In no time at all, the now familiar wash of knowledge finishes soaking into my mind and instincts both. Familiarising myself with the details of freshly implanted Skills is getting easier and easier, the process of feeling out the location of new-yet-well-worn muscle memory and deceptively obvious knowledge approaching what I would consider streamlined.
The fact I have three of me to comb through and pick out what I need to know now means the adjustment takes a mere handful of seconds.
"Huh, not what I expected," I murmur, confirming with myself that I haven't missed any key information.
{Mask} pulses a wordless query, curious now that they've completed construction on their tower.
I have a bubble comb through the finer details of the Skill while I explain. "My new Skill, Growth Weaving, doesn't so much give me the ability to weave Growth Mana when I couldn't before; rather, I understand the Aspect's nature better and know how best to manipulate and lead it with my Intent." Thanks to my ability to sense the Foundations I already knew the threads I've been practicing with are comprised of bits of every Aspect, but it didn't occur to me till now that I could simply choose to make thread using only one or two of them.
"The way I understand it now, the Foundation of Growth is literally that; growth as a concept given form. The growth of living things, expansion, maturation; whenever and wherever something is becoming more, the Foundation of Growth is part of the process."
{Mask} digests that, thinking intently, streaks of muted slimelight betraying the storm of thoughts roiling away beneath the surface. "Mana. Not understand..."
Pulsing a vaguely awkward smile, I wobble at them not to stress. "Hey, it's fine mate. It's not an easy subject to understand, and your current mental stats probably don't hel-"
A surge of conviction disturbs the thick intensity of {Mask}'s thoughts.
"Yet."
"-p..." I finish lamely. Damn, I really do like this kid. My smile much more genuine, I leave them to their thoughts. I don't doubt they'll figure it out eventually, if it's something they're interested in.
"Alright, let's try this out. Knowing that the only thing I need to make Growth mana is the 'Intent' to do so..."
Concentrating on my expanded understanding of the Aspect, I tug forth a thread of sea blue mana from my Heart. The task is almost effortless, just as easy as creating the normal mana thread. Building a spiralling membrane within myself for the mana to follow, I lead it in loops and whorls. It's nothing like manipulating the thread I'm used to. If I didn't know how the mana naturally moved the thread would have fallen apart ten times over by now.
It's a strange feeling. Testing it out, I try to lead the mana in a straight line, but it wobbles and frays almost immediately, no matter the force of Intent I try to exert over it. The Growth mana just seems to ignore me, splitting away into whorls of gossamer nothing before fading away.
"Now that I know I can use it properly," I grin, practically vibrating with excitement, "time to try out one of these patterns!"
Growth Weaving didn't just teach me theory. While I've been practicing, another self has been familiarising me with one of the weaves included with the Skill, something called Enlarge. The way I understand it, weaves are like spells; directions for how to move mana in certain shapes and directions to make mana do stuff. I was only given a couple, and Enlarge looks like the simplest of the lot, so I'm starting there.
Still, weaves are by no means a simple 'step one, two, three, done!'. I can't just trace the pattern and hope it turns out alright, magic is all about your intent; not just knowing what you want, but knowing how to communicate that result to the mana. The weaves I've been given are basically templates, shapes that show me how I need to lead the mana to communicate a simple concept; in the case of Enlarge, 'bigger'.
You'd think, having learned this from a Skill called 'Growth Weaving' that I'd only need to worry about weaving Growth mana into the shape I'm aiming for. Nope. The weave is like a net consisting of circular holes formed by spiralling mana that I'm supposed to be able to to throw around the target, but there are a bunch of straight lines embedded within the pattern as well that make sure the effect is consistent, instead of spilling every which way with no control.
To make that happen, I need to wrap threads of Growth around a core of Order mana. The Order mana builds the framework, letting the other Aspect grow around it like a pillar wrapped in ivy, the two forces influencing how the other moves so I can make both go the way I want them to.
It takes a couple attempts, but I'm surprised to discover I don't need to make use of my multiple selves. The act of weaving the spell into shape with strings of membrane is enough Intent to lead the mana, so I end up sitting there twiddling my currents while I work.
It's a strangely natural sensation, like bouncing my leg while I eat.
After a minute of concentration, the final strands of mana thread snap together and the weave pulls taut. Checking the result against the template in my head, I'm pleased with the results. "Sweet! Time for a test." Hopping up onto the silty beach proper, I aim for the ball of silt I asked {Mask} to set up a few hops away.
Throwing the net- or maybe I'm casting it, hehe -I watch it streak for the little ball of sediment faster than expected, wrapping it tight and sinking into the surface, dissolving into detailed lines of gossamer light.
