Antelligent Design

2. Changer of Ways

Right then. For the time being, my Skills are dealt with. Now for the juicy bit.

The Biomass.

I poke Tiny until he wakes and put him on guard duty. We’re still in the Dungeon after all, and if anything spawns in here, I need it smashed ASAP. I’m going to be busy mutating and don’t want to be disturbed.

Finally!

It’s just me and three hundred and fifty-six Biomass.

It won’t go as far as I want it to go, I get that. All of my mutations need to get to +20 before I evolve, and I’ve only just completed the +10 set. I’m determined this time though. No evolution until it’s done!

Just going from +10 to +15 is going to cost me… sixty-five Biomass…

SIXTY-FIVE! Then I have to go from fifteen to twenty…

Ugh. I hate being reminded of this. From five to ten is only forty by comparison. I remember when that amount seemed outrageous.

Well, nothing I can do about it but eat, I suppose.

For now, I want to test something that Beyn mentioned during our discussions. Apparently, a big part of the System is focused on consolidation and reinforcement. Fusing is one part of this, where Classes and Skills can become combined to create a new and more powerful Skill. The other side of the coin is when the System doubles down on one thing, making it a stronger and better version of itself.

According to Beyn, this typically occurs in either threes or twos. Three Skills combine to make a new Skill, or two classes combine to create a new class. It isn’t a hard and fast rule by any means. He said he knew of one class which required ten Levels in five—yes, five!—separate classes before fusion occurred. It’s just usually the case.

How this applies to monsters, he wasn’t sure. I have a feeling the +15 upgrade won’t be just choosing another mutation. I’m determined to find out now before progressing any further on my other mutations.

[Would you like to upgrade Savage Infused Mandibles to +15? This will cost sixty-five Biomass.]

You betcha.

[At this level, you may choose to combine your mutations or emphasise one. Which will you select?]

AHA! We were right!

At this stage, the System will either allow you to combine your current mutations to create a new variant or emphasise one of your mutations, enhancing it over the other. Interesting! The more I learn about the System, the more depth it seems to have.

My mandibles have the infused mutation, which allows me to channel raw Mana from my core into them in order to improve their cutting power. The savage mutation increases their size, density and strength, making them the beastly tools of biting they are today.

Is there one that I prefer over the other? Infused is probably the more powerful boost, but it costs Mana, placing another drain on my mental resources. Whereas savage is just a straight up passive boost, affecting the structure of the mandibles themselves.

To be honest, they’re a great combo together. Savage improves my baseline biting power, and infused gives me a higher peak. There isn’t any reason to take one over the other.

I’ll fuse them!

Whoa, but first…

[Do you wish to improve Hardened Diamond Carapace to +15? This will cost sixty-five Biomass.]

May as well take care of this one at the same time.

[At this level, your mutations will be reinforced. Do you wish to proceed?]

Hmm! Since I chose to enhance the original mutation the second time around, I don’t have a fusion option, only a reinforcement one. It’s not a problem, though. I’ve grown super fond of my Diamond Carapace.

Confirm both of those mutations!

Wait a sec. Something’s building.

As if from a great distance.

Is it the ocean? The rising tide?

…Nope. It’s the itch.

PALLALAFLAZZZZ!