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?”
seems that I can’t.
to worry, Eldest, we’ll take care
end, the carvers lift me up, raising the ground beneath me and hardening it into a rock sled that they propel into the
Literally hundreds of thousands of my siblings watch as I lie flat on my carapace, being hovered into an evolution chamber that they’d purposely
their respect and appreciation for me flowing through the Vestibule only makes
place and 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 I was hovering past and he looked like he was in the middle of a revelation of some sort. That guy needs a hobby. How in
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.
will, Master,] Crinis
I’m not dying, oi!
wantssss them,] Invidia
want a mythic core
[Wantssss,] he contradicts me.
him about winking? I’d wink back, but I’m not physically
catch you all on
straight into
my new species and prepare to fiddle around the edges, deciding
into your house. The energy and focus of your people must be given shape. Select a purpose for
-
Altar of War
-
Altar of Growth
-
Altar of Culture
Altar of Mind
Altar of Strength
Altar of Self
Altar of Many]
did say that 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
to matters of War. You must fight to survive and survive to fight. Increase experience gain
on the Colony as well as myself? We are already plenty warlike, I don’t need to make my siblings even more
to just me either. I think it applies to every ant in range of the altar. That is… insane.
be ensured by development and securing the next
kidding me?! How? How does that even work?! Does the altar literally convert the collected Will of the Colony into… whatever it wants? Experience, Biomass,
my mind right
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
about it.
Arts.
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
who run around carving my face into everything they touch? I’ve seen cakes decorated with me on top of
T1I1m3P0mZBVKH2m96KBGN6QStcOaYBm37MZovKEc+ie/8vWpCCq0k8ZB7hGKDb2fy59odJeHM3dZMYkwvgNrUeMAHY1llq8WKjEoCARi2huaHuJHczXakbMZZ+hOsS5seSPKX9oBzWYJMzJU0/76MxRU798ztFuOipo28snIAEuXPgpFDTHIf9Ikvbg7pePuXoA0M2HFmEoygKRzaYjAddc/12Ysymyli4/Ksl+Yk39dUR7xi0rUc2z1OC6osrASFwfBcyqFv209zojIwBrk/zJPQxvvRouorp17AHlz3lAjXWu3ZkAZJZUDKkj1hXHA+3a+dyL2o26vEdfcQeC0JXGHyLpfAQ0Q55KcNTQ6aBYh8lBMj1uyB5JPbllz4Hfjy9o2yOWS2ukxiToRWv1n3aLLTkATuzeseb/j9VpL5vAHHaokh7uS86vNaL+WoZm10EdoFgPP2oOnNxW3EmfQTKJBGkPWUcfwW9snZQ5prTReZdPDXDzPxzqn9CetfE/JgxRqaLhWAPpDv9deTze+GGBNSateR8L1KXvJjjz87wsBIfpYFSlS89fjIgbuQi3I5GxCvVxZQ+/Px6MIP3MJik0TQSO7mFSk1dEfUTJ12j3yd8yZ7unTsc4T7X7tO3/kPMXCtp4j9pL5wZJ3FBFBM5LzmRGZpy7vk4x7xbXLAGH9Fpt5B/N8o/galgnx5V+kdi0txGoxXssjft3tqbrMA1G4OmFb904UGtxFGeVewYwRvWlpSkGyBHJY1ZiUuJdzfKlATqXKf4vwmP3fDH50Y0pBqCjW5PMGQ2S1NKChMRfr5Jwh2PUA7S4qVXrjJYczdZsBGxsHYOguE9QmrGGh/4KcWdgrFdxtsAeEG2aEgsWwGwZm2yZA6PfUghAe8a2YGMj8Cqp7c7DbOAdbDnFgEdw7gMfd2sdiL0HtlGjdsWGm+y8TpuJtdBgquDmWKLvbdnxseGA0EYRGki10YYTL2ujgRFMJh2LuP5UcVoFskkxtjmXfvh799bUmFVB1gwz6845Hw5fQEr36wtuSaBJDq1w1ibfyb+22Uso2QtGZFtmlJBfqwoqo7d0gP8LTD48pXMk9SHIGpbNQTw+mFZk1lwnyDXYmdiXN423bJ0xdDskUiSHAeEM2kLi4xeGoxgaoVLlgqvgMGWkvreTf4jplyt206XcjxFOYBuv6c/Udra+7SzNz4mVge9ADxhY3uP2gLCFAzDSaW+fqCPjW2fofWbYFVwZ92pHdzpV/uzE/cO65c3H87ahiLqYMNgH7R993Ejry7W/0LAdeTRSIYQU5/MXnN3ZCGGo4iLacfK590Y6b0PZsgATz0OsR6K8M7XPngkTNNcTxPNEPDmtQcVIJTjas3JWah9VjMdrLxP28ses0ixT/7HL9pVC+wYiStHRGsKE2lOleUSbXevA4Eg8nxPbyz2WiZdArsg1BG0s9uiRFuJRjMdyiuD39EA3pUKCaHBVcFBTsZlH7EK+HcFa7WdYTR2ileaRHCmcQzMhWxyvCNqUcNzQ9MTKfNI394nrh7O9VT36tN/Dr/s+/HXZv0aZGD64zewA1MnePsw/S5n01CWIdcAG2LsTuVqGCgw0Y54DUM6WF3aJduZMbcVY6k3HYvtr66CW/jSeubtxmV1nz9nQLdHBRUjfIf+lVFxs7cnBTTqjtpJX2PNjozWsH9NwEuHTXY53+/paNe+ogsKKAhcCwpQop1t4G0wJ6eam0XfWRFdTxboIzlw9UOLG72qm0xCTPAc2tDiq3liFeM9nQ0IWd9cjM2h8AkYkdneyWXOSso+94UlLAuRGnSm8HVSyQIznhAgQqPEM9hGwue+Q1qKpmLrBEaw+58Qipea5WkUZU2+Q8xRBiGv+21dX6J0IRNaQL+JxhoOHW22yDSLHO/gft25kmQNh/Z3sbGIz8M4lXHmF9OYACc11TwDF6eZpMUx75HfYiiR8mkE8lvUx6AGznDFJeaUmY6TS0ua8m3P0j8u4X13ac+FzjyLeiKATEtqaUEZNwdLE83F9v4lIlHNuMk/OLcs8z47wpXqbsEcadsEhmZaNxI7kjctHp9pN8Z3izxR6zhFOeVUVrX1/pfWkZ39pNtFk95wlJJ16SuLAHmgZu/xJe3+3X66BbihYuaBArMW4WO/wY4MRBtMzQmW6R4zx60PzUy6qwtQiRBDeM6DZEKLqeQmyLhZ1gpqjsyeHk317VBZhX6I4MkDlOxpHVgQ/TZChZKyLMXTTpZyZBnQeOL1bSY8uOJY4V9ptI6JrSjZPJz5JK/smWwJyAGTdUWWQ2tWSvh8s0gjSe5N3DiiSMlhcT9sWCgJgupHOaaZ35VK+5Ge2+qvAhiR3dwnI8G+VTA5NC1y+GYrA6zOVmFUwSy4CrXIyzp2ag3acSFTtQSG9sc+xvCBLGZsNod8VF92HF3JR+xxQMvdTPfZsFqmK1/y3Dw4Dg/O6ue9Gwjorkhyhm7UkNknfpxv0AwMVwMBkmeI/TFPzD2j+eUrGuNF8g/uv63zP1o0IwXlO3EBr95c57VkOEd6LzVsORKeb8UumArWHb98J5i0d+c06Jj5kVvSWvISiSPF5OAraawx4Jw7ZWuzdDuKFxdTIGYgqj5O60w/MvHoCoUpV1Ct2q15DLRGhd1mZmra/sHskl1bcXE/dm1u+qBe5xNhaoQMrGTfqx++DmkhKCu9N/ety9FMPiVc8ttsIiO0khyaeTFpXLILgnU1ux2jkM/ka0aBByptcDi/DzONiHvvhxO8jtjmuI+sDBDzzdQAgdBnQ8k9Ge99rGzgdjXF0GKjnhoPEhJxS9ZnNd5hsom54FSsZNnFM5v5iJ9DChZIX9CmOMeA5VtOh2o9vFhqEW6zo0FWA4mqyyO+zZJYOoKBJroAa2NwZXpYCH7QrkovuvvPsIGD55e7wVNhHQAzP0gTOgWtcMYHuNurIioJF5+IXWxOP5FSf7X/glxhh71SlxUB1MRquUgx5L6Eu4Ip5pFoSwAzLl9CtliCzdMPMhHZFlHjoEbOCIEdmYXwnJDPe/WD+/ndnA/fyGZ5ytseNAYC6zjRD23/je+la7Xgbka6Exm+CpwLLGHhL5yJ+pYtjaxw9W5o83+bA9wcm3rlFddvTBqa6naUOmG3Z9PZl/blg0IqMCsJ8rusdbU35Y0w9OHCM+TKazeRgQpgaBfoYyoA09DKjlHzn1glfJjKDdW/XeqJlbRbiUHPVX1ACosYCovE0fQ9ZOExLduF/IPbpGgKPNDqTG3qtuSh/kp2nwrzNSv4tUFseZ5MkwqrJWZzfTuAW4oW6Q8JHE4OzzK9/oeAmCGZS0fxyowvM/8KMoyhjlJ331jLaMXubOdlEAjA+K4zumXGAdMvi1GnfcMUqncCQO8+pCdChdg4F8D9U5RnRQhfL+aG1LawpBlPzGimiShEQip2GqIUwbueUd+E647wrWFSTSw0oxTVNry9gbbi60kG7fg+IiriA4AFyt+LuXyBnu7S7uez5tXTokNaoDZotNNLsJhJ88Sv/vQBgSR/RLS5qrfWEKDGNIPAWTcHwmCGZt10XnHVryIH3WuMsxkyHS/SRNFczVNIEncetBwHacuWsXqXv0RZ/T/M7ojcJfnI+t5KYL2A7+xHFT0r282YjWqqYPtb89aqdX/af58hTyp+ygptTW9k6UKIRAXxJ+X703VdlCYxeICPa8sHE7zRY9m78nS+QsFDdYf1QumzJOSJtixVGKYae4Y9ZcoPa1mUNUiVDgPCddU4GsPXPZW4O93kHWccGJD1JBIIZRvbqY5Qax2M6MMimxX8LM5YzUJW5lr7g/I4sk7CeS7f7HJD+47S1LkQeNZQC5eQm37/k8vzkuaAR5TGscmTwERfl90IftaGfCEgjwYLTED4umea9dI/BCFnf3uqycZnJYoMLV/bDCZZxxBMC9Xpuz4d8hjmj+OgG6NXPuprfhblyBRPJLy/aX73FD8YkYXH5OdFVkPz1ePOxXMJXSvV6zyTZUiYe982Dv3fGExQElbEQMlVipmmlireY7eGKoOgIuCICpxLMDAYt/P03mvWDIaGptBI4QwFNCxfmLECfJ99pu5kI/ZkwcJS+geZjIgJpcpmaCjh20axq4F6ev30WLTEhVn1PQ8yb1v6QBEihDfFhGlrefWYmQi95BzphlHTtKrIN83ye2Y9MoGeSDf6EagefB4K6QvIO0p6zGUm0Uvk+i0O03rX4lLXA4C+barxuTSg36wu7RDOyya4Nv+txpMnp8YDLWKIvNWyMsPrIzkaFnc6Nogh78ZSXx+ujzf2B5m23aJzEvf7QyP6q0B9ihAWuTZJJFclfqkBUizM4Ra3wK/+oD8OrMsZjYYP8lfo0XdjBKeDG+0Zu05OwAxPBOdRhkxKQ0vsLh4tlzWD923mY4rTpmcOVq8crRE21NhcEhJVQL5SNn0tiZ6tS7X+85GhNNNxbPgDCapGcbf5JwHddxbsEjUzoO9TctGFboZgDPUifbkjuZb3yuTNCTC6h0ThKTnlfFzUZunvjxgdWNbGfF0n2m5laqB02R1WmBSgkIfdnYMx6a7L7MNxxRt6qqSS4/oUHVZZoJeyyltcPnbX+LXvZKahG2gXjMxcgsNhfaKRk05z67fTJGchxPo9ouYCl/mp47GlfgYt+dpecFx6g0/qRysy44Ef/H3lqZqt9RzgmsOn+ElX197PDtmryatPct9plK928zR098R+2wo/sGsX/1uoB3PGoithv6s/CiqKQIM+PyIB6Gt22xR25dQVVxDdYG2u/2sKRLEAGKUlWqxq3AVJQFh6/wdTuSleCuPC/CE3FROqmb/oLxy/o2dWHPD9aVeUsXV3tmo6T97yhR6UNpAHIDVi1dvUOaHW4NhRJSqTTNEzHI5NymYWf3hrekAufuN4gblD3/ufBvuEkNR1DrFlk4LQCOsdM0KZyG2waNu0zIAaI0su+WljZTC+fmJGCT/e2nzZPg3XyqFjueojSpwxOe3Anq4dJBi3TR2M45ABiAhr2WJf2ppeDV+m2mAOKpqHXElftaFSIOYSr81r0XRe8tTGUTSSlcBZ+GUYtxLHF5cpJdXAW9clCn1s4yPlvKLF7ZpiR/q1mbYyb59uvWm6/bRoHh0TAT/h2mJwQPDK/JsfJ202iAfrXaTWgVK4cpA7xnSDn2MHagPifk408f2/AX4d57O+a5oaVjiF74Do+AHVE7n3lft4Tt9x1A2F62+xEwb0EpV1IKNHNdQw8Q8mK8sWpEj8=
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!