Chrysalis

[Before you get too carried away,] Granin chips in, [remember that manipulating mana outside of your body is much harder than the mana inside it. Manipulating energy within someone else's body is another level of difficulty above that. You’ll need to train hard before you can even dream of setting off those insane bombs you can make.]

That makes sense. If it was easy to manipulate energy inside an opponent, then almost any other method of fighting would be completely redundant. Even so, I like this idea. It would give me an almost unstoppable trump card if I can master it, and I can think of a few other uses for it outside of just the gravity bomb.

[I like it a lot!] I declare.

The triad has really come through for me and exceeded my expectations, so I tell them so. I never would have considered some of these ideas. I’m glad I finally opened up to them.

The three look pleased with my words, Corun grinning up at me, Torrina wearing a slight smile, and even Granin looks less grumpy. That could just be a trick of the lighting.

[We’re working on mutation packages for your legs, regeneration gland and your whole acid… collection, in the event you reset those next,] Granin tells me. [For now, though, this is what we’ve come up with. It’s more difficult for us to contribute to your Vestibule, Nave and Altar, since we haven’t worked with those organs before.]

I’m a little disappointed, but Granin frowns at my drooping antennae.

[We still have to talk about your Skills,] he says, and I perk up immediately.

New Skills! This is what I’ve been waiting for!

[What have you got for me, Granin? Some sweet fusions? The mega-instant-death-to-all-foes Skill?]

[That is a good one, but no.]

[Wait, that’s a Skill?!]

And don’t forget, I’ve warned you before, learning too many Skills will become a weakness, not a strength. Without time to

wish I could roll my

you’ve got a

bring it up at

carefully analysing the list of fusions for what we think will be the most optimal combinations for you to work towards. I

and Corun look a little disgruntled at

you can aim for which should help significantly, particularly with your sharp reflexes and foresight. We had you pick up the Coordination Skill. Now we recommend you add the Balance Skill, as well as one other. Took a bit of research to find this, since there isn’t a lot of documentation on ants, but there’s also a six-legged version of the Defensive Footwork Skill.

[Ooooooo. Sounds fancy.]

to knock down, recover faster and more coordinated in tight spaces. Combined with your organs and mutations, you’ll be pushing those

to defend yourself. No need to absorb the blow that misses! I’m a fan of this idea. Combined with my sturdy carapace and plating, not to mention my extraordinary regenerative capacity, my multi-layered defence will only grow stronger. Am I an ant, or

Granin huffs. [For the next, we wanted to focus on the mental side. You’ve been throwing around some pretty mighty spells lately and handling a vast quantity of mana. I know you’ve got a lot

I was

to us in the first place. We know

[Right.]

suggest you take Concentration, Mana

didn’t need it,

time, we thought that way too. You have your multiple brains to help manage the mind constructs necessary for the complex mana manipulation you need, but there’s a particular fusion for which the Skill

[Which does what?]

unknown benefit is that adding the Mana Weave Skill into the mix boosts each of those minds in their capacity to manipulate mana. This will be almost a requirement if you’re