place guarded by the strongest of our race, watched over by the most powerful of the Shapers. The Zirakkan'nolia, the Gateway to the Underworld. No portal or working of spatial magic, the Gateway is a three hundred metre wide tunnel and stretches beneath the city to an unknown depth. Some speculate the tunnel, created by the Everworm as it rose to the surface, leads directly to the centre of the world. If any have been able to measure its depth, their findings have been kept hidden.*
*Why Yarrum chose to rise to us we don't know. Why the worm chose to descend the same way it came up, we don't' know. The ancient empire battled the worm for many years before the lowering mana levels forced it to retreat below. In that time, only one of the earth kin was known to have exchanged words with the ancient, Igniun Faranon. The greatest of the Shapers in the ancient empire, she sought to commune with monster for reasons she kept to herself.*

*Whatever she learned, she did not share and retreated from the public eye. When the war was finally over and the campaign to reclaim the homeland of the Kin began, she vanished entirely. To where, to do what, is still not known.*
— *Excerpt from 'The Fall of the Ancient Empire' by Shaper Scholar Raknos of the Iron Circle.*

### Chapter 458 - Changing Circumstances

*What in the good name of Pangera did they say? Oh, I know what you'll say Beoram: "We know exactly what they said, it's in the book of the Red Truth" and roll your eyes at me as you always do. But you have to admit that there is no way to ensure that the revelations of the book are complete. Something could have been left out! How would you possibly know? You can't just go on blindly assuming that the author was a good and reliable narrator without proof! And when it’s literally a book about a conversation between two entities, it's impossible to confirm any of it! Now don't you send me another letter filled with your threats and nonsense about disrespect. I've been a member of the Cult for eighty years! Eighty years in the field mind you, not putting my heels up and theorising like some I might add. My dedication to the cause is beyond question. All I'm asking is that you seriously engage with the question.*

*I just can't imagine what form that dialogue took. Mind magic was involved, naturally, was there manipulation on either end? Both individuals were (reportedly!) among the most powerful and high level magic users our respective societies have ever produced, certainly capable of mental warfare. Then again, the ancients were absurdly powerful beings akin to gods. Even if mind magic wasn't a particular strength of the Ever Worm, it can't be ruled out that it could dominate the mind of a mortal.*

*It can't be helped Beoram, I can't be cured of this feverish curiosity. I burn to know the answers to these impossible questions! Sadly, most of my compatriots share your own (very unscholarly) lack of rigor on this subject. Holy texts should be subjected to the same level of academic scholarship as other works, if not more! Your continual refusal to see this is a definite point against your academic reputation! At least with me.*
—
* *Letter from Scholar Poran Alact to Beoram Sallis'tan in the year 1432 A.C.*

### Chapter 479 - Antdustrial Revolution

*The early records of*
*System made equipment are completely lost to us, of course, but following the*
*Cataclysm there are many records of scavenging the strange wonders that had*
*been attempted and constructed in that time. A society put itself back*
*together, the uptake of talented individuals into the crafting fields was slow,*
*as the surface needed to be reclaimed and with the recent memory of the*
*disaster fresh in people's minds, martial and magical classes proliferated.*
*At first, progress was*
*slow, staves that allowed mages to recharge their mana faster, shields that*
*were enhanced to improve their durability. Weaving mana into objects is as much*
*an art as it is a science, but slowly the Skills of the artisans rose and so*
*too did the demand for monster cores. A demand that quickly became voracious.*
*With more hands at the*
*till and more resources, developments came thick and fast. Agni Ruffterson*
*developed the first reflective shield, the lauded Ms Bromina Steelhand was the*
*first to channel elemental mana through a weapon, building the construct within*
*the weapon itself. It was the great mage artificer Wyrrin Lella who discovered*
*the secret of enchantments that could directly increase the Stats of a person,*
*and his research lead directly to the uncovering of Skill enhancing*
*enchantments. These breakthroughs changed the world and now even the meanest*
*mercenary delve will be equipped with such gear, as even a paltry +1 can mean*

*the difference between survival and an ignoble death.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'The historical significance andprogression of the Crafting arts' by T.J. Smithinson*

### Chapter 534 - Run? Fight?

Further frustrating the efforts of scholars is the deep layer of secrecy that many shroud the ancients in. Some were forthcoming with their information, sharing all they could of these leviathans to better inform the world of the threat they posed, but others were silent. They hoarded the knowledge of their experience and enacted strict penalties on any caught sharing it. Over the years, their grip has only tightened. Of Zothoth, almost nothing is known in the broader community. It rose amongst the tribes of the dust plains, far to the west, and they do not speak of him. Lerrewyn arose in the Deep Forests in the south. Were the ancient not seen from hundreds of kilometres away, it's possible that only eighteen ancients would be spoken of, since the Bruanchii have said nothing but its name.
Regardless, the topic of the ancients is a source of tremendous enquiry across the world, in open colleges and within secret societies. There are as many theories as there are scholars, but some have gained credibility over the decades. One such thought, postulated by Xinci, stated that it was possible the ancients each populated a single strata, possibly the final strata of the Dungeon, and each maintained their own territory there. For this reason, they did not rise together, but moved directly up from their own lands. By tracing the locations of their breach back to the centre of Pangera (the diameter of the planet being calculated by the Magio-Scholars in the year 726 AR), Xinci proposed a possible map of the territorial boundaries of each ancient within the final strata. Although this map is far from accepted fact, it does explain many observations. A curious feature of the map however, is that when assuming each territory is the same size, and that each ancient rose directly from their own resting place, there is an unclaimed place in the map, a twentieth territory.

This has led many scholars to speculate that another ancient exists. If that monster surfaced in the Rending, if anyone saw it, then have yet to speak its name.
— Quote author

### Chapter 561 - Waking

*Most importantly of all, they brought us enemies against which we could test ourselves, obstacles that we had to strive to overcome. This contention is not universally accepted amongst my siblings, but it is my belief that every action they undertook was deliberate and calculated, that they forged the Colony like a smith-ant forges metal, alternating the guidance of their hammer with the intense heat of the forge. In this conflict, we would be forced to purify our conceptual understanding of what we were and how we were to function. To become something even greater, stronger and more ambitious than before. All the while, the Eldest was there, watching over us, guiding us in the right direction. The Eldest saw the beginning and the end of our journey all at once. Only they saw what it was that we would become.*
— *Excerpt from 'Development of the Colony: The first age' by Historiant*

### Chapter 562 - Scouting Report

*Although the loss of life was horrific, Exeter was the first nation on record to establish a permanent foothold within the Dungeon. It began life as a crude defensive fort at first, the site, which came to be named Victoria, was reinforced and expanded throughout the Rending. It became a frontline defence against the monsters and was effective at reducing the numbers that breached the surface.*

*Victoria still exists today, though not in the form it once did. As Exeter pushed deeper into the Dungeon to seize its wealth and research its secrets, Victoria became a gateway city between the depths and the surface kingdom, a place of trade and travel. Although firmly placed within the first strata, Victoria is considered the first true metropolis beneath the ground, though many others would follow. Empires, kingdoms and nations of all sorts would rush to seize land in the Dungeon, establishing cities of their own. Even powerful merchant collectives or independent mercenary companies were able to construct their own safe havens in less desirable Dungeon locations. In this way, the community below ground expanded.*
—
* *Excerpt from "Societies of the Dungeon, Chapter 1: Introduction" by H.R. Dough'n'Stough*

### Chapter 564 - Ant squad, assemble!

*When others try to learn my skills, I do my utmost to help them, of course. Even a few humans and some amongst the golgari have sought out my expertise after seeing my works. Of the basics, I had nought to teach them, they were skilled artists all. But there remained something of the spirit, of the dignity and power the Eldest possesses that they were never able to properly capture. I can honestly say that I held nothing back in my efforts to teach them, there are none in the Colony who would hoard knowledge of how to spread the Eldest's glory, but I failed every one of my students.*

*To properly depict the Eldest, one must acknowledge the creature they truly are. The humans, the golgari and the other sapients, even many amongst the Colony, close their eyes to those aspects of their subject that they are not capable of comprehending. The Eldest is powerful, yes. The Eldest is mighty, of course. The Eldest is wise and generous and caring and brave and clever and joyful and frequently inscrutable, all know this. But first and foremost, the Eldest is an individual who contains and has experienced great pain. To me, the magnificent dignity of the Eldest is made even more impressive because of its source. Everything that they are, and everything that they accomplish springs from a bottomless well of suffering that most do not know exists and none can name the origin.*

*It's not something I speak of directly, it isn't my place, but I try to guide the eye of my students toward it. There, in that hesitation, do you see it? Here, in this selfless sacrifice, do you understand? They see a great mountain towering into the sky and try to capture it. I can see a tiny fraction of that mountain below the surface as it descends to darkness. It isn't much, but it is all anyone is allowed to see.*
— *Excerpt from the private diary of Michaelangelant, great sculptor of the Colony.*

### Chapter 565 - Attack on Rylleh

*Naturally this means trading away richer hunting grounds for the frontier, but to a small yet vocal portion of delvers, the trade-off is more than worth it. So Rylleh has remained quietly prosperous for hundreds of years, administered by a ruling council of inherited seats controlled by the descendants of the founders, the city has relied on its own guard and a deployment of Abyssal Legion to defend itself from the depredations of the Dungeon.*

*Though really, what could possibly harm such a city in the first strata?*
— *-Excerpt from Barringer's Guide to the Frontier: Adventures in the fringe*

### Chapter 576 - Silent Halls

*It just made so much sense! It took a little adjusting to, of course, but once I did, my business began to thrive! Perhaps I had an edge in that department, as I was far quicker to accept the new status quo than many of my competitors. The bribes? The under the table deals? Gone, overnight. You can't bribe an ant! There were many who tried, only to stand rather awkwardly, a purse covertly extended in one hand as a giant insect stared back at them, uncomprehending. The entire concept of commerce was foreign to their society. They didn't sell, or buy, or trade in any way, but once they understood the fundamental nature of it: fair compensation in exchange for goods and services, then they decided to ensure that that's what would happen! Any merchant who failed to see the light was hurt in the simplest and most profound way possible: crippling fines.*
*Overcharging? Half your business gone, overnight. Fraudulent goods? Half, vanished. Repeat offenders were out of business in a week. No matter how they tried to conceal their shoddy dealings, the ants always sniffed them out. They wailed and gnashed their teeth as they appealed to the council, but the ants didn't care. Why would they? When it was suggested that the penalties might be too onerous, they were genuinely puzzled and rejected any compromise. Since the seized materials were immediately and efficiently distributed to the poor in the city, there was a blossoming of support amongst the people for the new administrators.*
*Thus, a new playing field was created for the merchant Class. A place administered by uncorruptible, brutally fair and somehow almost omniscient creatures who questioned the very existence of business. With such dramatic drops in costs, the ants insisted the savings be passed on, 'fair' compensation, after all. The drop in prices allowed many who could never access my goods to now become customers, and the volumes I moved rose and rose.*

*For an honest businessman, nothing is better than working for ants!*
— *Excerpt from "Letter to Bilanan of Tulson" by the merchant Chulo of Rylleh"*