The ball swells immediately, the intent I wove into it ensuring the spell makes it increase in size evenly in all directions. After just three seconds the previously tennis ball sized lump of silt is now the size of a basketball. Crawling up to give it a poke, I'm pleased to discover that the ball is heavier than it was before. Around five seconds later the lines of mana covering the silt's surface pull off and unravel, fading into nothing while the ball shrinks back to its original size.
"I only used one mana to make that weave, that's not bad." Pleased, I'm keen to see what happens when I give the threads more mana. Looking to the right of the ball, {Mask} is currently sat next to it, inspecting the ball of sediment intently. "Alrighty {Mask}; now that I know how this weaving thing works I'm gonna spend a few minutes seeing if I can figure out these other weave templates. After that, I wanna go out and test stuff until I hit level five. Are you up for that?"
Conveying their excitement with a pulse of slimelight, they bump up against me before making a beeline for the water. "Ready! Have 'adaptation'. Want practice. More." Rippling, they slip beneath the surface, soon out of range of my mana radar.
Huh, I wonder what adaptation they got? Eh, I'll ask 'em when we head out.
Looking at the other two weaves I've been given, I realise now that I misunderstood what makes magic difficult when picking where to begin. One of them is a pretty complex, tightly woven pattern, but just looking at it, it's obvious that it only uses Growth Aspected mana. This would have been way easier to start with.
Studying the pattern, it doesn't take long to determine what the weave does. My currents spike. Suddenly, all three of me collaborate in studying the complicated stitching, miming loops and twists absently as we pour everything we have into figuring out the pattern and intent behind this innocuous little weave known as Suture.
----------------------------------------
Half an hour later, I crawl forward, inspecting the results of my latest attempts with the final weave I've been given, Enhance. I suck up the little ball of silt along with the identical one I didn't cast the spell on next to it, comparing their structural integrity. Spinning them around with my currents, the difference is minor, but the Enhanced ball isn't falling apart as easily.
"Well, it's something," I sigh. Spitting out the tasteless lumps, I bench my practice with the odd weave for now. This one is much harder than the other two to figure out a use for, simply because it has so many. "I'd love to run into a helpful wizard with a big white beard soon, or maybe a family of benevolent badger-moles that will teach me the ways of mana bending. Until I understand more about what the different Aspects actually do, I don't have much use for this one," I frown.
If Enlarge and Suture are templates for me to follow, Enhance is the Sims without any DLC. The weave is barebones at best; made to, you guessed it, enhance something about the target. This one also uses Null mana, for some reason I can't figure out. But it enhances the target by feeding growth mana to whatever Aspect makes the thing do the thing. I could make a light brighter, but I'd need to know what Aspect makes light, then figure out how to work that shape into the weave. Making myself stronger or more durable is an option, that's close enough to Growth's usual schtick that my intent alone is enough for that, but the fact that I don't really understand how the Null mana is needed to do its thing is making the resulting weave pitifully weak.
"Why do I need Null in the first place? It sounds like something that takes away from stuff, not adds to it."
Benching the problem, I decide that I've had more than enough practice figuring out my new Skill. Initiate Mana Weaving even jumped up to level 2! Searching the water of the cave to pick up {Mask} on my way out into the cavern proper, I find them taking a nap tucked between a pair of medium sized rocks. I ripple fondly. They said they were coming down here to practice, but I guess I did spend a while making sure I understood Suture even before getting stuck on Enhance.
"Up and at 'em!" Twitching, {Mask} rouses from their semi-sleep. "Lets go take our upgrades for a spin," I glow eagerly. "I've got some things I wanna try, and I'm interested to see what adaptation you went with."
Crawling after me on my way to the crack in the wall that leads outside, they match my eagerness. "Want see. Also. Curious!" they smile, wriggling into the wall after me. "Adaptation. 'Rigid'. Molecules. Make solid."
"Oh, that sounds cool." Rigid, huh? They don't look like they're having trouble squeezing through here, so maybe the change isn't obvious? "You don't look all that solid though..."
"Must do. 'Molecules lock together'. Make strong," they explain. "Can be thing. Not soft. Be rock," they smile, camouflaging themselves to blend into the stone of the walls for a moment.
"Still trying to do everything, huh?" Coming out into the pool, I turn around, watching {Mask} tumble out after me, pulsing my concern. "Be careful about making choices that don't work together," I warn. "Being a jack-of-all-trades is fine, but you'll be making yourself weaker overall. I won't tell you not to, but if that's what you want, we'll have to be very careful with your Skill and Mutation choices so you don't end up underpowered later on."
