Antelligent Design

10. Grinding all Day, Grinding all Night

The next few days pass in a blur. Crinis, Tiny and I continued to use our Skills over and over again in the search of those elusive Levels. In order to push harder, we forego sleep. No true training montage includes sleep!

This does mean things got a little hazy after a while.

Tiny and I took the next group of villagers who changed their classes through the shortcut in order to power Level them through the transition. Supposedly, this boost will help the most, since they’re switching from such weak classes to something with a non-horrific stat gain. These first ten Levels or so will give them the oomph they’ll need to accelerate to the point they can fight monsters on their own.

After the humans returned to their village, it was back to the grind for us. I eventually switched to grinding on my Bite Skills. According to Beyn, it’s highly likely that a fusion of Bite Skills exists if I can get them to the same rank. I currently have three Bite Skills, the highest being my Shattering Bite, then Splintering Chomp, and finally Shredding Bite. If I can get all three to the same rank, then the option to fuse them will likely become available. The higher they get before that point, the more potent the fusion will be. I’m going to push and see if I can get them all to rank four. That would be the best outcome.

And all the while, those twenty pupae sit still, somewhere above my head, like ticking time bombs. It should take them roughly a week in pupal form before they hatch.

The next two days bring more grinding until we collapse in a heap, too exhausted to continue any further. Some sleep is in order.

Before we rest, I check our statuses to bask in the fruits of our labours.

Tiny’s gained four Levels in Expert Ape Boxing, two in Brutal Uppercut, advancing the Skill to Severe Brutal Uppercut, three Levels in Fancy Feet, increasing in rank to Dazzling Fancy Feet, and his Smash Skill has become Heavy Smash Level three.

His punching Skills have all Levelled up, making his fists even deadlier in combat. I still have no idea what Fancy Feet does, but I suspect it has something to do with balance and footwork, as opposed to actual dancing. I have no proof though…

All in all, a respectable boost to his strength, but Dr. Anthony recommends further grinding.

Crinis has also reaped some fruits.

Her Advanced Shadow Flesh Manipulation was the main beneficiary, raising it to the third rank, Expert Shadow Flesh Manipulation Level one. Advanced Grappling gained three Levels to reach Level seven, Enhanced Tremor Sense raised two Levels, her Tentacle Walking reached the second rank, at Smooth Tentacle Walking Level one. Crinis also showed her dedicated attitude by obsessively grinding her Mana Manipulation and pushed it to Mana Shaping Level two.

With her flesh manipulation reaching new heights, combined with her enhanced mass, Crinis is now able to manifest a truly ridiculous number of tentacles, and her control over them has grown impressive. Razor thin tentacle wires, tentacle nets, you name it, she can do it. As a shadow puppeteer, she is without equal.

As for myself…

Heh… heh-heh… Gwehehehehehe.

BEHOLD!

Mana Scrooge, two Levels up to Level three. Cerebral Endurance upgraded to Advanced Cerebral Endurance Level two. Deep Meditation up four to Level six. Stamina increased in rank to Advanced Stamina Level two. Mana Transformation went up three to Level nine. Shredding Bite up four to Level five. Splintering Chomp up two Levels to Level six, and Shattering Bite rocketed up to Level twelve!

Most importantly, Advanced Water Magic Affinity gained a whopping seven Levels to ten and advanced to third rank—Expert Water Magic Affinity!

MUAHAHAHAHAAA!—GASP—So tired… Phew.

MUAHAHAHAHAAA!

It nearly melted all of my brains together, but I did it. How many thousands of water and ice spells did I have to cast? Don’t ask! I don’t want to think about it…

According to Beyn, reaching the third rank should unlock the next set of magical affinities. No sooner do I spend the Skill Point to advance the Skill, than I pop open the menu and see what my options are.

Come onnnnn Gravity, gimme that suction! That sounds wrong…

The menu reads as follows:

Mind Magic Affinity.

Mineral Magic Affinity.

Sound Magic Affinity.

Healing Magic Affinity.

NOOOOOOOOO. Why, dammit!

My dreams… My hopes… All gone to ashes.

This means I’ll have to select one of these and Level it to the third rank before unlocking the next wave… That’s a heck of a lot more grinding… Ugh!

Well, which of the three options will be best? Unlocking Mind Magic is likely due to it being the construct I use the second most. Mineral Magic probably because of my digging Skills and species as an ant, presuming it’s a kind of advanced Earth Magic. Sound Magic? Possibly because of my sneak Skills? Healing I would put down to my emphasis on regeneration and possibly my exposure to Healing Mana from the queen.

Sigh …

Perhaps Gravity is simply too powerful to become available so quickly…

Let’s hope so.

Of the four options, I’ll pick Mind Magic. It makes a lot of sense since I frequently use it already and I feel like there is a ton of potential there for shenanigans. If it really is capable of reading minds and altering memories, then I can do all sorts of things with it.

After Levelling up all these Skills and grinding my minds into dust, it’s time for some rest.

Exhausted, we collapse into sleep, having recruited Vibrant and her posse to protect us.

As torpor gradually leaches through my body and the world stills, there is one thought lingering in my mind: the next generation is only five days away.