After I finished talking with the others and getting some answers I did not have before, I asked the System about Monster Mutations, something Darkness, one of the group chat members highly recommended I look into.
'What are Mutations, and how do I mutate my monsters?'
This part of the Monster System was inspired by Chrysalis, an Ant Evolution Novel on Royal Road and Webnovel
[Mutations are changes and evolutions to a specific part of a Monster, giving them new organs, modifying and changing an organ, or changing/enhancing something else about their body]
[Monsters and the Dungeon can initiate a Mutation with enough Energy and Biomass]
'So that's why my Monsters have been so fond of eating though they don't need to eat?'
'Can you add some kind of biomass and energy counter to my Monsters statuses?'
[Applying changes]
[Done]
[All Dungeon Monsters have a new row dedicated to the tracking of Energy and Biomass]
'How does a Monster obtain Energy for the Mutation?'
[Through the collection or infusing of Mana, or other energy, a Monster will eventually have enough energy set aside and running through their body that they can mutate a part of their body with enough Biomass]
Deciding to check this out, I opened Vesh's status.
| Name: Vesh | |
| Titles: Progenitor, Named by the Dungeon | Race: Queen Widow Ant Pup |
| Gender: Female | Type: Giant Insect, Progenitor |
| Element: Earth, Fire, Death | |
| Level: 10 | EXP: 7,890/10,000 |
|
Health Points: 825/825 (87.5 Per Hour) |
Mana Points: 240/240 (45 Per Hour) |
| Stamina Points: 1,250/1,250 (30 Per Hour) | |
|
- Stats - |
|
| Strength: 15-->30 (+5) | Perception: 25-->25 (+5) |
| Vitality: 15-->20 (+5) | Endurance: 20-->25 (+5) |
| Dexterity: 10-->10 (+5) | Intelligence: 10-->25 (+5) |
| Wisdom: 10-->20 (+5) | Charisma: 5 -->5(+5) |
|
Abilities/Skills: Powerful Chomp Lvl 9, Acid Shot Lvl 4, Digging Lvl 8, Grip Lvl 5, Queen's Aura Lvl 3, Mana Bolt Lvl 6, Mana Skin Lvl 4, Mana Manipulation Lvl 9 Resistances: Death Magic Lvl 10, Fire Magic Lvl 5, Earth Magic Lvl 5 |
|
| Special Traits: Tremor Sense, Pheromone Language Gland, Petty Mana Core | |
|
Mutations: None |
|
|
Energy: 16 Units |
Biomass: 9 Units |
|
Description: Created in The Fractured Realms Dungeon, This Widow Ant was created in the Image of a Fearsome Monster of Death that would pose a significant challenge against those that would wish harm against the Dungeon Core, and as it is the first of its species, it bears the Title of a Progenitor. Bio: Unique to the Fractured Realms Dungeon, not much is known about these Monsters other than they have great potential for Magic and even a potential or sentience, considerably raising the level of Danger of this species of monsters. Drops: Ant Meat(Consumable), Petty Mana Core(Material), Slab of Chitin(Material), Pheromone Gland(Material/Consumable), Widow Ant Eye(Ingredient) |
|
When I focused on the new addition to the status, a screen appeared when I focused on the Mutations.
|
<>---[ Mutations ]---<> |
|
|
[Brain] |
[Eyes] |
|
[Antanne] |
[Carapace] |
|
[Inner Carapace Plating] |
[Legs] |
|
[Mandibles] |
[Stomach] |
|
[Acid Gland] |
[Musculature] |
|
[Nervous System] |
[Petty Mana Core] |
|
[Pheromone Gland] |
[Mutate new organs] |
Just clicking on one of the organs revealed a long list of options and ways I could mutate Vesh.
And I felt it was fitting to start by looking through her brain mutation list, which revealed quite a few things.
Faster thinking, sub-brains, memory enhancement, multi-thinking, thought reading, and much more.
Not wanting to rush, I made sure to put some thought into this, seeing as it may heavily impact its future.
