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Chapter 1644 - Lock it in + Changes
🕑 Added 2025-07-29 05:13:26 +0000 UTCMade a few changes to the species. Felt like it lacked proper tier eight OOMPH. As an editor said, if he isn't going to become OP now, then
Made a few changes to the species. Felt like it lacked proper tier eight OOMPH. As an editor said, if he isn't going to become OP now, then when?!
So it's happening NOW!
New evolution menu text (new bit bolded):
[Mythic Evolution: Toxic Spring Colony Bulwark. +100 Cunning, +100 Willpower, +250 Might, +350 Toughness. Poison springs eternally within, an endless font of corruption that will nourish your core and annihilate your enemies. A creature of endurance and strength, allow your poison to bring your foes to their knees. Even the shadow of harm will become your strength. An Everflow Well of Corruption will be granted for free. Eyes will be reforged into Petrified Infection. An Infection Core will be granted for free. Regeneration Gland will be consumed and replaced with Infectious Echo Network. Acid Gland, Acid Nozzle, Concentration Gland, Stimulation Gland will be fused, transforming them into a Fused Acid Complex.]
New descriptor text:
Perhaps even more impressive, the Infectious Echo Network was an absurd organ that the triad had never even come across before. Losing the Regeneration Gland wasn’t nothing, especially since it synergised so well with Anthony’s Vestibule, but the final result would be even better than before. Rather than a single reserve that could be triggered to release healing fluid, the network was distributed about Anthony’s body, releasing healing where it was needed. What’s more, it had a snowballing effect, perhaps based on Theorazzn’s propagating mana. The more Anthony was attacked, the faster he would continue to heal as the Network gained speed, much like an infection would.
Even more absurd, the attack didn’t need to cause any damage for the effect to trigger. Just the ‘potential’, the echo, was enough. With his precognitive capacity and reflexes, if Anthony were able to dodge enough attacks, the healing would begin to ramp up to absurd speeds even before he was actually hit.
And now for the chapter itself. Just a reminder, this is the last chapter for the week! You've already had five, believe it or not! Curse me out about cliffs all you like, the chal are not to be rushed. You wouldn't beat up a mustachio'd snail would you?
Chapter 1644 - Lock it in
Even with so many changes made, there was still an abundance of energy remaining. A tier eight evolution was certainly no laughing matter, and the triad wavered back and forth over how it should be spent.
Reforging Anthony’s brains was definitely a strong possibility, but would be expensive if done correctly. After all, there were multiple sub-brains to reforge, along with the coordination cortex and main brain. Doing some and not others would hamper efficiency, but doing all at once would use a huge chunk of the remaining energy.
There was a powerful argument for spending a large sum of energy on simply bulking up Anthony’s raw power. With his musculature reset, adding more Might in the form of muscle mass was even more tempting, as he would get more bang for his buck from every drop spent there. Conversely, spending on his brains was another good idea, since Anthony’s magic was exceptionally strong, but without reforging them, the efficiency was comparatively poor.
Fancy resets were one thing, but there was seldom a safer bet than sheer, raw power. Anthony had distributed his evolutionary energy across his brains and physical strength since the beginning, which had left him somewhat deficient in both.
The triad consulted and decided a sizeable portion of energy would be devoted to increasing his Might, Cunning, Toughness and Will.
With the decision made, they made another pass through his body, adding size where appropriate, density in other areas, increasing the mass of his brains and musculature. More bite strength, more muscle control around the legs and thorax, more brain matter. They worked as fast as they could, refining, shaping, ensuring that overall balance and efficiency wasn’t compromised, relying on their hundreds of years of collective experience and extensive study of the ant form.
With the job done, they collectively nodded, satisfied with their work. Anthony would need to start mutating his tendons the second he woke up, lest he tear himself apart the moment he tried to move. Other than that, he would enjoy a significant boost to his statistical strength.
And yet, more energy remained. Reluctant to add more organs, they prevaricated, unsure of which direction to go, yet aware that every second that passed brought Anthony’s death that little bit closer. After all, the evolutionary process wouldn’t begin to consume the infection until after it had begun.
Pressed for time, the triad decided to break one of their own soft rules. They would commit to reforging the sub-brains and coordination cortex, but leave the main brain alone. If they tried to do all five, the remaining budget of evolutionary energy would force them into sub-optimal choices. Although it would cause some imbalance within Anthony, he would still benefit from vastly improved sub-brains, able to handle his general, non-gravity related spellcasting and improved coordination between them.
Committed to a course of action, the triad set to work, diving into the lists and looking for the most optimal materials.
The obvious direction for the sub-brains was to utilise a material especially suited to mind mana, since they cast and maintained the constructs that then went on to handle the rest of the mana, yet it wasn’t necessarily the best choice. After all, any material could be specialised towards mind mana via mutation, and the most specialised brain materials were relatively cheap, but not the most powerful.
Ultimately, what mattered when handling mana was force of mind and will. They had enough evolutionary energy remaining to ‘go for the good stuff’, so to speak, and so they delved deeper into the lists, looking for a better choice.
