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 onto

hold onto surfaces and objects without

return of Lord Gandalf! My lord! My savior! Truly your beard is the most

into the status to

on walls and the ceiling? I totally forgot ants could do that. I'll have to try it as soon as I

do my other skills do I

to accurately and forcefully apply a bite using fangs, mandibles or

sub-conscious guidance when digging to increase

when attempting to attack from

Okaaaaay.

many species of ant on earth that were able to shoot formic acid from their rear zone. I must belong to a monstrous species of formic acid spraying ant then. This could be very helpful, it gives me

acid? That doesn't seem like a lot of tools to survive in an

is information. I have no real idea where 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

want any information I'll have to get

Hmmm.

so

to go out there with who knows how many unknown horrors as a lone little ant

down Anthony, stay cool. Panic will not help this situation in any way. Stay rational,

what can I spend my points

you like to

and magnificent Gandalf, bringer of hope, bringer of light, may your

with my status, a window opens within my

Skill points: 1

Biomass: 1

to purchase new

be spent to improve or

[Skills available to purchase:

1sp, improves your ability to

cost 1sp, Increases speed over short

more accurate

more and are more difficult to

1 sp, improves sense of

improvements available to

your exoskeleton to improve

+1: toughen mandibles and improve

Legs +1: improve agility

Eyes +1: improve eyesight

increase sensitivity to air current and

the concentration of

options! It's very difficult to choose!

my enemies, tunnel sense would make it harder for me to get

me fight would only be suicide, if 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

hatched ant worker, I have to assume I am close to the weakest

I have

Eyes +1

to purchase Eyes +1 and the

Yes, please.

itch burst over my eyes, like a thousand mosquito bites erupting

Gaaah!

me Gandalf! I can't even scratch

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