Chrysalis

Charge! Pierce!

As ridiculous as it feels, I continue to use the stupid combo of new Skills that I purchased in order to keep leveling them up. Charge is fine, in practice it's very similar to dash with the exception that now it's levelled up to rank three, it's become a proper active Skill that shrouds me in the power of my stamina that shields me when I ram into things. Mandible Spear though? First of all, my mandibles aren't exactly 'sharp'. They aren't pointed. They aren't even remotely spear-like. When I activate the Skill and charge into something mandible first, it feels more like I'm hitting them with a battering ram than a spear!

Secondly, it feels almost like I'm insulting the monsters that I'm fighting. I could charge them, knock them over and finish with one powerful chomp. Instead? I repeatedly prod them with my mandibles, pushing them over in a display that feels more like I’m trying to make fun of them than fight them. It's embarrassing! At least there aren't any members of the Colony here to see me do this… except for the twenty baby-sitters hovering over my head somewhere…

Dammit!

I keep doing it though. For one thing, it's a good way to bring monster’s HP down slowly, something I'm not all that good at, and we need weak monsters for the hatchling to get experience from. For another thing, I still hold out hope that Mandible Spear and Charge will fuse into something a little more awesome. If I can manifest a blazing spear of energy as I charge into my foes, how awesome would that be? I have quite a bit of mass at this point, it would be a shame to not use it.

Also, my progress on mind magic has continued quite well. I'm only a few more levels away from reaching the rank which will unlock mind constructs for me! Very exciting… Not only for the constructs themselves, but for the opportunity to check and see what new magic might have unlocked! With any luck, Gravity magic will finally be mine! Allowing me to use more advanced spell forms for the gravity mana I constantly carry around.

"Ha! Level five is mine!" the hatchling crows, standing over the remains of her bedraggled and defeated foe. "Time to evolve!"

"This was a lot harder to achieve back in my day," I grumble as I turn and make my way over to her.

"Maybe I'm just amazing?" she asks, somehow completely seriously and without shame.

"Noooo," I drawl, "I didn't have anyone serving me almost dead monsters for me to finish off. I had to fight them on my own."

and you said

your head

not let me fight when I want to and then complain that I'm

I sigh.

somewhere a

to find a more quiet section of tunnel

you take care of any unwanted guests? This might take a little

course, Master. I'll make sure that no

that in a few minutes this entire section of tunnel will be completely empty, all the monsters having run and hidden in sheer terror from the strange creature in their midst. Pushing the insanity and fear of

yet?" the

she asked before rushing into

The best evolutions always come when you boost your core a little more than the System recommends. You get a little extra 'spice' in the process. Now this here," I hold up a special core, "is exactly the spice we are talking about. Reinforce your core with this, then you can evolve. But make sure you do what I told you. It might be frustrating to remain a hatchling for another ten

tell she's not

to stay so useless!" she

sure as heck wouldn't be able to help with any of the projects around the Colony. By taking the special hatchling evolution, you might remain small and weak at tier two, but you'll get payoffs down the line. You'll be stronger at

but accepts the core

hesitation, then the core dissolves, the energy contained

very