Your evolution options are as follows:
– Jelly of the In-between
– Floating Orb of Madness
– Shadeshifter (Special)
– Shadow Ghost of Darken Realm (Special)
– Immaterial Mind Breaker (Rare)
– Beholder of the Ineffable Truth (Rare)
– Endless Maw (Rare)]
Acting with extreme care, she read through each option, taking careful tally of the bonus stats, estimating the value of each of the included organs and resets in order to glean the best value. She also tried to read the intentions of the System by the choices given, what it was thinking for her future, something Granin had discussed at length with the master. Though it had appeared the master was thinking about other, no doubt more important things, and hadn’t listened.
The two key foci of the System appeared to be her mobility, and her mind-affecting abilities in this evolution. Her mastery over Shadow Magic had grown quickly in the second stratum, and her ability to move through darkness had likewise improved. All that time practising with the order had done her some good.
These Skills were rewarded with options like the Jelly of the In-between, the Shadeshifter, and Shadow Ghost, each of which improved her ability to slip from one place to another through various means. The Orb of Madness and Mind Breaker evolutions were tips to her growing repertoire of ways to affect the minds of her foes, something she didn’t mind admitting she delighted in. Those that slighted her master deserved nothing less than the most twisted torments!
Finally, the Endless Maw evolution was more slanted toward consumption and biting, turning her into an amorphous blob filled with endless mouths. It was tempting, but not quite what she was after.
Naturally, the rare evolutions provided the best value, and so it was to these that she was drawn.
[Rare Evolution: Beholder of the Ineffable Truth (Rare). +60 bonus to Cunning, +60 bonus to Will, +60 bonus to Might, +60 bonus to Toughness. The Beholder is a knower of things, and a perceiver of that which others would like to remain hidden. Blinded to light, it sees through, and into the between. Shadow Eye will be reformed into a Dimension Eye (Warning! This will refund all mutations), allowing the Beholder to pierce the Veil.]
This evolution would focus on her perception, pushing her general, all-rounder build further along and helping seek out that which would harm the master. She liked it but was drawn to the other.
[Rare Evolution: Immaterial Mind Breaker (Rare). +70 bonus to Cunning, +70 bonus to Will, +50 bonus to Might, +50 bonus to Toughness. The Mind Breaker is a creature not satisfied with shattering only the flesh but seeks to also destroy the mind. Opponents will be left reeling as they attempt to fend off attacks that will crush bones and sanity alike. Reforges Shadow Flesh into Immaterial Flesh (Warning! This will refund all mutations), a substance that can move through solid matter at will, with an expenditure of Mana. In addition, Soul Seeker Cilia will be placed on the ends of the limbs, allowing for strikes directly into the mind to occur.]
This one… she liked.
74. Hanging with the Eyeball
With Tiny and Crinis asleep in the evolution chamber, I feel as if something of a weight has been lifted. Not in the sense that I don’t have to worry about them anymore, I’ll always be worrying about them, but it’s nice that they’re going to be as strong as I am now. With a group of potent, maxed out tier six monsters running around together, we’ll be able to fight off the depredations of the wave far better than before. Even the possibility of a tier seven rising to challenge the Colony isn’t as threatening.
The two of them are now surrounded by the soft glow that heralds the beginning of their change. From this point, they will undergo the metamorphic process of growing into something entirely new. For this evolution, it’s likely to take a day, perhaps more, so the big question is, what do I get up to in the meantime? With the ape and the murder-ball out of action…
[Well then, it’s just you and me, chief,] I say to the hovering eyeball. [I think these two are going to be just fine here on their own, considering all the guards the Colony has in place. Why don’t you and I head into the Dungeon and cut loose for a while. You can finally get some experience for yourself!]
That massive eye flashes green.
[That would be pleassssant. I have yearned for my sssshare.]
[I bet you have.]
Come to think of it, isn’t it sort of nasty to force an envy demon to sit around watching others get something that he’s forbidden? I’ve made him float about healing and shielding while myself, then Tiny and Crinis, soak up all the experience right in front of him. In hindsight, it seems a bit rough. I say a silent apology to my loyal pet as we make our way through the tunnels and into the open spaces outside the nest.
The farming of the wave continues at a furious pace out here. Thousands of workers rush this way and that, carrying loads of cores or piles of Biomass for distribution or storage. The sheer volume of resources being pulled in is boggling to the mind, making our first farming effort seem like child’s play. With any luck, this spree will fuel the Colony for months after the wave has ended, providing the raw materials necessary to raise the next generation even better than the one before.
I should check in with the core shapers at some point. They sent out hundreds of teams to farm beyond the boundaries of the Colony in the upper second and lower first stratum. Hopefully they manage to stay safe out there. Raising pets is an expensive and trying ordeal, so I know what they’re going through.
Eventually we reach the front, and after a short wait, we get ready to push our way through the outer wall and into the Dungeon to face the wave. Before that, I decide to chat with Invidia about strategy.
[This is your moment to do as you please, really,] I tell the demon. [We can start funnelling experience into the two of us, so I guess it doesn’t really matter who’s doing the most damage. You can just cut loose and let the enemy feel your wrath.]
[I have no wrath,] he corrects me, [only envy.]
[Wait… so you don’t feel wrathful ever? How does that work?]
[It’ssss a demon thing.]
[Fair enough then. Feel free to go crazy, just don’t bring the tunnel down or anything like that. Use your eye laser if you want to—just, again, don’t collapse the tunnel on our heads.]
[Issss there anything elsssse?]
[Mmmm, not really. Let’s get to it! Unleash the magic!]
[I sssshall!]
I whip together the Omni-Elemental Mana Construct and start churning out some varied Mana for my brains to practise with, ice for one, blue fire for the other. It’s hard for them, but whipping together two separate spells with two different types of Mana just makes me feel giddy. My dream of ultimate magical power is nearly achieved! Soon I’ll be throwing out dozens of spells at once, using four or five different Mana types! How do you defend against that? Gwehehehehe.
For his part, Invidia looks just as excited as I am, his eye practically glowing with eagerness as he pushes forward, pelting the first monsters with a magical barrage of fire and explosions that practically dissolves them on the spot. Then it turns out it wasn’t my imagination that his eye was glowing, as the light grows more and more intense before a beam of pure energy lances forth, cutting through the dark tunnel and detonating every monster it touches.