If this moron wants to take us lightly, I’ll give it a welcome it won’t forget—or survive!
Crinis extends her tentacles and rises from her resting place on my carapace. I understand she wants to create room and have tentacles at the ready in case this monster decides to rush and attack at the last second.
Tiny is still sitting on his backside, staring at the croc as if it were a sparkling birthday cake with his name on it. He isn’t able to stand until I rescind my earlier order, which I won’t do since he’d race into the water and start punching the beast the second I did. I wouldn’t usually be so against the idea, but since this creature is a newer variety than those we came across before, remaining cautious is key.
Also, I plan on vaporising the croc with a miniature black hole, and I wouldn’t want my beloved pet to be caught in the spell.
“Stay on the flanks for us, Vibrant, and don’t get caught. If any other monsters try to interfere, you have my permission to fight them.”
“Really? Yippee!” her voice rings out from my right.
Being able to converse without making a sound is such a fantastic aspect of being an ant. Pheromone Language is severely underrated. I wonder if humans could have adapted to this over time, or perhaps genetically modified themselves?
When I get right down to it, what part of an ant isn’t superior to being a human? Except for the brain, I suppose, which I got to keep anyway. Best of both worlds!
The croca draws eminently close. Close enough it’s reached the island of dirt we’re standing on and now has to crawl out of the water. Its enormous jaws seem to grin evilly as those two pairs of red eyes glitter in their sockets.
“HSSSSSSSSSS.”
The creature utters a guttural hissing sound that grates on our ears as it pushes itself off the ground with powerful front arms, noticeably longer than those of a double-croc. Up, up and up it goes until it towers high, even more significant than Tiny! Its hulking body is enormous, heavy and rippling with muscle!
Part of me is relieved to see it. To achieve that kind of size, it must have dumped almost all of its evolutionary energy into Might and taken size over quality. Tiny has a more balanced approach. Not only is he large, but his muscle density is also fairly decent, creating a lighter, faster moving, yet powerful form.
I’m sure this croc is quick, but I highly doubt it has achieved back-to-back maxed out special evolutions. Its stats should be manageable for us.
Sharp claws glitter and pointed white teeth gleam as the monster almost seems to invite us to admire its impressive and intimidating physique!
Is this the croc version of Tiny or something? How stupid is this variant?
Tiny himself is still sitting, staring at the croc with stars in his eyes. Don’t be happy, dammit! Hold on, what is that? Are you flexing?
He is! Even while sitting, the giant ape is positioning his arms just so. His arms and shoulders are tensed, causing his muscles to bulge beneath his fur. He’s taking up the challenge of the croc! He refuses to lose in terms of Might!
…Idiots!
I critically eye the croc as I put the finishing touches on my spell. Being an unknown variant, I haven’t gone light on this one, and my main mind is beginning to buckle under the strain of keeping this ferocious amount of energy contained. The spell itself pushes back against my control, at all times wanting to be released. Should I slip up, I’ve no doubt the spell would explode out of control, probably sucking my entire body inside it and crushing it into an acorn!
[Advanced Forceful Mana (II) has reached Level 7.]
That helps a little.
In terms of differences from the double-croc, whom I believe this particular specimen evolved from, this version is both larger and more defensive. The stomach is no longer coated with a lighter colour of skin. Thick plated scales, almost like armour, cover the once vulnerable area. The rest of its scales are also darker and denser. Even its face appears to be more thickset and broad.
Some of this could be attributed to mutation advancements, but I don’t think so. I think this beast was designed to be a brute force tank, able to take and dish out a lot of punishment as it rapidly heals itself in the fight.
Suddenly, the croc opens its mouth and red flames begin to gutter in the back of its dark throat.
Oh no!
Gravity Bomb!
I panic and unleash the Gravity Bomb the moment the croc goes on the offensive. The spell howls through the air as if tearing a wound in space itself. Not even twenty metres away, the towering croc unleashes a torrent of flame into the spell, confident it can burn anything a little ant like me can produce.
Big mistake.
FWOM!
[Tiny, LEG IT!]
The moment the spell contacts its target, it expands into a sphere that begins to drag and pull everything around it into itself. A shrieking, tearing void that wants to consume all!
Also, are we… a little too close?
Advanced Dash!
GOOOOOOOO!
The pull of my own spell starts to take hold of me as my thin little legs move so quick they become a blur in my eyes.
GO. GO. GO. GO. GO!
Air, leaves, branches and water. All sorts of stuff flies past my face as I desperately try to run away from the immense gravitational pull of my bomb.
Stupid, stupid! Why the heck would you launch that spell so close to yourself?
As I frantically scramble to avoid elaborately killing myself, I idly wonder what happened to that tough crocodile we left behind.
[You have defeated Level 17 Immortalis Garralosh.]
[You have gained XP.]
Immortal, eh? Turns out, not so much.
When the spell finally runs its course, and the four of us have managed to avoid dying, we return to find the dense ball of compressed stuff sitting innocently in a circular depression in the ground.
The only problem with this spell, is that it doesn’t allow me to enjoy the Biomass afterward. Dammit! Oh sure, I could try eating this ball. It has the croc in it, after all. Also, a good chunk of dirt, muddy water, leaves, sticks and goodness knows what else that got pulled in there.
Even Tiny is eyeing the ball a little sceptically.
[“Uh… anyone want to try eating that?”]
“Nope!”
[Bad.]
[I’m afraid I must decline, Master.]
That’s what I thought…
116. The Encroaching Doom
Since we unexpectedly crushed the Immortalis Garralosh—Immortal Garralosh? Even I can work that one out—progress has been slow.
The density of monsters has been increasing. Not only are the croca-beasts in their various forms are more common, but also the local wildlife. One of those stupid hippo-turtles, the Water Pigs, managed to sneak up on us and almost took Tiny’s arm off. He managed to dodge away in time, and I tied the flabby beast down with Gravity Bolts until we were able to kill it. Their strength is in their fat, but also their weakness.
Hehe.
Other things have also been growing in strength, namely the oppressive aura filling the Expanse. It’s so thick now it hangs over us like a fog. Even with a Will as high as mine, it intrudes on my thoughts and fills me with a compulsion.