Chapter 689 - Close to power (1/2)
My reaction must have given something away, Granin was always quite good at reading me. Amazingly so considering I don't have facial muscles and therefore no expression to speak of. Perhaps his many decades of experience working with monsters has given him some sort of sixth sense in matters such as this.
[What's your level?] he asks.
[Bit rude, just up and asking like that, isn't it?] I feel exposed.
He grunts.
[Keep your false modesty. There's a whole nest of ants here who need your strength, so out with it.]
[Seventy three.]
[That's close,] he whistles, [you're going to need that consultation before too long. With the wave coming, those levels and the Bioma.s.s requirements should be filled pretty quick.]
He pauses our conversation for a moment to turn and speak to Torrina and Corun. The three of them converse in rapid tones for a moment before he turns back to me.
[Sounds like you haven't exactly been availing yourself of the help I sent you,] he says sourly.
I feel a little guilty. The two golgari cultists had abandoned their people to come and help me because they, along with Granin, saw potential for something great in me. I've just never been much of a careful planner. Or a deep thinker. Or patient. Hang on a second. Am I just stupid?
[Don't think about it too much,] Granin sighs, [I know you can't be bothered thinking about this stuff. Since you aren't going anywhere until the little stumps wiggling on your side grow a bit more, I may as well explain a couple of things.]
The big shaper lowers himself to the ground and sits in front of me, looking at me face to face.
[The thing you need to keep in mind, is that monsters are stronger than people.]
That doesn't seem right. That t.i.tus guy was crazy strong! He carved down one of the frickin' gates by himself! As if sensing my protest before it arrives, Granin raises a hand.
[I know, alright? Just stop thinking for a minute and listen. Yes, individuals can become very strong. You might even say monstrously strong,] he smirks before he settles and continues, [in the legends, during the Rending, the great golgari heroes were supposedly capable of truly ridiculous feats. One of the first shapers was supposedly so strong in earth magic, he could conjure a mountain to smash his foes with. Whether or not that's true, none can say. Now whilst that strength might seem impressive, the number of golgari, human, folk or any other race who manage to achieve that kind of power are less than one in a million. Way less. The other indisputable fact is, no person has ever matched the kind of strength that the ancients possess, and each of them, is a monster.]
[How many billions of monsters does it take before one rises to the level of an ancient?] I say sceptically, [all you've really told me is that monsters have higher potential.]
Granin waves a hand.
[We're getting a little side tracked, talking about the ancients. What I was more trying to emphasise is that, generally speaking, a monster is stronger than a human or golgari. Strong monsters need teams of strong people to bring them down. Eventually, some monsters get powerful enough that large teams of up to a hundred are necessary. You've probably met a few like that, surely?]
Garralosh, obviously, but she was a special case, being a reincarnator like me. I've seen strong monsters though. The giant whale fish thing I glimpsed in the first expanse I visited in the second strata, or the giant spider mama who was such a pain in the b.u.t.t. Seeing agreement in me, he continues.
[Right. At the moment you're tier five, once you reach tier six and above, you've joined the ranks of the elite monsters, the type that very few people can hope to match one on one. They exist of course, especially the deeper in the Dungeon you get, but you're on the precipice of real strength.]
He gives me a second for that to sink in.
[The other thing you need to be aware of is how the options will change starting with your next evolution. You probably noticed looking at your eyeball over there,] he gestures toward Invidia, [that he has mutations and abilities that haven't been available to you. Am I right?]
I nod slowly.
[That's true. I figured it was because of the strata we originated from. As a demon, he gets access to juicier stuff than me, since I'm just an insect from the upper layers.]
[That's true. The deeper you go, the 'juicier' the options a monster will get by default. However, the playing field is meant to be level in the Dungeon. Sapients and monsters alike, everyone is supposed to have the same chance to succeed. This means there must be a way to balance this discrepancy.]