Chrysalis

Chapter 2

The world before the System Descent is mystery to us now, any records of that time disappeared during the Rending or were lost in the centuries since. How did those people judge each other, unable to view themselves with perfect numerical accuracy as we so easily can today?

Was that society a more equitable place? When the worth of a human being can be weighed with such precision, strict roles and structures are easy to maintain, perhaps back then, when the qualities of each individual were more nebulous, it allowed greater freedom, greater choice in a persons' life? Many believe the System elevated us, empowered us to fight back against the great cataclysm, but many of the wise question this narrative, we know what we gained in the Descent, but we can no longer recall what we lost.

Exert from page 15 of "Ruminations on the pre-Descent society" by Illarion the heretic.

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Okay. So I have a skill point and a body point to spend? If this is a game-like situation then I would be able to open some sort of menu in order to spend my points and improve myself. How do I access this menu here in my tunnel though?

Erm. Level up!

No, that didn't work.

Escape! Escape key!

… Nothing.

I mean, worth a shot right?

Sigh.

Status!

Whoa!

Name: Anthony

Level: 1

Might:15

Toughness:12

Cunning: 25

Will: 18

HP: 30

MP: 0

Skills: Digging level 1; Acid Shot Level 1; Grip Level 3; Bite Level 2

Species: Hatchling Ant Worker (Formica)

Biomass: 1

Skill Points: 1

Wow, this is really interesting! My status huh?

The first time I saw these numbers I thought they looked high but perhaps they are actually really low? I can't imagine a hatchling ant worker has an impressive status in any way. And what are these skills?

this mean I can hold

hold onto surfaces and objects without letting go, for example, walking

savior! Truly your beard is the most luxurious, your eyebrows the most

the status to explain the skills when I think

including walking on walls and the ceiling? I totally forgot ants could do that. I'll have to try it as soon as I get out of here, why would you walk on the floor if you

do my other skills do I

forcefully

Provides sub-conscious guidance when digging to

from a

Okaaaaay.

to shoot formic acid from their rear zone. I must belong to a monstrous species of formic acid spraying ant then. This could be

on the roof, dig and shoot acid? That doesn't seem

is or if the surface even exists in this

want any information I'll have to

Hmmm.

so

knows how many unknown horrors as a lone little ant monster?! Madness,

Panic will not help this situation in any way. Stay

the final question is, what can

like to spend your

and magnificent Gandalf, bringer of hope,

my status, a window opens within my

Skill points: 1

Biomass: 1

can use skill points to purchase new

spent to improve or modify aspects

[Skills available to purchase:

ability to hide and move

cost 1sp, Increases speed over

cost 1 sp, more

bites pierce more and are more

improves sense of direction

improvements available to

to improve resistance

toughen mandibles and improve their ability

Legs +1: improve agility

Eyes +1: improve eyesight

sensitivity to

gland +1: thicken the concentration of

a lot of options! It's very difficult to choose! I have to

to run faster would help be escape my enemies, tunnel sense would make it harder for me to get lost whilst underground, chomp and acid

I attack a monster I can't defeat then it'll be game over straight away, improving my speed will be a dead end if I run into something that is faster than I am. Without information, how am I supposed to know what creatures I can fight and how fast any

to assume I am

have

Eyes +1 and

purchase Eyes +1 and the

Yes, please.

burst over my eyes, like a thousand mosquito bites erupting

Gaaah!

me Gandalf! I can't even scratch this itch, I

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