The wyrmling looked at him and he looked back. Yes, he could Mutate the wyrm, but also he could Evolve it. Either way, he felt tense because it might be unwise to give the already rowdy monster more power. But look at those begging eyes! He took the necessary potions to boost his mana capacity and braced himself.

“You asked for it…” He decided to push the boundary of the unknown. “[Evolve].” Whatever evolutions the wyrms could have, he’ll be able to see them soon.

Predictably so, his mana drained completely and once again he passed out from negative mana debuff. His mind drifted to a sleep-like state. Even in his sleep, he was thinking about the possibilities of wyrm evolution. He was met with an image of a desert dragon. But why would a wyrm evolve into a Dragon? Wyrms were already a type of dragon species. Then another possibility formed in his mind. The wyrm took a humanoid shape. And of course, like in those cheesy novels, it was a human child – half dragon and half human… Even in his sleep he frowned, that would be very annoying and too cliché. Personally, he didn’t like that imaginary evolution and rubbed it straight out of his mind. If anything it would be fun to see half wyrm and half spider! So he tried to imagine that.

But dreams were just that, imagination running wild and often making no sense. He began to wake slowly, he’s head was throbbing and his chest felt heavy. He blinked the negative mana induced grogginess away. After the blurriness cleared from his vision he was met with an image of the rear end. Why did it look like the wyrmling(?) was desperately trying to show him that?

“Rude!” He pushed the rear end out of his face trying to get a better look at the evolution. “Hmm,” he hummed thoughtfully.

“Meow?” The wyrmling turned to greet him properly this time.

As far as he could see the juvenile wyrm didn’t change physically. “So did you evolve or not?”

“I did, meow!” It replied.

“You can talk now, awesome I guess.”

“Now, Mutate me. Meow!”

“Just learned to speak and making demands already?” He booped the wyrmling with a finger on its muzzle. “I need to recover my mana first.”

“Meow? Meow’na Spring?”

He nodded, “Mana Spring.”

Since his tamed wyrmling could speak now there was no need to stay silent during the trip.

“Wyrmling, anything special about your evolution?” He asked his pet who was slithering right beside him.

“Meow! I’m a Greater Desert Wyrm now.”

He looked at the wyrmling again. “But you look the same. And you’re still juvenile.”

Regardless of how impossible it might sound the wyrmling’s draconian but still snake-like face developed the features resembling a pout. “I’m all grown up!” it protested.

“Ha-ha.” He just laughed surprised by that face.

“Meow-sss!” It hissed and then bit into his leg.

“Auch! You bit me!” He shook the leg trying to get the wyrmling of it. He couldn’t, it was latched firmly. “Okay, okay, you’re all grown up.” He tried to placate the angry juvenile. He was successful because It let loose of his leg. “Yeah, still rebellious and hard to tame.”

The wyrmling glared at him.

“Here, chill.” He offered a Magic Mushroom.

The wyrmling snatched it and swallowed it whole.

“Happy?” He asked.

“Meow!” It replied happily. “I also can use meow-gic now.”

“Magic? What is your affinity?”

It raised its head higher as if proud. “Earth.” And without the need to be asked it continued, “I can cast Tunnel, Sand Whirlpool, Reinforce Scales, and, meow, Sand Tornado.”

Spells befitting a Desert Wyrm. “And if I Mutate you, what use is that to you? Or me?”

“Meow? I become more meow-erful.” It said as if it was obvious.

“Well, I could try to Imbue you with my Dark affinity and Reinforce you.” But in the end, the uses for the wyrmling would still remain to be found, or maybe… “I think, you could do well by protecting spider caravans in the desert. That is when you grow up.”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Meow!” It bared its fangs at him. “I’m all grown up already.”

“Right, right! You are!” The threat was averted. “Then, if you are all grown up, I’ll assign you with a few jobs. Adults have to work you know.” He patted the wyrmlings head.

It purred and replied, “Meow? Why would I work? I’ll just get servants to work for me.”

“Do you have servants?”

“…” It blinked realising it. “Not yet.”

“I’m not lendinging you any of my spiders.”

“Fine! I’ll find my own servants. Meow!”

The two had a few more back-and-forths until they reached the mana spring.

…

He tried to Imbue the wyrmling with Dark affinity but that unfortunately failed, it seemed that the desert wyrm was locked to Earth affinity. However, he did manage to Reinforce it, or well by the looks of it, its scales and fangs. The bleached yellow scales transformed into shiny golden colour and the fangs too developed a metallic sheen. He tried to Mutate the wyrm into a more obedient variant, but that also failed. It seems that sapient creatures had a way to guide their own mutation.

According to the wyrmling’s explanation, it mutated its core to grow bigger. That in turn allowed it a better manipulation of mana.

