Hunter woke to a deep, energizing burn within, centered two thirds down their body. It had to be their new core.

Status.

[Name: Hunter]

[Level: 1 (core)]

[Stats:

Might 11

Toughness 14

Cunning 26

Will 15]

[HP: 35]

[MP: 10]

[Skills: Pincer Snap level 3, Grip level 3, Sting level 5 (upgrade available), Sprint level 3, Survival Instinct level 4, Advanced Stealth level 1, Dodge level 2]

[Mutations: Stinger +4, Tomosvary organs +2, Exoskeleton +2, Claws +2, Antennae +1, Eyes +1, Legs +1]

[Species: Claw Centipede Hatchling (Unguibus Scolopendra)]

[You have six Biomass and one Skill Point available]

Hunter was not stronger, not yet, but it was fine. Instinct said their core was power that would grow in a slow way but become very great if fed. They had 10 MP where before that had been 0. This had to be important, because it was listed right below HP, and nothing was more important than having more than 0 HP.

They did not know how to use MP, but that was also fine. There had to be a way. Hunter checked their available skills, and there was a new one there.

[Mana manipulation: Cost 1 SP, basic skill to manipulate absorbed mana]

They had two choices now. Both were very hard. One was how to spend their skill point, and the other was how to spend their biomass. Whether to evolve or condense a monster core had been a choice of the same kind. Evolution would have made them stronger, right away. That would have been good. They chose instead the monster core, even though they did not know for sure how it would help - just that instinct said a core would make them stronger yet if they gave it time to grow. They were also very curious what could be learned from having a core. It was good to hunt, kill, and eat, but it was also good to explore and learn. Then one knew better how and where to hunt, kill, and eat.

There were two good ways to spend the skill point, and two good ways to spend the biomass. The skill point should either upgrade Sting or purchase Mana Manipulation. It was very clear how it would be good to be able to sting better. It was not clear how it would be good to be able to manipulate mana, but they had sacrificed much for a core, and it seemed as if they could not use it for anything without this skill. So it was hard. The choice of what to do with their biomass was between upgrading their stinger from +4 to +5 and upgrading eyes, antennae and legs from +1 to +2. This was not a new choice, and they had thought about it as they walked home from the spider hole. It was still hard. They knew it would be good to improve a body part to +5, especially their stinger, which was the best part. They did not know why +5 was important, only that it was. However, if they upgraded eyes, antennae, and legs, it would be easier to know what was around them and to run away if needed. That would let them choose only safe fights.

Hunter had two other thoughts on which was the better use of biomass. The first was that a better stinger would make it easier to kill. Then they could eat more biomass and upgrade the other parts faster. The second was that they could upgrade the other parts one at a time, and it would only take two biomass for each upgrade. They could not do this with their stinger, because that would cost a whole five biomass, which could take a long time to get.

Spend Biomass. Upgrade Stinger from +4 to +5.

[Do you want to improve your Stinger to +5?]

Yes.

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

This was very interesting and very good. There were many, many ways to improve their stinger. It could be made larger and stronger. It could have a longer, harder and sharper point. It could have stronger venom, or venom that paralyzed. That last option seemed quite good. Prey that could not move also could not bite or kick or sting, which made the killing easy. There was an option to be able to hold much more venom, or to regain venom much more quickly. Hunter wanted all of these things. Finally, there was one last option that was extremely interesting.

[Infused Stinger: Allows one's stinger to be infused with mana. Can be used to improve venom regeneration rate, venom potency, or in combat the stinger's toughness and ability to pierce.]

The mutation would let Hunter have pieces of many of the other options. For each thing listed that mana could do, there was also a mutation option that could probably do that thing much better. Mana also could not make stings paralyze, which was bad. But it was almost a way to pick four things instead of one thing. Also, this option was special. Hunter was pretty sure monsters without cores could not use mana, and would not be offered such a powerful choice. It was also the only way they knew of to use their core to help now instead of in a future time.

The thinking was pretty easy, and they made the obvious choice. The feeling that came was amazing. Hunter could not think of a way to describe how good an upgrade to +5 felt. They desperately wanted to go and hunt everything and eat all of the biomass so they could feel more upgrades to +5. But this was not the thinking way. The upgrade finished. It took an effort of will not to go and hunt, but they managed. There was still a skill point to spend.

The stinger mutation made the thinking on which skill to purchase easy also. Before, they could either learn to manipulate mana, which would be good later, or learn to sting better, which would be good now. But Mana Manipulation would probably let them infuse their stinger in better ways. So it would be good later and would also let them sting better now.

This was perfect. Hunter was very clever to have thought of all of these things, even though it was hard to think so much.

