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

surfaces and objects without letting go, for example,

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

system built into the status to explain the skills when I

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 had

do my other skills do I

the ability to accurately and forcefully apply a bite using

sub-conscious guidance when digging to increase efficiency and

shot: assists accuracy when attempting to attack from a distance

Okaaaaay.

rear zone. I must belong to a monstrous species of formic acid spraying ant then. This could be very helpful, it gives

doesn't seem

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

I want any information I'll have to get it myself.

Hmmm.

so

many unknown horrors as

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

final question is, what can I spend my

you like to spend your

and magnificent Gandalf, bringer of hope,

a window opens

Skill points: 1

Biomass: 1

can use skill points to purchase

can be spent to improve or modify

[Skills available to purchase:

cost 1sp, improves your ability

cost 1sp, Increases speed over

sp, more accurate and

1sp, bites pierce more and

sp, improves

available to

exoskeleton to

toughen mandibles and improve

Legs +1: improve agility

Eyes +1: improve eyesight

sensitivity to air current and

gland +1: thicken the concentration

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

tunnel sense would make it harder for me to get lost whilst underground, chomp and acid would help

and grow here if I can survive. Taking abilities to help 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

ant worker, I have to assume I am close to

I have made my

Eyes +1 and

purchase Eyes +1 and the skill:

Yes, please.

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

Gaaah!

this to me Gandalf! I can't even scratch this

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