Chrysalis

[Mythic Evolution: Formless One. You have invited your kind in, and given back to them in turn. Now it is time to make the union complete. All stats removed. All body parts and mutations will be refunded. Every member of your chosen species will be granted a formless core and you will exist as pure energy dispersed across the network formed between them.

You may make upgrades to the formless core through mutation within each individual who contains one.

Together with your kind, rise as one.]

Uhhhhhhhh… what?

[That’s… unexpected,] Granin says.

His face looks fairly impassive, but judging by the gobsmacked expressions on Torrina and Corun’s faces, he’s only just holding it together.

[Granin, what the hell is this? I wouldn’t even have a body?!]

[Mythic evolutions can be extremely unusual,] he says after a brief pause. [A larger, more fundamental change to your existence. You’ve seen evolutions that make broad, fundamental changes before, am I right?]

[Well, sort of. I would have turned into a giant brain, not a literal ghost!]

[Not a ghost,] he corrects me, [you wouldn’t have a body, but you would still exist as a living creature formed of energy. You’d effectively be unkillable. I’m no expert on this stuff, it’s too high level, but as I understand it, the only way for you to die would be for every member of the Colony to be destroyed.]

[But what would I even do? Float around just… existing?]

[Don’t underestimate creatures of energy. You could influence the world more than you think. And the more ants with the core in them, the stronger you would become.]

Both of us know that the population of the Colony will explode if we aren’t defeated soon. This evolution would completely destroy my retirement plans! How am I supposed to tickle the grubs as a formless ghost?! Unacceptable!

[I’m not interested in becoming some bodiless spectre,] I say firmly. [I’d rather take a rare evolution than this one.]

[Well, I suppose it’s a good thing you have more mythic options then,] Granin replies. [I’m just shocked you are getting choices like this at tier seven. It’s unheard of.]

And also undesired. I just can’t comprehend what that sort of existence would be like. And how would my siblings feel if I just… moved in? I’d literally be adding something they didn’t ask for into their bodies. The whole thing gives me the creeps.

Evolution: Larval Deity. +400 Might. +400 Toughness. Cunning reduced to

higher, you must be reforged. You will

will be coated in Golden-Diamond Silk and your body replaced with

options are just bizarre! I hesitate for a long moment before I give the details of this one to Granin. As I explain the evolution, even

on Pangera have you been keeping from us?

not much.

convinced by

it is you’ve been keeping from us. A Larval Deity? World Essence?! It…

folds his legs on the spot and takes a seat. Corun and Torrina sit down next to him, the three of them

a minute. [Can someone

takes a moment, but Granin raises his head, his eyes looking a

a larva, but not like you were before. Think of

blind and

He nods.

reset, you’d lose your magic and wouldn’t be nearly as intelligent. I feel like this evolution intends for the Colony to effectively feed you experience and Biomass until you reached max level and evolved to tier eight. At

Deity? I’d be

That’s a little unsettling….

he assures me, [just an incredibly powerful monster. I can’t even imagine how strong you’d be, but it would be… very.

have lost

need to sacrifice all of tier seven and have the Colony babysit me until I reached tier eight? I’m not really feeling

out by the System for no reason. If you survived to tier eight, your path to ascend as

about that,] I remind him. [And I get the feeling you’re not telling me

He hesitates.

World-Infused are valuable. Beyond

link. [Impossible to buy because nobody is selling. Empires have burned to the ground for such

[Oh hell no!]

cooperate with the Colony. I can contact the cult. ALL of the cults. I can gather an army from across the planet to defend you. We could accelerate you to tier eight in

of having the Colony feed me resources and devoting their entire existence to trying

to being a grub

imagine it. Flopping about in some chamber while the Colony fights and dies to bring me food? Sure, I could turn around and protect them once I reached tier eight. IF I