Chrysalis

The enormous core, looking like a lustrous dark pearl, slowly begins to dissolve into the air before me. As it does so the solid matter that makes it is released as energy that swirls and flows in the air, tiny particles dancing and spinning. Each individual particle eventually meets another and then those two meet another and in this way the individual dots of energy become grouped into flowing streams that trail each other.

Eventually these streams begin to be drawn towards me, flowing directly through my physical self as if it weren’t there and being drawn towards my core. As they grow closer the energy acts almost as if it were water circling the drain, looping around the core in wide circles at first before the loop draws tighter and the flow faster, increasing in pace the closer it gets.

As the energy finally begins meet my more I can feel the spherical gem begin to grow, greedily absorbing every particle of light that touches it, using that energy to construct itself anew.

More and more energy is flowing with every second, growing faster still as the enormous core continues to dissolve, releasing all of its potential.

The spinning energy is no longer like a bath drain and more like a raging whirlpool. A veritable ocean of power being drawn deep into my core.

It hurts!

As my core expands further and further a dull pain begins to throb in my abdomen. Distant at first and then sharper with each passing moment.

I clench my mandibles and brace myself against it. C’mon Anthony! You can take it!

More. More. MORE.

The pain continues to build until it is agony! My core is a screaming mass of pain, ultra-dense and far larger than it should be for a creature of my strength.

I can feel that deep inside, my core is unstable. Growing too quickly and holding too much energy. Damn it hurts!

Finally the Titan-Croc’s immense core is completely gone but the pain remains. The ripping agony flares every few seconds, causing me to almost collapse.

Even Tiny has noticed something is wrong, coming over to place a gentle paw on my back. Thanks little buddy. That’s real nice.

OUCH.

Damn this core! I don’t recall Gandalf mentioning the searing agony involved when pushing your core beyond you evolution level!

With my willpower being sapped by fighting off this pain I can’t do much. Blearily I check my status and the result shocks me into alertness again.

MP 11/50!

Fif... FIFTY?

my core is literally a full 25% larger than a body at my level of evolution is supposed to

process continues to cause such terrible sensations within me, I can’t help but be excited for what this could mean for my next evolution. Will new, rare options be

points of Biomass so far from this battlefield but looking at

so much pain that I seriously don’t want to eat any more, frankly I don’t want to do anything anymore.

force myself to

completely. They can have the rest, but this Titan-Croc is mine. I’m

that I gobbled up all of the cores

near the Titan-Croc and begin to excavate a temporary nest. I would normally

able to dig out a surprisingly roomy chamber beneath the tree relatively

into pieces and then burying them in my new hiding hole. The carcass is so large it takes almost an hour to complete this job and several times I have to chase of a few workers coming over

receded

Ugh... I hate thiiiiis.

mission, transporting all of the Biomass down into the main nest to

me I drag myself down into the chamber and once Tiny has joined me I close over

the colony has been victorious. Time for

Zzzzzzzz.

I’m UP!

out of torpor, snapping awake in an

Phew! Good sleep!

and has now been downgraded to persistent ache. I can probably attribute this

I evolve it’ll be nice and snug in there

grown a little too large to comfortably fit on my back, which is a little sad, but I’m glad

prove yourself useful eventually you

begrudge him the core I spent to bring him to life anymore. It all worked out

I’ve resolved that until all of this Croca has been consumed, Tiny and I will live the

at least once more, possibly twice, before the food

Time to dig

...

Om nom nom.

...

looking so full he’s practically a monkey basketball! That’s another seven

Such riches!