RinoZ

Chapter 419 - Gratuitous Death Sphere

Of course there's a dodge skill. It's obvious that there would be one. It's a classic skill! One of the very basics. Right up there with 'charge' and 'hit', there is always going to be dodge! I don't remember seeing it in the menu when I first checked the available skills, so it must have unlocked at some point. Perhaps when my stats were high enough, or after I'd successfully avoided an attack from something.

Why the heck didn't I go back and check ...

Chapter 418 - Crinis Evolves!

[The time has come, Crinis! Time to seize your destiny. To elevate yourself to a higher plane. A new tier, if you will. You shall become stronger, more powerful, more excellent in every way. But choices will need to be made. You must navigate the labyrinthine System and make the selections that speak true to you. Be certain of your path and firm in your convictions! What you select matters not, only how you feel about your choices matters. Reach d...

Chapter 417 - Hospitality

It's been nice, visiting the Sophos. Despite their somewhat decrepit and ghastly appearance, they were fine hosts. Every day they'd bring Biomass to Tiny, Crinis and I and we'd feast together with Formo and his favourite pets. They even took time to show me how they worked with cores and put together some of their most powerful pets. I have to say, their means and methods were far beyond what I was capable of. Even after the first session I was happy to bo...

Chapter 416 - Road to recovery

Morrelia was tired. There were many reasons for a person in the village to be tired. Construction had continued unabated since the threat of the horde had faded for one. The militia had not relented in their training and practice either, which consumed a lot of energy. Small scale Dungeon delves still took place every day, much safer now than when the wave had been underway and that required coordinating and supervision.

There were rescue teams being...

Chapter 415 - The fire of industry

Tungstant snapped back to alertness with a start. Her mind was still fuzzy with fatigue, but she pushed her feet beneath her with alacrity, energy surging through her body. There was so much to do! So much work, so much discovery! It was electric! How could a Formica Sapiens possibly rest when the tasks to perform lay spread before them like a delicious banquet? Impossible!

She charged out of the chamber in which she was resting to find the tunnels f...

TDYK - Soul Fall .4

Any advice that came from Bbl was suspect, but Theo didn't think anything bad could come out of having talked to the souls. They'd be here for a long time after all.

"You mentioned something about a package?" he asked Bbl.

"Don't worry about that" the crab waved a claw. "That'll happen soon enough. Talking to the souls will teach you an important lesson."

Theo frowned, irritated at being spoken down to. But he couldn't deny his curiosity....

TDYK - Soul Fall .3

Paralysed by the dreaded reality that had manifested before him, Theo could only gape at his advisor as the crustacean threw a vigorous tantrum. It was quite impressive. The crab flung himself from side to side, occasionally leaping onto his back and kicking vigorously with his pointy little legs whilst snapping his claws and cursing vividly. Theo just stared at him since it helped him avoid looking at the doomed souls who'd landed in his possession. ...

TDYK - Soul Fall .2

Just over twenty four hours later, Theo saw his first Soul Fall. It was a remarkably short amount of time, considering the vast, infinite space of the Chaos and the random nature of it, for which Theo was grateful. If he'd had to watch Bbl wallow in his pointless depression any longer, he may have been motivated to do something about it.

Whilst the crab had moped and sighed about the place, Theo had been a little more productive. He could only say 'a...

TDYK - Soul Fall .1

Bbl felt a pain deep in his soul, such that he had hoped never to experience again. He felt as if his shell had been cracked open and the vicious, pink human had spent ten years scooping his insides out with a rusty implement. In reality, Theo had spent a little over nine hours in his interview with the small crab, and he still wasn't satisfied.

He shook his head slightly and pinched his brow to try and settle his thoughts. It didn't help th...

TDYK (The devil you know) The Demesne .3

Repost this one since I edited it. 

