After discussing a few possibilities back and forth, I bid the golgari trio goodbye and they make their way back to the gate. Mana sickness is no joke and I appreciate them taking the risk to help me out.
It’s a hard concept for me to grasp, being ill from too much mana. I literally need the stuff to survive, the more the better. One of the many benefits of being a monster, I suppose. I was born from mana, there’s no way it can hurt me.
The lack of it can hurt me. Severely, in fact.
Which is another thing I need to keep in mind. Evolving yet again, increasing the density of my core and further making my body dependent on mana to exist. More resets, more fancy, high-energy components in my body, more energy needed to sustain me.
Perhaps even the first stratum will be out of bounds for me, even during a wave. The second might just be in bounds, perhaps. But then I have to worry about the Call.
It’s a constant knife in my side. Even now, I can feel it trying to pull me down deeper. I’m worried this mythic evolution is only going to make it worse.
If I’d picked larval deity, it would have been agonising, I bet. An evolution with high potential like that, but with no ability to move around, I’d have been stuck on my backside for at least six months with a hook yanking on my soul.
“Eldest? It’s ready.”
Cobalt pops up in front of me and I’m pulled from my thoughts.
“What’s that?”
“The evolution chamber. We’re ready.”
Nice.
“Alright then, let’s get this show on the road.”
I lever myself up onto my feet for the first time in days, and immediately collapse onto the ground again as my insides shift against the oversized core.
“Oof! Uh… one sec.”
Second attempt.
“Aaaaand up! OUCH.”
And down.
Cobalt looks at me. I look back at Cobalt.
“You can’t move, can you Eldest?”
that I can’t. This is,
care
me and hardening it into a rock sled that they propel into the fortress that
my siblings watch as I lie flat on my carapace, being hovered into an evolution
and appreciation for me flowing through the Vestibule only makes me feel worse.
the Colony takes up positions around me and throughout the fortress. Inside the chamber with me are Crinis, Tiny, Invidia and a few hundred dedicated guards. Thankfully, they managed to keep Beyn and the acolytes out. I saw them as
about ready. Take it easy while I’m evolving, alright? Might be a few days this time. Possibly even a week or two, I don’t know. Eat, sleep, have fun. Make
Master,] Crinis says
I’m not dying, oi!
wantssss them,] Invidia hisses
want the levels, but you do not want a mythic core in your midsection, let me tell
[Wantssss,] he contradicts me.
taught him about winking? I’d wink back, but I’m not physically capable of it, or a thumbs up for that matter, so I just thank him
for that bud. I’ll catch you all on the other
jump straight into
fiddle around the edges, deciding on what to do with my evolutionary energy, but before I can,
them into your house. The energy and focus of your people
-
Altar of War
-
Altar of Growth
-
Altar of Culture
Altar of Mind
Altar of Strength
Altar of Self
Altar of Many]
I needed to decide something regarding the altar, so I suppose this is it? There’s a lot of options here… might as well dive in and go
War. You must fight
like it's going to have an effect on the Colony as well as myself? We are already plenty warlike,
gain applies to just me either. I think it applies to every ant in range of the
people can only be ensured by development and securing the next generation. Reduced Biomass cost for eggs, increased experience gain
Reduced Biomass cost? Are you freaking kidding me?! How? How does that even work?! Does the altar literally convert the collected Will of
is blowing my mind right
only work for ants within the range of the Altar anyway. I’m never hanging around the queens these days, they are way higher in the Dungeon. I can’t pick this
about it. It’d never
Culture: Direct the energy of your people to Dialogue and the Arts. What is the point of a people if they lack
tell me the bonus in case I get tempted. It’s not that I disagree with Gandalf on this one, I actually would much rather pick this one than the Altar of War. My family has developed a wonderful culture of its own, with carvings, and tea, and sponge cake… for some reason. I
going to give a boost to those idiots who run around carving my face into everything they touch? I’ve seen cakes decorated with me on top
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