Spores

The power of your Monsters and Astra can be increased in a number of ways. Most of these ways costs spores. There are 3 types of spores: Mutation spores are used to mutate a monster. Mutating a monster will cause the game to randomly pick a certain mutation which increases one or two of the monsters stats, with the cost in gold and mutate spores increasing with each mutation. Some mutations increase a stat of the monster significantly at the cost of another stat (for example: +120 CON but -10 ATK). These mutations are drawn out on the double-helix of the monster's DNA. If one of the mutations is on the intersection of the helix the mutation can give special benefits such an increase of the monsters size or increase in exp gain, but it could also just give you one of the same bonuses you can unlock normally. If you don't like a mutation you can reroll at the cost of your choice between gold or gems (but you don't have to pay any mutation spores to do it). You can reroll any mutation along the helix any number of times if you have enough gold/gems. If you want a specific mutation you can enter the geneforge, pick one of your mutations, select the wanted mutation, and click reroll on gems or gold and the game will pay whichever of those resources you picked to reroll the mutation until it lands one what you wanted. (The mutation "Looking good, so cash bro" increases no stats. To my knowledge all it does is make the monster sparkle, so reroll if you get that)
 * 1) Mutation spores
 * 2) Evoluton spores
 * 3) Divine Spores

Evolution spores are used to increase the evolution stage of a monster. The common monster have either one stage or four stages. The ancient has an additional awakening stage on top of its fourth stage. Monsters need to be at a certain level before you evolve them, and it costs more gold and evolution spores each stage.

Divine spores are used to upgrade your Astras and sign Astra contracts. Your Astra starts at rank 0 and its max rank is 10. Each rank up costs more and more divine spores and gold. Every rank up increases the Astra's passive ability by a certain amount, which is always the same (for instance, every time you rank up Genbu his passive effect heals an extra 100 health). On ranks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10, the Astra gains an ability in addition to looking way cooler.