It's been a while since I checked in on my three companions, ages in fact. At tier six, they're powerful and intelligent monsters in their own right, capable of making their own decisions about how they want to progress and grow.
And yes, I'm including Tiny in that. He's not as dumb as he once was, though he's still quite dim, and he's proven that he can invest his Skill Points and make smart mutations. I've struggled to believe it at times, but even his pick up of Fancy Feet ended up paying dividends.
Of course, the fact that I haven't checked their cores in so long is a reflection of my trust and faith in my comrades, and nothing to do with an overwhelming sense of laziness and deep-rooted hatred of details and numbers.
Don't look at me like that.
But of course, now that I have achieved Mythic Status, now that I have ascended to this summit, I naturally need to bring my friends along with me. Some might call me crazy, or insane, or profligate to the extreme, but I'm determined for the three of them to rise to the same heights that I do.
[Right then,] I tell them, [how are you all travelling? How are you going? It's a long road to reach level one-hundred and sixty, I had to blow up a mountain of termites to get there as quickly as I did.]
Tiny flexes sadly and I understand immediately what he's trying to say.
[Don't worry about it buddy, you'll catch up in no time.]
Crinis also sounds apologetic as she speaks to me.
[I'm sorry, Master, I still have a long way to go.]
[It's not a problem, really,] I reassure her.
Invidia stares at me with his one eye, unblinking.
[Give me your levelsssss. I wantssss them.]
[You know I can't give you levels. We'll focus on you guys going forward, don't worry.]
The three of them seem keen to evolve and become mythic monsters, which is good. Motivation is important in any endeavour.
[Don't stress about it, team. Let's have a look at where you're at, then we can work out what we're doing going forward. Who's first?]
Invidia floats forward.
[I sssshall go first.]
Interesting. He probably didn't want to get jealous of the others so he put himself first to avoid it.
[Alrighty, let's take a peek.]
I bring my antennae forward and touch them against the tiny demon, activating my core skill and accepting the flood of information that comes with it. Sorting through it all, I get a good look at his status.
Level: 91 (Rare) (VI)
Diamond Mind (V) Level 76; Master Stamina (IV) Level 8; Zen Meditation (IV) Level 37; Master Clumsy Flight (IV) Level 25;
Mana Weaving (VI) Level 71; Compounded Mana (V) Level 56; Gripping External Mana Manipulation (V) Level 68; Mana Hoarder (IV) Level 34; Multi-Layered Mind Magic Affinity (VI) Level 10; Broad Mana Sensing (V) Level 61; Condensed Demon Laser (IV) Level 32; Grandmaster Combustion Magic Affinity (V) Level 5; Master Shield Magic Affinity (IV) Level 5; Expert Healing Magic Affinity (IV) Level 22; Advanced Directed Explosions (II) Level 8; Expert Boom Control (III) Level 14; Advanced Gas Control (II) Level 5;
Grandmaster Flutter (V) Level 49;
Master Precise Shooting (IV) Level 34;
Deep-Penetrating Eye of Envy +30; Majestic Mana Sensory Organ +30; Surgical Mana Filament Finder +30;
Endless Bottomless Stomach +30; Mega-Rapid Mana Charging Wings +30; Expanded Mana Soaking Demon Pocket +30; Mana Drinking Dimension Mouth +30;
Expanded Omni-Divergent Thought Brain +30; Girded Will Barrier +30; Multi-Layered Neural Adaptor +30;
Fine Mana Manipulating Cortex +30;
Species: Lesser Envy Demon
[Holy Moly, Invidia. You've been a busy little dude.]
And he has. His spell Skills are climbing higher and higher over time, reaching new tiers that have no doubt expanded his capabilities massively. It looks as if he recently purchased new explosion-based Skills as well, furthering his control and damage output.
The little green-eyed demon is turning himself into a fluttering bomb factory. At the rate he's going, he'll be dropping nukes when he evolves.
Speaking of evolution, he's primed and ready to go. Full mutations, increasing his ability to absorb and manipulate mana even further. Despite evolving a step ahead of him, this guy can pull in and shape mana far better than I can. That's the power of the specialist, I suppose.
[You've got a ridiculous amount of Skill Points kicking around though, Invidia. I'm sure you can find some more things to spend them on. Try and find some fusions that can elevate your strengths or add some flexibility.]
[More Skillsssss. I ssshall havesss them!]
That's the spirit. I give him a tap on the head with an antenna and turn to Tiny.
[Alright then, big guy. Come over here and let's take a look under the hood.]
The big ape lumbers over and I'm once again impressed with just how tall this dude is. I severely outmass him at this point, but that's due to me being long. He still stands head and shoulders over me.
I stretch forth an antenna and examine his progress.
