Chrysalis

New learnings!

So I’m able to consume the cores of my fellow monsters in order to reinforce my own, and this has the effect of increasing my max MP?

Fantastic! This means I’ll be able to practice one extra time when I do my mana manipulation practice. It also means I’ve learned one more thing about the system that governs my growth in this place.

If I want to gain more and more MP then I need to consume monster cores to do so.

That feels like it would be a massive challenge though, in order for a monster to have a monster core it must have reached max level and spent an evolution on it. By definition that means the monster will be strong, not something I’ll usually be able to mess with.

I was lucky this time. I can’t expect I’ll be able to gain more monster cores this easily in the future.

Enough thinking! Time to chase after the Titan-Croc.

Even if it isn’t rushing, the sheer size of that monster means it moves fairly quickly and I really have to hustle to get back into my shadowing position behind the massive tail trailing behind the beast as it moves.

It isn’t long before we finally reach the place this unstoppable beast has been heading toward this whole time.

The forest suddenly gives way and an open vista appears before me.

It’s a lake.

A huge body of water, glowing with incredible light occupies a large clearing. After travelling for over an hour we have moved toward that center of this huge cavern, but something tells me we haven’t even reached it yet.

This lake is easily a hundred metres across, I can even see small rivers and tributaries running off it. I suspect this lake is fed from an underground source, the water flowing up from beneath the rocky bed and then overflowing to create these small streams.

What really dazzles me is the twisting ropes of blue light that rotate slowly around each other in a slow dance within the water. Almost like a double helix pattern. These ropes appeared to be connected to the source of the lake and drifted around, pushed by some invisible current.

Mana!

I had seen this phenomenon before in the rock pool above but it had been far, far weaker, the twisting ropes had been almost invisible. Even so, the water had been suffused with mana, causing it to draw monsters from all over the cavern to drink and absorb the energy, trying to condense their cores.

This water must have truly dense mana in it!

been drawn to the water source to drink and absorb the energy. Perhaps a good chunk of these monsters had already condensed their core and

of view I could already see a huge range of monsters, some I had

glimpsed inside a slightly different one, something about its colour or shape but it was concealed within the writhing bodies of the more basic kind and I couldn’t be sure. Perhaps it

that before, it has what looks almost like a lions mane around its neck, thick proud fur that projects pride

fire, it’s hard to make out the details but the air seems to be shimmering with heat haze right around

Surely not?

are other creatures I’ve never seen before. A gorilla looking thing with massive, thick arms and a bat-like face, smaller monkey like

I can see a few of those gargoyle like monsters I’d

is an evolved Thorn Lizard, not much larger than

bison of some kind. Built with its legs low to

I spotted new types of monsters around the lake, the sheer variety of them was dizzying. Just how many different types of monsters were there down

real pain trying to remember all off

deal with, I’ll have to continue

approaches the waters’ edge the nearby monsters wisely create space for it. I can see the area the Croca has settled in is a large, flattened muddy zone where the monster can stretch out its full length

looks good to

here around the lake there isn’t anything that

a Garralosh that could produce

of the water seems to hold here as well I move a little

zzzzzzZZZAAAAAP!

Wow!

Pah!

tingling, burning sensation is back in full force! The difference now is that after the feeling floods through my whole body it then recedes back, like ocean water from a beach, drawing further and further

my status I can see that

Right on!

max and

and can essentially refill my MP for free, this is a perfect opportunity to train my mana manipulation skill. I can grind non-stop until hunger forces me

a place soft enough for me to construct a basic hiding hole and get stuck into digging

to where the Titan-Croc is currently flopping, I’m thinking that the presence of the dominant monster will help

my small chamber excavated I start training my Mana Manipulation immediately, bringing it out of by core and directing it to my throat, letting it build up before releasing it in a small puff

Phew!