For those who don't know, I post little bits and pieces of other stories that I tinker with. The devil you know is one such, and it should be searchable here on patreon. Or on Royal Road where I posted it after I leaked it by mistake... >.<

-----

Theo ignored his chair for the moment and turned to the other half of the screen that held a model of h...

Chapter 414 - The real art of core shaping

[Do you guys mind? My pet is feeling a little put upon here.]

As one the Sophos turn on me.

[MIND YOUSELF, BOY! THE EXPERTS ARE TALKING!]

Yikes. Not one to mince words, this one. Although, I could say the same for all of the Sophos I've met. They seem universally loud and pugnacious.

[THAT'S HIS PET, YOU NINCOMPOOP!]

[HOW DARE YOU!]

[OH, I DARE THAT AND MORE!]

[FORMO, YOU SLACK JAWED NINNY! I'LL MAKE PAJAMAS OUT OF...

Chapter 413 - Day Spa

[Most of our civilisation was lost when the blasted system changed us. No need for farmers, artists or poets when you're a monster. It was our ability to manipulate cores and create pets to fight for us that mattered, and over the years we've taken that skill as far as we can.]

The two of us were relaxing in Formo's house, carved into the wall around the outskirts of the forge. The inside was as simple as the outside, a small number of rooms, a crude...

Chapter 412 - Formo Returns

[Is there a particular reason why you Sophos are so loud?]

[LOUD? WE'RE TALKING MENTALLY YOU CRETIN. NOT A SOUND IS MADE!]

[Formo! You know exactly what I mean! Every time I form a mind bridge with a Sophos I've had my head rung like a bell! Can you tone it down a little?]

[WE ARE SIMPLY EXUBERANT, MY BOY! FULL OF BEANS!]

[I seriously doubt you eat beans, Formo.]

[WELL, NOT UNLESS IT WAS A BEAN MONSTER I SUPPOSE!]

[Just,...

Chapter 411 - The Sophos Village

When our guide finally appeared before us, I did a quick double take as he was remarkably similar to Formo in appearance. The impression was somewhat reinforced when he arrived riding on the back of a tremendously fearsome worm monster.

[WHAT HO! ARE YOU THE DASTARDLY CREATURES WHO THROTTLED MY CREATION?]

I take that's my queue to step forward then.

[Ah, yes. Hello there! We come in peace! Had we realised that the creature we were battlin...

Chapter 410 - Shadow Flower

[DIEEEEEE!] Crinis shrieks as she continues her furious tentacle assault, one that is matched by the dark flower in its intensity.

Their conflict looks like nothing quite so much as an enormous pile of shoelaces actively tying themselves into knots. That interaction takes a darker turn in seconds as both sets of shoelaces suddenly extend differing but equally savage barbs that start to tear into each other with abandon.

The tunnel reverberates ...

Chapter 409 - Tunnel Time

My mandibles close with a mighty crunch and another massive centipede has met an early grave. 

[You have slain level 15 Adult Claw Centipede]

[You have gained experience.]

To one side, Tiny is pinning down a rotting rabbit and he is repeatedly punching it in the head until it stops moving and on the other, Crinis continues to work her dark magic on the creatures unfortunate enough to fall into her clutches.

[Got things under co...

Chapter 409 - Search for the Sophos

Ah, the itch is back. It's horrendous. In just moments I'm on the ground with Tiny and Crinis watching over my prone and twitching form. Perhaps I should have waited until I was on my own, but once I started I got caught up! Why do I suffer this endless torment!?

To be honest, the worst part, by far, is the Vestibule. As the strange flesh crystal undergoes its mutation, waves of irritating, irresistible itchiness roll through my whole body until my e...

Chapter 408 - hello again, my old friend

Next on the chopping block is the final link in the commercial zone the Acid Stimulation Gland. It's a simple gland that does what it says on the tin, replenishes the acid faster. I'm curious what sort of upgrades would be available for something so relatively straight forward.

