RinoZ
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Chapter 1641 - Hope Within the Menu
🕑 Added 2025-07-28 04:23:45 +0000 UTCThe triad moved on to the next option. Anthony had been presented with multiple Mythic evolution options at tier seven, and he had even more to select from this time. This was further confirmation to the theory that ants were being rewarded for reaching higher tiers, something that wasn’t expected of their species.
Although, as soon as they examined the next evolution, they had doubts.
[Mythic Evolution: Toxic Swarm. +50 to Cunning, +50 to Willpower, +200 to Might, +200 to Toughness. Every ant knows that strength lies in numbers. Embrace this principle through your form, not just your family. Your body will take the form of a swarm of self-replicating, virulently toxic, palm-sized ants. Your stats and core will be distributed across the first thousand ants. A swarm core will be granted for free. All-Toxin Replicant Engine will be granted for free.]
The more the triad looked at the evolution, the more convinced they were that it would be powerful. This would surely absorb the energy that had infected Anthony, driving it into the Replicant Engine and allowing him to survive. A living swarm of creatures that self-replicated, each of them capable of delivering even a watered down version of Theorazzn’s toxin would be… absurdly powerful.
With his organs and mutations still intact, although distributed across a thousand individuals, it wasn’t clear exactly how this strange body would function, but it seemed as if Anthony would retain almost all of his capabilities were he to make this selection, which was equally absurd.
Despite warming to it, the triad knew from the outset that this was not an option that Anthony himself would condone. He had shown a strong negative reaction to any evolution that messed with his body too much. He didn’t want to be formless, nor did he want to be a giant, immobile brain, or even reset to an immobile god-grub. They doubted he would be interested in becoming a distributed swarm of creatures, even if it would be a strong choice.
If they didn’t find another option that would help him survive, then this would have to be it, reservations or no.
There were two more mythic options for Anthony to choose from; hopefully one of them would both carve a path to survival and be acceptable to the monster.
[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.]
[Mythic Evolution: Colony Contaminant Commander. +150 Cunning, +150 Willpower, +200 Might, +200 Toughness. You have received the Will of the Colony and used it to grow strong, now your own Will can become infectious. Your brains will be reforged with Ascendant Slime. You will be granted a Corruption Core for free. An Immaterium Spirit Leech will be granted for free. Acid Gland, Acid Nozzle, Concentration Gland, Stimulation Gland will be fused.]
These were the final two options that Anthony would have at the Mythic tier. Fortunately, both appeared to be perfectly viable, not changing his body to a high degree and also utilising the powerful corruption placed inside his body, allowing him to survive.
Two acceptable choices, that was more than they had dared hope for. With so much work on the evolution yet to be done, the triad pushed themselves into overdrive, dividing their attention and absorbing all the information about these two species as they could. They dove into the descriptions and menus, trying to learn all they could in as short a timespan as possible until they had all the details they needed at their fingertips.
The Toxic Spring Colony Bulwark was an interesting selection. Defensive in nature, it was clearly designed to apply its damage over time, outlasting the opponent in an extended fight. Although he might not like it, Anthony was already perfectly poised to fight in such a manner, with the Vestibule giving him an enormous advantage in endurance so long as sufficient members of the Colony were nearby.
The Everflow Well of Corruption played a key part in this strategy, essentially creating a self-replicating, inexhaustible supply of tainted mana for Anthony to utilise. Even better than a mana organ, it didn’t require any regular, unattributed mana from the core to function, it would simply overflow with tainted energy, forever. Eyes of Petrified Infection would not only remove the weakness in his carapace and replace it with a strong, hardy material, it would allow him to see the progress of infection with others, letting him know exactly how damaged they were internally to his toxic offence.
The Colony Contaminant Commander was also an interesting choice. Attacking at the spiritual level, rather than the physical, the Immaterium Leech could be used to inject infected will directly into his enemies. The Corruption Core would siphon Will from the Vestibule and contaminate it, allowing it to be used as a weapon that would eat away at the soul of his foes.
Despite the rather disgusting name, Ascendant Slime turned out to be a potent and evolutionarily expensive material. It would allow Anthony to survive attacks that pierced his brain, as the Slime was fully capable of reforming itself so long as it wasn’t too damaged. It also operated far more quickly than the regular neurons his brains were currently composed of.
Neither option was really what Anthony would choose for himself, the triad was well aware, but no choice mattered if he didn’t survive the evolution process.
It was down to these two, they would have to choose one of them.