Stormforce Array. A mental construct of energy and light, this material overcomes the limitations of the flesh. Imbued with the power of the storm, it enhances and magnifies strength of mind.
After being properly mutated, Anthony would find himself able to host more than double the amount of mind constructs, each far more powerful than before.
Next they turned their attention to the coordination cortex. Processing power almost didn’t matter here, after all, the cortex was more of a relay than anything else. It only had to act as a medium for the actual brains to do the work efficiently. The only thing they had to focus on was speed.
With their remaining budget, purchasing such a specialised material was surprisingly simple. More dynamic options were always more costly, after all.
As it turned out, Radiant Dynamo looked perfect for the cause. With exceptionally fast transmission speed, the cortex would be able to function far faster than any of the brains it was connected to, which was necessary for it to work.
With the tiny amount of energy left over, the triad performed a final pass, touching up Anthony’s musculature and ensuring every drop of energy had been spent and made his nervous system mutable.
With this, the evolutionary process was complete. All in all, Anthony would come out the other side much stronger than he was now, yet they were still unsatisfied, knowing this wasn’t what he would have chosen for himself.
The triad resolved to trip the next cultist of Theorazzn they met, on a hard surface as well.
[Anthony? Are you happy with this?] they asked him.
The giant ant was strained to the breaking point, trying to hold back the infection that threatened to steal away his life at any moment.
[You… you did well. Start… start when you… can.]
The triad nodded, took a collective breath, then initiated the process.
Immediately, Anthony’s consciousness began to slip away as his body fell into a deep slumber. Soon it would begin to change, eating up the energy from within, they just had to make sure he survived long enough for the process to work.
The triad slammed their hands against his carapace and pushed their minds within, desperate to help.
[He’s going to sleep!] they announced to the surrounding healers. [Keep him alive just a little longer!]
~~~
The chal continued to slide along in a solemn procession while ants patiently waited in side tunnels and rooms for them to go past. Wherever they were headed, it was deep in the fortress, and at their current pace, it may take some time for them to get there.
The snails were still very small, after all.
Where are you going, little ones? Florence thought to herself. And just what are you going to do when you get there?
Comments
Pan nong
Dang needed mooore
Sapphire Rose
Waiting for a new chapter when horrid thoughts appear (joking). What if the Chal fix the evolution, but instead turn Anthony into a bard.
Sargon Yami
Well because the baby chal that had didn't even know what sounds were shouldn't be able to do anything? It makes no sense if they could. Their entire race was turned.
alt31415
Damn reading the comments after this was out a bit, and there are so many thin-skinned readers who think they can both read the author's mind about future events (convincing themselves they know where its' going and they won't like it), while also convinced they know the characters' reasoning (while assuming said characters knew everything we the omniscient readers do) while ALSO convinced that Chekohv's Guns seeded hundreds of chapters ago are 'Deus Ex Machinas' when they haven't even gone off yet. Rino, I salute you. I'd blow a gasket if I dealt with even a tenth of this nonsense.
taukid
Because the Chal are very stubborn and they're also not sure where the Chal are heading
Sargon Yami
he wasn't recless he was lazy. did not mutate his organs and did nothing to escape dispite knowing he was being thrown into the toxin pit.
Holly Webster
Someone said this earlier and I agree, I think the reason that Theorazzn corrupted the chal is because they have something that threatened him or enraged him. Its mentioned several times how the krath have like an instinctive rage and hatred towards outsiders and to corrupt others. The chal might have instincts and powers because thats the type of species they are, but theorazzn corrupted them. Without the corruption they might be able to remember more, or have instincts. They are snails. They're wierd 😅 I also think in reality the best stories are where things dont always go the main characters way. Anthony could learn to not be so reckless. But im pretty sure the author has a plan. Thanks for the chapters!
artisticVulpes
Why aren't the Broodtenders picking up and carrying the Chal towards where they want to go? I mean they're slow as fuck. I'm sure they can indicate where they want to go with their mustaches and singing. Seems like a simple solution to figuring out where the Chal want to go, and fixing Anthony faster!
LazyWizard
From my understanding he ain't gonna transform into walking corruption. He's just branching out into focused toxic attacks, so unless you're his enemy you should be fine, all the toxin should be contained within him and only released during a fight/attack.
LazyWizard
I'm going to throw my opinion here, don't bash me. So chal were one or the most powerful sentient species on this world, the toxic ancient made it his mission to destroy them and he still remembers them as a thorn in his side. I think that chal even though they're children can make the situation better, they're basically the antithesis of corruption and are known to perform miracles. My take on their behavior is that they act on instinct now and have some connection with some knowledge of their ancestors like recognitive function of a hive mind. That's my spiel. Hope it makes some sens😅. Great work 👏 keep it up🥰
Tommy Gallery
Love the quick chapters, but I'm super worried. Going to be on edge until I see what happens. I could see the chal attacking theorazzins toxin, but I don't see them saving this evolution, at least not entirely. Curing it isn't enough I want to see a sick evolution and this one is rough. I'm praying it's saved by the triad getting to talk to Gandalf since they did it manually, but that may be a longshot
Greyg
[Mythic Evolution: Toxic Spring Colony Bulwark. +100 Cunning, +100 Willpower, +250 Might, +350 Toughness. Poison springs eternally within, an endless font of corruption that will nourish your core and annihilate your enemies. A creature of endurance and strength, allow your poison to bring your foes to their knees. A Everflow Well of Corruption will be granted for free. Eyes will be reforged into Petrified Infection. An Infection Core will be granted for free. Acid Gland, Acid Nozzle, Concentration Gland, Stimulation Gland will be fused.]
taukid
Wait they're initiating it with the shitty evolution?!?
alt31415
" You wouldn't beat up a mustachio'd snail would you?" - Grrrrr. Fine. I guess I wouldn't.
