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 can hold onto things

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

My savior! Truly your

system built into the status to explain

my six legs, 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 had the option

other

to accurately and forcefully apply a bite using fangs, mandibles

guidance when digging to increase efficiency and

accuracy when attempting to attack from a distance using a natural acid

Okaaaaay.

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

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

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 exists in this world. I can't communicate with anything since I'm fairly

I want any information I'll have to get it

Hmmm.

That's so

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

will not help this situation in any

question is, what can I spend my points on and

you like to spend your skill

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

a window opens

Skill points: 1

Biomass: 1

skill points to purchase new skills or upgrade

or modify aspects of your physical, monstrous

[Skills available to purchase:

1sp, improves your ability to

cost 1sp, Increases speed over short distances

attack: cost 1 sp, more

and are more difficult to

1 sp, improves sense

available

+1: harden your exoskeleton to improve resistance to mundane

mandibles and improve their

Legs +1: improve agility

Eyes +1: improve eyesight

+1: increase sensitivity to air current

+1: thicken the

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

help be escape my enemies, tunnel sense would make it harder for me

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

worker, I have to assume I am close to

have made

Eyes +1

purchase Eyes +1 and

Yes, please.

I can feel a maddening itch burst over my eyes, like a thousand mosquito

Gaaah!

scratch this itch, I might

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