Valterra looked at the screen in his soul before turning his attention to the wider dungeon to confirm the information. His third-floor guardian was also glowing with golden light. It seemed his endless devotion to his floor, coupled with participating in the war against the ants and this most recent invader was enough to push him over the edge. Valterra could feel the Aether buzzing in his servant's body and quickly went to work reading over the new options.
Your “Sylcyne Garter Snake” is ready to Ascend!
Please choose from among the following stages:
Emerald Adder (Rank D - Iron)
Giving up its constricting coils, this snake has chosen new weapons. With a powerful strike, this snake is capable of delivering deadly poison directly to its foe's body. With its mental affinity, it has the ability to channel Aether into its eyes, allowing it to freeze weak-willed prey for mere moments before striking.
Iron Scale Boa (Rank D - Iron)
Growing much larger and longer, this snake exchanges normal scales for iron ones. Although treasured as a Dungeon Monster for this fact, it is also found in the wild around iron deposits rich in Aether. Preferring to constrict prey with its heavy body and consuming it whole, this boa is a fearsome defender of its territory.
Ahh, it would seem the Path is diverging completely. By doing so it would be forcing him to choose between constriction and venom. It was a tough decision and he wished there was a third option where he could take both paths. That was a bit childish of him but that was what he was and he couldn’t really escape his nature.
Then again, there was someone he could ask, so he slipped into his snake’s mind and received his answer. He found frustration. During the fight with the invader, the snake chafed at being unable to end the fight himself. He played an integral part and knew it, yet he found himself wanting something more. He wanted to strike quickly and finish fights before they could start.
Valterra wondered at this new side of his guardian that he hadn’t seen before. It seemed his serpent was more self-aware than the Core had thought. He chose the Emerald Adder and felt his serpent’s satisfaction as it curled up inside the third floor to Ascend. Valterra shifted the earth and grass to hide his guardian better, not wishing him to be attacked while on the road to becoming stronger.
Finally, Valterra turned to his Mouse Soldier. His first and most loyal creature. He eagerly began looking through the notification.
Your “Mouse Soldier” is ready to Ascend!
Please choose from among the following stages:
Mouse-At-Arms (Unique, Rank D - Iron)
Adept with all manner of weaponry the Mouse-At-Arms is a formidable fighter and elite soldier. Another step along the path to greatness, this mouse focuses on martial prowess beyond anything else. Armed further with the bodily enhancement that stems from an upgraded Aether Core, the Mouse-At-Arms is a threat to all that would oppose its lord.
Mouse Captain (Unique, Rank D - Iron)
The next step on the road to leadership, this mouse chooses to be an example to all mouse-kin. Adept with the sword the mouse treads a path few will walk but all the more noble for it. To lead is to display courage in the face of opposition and to serve steadfastly. By the sweat of brow and whisker the Mouse Captain will see its lord’s will done.
Mouse Berserker (Unique, Rank C - Steel)
Giving up all future potential this mouse has chosen the path of everlasting war, wrath, and ruin. Able to enter a battle rage at any moment this mouse is a powerhouse fighter, willing and able to shrug off the worst of hits and deal them back two-fold. Wielding fearsome claws and growing armor-like fur this mouse is a walking, squeaking, terror on the battlefield.
Even though he knew which one he would choose, Valterra carefully examined each option with childish excitement. The Mouse-At-Arms would be so useful. From the sense he got from it, the mouse would become totally at home on a battlefield, able to take orders and obey them, and even be capable of minor tactics. Rather than throwing themselves at an enemy, they would work together with other mice to take down larger foes, using their impressive weapon skills to do so.
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The last one was the total opposite. They took “throwing themselves at an enemy” to be their own personal code of honor. Instead of relying on crafted weapons, they reverted to savagery and natural weapons. It was similar to the Mouse Guard Veteran with its emphasis on giving up future potential. Valterra wondered if the last option was available because of the way his Mouse Soldier was filled with anger during his fight with the invader or whether it was always an option.
There was really only one choice for his Mouse Soldier when all was said and done. His first guardian was a leader and warrior, not a purely martial elite or a berserking mad-mouse. Neither of the other two Framework options fit him quite as well as Mouse Captain. Valterra chose and watched the golden light settle into the mouse’s fur. Once again he would need to create more guardians but he already knew what he wanted to do.