They confirmed their choice. Much knowledge rushed in and crowded up their mind. Before gaining the Mana Manipulation skill, it had been easy to feel where their Monster Core was, but now they could feel it in a new way. It was like their mind could move inside of the core and feel the mana pulse within it. They could feel how mana was around them, in the air, and how it slowly pulled toward their core. And they knew the mana could be pulled out of the core, used in different ways. It was hard though. So very hard. Hunter strained with all of their mind and tugged at the mana, willed to move out and into their claws. It worked a little bit, but left them very tired. When they checked their Status, it showed 8/10 MP. Even such a little thing used one fifth of their mana.

After a short rest, they tried a new thing. Hunter willed, and mana moved from their core back and into their stinger, where it settled in their venom gland. They had not known where the source of venom was before, but now could feel it through the mana that moved there. They focused on making the venom better. The way to do this was not clear, so they just thought very hard about venom that would kill prey very fast as they pulled more and more mana from their core into their stinger. It was much easier to do this than try to put the mana into their claws. Which was fine. They had a mutation to put mana in their stinger. When they improved Claws to +5 they could probably get another mutation to put mana there too. There might be a better way to grow Claws though. They would have to wait and see.

Hunter concentrated very hard on making their venom strong, and for a long time. Eventually they felt their core empty and there was no more mana to pull into their stinger. They could not tell in what way all that mana made their venom better, but it had taken much time and they'd worked very hard at it. Probably the venom was much, much better. They were eager to test it.

It seemed good to go first to the big water that had mana in it. Perhaps drinking the mana water would let their core fill back up faster. They went quickly through the tunnels of home up and out into the above. Then they were slow and careful on the way to water. A group of three crickets passed, and Hunter hid even though they very much wanted to fight instead. But the Noble's orders were to only fight if it was safe, and while they thought they could win, the fight would have been hard. They reached the water and drank deeply. There were many powerful monsters there, but it was fine because the edge of water was not a place to fight. The water burned in a good, clear way as the mana in it flowed into their core. Soon their Status showed 10/10 MP. It was time to hunt.

Hunter went back to the first hiding place they had found on a trail leading to water. They hid carefully and waited. An emerald monitor passed by, but that was too hard of a fight to be safe. Three of the powerful monsters with strong jaws, four legs and strong tails went down the trail to the water and Hunter hid as hard as they could hide.

[Advanced Stealth has reached level 2]

That was good, but Hunter was scared to be near to such strong monsters away from the safety of water. If such a monster found them, Hunter would surely become biomass. It was a hard thing to hunt alone. Most monsters were either too strong or traveled in groups if they were weak.

Hunter waited long, and a chance came. The chance was two Big Head Crickets hopping together down the trail to water. Crickets were good at biting, kicking, and jumping, but bad at sensing and thinking. Hunter infused their stinger with mana, then burst out of hiding and stung the back cricket in its side. Their stinger punched through the cricket's carapace easily and pumped venom deep inside the prey. The prey that was stung tried to kick, but Hunter expected this and it was easy to dodge. The prey that was not stung yet turned around and jumped at Hunter. This time it was not easy to dodge, but with a hard twist to the side they managed. It left Hunter off balance though, and they had to dodge two more times as the cricket tried to bite them. The stung cricket was busy twitching and becoming biomass. The third time the cricket tried to bite, Hunter was ready and dodged just to the side, clamped down on that prey's throat with claws in the way Strong Kin liked to do, and stung. A stinger with mana in it worked much, much better than one without mana. The cricket tried to kick at Hunter, but it did not have a good position to do so and the kick glanced off the centipede's exoskeleton.

[Pincer Snap has reached level 4]

Hunter had an idea now, and tried a thing. They let go with their claws and sprinted away, sensing carefully with Tomosvary organs to see if prey would follow or try to escape. Prey hopped once after them, but then stopped, turned around, and tried to get away. The first prey to be stung became biomass.

[You have defeated level 3 Big Head Cricket]

[You have gained XP]

The other one was not biomass yet, but it had slowed much and did not seem able to fight. Hunter sprinted over and stung it again with a stinger infused with mana.

[Mana Manipulation has reached level 2]

[You have defeated level 3 Big Head Cricket]

[You have gained XP]

[You have gained Biomass]

[You have gained Biomass]

Hunter ate in a happy way. It was a good, safe hunt. They gained enough biomass to upgrade one of antennae, eyes, or legs from +1 to +2. They gained a level in Piercing Snap, which was a favorite skill of Strong One and thus must be good. They gained XP. They learned that an Infused Stinger was much better at killing than a normal one. That was very, very good.

Now more things would be safe to hunt.