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 special

cores, I activate the core mechanic skill and begin to study the information contained inside. There is still much that I can’t see in there, but what I can see is quite shocking. These monsters have almost no toughness at all, and very little might,

you consider them as designed monsters, to compensate for their physical weakness they were equipped with their darkness

Interesting.

I try and shift the values a little, just divert a touch of energy over to toughness and I find that it is impossible. When I attempt to make

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

can’t practice on these cores, I may as well

like to reinforce

Reinforce that sucka!

is interesting. For the final core I push it towards Tiny and try to

sees I’ve pushed the core towards him he stares blankly at it for a

...

I wanted I use my mandibles to

looks at

He looks at me.

He sits down.

back to

hand, picks up the core

...

ape! That hit me right

rush at him. He seems stunned to see my charge but I don’t give him a chance to escape and start beating him over the head

Whack! Bash!

stupid core you moron! Don’t give me any

probably ten times I notice that I’m only hitting him with my mandibles now and the core is gone. Stepping back Tiny is looking at me with a reproachful expression, clearly not happy with my violent treatment. I gift you a core and this is how you react?! I had to beat you up before you would even accept

remember this lesson next time

correct then Tiny has only evolved once, from those small apes to his larger gorilla form. If he’s going to follow me around then he needs to be

about whether I should investigate further into this tunnel or retreat for the time being when

heck is

in front of me as I try to understand the feeling I’m

I think this is....

Air pressure?

wind? From

would only get wind underground if.. Something

....

a massive heat signature approaching, fast. Not just fast,

wizardly one, get the heck out

my head slightly as I run I can