If his new Mouse Captain was going to have fellow mice to lead then there would need to be more mice. While the Mouse Scouts would help out they were not exactly an army. No, Valterra would need others to take up the mantle while his guardian slept. Luckily, he already had the Frameworks he needed. Now, he just needed to implement them. Turning his attention to his Dungeon he began to gather the Aether he would need.
POV Mouse Scouts
The five remaining Mouse Scouts were on a self-imposed mission to discover the whereabouts of the ant queen that had been invading their lord’s territory. For a day or two they had been searching the outside lands, frequently returning to their lord’s outskirts in order to replenish their Aether Cores. While they could remain outside of their lord’s domain for an extended period it was uncomfortable and they wanted to make sure they had the Aether needed to fight if it came down to it.
That time was now. The five mice were perched on a tiny grassy bump that barely provided elevation but it was enough for their purposes. One of their number had found the colony and had called for the others. They watched as ants crawled out of the entrance in ones and twos, the massive pillar of wood they were departing from creating the appearance of a daunting citadel. Still, the mice were determined and their Aether was diminishing steadily so it was either now or later after returning to their lord’s domain to recover.
The mice were unwilling to leave it alone for that long. After all, they didn’t know how long they had until the ant queen replenished her forces. As one the mice began moving, spreading out and creeping through the grass that led up to the colony. They made their way slowly, making sure to not rustle the grass or give themselves away.
That being said, it didn’t take long for the ants to notice them. Whether it was the reverberations of their steps or some other sense, the ants guarding the colony stiffened in alarm and then violence broke out. The mice broke cover and charged, moving swiftly to take advantage before the ants either retreated or gathered into numbers that were dangerous.
Clenched in the mice’s paws were spears of wood, little more than tiny sharpened stakes. They had seen the needle of the mouse and though it had taken time to find the twigs they needed, they had all found some piece of wood. Their sharp front teeth had let them gnaw a sharp point and now their impromptu weapons were put to devastating use.
Wood pierced chitin as the mice fell on the guards, making quick work of them. To their credit, the ants didn’t lay down and die. By the time the mice finished with their brutal work, they each sported minor gashes and bruises. They were undeterred, the Aether of the fallen already helping to refill their cores, and made their way over the entrance that led deeper into the colony.
One mouse took the lead, a sharpened stick leading the way and the scouts proceeded on their mission. From there it went relatively quickly. They got lost for a time in tunnels that were obviously built to hold more members than they had seen. Some tunnels were still rather small, showing signs of renovation. That helped the mice find the right paths as they delved deeper into the larger tunnels.
They fought a few more ants and though the fights were slightly more challenging due to the enclosed space, it wasn’t anything they couldn’t handle. It wasn’t long after that, that they found the queen. She was in a long chamber toward the back with a small horde of ants between her and the intruders. They clicked their mandibles in what was meant to be a threatening display and while it was mildly disconcerting the overall feeling was one of desperation.
The queen simply stared at the intruders with something like resignation. None of the mice balked at the display. They simply waded into battle, looking forward to being done with their mission. While their stage of Ascension wasn’t directly geared for battle they were still a higher Rank than their opponents. With that and the fact that ant monsters were naturally weaker than their Rank would normally suggest due to their reliance on numbers, the mice had no trouble decimating the loyal guards of the queen.
They put them down efficiently, though the numbers did hurt them in the beginning as they took multiple bites from the swarm of defenders. By the time the scuffle ended, the mice were standing over the corpse of the queen bloody but victorious. The queen had attempted to fight but she wasn’t very effective at it and fell quickly after the last of her guards.
As the Aether of the fallen filled their Cores and saturated their bodies, the mice quickly began to leave. They could sense something building within them and wanted to be back within their lord’s territory before it fully occurred. They had to leave the ant corpses which was a shame but they needed the protection that would come from their lord.
They made it just as the pressure became unbearable and their fur burst with golden light as soon as they passed the threshold. Aether flooded into their Cores and they felt their lord’s presence as he homed in on their location. Then there was nothing but oblivion as they fell into the Ascension process.