Chrysalis

I’m willing to admit it. I was a little overconfident. With my skills improving and my core being condensed, I was feeling quite strong. Not that I could devour all in my path but that perhaps I could hold my own as I explored.

NOPE.

Did you see that centipede? It was massive! Clearly the evolved form of the creatures I’d seen above. How is that fair Gandalf?! If I’d evolved into a mature ant worker would I be three metres long and two feet thick?!

How much Biomass is that thing worth?!

Not to mention, as soon as it exposed itself death immediately rained down from above!

I shudder to think what would have happened if I’d been crawling about on the ceiling or gone further into the forest.

I steel my resolve. I knew the creatures would be stronger when I came down here. I also understood the risk I took when I chose to spend my evolution on my monster core instead of boosting my stats immediately.

I refuse to believe there isn’t something in this enormous underground world that I cannot hunt!

Advance Anthony!

Relying on my stealth and my superior senses I will survive!

Refusing to be cowed by the sudden display of lethality from this place I resolutely advance in to the forest.

Stealthily, of course.

As I move properly amongst the foliage, with these bizarre trees and fungi above my head I could almost believe I was on the surface, since the rock ceiling is too obscured for me to see from here.

The strange foliage of the trees is interesting. I presume the trees don’t need sunlight to survive, since there isn’t any down here, so why do they have these strange fleshy leaves? Rather than having many individual leaves the trees have huge, long ones that hang down , some of them almost to the ground. Most of the leaves are a deep shade of purple but others tinge into red, creating a remarkable display of colour everywhere I look.

Presumably these trees are gaining energy from the veins of light, I’m guessing now these are mana veins, that twist everywhere through the floor, branching into their endless patterns.

100% certain that these trees aren’t venus ant traps I’m going to carefully avoid touching those leaves. It wouldn’t shock me to see that

detect vibrations with my antennae. Crouching low, trying to take advantage of the vegetation that covers the floor I move carefully in the direction of

to gather information and progress in this place and that is to move forward and seize

posture low and move in a wide arc towards the noise, my eyes watching every possible angle simultaneously. My antennae poke forward, sticking out of the brush ever so slightly, feeling

stealth has

before they level up than their basic counterparts. Thankfully this skill, which I rely on the most, has levelled at the

find what I’m looking for in the shape of a hulking Croca-beast! Why the heck are these so many of these monstrosities around here?! Thanks to pristine white robes of ascended Gandalf that it

have to admit, I’m still

seen, and it was eating an ant

have nightmares I’d still be

as well as a few other slashes. It appears

focus on the teeth

horrible crocodiles one on one. This is

Let’s do this!

I can talk myself out of it I turn and blast the Croca-beast with acid. Come at

three acid fires out at lightning speed, splashing down the wounded monsters side. I was careful to aim the acid so that it would impact onto the wounds, hopefully causing more damage

jaws wide open

goes directly into the creatures mouth, the other half blasts past

acid directly inside their mouths like this I’m going to have to patent this move. The dreaded ’Anthony mouth shot!’.... Sounds

this is clearly a bad day for this particular beast. Having decided on the origin of

Holy moly!

dodge past the brutal dash. The Croc has both

Slash!

from the fearsome strike. If that had connected it may just be lights out! I’m afraid this Croc has more life it that

there isn’t a way to

balance and turns to face me once more I turn my

Fire!