Responding with a curious ripple, they follow me up the slope of the pond and onto the grass, the dense greenery of the cave surrounding us on all sides. "What is 'jack-of-all-trades'?"
Conveying an easily digestible version of the concept, {Mask} wobbles uncertainly. "That. No fun. Not want."
"What? I thought you wanted to roleplay as lots of different things," I start. "You'd need to be able to do everything your role can do, so you'd need a really broad skillset. Someone who can do lots of things pretty well is called a jack-of-all-trades." Have I been misunderstanding their desire this whole time?
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Wobbling a denial, they sit quietly, the only thing to mark their frustration a soft glow roiling away beneath the surface. "Explaining. Hard. Communicate better. Need." They give me a questioning ripple. "Talk better. Learn. Explain. Later?" they ask, hopeful.
Oh. Honestly, it's a reasonable request. Until they can communicate effectively, trying to talk about detailed stuff like this is probably just going to lead to more misunderstandings. I don't want to lead them down a path they don't want because of a simple miscommunication this early on.
"No worries, mate," I reassure them. "You'll probably be able to talk better once you've evolved, so if the hunting here isn't too dangerous once I've gotten there, maybe we can spend some time before we leave pushing you up to level five as well?" Honestly, I'd consider sticking around even if it is a bit risky; I'd love to have a conversation with {Mask} that doesn't feel like a game of Pictionary, and two evolved slimes making the trip back will be that much safer.
"Is okay?" they gleam softly, somehow giving me the same puppy dog eyes Big laid on me not all that long ago. Gagh, my Heart! "Thanking!" Puffing themselves up and hopping to face the nearest wall of dense undergrowth, {Mask} looks like they're raring to go. "We. Hunt lots. Grow big. Strong!"
Grinning brightly, I hop up next to them, striking a similar pose. "You got that right! Level five and evolution, here we come!"
Hopping off into the greenery, one of my selves maintains a lookout with the mana radar while another keeps an eye out using the general mana sense. When I'm able to devote full attention to either task they're almost effortless, resulting in a marked increase in my overall awareness. Previously, I'd have to digest all the dense information my mana radar gives me on top of the stuff I can normally see, meaning I'd miss details every now and then. Now though, the level of awareness I have of my surroundings feels vaguely unfair compared to the mere eyesight I was stuck with as a human. Granted, I can't pick out details all that well unless they're close, the overall distance I can see isn't as great, and my mana x-ray vision only extends about six meters in any direction; but that's a lot of ground for a creature my size, and now I'm not compromising my awareness of things further away.
While I keep watch for any sign of monsters, my third self keeps practicing with the Enlarge and Suture weaves. I've gotten a solid enough grasp on them that I can make them consistently now, but more practice can't hurt. While familiarising myself with them before, I tried seeing if applying more minds to the weaving helped, but I didn't see much difference. At first I could form the weave pattern slightly faster, but I soon figured out that was simply because I was getting a better understanding of the end product, so my Intent was clearer. Mana doesn't seem to care how many 'hands' I'm working with or how much concentration I put into it; the weave needs to be built a particular way, meaning I can't work from multiple angles anyway, and more minds doesn't make my Intent any stronger. It's like adding together two identical shades of red; no matter how many there are, the result is the same.
Crawling beneath ferns and between long grasses, I consider our options. There are a couple of monsters close by; some kind of vine thing dangling from the branches of a short tree, and one of those flowers with teeth five meters to our right on the other side of a thick bush. I could probably handle the flower, don't know how we'd fight the vine-whatever, but I'm reluctant to engage. The undergrowth is really thick here; there are a couple small trees, that bush, the ferns and grasses we're currently stalled in, and that hanging vine monster is a carpet thick enough to cover a human door-sized space. And all that is within the six meter range of my mana radar.
"There's no damn room to move here," I huff. "There are a couple monsters right there, but all the undergrowth will get in the way."
Shuffling side to side, {Mask} tries to locate the threats, despite the impossibility of such a task without an adaptation like mine. "Move lots. Why? Slime hiding. Small. Finding hard."
"That's true," I agree, unravelling my freshly completed Enlarge weave and waiting for my mana reservoir to refill, "but we should always assume other monsters are stronger than us- they usually are -or that they can do things we don't expect. If they have a way to locate us, or manage to catch one of us, we won't have any way to dodge." Looking around the dense patch of monster jungle, imagining the fight if we end up having to fight the flower front on and possibly alert the vine-whatever, I scrap the idea. "It would be a disaster. We should move on, find somewhere a little more open where the odds are more in our favour."