### Chapter 578 - The dark web

— *Words attributed to Gaius Magnus, founding member of the Legionem Abyssi*

### Chapter 583 - The Great Working pt 2

*So, steaming on the inside I swallowed my pride and took part in a trade mission. The ants and their human associates were extremely accommodating, which did little to dull my distrust, and led the group of similarly disgruntled merchants and crafters to the closest nest. Our safety was impeccably managed. Not once in my life had I experienced such a peaceful journey through the Dungeon. What was more surprising, was that the ants and their associates were more than happy to speak on the nature of this trade agreement, and their honesty was almost disturbing to a long-time businessman such as myself.*
*They were open about the reason for the low price they demanded for their goods. They simply had little need of money and were harvesting the materials at a rate faster than they could consume them. When I pointed out that they were processing the raw materials themselves, couldn't they then go ahead and complete the final product, they admitted that the number of ants in the Colony dedicated to creating such things was limited. They didn't see a need for wands, couldn't operate bows in the classical sense, were insulted by the idea of a stave and used stone for almost all their furniture.*
*(The idea of insect furniture was quite startling to me at the time.)*
*From the description I was given, I began to think of the crafters in the ant community as short sighted, lacking in appreciation for their craft and quite possibly stupid. How wrong I was. The crafters of the Colony were INSANELY dedicated. Their attention to detail was inhuman, their work ethic, unparalleled. When they showed us the chambers where the raw woods were cut and shaped, the workers were industrious to the point of obsession. A single poor cut was intolerable to them and every one of them was fanatical in their pursuit of efficiency. When next they showed us the area in which the mana grains were examined and refined, I almost couldn't believe my eyes. Row after row of ants sifted and organised the cuts of wood before meticulously examining each one. Not a single one faltered in their concentration for even a second in the hour I was there.*
*I was beyond impressed. Refining the grains is mind-numbing, headache inducing, incredibly detailed work. Highly qualified workers that could perform this task were almost impossible to find and worth their weight in gold, simply because almost no sane person could endure the job and its exacting standards. I came away sure in the knowledge that Colony, for as long as it existed, would become the centre of industry in the area. Who could hope to match that level of production?*

*As I worked with them more, I came to see that the only real weakness of the ant crafters was their lack of imagination. They could grind through tedious tasks like no sapient creature ever could, but when it came to making bold leaps of creativity. They were the definition of 'by the book'. I was certain that this would come to be a lasting advantage that we held over them. How disappointed I was to learn that it simply wasn't true for all of them. Even within an ant Colony, remarkable individuals could emerge that completely upset their dynamic.*
— *-Excerpt from the journal of an unknown bowyer of Rylleh.*

### Chapter 594 - The simplest way

*Like most things that fall into a civilised society's hands, the System was quickly seen as a weapon that would give a tremendous advantage to those who were able to master it first. This is largely conjecture on my part, but it is highly likely that the people of that time engaged in the same sort of questionable practices that were seen in the post-Rending era, when people sought to recapture that which was lost.*
*In that time it was unheard of to die of old age, not just because of the many conflicts, but allowing a person to pass away naturally would waste a tremendous resource. It was common for children to execute their parents as they lay on their deathbed, so that they could inherit the experience gained for the kill. Compared to other atrocities, that practice could be considered mild. Slaves were forced to endure unimaginable horrors in the name of experimentation, all to secure an edge over their competitors.*
*Many hoped that the storied 'golden age' would re-emerge after the age of suffering and secrecy, but in many ways that veil still remains. Knowledge of the System is hoarded between societies, faiths, even members of the same delving teams have been known to withhold what they've gleaned of its inner workings. Builds, classes, fusions, any piece of information can lead to a competitive advantage.*
*And that is meaningful. The System allows a person to rise to unbelievable heights. With the power of mana, and the knowledge of how to wield one's inner strength, incredible feats become possible. Firing blades of light from your weapons, weaving the elements or even bending light with one's mind. Those few who managed to scale the heights and achieve the pinnacle, the highest level, the most powerful classes, all had a deep, lasting impact on Pangera. Many founded their own kingdoms, others destroyed empires that had existed for centuries.*

*In the pursuit of that sort of power, people will do almost anything. The question I have is, how this conflict was managed during the 'golden age'? The only answer that seems plausible, is that someone so powerful arose that they were able to enforce their ideals on the entire planet. If that is indeed the case, what happened to them?*
—
* *Excerpt from 'A dissertation on the consequences of the Descent and its impact on modern society' By Innirit the heretic.*

### Chapter 596 - Creeping doom

*All things.*
*Flow.*

*To the Colony.*
—
* *Spoken by Cobalt at the seizure of the lightning mines of Al'Razza.*

### Chapter 598 - A Strange New World

*Records indicate that the earliest expeditions launched by the Legionem Abyssi had similar expectations of the dangers they would confront there that most delvers hold today. The Dungeon is a place of violence and death, the first and second strata offer no comforts, every living thing, plant or animal, is a potential threat. It stands to reason the deeper you go, the more violent and merciless the strata would become.*
*And that is indeed, a true inclination. The third strata is far more deadly than the second, but in a much different way. The Dungeon is as cunning as it is brutal and as brutal as it is cunning. The lesser demons of the third strata swarm the plains, feasting and warring in roving bands of mindless beasts. Like swarms of vermin, they fight and kill endlessly, the spawn rate absurdly high for such a powerful class of monster.*

*But once they reach a high enough tier, they rise above the rabble. Above the plains tower the fortress cities of the Demon aristocracy, palaces of intrigue, wealth and guile that have entrapped so many a gullible soldier. If a Demon tells you something, it's probably true, just never in the way that you expect.*
— *-Abyssal Legion training manual review - dated 640 AR.*

### Chapter 600 - Punching out the Numbers

*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 a 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 scholar’s opinion, both the Eldest's greatest failing, and greatest triumph.*
—
* *Diplomacy and the Colony - A treatise by Historiant.*

### Chapter 605 - Elementary my dear... deer

*Fighting Monsters is always a losing prospect. They can't be exterminated, they simply respawn and nothing that is known will prevent the Dungeon from doing that. But population control is possible, and indeed, it is the primary occupation of those who are tasked with defending the surface from a repeat invasion. By culling populations, scattering concentrations of spawn points and draining mana from areas of particular density.*
*These tactics can be effective, but the work is relentless. Without constant monitoring, depleted respawn points will reform elsewhere, populations will swell and mana will flow, like water, to pool in another location. War with the monsters is an exhausting, never ending chore that all civilisations of Pangera must engage in ceaselessly.*
*But this is not the true conflict.*
*There are a multitude of empires, kingdoms, city-states and alliances within the Dungeon and their wars, battles and spats are endless. Several Historian colleagues of this author have spent decades attempting to map the history of inter-sapient conflicts and have floated the idea that there has been no time during the post-cataclysm era, that all of Pangera has been at peace. As stunning as it is to think about, the records appear to line up, there has never been a time when the Dungeon hasn't been home to an inter-Sapient conflict.*
*Which means the strategy of warfare within the Dungeon is a highly developed art-form. Even the relatively simple act of breaching walls has become an intricate process. The more rigid the doctrines become, the more predictable the outcomes. It's said that the Grand-Strategists can predict the outcomes of a decade long war before the first blow is struck.*

*Regardless, it's a fascinating area of study that I don't think I'll ever tire of.*
—
* *Excerpt from a letter by the historian Agronidas of the Tower.*

### Chapter 613 - The stone endures

*The deeper one goes into the Dungeon, the more dense it becomes. This, we have known for a long time. There has been a lot of argument over whether the mana was emanating outward from the centre of the planet, or being drawn from the outside inward. A great deal of effort was put into tracing the mana flows on the surface and most studies have been inconclusive on this issue.*
*As to the nature of mana itself, who knows? It's a type of energy. It's malleable. It can be changed into a massive variety of other forms of mana, each with their own attributes, strengths and weaknesses. It's tied into the natural world, as it replicates things that are possible without it. Sometimes. Other times it achieves things that are impossible without its use.*

*To this day it baffles us, though we use it extensively in our daily lives and research.*
—
* *Grand Mage Trissitan of the tower.*

### Chapter 617 - Easy breezy

*For the purposes of this text, I shall use the term Abyssal Armour, as that is the most commonly used in my own deployment.*

*Legion records from The Rending are surprisingly robust in some areas. Fortunately, the creation of the armour is one such field of study. Though others would doubtless refute such a claim, the Legion was the first surface dwelling organisation to penetrate deep into the Dungeon. Desperate to survive, the early leadership would reach out to any branch that they thought would pull them from the surging currents. A great deal was discovered, and utilised, that is now forbidden.*

*What they eventually learned was that in order to survive, it wasn't enough to just defend the surface. The means and materials required to destroy the monsters weren’t to be found there, but deep in the Dungeon itself. It was the confluence of several discoveries that led to the development of the first suits.*

*Lapisvitae. The living stone. Harder than steel, highly responsive to mana and able to be grown to a desired shape, the material was perfect for creating arms and armour that would respond well to enchantment. Unlike others, the Legion has never prioritised using the stone for weapons, but instead highly prized its defensive properties and included it in our armour. The usage can vary, depending on where the armour was forged, but most typically Lapisvitae is used to form the chest plate, thigh guards and gorget. The slabs of living stone are grown to the desired shape and fused to the metal using means I shall not elaborate on here.*

*The second major discovery was what came to be known as Abyssal Iron. Difficult to mine, impossible to work, the stuff was so highly prized by the early Legion that they founded their central fortress on top of the only known node. Not all suits of Abyssal Armour are made out of this metal, it's too rare for that, but the best ones are. Despite being notoriously hard to work with, the Iron possessed several properties that the Legion prizes. First, it's indescribably tough. Second, it conducts mana to an absurd degree, whilst also being resistant to magical damage, a contradiction I cannot begin to explain. Third, it was discovered that the Iron could hold captive the 'essence' or 'soul' of a monster. Trapped within, the creature would lend a portion of its own strength and will to metal, turning the monster’s strength against its own kind.*

*The third discovery was the baptism through which each Legionary is reborn, their bodies adapted to accept the flow of mana to a higher degree than other mortals. On its own this wasn't relevant, but when both Baptism and Abyssal Armour became common within the Legion, a method was developed where the one would connect to the other. A feedback loop, where the armour would feed mana into the body, through the channels forged by the absorption of liquid mana, where it strengthened the Legionary, and then back into the armour, powering its enchantments.*

*In this way the Legion solidified its already considerable strength and paved the way for modern patterns of Abyssal armour. Though much has changed over the centuries, (the types of enchantments used, the preferred shape and layout of the armour, the monster core array) the basic three components remain the same. Living Stone plate. Abyssal Iron frame. A Legionary with mana in their veins.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'Origins of the Legion - a reflection' by Alberton. Loremaster of the Liria*

### Chapter 619 - In the dark, but not alone

*To the monster, fighting is for territory, food or preservation. Using all the tools at their disposal, monsters fight in a brutal fashion to meet their needs. We thought we were brutal. We crushed our prey with horrific violence, never giving them the chance to fight back. What were we, if not apex predators?*
*The sapient showed us different ways and reasons to battle. For hate, for revenge, for power, as punishment and as reward. In truth, there are a thousand reasons why they fight, a thousand times a thousand, almost all of them unimportant or nonsensical in the eyes of the Colony. But the way they fought, even against each other…*
*Savage, merciless, pitiless. They would go further than any monster would in seeking the destruction of their enemies, chase them to the end of the world and laugh the whole way. The Colony had to learn to treat them the same way, if we wanted to survive. The records show the discontent these actions caused amongst our family, it was unnatural to engage in such a profligate waste of resources. To push an already defeated foe into the dirt, in case they might one day rise up again? The Colony did not fear the defeated as the sapients did. What had fallen to the Colony once, would only fall harder the second time. What we discovered over time is that our actions were interpreted as 'mercy' and 'weakness', a sign that we were prey, not predator.*

*What we learned was how to finally teach the foolish who we really were.*
—
* Excerpt from 'The History of Warfare in the Colony' by Historiant

### Chapter 623 - The enemy advances

*Golgari youth are born much as human children are, indeed, they are similar in size, strength and develop at a comparable pace. The children of the golgari are rarely seen by outsiders, particularly within the Empire. Without those who have chosen to live away from the stronghold of their people, it's unlikely anyone would have ever seen the natural skin colour of their children (it's grey).*

