Chapter 5

Stone remembered that he could turn off those notifications and willed them to go away as it was too annoying.

"Why couldn't I end up in the dwarf... Or any other being. Any! Even those ants would be better." Partner murmured as the week went by, no longer bothering to be polite.

Stone got the routine right. He waited until the ditch was almost empty. Then, when more and more ants slid into the hole, he collapsed the mana wall on them.

An hour later, he was rewarded with a new tablet. With 'thud' it materializes in his mind.

[Congratulations! You have levelled up for the first time!]

Like a magnet, Stone attracted talc scraps around and grew by one centimetre all around.

He felt strange. As if something changed in him. That was a new feeling.

It felt good, so he did not complain.

"Finally!" The Partner is euphoric after months of constant explaining, ant-hunting, and boredom.

Lives in a strict hierarchy and chaotic, large structures called anthills. One anthill can have tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of non-sapient drones and soldiers. They are often led by a sapient Queen accompanied by loyal Royal Guards. There are many sub-races of ants; from small black ones and big red ones to different mana-aberrations. But who cares? They are just ants.

Stone felt good. Way too good. He was emotional. A state unheard of for a mineral. However, soon, the good feelings went away, and it made him sad and craving. "I want more. How can I level up more?" He asked with a longing in his voice.

"Learn. Hunt. Get stronger. That's how this Universum works," Partner was genuinely ecstatic.

[Your limits were broken. New limits imposed. The abilities limit raised to 2. Evolution unlocked!]

"Loud again. What 'evolution unlocked' means?" Stone questioned Partner.

"What? Already? How the... It means you can evolve yourself and your skills after reaching a certain limit," Partner was first taken aback but this particular pebble was extremely atypical in the first place. "Now, with your limits raised, we can do something more. First, let's raise your intelligence," Partner added and began lecturing Stone about universe creation, dwarfs, magic and how it could be used. He broadly explained evolution; what it was and how it works.

And Stone listened patiently and without questions.

[Your intelligence was raised by 1. Limit reached. Intelligence won't provide any more boost to comprehension until you break through the limit of 10]

"Are you listening?" After several hours, Partner noticed that Stone was unusually quiet. Unusual meant that he did not ask stupid questions in the middle of a lecture about something completely different...

"..."

"Heeeeeey! Are you here?"

"..."

"Don't tell me... No no. I would be freed if he died... Wait a minute..."

"..."

"WAKE UP, YOU MISERABLE STONE!" Partner shouts at him, agitated.

Stone woke up with a false cheeky yawn. "What? Oh, good morning. How are you?"

"You were asleep? How?! You are a freaking stone!" Partner got even more agitated than before.

"Hmm, I think something changed in me when you gave me an explanation of so many things, I felt dizzy and sleepy," he truthfully answered. In a long sentence. And intelligently.

"Huh? Oh... Your intelligence is finally up enough?!" After so many months of constant teaching, he was euphoric. Stone was an exceptionally fast learner. Certain mammals needed years of learning before they could even speak their first words and even longer to walk... This... Stone was bizarre but had an extraordinary mind.

"Partner, we need to destroy the home of those ants. There were Elite guards, and I remember from your lectures that elite guards mean there is also a sentient Queen with magic," Stone made a deduction, sending Partner even deeper into euphoria.

"Yeah. But how? The crevice is too small, and you can move barely a few centimetres an hour anyway," Partner pushed the small pebble. He wanted to know how far he could take it.

"Well, I need heat. I have the racial talent, Heat Accumulator." Stone proved his newly raised intelligence. He felt like never before. Many new thoughts, emotions and ideas were rapidly swirling in his growing mind. He concentrated, calming the tornado of thoughts whirling in his mind.

"Hmm, that could work but I doubt you will be able to gather enough heat to burn the whole Anthill," Partner reasoned.

"No, but I see with my sphere that they are in a small talc deposit." Stone showed unparalleled knowledge about his own mineral.

"Hmm, talc is a good insulator. It would be best if you could level up, but first I recommend blocking that crevice. It won't stop them from the revenge forever, but it will slow them down," Partner handed another idea.

"Okay," Stone readily agreed. He put on his typical stony face as he focused. With his raised intelligence, it was much easier to conjure the mana wall over the crevice.

[Your skill Mana Shaping gained a level]

Ants didn't appreciate it and small ripples appeared every time the ant bit. Fortunately, Stone pulled in ambient mana at breakneck speed.

Partner finally noted this strange anomaly. "Can't he run out of mana?" He wondered. How could Stone gather so much mana in such a short period? It was an oddity. The Mana Regeneration technique should allow to collect a small amount of mana, especially on low levels, store it inside the being's mana veins. "How are you able to gather so much mana with the Mana Regeneration technique?"

"Mana Regeneration? You mean Ambient Mana Gathering, and it's on the maximum level," Stone proudly responded. "I wonder what evolution is like. I hope it feels good," Stone murmured while focusing on the erected mana wall.

[Your skill Mana Shaping gained a level]

[Your skill Mana Shaping gained a level]

[Your skill Mana Shaping gained a level]

"Wait. What? Ambient mana gathering!?!" Partner exclaimed.

"Loud!"

He didn't expect that Stone would get such a technique. Well, it was not an expertise per se. He knew it was an inscription made for tools.

"Damn. Is he living or not? He is sapient... And has a lifeforce. I wonder..." Partner contemplated. He delved to examine the Stone's body. There, he saw many rough inscriptions of celestian language, pulsing with mana. "Did he do this on purpose? No, that's not possible. He was way too stupid for this... still is. What is he?" Partner was more and more baffled by this strange piece of Stone.

"Stone? How is your lifeforce counted?" Partner asked again.

"Well... It says my hardness times 100. Right now, I have one hundred points," Stone answered proudly.

"100 points," Partner muttered. "Living beings like humans, dwarfs or elves have lifeforce in thousands upon birth," he explained almost in awe. Almost because he thought that with this little lifeforce, he would probably have a new host soon.

"I don't have to concentrate on the mana wall anymore," Stone stated, ignoring mumbling Partner. He really couldn't care less who has more lifeforce. "What now? Mana Bubble is on the maximum level, and Mana Shaping will be soon too," he boasted, happy with his progress.

"Max your Mana Shaping. Create different shapes. Make them move."

"Okay."