Chrysalis

Eventually, the horrific itching fades, and I scramble back to my feet and cast my eyes about to see who was witnessing my fervent rolling. Thankfully it appears that mother retreated once she was sure all of the noise wasn’t related to some threat or danger of any kind, and my pets are too busy with their own mutations to have time checking on me.

Phew!

Since that is the case, I can relax. I really need to make sure that I’m on my own or somewhere that I can’t be seen when doing significant mutations like that. I don’t know what it is, but the sensation of my own body shifting and changing as the surging Biomass roils through my body is just..... ITCHY.

What even is Biomass anyway? It can’t be the raw material since that gets dissolved down in some way within me. It isn’t as if my stomach continually feels full until I spend my points, as time passes I feel the food getting digested, and then I start to feel hungry again. Perhaps monsters extract something from the food they eat? Some sort of... concentrated.... Stuff? The higher the evolution of the monster the more... stuff ... they have in them?

Maybe?

I don’t know! I just eat things!

Considering that nothing comes out my business end barring acid and magic consuming justice all of that food must be going somewhere...

I’ve already resolved to investigate all things stomach upgrade during my next evolution, but internally I double down on that resolution. The mysteries of the Biomass need to be unlocked!

Quickly cleaning my antennae and running a keen eye over myself I double check my status before spending some time adjusting to my new vision. I wouldn’t say I can see as well as a human can in all directions, but it indeed is significantly better than before. My forward eyesight has somewhat improved, but all other angles are dramatically better. I’ll need to wait until I get somewhere a little more open before I can thoroughly test my eyes’ ability to focus at a distance.

I start practising my water transformation and compression skills as I wait for my fellow team members to finish their work. Vibrant appears to have completed her work with the menu and has settled down to evolve. If she doesn’t finish by the time the others are ready, we may have to carry her down with us. I wouldn’t want to leave her behind, mostly because she would just run down the tunnels on her own and probably end up dead.

Still, I’m interested to see what she can evolve into, considering she was a superior hatchling up to now. From a superior hatchling into a ... superior worker? That wouldn’t be too exciting...

Maybe she’ll go straight into being a juvenile Queen? For some reason, when I think of Vibrant’s personality, I just can’t see it happening. Sitting around the nest being motherly all the time? Vibrant?! Not a chance.

Time passes, and Crinis is the first to complete the process. She takes a long time to fiddle through the menus since she has such anxiety about making incorrect choices. Tiny takes longer, but I think that has more to do with his comprehension speed.....

[How’d it all go Crinis?] I ask cheerfully.

The little ball freezes momentarily before slithering over to me on a few tentacles.

[I hope I made the right choices Master...] she says somewhat miserably.

I sigh internally. [Just pick whatever you think is right! You know more about how you want to grow and fight than I do! You’re the best one to make these decisions!]

[But you are the best person to decide what it is that YOU want Master!]

be more independent is going to be a

come over here, and I’ll have a look at where you’re at. I want to see how everyone is going before we set out] I

Master!]

.....

I activate the core surgery skill

Name: Crinis

Level: 14 (core)

Might: 68

Toughness: 55

Cunning: 24

Will: 22

HP: 110/110

MP: 205/205

Manipulation Level 1; Grappling Level 3; Expert Shredding Level 4; Tremor Sensing Level 3; Dismembering Level 2;

+5; Dividing Tentacles +5; Ripping Spines + 5;

Species: Blind Shadow Hunter

Skill points: 5

Biomass: 6

....

did she even get Fear Inspiration?! From what

to be a problem if she

I see you picked up Mana Manipulation] I

Master.... Is that ok!?]

have a reasonable Cunning and Will stat. With practice, you’ll be able to start slinging some spells like me! I think that was

....

slender tentacles just becomes exceptionally still. Wait. That’s not

.....

happy to be

Tiny. The big guy is gradually opening his eyes and shaking himself awake. I want to check

all go

to grunt his reply even when

a

amblers over in my direction and I once again activate the core surgery skill. I’m determined to ignore