Fated Antagonist

Detect Mana. Juicy. This is similar to how Crinis perceives her surroundings, by ‘seeing’ the mana in an organic way. My mana sense Skill performs a similar function, though probably not nearly as well. Still not sure I want to use a mutation slot on it.

Heat? Pass.

Electrical Current? No…

Movement? I mean… maybe? Looking at the details, it seems like an upgrade to the ability to detect shifts and vibrations in the air. Might be handy, might be handy.

Toxins? Being honest, the ability to detect poisons is going to be super handy if I live to see the fifth stratum. Apparently, the place is absolutely swimming in it. And the monster I faced from that level was no joke either. That perfect mana toxin was insane.

Dammit, there is just so much here, as always. I flick through the lists, and even narrowing it down to just senses is enough to give me a headache.

Then I stumble across something that gives me strangely mixed feelings.

The ability to sense, Gravitational Waves?

I mean… what?

8. More Choices in Menus

I don’t recall seeing this before… If that’s because I wasn’t looking for it or if it was unlocked somehow… I can’t be sure. Being able to detect Gravity? In what way? As in, the strength of the gravitational field in any particular area? Or from a specific object? Maybe both? Neither? The description provided by the System is vague at best. I nervously eye the entry for a few long moments. On the one hand, I want to take it. This may help push my way to unlocking the Gravitational Mana speciality I want so very badly, but on the other hand, it might not. And then what? I’m stuck with this sense I don’t even know the usefulness of?

Let’s not forget, I already reset my antennae! I’m not resetting them again! If I end up picking this mutation, then I’m going to be stuck with it forever, most likely. Argh!

After several long minutes of agonising back and forth, I decide to stop thinking so hard and go with it. I committed to gravity early on with my choice of free mana organ, and I’m not leaving it behind now. Who knows? With a little luck, it’ll turn out to be useful in the absence of the mana speciality, and I won’t regret this choice in any way. Without too much hesitation, I ramp it all the way up to the max. And since the +20 and +25 are both the same mutation, my only option for +30 is to emphasise it again.

Done.

Moving on! Think, but not too much, that’s my policy! With my Vestibule, I’m keen to keep rolling down the path that I’ve embarked upon. There’s so many ants now that it’d be impossible to get them all in range of my Vestibule no matter what I do, but the more I can get at once, the better off I’ll be. Also, the farther away I can get without effectively gimping myself. That sweet, sweet regeneration has been an absolute game-changer, and I have no desire to go without again.

…Stupid golgari and their stupid cult.

Anyway, I’m fairly confident in ramping that mutation all the way to +30.

And finally, we come to the Nave. Right now, my Purifying Spirit Nave is concentrating and enhancing the energy it receives through the Vestibule, which goes on to fuel my regeneration or strength, magnifying that effect. I wager that if I were to have another organ added to the end of the Nave, then this enhanced energy would have an even greater effect.

I’ve long suspected this evolution path was going to be a three-parter from the moment I saw the Nave, really. The energy is collected in the Vestibule, magnified in the Nave, and then…?

Obviously, something is meant to come next! Which means I will step into my true power in my next evolution! Gwahahahahaha!

Maybe. Perhaps. I mean, who knows? I could veer off script and take a different evolution entirely. If there’s one that offers me juicy resets for my carapace and mandibles that will enhance my incredible diamond shine, then I’m almost certain to take it, consequences be damned! Alright then, with the Nave, I’ll continue on the path that I’ve already set down. There’s still a chance that I’ll end up resetting the organ, so I don’t feel too attached to my choices here. More concentrated and magnified energy? Can’t go wrong with that.

That takes these three critical organs from +15 to +30 for the low, low price of one thousand and thirty-five Biomass.

Nooooo, dammit! My wealth! My incredible wealth! Gone already? Is this some sort of joke? Damned greedy and despicable Gandalf! What’s with these costs? This is nothing but robbery!

For a few long moments, I gnash my mandibles in disbelief before managing to grind my frustrations out. Obviously, Levelling up means spending huge amounts of Biomass, I should know that by now. I can’t have expected to bring half my organs up to +30 in one shot…

My remaining stock of… five hundred and eleven will give me enough to upgrade… three. Darn it!

Which three to choose? I mean, carapace and mandibles are the obvious choices. I rely on them a great deal, the carapace to keep me alive and the mandibles to make other things not alive. I briefly toy with the concept of disregarding my mandibles and upgrading my coordination cortex, but disregard that. Although I fight with my minds just as much as the rest of me, the mandibles will always hold a special place in my heart. Chomping is love; chomping is life. When all the chips are down and there’s nothing left in the tank, the mandibles will still be there.

Which means I just have one more organ to take from +25 to +30. I could always do eyes, but I’m not doing too badly in the overall ‘senses’ department these days. I need to prioritise staying alive more than anything else, so a more combat-oriented choice makes more sense to me. The inner carapace plating seems like a sensible choice, although the regeneration gland has proven its worth. Hard to go past legs… More speed and durability aren’t exactly bad things to have. The neural network to boost reflexes would also be handy…

Gah! Don’t think on it too long! Regeneration Gland! There, done.

For these organs, each only has the one option: reinforce the same mutation I chose at both +20 and +25. The carapace has only ever had the diamond coating, the mandibles has had its savage mutation ignored in favour of the infusion aspect ever since I fused them, and ditto for the regeneration gland and its limb-regrowing mutation. Luckily, two mutations seems to get the job done on those rare occasions where my reflexes and toughening mutations aren’t enough to avoid losing a leg. Or is it one and a half, since one was a fusion? Either way, I’m happy to emphasise the rapid refill again, especially since the Vestibule will push it that much further.

I really should make it a point to test the mandibles’ infusion aspect, though, with all the elemental properties I now have at my disposal. Especially now that I have to invest yet another mutation into it… Oh well, the mandibles are definitely next on the reset list anyway.

With those ‘decisions’ made, my final upgrades look like this:

Vast Expanded Collective Will Vestibule +15 (Soul Crystal) à Limitless Collective Will Vestibule +30 (Soul Crystal).

Future Sight Antennae +15 (Twilight Filament) à Future Wave Sight Antennae +30 (Twilight Filament).

Purifying Communal Spirit Nave +15 à High Purifying Communal Spirit Nave +30.

Complete Diamond Carapace +25 à Thickened Complete Diamond Carapace +30.

Mana Flooded Mandibles +25 à Mana Drenched Mandibles +30.

Frequent Potent Regeneration Gland +25 à Hastened Potent Regeneration Gland +30.

Now it’s on to the Skills! I feel I’ve done enough to shore up my foundations for the time being. It’s time to see what the future holds in store now that I’ve pushed Mind Magic as far as I have. Come onnnnn, Gravitational Mana! I can practically taste it!