Comments
KingGoomba
They are falling into their faulty ideas. They said it themselves, Anthony has done “subpar” build but admit he’s the best ancient candidate they have seen. They are looking at “the best” evolution and focusing on what Anthony would want
Shimelton
I think Anthony will step in and gamble with the first one
Brandon Steele
Corruption Core seems like what the toxic slime is trying to make anyways. It seems that choosing anything with that core will lead to "dark anthony" and make him a permanent resident of the 5th. Infection Core at least doesn't seem to force him to stay in the 5th, but the "Everflow Well of Corruption" sounds like he will become a producer of the 5th stratum toxicity. IDK if that is a good thing or not. Would his new acid shooter cause the same infection the 5th does and continuously spread.
CentaureHeart
Also, none of the options 2 to 4 have "reforge at half cost". So not only are the options bad and sideway evolution but it'd hamper his future ones as well. And they really seem to forget that Anthony has primed himself to be geared toward gravity magic (they've even chose mutation towards that) and now they are going towards poison ? They should fuse Acid Gland, Acid Nozzle, Concentration Gland, Stimulation Gland, then reforge that with something that will take care of the infection. Oh well, hopefully the Chal will open the way to something else.
Sargon Yami
I have to say the second option the swarm sounds nice if it wasn't a toxic option. I can imagine solace going for somthing like that
TheLostGolem
You'd really think that they could just go with the first option and then reforge a lot of stuff to deal with the poison, like reforge the healing gland to supreme toxic cleansing super crystal, or invest energy into getting an organ that purifies all toxins in the body, etc, etc. Since the reforge costs are halved, and he definitely has enough evolutionary energy to make it viable.
Catalina Ioana
Yikes, 3 and 4 are horrible too. They sound like they will allow Anthony to survive in the fifth, but he'll be hurt by the purified mana in the nest. Hoping for a secret 5th option.
TheLostGolem
I'm just waiting for the Chal to show up and do something.
Sargon Yami
For anyone else the 2 - 4 are amazing. Especially the second one. But not for anthony
CentaureHeart
Yeah no, it's Colony Ascendant and you try and impute the solutions of the last two options into it as a way to absorb the poison. At least I think Anthony wouldn't like those last 2 options at all.
Caleb Herring
Colony containment doesn’t seem like a bad option though?
Sargon Yami
Anthony will reject 2-4 and would hate being any of them. The colony is more important to him than anything else becomeung toxic to them is something he will kot stand for. The only thing i see is going with the first and trying to fix the toxins with resets
Sargon Yami
To soon. There should be 19 or 20 floors if he alleeady goes legendary on number 5 that is to soon.
Swinter
All these options really, really suck. I bet there's a Legendary option waiting.
Greyg
Colony Contaminant Commander sounds the best an immaterial attack adds so much potential the one reforge to his eyes sounds like the last thing he would want he has saved his eye reforge for something better (free brain reforge>eye) dark Anthony will haha will now infect the ants we will get even more chaotic personalities in the next generation of champions. Fusing all the acid stuff will make his sheet easier to read more fusing is good makes his status more readable. I hope he uses excess energy for reforging also snails are so slow not sure what they will accomplish given the miracle talk i thought healing maybe too simple (singing giving extra energy? They pop up start singing and new evolution pops up?) need more gravity
Ether's Blessed One
Plot twist: There's a new evolution tier above Mythic available.
Sargon Yami
The reader colony has spoken. The first one it is
Sargon Yami
There are no others
Sargon Yami
Just go with the first one and reforge something into a matetial that takes care of the toxins. Anthony will hate all three of those ither choices. The colony means everything to him.
Sargon Yami
If they choose either of them anthony will hate them forever. The colony is the most important think for him. The only viable option is the first one all others will lead to a grief stricken violent and insanly powerful anthony. And the dungeon plan is allready ruined. I can't see anthony not killing that ancient if he ever gets to him
Meir Banon
Tftc
Enzo Elacqua
Gotta say hate the idea of him losing this much agency on one of the most important steps of his life. Doubly so because it’s the triads choice who are rather obviously biased. Here’s to hoping that the chao do something and help Anthony get to choose ascendant like he wants or some even above that!
andwhyisit
Unless I am missing something Colony Contaminant Commander is the safer option simply because it implies that that corrupting others is a choice. Note the word "can". Toxic Spring Colony Bulwark on the other hand overflows with toxic mana forever. That toxic mana has to go somewhere. This could imply that simply being near Anthony can kill you. I feel like this is a clear choice. Colony Contaminant Commander all the way.
bobby2dreki
I will add another comment about a shared feeling XD. Yeah no I don't like those options, just roll with the ascendant one!!!! Reforge like there is no tomorrow and somehow save him with that, I don't know. It's mostly that no matter which of the other path is chosen, it doesn't really feel like Anthony.... (which is the entire point I know, BUT LET ME COMPLAIN!!!)
