It’s obvious now that Garralosh is using this Skill at a much higher level than I am in order to offset the demands of its core whilst moving on the surface. Though it isn’t enough to explain how such an evolved monster can move about up here. I’m only estimating with a tiny amount of data, but I feel like if I were to rank up the Skill and devote my sub-brains to constantly pulling ambient Mana into my core, I would still be short of breaking even by just a smidge. If Garralosh has risen the Skill to rank four or five, and has a powerful mind rig, she would still be running at a massive loss.
Perhaps she can only maintain herself for short bursts. Then why come at all? It just doesn’t make sense to me. I may need to grill Morrelia further when I make it back to them.
External Mana Manipulation has made it to Level four by the time I reunite with the gang. The constant use is certainly keeping the Skill ticking up at a nice rate. The fact I don’t even have to use my main mind to do it is even better. As a rank one Skill, it’s still limited in the knowledge and Skill that it grants. I’m excited to see what it will give at the second and third rank.
When I return to the improvised Dungeon we’d dug, Morrelia, Crinis and Tiny are resting. All three of them look up at my descent, my pets happy to see me, Morrelia more irritated than anything by the looks of things.
After connecting the Mind Bridge, I tell Morrelia what I found.
[Garralosh has actually set foot on the surface,] she frowns.
[I believe she’s using External Mana Manipulation to drag Mana into her core. The air in the area was extremely thin when I got there.]
[It’s a known tactic. Even humans use this method to recharge magic items faster.]
[That alone shouldn’t be enough, surely?] I waggle my antennae in protest. [A monster that size must have a potent core. If a few Skills were enough for monsters to operate on the surface, wouldn’t it happen all the time? I understand it’s basically unheard of for Dungeon monsters to run around on the surface!]
[It’s true,] Morrelia sighs. [The problem is the wave we’re experiencing. For some reason, it’s caused the density of the ambient Mana on the surface to rise. That isn’t meant to happen, at least not by nearly this much, and not for nearly this long. That can cause the normal monsters to come to the surface, but it shouldn’t be enough for a creature like Garralosh. There’s something strange happening and I can’t explain it.]
She appears frustrated by her lack of understanding. Ever since we had come to the former Kingdom of Liria, Morrelia contained a simmering anger inside her. Well, more simmering anger than usual. I have to remind myself every now and again this is her homeland we’re stomping around in.
[So, what’s the plan?] I ask. [I’m here for reconnaissance and I would love to get a chance at grabbing another rare core, so I’m going to stick around. What about you?]
Morrelia drops her chin to her chest in thought.
[I’ll stay,] she declares. [I want to get to the capital and see it for myself. I also want to find out just how a monster like Garralosh is moving around on the surface. There must be more there that we can learn.]
[Alright, give me a little while to get ready and then we can go.]
Time to spend some Biomass.
62. Spending and Patrol
I’ve managed to amass a ton of Biomass since my last big spend. With this, I’ll be able to finally achieve a full +15 form. The dream is alive! The hype is real! If I’d been more patient and chewed my way through more Biomass at the early evolutions, I wouldn’t have had to stuff my face so much during this one!
Lessons have been learned. I won’t be evolving until my mutations are complete!
As Morrelia sat down to keep watch over us, my pets and I settled in to spend our Biomass. Crinis is already close to the perfect +10 all around. She must be nearly ready to evolve as well. Still only tier two, she can get much stronger! Tiny is in the same boat as me, battling to get enough food into him to get his body fully upgraded.
Alright then. I still have to upgrade my acid gland and Pheromone Gland. After this round of mutations, I’ll have begun the journey to +20! Believe in yourself, Anthony. Believe in your stomach!
Ok, which to start with?
[Would you like to upgrade your Mana Eating Restrictive Acid to +15? This will cost 65 Biomass.]
Yeah, boi!
[At this level, you may choose to combine your mutations or emphasise one. Which will you select?]
Ahh, the acid gland. A key feature of the Formica variant of the ant species. My ol’ trusty business district and its jets of burning acid have served me well. Particularly in the early days. The restrictive property of the acid was such a key thing for me back then, and to be honest, I still think it’s a valuable property. I haven’t had much chance to use the magic eating mutation lately, but I have high hopes it will be extremely relevant in the days to come.
This seems like a slam dunk. Combine them!
Pheromone Gland time!
My faithful Pheromone Gland. Where would I be without you? Enabler of communication. Bringer of wisdom and light. Truly, the greatest thing I gave to the Formica Sapiens, in my opinion, is the ability to properly speak with each other. With it, the beginning of the great ant civilisation, the unstoppable empire of the ant, has begun!
I hastily engage the menu and ponder my options for mutating my Pheromone Gland.
Language is great, obviously, and persuasive was a bit of a tack-on, to be honest. I’d hoped it would make it a little easier to get the colony on board with some of my wilder ideas. Such as not getting themselves killed. The issue I have with this mutation is that it’s hard to determine if it’s being effective. Were the ants persuaded because of my unique persuasive pheromones or was it my unique charm?
Probably the pheromones… let’s be real.
If I have no strong feelings one way or the other, I’ll embrace the beige alert and fuse!
With those choices locked in, I’ve finally done it. Full +15. Glorious, just glorious. I had to eat a whole lot of disgusting Biomass to get here, but persevered. From this point onward, we march to +20! And the first cab off the rank is obviously the stomach! The more I mutate it, the faster I’ll accrue the points I need!
[Would you like to upgrade Gluttonous Stomach to +20? This will cost 90 Biomass.]
Holy Gandalf! Ninety? I barely have enough. To think I need to do my entire body like this. No! Don’t get discouraged. With the power of my upgraded stomach, I’ll make it happen. Believe!
So far, I’ve upgraded the capacity of the stomach and reduced the evolution penalty, then fused them. Generally speaking, I think it makes sense to continue along that line of thought. More room for food, more points from the food I eat. It’s a winning combo.
I scroll through the list and select the option to reduce the tier penalty yet again. I’ll be able to get a reasonable return even from monsters two evolutions behind me with this. I’m going to need it!
[Would you like to improve:
Mana Eating Restrictive Acid +10 to Mana Binding Acid +15?
Persuasive Pheromone Language Gland +10 to Loquacious Pheromone Gland +15?
Gluttonous Stomach +15 to Selective Gluttonous Stomach +20?]
Yeesh. That’s a cool two hundred and twenty Biomass spent right there. I’m now almost completely tapped out. Five left.