Chapter 174 Options abound (1/2)

I have to say I'm quite excited to finally be able to evolve again. I know I should wait and pile on the Bioma.s.s but I simply can't contain my excitement.

So I'm weak! Sue me!

Everyone has to have a weakness and perhaps this is mine. Rather than shovelling my face full of monsters' sticky insides, as delightful as that sounds, I would rather be taking a brief nap and then waking up a whole new being.

It involves the consumption of less guts, for one thing.

I can't help but get excited for the possible options that may be present to me when I evolve. The mind ant species has been good to me, dramatically increasing my strength and propelling me further along the path of magic. As great as it's been, I feel like I need one more push in order to achieve a proper mastery of magic. If I have an option that will further enhance my mind I'll be hard pressed to turn it down.

Before any of that though, I have to form the special core.

LET'S DO THIS!

…..

GAWD ALMIGHTY!

MAH BRAIN!

[Core Engineering has reached level 6]

Worth!

After all of my effort I'm finally done! In front of me sits a new s.h.i.+ny special core, the announcement from Gandalf still ringing in my ears.

[Compatible special core detected …]

Ya.s.ssss!

This mental torture is finally over! Despite being as mentally fatigued as I am I eagerly begin the absorption process immediately. Not even a microsecond pa.s.ses before the truly uncomfortable squeezing feeling erupts in my guts.

NOPE!

I remember this feeling! It sucks!

As if my intestine were slowly swelling with gas but there was nowhere for it to go, the tightness swells until it turns into pain. Then it swells some more and turns into even more pain.

Yeeouch!

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to do this immediately after wearing myself down, grinding my own brain against the stone to produce these cores. But it's too late to complain about it now, I'll just have to push through and endure.

Grit those mandibles Anthony, show what an ant you are! Do the workers complain? No! Will you complain? Only sometimes!

Every second only intensified the pain so I try and distract myself in any way possible. The first thing I try to do is look around the room for something to catch my eye, but everyone in the room is sleeping or something like it!

Tiny is openly snoring in front of me. I'm not even sure if he's evolving or decided to take a nap first. Vibrant is still posed, perfectly still, on the floor in the corner, still nothing going on there. Crinis is bobbling in the middle of the room on the floor. I'm not sure exactly when she wobbled over there but I may as well pick her up again.

[Crinis, over here] I stutter, mental teeth still clenched against the pain.

I extend a leg out and Crinis latches on with a few tentacles, swiftly making her own may onto my back where she wibbles a bit a settles into a seemingly comfortable nook between my body segments.

[Any idea how close you are to reaching fully grown?] I ask, desperate for distractions.

[.....] nothing.

Perhaps if I wasn't stuck with the least talkative of my gang this might have gone better.

[You know Crinis, I would be really grateful if you would talk to me a little at the moment] I encourage her.

[…. I don't know master] she answers quietly.

I sense that she's a little disappointed that she isn't useful yet. I'm completely not fussed however. I was lugging Tiny around for ages before he was able to be useful. In many ways he still isn't useful…

[Not to worry Crinis, it won't be long and you'll be back to shredding monsters, you'll see]

I can still vividly remember the sight of her mature form ripping monsters apart and eating them whole. I don't think I'll ever forget it actually…

[I hope so master] she replies.