*When they mature, the rock-people begin to differ more and more from a standard human. They are significantly taller and heavier. The mean height for goglari is over seven feet, with exceptionally tall individuals standing over nine. They are physically stronger as well, their mass reaching over two hundred kilograms even without their 'true-skin', the name they give the mineral coating they wear.*

*When they come of age, young golgari participate in a bonding ceremony that fuses their skin with a rock covering. A unique property of their skin allows it to form a strong bond with minerals that melds the two substances together, essentially forming a new skin. It is a misconception that the stone outer covering is a 'second layer' of skin, one that the golgari themselves usually don't bother to correct.*

*Their affinity to stone goes beyond their capacity to make it part of themselves. Golgari society as a whole is stratified and rigidly divided. Families are divided into Houses and Clans, each in constant competition with each other. Individuals are separated into Circles based on aptitude and Class. Due to their powerful physical properties and martial history, Warriors, those who fight with stamina and weapons, are esteemed, whilst those who manipulate mana are generally disparaged. The Crafting Circle, Merchant Circle, even the Growers Circle enjoy a position of higher prestige than the mages. This is a feature almost unique to the golgari in Pangera, as generally mages are venerated, or at the very least highly respected for their prowess.*

*Finally, we must address the golgari affinity for working in groups, or teams of three, which they refer to as 'triads', a time honoured tradition, the origins of which cannot be determined. It is possible that not even the golgari themselves know. Only those individuals who rise to prominence in the Warriors Circle are accepted to operate outside of a triad for an extended period, having proven their exceptionality. Such individuals are greatly respected and given the title of Blade. These are the Nobles, leaders of the Houses, generals and strategists of note.*

*The rock-people continue to be a force to be reckoned with inside the Dungeon. Despite their stubbornness, their infighting and their somewhat archaic views, they endure against pressure better than almost any other society.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'Notes on the Old Races' - by Arritrea.*

### Chapter 624 - Death Comes

*The New Races, on the other hand, rose to sapience and formed their societies after the surface was breached and damaged by spawned creatures. Their peoples have never known a world without monsters, never walked the surface without fear and indeed, do not value the surface in the way their elders do.*

*The Humans, Kaarmodo, Golgari, Brathian initially viewed the newcomers with hostility and attempted to push them out of the Dungeon. The Sophos who fell, originally an Old Race, were hunted to the brink of extinction once the Cataclysm subsided and conquest of the Dungeon begun. When contact was first made between Old and New, conflict erupted immediately. Only after the New Races had demonstrated their ability to defend themselves and their interests (also once they had come into contact with each other and formed a mutual cooperation agreement) did the Old and New begin to enter discussions and de escalate.*

*The Bruanchii, The Folk and the Krath, being the most prominent among the New, have proven to be bold players in the fierce competition for resources that goes on in the Dungeon. Sometimes working together, sometimes in opposition, they have displayed a fearlessness and willingness to take on great risks that their elders would avoid. Some argue that this is due to their lower intelligence or lack of stable foundations, whilst others believe it to be a necessity, given that they arose so much more recently than their competitors and need to catch up.*

*The origins of most New Races is still a contested matter amongst many academics. The Bruanchii, for example arose within the wildlands of the south, though it is not known exactly where, or when. The Folk are a loose amalgamation of many peoples with a similar philosophy, and were first encountered in the Dungeon itself, leading many to believe they are monstrous in nature. It has since been proven that they are able to live and thrive on the surface, taking away the credence of that theory.*

*How the people of Pangera will coexist moving forward, no credible theorist is willing to say. Shifts and changes within the Dungeon are capable of shattering centuries old alliances in a matter of days. Nothing is permanent and all is in flux. It is safe to wager, however, that the Old and New races will continue to hold to their own for the most part, preferring to trust in those similar to themselves.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'Musing on the Races of Pangera' by Tirino*

### Chapter 641 - Monkey Business

*The Madness lurks in the dark*

*The Eye watches all*

*Whilst*

*Their Master sleeps*

*Until The Day*

*When All Become One in Him.*
— *- Prayer of the Faithful*

### Chapter 648 - Armoured Kong

*Since no scholar was present as the various layers of the Dungeon took shape, it's impossible for us to know for certain. What we can do, as researchers, delvers and academics, is to study the current state of the various layers and hypothesise as to their formation. In the following pages I will provide a detailed breakdown of the layers known to the Magio Scholars of the Imperial College and give my own thoughts as to their purpose and origins.*

*(Inquisitor Note: Details of the lower strata are NOT for distribution on pain of death. Do not disseminate, discuss or pass on this information without the express clearance of the Inquisitorium.)*

*First Strata: The Layer of Beasts, as it is commonly referred is the weakest and least dangerous. The mana here is of a low concentration and is unable to support the more advanced monster types that can be found deeper.*

*Second Strata: The Shadow Sea, due to its nature, is far more threatening than the first layer, despite being only slightly deeper into the Dungeon. The darkness, cold and high concentration of death mana can create many unique monster types that can prove fatal to the unprepared. It has been noted by many that this layer holds special affinity to stealth Skills and types, proving the perfect hunting and training ground for those who specialise in such builds.*

*Third Strata: The Red Plateau. The world of the Demons and the playground of Arconidem'*s *subjects. The mana here behaves in such peculiar ways that it isn't easy to assign a single affinity to the entire layer, but fire is certainly a persistent, and violent affinity that is found here. The Demon society, such that it is, is one that has adapted to this environment (or perhaps created it?) and certainly those monsters themselves are by far the greatest danger. Those that rule over that place are worse tyrants than any that has sat on a throne on the surface.*

*Fourth Strata: Mythic Realm. It is in the fourth layer that what mages like to class as the 'higher mana' affinities begin to appear, those that are beyond the basic elemental types. The monsters here draw power from many sources and are as varied as the environments that can be found. It is certainly worth noting that this layer is home to the highest concentration of many rare minerals that are prized highly by the Sapient races, making territory here among the most fiercely sought after.*

*Fifth Strata: Fields of Decay. A troublesome place to say the least, the fifth strata is almost inhospitable to life. Filled with mana of decay, decomposition and rot, few powers seek to fight for control over these lands and contest against the almost indestructible monsters that roam through it. According to the earliest records the Tower has access to, the first Delvers to reach this place found remnants of a different environment and traces of mana with attributes that no longer exist there. It is theorized by many that Theorazzn somehow tainted this entire layer upon his ascent, changing it into what it has now become.*
— (*Inquisitor Note: Information of the lower strata is strictly forbidden. The remaining pages are sealed to the scroll.)*

### Chapter 689 - The Breaking Wave

*Though expensive, labour intensive and requiring specific materials to achieve, the technique has been a foundational pillar of every major city and gathering place within the Dungeon, even in the upper strata. The method itself makes use of the Dungeon veins' own behaviour, wherein they invade and extend themselves into every available space.*

*Evidence exists that societies were performing the 'folding' technique during the latter stage of the Rending, as the various surviving empires and militaries began to extend their reach into the lower levels. It isn't known if the factions spread the knowledge amongst themselves or if the method was derived separately by each, but those who were able to first grasp the process and make use of it enjoyed a significant advantage in the territorial struggle that followed.*
—
* *Excerpt from page 25 of 'Territorial disputes and sovereignty in the Dungeon', by Cicero.*

### Chapter 696 - Seizing the levels

*The Council was strict with resource allocation then, just as they are now. Bella and Ellie were forced to work miracles with the pittance that they were given, raising their caste up with nothing more than scraps and fumes. Eventually, the Core Shapers rose to a place of prominence and their contributions could no longer be denied by even the most strident of critics. Able to take risks with their pets that ants could not, able to adapt to any environment or conditions by changing out their followers, able to range far on their own, relying on their defenders to protect them. The number of cores brought back to the Colony through out-of-territory resource collection missions is a staggering figure, one that most Colony members are totally unaware of. Lone Core Shapers braving the dangers of the Dungeon on their own or in small teams, venturing outside of Colony territory and battling hard to bring back precious materials.*

*It is a lesson in long term planning that only the Eldest had the reach to see and the wisdom to undertake. No step that they undertook in the formation of the early Colony failed to bear tremendous fruit down the line.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'On the castes' by Historiant*

### Chapter 726 - Real Strength

*Almost no written records survived the Rending, certainly not any that I can access or have heard of, a fact which I believe lends credence to my own arguments. If the pre-cataclysm society was so powerful, so wondrous, as many of my contemporaries would claim, then surely they would have survived the scourge of the Dungeon far better than they did. Waves are nothing new, we have experienced hundreds of them in the millennia since they first began. Many kingdoms maintain cities, outposts and forts in the Dungeon during these times, something that we know the civilisations of old were unable, or barely able to do.*

*"Oh," those who disagree would say, "you are comparing people with hundreds of years of accumulated expertise against those taken by surprise, without any knowledge of what lay beneath their feet!"*

*A foolish point that only lends further strength to my view. My detractors seem to be unable to see the contradiction they themselves have constructed. Were the old kingdoms immensely powerful centres of learning and strength far in excess of what we now possess, as they claim? Or were they weak, falling victim to the ravages of the wave and being swept away by a tide of weaker monsters capable of existing on the surface? It can't be both!*

*I have heard such nonsense as to suggest that the first wave that occurred during the Rending was simply of a scale larger than any that has occurred since, but again I ask: where is the proof? More than a thousand years later we have records of waves all over Pangera that date back centuries, and nothing such as what is posited to have taken place has ever been recorded. Not only has it never been recorded, the level of mana readings have never approached even HALF what would be necessary to create the conditions they describe.*

*It is my studied opinion that, as I have stated before in my earlier writings, the Cataclysm was indeed a real event, to say otherwise would be foolish as the weight of evidence on this matter is conclusive, but that rather than the delusion of impossibly strong societies falling to monsters of such strength that have never been seen or heard from again, instead the Cataclysm consisted of weak, unprepared societies falling victim to what was, at worst, a slightly above average wave.*

*The 'ancients' are simply an excuse for weak minded and lazy researchers who are unwilling to let go of the concept of a pre-Dungeon 'golden age' despite the lack of concrete evidence. In truth, the old-races of Pangera have never been stronger and the ancients do not exist. These are the facts and I challenge any who dispute me to provide evidence to the contrary. I am supremely confident that I won't be taken up on my offer, since no such evidence exists.*
—
* *Excerpt from the Challenge Letter of Scholar Grans to the Tower.*

### Chapter 729 - The flaming pillar

*As to why this may be the case? Ah, here we come to the crux of the matter. This question is the cause of much debate and speculation in the academic community even to this day, and despite what many of my colleagues believe, I don't think it will be possible to arrive at a conclusive answer.*
*Some posit the theory that the System itself contains a sense of 'good' and 'evil', and use the language associated with various Skills, Classes and monsters to support this idea. The argument has some merit, I admit. Various healing classes, or those with a predilection to endeavours that one can argue are for the immediate benefit of society, do in fact receive affirming and positive language in their descriptions as given by the System. Other classes that are… less savoury in nature, such as torturer, executioner or thief, are far less complimentary in the text, though it must be noted that neither does the language of the System strictly condemn such classes.*
*So it is by this argument that the most 'evil' of all monsters have been denoted by the System as demons, as they are the most deserving of this title. Others argue that this concept is inherently flawed, as all monsters from the Dungeon are, in essence, highly motivated killers. The less intelligent monsters may pose less of a threat than their smarter… colleagues… but the motivations of both are similar: kill, eat and grow stronger.*
*It's only the natives of the third strata, to my knowledge, that seem to enjoy what they do, even go out of their way to inflict pain, fear or terror in their victims. There have been numerous witnesses to testify that the demons will act like this even when preying on each other. And each demon will attempt to indulge itself according to their nature as described by their species. Wrath demons engage in horrific displays of anger and rage against those who they see have wronged them, Greed demons will go to absurd lengths to collect and accumulate that which they desire whilst delighting in the pain inflicted, Envy demons are known to strip everything from their foes, reducing them to literally nothing before dealing the final blow.*

