Chrysalis

This is one huge pile of food… there's no way I can fit it all in! I kind of want to call my pets over and have them indulge as well, but I feel bad about it since the Colony has gathered all of this for me. I guess I'll dive in and if there's any left when I'm done I'll make sure the others get their fair share.

[Alright gang. Get some rest but keep an eye out. I'll make sure you get your food later, alright?]

[Yesssss,] Invidia says but I can see his eye blazing with green light as he eyes off my food.

[Yes, Master,] Crinis says, happy to attach herself once more to my carapace and allows her shape to blob.

[Hurrrrr…] Tiny growls, the saliva pouring from his mouth as he openly gnashes his teeth as if eating already.

[That's gross, Tiny! Just move over there, alright? We ate a bunch of demons in the tunnels not that long ago. Mutate or something.]

With my badgering, he finally turns his back on the feast and sulks in the corner. Five minutes later, he's asleep.

[Alright then, Granin. What's the first thing you want to discuss?] I sigh as I start to tuck into the mountain of food.

[The Rescindic Principle, obviously.]

the heck

in, [it's going to be one of the most important decisions of

important,] Granin grunts. [It's a good idea that we discuss your options since there are likely to be a few built into the choices you get when you evolve. If you have a clear picture of what you want, then it'll be easier

then,] I grumble, [so what's the best choice? Is there a reason I shouldn't just reset everything and get a totally awesome new body? Just get

facepalm but is resisting by sheer force of will. Corun doesn't quite succeed and smack himself in

back to zero, but if I sit here in the Colony and they pump me full of Biomass, I'll be able to get them all back to a respectable level in a couple of days! I'll

that there will be many options available only to second and possibly a few from third strata monsters when you evolve this time. The next time you evolve, you will see a few that may normally be seen on the fourth strata. Constantly resetting your body parts is hugely inefficient and the

my body? That's… insane. I'd have to eat through half a strata to amass that. And at tier six, it'd have to be the third strata

is to cycle critical body parts and reset them every few evolutions, if you get that far. Think of everything you consider the most important parts of your body and divide

resetting my entire body has pretty much pushed me away from the idea. I mean, I could do it, but to get that much food into me would mean I'd probably be still trying to

were other reasons?] I

other main reason is what we would describe as Monster Dysmorphia. Which is to say

with the higher concentrations of mana needed to fuel these more complex structures,] Granin breaks in, scratching his head. [In the first strata, a monster's body is more or less straightforward and the way mana is used to form them is simple and uncomplicated. When