After some thought, I lowered the ones that would be useful to a small list.
|
>---[ Brain ]---< |
|
|
Name: Proto-Hivemind Mutation Description: Mutates the Brain to allow for the forming of a Proto-Hivemind. This mutation will allow the Mutated to connect ten individuals and form a single mind that allows each of the connected to work harmoniously and fluently without trouble, knowing each other's thoughts, emotions, feelings, and intentions. Energy Cost: 350 Units Biomass: 100 Units |
Name: Complex Thinking Mutation Description: Mutates the brain to allow for more complex thinking and thought, allowing the mutated to perform more complex tasks or find better solutions to complicated questions. Energy Cost: 500 Units Biomass: 250 Units |
|
Name: Sub Brain Mutation Description: Mutates and forms a second brain connected to the Mutated's main brain. This second brain will be able to perform separate tasks from the main brain allowing for multiple things to be done at once. As the saying goes, two minds are better than one. Energy Cost: 400 Units Biomass: 200 Units |
Name: Empathy Mutation Description: Mutates and modifies the brain to sense the emotions and feelings of others. Energy Cost: 100 Units Biomass: 50 Units |
|
Name: Thought Reading Mutation Description: Mutates and modifies the brain to sense the surface thoughts of others, sometimes allowing the mutated to know what the target is thinking or an action they might do before they do it. Energy Cost: 250 Units Biomass: 100 Units |
Name: Mind Magic Gland Mutation Description: Mutates a Mind Magic Gland into the brain of the mutated, giving them the ability to cast Mind Magic. Energy Cost: 300 Units Biomass: 200 Units |
|
Name: Eidetic Memory Description: Mutates and modifies the brain, giving it the ability to recall an image from memory with high precision for a brief period after seeing it only once and without using a mnemonic device Energy Cost: 150 Units Biomass: 50 Units |
Name: Hyperthymesia Description: Mutates and modifies the brain, giving it the ability to recall nearly all past experiences in great detail. Energy Cost: 350 Units Biomass: 100 Units |
|
Name: Mind Palace Mutation Description: Mutates and modifies the brain, allowing the mutated to enter their mental palace, a mental construct that will allow for a better storing of memory, reviewing of memory, and protection against Mind Magic. Energy Cost: 500 Units Biomass: 50 Units |
|
[Poll at the bottom, do note that if you want a hivemind, other monsters are available, such as Xenomorphs, the Swarm from Starcraft, and a few others I can't remember at the moment]
Each mutation was good in its own way, and all of them would improve vesh in some way. However, I was also debating whether I should make Vesh and her Colony a Hivemind.
Would a Hivemind mess with the evolutions of the Colony? Would it damage the species' potential? I had many questions and no answers.
Or should I let the Colony grow as individuals, like that one Ant Evolution novel I read[Chrysalis]?
I should also mention, Mutations seemed to be quite expensive!
After some experiments, I found that 1 point of Mana equaled 1 unit of energy, meaning I would have to give my Monsters lots of energy if I wanted to mutate them when I could use the Mana elsewhere.
As for Biomass, I still couldn't tell how much it was per unit, but it shouldn't be that much.
Now knowing that my Monsters could be mutated so long as I had enough Mana and other Monsters for them to eat, I had all the more reason to continue expanding with more enthusiasm.
I was also trying to gain the trust of my Dungeon Subordinate, and I could tell while it still held resentment towards me, it did start opening up as I talked to him daily and gave him a small amount of my Mana.
And I even let it start making low-level Golems under my supervision and was thankful that it hasn't tried stirring any trouble with them.
I wanted to give the Core a new home within my Dungeon, but until I knew that it could be trusted, it would stay by my side and continue to be given the Mana I offer.
Besides that, I have also been looking through the System Shop, seeing quite a few interesting things.
Things that went from how to make things like Dark Matter-powered weaponry, Singularity Reactor, and blueprints for things like Reapers from the Mass Effect Universe or Dyson Spheres.
The Shop was never-ending and seemed to have so many things that I probably would never reach the end of the list.