*Why do they act this way? Why have they been named and designed to be this way by the System? In my humble opinion, there are none who can say for certain.*
—
* *Excerpt from Lecture Series "On the nature of Demons" by teacher Sooka of the Tempest Alliance.*

### Chapter 739 - Bubbling from beneath

*I weep for those who were left behind, but I did all I could. As did we all.*
—
* *Unknown.*

### Chapter 759 - Do the evolution!

*It's not enough for a scholar to say 'they're born that way' and have done with it. When we observe creatures of nature and the traits they are born with it is possible with study and reason to determine the purpose of those traits. Why do some sorts of insects cooperate? It increases their chances of survival! Why do wolves operate in packs? Why do geese flock together? Why do lions move in prides? Why do bears hibernate in the winter? We can make educated guesses as to the purpose of all of these things. So, in my opinion, it stands to reason that we can do the same for demons.*

*When viewed in this way, the answer becomes apparent rather quickly, though I have failed to convince many of my contemporaries of the veracity of this hypothesis. Demon society is embroiled in a constant state of conflict, at almost every conceivable level, because it produces stronger demons that way.*

*There is no such thing as resting on your laurels, for a demon. No such thing as a happy retirement. If one of their kind manages to rise to the top, they need to continue to rise, lest they be overtaken and cast down by others more worthy. It's a brutal, single-minded approach to community, but one that suits them rather well. Though many have tried, there are none who have managed to subdue the monsters native to the third strata for long. They can be reasoned with, to an extent. Bargained with, to a point. But they are so, so difficult to conquer.*
—
* *Excerpt from ‘The Demon Below’ by Axelgesis*

### Chapter 764 - A brand new pain in the neck

*Why? Why was this branch of monster, more than any other, disregarded in such a total manner? It was baffling to me, but I had little choice but to admit that I myself had done the same. Despite garnering a reputation for delving deep into monster archetypes that were typically looked down upon by my contemporaries, I had never considered looking into ants in any sort of depth. I suppose I can understand the bias, ants are a despised monster archetype. General Dungeon dwellers hate them for the damage they cause and the rather terrifying manner they attack, tunnelling through walls and bursting into vulnerable areas with a flood of chitinous bodies, whereas my fellow scholars had little use for such individually weak monsters when trying to craft the apex predator that is an Ancient.*
*So I set out to gather together all of the knowledge I could to rectify this mistake. By pulling together and cross-referencing studies on every hive-type insect monster I could find, I began to build a profile of what may be possible, not only at the lower tiers, but also at the higher. What emerged was a picture quite unlike what I had expected. High tier insect monsters are very rarely seen, but without exception, they are powerful. High tier ants, other than Queens, are never seen, but it stood to reason that they too would be just as strong.*

*My expectations in this regard were borne out, though not in the manner I had foreseen.*
—
* *Excerpt from ‘Reflections on the Insectoid evolutionary chain in the New World' by Granin Lazus*

### Chapter 765 - A harmonious cycle

*An example would be the lack of a clear chain of command. An absurd amount of industry and labour is done inside the many nests of the Colony each and every day, but who decides which work is to be done? Who decides who does what work? Where are the decision makers and enforcers that ensure the necessary work is completed? It was to my shock that I learned that no such roles exist. Imagine a warehouse with no roster, a mine with no foreman or a ship with no captain. How could it possibly function? How would anything get done?*

*My mind rebelled against the feasibility of such an arrangement when I heard it, certainly I had no parallels to draw within my sphere of experience. It was only from this point forward, that I truly began to understand the differences between our peoples.*

*The division of labour within the Colony is surprisingly democratic. The ants organise themselves into groups with similar Skills and capabilities, then decide what it is that they are going to do. Central to this structure is the detailed information that is disseminated throughout the Colony of their activities. There are many ants tasked with simply collecting information as to what goes on within the territory. How much ore was smelted today? Will there be a shortfall? Is there a dearth of cores? Exactly how much Biomass has been gathered? All of this is known, collated, and spread throughout the workforce. If there is a shortage, teams of ants will go and fill it. If there is a surplus, they will find other things to do to not clog the pipeline.*

*When more complex tasks arise, research projects, large scale construction, a large shipment of goods to be transported and protected, a call is put out for capable family members to join the team, which they will do voluntarily. Once they feel they have enough ants for the job, they'll get to work, feverishly and industriously racing to complete the task. When it's finished, the team will either move onto another similar task, or dissolve, the individuals joining other groups and finding more work to do.*

*It's a system that only functions thanks to the unique nature of the ants. They are without ego, always stepping aside if another more capable individual presents for the work, without greed, always prepared to sacrifice for the collective, and without sloth, for nothing is more absurd than a lazy ant. I found it fascinating to observe in action, growing bewildered at the sheer speed they could assemble a specialised group, complete a task, then move to the next. If ever there was need, there were workers to meet that need. The pace of it all was enough to make my head spin, the incredible number of individuals involved, the density in which they lived with each other.*

*It was as if they collectively formed one organism. A giant, living and breathing creature formed of millions of parts, with one will and one vision. It was beautiful.*
— *Excerpt from 'The Insect Economy: Macro and Micro perspectives' by H.R.R. Slyth.*

### Chapter 768 - Out to fight in the new digs

*My publisher all but broke down my door one morning, a barrel full of letters under one arm and his face as red as a baboon's rear. For a man with such pitiful physical stats, it was rather an impressive sight. After I sat the man down and got a stiff drink into him, he explained that demands for a travelogue detailing this wondrous new place had been pouring in. The people had spoken, he declared to me, and urged that I make preparations for the journey as soon as possible.*

*What am I if not your humble servant, dear reader? So it was that not a week later I had packed my bags and begun the long trek to the wild frontier! It was enough to make my bonnet spin, let me tell you. Naturally, my assistant and companion Riligent has joined me, along with several suitably strapping lads and lasses who have assured us they are up to the task of ensuring our safety.*

*So fear not, dear reader! As safely as possible, I, your beloved Tolly, will step foot where others fear to tread and bring you the vivid stories of faraway lands that you so crave! Await my next missive with bated breath, for we are only a few days away from the borders. What will we see? Find out next time!*
—
* *Excerpt from Chapter One of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'*

### Chapter 774 - A glimpse of the fourth

*For the journey, I travelled by Skimmer, a lovely beast by the name of Skydaisy, and her handler Barlon who was more than accommodating on the trip. A lovely gentlemen who was himself born and raised in the wild country, he proved an engaging and informative guide as the kilometres vanished beneath us. It took several weeks of travel before we reached the lands once occupied by the frontier kingdoms, small fiefdoms established a mere few hundred years ago by break away families who sought to carve out their own destiny on the edges of civilisation, battling against the monsters and the land.*

*There is a certain romance in it, reader, is there not? As a fearless and brave adventurer, I myself can perfectly understand the wild, untamed spirit that would cause someone to leave behind the comforts and security of home to take hold of their own fortunes! The difference being, I would never do it. I would miss my sherry and the warmth of my enchanted hearth far too much to give it up entirely. It's already as much as I can bear to be away from my comforts for the time it takes to satisfy my curiousity and bring back these missives for you, you can't ask more than me than that, my demanding readers!*

*On a more sombre note, it was clear when we crossed the border and began to see the devastation that was caused by the wave. Ruined towns and cities, burned farmsteads and a flattened countryside were cold reminders of the tragedy that occurred here. It was such a sorry scene I needed Regilent to pass my smelling salts to dash away a case of light-headedness. I shall not dwell upon that which is past, though it pained my old heart to witness it, instead I shall return the focus of this travelogue to the bizarre present and the unknowable future!*

*For it wasn't long after that we began to fly over the first signs of civilisation! Newly built farmsteads with smoking chimneys, freshly ploughed fields and dark tilled soil, it was almost enough to bring a tear to my tired eyes. The unfailing spirit of the sapient! The hardy folk of the frontier, risen from the ashes like the phoenix of Avar! Although they did not do it alone… as you are well aware.*

*My heart fair skipped a beat when I first saw the first one, all the rumours I'd heard of this strange place flooding back all at once. Still a day away from the newly established capital of Renewal, we flew over a small village, scarcely more than a handful of farmhouses built next to each other, unremarkable in every way. Except for that one, key detail. The anthill! Quite a remarkable sight, dear reader, even for one as well travelled as I. Nothing like a crude pile of dirt that the word might evoke in your mind, not at all. This was a masterpiece! A hundred metres tall if it was an inch, every part of it reinforced and compacted until it gleamed like polished stone. And the carvings! Remarkable. Hundreds, thousands of skilful, expressive and detailed images such that my eyes couldn't quite work out what they should focus on and what should be ignored. Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.*

*Then of course, there were the ants themselves! I could only see three, peeking out the top of the 'hill', watching as we flew over. It quite whet my appetite I must say, and it was with rising anticipation that I awaited our arrival in the city. You know your Tolly, reader! My thirst for adventure is unquenchable! Await my next missive, in which I detail my first impressions of possibly the most remarkable city in the world!*
—
* *Excerpt from Chapter Two of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'*

### Chapter 776 - Getting Classy

*This outer layer can be removed with some effort, only to reveal the black rock that lies within. It is this stuff that none have ever damaged, though it's possible that the secret has been uncovered and is held very close to the chest by those who have it, since such knowledge would surely shake the world. It isn't known if the black rock, which is known by many names, is even the final layer, or if an even greater secret is held within.*
*Just because none have ever damaged a pillar, doesn't mean that the many nations of Pangera don’t fret and worry that it is possible. For this reason, securing the pillars that support their own lands is seen as a key plank in any policy regarding the Dungeon. Not that this is easy to accomplish. Proxy wars are constantly being waged, attempting to seize control of a rival's columns, threatening to cut Dungeon empires in half by cutting the depths from the surface. This is without the constant threat of the demons themselves, the other fascinating aspect of this stratum.*
*Intelligent, vicious and capable of forming rough societies with shared interests, the demons are the worst form of barbarian tribe, capable of forming their own self-governing cities, kingdoms or even empires. Their inherent nature makes them shaky allies at the best of times who are equally as likely to act against their own interests as they are for them. The prodigious spawn rate of larval demons means the population is essentially inexhaustible, with new powerful leaders rising from the sea of larvae to replace the old within days.*

*During a wave, this process is exacerbated a hundredfold. Almost all major upheavals within the third stratum occur during these events.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'Musings on Mysteries' By Elric the Wild Mage.*

### Chapter 781 - Emerging talents

*Witnesses to the process have never failed to be impressed with the robust methods and particular care taken with each graduating 'class'. Taking a fresh hatchling at the beginning, and turning out a fully capable member of the Colony in a matter of weeks. It's remarkable in every way.*
— *-Excerpt from 'Teaching the teachers: The education of the Colony" by J Hattsie.*

### Chapter 794 - Mind Your Step

*I like to amuse myself by imagining that each of these bodies is protecting the exact same information from each other, never realising that they have nothing unique, but alas that is sadly unlikely. It is for this reason that classification of even the most basic Skills and magical structures within the System are different almost everywhere you go. When combining this with the System itself being inconsistent from individual to individual in terms of what becomes unlocked and when, teaching someone exactly how Skills will progress throughout their life is a difficult task indeed.*
*Take magic for example. Essentially all can agree on the basic elements, though they aren't always known by the same name: earth, wind, water, fire. Fantastic, simple, we all get that. Each of these elements has an advanced form, we all agree on that: stone, gas, ice, blue fire. Excellent. The basic elements can also be fused, either by combining the Skills or manually melding the two mana types together during casting. This produces the fused elements: fire and stone form lava, fire and water form steam, fire and wind produce ember, water and earth creates mud, water and wind makes sleet, earth and wind makes dust. All-together, these are considered the 'basic elements' of magic on Pangera. The entry level. The baby stuff. Generally speaking, all mages will advance from working extensively with these elements as soon as they can, falling back on them only for the sake of efficiency or necessity.*
*So. What comes next?*

