Go to the Beginning, Here! Go Back to 300,000,000 Years: Here! Onward to Half A Billion Years: Here!
Water Jets: 96 (Success!) Sucking Nobs: 48 Tail Barbs: 81 Fins: 31 Phosphorus: 66 Anglerfish Lure: 60 THE TIME: 400,000,000 Years BBB THE PLACE: The Open Ocean, with very chilled temps Lifeform Survival: 83% The Situation: The good news: X. Neutralis Thromalius is at 400,000,000 years and climbing. The bad news: So are your opponents. We'll begin with the two new entrants in the game of life. Our first new enemy is A. Snillix Sorteii, a large, very slow bacteria that has entangling tentacles all over its body which it uses to capture prey and then stab at it with an inner spike. The other one is P. Munni Selvon, a long, finger-shaped bacteria that has huge hooks on either end. It thrashes about, slashing up anything that comes within range. A few new options are tried. An Anglerfish-style lure seems to instead scare things off, both food and predator. It's dropped in favor of a phosphorus-styled metabolism/structure, but that seems to attract P. Munni Selvon en-masse. Fortunately since it barely moves, you're able to escape from it quite easily.
You're not easily escaping from A. Snillix Sorteii, however, and it's starting to evolve, *fast*. It will become quite a threat later if something isn't done now about it. Tail barbs don't seem to penetrate enemy cells' walls, and attempted fins only serve to slow you down enough so your opponents can catch you, so those were dropped. X. Neutralis Thromalius then evolved a small suction method on one side of its body, where it could curl around like a caterpillar and engulf foes by hanging on with little knobs. Your chosen prey bacteria evolved venomous barbs that inject an alkali compound to counteract this, so it was only successful for a very short time. You're immune to poison, but not to this specialized alkali compound. What did go right? The evolution of water jets to escape from predators. You can now outpace most predator bacteria, feeding on those you sneak up on from behind when the jet's energy is exhausted after a push. You can also squirt water in your opponents' faces to disorient them and spin them around. You're able to get sustenance from plant matter, but more and more you seem to be taking a carnivore route to sentience. The surrounding bacteria are beginning to evolve speed in order to keep up with you. Onward to... wow, half a billion years already? Time to suggest more mutations, especially to deal with the two new threats!
And come on, surely you have friends who would be interested in this game? Link them to some of the earlier posts! Just four people suggesting things isn't terribly fun, y'know. :) Enemy Predator Cells: * Feed on Hydrogen Peroxide (Poison immunity) * Acid Resistant * Acidic, Toxic Blood (+Poison, +Acid) * Venomous Barbs that inject an Alkali compound * Agile, can catch you * Great Size (+Strength, +Damage, -Speed) * Cell wall-shattering bite (making Spikes useless) Venomous Barbs will turn into launchable spikes next turn Danger Level: 4/10 A. Snillix Sorteii * Great Size (++Strength, +Damage, -Speed) * Entangling tentacles (Holds food fast) * Hunts X. Neutralis Thromalius specifically * Slow right now but evolving speed next turn Danger Level: 3/10 and Rising next turn P. Munni Selvon * Huge Hooks (++Damage) * Near-Immobile * Can't catch you, but it does kill the unwary * Attracted to Phosphorus Evolving a means of propulsion next turn Danger Level: 2/10 but Rising X. Neutralis Thromalius * Protective Shell (+Armor, -Speed) * Protective Coloration (+Stealth) * Water Jets (++Speed) * Poison Immunity * High "Willpower" (+Health) * Slow (due to the weight of the tail), not agile at all * Prehensile Tail used like a mace to stun (+Weight, +Damage) * Predatory (Prefers other cells to dead matter) * Moderately Large 64% to Carnivore-ism