Chrysalis

Flush with the glow of a hard won victory, Tiny and I are unusually not looking forward to the next reward, the Biomass.

Unfortunately, whatever was blocking our sight ended with the defeat of the last monster, clearing our vision to take in a truly wonderful scene.

The monsters practically exploded when bitten and the remains are scattered over the tunnel floor in a truly unpleasant image. Something this abstract would have to be a Picasso? The spattered goop certainly leaves a strong impression.

Sharing an unwilling look with Tiny we both begin to pick over the tunnel floor reluctantly, looking for something that looks like edible Biomass.

[You have consumed a new source of Biomass: Tenebris Serpere, you are awarded one Biomass]

[Basic profile of the Tenebris Serpere unlocked]

[Tenebris Serpere: Dark Crawler, Produced in the Monster Forges of the Troglodyte engineering guilds, these creatures are tailor made for reconnaissance and stealth missions, deploying an arsenal of shadow magic for offensive and defensive purposes]

Uh...

WhatyousayGandalf?

What am I reading here? Produced? Monster Forges? Troglodyte Guilds?

What the heck was all o that?!

So these, truly unpleasant to eat creatures were created? By... Troglodytes?

I’ve never heard of a Troglodyte. What is that?

Well. Focusing back on this fight, the Xp from these creatures was perfectly acceptable. Two whole levels! Once for each! Not to mention the three cores that were able to secure as a result of this battle! Such rewards are almost unprecedented!

Surely this cannot be an omen of something bad about to happen!

...

Ok, nothing terrible so far.

I won’t count it out yet.

After splitting the Biomass with Tiny I gain a further four points, leaving my total on nine. Enough to take my legs from +2 to +4 and enhance my Gravity gland to +1 with one point spare.

I quickly confirm those upgrades with Gandalf while I distract myself from the unpleasant itch by rounding up the monster cores we’ve gained. Three small, round gem-like stones sit on the dirt in front of us. Apparently these monsters were engineered or created outright by a kind of people called the Troglodytes?

wonder if there is anything

but what I can see is

physical stats in favour of mental and magical prowess. It makes sense if you consider them as designed monsters, to compensate for their physical weakness they were equipped with their darkness

Interesting.

attempt to make the change I feel as if I’m lifting a mountain with my fingers, there is no way that is going to happen Gandalf!

to the undead rabbit core, it was nowhere near this hard! Perhaps the more a core has been engineered and changed

I can’t practice on these

you like to reinforce your core or reconstitute

Reinforce that sucka!

in two of the cores which increase my Mp by three points each, which is interesting. For the final core

him he stares blankly at it for a moment before

...

understand what I wanted I use my mandibles to push it right up to him

looks at the

He looks at me.

He sits down.

looks back to the

out with one hand, picks up the core and throws it back at

...

damned cheeky ape! That hit me right in the

He seems stunned to see my charge but I don’t give him a chance to escape and

Whack! Bash!

you moron! Don’t

reproachful expression, clearly not happy with my violent treatment. I gift you a core and this is

this lesson next time I pass you

evolved once, from those small apes to his larger gorilla form. If he’s going to follow me around then he

distributed I start to think about whether I should investigate further into this tunnel or retreat for the

the heck

front of me as I try

I think this is....

Air pressure?

A wind?

that make sense.... You would only get wind underground if.. Something ... large.... Was

....

massive heat signature approaching,

wizardly one, get the heck

towards the forest but I already know it’s too late. Turning my head slightly as