Chrysalis

Right then. For the time being, my skills had been dealt with. Now for the juicy bit.

The Biomass.

But first.

[Crinis…]

When she received my mental communication the little ball shrinks in on herself, withdrawing her stalk until she's almost touching the ground.

[Um… Y… yes? Master?] she stammers.

…

[Is there something you want to tell me? Has some sort of milestone been achieved?] I enquire.

[N, no? I can't think of anything like that, Master]

So evasive!

[You wouldn't be worried about having to make choices for yourself again, would you Crinis? Panicked that you might make a selection that I didn't approve of? If that were the case, I'd be quite disappointed] my voice drops to a sinister low by the end.

[Hiiiiii!] she squeaks.

I can only sigh. Why are pets so weird? This should be a joyous occasion, the individual should be jumping for joy and as the master I would bathe in that reflected happiness, smiling deeply, feeling smug and satisfied that all things were travelling on the path that I ordained.

No.

Instead, I have to bully my own pet into evolving, or watch my pet evolve into an imbecilic lump of muscle meat. Crinis is just paranoid about having to make her own choices, not wishing to do something 'wrong'.

[Look, Crinis, I'm very happy that you are ready to evolve. It's a great thing! So as soon as we are finished speaking we will finalize your core and you will evolve. Okay?]

[…..]

[OKAY?!]

[yes… Master….]

Don't sulk!

remind you of something. When I recreated you from your core, I made sure to make adjustments so that you'd be perfect, the best little murder ball of boundless horror and death in all of Pangera. I also created

seems struck dumb, growing

that Master?

and servant. Whatever I can do to help you, I will. Do you understand that me creating your evolution means I'm meeting you halfway on this right? I've already made a good chunk of the decisions for you. The rest you need to look inside yourself to find the answers that best fit the kind

[…. But!]

[No buts!]

THWACK.

in a vicious arc I whack the little tennis ball right in the middle, sending her

[Let's do this!]

attempted excuses and protests, I fuse together a special core and whack her on

[Now go evolve, dammit!]

[huuuuuu]

exciting to see exactly how she changes. I know the broad strokes of

all, the only thing she wants is to be as helpful as

We are still in the Dungeon after all and if anything spawns in here I need it smashed ASAP. I'm going to be

Finally!

just me and three hundred

I need to get all of my mutations to +15 before I evolve and I still haven't completed the +10 set yet. I'm determined this time though, no

go from +10 to +15 is going

….

SIXTY FIVE?!

is only forty by comparison. I remember when that

do about it but

where classes and skills can become combined to create a new and more powerful skill. The other side of the coin is when the System doubles down on one thing, making it a stronger

create a new class. It isn't a hard and fast rule by any means,

feeling that the +15 upgrade won't be just choosing another mutation.

you like to upgrade Mandibles to +15? This will cost

You betcha.

this level you may choose to combine your mutations, or emphasise one. Which