Chapter 63 Core concern (1/2)
The aftermath of a monster battle is a fairly gruesome place, especially when it's ants picking over the field.
This area of the forest has a veritable carpet of deceased monsters. Black furred rabbits mixed with centipedes and the two wolf-dragons cover the ground. On top of them the ants make another layer, bustling with insect urgency. Their job is now the rather messy work of butchery. Most of these workers are still hatchlings, only a few having evolved into mature workers like me. This means they can't carry an entire monster body back into the nest in one go, instead they are forced to break up the food and transport it in pieces.
All around me this somewhat distasteful work is being done, workers using their mandibles to carve away at the food at then lifting their prize and merrily sprinting off towards the nest in order to make their delivery as quickly as possible and return for more.
Even with over sixty workers here it is going to take a little while before the work is done.
With the Queen now having retreated back to the nest I've decided to stick around until the workers have completed their task. If more monsters come to act the vulture and try to steal our hard won prize I want to be here to help defend it. I didn't work this hard and make the Queen mad just to risk losing everything we worked for!
Still, looking over the remains of the battlefield I feel a slight sense of accomplishment. Each of those monster bodies represents experience that has been funnelled into the workers already, fuelling their growth and bringing more and more of them closer to evolution.
As long as the colony can last until the next generation emerges then we will be in a tremendous spot, growing explosively and becoming much safer.
Tiny has already leapt from my back and started to feast, his little hands shovelling the Bioma.s.s into his face with incredible speed.
Slow down there little buddy.. You might get a stomach ache.
I'm pleased to see his increased appet.i.te, the sooner he grows and begins to show the fearsome strength of the monster I took the core from the better off we'll be. Recalling that his core came from creature strong enough to go toe to toe with a t.i.tan-Croc makes me hopeful that Tiny will be able to exert that same kind of strength in the future.
With all of the monsters here focused on the Bioma.s.s I have a different prize in my sights.
There are a few large, evolved monsters here and I am desperately hoping that they will have some cores for me. I refuse to evolve without maxing out my core!
I move over to the two wolf-dragons first and begin chewing through them, not just gaining Bioma.s.s but also hunting for a possible core. My own core is deep within the center of my body and it has been thereabouts in every monster I've found it in so far, so I have to eat my way down to find it.
I gain two Bioma.s.s from the first before I decide there probably isn't a core and rather than finish it off I rush to the other one, pus.h.i.+ng a few workers out of the way in order to secure my place to hunt for that precious sphere.
[You have gained Bioma.s.s]
[Compatible monster core detected. Would you like to reinforce your core or reconst.i.tute a monster?]
Bwhahahaha!
The prize is mine!
Even if I have the Core Mechanic skill I'm not willing to waste any monster core on practicing it until I have achieved my most important goal, the maxed out core!
Absorb that core!
As the core melts into the air I can feel the energy flowing into my own, strengthening and enlarging it, increasing its capacity to store the mana that infuses this world.
Excellent!
Keep hustling Anthony, there is more to go!
Having checked both of the wolf-dragons I now abandon the center of the battle and sprint over to where a few workers are starting to pick over the Croca-beasts.
Mine, mine, mine, mine!
Pus.h.i.+ng aside a few workers I greedily dive into the first Croca-Beast, this one was the first monster the Queen directly cut in half, making it fairly easy to look for the core. After barely eating at all I decide their isn't any core to be had and I hustle over the to the next one.
Hopefully my worker brethren don't feel I'm being too greedy … If I can evolve with a fully maxed core I'll be able to repay the investment many fold! Forgive me guys.
[You have gained Bioma.s.s]
[Compatible monster core detected. Would you like to reinforce your core or reconst.i.tute a monster?]
Yessssss!
Reinforce Dat Core!
Once again the pleasant stretching sensation occurs as my core absorb more energy, growing more dense and larger. The power!
With this my Max Mp has reached 40, which is double what I was able to sustain before evolving. I kind of expect that this means I've reached my maximum?
Only one way to find out. Crossing my metaphorical toes I move towards the remains of the t.i.tan-Croc. The body lies leaning against the stump of the shattered tree, it's chest a broken ruin.
I cannot believe I was able to fell such a ma.s.sive creature in one blow. The power of Forceful Mana is not to be underestimated! It may be a little c.u.mbersome to use in a fight right now, but as I get more and more level and my core becomes stronger, what sort of power will I be able to unleash?
My mind is boggling!