[Do you wish to improve Acid Stimulation Gland to +5? This will cost 15 Biomass]

[At this level you may choose a mutation advancement, select from the menu]

If the...

Chapter 407 - Aphid Time

"If you believe your entire world is a prison, is it wrong to try and break it?"

Question posed by Orisan'shan. Founder of the Closed Circle Society at the Academy of Stone Soul.

After chatting for a little while, I bit farewell to the Queen's and let them get back to their important work, namely eating and producing brood. In one month, the colony will have over ten thousand individuals. I've no idea how they're going to mana...

Chapter 406 - Let's get back to business

Finally! Back in the nest and away from the crazy! The Kaarmodo is gone (hopefully) and I have nothing to worry about. Let's go get it!

Full of energy, I barrel into the nest and charge down the main shaft. I'm heading for that Dungeon and nothing's going to stop me! Lumbering behind, Tiny shares my enthusiasm. He missed the entire battle and I can tell he's sour about it. The closer we get to the Dungeon, the brighter the big apes eyes become. By th...

Chapter 405 - Conversation with a wizard-lizard

[I do not wish you burden you with knowledge that you may not be prepared to understand. My order has spent much time plumbing the mysteries behind this place and despite centuries of effort, we have only been able to learn a portion of the whole truth. Even that limited understanding came largely through the intervention of an outside influence.]

I have a feeling I should pull up a chair and whip out my spiral bound notebook as the teacher is about ...

Chapter 404 - Unexpected meeting

In an effort to return to normalcy, I think it's best that I get back to the colony as quickly as possible. With Crinis and Tiny in tow, we make our way out of the village. Before long my thoughts begin to wander toward the Common Will Vestibule. It's powerful, there's no doubt about that. The constant flow of energy that trickles from the gem-like organ and into my system is nourishing in an all-encompassing way. It washes away my fatigue, refills my othe...

Chapter 403 - The church of Anthony

[What in the name of all that is good on Pangera, has infected your minds?] I said.

Enid could only grimace next to me before she tried to justify it, dropping her in my esteem a few points.

[People saw what you did during the battle. From our wall we were able to watch the whole fight. Not to mention the healers who appeared during the battle to cure our wounded. There isn't a single person in the village who could say they don’t' have at le...

Chapter 402 - Food coma

It took two days to clear the battlefield. Two whole days of the entire colony working around the clock, hauling, cutting, storing and generally stuffing their faces at every possible moment. Even with so many ants eating so much, the nest was still stuffed to the brim with Biomass that needed to get consumed yesterday. The Queen had consumed the most, from the moment she had recovered until she's been forced to rest by concerned member of the twe...

Chapter 401 - heat is falling, heat is rising

A hundred of the most highly trained and powerful warriors within the Liria Bulwark sat in the tunnels, sweat and grime covering their forms. Each of them was exhausted. They'd battled for hours here, one the edge of the defensive line. Wave after wave of shadow beasts had assaulted their position. Even the odd demon had been mixed in, something that Myrrin had never thought she'd see.

A tap at her shoulder caused Myrrin to turn and then raise her he...

Chapter 400 - The conclusion, The feast

As Garralosh lies, heaving in pain, her aura diminished almost to nothing, I receive healing from a team of hastily summoned ants. Though the battle has drained them to the point of exhaustion, they manage to squeeze out enough healing mana that I'm able to push my legs underneath my body and stand up once more.

"Eldest." Victor speaks up as she approaches from my right. "Is it over? Do you think Garralosh can still fight?"

"I don't know. I'll ...

Chapter 399 - The Beast Falls

Air, sound, even light itself seems to drain away as the Gravity Bomb tears it's way though the space between us. Even deep in her frenzy, Garralosh has enough awareness to know that the dark, rotating sphere screaming its way towards her face is bad news. Her claws dig into the ground as she attempts to shift her momentum. It's an impossible task.

She's too damn big, even with her high level skills assisting, she can't possibly turn that ship around...