The fungal cords entered the Ant Hill long before Nethren opened a passage large enough for his army.
They slipped between packed stones, followed cracks in the hardened earth, and emerged through seams the goblins had never considered openings. Defenders cut every strand they found. The cords withdrew and returned somewhere else.
Hizon watched pale marks appear across the Ant Hill map.
Each mark represented a place where the dungeon sensed foreign growth. At first, they clustered around the collapsed entrance. Then isolated points appeared in nearby chambers. The network was searching for open ground on the other side of the blockage.
"Do not chase individual strands." Hizon said. "Seal the nearest chambers and clear every creature from the marked tunnels. We destroy the growth after it gathers somewhere worth burning."
The Artificer answered from the Ant Hill control station. "If it reaches the lift controls, the fungus may open routes we intend to keep closed."
