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 surfaces and objects without letting go, for

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

I have some sort of help system built into the status to explain the skills when

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 the

other skills do

ability to accurately and forcefully apply a bite using

digging to increase efficiency and

attack from a distance using a natural acid 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 an option to attack without getting too close to my opponent, a course of action

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

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

want any information I'll have to get it myself. Out, in the

Hmmm.

so scary,

go out there with who knows how many

cool. Panic will not help this situation in

can I

like to spend your

I absolutely would oh wise and magnificent Gandalf, bringer of hope, bringer of light, may

my status, a

Skill points: 1

Biomass: 1

points to purchase

to improve or modify aspects of your physical,

[Skills available to purchase:

ability to

Increases speed over short distances but increases

attack: cost 1 sp, more accurate and

more and are more difficult to shake

1 sp, improves sense of direction

available to

harden your exoskeleton to

+1: toughen mandibles and improve their ability to

Legs +1: improve agility

Eyes +1: improve eyesight

to air

thicken the

options! It's very difficult

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

I can only improve 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 I supposed to know what creatures I can fight and how fast any of them

I have to assume I am close to the weakest

I have made

Eyes +1 and

like to purchase Eyes +1 and

Yes, please.

feel a maddening itch burst over my eyes, like a thousand

Gaaah!

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

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