It’s time for me to show my understanding side and educate her, just as I educated Tiny.
WHAP!
Using my antenna, I swing one in a wide loop and whack straight into the little ball suspended in front me.
[M-m-m-master!] she cries in shock.
THWAP!
[Go spend your points, all of them! Right now!]
[But—]
THWA-PAAAA!
Spinning both antennae, I whip one from the left and the other from the right, timing it so that one strikes a moment before the other, cannoning the little ball into the second blow which sends her flying to the corner of the chamber.
[Every point! I’ll be checking back on you in an hour!]
I turn from Crinis’ mental snivelling with a heart of cold steel. I know she’s only trying to do what is best by me, but if I relent and go through the process with her this time, she’ll come to rely on me even more. I want my pets to be more independent than that. If she can’t even upgrade herself without consulting me, just how independent could she possibly get?
This is tough love!
You can do it, Crinis! This is for your future growth and not because I don’t want to dig through all of your menus with you.
In truth… a part of me kind of hopes I can release my pets one day. The idea that they’re essentially indentured servants, magically unable to refuse my orders, kind of sits uncomfortably with my modern sensibilities. Much as the colony has come to be my family, Tiny and Crinis are also part of that family. I would rather we teamed up and worked together as fellow family members than as master and slave.
Perhaps I’m just too sentimental…
[Tiny! Wake up, buddy, come over here for a minute.]
The giant ape wearily opens his eyes and groans before rolling over and gradually picking himself up.
Is it really that much of a bother to move five metres over here?
Eventually, he pulls himself onto his feet and lumbers over to me. His dark red bat eyes contrast sharply with his black and silver fur. He really is an impressive sight. His huge, bunched shoulders and massively thick arms are intimidating enough, but his huge fists, well beyond basketball size at this point, look truly scary.
[How’s it going, Tiny?] I lead with an easy one.
Any minute now, he’ll respond. Just gotta… wait it out, and—
[Good.]
There it is.
[How are those skills going? Spending your Biomass points ok?]
He tilts his head quizzically to one side.
Well… I knew it was going to be like this.
[I’m going to use a skill on you, big guy. Hold still for a minute, ok?]
When he nods, I place both of my antennae on his arm and activate the Core Surgery skill. Huge amounts of information flood my brain and I have to whip my processing speed up a gear to comprehend it all. Using the Core Surgery skill isn’t like directly looking at the status menu of another monster and then making changes. Whereas the status screen is a nice piece of paper with everything neatly written, using Core Surgery is like sticking your face in a bowl of crumpled sticky notes.
All of the information is there, but you need to filter it, sort it and poke about here and there before being able to piece together the full picture.
After a while I manage to get a handle on what Tiny’s status is like.
Name: Tiny
Leveclass="underline" 7 (core) (IV)
Might: 154
Toughness: 42
Cunning: 7
Wilclass="underline" 15
HP: 84/84
MP: 180/180
Skills: Ape Boxing Level 5 (I); Uppercut Level 5 (I); Leap Level 5 (I); Smash Level 5 (I); Stamina Level 5 (I); Grappling Level 5 (I); Crushing Blows Level 5 (I); Fancy Feet Level 2 (I)
Mutations: Enhanced Musculature +4; Bones +4; Legs +4; Heightened Sonic Enhancer +4; Lightning Mana Affinity Gland +4; Lightning Mana Affinity Gland +4; Energy Conversion Gland +4
Species: Dire Lightning Storm Kong
Skill Points: 28
Biomass: 266
I notice his core is a little weaker than mine… Mustn’t have fully upgraded it before he evolved the first time. Can’t really blame him, he was just a wild monster back then. Something else really sticks out though…
He hasn’t upgraded anything. Like, nothing. The big lug has 28 Skill Points and 266 Biomass…
Are you kidding me, Tiny?
And what the heck is FANCY FEET!
86. Spendin’
What’s has been going on, Tiny? I mean seriously, man… you haven’t upgraded anything? Haven’t spent your Skill Points at all? The only skill that looks like you didn’t already have it is Fancy Feet. What does that even do? Have you been dancing behind my back? A little bit of tap here and there?
Sigh.
I use my antennae to rub at my temples in an effort to ward off the migraine I feel coming on.
I really thought the pets would be able to handle this stuff without me interfering. Even if Tiny couldn’t, I was sure Crinis would be fine. After all the effort I put into enhancing her intelligence… still nothing.
Nothing!
With Tiny, I’d mentally prepared myself for a lot. Nonsensical upgrades that made no sense, no synergy or evidence of even a mild amount of thinking. I’d prepared myself for that. To find he hasn’t done anything at all somehow hurts my head worse than those other options.
I don’t think he hasn’t done it because he doesn’t understand the idea of spending Biomass or Skill Points. His mind is slow, that’s for sure, but I doubt he can’t understand how to upgrade himself. Centipedes and Dragon Wolf Cubs can spend Biomass. I know they can, I’ve seen them with upgraded body parts. There is no way they can do it but Tiny can’t.
No, no. The reason he hasn’t done it is because he can’t be bothered. It’s too much hassle.
This lazy ape!
[Tiny, lean down here for a moment, would you?]
Puzzled, the giant ape leans down, bringing his bat face a little closer to mine.
THWAP!
I whip my antennae around and smack them against his head on both sides.
[Go spend all your points! Right now!]
[…Why?] He sounds dissatisfied as he rubs at his bruised cheeks.
Stubborn gorilla!
He has to obey my instructions so he will spend them. It would just be better if I could give him motivation that would make him try harder to spend them well.
[If you spend all your points properly, you’ll be able to hit things better.]
[Ooooo!] A spark of interest lights up in his eyes.
Tiny eagerly leans forward, hoping for more.
[You’ll grow stronger too. Maybe enough to fight that scary thing in the marsh!]
His brow furrows for a moment as he thinks hard before rushing up to his feet and pounding his chest.
[OOOOOOO!]
[That’s it, buddy! It’s a good idea to spend all of your points. Go get ’em, now!]
[OOOOOOO!] He roars in his mind as he turns and sprints out of the chamber.
[OI! Get back here, you ape! Spend your points, don’t go fighting!] I cry as I chase after him.
It takes a little while, but I manage to calm Tiny down some and reinforce the idea that spending points good, leaving them unspent bad. I get him settled in a corner where he sits with a glazed expression on his face as he trawls through the various menus. I don’t envy him. He has to go through upgrade menus for literally every upgradable body part he has.