Mo Alawami
Excited to read more!!
Collector of Stories
Yes it’s been mentioned a couple times of their potent singing powers but we have yet to see anything besides some basic singing and maybe a little mystical elements like how the ancient and some Krath manage to hear them. It will be exciting to see just what Rhino has planned after last couple of chapters!
Athena Alexandria
I’m excited for the chal to do some magic stuff to Anthony’s evolution!
N1ghtm4re2203
First: thanks for the chapter rush! I think it would be weird if Anthony came out of this situation unscathed. He was affected by an ancient after all. But I personally love it when characters that are confronted with such hardships manage to make the unwanted but necessary change their own. I'm looking forward to whatever the Chal might be able to do and help Anthony. Even though I really whish the cliffhanger wasn't there 🥹 Remember to sleep enough 😉 FOR THE COLONY!
Kail311
It's been so long since the last evolution that I forgot he gets a meeting with "Gandalf"! That conversation is going to be interesting.
CentaureHeart
Thanks for the chapter!
jeffrey niski
Someone should put a mustache on Anthony.
Sargon Yami
What do you have against the small snails? What the hell. But you have a point that it would be wired. The chal could do nothing to prevent themself being turned into the krath And the trained experts have thousands of years of failure.
Loulatsch
Boah way to dramatic. This is a feel good story he isnt going to end up as a corrupt ant. That you managed to read that many chapters but still not able to grasp the vibe of this story….
Moonspike
Honestly i hate the Chal so I absolutely would beat them up. They are supposed to be a regular species, not even a monster, and babies at that, but they just know things that they shouldn't, have special magical abilities that apparently require no training, and are apparently going to be able to help a tier 8 monster overcome the corruption of a God like being, even though highly trained experts with hundreds of years of experience are able to do little to nothing.
Sargon Yami
Yeah i think i am dropping this story. Whish you the best rinoz
Sargon Yami
So he went to conquer the fifth just to end up a corrupted ant. This should make any future alliance immposiblr break old ones and motivate both the legion and the rest to wipe out the colony even more.... great
Greyg
On too BOD so i can complain about your choices on the students raise to silver lol don’t like the name of the storm array
Collector of Stories
Thanks for the chapters! I won’t lie Anthony’s mutation episode has been me the past couple of chapters but I’m coming around. I’m interested to see how much stronger he becomes. On a side note I don’t think the infection core was ever properly explained. The other evolution with the corruption core was explained to weaponize will does the infection one do something similar?
ChillyPepper
I would download a mustachioed snail if I could, piracy ads be damned! Looking forward to next week :D
Xzeno
I must say that with the addition of the Infectious Echo Network as well as whatever you have got simmering away in the background with the Chal, it definitely brings the evolution much more in line with Anthony’s style than it previously felt like. And indeed what better time than the present to make Anthony OP. Im definitely looking forward to next week, thanks for the chapters Rinoz
SaltyVigilante
They couldn't open the door for a while, and then they were still baby slugs. They can't exactly go anywhere fast.
dothuman
Best I can tell Jeff is done with the actual narration. They're probably in post-production and editing; so I'm guessing the next book is coming either at the end of this summer or in early autumn.
BelligerentGnu
I must admit, I don't understand why the chal didn't just arrive sooner and cleanse Anthony, allowing for the good evolution. I'm sure there's a reason, butbI don't se it yet.
Kewi397
Some people enjoy the beach, some enjoy the mountains, and some enjoy the view the rolling plains. I can see that you are a big fan of the white cliffs of Dover. Thanks for the hard work and rush of the 5 chapters when you didn’t have to
Skipping
A singing snail with a mustache is peak design
Napalm078
I think the chal probably are following the streams of will from the Colony. The Chal look like they could have will based spellcasting/coordination, which would explain their might in days gone by.
Brandon14754
Well at least we have two things to look forward to next week, the chal and gandalf
Khalil Redd- Gomez
Thanks mate! Btw are there any more updates on the next audible update? Sons been asking every other week
ChildConsumer
Thanks for the chappy!
Yeslek Nnamhctits
Tyfc, all of em today! What a treat. (Id never rush a Chal. They don't seem the type to stand the impolite.)
KooZnack
The Chal are still some of my favorite characters. I’ve got such an adorable little mental image of them 🥰
No_Creative_Name
I’d never harm a mustachioed snail and I’ll stand between them and their would-be attackers!
