Chrysalis

It's true that shadow monsters seem to be stronger than the creatures of the first strata at a lower level of evolution. Most of the monsters we encounter are tier two or three, but they are significantly stronger than monsters of that same tier we encountered above. It's keeping life interesting, but the experience and Biomass penalties are still applied. Frustrating! With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I'm coming to realise this means I'll be permanently gimped for being born as a first strata monster.

It makes sense, Dungeon wise. Down here the mana is thicker and attributed. This means the Dungeon is able to produce different kinds of body parts, the shadow flesh, for example. Who knows what the lower strata monsters are capable of, or what they're made of? Perhaps there are ants born below who are diamond from the moment they come out of their pupal stage….

Jealous! That better not be true!

The only way we can keep up is to push our mutations and Skills to the limit. Although, I wonder if it's possible to recreate certain body parts as more powerful versions, made from more mana intensive materials, is what I'm driving at. I've not seen the option so far, but that doesn't mean it won't ever exist. Perhaps just arriving in the second strata was enough to unlock the option. I'll have to wait until I evolve again to confirm this, but that's a long way in the future. Tier five creatures are thin on the ground so far, but to be fair we're only creeping through smaller side tunnels right now. Other than the strong monsters who've created their own little kingdoms like that spider, there are mostly small fry here now.

Must have been crazy down here during the wave though. Thank goodness I never had to see it.

[Master, I sense something strange.]

[Really?]

Mana sense levelled up a little while ago and I was able to rank it up to Expanded mana sensing, which improved my range, but not my finesse. Crinis still has me dead to rights when it comes to detecting our foes.

[I'm not finding anything though?]

I concentrate harder but to no avail.

[It's weird,] Crinis mutters, [it's like dust? The moment I find it, it's gone again.]

feel the orb on my back writhing its tentacles back and forth as she

[Tiny, you hearing anything?]

large, triangular ears of a bat. I think when he evolves again, he should make them mutable. When I ask what he hears, he cocks

give us

his fur and illuminating the tunnel oh so slightly. The flickering light throws the objects in the tunnel into relief, ironically filling the tunnel with

that my fancy compound eyeballs are able to be put to use and I scan the tunnel to try and find what it is that we're sensing.

[Are you sure, Crinis?]

and small. I

More? Like, how

or barbed mouths out in order to feast on monsters that pass by. Along with general outcroppings of rock, the tunnels are starting to get quite busy, making it harder to spot… whatever it is

Wait! I sense something!

looks as if dust that had been floating through

like

[Dust?]

a ball

electricity becomes more intense, sizzling and cracking dangerously in the air. The heat in the tunnel begins to rise as the light glitters through the shadow strata. At first,

[Crinis?]

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to detect. I feel as if it's everywhere and

[That doesn't sound good…]

shadows. Who knows what might happen? More poisons, or death mana, or teeth