There is another heap of options available. I can have the cortex be more efficient at assisting minds casting certain kinds of spells or increase the efficiency of working on certain types of Mana. There is a further upgrade on the Divergent mutation which assists the brains when they’re each concentrating on multiple tasks. Yikes.
But I’ve had my eye on an upgrade since last time. The Combined Coordination Cortex. That’ll increase the efficiency of attached sub-brains when working together to accomplish a sophisticated task. This way I get a slice of both types of pie!
NEXT.
My Inner Carapace Plating!
Sooo many great options for the bone plating. Strengthen the plating overall, turn it into a second skeletal structure, improve the regenerative ability, improve the speed of the regenerative ability, extend the bone plating inward so it protects some organs from damage.
So many!
Eventually one catches my eye. My Diamond Carapace is tough as nails and extremely sparkly. I get that. But my main concern is a strong blow cracking it from a hammer or axe type weapon, even a monster like Tiny punching me. To protect myself against that, I need:
Dispersive Bone Plating! This bit of goodness will form an absorbent layer against the outer skeleton that assists in absorbing and dispersing kinetic energy from hard strikes.
I like it. My exo-skeleton is my pride, and it shall never be pierced. I won’t rest until I’m as solid as a tank!
Although, I really need to work on my magic defence.
Finally, it’s time to move onto the last but not least, the pheromones!
Once more the menu blossoms within my mind, filled with the possible selections of pheromone upgrades. There are tons.
Acid pheromones that cause damage to any who inhale them? What the heck? I mean… I guess the ants don’t inhale the pheromones, so it wouldn’t hurt the colony… not sure on that one.
Mind Strike pheromones that weaken the will of any who come into contact with them? Could be handy for setting someone up for a mental attack… pity I can’t do those yet.
Flammable pheromones. You basically fill up an enclosed space with this stuff and throw in a fire spell. Kaboom! Basically, petrol fumes pheromones? WHY!
I spy one option that piques my interest.
Persuasive Language pheromones, makes it so your pheromones are more persuasive when being used to communicate with others. Meaning others will consider your signals before listening to any other trails.
This sounds interesting. I might be able to get the queen to reconsider mutating further with this. I’ll take it!
With that, all of my selections are done. Time to mutate this ant!
[Would you like to confirm these choices?]
Awwwww yeah!
Wait a sec…
Noooorrrr-FLETABINNNNN!
Building rapidly is the most extreme itch I have ever experienced! It’s everywhere! So many hotspots all over my body, it’s impossible to decide which is worse!
I CAN’T TAKE IT!
The only blessing is that the others are so occupied by their own menus, they can’t see me scrabbling and rolling about, desperately clawing at the dirt in a frantic attempt to alleviate the itch.
My dignity is preserved at least.
From up above, a giant ant head pokes down into the chamber to see what all the fuss is about.
Dammit, Mother!
Name: Anthony
Leveclass="underline" 13 (special core) (IV)
Might: 41
Toughness: 29
Cunning: 44
Wilclass="underline" 34
HP: 58/58
MP: 220/220
Skills: Excavation Level 9 (II); Improved Acid Shot Level 6 (II); Enhanced Grip Level 3 (II); Shattering Bite Level 7 (III); Advanced Stealth Level 6 (II); Splintering Chomp Level 4 (III); Tunnel Map Level 6 (II); Mana Transformation Level 6 (III); Advanced Forceful Mana Level 5 (II); External Mana Manipulation Level 2 (I); Mana Sensing Level 5 (I); Core Surgery Level 3 (III); Advanced Exo-Skeleton Defence Level 7 (II); Pet Communication Level 3 (I); Rapid Dash Level 1 (II); Advanced Water Magic Affinity Level 2 (II); Stamina Level 1 (I); Pet Growth Speed Level 1 (I); Mana Miser Level 1 (I); Cerebral Endurance Level 1 (I); Meditation Level 1 (I); Precise Shooting Level 1 (I); Ripping Bite Level 1 (I)
Mutations: Omni-Focused Eyes +10; Infrared Antennae +7; Mana Eating Restrictive Acid +10; Rapid Absorption Legs +10; Savage Infused Mandibles +10; Hardened Diamond Carapace +10; Rapid Limb Regeneration Gland +10; Persuasive Pheromone Language Gland +10; Expanded Deep Gravity Magic Gland +10; Combined Divergent Coordination Cortex +10; Dispersive Regenerating Inner Carapace Plating +10
Species: Dispersed Mind Ant (Formica)
Skill Points: 14
Biomass: 22
97. The A(nt) Team
Once the horrific itching fades, I scramble back to my feet and cast my eyes about to see who was witnessing my fervent rolling. It appears Mother retreated after confirming all the noise wasn’t related to some threat or danger of any kind, and my pets are too busy with their own mutations to have time checking on me.
Phew!
Suppose I can relax… Really need to make sure I’m on my own or somewhere I can’t be seen when doing significant mutations like that. I don’t know what it is, but the sensation of my own body shifting and changing as the surging Biomass roils through my body is just… ITCHY.
What even is Biomass anyway? It can’t be the raw material since that gets dissolved down in some way within me. It isn’t as if my stomach continually feels full until I spend my points. As time passes, the food is definitely being digested, and then I start to feel hungry again. Perhaps monsters extract something from the food they eat? Some sort of… concentrated… stuff? The higher the evolution of the monster the more… stuff they have in them?
Maybe?
I don’t know! I just eat things!
Considering that nothing comes out my business end, barring acid and magic consuming justice, all that food must be going somewhere…
I’ve already resolved to investigate all things stomach upgrade during my next evolution, but internally I double down on that resolution. The mysteries of the Biomass need to be unlocked!
I start practicing my water Transformation and compression skills while my fellow team members finish their work. Vibrant appears to have completed hers and has settled down to evolve. If she doesn’t finish by the time the others are ready, we may have to carry her down with us. I wouldn’t want to leave her behind, mostly because she would just run down the tunnels on her own and probably end up dead.
Still, I’m interested to see what she can evolve into, considering she was a Superior Hatchling up to now. From a Superior Hatchling into a… Superior Worker? That wouldn’t be too exciting…
Maybe she’ll go straight into being a Juvenile Queen? For some reason, when I think of Vibrant’s personality, I just can’t see it happening. Sitting around the nest being motherly all the time? Vibrant! Not a chance.
Time passes, and Crinis is the first to complete the process. She takes a long time to fiddle through the menus since she has such anxiety about making incorrect choices. Tiny takes longer, but I think that has more to do with his comprehension speed.