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?

mean I

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

Lord Gandalf! My lord! My savior! Truly your beard is the most luxurious, your eyebrows

into the status to explain the skills when I

my six legs, including walking on walls and the ceiling? I totally forgot ants could do that. I'll have to

do my other skills do

the ability to accurately and forcefully

Provides sub-conscious guidance when digging to increase efficiency and

attack from a distance using a

Okaaaaay.

zone. I must belong to a monstrous species of formic acid spraying ant then. This could be very helpful, it gives me an option to attack without getting too close to my opponent, a course of action that I think would,

the roof, dig and shoot acid? That doesn't seem like a lot of tools to survive in an

I am, I have no idea what kind of creatures live in this place other than ants like me and Croca-beasts, I've no idea where the surface is or if the surface even exists in this world. I can't communicate with anything since I'm fairly sure I don't even have vocal chords, so even if I found someone prepared

means if I want any information I'll have to get it myself. Out,

Hmmm.

so

out there with who knows how many unknown

help this situation in

can

to spend

would oh wise and magnificent Gandalf, bringer of hope, bringer of light, may your beard be ever

a window opens

Skill points: 1

Biomass: 1

purchase new skills or

be spent to improve or modify aspects of your

[Skills available to purchase:

1sp, improves your ability to hide and

1sp, Increases speed over

cost 1 sp, more accurate

1sp, bites pierce more and are more

cost 1 sp, improves

available

+1: harden your exoskeleton to

+1: toughen mandibles and

Legs +1: improve agility

Eyes +1: improve eyesight

+1: increase sensitivity to air current and

+1: thicken the concentration

difficult

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 would help me fight more

game over straight away, improving my speed

newly hatched ant worker, I have to assume I

have made my

Eyes +1 and

to purchase Eyes

Yes, please.

over my eyes, like a thousand mosquito

Gaaah!

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

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