However, I kept my eyes on a few things and saved them to a list where I could purchase them later.
| List #1 | ||
|
Name: Basic Stat Potion Recipe Description: The recipe for the creation of Stat Potions Grade F to Grade D Cost: 500 System Points |
Name: Marvel Metals Description: An information packet showing exactly how to create every metal from the Marvel Universe Cost: 5.5 Million System Points |
Name: Skill Book Creation Description: A Skill allowing for the creation of Skill Books using Images and Mana. Skill Books can be set as drop loot or chest loot. Cost: 5,000 System Points |
|
Name: Ark Element Creation Description: An information packet showing exactly how to create Element from the Ark Universe. Cost: 800,000 System Points |
Name: Dungeon Enchanting for Newbies Description: An informational packet for new dungeons on how to enchant loot with Dungeon Magic. Cost: 150 System Points |
Name: Elementals and you Description: An informational packet showing how to create Elementals, monsters known to be embodiments of Nature and capable of reaching levels that mold them into living disasters. Cost: 12,000 System Points |
|
Name: Dungeon Spawner Creation Description: An information packet showing how to create a Monster Spawner for your Dungeon Cost: 10,000 System Points |
Name: Diverse Traps for your Dungeon Divers Description: An informational packet written by Dungeon of Traps showing how to create hundreds of traps for every type of Dungeon Diver Cost: 1,500 System Points |
Name: Delver Comfort and why you should make Safe Zones Description: An informational packet written by Merciful Dungeon of Dreams Cost: 100 System Points |
|
Name: Cyblerlife Androids Description: An informational packet showing how to create realistic yet artificial Androids. Cost: 2,500 System Points |
Name: Dungeon Economy and why you should install monetary drops on your monsters Description: An informational packet written by The Dungeon of Wealthy Kings Cost: 250 System Points |
Name: Xenomorphs and Yautja Description: An informational packet showing how to create Xenomorphs and Yautja Cost: 12,000 System Points |
|
Name: How to create a Darkhold Description: An informational packet showing how to create the Divine Grimoire of Chton, a book that reveals spells for any situation, but the cost of using this book will be the corruption of the soul. Cost: 12.75 Million System Points |
Name: How to create an Infinity Stone Description: An informational packet showing how to create an Infinity Stone, objects capable of manipulating fundamental aspects of the Multiverse. Cost: 20 Billion System Points |
Name: Recreating the Flood, a Multiversal Threat Description: An informational packet showing how to create the Flood, an all-consuming organism that is almost impossible to stop. Cost: 10 Billion System Points WARNING: Recreating the Flood will result in the utter destruction of your Dungeon to prevent the potential destruction of the Multiverse! |
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Hivemind Votes: 45 40.2%
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Individuals Votes: 67 59.8%
Patreon
how about both? something like individualism but the queen can always intervene, committing her wishes onto groups of ants or individuals, even taking them over if necessary, but the ants retain their capacity to act independently.
Interesting
Thanks for the chapter ! Can you make a monsters and plants encyclopedia page in your comments .
Bio: Unique to the Fractured Realms Dungeon, not much is known about these Monsters other than they have great potential for Magic and even a potential or sentience, considerably raising the level of Danger of this species of monsters.
or sentience --> for sentience
Dungeon Economy and why you should install monetary drops on your monsters
There is no price for this.
I wish you would put all the comments and additional info in the author notes at the bottom of the chapters instead of in the middle of the chapter. It breaks immersion while reading.
if vex was a queen ant sure it would be good to have a hivemind... otherwise no...cant post what I don't know really,so it depend on its evolution
Hiveminds can grow super fast if all the minds will be linked the potential of a hivemind will be exponential as having many ants with a int stat of x (very high) would be good. Or if the mind is not that connected then still having loads of weak creatures having the most optimised techniques and strategies would be amazing. Prob best to keep it like info sharing and not ants only are good if the queen is good.
