Chrysalis

Two days pass quickly in our new environment.

So blissful! So peaceful! I haven't had anything threatening happen to me for over forty eight hours! I could go soft at this rate!

What's even more amusing is watching just how bored Tiny is, the big guy is almost catatonic, craving the stimulus of battle like a drug he's withdrawing from. Other than eating he just flops about sleeping or staring at the walls. He is so still that the workers just crawl over him as he lies there.

To be honest I feel a little bad for him. I can sympathise to some extent. Battling with your life on the line is terrifying but at the same time extremely thrilling, and the rewards provided give such immediate gratification that it becomes hard to resist the lure of combat. After spending time in those dangerous places, living on the edge constantly, our relatively peaceful environment here on the surface is a little…. Boring?

It's like our intense days were filled with shockingly vibrant splashes of colour but now our scene is far more muted and tranquil. Just like Tiny I can also feel the itching in my heart for action.

Unlike that dumb ape though, I know how to keep myself busy and getting stronger even without high level monsters to fight! I keep every day full!

Tiny and I spent most of yesterday down in our monster farming zone. I was pleased to see that the veins had rapidly extended and monsters had already been spawning by the time we got back, the familiar scenes of chaos a welcome sight in my eyes. I gave Tiny an order that he probably never wanted to hear and instructed to him to disable the monsters but not kill them.

The horror on this bat face is amusing even now. He couldn't refuse though and reluctantly ran through the small chamber, smashing legs and crippling the monsters without landing the final blow.

It was a horrifying sight actually, all those monsters on the floor, unable to even crawl or defend themselves.

When that job was done I lay down a food trail for the colony and soon a flood of workers poured into the small chamber, finishing off the monsters and carrying their precious Biomass back to the colony.

Tiny and I took a little food to stave off our hunger and then set to digging, expanding the farm a bit further out.

Since Tiny and I are both double evolved monsters and the creatures spawning in our farm are base level, we get a greatly reduced fraction of the Xp and Biomass when we kill and eat them. It just isn't worth it for us to monopolise these resources, especially considering that we need far more experience and Biomass in total to advance when compared to the workforce.

To maximise efficiency I've decided to use the farm to power level the colony, I really want more workers to advance and evolve, then they could fight more effectively without me around.

Tiny and I will have to do something soon about our stagnating levels but what exactly I haven't worked out.

Still, after we expanded the farm and I asked the workers to leave so the monsters could build up again I put my mind to practicing my magic skills.

With the low level monsters popping out in the farm I had a few targets for me to practice my spells on! So far the only 'shape' I'd been able to put into action was the Gravity Domain but there are more tucked away in my head and now I have a moment to test them out!

The first spell I tried required me to shape an intricate ball that tapered to a point on one end. I failed quite a few times on this one I'll admit, but with my Gravitational Mana topped off I was in no risk of running out! 𝗯𝐞𝗱𝗻𝐨𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝗼𝗿𝐠

Eventually I was able to finish shaping the complex construction and powered it up. Once it was ready I instinctually aimed it and fired!

The ball like spell zipped through the air at blinding speed and impacted against the monster I'd targeted in less than a second! Once it hit the spell expanded out, encompassing the creature in complex, revolving shapes which collapsed inwards a moment later.

Hoping for something spectacular to happen I was a bit disappointed when the target simply slumped to the ground and lay still. It was still alive since I'd received no notification from he with the fluffy face, so what exactly happened?

After a moment I noticed one of the creature's claws twitching slightly as it struggled to raise it. Then I realised it had been placed under the effect of powerful gravity! So this spell allowed me to fire off a gravity effect to a target further away from me, as opposed to the Domain which only effects those immediately around me!

I called it, Gravity Bolt!

So pleased why I that I spent the next hour zapping creatures with Bolts and watching them collapse on the floor, unable to lift a finger until the effect wore off. I found I could change the duration and strength of the effect depending on exactly how much I powered different parts of the construct, which led to my most impressive discovery!

Since I'd been able to identify the section of the construct that powered the effect…. Would I be able to make some changes to that part of the spell in order to modify the effect produced by the spell?

I mean, I was still using Gravitational energy, so the spell would still have a gravity effect, but what if rather than pulling the monsters down…. It pulled them up?

I mean, its gravity right? The force of gravity is produced by the energy in the spell, not the planet we are on… there isn't any reason it HAS to pull them down, right?

It took me ages to rework the spell, even though it was a relatively simple change. I wasn't changing the spell per se, but rather reconstructing one section of it upside down. I only succeeded once in my first practice.

I'd been getting frustrated after a few dozen attempts when finally things started to run smoothly, excitedly I poured my energy into the construct and blasted it towards a newly born centipede the moment it was ready.

Once struck a similar scene appeared, the bolt expanded into the revolving shapes that collapsed into the monster before it suddenly blasted towards the ceiling, impacting the roof with a sickening crunch!

.....

I think I put too much juice in that one….

Still, the effect worked! I was so pleased I did a little dance on the spot! I can really tap now that I have six legs, it has to be said.

If I could successfully remodel the Gravity Domain with the inverted effect then I'd be able to make every monster around me float, helplessly off the ground? I can't wait to try it!

The next day, after feeding the colony again and doing some more digging to expand the farm I got to practicing a second spell.

This shape was a little more demanding than the 'bolt' but eventually I was able to get it formed. Once formed, the construct looked like a spear with several rings rotating around the haft. Rather than the spear shape, those rings were the tricky bit, each one formed of many smaller rings assembled like a maddening puzzle.

When I fired the spear off it zapped out of by body and streaked towards my target. Once impacted the spear stuck in the monsters body whilst the rings expanded outwards, encompassing a small area around the creature before once again collapsing inwards.

The monster appeared rather shocked to suddenly see a spear poking out of its chest. Tentatively it tested the wound with one claw only to realise it wasn't wounded at all! I was a little crestfallen, what the heck does this spear even do?!

Then I noticed something. When the rings had expanded a nearby Thorn Lizard had been caught inside the zone and now that Lizard was being pulled towards my target monster irresistibly!

Eventually the little lizard couldn't resist the pull anymore and flew through the air towards my target, spikes first!

So this spell creates a powerful gravity field around the target monster, pulling nearby creatures towards it! Muahahahaha!

I shall call it…..

Gravity Spear!

....

It's fine!

These tests were not my only labours over the last two days either. Each night before torpor I emptied my core doing shaping practice for hours and hours. On the second night I was finally rewarded!

[Mana Shaping has reached level 10, upgrade available]

YASSSSSSSSS! The power is MINE! I even high five myself using my antennae after Tiny leaves me hanging.

[Mana Shaping -> Mana Transformation. cost 1 sp: This skill guides through the complex process of changing raw, non-attribute mana into another kind. With increasing levels this skill will provide greater assistance and proficiency in the process]

Finally! Buy that!

When I confirm the purchase an overwhelming sensation flows over my brain as knowledge comes flooding in.