Antelligent Design

55. Mind War

Dazed, my minds go blank for a terrifying moment before clarity returns. I focus my awareness on the Mind Bridge that connects the commander to me. What the hell just happened!

Somehow, in the midst of all that it was enduring, the damned croc possessed the presence of mind to detect the mental connection I’d created and used it to strike at me directly.

Really, you stupid croc? With a giant bat-faced gorilla punching your lights out and a writhing mass of tentacle death descending upon you, the little ant who’d created a Mind Bridge threatened you the most? Your priorities are messed up!

Another pulse of Mana floods down the bridge. This time, I’m prepared and focus my will to resist the impact. I may as well have been bracing to be hit by a wrecking ball. The mental strike smashes into my awareness and rattles it like a tin can. I grit my mandibles and focus all of my Will in order to prevent myself from blacking out.

If the stupid croc is so threatened by the Mind Bridge, then I’m sure as hell going to maintain it. Even if it’s going to burn through Mana faster than I want to, especially after coming so close to having exterminated myself through this exact problem.

I don’t want to spend my Mana quite so profligately, but these big monsters aren’t the kind we can take on without going all out. I just hope I don’t end up in empty core territory again. That sensation was… uncomfortable, to put it mildly.

But how can I utilise this bridge to attack the croc? Come to think of it, how on earth is this croc using the bridge to attack me? I doubt very much it’s capable of constructing a Mana Transformation construct. Does it have a Mind Magic gland? Why the heck would an evil, two-mouthed croc have a need for a Mind Magic gland? This horrific-looking monstrosity hasn’t communicated with another organism except through the medium of fire in its entire life!

The beast appears to judge that I’ve been incapacitated by its mental strikes, and turns its attention to fending off the relentless assault from Tiny. Repeatedly rocked by the ape’s tremendous fists, blood drips from a number of open wounds where Tiny managed to crack its scales.

Now the croc has enough room to swing with both arms on its right side. The wide swipe forces Tiny to retreat backward. The croc makes use of the space to open its top jaw and unleash a gout of fire at my ape pet.

What I see then, I shall never forget.

Tiny had been falling backward, off-balance after the savage swing from the croc. The follow up fireball should have turned him into a roasted side of ape, but instead, a miracle occurs. One moment, Tiny is flat footed as he stumbles, the next moment he’s risen onto the balls of his feet, his tense expression fading to be replaced by one of extreme calm. Then he floats to one side, executes a graceful pirouette, and avoids the flame breath of the titan-croc with ease.

What the hell was that! When did you learn how to move with such… such grace and precision? His feet flickered so quick, he—

Wait a sec.

Is that Fancy Feet? That suspicious dance-related Skill? When the heck have you been practising that, you brute?! Have you been dancing when I can’t see you, you cursed ape? If you had a Skill that was so useful, why the heck didn’t you let me know about it? I’ll ignore the fact that I could have checked the details by examining his core. I never bothered because the name of the Skill seemed to be so frivolous, I didn’t think it mattered. Even now, picturing myself dancing and floating around enemy strikes, my six legs flailing in the air, I just don’t feel like the Skill would be for me.

Titan-croc’s sure-to-hit flame strike misses, and it’s slow to react to this light-footed ape. Tiny slides to the creature’s side, raises his fists and continues to deliver justice. By now, Crinis has managed to bind two of the creature’s arms together and unleash her gruesome work. The teeth that line her tentacles grind and slice away at the croc, who appears to be less than appreciate of the experience.

This damn croc. It’s so damn tough, it’ll take some time for Crinis to get through. Though Tiny is doing good work, the damage hasn’t piled up as quickly as I’d like. The thing we need to keep aware of is the Mana attrition we’re experiencing. I’ve burned through a chunk of my reserves already by creating this Mind Bridge, and the trickle of Mana from my core into the Gravitational Mana Gland is a constant worry.

Similarly, Tiny has expended lightning with every strike, and his core needs to replenish two Mana Glands, which will increase his expenditure.

The croc must be suffering in a similar way. As a matter of fact, it should be worse. They’re a long way from the nearest Dungeon entrance, and according to Morrelia, have been marching straight for the capital, no doubt to enter the Dungeon there and bathe in the sweet, sweet Mana.

Considering the croca-commander must be two or more evolutions ahead of me, the drain on its core must be significantly higher. The croc seems to have been willing to unleash its flames quite freely, I wonder how much further it can afford to do so.

Morrelia has swept into the battle by this stage, cutting through the chaff like a double-bladed demon. Deep in her berserker rage, she roars and screams at her foes, lacerating them with her twin swords and covering her in gore.

Nasty.

At least she’s kept the small-fry off our backs.

Time to deal with this croc. Distracted by Tiny and Crinis, I reach deep into myself with all of my minds working together in concert, exerting the full force of my intellect upon my Mana. Inside me, the Mind Mana Transformation Construct glows like an ethereal arch and I begin producing mind attribute Mana and swiftly condensing it.

With my improved Skill and the concentrated effort of all of my brains, I weave together a sending for the croca based off an experience I shall not soon forget: the searing, agonizing pain of an empty core. Deftly, I weave in the pain, the fear, the desperation and uncertainty into a tight little ball that I fire across the Mind Bridge and straight into the croca-commander’s brain.

Enjoy that, sucka!