*Come on? Surely someone has an answer that everyone can agree on?! Not a single person? Is it advanced elements? Metal, wood, lightning? Or applications of advanced elements, like explosion magic? Is it Darkness and Light, the two are often considered the entry level to the second tier of mana. Is it Mind magic? Is that even on a tier? Or is it in a totally separate category of its own? This isn't even considering the more in-depth forms, like death or life. It's a fascinating thing to consider, and I personally don't believe that a single correct answer exists. For each individual, the boundaries become fluid. They may not shift much, but they do. Just enough that we can never be sure if we are right in our assumptions. Which is why your homework for today is to devise a mana tier system of your own, justifying your decisions in a two-page essay. Don't whine at me, brats!*
—
* *Transcribed from a lecture provided by teacher Tony Sooka at the college of Helmhelm.*

### Chapter 798 - Low Society

*Landing outside the city limits we caused quite the fuss, a gaggle of curious onlookers poking their noses out of the gates to inspect the newcomers and their flying transport. I was later to learn we weren't the first skimmer to visit these lands, but we weren't far from it, such that the residents were yet to lose their fascination with the creatures. After unpacking our things, my strapping escorts and I made our way into the city, my guards alert to any sign of danger in this strange and mysterious place. Not that there was any need for it, the people were lovely! Such a warm welcome we received as I can hardly describe. Without so much as a ruffled feather we were escorted to a local establishment named 'The Hill of Rest', a fine Inn of good report owned and run by the ever so delightful Mr and Mrs Bellweather.*

*The two were former refugees from the capital city of Liria, some of the few to escape the tragedy that occurred. I chatted to the two of them gaily, listening as they shared with me the gripping story of their survival, flight and eventual rescue at the hands of the 'Great One'. Needless to say, I was quite keen to discover who this individual might be and eagerly enquired. My two hosts shared a slight smile before describing a large and mighty ant, one of exceeding intelligence, generosity and kindness, responsible for saving many during the wave and slaying the beast responsible for destroying their home.*

*Mrs Bellweather was quite keen to impart on me the high regard the Great One is held in amongst the folk of Renewal and that my text not disrespect this individual in the slightest! Far be it from me, dear reader, to disparage someone I am yet to meet, regardless if they are an ant monster or not! After a very pleasant meal and a bath to wash off the worst offenses of our journey, I retired much refreshed, ready to tour the city on the following day. And what a city it revealed itself to be! Remarkable, unique and quite possibly the most fascinating destination on the face of Pangera! Judge nothing yet reader, for the best is by far yet to come!*
—
* *Excerpt from Chapter Three of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'*

### Chapter 803 - Where?!

*Needless to say, this was not the level of comfort I enjoyed when staying at the Hill of Rest in Renewal, but Mrs Bellweather's establishment comported itself far better than I expected this distance from civilisation. I awoke refreshed and excited, ready to face another day in this remarkable land of ant and human.*

*After a short yet hearty breakfast, I was greeted just outside the establishment by my guide for the day, arranged by Mr Bellweather the previous day. A chatty know-it-all who would be more than happy to spend hours answering endless questions from an old duck, he assured me. I was quite pleased to find this was indeed the case when the young girl in question, a Ms Emilia Cretherton, greeted us with a warm smile the moment we stepped out the door. The first thing I had to ask was the nature of the particular garment she wore, which included a rather striking set of antennae like attachments to a band she wore through her hair. As Emilia was delighted to share, all members of the community who chose to take the ant related Class line wore such a headdress as an indication to others that they are available to work as translators between the ants and the residents!*

*A special Class line! I was stunned to hear of such a thing! Especially being shared so openly! Of course, I had to know more. Luckily, the cheerful young girl was all too willing to share. Supposedly, this information isn't even an open secret throughout the city, it was just something that was freely shared. Emilia informed us, quite proudly the dear young thing, that she had reached the first Class evolution, turning her 'Antmancer' into the well regarded 'Antspeaker'. This Class gave her the incredible ability to utilise mana to produce pheromones, which in turn allowed her to communicate with the ants without the need for any sort of mental magic! Incredible! Indeed, this ability was soon put on display as we made our way throughout the town. Some might have thought the residents would hide their close affiliation with their insect-monster allies, but nothing could be further from the truth. Ants roamed throughout the city, walking right alongside everyone else. The monsters themselves were of various sizes, ranging from large dog all the way up to a bull.*

*When one of them walked past us, I just had to know, so I turned to our guide and asked if she could please interpret for us so that we might converse with the fascinating creature. My two bodyguards were not at all happy about being so close to a monster they weren't allowed to kill and I was repeatedly warned from this course of action, but I heeded them not! If you have a chance to speak to a giant ant-monster reader, you take it!*

*Through our interpreter, I was to learn that this particular individual ant (unnamed, though I discovered than many ants choose to take a name, a fascinating subject all of its own) was in town to study the growth of crops. Of crops! She had recently graduated from the ant 'academy' and desired to study agriculture on the surface before attempting to take the lessons learned and apply them below ground. I had to ask, as I'm certain that you are also wondering, reader, what on Pangera an ant would need crops for, and she replied it was for the sapient population living under the care of the Colony, as if it were the most natural thing in the world!*

*And watching our Antspeaker communicate was a fascinating thing all of its own! Both Emilia and the ant made no sound, all our human translator did was raise one hand, glowing softly with the tell-tale light of mana to produce the pheromones, the scent that the ants use to communicate with one another. Just incredible!*

*After a brief chat, our ant friend went on her way and we continued our jaunt around town. Fear not, dear reader for there was so much more to see!*
— *Excerpt from Chapter Four of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'*

### Chapter 812 - Before The Fall

*We continued our tour about town and our guide, Ms Emilia Cretherton, was a veritable font of information. I had only so much as to twitch a finger in any given direction and she would instantly start to describe the history behind anything and everything that lay in that direction. When we strolled to the wall around the town I was able to drag my old bones up to the top and listened raptly as she explained the intricate irrigation system that the ants had worked on in cooperation with the farmers.*

*Almost the entire thing was buried beneath the ground to prevent evaporation and was operated by a network of mana fuelled pumps. I had to say that the investment of such equipment and expensive cores in something like farming was certainly unusual.*

*You know what she said to me?*

*"The Colony did not think of it that way," she smiled as she explained it to me, her eyes filled with pride as she looked out over the fields that stretched beyond the city walls. "To them, they see farming as a fundamental necessity of our lives, so it was the first thing they sought to help us with, and the one area they put more effort into than any other. Farming is not a dirty, or simple profession in Renewal, Ms Tolly, it is the most important work anyone can do."*

*When you put it that way, it makes a lot of sense! Next time you're out in the market picking up sweet meats and treats, spare a thought (and possibly an extra coin or two!) for the farmers, dear readers!*

*After our visit to the walls, I was most keen to see the cathedral up close and personal. The largest building in town, a great stone edifice covered in the most wonderful carvings, this place of worship was something that many of us in the big city had already heard of. Indeed, such open heresy is more than a little uncommon in this day and age! I was most eager to witness it for myself!*

*The fact that this community, these people, had come to revere the ants who had saved them, was only natural in a way. A very real and physical presence that protected them in the face of very real and physical danger. What surprised me as we approached the cathedral itself, was the fervour in which the people were dedicated to their devotions.*

*Emelia's eyes were practically shining by the time we arrived outside the grand edifice itself, the girl all too happy to explain with great enthusiasm the manner in which the cathedral operated as the spiritual centre of the people's lives. I was somewhat surprised to learn that there were no daily devotions. No gatherings in the morning or dusk, or both, as I've seen at the church of the path. The reason being that the ants the people had gathered to revere did not consider such an activity as 'work', and therefore dismissed it as a waste of time! I had a hearty chuckle when I heard that! Instead, the cathedral operates all hours of the day and night, its doors open to allow people to visit whenever they are passing by, or might have the time, to offer a prayer or listen to a sermon.*

*Prominently placed on either side of the grand arch that marked the entrance were two tall speaking stones, shaped ever so cleverly to appear as anthills, I might add. Emelia assured me that no matter the time, two acolytes would be in position, espousing the wisdom of the Great One to the people as they passed by. Even as I watched, small crowds gathered at the feet of the two preachers, who spoke with clear voices and great conviction to their enraptured audience.*

*I had so many questions!*

*"Can you give me a sample? A taste, of the wisdom of the Great One?" I asked the dear girl beside me. "What is one thing that is taught here at the cathedral that would be easy for me to understand?"*

*She thought very seriously for a moment, her brows furrowed in concentration.*

*"It is very important," she began, "to sleep eight hours a day. No matter how busy you are, or how much work you need to get done, if you do not rest then you will be unable to give your best on the next day. This will weaken the community."*

*I couldn't help but laugh with delight. The look on her face was deathly serious! I have to confess reader, if I could turn up to a church and get told I needed to sleep more, I'd probably attend with greater regularity!*
— *Excerpt from Chapter Five of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'*

### Chapter 815 - What Lies Between

*If one accepts that monsters so powerful as to be near to gods exist, then a set of assumptions logically follows. More powerful monsters require more mana to sustain themselves. This much is self-evident and there are none who refute this fact of the Dungeon. The ancients therefore live in the area of the planet with the highest concentration of mana. This also follows logically. It is possible, though dreadful to contemplate, that more powerful monsters exist, sleeping on some deeper level beyond our experience, but we have no evidence that such may be the case. In the absence of such evidence, we must move forward with what we have.*

*It is here that the denialists stake their reputations. They believe that since the ancients have not been able to rise from that place a second time, locked inside their own realm since the Rending, that mana levels globally have fallen to a point that does not allow them to do so. They argue that the peak concentration of mana on Pangera occurred during that dreadful event and has since fallen to the 'normal' or 'ideal' levels. In essence, they argue that the ancients peaked too early in life, and now they lie in a weakened state in the heart of the Dungeon without the strength to move.*

*It is true that, according to the records we have, that mana levels appear to have fallen before stabilising in the time since the cataclysm, but I believe that there is a different cause. I believe that the ancients, the most powerful creatures on Pangera, evolved. During the cataclysm they rose to the surface and destroyed, between them, millions of beings, pushing them past the threshold to evolve to a new stage of existence. This necessitated their retreat to the centre of the Dungeon and explains the lower level of mana that we have experienced since.*

*There is not less mana being produced in the centre of Pangera. Those nineteen individuals are soaking up so much that it has affected the concentration of energy on a global scale.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'The world is stupid' by Elric the Wild Mage.*

### Chapter 824 - Confronting Our Demons pt 1

*I was somewhat shocked to learn at just how open the insect monsters were to people. I'm honestly not sure what I expected, but it certainly wasn't what I found! When news of this strange place, where monster and human worked together in harmony first reached me, I pictured savage cultists feeding their children to the monsters to ensure their cooperation or something equally horrible. Instead, the people were just lovely, and the insects?*

*Well that's a story of itself now isn't it?*

*After completing the tour, I approached our guide, Emilia Cretherton, and asked what the chances were of gaining some access to the Colony. I was halfway to offering a bribe before the bright girl smiled widely and praised my bravery.*

*"Most people are a little hesitant to approach the Colony at first," she assured me as she took me by the arm, "but they're quite lovely, really. The hill is this way."*

*I don't think it's ever been this easy to talk my way into a dangerous place!*

*My two guards were far from pleased when they learned of our destination, but the two strapping lads had been well paid and Emilia was quick to assert that no danger would come to us. After all, had any of the ants posed a threat to us thus far? Clearly not! So persuaded, we made our way toward the outskirts of the city. Already I could see the massive anthill we had spied on our approach to the city from the air peeking at us between the buildings. As we walked, the human traffic didn't diminish, but rather thickened, as well as an increase in the number of ants moving to and fro.*

