I gathered all the biomass from the transport units. Thanks to the lake exploration, we had now over 140 biomass, and I need 80 to break through the next level. After that, the next level will be again a minor evolution. Thankfully, I had a core I could use too.

“Darwin, did you manage to find a way to activate the broken core?”

"Not yet, it is a highly unstable object that could be destroyed easily. Any attempt to tamper with it is risky."

“Risky? Norn, on a scale from 0 to 10, how worried should I be that it can blow my face?”

"Probably a 6 or 7 of blowing the whole cave if you ask me to rush, Kai."

“That’s bad. Keep working on it then.”

I looked at my units and felt that we might be ready to survive an attack of that octopus creature. Killing it was another thing, and an invasion of spiders or a breach of flower-snakes could take us down.

I needed to get stronger quickly. And I need to help. Despite my reluctance, Darwin and Norn have proved themselves as powerful allies for now. I can't fully trust them, but we're on the same boat, and body.

That’s why I chose to upgrade the support biomorph to level 3.

I had a hard time deciding the order of upgrades, as I usually choose what I felt could solve some immediate shortcomings.

“Do it, Norn, before I regret it. Darwin, keep the units in check while I’m KO. And have some eyes on our flashy neighbors.”

It then began. Pain ran up and down my body, and I fell to the ground, convulsing. I felt how the least amount of energy from the first core was being used to enhance my evolution again.

The changes in my DNA and genomes enhance my strength, speed, and biomorphs. At the same time, those biomorphs allowed me to have more options and grow more dangerous.

But the process was hell itself. The DNA helix was broken and reforged into a triple helix. The number of biological changes the universe would take a million years to achieve by itself was taking place in mere hours.

There was a price to pay nonetheless, and that is a considerable risk to damage myself forever. Thankfully, that was kept in check thanks to Norn and had only a terrible and grotesque amount of pain as an aftereffect.

My body kept growing, changing the biomass stored in super packed energy cells into huge chains of lipids, proteins, hormones, and many other chemicals that produced what seemed to be magic in ordinary eyes. Or nightmare, that depended on how you looked at it.

In less than three hours later, my body had been broken apart several times, and each time it grew new chitin plaques to cover the newly formed muscle tissue.

"AHH! Finally." I stood up and shook my neck, making a disgusting sound when the chitin cracked. "Darwin, show me the stats."

Primal Adult- Ripper

Stats:

Level - 6 (100 biomass to unlock minor evolution: Elite)

Health - 12/24 (Temporarily weakened)

Energy - 0/90

Biomass Reserves - 16 biomass

Energy Core (medium) + (Small-broken)

Str - 20

Res - 17

Vit - 16

Agi - 14

Int - 10

Biomorph list:

Support level 3

Enhanced senses level 3

Maw and claws level 3

Chitin level 3

Poison sting level 3

Spores level 3

Pincer level 2

Adrenal glands, level 1

Unit list:

Minor -> Collectors, Fighters, Bomb, Transport

"I feel so alive right now!"

But I was also weakened. That must be a side effect of depleting the small core after the evolution. It sure has been kicking a fast conversion up to now, but I also have kind of overclocked Norn.

I woke up from the slumber, and I checked my new body.

It was bigger. I had at least 25% more volume than before that I wanted to fill as soon as possible with food. I was starving!

The transporters came to present me biomass reserves that they had been storing until I woke up, and I devour it immediately.

"Ahh, so good. I think I get your point, Norn. Hunger can be horrible."

I still felt empty despite eating nearly 40 units of biomass in a few bites.

"Host, Queen Norn will need to rest for a few days."

"Really? Will she be able to stay so much time without messing with me?" I giggled about it but silently thanked her efforts.

"Queen Norn is exhausted. The constant forceful evolutions and DNA damage control she has been monitoring have taken its toll."

"So we must wait for her, right? Keep the evolutions without her is dangerous. We need a certain margin of security."

"The only good point was that she would focus her depleted resources on investigating the newly acquired DNA from the lake creatures, the plant-snake, and the octopus samples."

"That means we will surely discover some new biomorphs useful to our fights. Good. Darwin, do you have any idea about the possible gains?"

"I can do some rough guesses, but you could expect some structural unit, a support/defense biomorph, and finally an offensive one. But it might take days or weeks to unlock."

It does not give much light into the issue, but I can’t ask for more until Norn herself picks up the project and prioritizes the development.

She seemed partially asleep. I didn't fully understand the extent of her role in my evolution, but I would stick to my purpose. Survive.

That's all I want, all I need to know.

I summoned a couple more transporters and put them to filter water and devour every piece of nutrient from the wet soil of the walls they could get. They were producing fewer and fewer returns lately, as the area was being depleted of usable biomass.

"We have to think of a new way to get more biomass. Without getting ourselves killed."

My senses then picked something. The scout unit swam back, and it moves left and right, jumping out of the water as soon as it reached us.

It showed me several images of tentacles and a skull face approaching the cave.

“Talking about biomass, it seems we have some coming right to our doors.”

I frowned, though. This was bad. I was quite weakened after the evolution took place. I still need more food and a few hours to recover completely. "Did that creature picked up the energy leaking from me?"

The foe was nearing the entrance of the cave, using its tentacles to investigate it, searching for traps and more blood worms. It looked that this creature had a bad experience with them and was now weary.

"Host. The bomb units on the ceiling are reporting vibrations."

"What?!" I moved to the wall, and I too sensed something, it was faint, but it was there nonetheless.

"They had to come in batches. How is this possible?!"

"Your evolution has released a huge amount of energy. It seems that most of the beasts have picked up the signal. They are approaching from several directions."

“Fuck, seriously, can’t we have the party without a bloodbath?”

"That would be no party! Aghh! Can't take a nap or what, Kai?!"

“Hey, Norn, you’re still awake! It’s good to have you back with us. By the way, Darwin, can you understand the clippity clop thing of the mantis? From the looks of it, they seem to have some language based on that sounds.”

"I have already been working on that since you heard them at the underwater tunnels a few days ago."

Norn showed me what looked like a complex communication system.

"Host, I’m working on a way to produce some clicks so you can communicate with them." "Great! I'm going back to sleep now. Kai, do me a favor and don't die. Or I'll fucking kill you! Understood?!"

"I love your jokes Norn, now leave me to do my thing!"

Norn's consciousness fell back into slumber, and I shook my head.

I turned towards the Mantis Queen and played with my mouth, trying to mimic the same clicks it did before, with varying amounts of success.

* Cliick, sClahk, Plckikck, CLACK!

"That last one was good enough! Okey, Darwin, help me translate the following."

We started to create a sort of clicks and clacks, imitating their language, and the mantis soon reacted.

“Prepare -- - for - -the fight! We have -- -enemies -- -incoming!!”

I saw that the queen gets surprised by my ability to mimic their language and urges its brood to take cover and prepares a defense near the shore. They may surprise us in combat or crumble. We’ll see that soon.

I jumped to the waters and began to throw bombs towards the entrance to block our enemies path. "That will earn us a few minutes!"

The octopus roared and started to assault the rock barrier I created with rage, as it noticed we did not have more red worms. I could not release them on the base just like that. We would die first if I did so.

My units started to move to take positions and got ready for whatever was going to happen.

"Now we have to get ready for the fight!"