Chapter 294

Jake approached one of the two newly grown structures and summoned its description.

Name: Larvae Chamber

Rank: I

Larvae: 0/5

Generate a Larva: Y/N (Cost: 10 Biomass, 1,000 MP)

Evolve to Rank II: Y/N

Unlike the Biomass Processor, the Larva Chamber was spheroid, but other than that, it looked quite similar overall. Its front section was also translucent, allowing him to see inside. He noticed a chamber within, which was filled with transparent liquid. Before interacting with this structure, he decided to check out the other one.

Name: Hive Nexus

Rank: I

Generate a Creature: Roach, Fly, Spider (Cost: 30 Biomass, 1,000 MP, Larvae (x1))

Evolve to Rank II: Y/N

This structure was somewhat larger than the other two, resembling an egg in shape, just like the Biomass Processor. Its front section was semi-transparent as well, revealing a chamber containing some viscous liquid.

Jake took a step back, glancing between the two newly grown structures. He currently had three larvae crawling on the patch of Corruption, but thanks to the Larva Chamber, he could now generate five additional ones, which would be stored inside the structure for future use. As for the Hive Nexus, it allowed him to create one of the premade creatures, which he would eventually be able to evolve into something else.

He also noticed that two additional veins had slithered across the Corruption from the Mana Core. One connected the central structure of his lair to the Lair Chamber, while the other linked to the Hive Nexus. Another vein connected the Mana Core to the Biomass Processor. The magical energy flowed through these veins, nourishing all three structures.

Jake decided to test the Larva Chamber first. He approached the spheroid structure, which was nearly as tall as he was, and summoned its stats once more. With a thought, he commanded it to create a larva. Immediately, a system message flashed through his mind.

Not Enough Biomass

It was interesting. He obviously needed Biomass to create larvae. However, while he could allocate some of his own flesh to create one through the Mana Core, he needed to obtain Biomass from elsewhere when using the Larva Chamber, as it refused to accept his flesh. The Biomass Processor was currently empty, so Jake ventured out once again to fetch another walker.

It didn’t take him long to encounter one and bring it back to his lair. He shoved the captured ex-human into the Biomass Processor and activated it. The process would take thirty minutes to turn the mutant into a black-pitch goo, so Jake decided to hunt for XP in the meantime.

For the next half hour, he hunted down one group of mutants after another, gradually gaining XP. At one point, a system message flashed in his mind.

The Biomass Processor has finished processing Biomass.

It was time to return to his lair. He retraced his steps back to the diner and, a little later, arrived in the basement bathed in bluish light. He looked at the Biomass Processor. As expected, its chamber was filled with the black-pitch goo that had once been a walker.

Jake gave the Larvae Chamber a command to generate a larva. He didn’t bother to approach it, and at first, he thought nothing would happen, requiring him to step closer to the structure and be able to control it telepathically. However, the structure immediately began to vibrate as it started to operate.

So he could apparently control every creature and structure in his lair from any distance while inside. He wondered if he could do the same when outside, though. He decided to try it later.

Something interesting began to happen. He noticed a tube bulging on the Corruption and then slithering from the base of the Biomass Processor to the Larvae Chamber, connecting at the base. Apparently, some amount of Biomass was being transferred from one structure to the other. Jake couldn’t actually see that since, unlike the veins, the tube wasn’t transparent.

A few seconds later, the transaction apparently finished as the tube flattened, merging with the Corruption below it. Jake approached the Larva Chamber to see what was happening inside.

He looked through the transparent front section and saw a small hole open at the top of the chamber. A glob of black goo floated out, and the hole sealed shut. The piece of Biomass drifted down as if pushed by an invisible force. When it reached the middle of the chamber, the movement stopped.

After that, the glob of Biomass floating motionlessly in the middle of the liquid-filled chamber began to undergo a transformation. It was gradually morphing into a larva. The procedure looked strikingly similar to when he used his own flesh to create a larva through the Mana Core.

The only difference was that when he created a larva with the Mana Core, his own flesh was used, resulting in a loss of health, and one thousand MP was taken from him. In contrast, when he utilized the Larva Chamber, the Biomass was drawn from storage, and the mana was sourced from the Mana Core. 

Jake concentrated on the little creature developing inside the chamber.

Larva (Creation in Progress)

Current Status: 3% Complete

Estimated Time Remaining: 5 minutes, 14 seconds

So there was another difference: when he created a larva using the Mana Core, the process took ten minutes. In contrast, when developed inside the Larvae Chamber, the process required only half that time for a larva to reach full development. 

Jake issued a mental command to develop four more larvae, and the whole process repeated. One by one, some amounts of Biomass were taken from the Biomass Processor and transferred to the Larvae Chamber, where the globs of black goo joined the first one. For the next several minutes, Jake watched the five little creatures develop.

At last, the process was complete, and five fully developed larvae now floated motionlessly in the liquid within the chamber.

Larvae: 5/5

So, he now had three larvae crawling on the Corruption patch and five more floating inside the liquid-filled chamber. He couldn’t do anything with them at the moment, but they would be available for future needs whenever one of the free larvae was utilized.

Jake turned away from the Larvae Chamber and shifted his gaze to the Hive Nexus. Now, it was time to put this structure to good use as well.