Level: 74 (Rare) (VI)
Master Athletics (IV) Level 15; Instant Dash (IV) Level 10; Master Dodge (IV) Level 30; Advanced Flight (II) Level 5;
Sparkling Fancy Feet (V) Level 45;
Kong Fist Arts (VI) Level 24; Cloud Piercing Uppercut (V) Level 31; Meteor Leap (V) Level 29; Grand Master Heavy Smash (V) Level 35; Master Grappling (IV) Level 39; Resonant Smashing Blows (V) Level 22; Expert Ape Jab (IV) Level 12; Advanced Magic Counter (II) Level 8; Master Kong Combo (V) Level 25;
Bombastic Enhanced Musculature +30; Unbreakable Channelling Bones +30 (Earthblood Basalt); Shock-Collapsing Meteor Legs +30; Metal Shattering Sonic Enhancer +30; Hyper-Ignition Energy Conversion Gland +30; Meshed Shadow Wings +30; Sparking Tesla Fur +30; Regenerative Steel Fists +30;
Storming Lightning Mana Affinity Gland +30; Storming Lightning Mana Affinity Gland +30; Arcing Lightning Ignition Gland +30; Arcing Lightning Ignition Gland +30;
Species: Thunderstrike Mountain Kong (Rare)
Just like the little demon, Tiny has made great strides! His boxing Skills continue to rank up, giving him even more explosive power and damage potential. Also fully mutated, his ability to channel vast amounts of lightning in shockingly (heh) small time frames has really improved. His fur is an almost perfect conductor, and the ignition glands are now able to amplify the mana that passes through them, increasing his overall output. If he keeps going down this route, he'll be a walking, boxing lightning storm in an ape body.
His punching Skills are also coming along nicely. I can see he's added a few new items as well. Not nearly enough, though!
[Spend your damn Skill Points,] I scold him, [you've got a ton banked up and I'm sure there's some things you can use them on. Maybe think about a Skill that doesn't use your fists?]
He looks at me like I'm talking in another language.
[Just have a look, dammit. Almost all of your Skills are offensive. Try some defence or general stuff for a change. Look, you've even got a limited ability to fly now, there might be other awesome stuff you can use!]
Time for Crinis. Since she's currently on my back, I stretch an antenna back there and have a look at what she's been up to.
Level: 64 (Rare) (VI)
Exalted Shadow Flesh Manipulation (VI) Level 20; Omniscient Tremor Sensing (V) Level 79; Soul Infecting Fear Inspiration (V) Level 50; Dextrous Tentacle Walking (IV) Level 37; Master Stealth (IV) Level 22; Expert Shadow Shaping (III) Level 15; Advanced Mental Warfare (II) Level 8; Advanced Target Seeking (II) Level 3;
Mana Moulding (IV) Level 38; Finer External Mana Manipulation (V) Level 12; Grand Master Shadow Magic Affinity (V) Level 15;
Advanced Tentacle Parry (II) Level 6;
Grand Master Grappling (V) Level 56; Grand Master Shredding (V) Level 11; Horrific Dismembering (V) Level 36; Grand Master Tentacle Fu (V) Level 67; Expert Shadow Striking (III) Level 10; Expert Mind Invasion (III) Level 18; Advanced Tentacle Strike (II) Level 8;
All-Seeing Mana Sensory Gland +30; Penetrating Shadow Eye +30;
Efficient Resistant Shadow Flesh +30 (Immaterial); Atomising Ion-Void Maw +30; Unlimited Endless Dimensional Stomach +30; Quad-Legion Tentacles +30; Hardened Sharpened Diamond Barbs +30; Ripping Visceral Teeth +30; Immaterial Flesh Generator (Void-Core) +0; Deep-Fathomless Light Sink +30; Hyper Shade Phase Organ +30; Atomising Ion-Void Maw +30; Atomising Ion-Void Maw +30; All-Shape Cell Structure +30; Madness Lingering Soul-Seeker Cilia +30;
Symphonic Tentacle Conductor +30; Symphonic Tentacle Conductor +30;
Expanded Compressing Reservoir Shadow Magic Gland +30
Species: Immaterial Mind Breaker
[Wow, Crinis. You've been working hard!]
Despite many of her upgrades sounding absolutely terrifying, she's clearly been trying to improve on her strengths and shore up her weaknesses. Her ability to inspire fear and invade the minds of her foes has improved… to a disturbing degree.
But so has her control and options with shadow magic. She's investing in Skills that supplement her spellforms, much like Invidia has started to do, allowing her to stab and attack enemies with raw shadow mana as well as manipulate it more easily.
She's even picked up a defensive Skill to help prevent her losing so much shadow flesh in battle. If she can actually protect her tentacles, she won't lose as many, and therefore will last longer in the fight. Good thinking! Not to mention these supplemental Skills that help her attack with her tentacles in new ways. Tentacle Strike? Good stuff!
Her mutations are much as I expected. Her tentacle conductors are capable of controlling a huge number of limbs and putting them through extremely intricate, coordinated movements without her having to think about it at all.
That mutation on the Soul Cilia… oof. Basically, even if a monster escapes after being attacked with them, the effect will linger, meaning she can attack a monster with them, then quickly shift to another without having to stay "attached" to it.
[You've all done well,] I congratulate my three allies. [Let's keep working on our Skills and funnel as much experience as we can into you. Before you know it, we'll all be the same tier again!]