Although they don't say anything, {Mask} pulses their agreement, following behind on our continued search for prey.
Thinking deeply, they pulse something I don't quite catch. "What was that?" I ask, rippling the rear of my body to let them know I'm looking.
"Oh. Said nothing. Thinking..." they murmur, absent. A moment later, though, they nudge a mite closer, still half lost in thought. "Luke different. Think different;" they say, putting obvious effort into articulating themselves. "Hunt Predators. But. Leave alone. Too. Luke thinking. Later Problem. Not. Now problem. Only."
Unsure where they're going with this, I'm a little taken aback by the ravenous curiosity they radiate like warmth. "Luke. Learning from. Interesting," they pulse, all but drooling. It's as if they're sat before a hearty three course meal; steaming, succulent vapours wafting up against their membrane, teasing them.
Honestly, though, this isn't the first time I've seen {Mask} act this way; even other slimes have always had a strong reaction to anything they think is new or interesting. I feel that same desire urging my currents into a frenzy when I'm confronted with something I don't quite understand, or the opportunity to learn a new Skill. I've been putting it down to the result of an innate curiosity common to all slimes, but the weight behind {Mask}'s words...
They're communicating the meaning behind their words to me directly, and the investment, the drive, to stimulate their interest and curiosity is so much stronger than I'd expect from even the most die hard studybug.
Pausing, confident we're safe for the moment, I stop weaving and focus my attention on the slime behind me. "Learning is really important to you, isn't it?"
Stopping in place behind me, they bob seriously. "Of course. Learning is... is..." They trail off, seemingly unable to find a word to accurately convey their meaning. "Learning. Is slime," they finish lamely, obviously unhappy with the response they managed to muster.
"I think I'm beginning to understand what that means a little better," I smile softly. If learning is such an integral part of being a slime, how then might the concept of a teacher differ from what I'm used to?
Still, this is no time to be getting distracted. "We should keep moving," I pulse, angling to the right where it looks like the dense growth surrounding us opens up a bit. I can think about this later.
Right now, we have work to do.
And after only a minute or two of crawling, I see our first target.
This section of the cavern further from the walls is a little more open, simply overgrown rather than a dense hedge of life. {Mask} and I are huddled behind the lip of a- verified non-sentient -tree root while I make sure there aren't any sneaky surprises hidden nearby.
"Looks like it's just us," I confirm, my gaze returning to the Toothed Flower nestled amongst a patch of broad leafed ferns a mere four meters away. I'd never have spotted it without my mana radar; the ferns are an effective cover, concealing and disguising its shape well. "So. What's the plan?"
I've already explained the plan of course. But a little recap never hurts, and going through the steps yourself is the best way to learn!
Bobbing confidently, they tremble, severely nervous. That's a definite improvement! They were terrified for most of our encounters so far, I guess they're getting used to the fact that Predators are just another monster that can be beaten.
"Sneak close. Me. Get attention. Dodge. You. Attack close. When Preda-. Monster. Attack you. Me. Attack opposite." Finishing, they pulse firmly, a dangerous sheen to their membrane. "Am ready!"
"Good stuff," I respond, giving them a boop. "I'll go around the back. You get in position, I'll go for it once it's distracted." Creeping away, I catch the moment {Mask} slips down and melds into the grass, the ripple of their movement soon becoming difficult to pick out. Wasting no time, I make for the rear of the ferns, progressing slowly while spread flat in case they have some way of sensing vibrations with their roots.
My three selves handle their tasks diligently; there's no change in the monster from what I can see, I'm barely disturbing the grass I move through, and the Enlarge weave I've been threading has just pulled taut. It doesn't seem to care whether the target is organic or not, so there's no reason to believe I can't use it on myself. The way I'm meant to throw it makes me think it's meant to be some kind of attack, but if there's one thing I'm beginning to understand about this world, it's that the System- in the famous words of a salty sea dog -is 'more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules'. It gives me Skills and spells, but I'm encouraged to figure things out myself, innovate. Even the mana itself only seems to care about what you want it to do.
My thoughts are interrupted by movement within the ferns, vines sliding slowly along the ground in the direction of the small clearing we found. Looks like {Mask} has the monster's attention.
Giving it a little more time to leave itself undefended, I creep closer until I'm barely four body lengths away from it, at the edge of the ferns. Charging up a Slam, I can sense {Mask} on the edge of my perception, suddenly dropping their facade of lazy wandering to smoothly dodge the swift vine that lashes out to snatch them up.
Apparently this poor sap expected an easy meal. Hah!
