Interesting…

[If you hear something weird, let me know. For now we need to focus on not getting killed.]

[Yes,] the great bear shakes her head, [you're right, of course.]

With the crew back together we're in a better position to resist, but the pressure quickly begins to mount. Our opponents are digging constantly, creating tunnels to reach us under the rubble and I can feel that they have us completely surrounded. Perhaps as many as a hundred thousand of the filthy, soul sucking insects are all around us, ready to rend my precious, shiny carapace and extract the juicy Biomass within. There must be as many as ten ka'armodo in the area to control and direct this horde. They must be extremely confident to put themselves out on a limb like this. The thought occurs to me that one gravity bomb right now would cripple the entire termite force and ensure victory for the Colony.

But unlike Leeroy, I don't think that way. I intend to win this war and live to mock every lizard I see. Even normal ones. If I see a gecko scurrying up the wall after this is all done, I'll give it a serve.

My minds continue to churn, heating up under the constant pressure applied from being used so hyper-efficiently. Each brain is doing the work of three or four thanks to the mind constructs and without the aid of the Vestibule they'd be just about cooked already. It's been worth it, we finally have some space in which to work, especially crucial for Tiny. Crinis and I are pretty happy fighting covered in dirt, we can handle it just fine, but without room to swing, the big ape is just a sitting duck. Invidia too can't be his usual explosive self in such tight confines. Truth be told, he still doesn't have enough room, if he starts letting the explosions go in here, he'll hit us just as much as the enemy.

[Let's form up,] I tell the others, [tight formation, but we need to keep working our way toward the nearest tunnel. It's about forty metres that way,] I point with an antenna. [It's already swarming with termites, but we'll have more room to work with.]

[I can sense more coming, Master!]

[Right, brace for impact people, this is going to get ugly.]

Seconds later the invasion begins in earnest as jaws begin to scissor through the hardened earth I'd prepared and the hate-filled eyes of the enemy soon follow.

Void Chomp!

As a small pack bursts through the wall just in front of me, I'm ready to meet them. My most powerful bite obliterates them but already more are dropping from above. Sarah rears up and swipes two straight out of the air and Tiny combos with her, delivering a devastating upper before they hit the ground. A satisfied gleam appears in Tiny's eyes as he lands his first clean punch for a while.

[Just don't bring the roof down on us again,] I warn him.

I really want to bring more of my new spells into play, but the situation is making it difficult for me. If we can last a little longer so I can manufacture the right situation then there might be a chance to pull some shenanigans. We'll just have to wait and see.

Tentacles erupt from the darkness around us as Crinis goes to work in the tiny tunnels the termites have dug. She does her best to limit the flow of reinforcements, but with literally thousands of bodies pushing their way in, there's only so much she can do to stem the tide. It almost feels like it's raining termites as they begin to burrow through all around us, leaping from the openings they create to dive down and attack us the moment they can.

The fight quickly disintegrates into a messy brawl. Even if we can dispatch the termites as quickly as they come to us, the Biomass has nowhere to go and our little chamber is quickly choked with it. I keep tunnelling to one side with my minds, recruiting Invidia to try and speed the process up, but there's only so much we can do. More and more termites flood in, gnashing and biting with mad glee. I begin to get an idea of why it's such a pain to fight against ants.

Putting up with this is a massive kick in the nards! The numbers are endless and there's nowhere to go!

Biting, chomping, ramming and butting heads directly with the enemy are all I can do in the compressed melee as I desperately try to escape being overwhelmed. Out of sheer necessity I unleash multiple Void Chomps in close succession, clearing away space but dropping my stamina dangerously low. It'll take time for those reserves to replenish, time we might not have.

At least I buy myself enough room that I can turn to the new tunnel we're working on and start chomping my way through it with my jaws. When brain power doesn't meet the challenge, the only option that remains is to put my mandibles to the task!

[Everyone, this way!] I yell to the others and they pile in behind me, cramming into the small space.

Termites are already starting to chew through the rock to meet us from this new direction, but it doesn't matter. If they tunnel through, that'll just mean we get through all the faster. Which is eventually what happens. The termites dig to meet us as Tiny and Sarah fight a rear-guard against the enemies piling in behind.

The moment the tunnel wall breaks down in front of me, I'm ready. An enormous jet of Dragon's Breath roars forth, roasting everything in my path and superheating the tunnel in an instant.

[Let's go!] I call and dash forward.

It's so damn hot! My claws are instantly burning and I madly hop my way forward to avoid the burning sensation rocketing up my legs.