Chrysalis

All of the power in this world flows from the Dungeon. Cores are its greatest wealth, experience is its greatest power. For this reason one might think that the bulk of the population would dwell within the Dungeon itself, pursuing all that Pangera has to offer to its people, but this is far from the truth. In reality, the majority of the citizens of this world live on the surface, leading much more mundane lives under the sky, farming, fighting the weak monsters found there, trading and travelling. Why is this the case?

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.

Falling down hundreds of metres with a group of tier seven demons and their giant dark-tinted fireball of doom wasn't exactly part of my plan for the day, but here we are and I need to make the best of it, and fast! Without enough time to think, I react instinctively and implement my first impulse, which is to reach the demons in any way that I can!

Gravity mana floods my mandibles and I reach out towards the three demons, taking hold of each of them with an almighty YOINK!

The strain on my mana is evident. Even if these three aren't exactly packing heat in the mass department, they aren't slouches, but for whatever reason, likely the fact their attention is so heavily focused elsewhere, they seem unable to resist the energy taking hold of them and reversing the direction of their fall.

The three mighty tier seven demons suddenly stop falling, pause for a moment, and then reverse direction, lifting through the air towards me. Considering the shock of it, they react with incredible decisiveness, turning to lash out at whoever had dared to attach this foreign mana to them. Before I can so much as introduce myself I'm lashed by a series of spells that burn and damage my carapace. Thankfully the powerful demons didn't have much time to put a lot of juice into this effort or I might have been obliterated on the spot. Instead I merely endure a solid roasting before I cut the connection between us and defend myself, allowing them to begin falling again, except this time they are above me, and way too far from their explosive magic to keep assisting it.

As I freefall through the air I can already feel the spell diminishing in size as the Colony rips into it without the demons able to compensate for the loss. Now I have another issue, namely that I'm currently above this veritable bomb as it falls and I'll be caught completely in the blast if I don't do something!

Dammit! I knew I'd regret not getting wings at some point and here it is! Seriously! Who wouldn't want to be able to fly, Anthony you moron! Alright then… what can I do. Think, think, think, thinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthink!

With precious seconds left before I splatter against the shields of my own allies before then getting roasted alive I do what I can with the resources I have available. Working at the speed of thought my brains whip up all the force mana that I can muster which I immediately spin into a series of condensed bolts. All I can think of is trying to move my position and the only way I can think to do that in mid-air is by using the kinetic energy generated by force magic!

Manipulating the spells outside my body is difficult and takes precious time but I gather the six bolts I've been able to create on my left side and let 'em rip at the same moment. My force magic still isn't that strong, but since I'm free falling without any means to brace myself the magic knocks me to the right as all of the spells slam into my carapace at the same moment. Thrown violently off course, I tumble to the side moments before an enormously dense surge of energy registers on my antennae followed by a blinding flash of light.

KRAKOOOM!

Holy moly! That was lightning magic! Above me I see the enraged and twisted face of Brixin as her spell goes wide due to my last second manoeuvre. Yikes! I'd almost forgotten about them. I was so worried about falling. Speaking of which, I'm still falling! I seriously hope that terminal velocity is not a literal term.

My diversion is enough to send me sailing to the side of the many layered barrier the Colony has erected as well as the impact zone of the doom fire the demons created, but not by a whole lot. I likely won't be able to escape the fallout of the fireball unscathed, but at least I'm not going to be dropping flat into the middle of it. As the ground rushes towards me I once again think that being able to close your eyes isn't such a bad thing sometimes. Brace for impact!

I extend my legs out in the hopes of sacrificing them to absorb some of the impact and spare my insides from the pain that's coming but at the last second a forest of tentacles explodes upwards, extending towards me.

Crinis!