*Eventually we make our way out of the large gate on the western side of town and the second we are through it looms over us like a mountain. It's ridiculous to call it an 'anthill', such a word doesn't do justice to what I see before me. It's a castle! It's a fortress! It's a palace! It's a mountain!*

*So large it must stretch hundreds of metres into the air, if not a kilometre, the entire thing is formed of gleaming, polished rock that shimmers in the air, revealing its reinforced and condensed nature. A wide road has been built between Renewal and the hill, expertly constructed and lined on both sides with imposing statues of ants carved in such loving detail that each one appears almost lifelike. For a moment, I actually thought that they WERE alive, just preternaturally still but a quick question to Emilia relaxed my nerves.*

*She smiled and laughed as she gestured to the mighty edifice that rose before us.*

*"This is the first anthill that the Colony established after fleeing Liria during a wave. It was here that they took their stand and the Great One defeated Garralosh, ending her rampage and slaughter once and for all. The Colony doesn't name their nests, as such, they have a unique identifying scent, but that doesn't really translate into a name. For our part, we call this Anthome. Be welcome."*
—
* *Excerpt from Chapter Six of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'*

### Chapter 829 - Confronting our demons pt 6

*A part of me wants to say it was anti-climactic, in a sense, but another part of me wants to say that it was anything but. Here I was, on the brink of stepping deep within a nest of ravening monsters! How many thousands of them made war within the Dungeon just a few hundred metres beneath my feet? It was exhilarating to think about and my two guards were so tense their impressive muscles threatened to bulge right out of their armour.*
*On the other hand...*
*I was accompanied by a smiling tour guide who laughed and chatted with the townsfolk on their way to the Colony, on the road just as we were. We passed by a young mother and her small children on their way, the little ones running and cheering as their mother tried to keep them both in line as they dashed toward the impossible fortress that loomed ahead, bristling with monsters.*
*"What reason would this young lady have to take her children into the nest?" I leaned toward Emilia and whispered.*
*The old rumours came back to me in that moment. Where these children about to be sacrificed to slake the insect hunger for flesh!?*
*"The Colony runs a day care program for young children twice a week," she smiled gently, "mothers can come and spend time with each other as their children play with the hatchlings and take lessons from the brood tenders."*
*"Brood tenders?" my curiosity seized hold of my imagination before I had to process the idea of insect child care.*
*"They are the caste of ants specially bred to raise the young and teach. They are hyper-specialised in this field and provide heavy bonuses to anyone under their tutelage. Raising the young of the Colony makes them immensely busy, but for two days a week the Colony allows children from Renewal to take advantage in order to benefit the children."*
*"And how does this benefit the Colony?"*
*"A stronger Renewal means a stronger Colony," she smiled, "our citizens work with and for the Colony. Our guards take tours of the Dungeon side by side with them, we trade with them, they trade for us. There isn't an alliance or any such thing between the Colony and the survivors of the frontier kingdoms. Though they have never demanded anything from us, we are essentially one and the same. They have never failed to help us when we asked, and they help us constantly without us even having to ask. If we have any honour at all, then we have no choice but to do the same."*

*Do you understand me now, dear reader? A fearsome den of monsters this nest may be, but it is also a location for schooling children. My feelings were very mixed.*
—
* *Excerpt from Chapter Seven of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'*

### Chapter 840 - Long Overdue Upgrades

*The third stratum and the history of our intervention there is a perfect example of this. Although we fought and fought hard, we also built bridges and sought allies where they could be found. Thanks to the Eldest we were more successful at bringing the local monsters to our cause than almost any who had bothered to make the attempt prior to our arrival there.*

*The record I have gone to such effort to preserve shows that the true strength of the Colony is not displayed by our cleverness, our might or our appetite for work, but in our ability to have all of those things and still build alliances.*

*It can be hard to tell if the Eldest, in their guidance of the Colony, was exceptionally greedy or altruistic. On the one claw, they always pushed further, deeper, reached for more, and on the other, they were always prepared to share. Perhaps it is this dichotomy that makes them, and by extension, the rest of us, so hard to understand.*
—
* *From the personal notes of Historiant.*

### Chapter 850 - Movement

*Creeping dread begins to stain;*
*Shudder the heart, freeze the brain;*
*Ring out the laughter, again and again;*

*Call of you lover, daughter, son;*
*Sinks into your ears, your will undone;*
*Forward you step, your soul is wrung;*
*Cannot resist, Gon has come;*

*Who can defy that fateful call?*
*Who can escape the shadows pall?*
*Forward you go, heedless to stall;*
*Into the depths to meet the fall;*

*Lament the brave and pity the meek;*

*None can flee the song of the freak;*
—
* Rinnidan children's rhyme.

### Chapter 859 - Assault on Orpule

*"Was that statue another depiction of the… great one?" I asked my guide, Emilia, mainly to distract from my feelings of discomfort.*

*The young woman chuckled a little before replying.*

*"Although there are many, MANY depictions of the Great One, that statue is an exception."*

*"Oh really?"*

*"Yes. That was a memorial placed in memory of Grant, one of the first twenty ants of the Colony to be raised by the Great One, and who sacrificed her life against Garralosh, helping to bring about that monster's defeat."*

*"Sounds like quite a story."*

*"Yes. I was a young girl then, but I can still remember the sounds of battle from the shelter where the children were kept. When we finally learned that it was over I almost couldn't believe it would be possible, that this beast who had destroyed kingdoms was defeated by these ants."*

*We fell into silence as we continued to walk, the path sloping downward at a steady pace before it turned to the left and began to spiral. We'd gone down perhaps a hundred metres before the tunnel opened into a wonderfully pleasant welcoming chamber, with human attendants, comfortable chairs, thick woven rugs on the floor and core enchanted lighting along the ceiling.*

*"This seems… oddly luxurious," I murmured.*

*"The Colony is quite spartan when it comes to their own accommodations, they usually don't have rooms of their own but sleep in designated chambers with hundreds of others. When it comes to their guests however, they are extremely generous. Watch."*

*So saying she stepped to one of the human attendants, dressed in much the same way as my guide and entered into a brief, whispered conversation. When Emilia returned to me the other woman had left the room, but returned a few moments later holding a tray laden with a teapot, cups and delightful little cakes. Such a sight warmed my heart dear readers, you can imagine how much I had missed my tea! And let me tell you that the ceramic work on the cups and pot where just spectacular. Ornate little flourishes abounded and when I leaned close I could see the flowers painted on the side sported small ants foraging amongst the petals.*

*We were invited to sit in the comfortable chairs and enjoy our snacks, which I did! I was halfway through the delicious cake when a realisation struck me. I turned to Emilia to see her watching me with a wide grin on her face.*

*"All of it was made by the ants," she confirmed for me.*

*"Even the tea?"*

*"Especially the tea."*
—
* *Excerpt from Chapter Seven of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'*

### Chapter 861 - Assault on Orpule 3

*Fire iron. The precious ore can be found within the stone between layers, or indeed in molten pools mixed with lava. Filled to the brim with fire attuned mana, the weapons forged from this material can become so hot that there are reports of them melting the armour of the foes they were used on while there were men inside it. When properly utilised, it's even possible to forge a suit that would allow a being to dive into molten rock and come out unscathed.*

*Magma crystals are far rarer. An infused form of quartz, these crystals are so dense with concentrated mana that they can spew forth a flow of lava for hours at a time without needing to be recharged. It was the Legionem Abyssi who were the first to learn how to safely carve slivers of from the gems and apply them to the tips of arrows, a trick that might have been better had it never been learned at all.*

*Ash shards. A grim material that skirts the edges of the forbidden. The power of ash is a breath away from that of disintegration and annihilation. Capable of dissolving a person whole, it is by far the deadliest substance that can be mined in this stratum.*

*Pyrestone is the one building material that allows a permanent structure to be formed in the land of fire and ash. Without it, putting one brick on top of another and expecting it to be there the next day would be all but impossible. Resistant to heat and seemingly immune to the degrading power of ash, even at the deeper layers where it becomes more potent, Pyrestone is the bedrock of civilised existence within the world of demons.*
—
* Excerpt from 'The third stratum: a primer' by Mallin the educator.

### Chapter 863 - Assault on Orpule 5

*Their mages are well trained and strong, adaptable and with excellent coordination. The spell barrages that would-be attackers are forced to endure are harrowing. If you manage to neutralise the mages with your own, no easy task, then you still have the literal rain of acid to deal with. Their artillery ants are capable of firing the stuff a kilometre, spraying wide areas with a mist that will strip flesh from bones if given the chance. Suppose you manage to overcome that obstacle, you advance into their fortifications, likely an anthill since that's their favoured configuration, then what?*

*A bloody grind of a battle where you are forced to assault layer after layer of walls, traps and pitfalls, that's what. The ground will open up behind you to vomit out hundreds of ravenous monsters, rivers of acid will explode out of nowhere, bursting from concealed storage chambers and flowing down the hill, literally taking the feet out from under you. It's a nightmare, but it's not impossible. With sufficient numbers, grit and clever tactics, you can overcome this hurdle. But what have you won? The answer is nothing. You have conquered the outside of the anthill, which is nothing. All the things they want to defend are INSIDE the hill, which means the true test is yet to come.*

*Fighting the ants within the tunnels of their own fortress-hills is some of the most brutal fighting I've ever seen in my forty-year career. I've witnessed veteran soldiers come out of those tunnels as shivering wrecks, completely broken from the experience. It's dark, it's cramped, and at any time, from any direction, a veritable horde of terrifying monsters could burst out through the walls. Fighting the ants outside is hard enough, within the narrow confines of their nests? They turn into another beast entirely.*

*My official recommendation for assaulting ant fortifications is this: don't.*

*Establish ranged superiority and throw stuff at it until it crumbles into dust, then burn the dust until nothing remains but a puddle of molten rock. It takes a long time, requires a massive concentration of valuable assets, but it’s the only way that works.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'Report and Theory on assaulting Ant strongholds' by Robert Stronghand.*

### Chapter 869 - Assault On Orpule pt 11

*Numerous factors come to bear and it can be difficult to determine which are the most impactful. The Dungeon is certainly more dangerous to live in than the surface, of that there can be no question and seeking out even more extreme risks in order to elevate oneself to the peak of humanity is a powerful lure to some, not so much for others. Many are disposed against violence in the first place, content to create instead. Without such individuals, society could not push itself forward.*

*There are other considerations also. For over a thousand years the Dungeon has been plumbed by the surface empires and the citizenry have been encouraged to explore its depths, but for many, life within the Dungeon is simply too alien, too strange, for most who are born on the surface. No sky, no space, the constant risk of attack and the ever present threat of a wave, these factors combine to put a great deal of stress on any individual who lives within the Dungeon.*

*But perhaps often overlooked is the issue of mana saturation. It isn't known why some individuals are more receptive to mana than others, but it is a recognised phenomenon. Some people are simply better suited to absorbing this form of energy than others, which means they have an enormous advantage when it comes to securing a life for themselves below the ground.*

*An entirely different case are those who are born in the Dungeon. With their own set of advantages and disadvantages that will be discussed in a further lecture.*
—
* *Excerpt from "Introduction to adaptation and societal groupings: above and below." A lecture series from Magnifico the Wise.*

### Chapter 873 - Less Than You Expect But More Than You Think

*This is why I seldom trusted any members of the Shapers circle who weren't prepared to go out into the field and put their knowledge to the test. Just because you trust in the theory doesn't mean you shouldn't go and put that faith to the test. That was my approach and though my fellow mages were proven correct ninety-nine times out of a hundred, I learned so much from that one nugget that my entire perspective was able to hinge around it.*

