Chrysalis

[The time has come, Crinis! Time to seize your destiny. To elevate yourself to a higher plane. A new tier, if you will. You shall become stronger, more powerful, more excellent in every way. But choices will need to be made. You must navigate the labyrinthine System and make the selections that speak true to you. Be certain of your path and firm in your convictions! What you select matters not, only how you feel about your choices matters. Reach deep inside the infinite void of endless murder that lies within and be true to the self you find there! Do you hear me Crinis!]

[I- I do! Master!]

[Good energy! You've come a long way, Crinis! Tiny and I are proud of you!]

[HRM] Tiny grunts.

[Exactly! We are with you all the way. There is nothing to fear except fear itself! And that fear is something we will fight! On the beaches! And the trenches! Or tunnels, I suppose…]

Dammit, I'm losing it!

[I've got it, Master! Don't worry, I'll be fine.]

[Okay, great!]

Phew. I was really running out of steam there. I need to see if there's a pep-talk skill. Any help I can get would be welcome, because I suck.

[Got your mutations sorted then?]

[Yes.]

[Special core's been absorbed?]

[Yes.]

we are all systems go. Let me just check your core to see if everything's

scuttle up to Crinis and touch my

Name: Crinis

Level: 20 (core) (III)

Might: 90

Toughness: 80

Cunning: 41

Will: 42

HP: 160/160

MP: 230/230

(III); Greater Tremor Sensing Level 5 (III); Barbaric Dismembering Level 1 (III); Greater Fear Inspiration Level 9 (II); Mana Transformation Level 11 (III); Slick Tentacle Walking Level 4 (III);

Maw +15; Endless Dimensional Stomach +15; Legion Tentacles +15; Razor Barbs + 15; Grisly Teeth + 15; Omniscient Mana Sensory Gland +15, Reservoir Shadow Magic Gland +15, Abrupt Shadow Flesh

Species: Shadow Murder Orb

Skill points: 27

Biomass: 14

emphasise her Shadow Magic Affinity until she can get it to at least the third rank. The real juice starts to come out at around that level. The real

aspect of her Maw, anything that went in there would start to break down at a fairly rapid clip. Nasty. Fused her stomach and now it truly is starting to get bottomless. Her dividing tentacles were fused and how she's able to produce even more of the damn things. She chose to emphasise the cutting aspect of her barbs and how they are sharp. Should help her cut through sterner defences. The teeth… I don't want to talk about the teeth. They scare me. Her sensory gland was fused, increasing range and granularity of her detection. Her Shadow magic gland was fused, bringing the properties of rapid refilling and greater capacity. The shadow flesh generator now spits the stuff out even faster than before. The Shadow eye was interesting. She chose options to increase the clarity of

up, she's done a great job. How far she's come from when she couldn't make a choice for herself at all! Looking at this powerful, intelligent and accomplished pet, my heart is filled with

Crinis.

[Okay!]

gives her guts pose once more before she slithers into the corner of the pen and falls still. I turn to the ogling audience of

have a little

OF

Helping each other evolve their pets is par for the course around here. To them, I'd the odd