Just thought on ants, i have suggestions, one i would like anys get all those brain mutations, how ever i know it maybe too much so suggest only ant queens get all of these brain mutations, and only queen or royal guards of the queen ants get these mutations outright, and any other ant type only gets them after let's say 5 and higher evolution? They may get some of brain mutations but not all or msot till after evolution 5 for ants, i believe ants should be only or one of only creatures allowed to move through floors semi freely, as they most likely be one of main defenders as well ones to assist in building the dungeon expansions, i believe they shouldn't be skimped on their upgrades, but also suggest getting them a brain mutations that make them enjoy their life of endless death for rest of eternity or i fear some may tey rebel against the dungeon core, do tired of dieing again and again and again, most cant handle that, don't know what you have planed or how your story world works, plus even can get maybe semi hive mind network, were they are hive mind and single mind, but have different versions of same mind able do their own thing but isn't a new mind or different free will, just different facet of same thing, a great example would be from i was reincarnated as a spider so what, but say after evolution 5 they form their own personal soul
Second suggestion for ant queens and her royal guards and maybe lesser degree her soilders ants, get a vibranium mixed with orichalcum infused armor?
Interesting
@Unholy_Student was thinking this morning if you combine vibranium for kinetic absorption, then have organ to turn kinetic into armor regeneration, it help heal and make fight longer so queens have higher chance of surviving, plus with vibranium spreads the force it can take hits above pay grade, then added in orichalcum which is usually one hardest metals in fiction as well metal with great mana efficiency as well highly resistant to out side magic insulation so once orichalcum is fused in flesh with special organ the ants may not be effected negatively this mana insulation, also thought if add beskar in mix adding another strong metal which is highly resistant to heat and will based energys, (dont know if cannon but it is believe why the dark saber has ability to resist a user as if has ita own mind is believed to be cause of using beskar in its construction, boosting its wilders force abilities while resisting others, so in Theory if in magic world it has both amplification and resistance to mind magic, so with queens having so many brain based upgrades a brain as well armor made with beskar may boosting these ant queens mind magic as well increase defense capabilities, maybe uru(from green lanterns as well as seems be best metal for will based stuff, so a mixture of vibranium, orichalcum, beskar, and uru, maybe one if best mixture, of course different parts of body and its components like armor, muscles, bones, and etc have different ratios for best effects, plus if learns how to enchant runes on flesh, you could increase side of say blood viens by making it iner space bigger while being same sixe by using spacial manipulation runes to crete semi pocket space, this could apply for other like bigger internal space stomachs, add a mini magic barrier around blood veins to help in defense from parasites or other bad bodily invaders, this barrier is ment filter out good and bad like what t cells do but met help detect stuff like viruses bacterial or parasites, as well destroy them of course only in assistance to t cell cause most likely t cells would get magical upgrades too. But just minor thoughts but the four metal mixes are main idea
Btw, not all brains work the same, something that would break a human mind may only make a Monster's mind scoff
@Unholy_Student yep,
@DemeanCosmos just thought of a super weapon that will work as his mobile fortress, taken inspiration from, aircraft carrier, island turtles, Metal devil from horizon zero Dawn, and thought of giant ant queens, basically a super large ant queen adapted for water to serve as a ant shaped islands, called a empress ant, she also has special organs focused on converting salt water into other things, such as breathable air, water to exp, repulsion, into free biomass thanks to special kelp growing on bottom of empress body, thought is shaped different than normal ant such as side fin like protrusion, large enough for tropical Forest to grow on said fins, the forest grows in fin and most of top of body in attempt to help hide that its a living ant empress, empress are ment be on top and fins hidden amounts forest is are hidden magical biotech weapon emplacements such ass battleship cannons, missile batteries, energy shields etc, these empress can grow from 1 to 5 miles long, although empress can walk on land do to massive wieght even with mutations to reduce weight its legs keep sinking into ground even if is ground reforced designed for massive wieght
@DemeanCosmos don't know if said or not, i don't care if used or not i just like making concepts and designs, i get idea then suggest it if its on a story, plus if don't want it can also see it as hint to what you don't want to use in the story
ps i get a lot of hate for my thoughts, most think I'm saying its bad and need be charged, i don't mean that i just love thinking of ideas and concepts, if i dont like story i will just dont bother reading this, by me giving my thoughts is sign i like it, it my weird way of thinking