Xzeno
I am still holding out hope that there is an option that capitalises on the replicating and altering traits of the toxin rather than the toxin itself. I did have the idea of some mutation to the Vestibule or something that would allow Anthony to expend Will to perhaps boost and protect members of the Colony or those in the Nave with a form of will that self-propagates. If there was a way to introduce a resonant aspect to it then it could also become increasingly more powerful with larger numbers i.e. the Colony’s forte The Contaminant Commander seems like it is somewhat adjacent to it but definitely leans too much into the toxic aspects for my and probably Anthony’s liking
Runaway_Cactuar
Yeah, both options suck. They might have to check out a few options in the sub-mythic tiers.
BallsDeep69
I was really hoping for a gravity based option. I really hope they don't pick either of those two. Perhaps the chal can unlock some sort of legendary evolution?
Tosk
Fingers crossed the Chal can do something to help him get the 1st option. Ascendant is the path he needs
Brandon14754
The bulwark corruption core would be really good for gravity mana if it can be mutated to gravity mana related so he has self replicating mana, the commander evolution would be really good with fighting other gods and either monsters with great defense or who are immaterial.
DerHochi
I think corruption can somewhat be combined with his gravity skills, depending on how it works. Like gravity bombs that are able to convert the stuff it absorbs into more gravity mana to power the bomb, or the mandible mana injection ability getting more effective. Ascendant is still the best option imo, but I can accept the reasoning that it would be too risky.
Noquele
Naah man , chal do your thing my lil bros. The Colony Ascendent is a must, dont let him follow this poison choices. This selection will take a while, at least more 3-4 chapters
Alejanndro Ruiz
Please. Choose a third, any one that doesn't involve turning into a glorified bacteria. What happened to turning him into a cocoon for a while like last time? Let's be honest, in the long run it would be better than any of these.
BelligerentGnu
Wow, those are garbage.
David Burchfield
My guess/hope is that there is an evolution that is a better class than mythic and they have to pick it to keep him on the path of the Ancients. Hoping for something gravity based that interacts with the colony and the vestibule or an even more upgraded version the Colony Ascendent.
Nathan Emerson
Both of those options suck, please don't pick either, Anthony would hate them.
Jac Onue
Honestly, I'd choose the first option - colony ascendant, and pray to Gandalf that Anthony survives. I guess I just don't see Anthony as a poison/infection fighter, not to mention it has 0 synergy with his previous abilities. Both gravity bomb and the star crusher bite deliver huge damage instantly, while these 2 evolutions work on slowly poisoning/corrupting enemies. The fact that it was forced on Anthony (both via Thorazan's poison pushing him to the limit, and the choice being done by the triad, makes it not jive even more. Anyway,the triad never even looking at what ascendant core does, or considering reforging (at half cost) some of Anthony body part using toxic/toxic absorbing material is annoying. Kind of wish for Crinis to interfere and cause the colony ascendant to get picked.
Collector of Stories
The chal are our last hope for the colony ascendant evolution! Those last two evolutions are strong but they aren’t Anthony
kev mil
My pick is 2
kev mil
I know Rinoz already has determined what Anthony's outcome will be. But I want to know what everyone here thinks it will be before the reveal. Is 1) Toxic Spring Colony Bulwark, or 2) Colony Contaminated Commander?
strainge guy1
I strongly think the trio are missing a trick by not inspecting the ascendant core. They still can use the menu to do something about the slime. If I think they have to choose from a latter option, it should be the commander
Caedmon Buckner
Good work
shawn B
Has to be the commander right? That seems like the right option for him of the two
guvvuf
Colony Ascendant should’ve been Anthony’s future. Boo, Theorazzn. Boooooooooooooo!
Yeslek Nnamhctits
Ugh im so mad the first option isn't a choice, but I see how important it is for Anthony to take a bit of a new path on his route to becoming an ancient. He cant beat them with the power of his family, friends, and himself alone...
Charles Long
thanks for the chap. those chal need to hurry their shells up. ain't no way Anthony gonna let that spitball theo-whatsit win by forcing a toxic evolution.
Sam Beasley
I hope he's given an option above Mythic. I'm not liking these options. Also, thanks for the chapter.
KooZnack
Thanks for the chapter!