*So, a tier five monster fights against a tier six. Who wins? Well, that depends on so many factors that the question almost has no meaning. Perhaps the most important factor, the one with the greatest influence over the result, is the respective strength of the cores. A monster from the second stratum can still defeat one from the fourth, even overcoming the tier gap, if it has a large advantage in core strength. The strength of the core reflects not only how much mana the monster has access to for spell crafting, or how much evolutionary energy was available to that monster, although both of those are massively important, it also speaks to how adapted to mana the monster’s body is.*

*The core is not just a storage container after all, it's so much more than that. And the effect that it has within the body of a Dungeon creature is immense. Monsters are made from mana, it flows through them, strengthens them, moulds them. A monster who has more mana flowing through them has numerous advantages compared to one who is more deprived.*

*And that is just one consideration. The rest could fill a book in the telling.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'Raising Monsters' by Granin Lazus*

### Chapter 876 - Leisure Time

*Despite the best attempts of the Diplomants, there has been little to no success in drawing closer to the tree herself, she seems content to exist in almost total isolation with only her children allowed anywhere near her actual body.*

*After she aided the Colony during the initial Legion War, more to spite her enemies than out of any genuine affection for ants, we have always been predisposed to her people and have had many favourable engagements with them over the years. The Eldest in particular seems fond of the Bruan'chii and famously makes a point of visiting every grove they come across, something the diplomatic wing of the Colony greatly dreads. The Eldest has caused many an incident with our enemies, and allies, with their casual 'visits', but curiously, never once with the Bruan'chii.*

*Despite the mystery that still surrounds their progenitor and matriarch, the folk of the mother tree continue to be a source of wealth and friendship to the Colony. We can only assume that this is in line with their parent's goals.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'Notes on Dealings with the Bruan'chii' by Historiant.*

### Chapter 877 - The Lesson

*In the post-cataclysm era, things are much more clear, though they are murky in the first two centuries following the turmoil. It is in this time that the Church of the Path begins its ascent. It isn't known exactly where or when the church itself was founded, though the church itself claims that the Prophet Yillian was the progenitor of the faith after he received a divine solicitation from the System itself in the mountains that came to be named in his honour. There is no direct reason to contradict this claim, there is simply little other supporting evidence.*

*It is also throughout these centuries that the hidden cults of the Ancients began to expand their influence within almost every society on Pangera. Although this didn't come to light until more than a century beyond this point, from examining the historical record we have been able to identify and track the spread of their influence. Though never large in number, the various cults have always managed to exert undue influence, despite most of them being purged every few centuries by the authorities they tried to infiltrate.*

*The other predominant faith based organisation is the Tower. Though ostensibly a place of learning and academia, the teachings of the scholars have taken on the weight of religious dogma over the centuries. Though they would vociferously deny the charge, the trappings of the Tower and those of a church are almost indistinguishable. As to the object of their worship? In some respects, they worship themselves, but it would be more accurate to say that the scholars and their devotees worship the potential of the collective civilisations of Pangera, as if the people of this world were each a seed of something divine.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'Pangera and Faith' an essay by Elric*

### Chapter 882 - A Whole New World

*"You want to meet the Queen?" Emelia blinked.*

*"If at all possible," I smiled politely as my two guards emitted and intense 'oh no, not again' aura.*

*A look of amused confusion flickered across my guide's face as she considered my request.*

*"I'm… not sure that you'll be allowed, I don't think anyone has asked to do that… ever. You understand that we need to go deeper into the Dungeon to do as you ask? The Queens don't live this high up."*

*"I assure you I am no stranger to the Dungeon," I gave the poor girl a pat on the shoulder, "and if I might be pardoned for a moment, did you say Queens? There is more than one?"*

*"Oh, yes. There are hundreds of Queens, possibly in the thousands, the Colony is very protective of them and don't like to talk about them extensively. You'll need to give me a moment and I'll find someone we can ask."*

*Emelia walked off a short distance to communicate with a few ants whilst I waited with a wonderful feeling of excitement and trepidation coiling in my belly. There really is no better way than plunging head first into danger to help one feel young. I recommend it to all my readers! In moderation, obviously!*

*A few minutes later Emilia returned with a rather large ant, nearly as tall as I was by her side. I felt the creature reach out to my mind and I allowed the contact. A chance to speak with the ants directly?! How invigorating!*

*[You wish to see a Queen?] the touch of the monster's mind was alien, almost cold in the lack of strong emotion.*

*On the other hand, I could feel how calm and efficient she was, a creature of logic and reason. It was reassuring to say the least!*

*[Yes please,] I asked, (never forget your manners, readers!), [I would consider it a great honour to lay eyes on the Queen.]*

*[The Queen?] she repeated back to me and I realised that there was a distinct difference in the way we used those words. [It will not be possible to see The Queen, she is very deep right now, but I believe we can facilitate a visit to the Queens who are staying below us. I will warn you that you will be guarded very closely during this visit. Are you still willing to go?]*

*What a thrill!*

*[I am,] I nodded, [and I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity.]*

*Emilia smiled widely when we concluded our discussion and clapped her hands together in excitement.*

*"I haven't seen a Queen in over a year," she beamed, "what a wonderful day!"*

*My two guards looked positively ill.*
—
* *Excerpt from volume eight of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'*

### Chapter 886 - Little Talks

*Even if an old duck like me no longer has much to fear in the first stratum I still get a slither of energy rushing through my aged bones.*
*Except that, under the protection of the Colony, I experienced the most boring Dungeon exploration of my life. The creatures had tamed the Dungeon to a ludicrous degree, carving smooth, elegant walkways and passages, wonderfully constructed staircases with soft, firm padding on the stone, to make the passage of all humans as convenient and comfortable as possible. What struck me as ridiculous was that the ants themselves didn't even use these passages! They had vertical tunnels that they could traverse as easily as you or I walk along a flat road!*
*If any monsters existed on the path, I didn't see them. Not a single one! It was almost boring…*
*As we walked, the ants patrolling the tunnels became larger and more frequent. My guide stopped to exchange 'words' with each of them, and when I enquired what they were discussing, she smiled and explained that it was common amongst the Colony and those who lived with them to encourage each other to work hard and to remind them that they take the right number of breaks.*
*I laughed and said that surely it's difficult to make an ant stop working. Her expression grew serious, a trace of apprehension to her brow.*

*"Not really," she said softly.*
—
* *Excerpt from volume nine of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'*

### Chapter 891 - Limits? We Don't Need No Stinking Limits!

*The issue we encountered was that this process seldom gave rise to demons who had maximised their potential through the early evolutions, particular the first two. An demon larvae lives a truly brutal and savage existence, fighting constantly, consuming what Biomass it can in the flowing melee and mutating rapidly in order to gain whatever edge it can over its innumerable enemies. Although it doesn't take long for the larvae to absorb enough mana to form a core, given the density of the energy at this level, half of tier two larvae evolve without forming one, desperate to survive they reach for the quick power a fast evolution will provide.*

*These stunted larvae seldom go on to reach any higher, becoming food for their brethren who achieve a more powerful evolution. Naturally this is wasteful and inefficient, something the Colony has never been prepared to tolerate. It's impossible to observe and assess each and every larvae, but with great effort the Colony was able to create a system whereby promising larvae would receive support to ensure they achieved perfect evolutions up to tier four, whereupon they would be allowed to make their own way.*

*Although imperfect, this greatly improved the quality and strength of the demons who joined those cities under the influence of the Colony, something they greatly appreciated and repaid many times over with their savagery and enthusiasm for battle.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'Growing Demons' by Bella*

### Chapter 895 - To Thirty!

*I have to believe that.*

*He is gone now, to places that I can no longer reach, where the mana is so thick my very cells would disintegrate within minutes. None but those born of the Dungeon can ever hope to touch that ground. I desperately hope that he finds what he's looking for there, perhaps he will be able to save himself, and in so doing, save us all.*

*Perhaps he would have gone, even if the Dungeon had never spoken to him, never sunk its claws into his mind. That's the kind of person he always was.*

*But part of me believes that he felt that call very early. Perhaps even from the moment he was born in this world.*
—
* *From the private journal of Granin Lazus.*

### Chapter 896 - Raised in the Shadow pt 1

—
* *Excerpt from 'The Shadow Doctrine'. Nameless Author.*

### Chapter 899 - The Roots

*From what I've been able to piece together, none of these confrontations went particularly well for the Legion forces. Lists of those who fell in battle are extensive. I can only imagine what it must have been like for those brave souls, seeking to bring down the horrific beasts that dwarfed any other threat that had spewed forth from the Dungeon in those years. The ancients caused untold devastation on the surface, millions of souls were lost. To kill even one of them would have been a triumph. Alas, it was not to be. Though thousands were sacrificed, none of the nineteen were defeated. Now, thousands of years later, how much stronger could they have become?*
—
* Excerpt from the notes of Alberton, Loremaster of the Liria chapter.

### Chapter 905 - Rising Sands Pt 3

*I hope they are proud of us for what we have done. I believe they will understand, when the time comes.*
—
* *Notes from the personal writings of Historiant.*

### Chapter 910 - Drawn Down

*I estimate she would have been tier seven, or perhaps eight, at the time of the first recorded sighting by the Legion. A powerful tree of great size that nonetheless was already capable of moving through its extensive root system, vanishing from one place overnight to reappear in another. From analysis provided by plant-type monster specialists within the ranks of the Loremasters it's assumed that the Mother Tree invested the bulk of her evolutionary energy, and specialised her mutations, into greater survivability. Her ability to relocate is just the tip of what the monster can do to preserve her own life. During combat with the tree it has displayed remarkable regenerative capacity, drawing on hidden stores of both mana and Biomass to regrow what is lost at a rapid pace. The roots can appear almost anywhere, even disconnected from the tree itself, able to capture Biomass and siphon it back to the main body of the monster across vast distances.*

*The Mother Tree has even survived the destruction of her trunk on two occasions that the Legion is aware of. One of these was inflicted by the Legion itself, during the ultimately failed attempt to exterminate this high tier creature, and the other occurred earlier in the monster's life, yet she was able to fully recover both times. Some speculate that the tree itself is naught but misdirection, and her true self lies elsewhere.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'The Root of Evil - An analysis of the Mother Tree' by Alberton.*

### Chapter 911 - The Realm of Myth

*The second is filled with shadow and cold and death. A place of darkness where creatures of spun shadow swim and crawl through an endless maze where light is quiet.*
*The third is a realm of fire, smoke and ash. Demons abound and theirs is an alien and savage existence.*

*But in the fourth, the impossible begins to become possible. The concentration of mana is such that the rules of the world, of life, of the existence as we know it become skewed. The realm of Myth. To enter this layer of the Dungeon is to step onto the precipice of a different universe.*
— *Excerpt from 'A treatise on the concentration of mana and its effect on the laws of physics'*

### Chapter 912 - The Creed

—
* *Excerpt from 'Wisdom of the Eldest'*

### Chapter 913 - The Most Brutal Of All

*There can be only one.*
—
* *Wisdom of the Eldest.*

### Chapter 920 - Clean Up

*Despite the obvious similarities of the two monsters, sharing the same base type, there is no other supporting evidence to suggest they are affiliated in any way. Indeed, the path and direction the Mother Tree has taken is the greatest proof anyone could ask for. In choosing to create and succour her own race of children, she has effectively cut herself off from descending any further into the Dungeon, ensuring that she is of no use to those elder monsters. Despite this, should she turn, the damage she could unleash on Pangera would be immense.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'The nature of the Tree' by Loremaster Alberton of the Legion.*

### Chapter 922 - Realms of Myth

*If one looks deeper, there are multiple reasons for this, but perhaps one of the most overlooked is the nature of the fifth stratum. There is a great deal of focus on the positive qualities of the fourth, but in reality the inhospitable wasteland that is the fifth is a major reason why the fourth is so populated. First, it means an entire stratum is completely unsuitable for habitation, which puts a premium on land within the fourth. Unlike the third, which is merely unpleasant to live in, the fifth is completely hostile to life to an almost absurd degree.*

