Chapter 81 Flex the mental muscle! (1/2)

Consciousness slowly returns by drips, a tiny thought falling on top of a little sensation until my mind pools together and I awake.

HOOGEDAH!

Whoa!

For some reason I feel like I was deep under that time! I technically don't actually sleep so fully losing my awareness is becoming more and more strange to me. The sensation of actually 'waking up' is starting to feel unnerving.

The next thing to hit me is…

Ah! Everything feels weird!

My body is larger, my brain is different, I have new organs and my carapace feels strange!

This sensation is really weird Gandalf!

I mean, it was bad the first time but this evolution has been a much larger change overall!

Especially the brain! The feeling of having more brain than before is so strange I can't even properly define it. It's like I can think…. More? I feel as if I'm constantly thinking about the flow of energy in my core (which is almost empty) even when I'm not thinking about it…

So weird.

The other thing is the sharp increase in size! Last time I spend my might on half size, half density so my change in height and length was not quite as p.r.o.nounced as it is this time. It's hard to estimate clearly but I think my size has increased by about thirty percent? It's a lot!

I take a moment to stretch out my legs and wiggle each of my three body segments, just trying to become accustomed to the new me.

Waking up as a whole new creature is just so strange, I don't think I'll ever get used to it. I can almost feel that I'm leaving my human-self further and further behind with every evolution. I mean, I have an extra brain now for goodness sake!

It's ok, just going to take a little getting used to, nothing to worry about.

I start flicking my antennae around to get my bearings. Seems like I've been sleeping for a little while, but not too much has changed in here. Tiny has woken up but doesn't seem willing to actually bother himself by moving at all. I think he's just waiting for more prey to drop into the traps.

Here and there a few workers are poking about, attracted by the scent of prey that lingers in this place. This is good since they'll be able to a.s.sist and call for aid if anything were to fall into the trap.

I'm so excited to try and practice my magic skills. It's a shame that my core has basically been emptied over the course of my evolution, so I won't be able to do much, but I just have to check it out and see how effective it is.

Eagerly I sink my mind deep into my core.

So fast?!

Almost as if I was already there my mind flashes into the core, the trailing wisps of magical energy floating and billowing like smoke.

I tease some of energy out, grasping it in my thoughts, then directing it out of my core and into my body.

The sensation is so strange. Compared to before the strain is greatly reduced!

Before, moving the mana was like lifting a super heavy rope, which I then had to drag about to put it where I wanted it to go. Mana shaping was even more difficult, not only did I have to lift this stupidly heavy rope, I also had to try and make designs and patterns on the floor with it, and if I made a mistake the whole thing would get knocked out of order.

Now I feel like the weight of the rope has been reduced. Actually that isn't even it. I feel as if the rope weighs the same but someone else is helping to carry it, so I can mostly focus on moving it rather than lifting it.

What makes the feeling doubly strange is that the person helping me lift the burden is also me, just a different part of my mind.