The wyrmling was currently practising Earth Manipulation by hovering pebbles around its body and then knocking them out with its tail. The wyrm could also shape the stones with mana, but at the moment it could only make misshaped orbs.

So in the end, its evolution and mutation were geared towards magic prowess.

He left the wyrmling alone to practise, as long as it was busy with something it was an ‘okay’ desert wyrm.

…

There was one spider he still needed to mutate. That one always tended to be forgotten, it was just that the Darkness Spider had that aura of absence. The spider was hard to notice, and even harder to notice that it was somehow forgotten - absent. It was hard to remember this spider, the memory would just slip away after a while; the Darkness Spider was there but always out of sight and out of mind.

The Spider King hurried to the Drow Archives to catch the spider before he forgot again. But no matter where he looked or who he asked the spider just couldn’t be found.

“I give up.” He finally realised that he was wasting his time here.

A smoky cloud passed above him and he would have missed it entirely if not for a stack of gold threaded parchments floating inside it.

“Darkness Spider?” He spoke to the floating shadow.

“Greetings, King.” The cloud formed into a vague spider shape.

“I’ve been mutating everyone nonstop. The spider friends included. Do you want to be Mutated?”

Without hesitation, it replied, “I need more mana.” The gold-threaded parchments swirled inside its body expectantly. “Please.”

“The mutations can be a bit unpredictable. But I will try. [Mutate].” He willed for the spider's ethereal body to store more mana.

Their wishes resonated and the shadowy body obeyed the combined will. Purple lightning flashed inside the swirling darkness, once then twice, and then ever so often.

“Did it work?” He asked curious.

“Yes. The purple lightning. Is my concentrated mana.” It explained.

“Oh. So you have enough mana to manifest it as lightning now.” He tried to wrap his head around the magical phenomenon. “It makes sense since you have no material body, and no flesh to store it.”

The purple lightning flashed as if to confirm that statement.

He couldn’t take his eyes off the light show. “Spider, do you think we can store mana? Maybe in something like bottled darkness?”

“I know what you’re thinking. King.” It chirped. “I can’t produce this darkness. Or separate it. From my body.”

That was unfortunate.

The spider continued. “But I think. Mana still can be stored.” The golden parchments tumbled inside avoiding the purple lightning.

The spider was correct. There was a way to store mana in Magic Scrolls and in a form of enchantments, but that wasn’t what he wanted here. He wanted something like a mana battery.

The spider still had something to add. “Maybe gems. Or crystals?”

“You know… I never tried.” But if anyone was an expert here on storing and converting mana it was the Darkness Spider. “Here, try this.” He handed a Spider Crystal.

The crystal floated towards the core of the darkness and then was struck by that purple lightning.

“I think…” the spider paused and struck the crystal again. “It worked.”

A shadowy tentacle handed back the Spider Crystal, but it wasn’t a spider crystal anymore.

“Mana Crystal: Dark.” He voiced its name. “It is charged, but it also comes with affinity. ”And what is charged can be discharged. “I wonder if the Drow or the Wisp can charge it with their affinities?”

The shadow simply swirled without a reply.

“Anyway, I might have a request for you.” He took out some more crystals from his Magical Inventory. “Please charge more.”

“Understood.” The crystals flew inside the shadow form. “It will take time.” The spider informed.

“Take your time. It’s not urgent and I can see you need your mana for other work.” He pointed at the parchment. “What are those.”

“Have a look.” The spider moved a parchment closer to the King.

He grabbed it. The parchment was made out of Black Cloth, the edges were threaded in gold string and the writing made in unfamiliar crimson ink. “Magic Scroll?”

“Advanced Magic Scroll.” The spider corrected.

And the spell was [Empowered Dark Barrage], but neither of them dared to utter it because it might activate the scroll.

“I didn’t know we can scribe something this powerful already.”

“I’ve invented these. Awhile ago.”

Well done Shadow Spider!

“Did you get to try them? Do they work well? Any fumbled spells?” He asked curious.

“Works as it should. The Puppet King. Volunteered for field testing.”

“Eh!?” He knew that he left the scroll production and sales to spiders but, “I don’t think we should sell unfinished products. It might be dangerous.”

“He volunteered.” The spider insisted. “He’s happy with the scrolls. No problem.”

Okay! “But should we even be selling this to King Aurelius II?”

The purple lightning flashed forming a web for a brief second. “We shouldn’t?”

“A bit too powerful. No? We should keep the good stuff to ourselves.”

“Understood.” It chirped.

“Then I’ll leave you to your research. Send me the crystals then their ready. But no rush.”

The shadow swirled to acknowledge the message received and then moved towards the darkest corners of the corridor and proceeded to wherever it was going to begin with.

“Interesting fellow, this Darkness Spider.” He shrugged. “And what is that King up to?”