Chapter 420 Gratuitous Death Sphere (1/2)
Of course there's a dodge skill. It's obvious that there would be one. It's a cla.s.sic skill! One of the very basics. Right up there with 'charge' and 'hit', there is always going to be dodge! I don't remember seeing it in the menu when I first checked the available skills, so it must have unlocked at some point. Perhaps when my stats were high enough, or after I'd successfully avoided an attack from something.
Why the heck didn't I go back and check for dodge? I suppose I've adopted a strategy of allowing myself to get hit for most combatants. What with my incredible, s.h.i.+ny carapace and ability to s.h.i.+ft position to maximise the usefulness of said s.h.i.+ny carapace, I've not really needed to dodge. Except when I run into the big powerful stuff, then I really, really needed to.
Grumbling at myself, I purchase the dodge skill. I really need to be a little more diligent in checking for new skills popping up over the course of my battles. There's no prompts, so you never know if something super useful has popped up. Whilst I wait for Crinis to complete her evolution, I pa.s.s the mind magic shenanigans over to my sub-brains and peruse the lists looking for more defensive options.
Sure enough, a couple stand out and I purchase them readily.
[Endure: Provides knowledge and instincts to a.s.sist absorbing impacts when struck by heavy blows.]
[Grace: a.s.sists the user in maintaining balance when moving or in combat.]
Combined with dodge, these skills should help to elevate my defensive game to a new level! With my future sense and ma.s.sively heightened reflexes, I should be able to dodge, duck and weave my way out of a lot of trouble! If I'd thought to purchase these skills and level them up I'd have had a much easier time avoiding those reckless charges from Garralos.h.!.+
Ah well, no use crying over it.
Actually since, I'm sitting around waiting. I should do a couple of cheeky mutations. Before we advance deeper into the Dungeon, I surely want to upgrade my stomach. If we're going to run into some higher tier enemies, I definitely want to be able secure my fill of that sweet Bioma.s.s!
[Do you wish to improve Discerning Stomach +5 to Bottomless Discerning Stomach +10? This will cost 40 Bioma.s.s.]
I do! And then for another 65, I'll fuse those two upgrades to achieve the Gluttonous stomach +15! Bwahaha!
Nice!
HURK!
It's okay! I can take it! Just one organ mutating is nothing to me now! A mere stomach. How could that possibly compare to the maddening itch of your very skeleton mutating? Or your muscles?! Bah! I can resist! I'll stand strong!
[Master? Are you alright?]
[GAH! Crinis! I thought you were still evolving?!]
[I'm finished, as you can see.]
It was true. She'd changed very slightly in shape once again. Her evolutions had a tendency to be undramatic on the outside, but a little more show stopping on the inside. This time was no different. Her size has once again seen an increase, she's approaching a beach ball now. She still has eight stubby tentacles and are permanently extended that act as her 'legs' and now she has four slender tentacles that extend equidistant from each other around the circ.u.mference of her body, almost like arms.
[Looking good there, Crinis!] I grind out as my stomach continues its metamorphosis. [I hope you're happy with everything that you picked!]
The ball of death s.h.i.+fted from side to side, suddenly shy.
[I believe so, Master. Why don't you check and see what you think?]
[Good idea!] I gasp.
Moving slowly so as not to betray the awful itch tearing up my insides, I stagger jerkily towards Crinis and slap an antennae down on her before she can question my lack of control.