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?”
I can’t. This
we’ll take care of you. Don’t mind a
the carvers lift me up, raising the ground beneath me and hardening
Literally hundreds of thousands of my siblings watch as I lie flat on my carapace, being hovered into
their respect and appreciation for me flowing through the Vestibule only makes me feel worse. This situation is pathetic and
Beyn and the acolytes out. I saw them as I was hovering past and he looked like
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 sure
will, Master,]
I’m not dying, oi!
I wantssss them,]
might want the levels, but you do not want a mythic
[Wantssss,] he contradicts me.
for him. Who the heck 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
catch
jump straight into the
the edges, deciding on what to do with my evolutionary
welcomed them into your house. The energy and focus
-
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
of War. You must fight to survive and survive to fight. Increase experience
sound like it's going to have an effect on the Colony as well as myself? We are already plenty warlike, I don’t need to make my siblings
applies to just me either. I think it applies to every ant in range of the altar. That is… insane. Does it apply to Skills and levels
Expansion and Growth. The future of your people can only be ensured by development and securing the next generation. Reduced Biomass
whaaaaaaaaa?! Reduced Biomass cost? Are you freaking kidding me?! How? How does that even work?! Does the altar literally convert the collected Will of the Colony into… whatever
blowing my
to chill. Think about this logically. It will 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 one, but holy moly, if the discount was even just 10%,
it. It’d never
of your people to Dialogue and the Arts. What is the point
of War. My family has developed a wonderful culture of its own, with carvings, and tea, and sponge cake… for some reason. I love every
I’m going to give a boost to those idiots who run around carving my face into everything
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