*The other consideration, is that the best place in the Dungeon to establish a powerbase to launch expeditions deeper is the fourth. The closer you can establish your safe zone to the fifth, the more likely you are to be able to push through and reach the sixth. For this reason, many consider the fifth stratum, the 'world of decay' to be the great dividing line of the Dungeon, even a halfway marker, of sorts. Of course, it is unknown, at least to this scholar, how many strata there are to the Dungeon, so this is more of an unofficial title than an accurate descriptor, but the sentiment remains a powerful one.*

*As to what powers and wealth reside in the sixth for those strong enough to reach it, it's a little galling to admit that this humble researcher does not know. Such things are the closest kept secrets of the great powers and any speculation on my part would be purely baseless.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'The great dividing line: The fifth stratum' by Elric.*

### Chapter 925 - On The Trail

*We were all seized with strange, manic energy, even they who will not be mentioned seemed to relax their vigil as the Colony shifted to a new type of footing. Most of us had never seen a termite, and would never see one, yet we were possessed of new rage that drove us to work ever harder, be ever more perfect.*

*During this time the second wave of expansion was completed, bringing the number of completed nests to sixteen, the number of active, laying queens to seventeen. Shortly after each of them was elevated to the sixth tier through the relentless efforts of the workforce, maximising egg production and brood quality. It felt like the dawning of a golden age, as our numbers rapidly swelled and even greater swathes of the Dungeon fell beneath our influence, all the while we simmered as we contemplated our rivals below.*

*And once again, all at the behest of the Eldest. Their designs ever moved our family forward, from the very moment of our creation. I believe, as others do, that even back then the Eldest had seen what was to come, and the inevitable conclusions that would be reached.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'The History of the Colony Volume 2, by Historiant.*

### Chapter 938 - War Resurgent

*He described it as a world of endless and profound noxiousness. A place where every particle of substance that filled it had been bio-engineered into a vehicle for death. A single breath could kill. A single touch, lethal. He spoke of rivers of poison that flowed through the air. He talked of lakes filled with bile so virulent that reality itself was infected by it.*
*At the time, we lived in the fourth, within the temple city of Artas, home to the grand cathedral of the path, as I'm sure you know, and the idea of such a place existing within such relative proximity had me waking in screaming fear every second night for months. I cursed that old man, (silently within the recesses of my mind, for I wholly lacked the fortitude to face him directly) for sharing such horrific visions with me, a mere child. For many years I resented him for, wondering why he had never watered down his experience for me, not made it more digestible for a youth.*
*When finally I decided to face my fears, one by one, as an adult, it eventually came time for me to visit the fifth. I needed to dispel the horrific image of my tormented childhood and replace it with the firm reality which could not possibly match the terrors conjured by the imagination of a child.*

*I was wrong. He kept so much from me, when I was child. What I saw was so, so much worse than anything I could have imagined. How could a good world possibly stand for such things to exist?*
—
* *Excerpt from "Recollections of my Father: Child of the Iron Fist" by Ingtin.*

### Chapter 943 - Evolving War

*This led many to declare the entire race products of the Dungeon and therefore monsters, subject to hunting and destruction just as any other monster. The Sophos were pushed to the edge of extinction before they stabilised, building secretive communities around known Sophos spawn points so that they might protect and include those individuals in their society. To this day, natural born Sophos still exist, though they are rare and indistinguishable from those who are created of mana.*

*But they are far from the only monsters to possess sapience. The Demons of the third stratum, once they reach the sixth tier, are considered to have risen above their base instincts enough to be able to enter society. Though the manner and rules of that society are crude and barbaric to many, the fact remains that such demons are capable of reason and can be interacted with safely some of the time.*

*Deeper in the Dungeon, many further examples of intelligent monsters can be found. The Shulk of the deep seas in the fourth are truly ancient beings of great wisdom, and though they are hunted in some places, they are welcomed by the Brathian in their underwater cities.*

*The slug tribes of the fifth are an example of the darker side of Dungeon intelligence. Monsters with a cruel and sadistic streak that delight in the suffering of others, the tribes are reviled the world over. Delvers live in fear of falling captive to these creatures, and though the cores extracted from them are highly prized, many refuse to hunt them lest they suffer a most horrible end.*

*Monstrous sapience is a hotly debated topic to this day. What rights if any could be afforded to such entities? Are they to be protected? Or hunted? There is no universal answer on any individual case that has presented itself so far, and there likely won't be until the sun sets on this world.*
— *Excerpt from "The World of the Dungeon" by Arrica.*

### Chapter 947 - Tricky Patients

*In some ways it was a good thing that our non-monster allies were unable to join us, despite the enormous help their auras would have been. Without them we were able to engage with the enemy on the same ground. Fight fire with fire.*
*We fought on the walls and ceilings. We fought in complete darkness within cramped tunnels. We fought within the verdant growth of the tree. We fought on our own terms. Enormous numbers on both sides, an endless conflict that would never end until one side could no longer sustain the fight.*
*It was war exactly the way we wanted it.*

*I loved it.*
—
* *From the journals of Advant.*

### Chapter 951 - Free Time

*When we descended to another layer in force, we strived to ensure that the resources and cities beneath what we had already taken became ours as well. Although it was generally considered a normal practice to try and achieve this vertical structure, none were as fanatical about it as the Colony. Indeed, it was commonplace to possess significant holdings in the fourth stratum, a place of incredible value to any with the means to exploit it, and not bother to invest in the extremely difficult to manage third stratum, and unimportant second and first strata.*

*As we remained creatures of low mana requirements, the nests and academies spread far and wide across the upper levels of the Dungeon, accompanied by matching outreach from the human population on the surface. During this first wave of outreach, the city of Rylleh established its exploratory foundation that initiated construction of the new city that became Sothoth.*
—
* *From the records of Historiant.*

### Chapter 961 - Bug Zapper

*Unspeaking, unthinking killing machines. Tunnelling through the soil to strike where they are least expected. They have no mercy in them, no kindness. All they know is hunger, all they think of is war.*

*And such a viewpoint will be swallowed hook line and sinker by the average citizen on the street. After all, what do they know of the Colony? Nothing at all. It isn't as if an ant is going to pop up in the street and prove me wrong. Although their diplomatic efforts have spread further than any might reasonably expect, the common person knows not of these things and has never come into contact with a sapient ant monster.*

*For those of us with more information, with more academic rigour, we cannot state that they are evil. Their motives may be difficult for us to comprehend, and their actions may not always make sense to us, and therefore seem barbaric and unnecessary, but theirs is a rich and layered society that, while unified far more than our own nations, is not a monolith. They have their own disagreements, negotiations, and strange manner of decision making. They have culture, art, craftsmanship and all the other trappings of intelligent civilisation.*

*Perhaps what they do could be considered evil, but the Colony itself is far too complex an entity for such simple labels.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'Modern Morality' by Arcurion.*

### Chapter 968 - Colony vs Colony pt 8

*Yet there are questions. How can we best apply ourselves as we walk together on this road? Is there a way that we may devote ourselves more ardently, pursue our purpose more completely?*

*The great Church of the Path has devoted itself to these questions for thousands of years, desperate to seek a more complete truth.*

*When a monster is slain, we gain experience for the deed, we grow from the gift of life that we have taken and lay claim to a portion of the experience within the beast. But what of the rest? The experience gained is but a tiny fraction of that possessed by the fallen foe. How can we allow this Holy Sacrament to be squandered in such a way? It's an unthinkable heresy, akin to scattering the Divine upon the ground like rubbish.*

*Due to the unceasing labour of the faithful, we have been able to ensure our strides are longer, our steps firmer, as we walk along the Path.*

*Let none of the harvest go to waste. What the Divine has sowed, we shall reap in full.*
— *Excerpt from the 'Book of the Path'*

### Chapter 974 - Colony vs Colony pt 14

*This has caused a strange environment to arise in the fourth, as it is, without a doubt, a place of tremendous danger. The monsters that populate the stratum are without a doubt powerful and vicious, many of them being intelligent creatures capable of great cunning, even communication. The great sky-wyrms, the most threatening of their kind, have roamed the mountains for hundreds of years; growing up to a hundred metres long, they are fearsome opponents and have caused the downfall of many a hunting party, or even cities.*

*Thankfully, the ingenuity of the sapient peoples is nigh limitless. In their fortified mountain cities it is possible to live an extremely comfortable, and secure life, though that peace has been bought, and continues to be paid for, in the sacrifices of others.*
—
* *Excerpt from 'The Life of the Great' by Tiritus*

### Chapter 982 - Emissary pt 1

*Surely, I thought to myself, none of my brethren would have taken the time to study such an esoteric field. Therefore I would be the first, and break new ground for the family by utilising the knowledge and techniques found within for our betterment.*
*I was sadly mistaken. The surface dwellers occupied themselves with so many pointless questions, the answers to which seemed most obvious to me.*
*Why do I exist? To help the Colony.*
*What is the purpose of life? To help the Colony.*
*Why does the universe exist? For the Colony.*
*What is death? When you can no longer help the Colony.*
*Though it all seemed so clear to me, the human, golgari and others couldn't seem to grasp hold of anything. They drove themselves mad with rhetoric, driving down rabbit holes and fudging numbers back and forth until they lost sight of the questions they were trying to answer. The more I dove in, the more tangled the maze became. The pursuit of truth was entirely lost as they tried to make the simple complex and the complex simple.*
*I lamented the lack of purpose from my years of study for a long time. Fortunately, I was able to realise that my effort had not been wasted, that there was some good for me to extract that would benefit my family.*

*More than any other ant, I knew the thought processes and values of the sapient races. I knew that they were weak.*
—
* *From the private notes of Emannuelk Ant.*

### Chapter 987 - Brilliant in the more-than-one-verse of severe confusion

*My friend, the great Magio-Scholar Timus, has a pet theory that the overwhelming stimulation of receiving so much sensory input is the key factor. Tracking vectors across dimensions, feeling out nebulous, invisible boundaries, computing mana waveforms, all while attempting to cast even the most basic spell. It's a lot to take in, a lot to process in a frighteningly short amount of time. She believes that only someone quite disconnected from reality could possibly have a hope of achieving it.*
— *Excerpt from the private notes of the Magio Scholar*

### Chapter 995 - The Return

*Their view on forced labour, a common enough practice in the Dungeon, is strangely reticent. Perhaps that isn't speaking strongly enough. They hate it. The idea of 'forcing' someone to work is completely alien to them. After all, why would anyone need to be forced? And if you did force them, would the work produced be any good? Having unwilling workers, producing faulty work, is only decreasing overall efficiency. A waste of time.*

*No slavery. No indentured workers. Some might say they are a lenient race and try to take advantage of them. Those people would very quickly regret making that choice. The ants themselves do not transgress upon each other, their social cohesion is perhaps their greatest strength, but when others do, their fury is total.*
—
* *Excerpt from "Collective Justice: A treatise on the Laws of the Colony"*

### Chapter 999 - They Go Marching

*In small numbers, they are smart. They move quickly, engage carefully, retreat expeditiously and attack aggressively when the opportunity presents itself. The caste system provides them a strong balance of specialists, making teams of ants well positioned to handle a wide variety of situations.*
*In larger groups, they become very deadly. Capable of digging and fortifying positions in a matter of hours, they can be expensive to dislodge the moment they gain a foothold. With a strong command structure and perfect discipline, they present no weaknesses, no chinks in the armour. They must be confronted directly, head on, or not at all. Only a skilled and determined force can match them.*

*In a swarm, they show their true might. The endless tide of ants is a foe like no other that I have ever witnessed. The concentrated power of their collective is overwhelming and they will sweep away whatever lies in their path. Against that indomitable horde, I have seen nothing succeed, and I have tried much.*
—
* *Excerpt from the war diary of an unknown general.*