The trio of vines twitch, freezing momentarily before suddenly shooting out into the clearing as one. {Mask}, displaying an absurd level of speed and control over their body, moulds themselves into various smooth, abstract modern art pieces with contemptuous ease; all three vines sailing through empty air again and again.
"Damn {Mask}! Those are some icy cold moves!" I laugh brightly, fully aware they can't see me. "But I'm not gonna be outdone!"
Expanding the weave around me as if I'm catching myself like a fish in a trawling net, I feel the mana sink into my membrane. I put a solid three mana into this one, and the comparison to my first attempt is stark. My mass doesn't quite double, but I'm definitely at least half as big again as I was a moment ago, my body swelling out like a topped up waterballoon. This size increase is much more pronounced; I guess that's what I get when my mana is as concentrated as it is.
Seeing the mana embedded into my body dimming by the second, I quickly shape the glowing section of mass across the front of my body into a blunt wedge, throwing stealth aside as I charge forward.
Hop, bounce, spring!
Slam!
One moment I'm surrounded by ferns and jungle. The next, I'm embedded inside the Flower's bulbous stem-base thing; my gelatinous ass, currently too big to fit through the hole I just punched into the plant's side, the only thing that stopped me shredding straight through and out the other wall.
"Well, that was unexpected," I remark, a little lost for words. Pulling myself fully inside, I start digesting the monster from the inside out, the feeling slightly surreal. "I don't want this to become a habit, but it just keeps bloody well happening," I mutter, the plant shaking and writhing to the touch of my digestive ministrations.
Still, I didn't expect to punch right through! The combination of Slam with the added mass from Enlarge is a seriously potent one! I certainly haven't missed the other interesting little discovery currently surrounding my body, either.
Taking a closer look at the extra mass Enlarge has given me, it's distinct from my own, like it's been drawn in with a Growth coloured pencil. Also, despite the increase to my mass, my overall hit points haven't changed. Gathering the excess mass into a self contained ball and disconnecting it from my original body, the ball settling between the plant's inner walls and myself, my hit points yet again fail to so much as twitch.
Since my mass is my health, Enlarge basically gives me temporary hit points! Mass I can freely use and lose!
Watching the weave break down and the ball of inert mass unravel into uncountable strings of mana and dissipate, I feel the plant around me twitch violently once more before falling still. Okay, apparently this lump of stringy stuff down here is important. Noted.
[Congratulations, you have defeated a Level 2 Toothed Corpse Flower]
[You have received XP.]
[Convert?]
Declining the offer to convert the XP into evolutionary mass, the prompt disappears, notifying me that it will only appear in future if I ask, or after receiving XP an arbitrary number of times. Popping out, I wave {Mask} over, the pair of us demolishing the plant in only a couple of minutes. Their time spent outside the monster had been tense, but in the end I took the thing down so fast that they barely had to contribute at all.
"Well, I'd call that a rousing success," I beam, happy to have taken a tangible step towards my goal. Hopping off, I'm keen to set out once more. "How's about we find our next-?"
One of my selves catches the barest impression of a flicker of mana above us dropping down, fast.
Really fast.
"Watch out!" I flash brilliantly, whatever I sensed descending from directly above {Mask}.
Idiot, idiot! I should have been keeping watch, but I got distracted! I get distracted so easily, I should have anticipated that my other selves would be the same!
Reorienting to face whatever this threat is, I can tell this thing is much faster than I am. Crouching low, I gather myself, ready to leap. I think I might be able to get between the barely visible attack and {Mask}. Maybe.
Just as I'm about to leave the ground, one of my selves abruptly blurts out a thought. Maybe I should shove them out of the way? I can't guarantee that I'll be able to take whatever is about to hit them, I need to get them out!
Seeing the truth of my sudden realisation, my Heart sinks. My body already in motion, I'm torn, unable to decide what I should. But freezing right now could get {Mask} hurt, possibly even-
"Not on my watch!" I roar, my shout a flashfire of conviction and rage. I just need to pick one! That's all!
One!
Get in front of {Mask}.
Two!
Or get them out of danger.
Three!
I leap, my compact form arcing to intercept the path of whatever is trying to attack us, the beginnings of my Slam a glimmer of empowering light.
I pounce, covering the distance between us in a single leap. They seem larger than usual as I fly into them, the pair of us rolling over each other, my tackle sending us tumbling back into the ferns.
"Get away from them!" I shout, the onrushing whatever-it-is filling my vision.
"Stay low, {Mask}!" I pulse, extending my mana radar to watch out for any incoming attacks.
"Luke interesting," {Mask} glows from the grassy floor, looking between the me in front of them and the me confronting our unknown attacker. "Really interesting."