Chapter Seventy-Nine

Chapter Seventy-Nine

Mana Gained!

Woah, its been a while since I got that popup. Last time was the last time I got a new invader! I have a new invader! I have a new invader? I thought I basically already had all the invaders I was going to get.

Mana Gained!

Again? Ok, whats going on? I start looking around in the caverns, as its my newest expansion, wondering what could be my new invader. Its been open for like a week now, so its probably something sneaky. Hopefully not too sneaky. I dont see anything down deeper in the caves, so I try to backtrack the notification.

Ive never really had to do this before, and its weird, like trying to remember something thats on the tip of your tongue. So I do what works for me when that happens: I try to go over what I was thinking, or what I was doing, looking for something that will make the thought finally click.

So I zoom out and try to only focus on areas with activity. It was something active, that ping happens when my denizens kill some new invader. So whos looking busy? Well everyone, more or less. Whos doing something different, then?

Rats? No. Snakes? No. Stalactsprites? No, and I should probably upgrade their spawner again, come to think of it. Spiders? Hmm maybe. Something feels weird with them. I zoom in on the webs nearest the caverns, and after a couple minutes, I finally track it down. My spiders have caught a mosquito!

Just when I thought wasps were the worst, mosquitoes had to show up and remind me whos throne it is. Ugh, I hate mosquitoes! Thankfully, theyre pretty small, so I start nudging my various small spiders to head into the caverns and keep the little vampire bugs at bay.The initial instance of this chapter being available happened at N0v3l.Bin.

Speaking of spiders, I check in on my spiderkin Enclave, and notice theyve nabbed a few mosquitoes, too. But these ones are about the size of Teemo! Thankfully, the denizens-for-now are handling the dire mosquitoes well. I listen in for a few minutes, and the general consensus seems to be: not bad, needs a bit of pepper, kinda gamey. Cave lobsters are tastier.

I think theyre going to hunt and eat them as a backup to the lobsters, as theyre still getting them all settled in and trying to work properly. Im probably going to ask Yvonne to give them a hand with that once she gets back. I think shes more an expert on life above the ground, but shell probably know at least something about domestication.

The Boss wants to know how much room you had when traveling as a group. A couple growls and yips later, Teemo translates for me.

He says it felt like the wall was just slightly further away than he could reach, and same with the ceiling.

And when returning by himself?

Leo tilts his head when Teemo relays my question, and clearly thinks for a few moments before answering.

He says it was the same, like the walls and ceiling were just out of reach? relays Teemo, now looking really confused. Im trying to not groan at that revelation, and instead ask him to bring Grim back.

He gets the same questions, and gives the same answers, which only confuses Teemo and Leo more, but confirms my suspicions all the more. I have my Voice go get Poe, and tell him to fly through the shortcut instead of just walking, and then he gets the same questions, and gives the same answers. That leaves me with four confused scions, and one annoying result of the test.

I think distance in the shortcuts is subjective, rather than objective. That means, instead of something being a definitive x feet away, it is simply over there. Thats why I couldnt get Teemo to notice the change in pressure and temperature when he makes his shortcuts. Hes technically not messing with the volume at all! Trying to consider the math makes even my non-existent head hurt, though, so I dont think too hard about it.

Is teaching me new magic a dud then, Boss? asks Teemo, a bit disappointed.

Heck no. It just means we need a different approach. Ill find a hat and figure out how to eat it if a bag of holding isnt spatial magic, and they definitely do have a defined interior volume. I think the shortcuts are more like balloons, but with a constant volume, instead of a mostly-constant pressure. It makes me glad we didn't get one to pop while anyone was inside. I dont know if them popping is even a thing, but Im in no rush to try to test the limits and find out.

Anyhow, Teemo. Youre going to be spending a bit of time with Thing. Ask him to get a good schedule going so you two can work on making a bag of holding. We still have that one from Tarl to compare with. I want you to feel that thing out and how it works, and how its different from your shortcuts. I dont need them to become more defined like the bags of holding, but I do want you to be able to make a defined space into a larger defined space. Once you do that, Ill be able to teach you some serious stuff.