[So that's the deal, okay?]

"Why are you calling it a deal, you are imposing it, I can't do anything, you will steal my biomass and experience either I agree with you or not".

[Oh common Yoshi, It's not like I have an option either, you see, I can't move or do anything, I'm like another of your organs. If you don't give me a bit, I can't get it by myself.]

"I am a hostage in a toxic relationship".

Well, can't blame her, I would not receive the idea in better terms, but really, what can I do?

[Well, since I explained how my skill works I will set one of them to 100% for biomass and 0% XP for me, I got too few things to improve, so I'll get them better first than get levels.]

"Shit".

[What was that? Well, whatever, before I forget, why did you get a core as your evolution?]

"Magic, but I don't know how, and you? Are your evolved?"

[Yup, I am a CORE INFESTOR.]

Yoshi went silent after that, well, who wouldn't, I find myself disgusting as well!

Oh, and I had to explain all my skills to Yoshi, since I'm inside her like, all the time, some trust should be built.

"Goddammit, you can even expend my things for me without MY consent? Christ, this is just getting worse every second".

[Oh common, think me like a supporter, your flesh-y fairy godmother, ready to help you whenever I can. If you die, I die too!]

"OH, killing myself is an idea now, thank you".

….

[Anyway, about my evolution, I really am connected to you, we share all our skills, so it looks like if we train a skill it means it levels up for us both, although the magics are all yours since you kinda need the core for that.]

"I don't think I can use yours, it's one-sided, am I right?"

[Maybe? Who knows, please, buy-mana-manipulation-skill-for-me-plis!]

After a few minutes of arguing and convincing that magic should be important for us Yoshi accepted buying the skill, it appeared as usable for me right away. That however made yet another deal between us, I would be responsible to grind magic for us, it's not that I would have anything better to do either.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Connected Cortex shared Skills:

● Mana manipulation

The ability to manipulate mana according to the user's will.

So, I tried doing it for the first time. It was WEIRD. I could feel all my roots as if an electric current was passing through it after leaving the core. Curious, I didn't know what to do with this current of energy, so I just let it keep flowing along my cortex roots, if I am not mistaken, they probably reach both Yoshi's brain and spinal cord.

[Hmm, just checking, is everything okay?]

…

I got no response back. Is it because…? I turn off the mana manipulation and the energy dissipates fast.

"AAAAAAAAAH, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!"

[Oh, did you feel something unusual?]

"UNUSUAL? I WAS GETTING ELECTROCUTED!!"

Oh dear, looks like more test are needed.

Mana manipulation reached level 2!

—

So, I don't know about doing fancy spells or things like that, all I can do right now is moving this weird energy here and there inside Yoshi, still getting the hang of not electrifying her, but it's hard. When I asked for her to try, Yoshi did it in a different way, expelling the energy though the mouth, amazing, BUT, I have no agency over her body, so I can't do it myself.

Mana manipulation reached level 4!

Mana manipulation reached level 3!

Mana manipulation reached level 5!

Mana manipulation reached level 6!

My, my, was it supposed to be so easy? I don't feel like doing much really, I tried new pathways for the mana flow, like, alongside Yoshi's muscles, organs, and even her skin. All that supercharged flesh didn't do anything fancy, Yoshi explained she did feel it a bit, but no glow or whatsoever.

Meh.

Well, my mana reserves are minimal, like 10 mp! Yoshi had a really small core. But how do we get this core to be bigger, perhaps it should be like mutation or by leveling up.

"Hey, you are having a party doing this magic thing, heh".

[Well, there is nothing else for me to do, just lay here and take your XP and biomass.]

"Could you not stay doing those magic training hours straight, please?"

[Oh, but why so? You are getting the skill leveled as well, you can even do it now.]

"Boy, you are using me to train, like I am a goddamn calculator or who knows what. You are straining me like hell and beyond, my brain hurts".

[Oh, well, I think I do am using you to process things for me, since I can't myself. Huh, sorry. It's just that I feel useless, I can't move or see without using our connection.]

"Yes, yes, such a sad story, just try not to fry my brain doing your tricks".

Later, after Yoshi got to rest and recharge her mp I would start our magic training again, until there we decided to hunt again. We walked around the red forest searching for prey until we found it.

Our next victim was like a tall and tattered coyote, its thin legs supported a skinny body, the finishing touch was its deformed mouth along with an amalgamation of teeth. God, it looked ravenous¹.

[It looks weird, are you sure to fight that thing?]

" Oh, it looks like a wolf, it's been ages since I saw one. It looks weak, it will be easy".

Nice words for a flag, hope it's not a death flag. Well, I'm a passenger here, in the end it all goes down to Yoshi's choices anyway.

Yoshi positioned herself and curled up, she really got addicted to this spinning wheel move. The problem with this skill is not its effectiveness, it's really a good damage dealer, but it also always leaves us blind.

Well, we went rolling! And we missed. I don't actually know if we missed, but if we had hit the target we would notice some vibrations, which was not the case. We uncurled to see what happened, the creature was standing not far from us, its eerie blue eyes glowing and its horrendous mouth leaking, perhaps we were they prey here.

A few things about the spinning skill should be explained, it was really stamina consuming, and although cooldowns does not exist here it may as well have because using it leaves Yoshi exhausted. So, here we are against an opponent that knows our trump card, we are already tired, and it does not.

The monster circles around us to find a good spot to crunch with its disgusting teeth. Yoshi still has its venomous thorns, but we are not in a favorable position, my lizard ride has assassin oriented skills, not made for frontal confrontation.

The monster finally decided to attack us using its maw as a weapon. It was too quick, before we could even react its jaws closed upon our tail!