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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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?

Does this mean I

hold onto surfaces and objects without

lord! My savior! Truly your beard is

of help system built into the status to

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

other skills do

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

guidance when digging to

attempting to attack from a

Okaaaaay.

spraying ant then. This could be very helpful, it gives me an option to attack without getting too close to my

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

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 to talk to a monstrous ant,

I'll have to

Hmmm.

so

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

will not help this situation in any

final question is, what can I

to spend your

oh wise and magnificent Gandalf, bringer of hope, bringer of light,

like with my status, a window opens within my

Skill points: 1

Biomass: 1

use skill points to purchase new skills

can be spent to improve or modify aspects of your

[Skills available to purchase:

your ability to hide and move

speed over short distances but

attack: cost 1 sp, more accurate

pierce more and are more difficult to

1 sp, improves

available

to improve resistance to

and improve their

Legs +1: improve agility

Eyes +1: improve eyesight

to air current

gland +1: thicken the concentration of internal

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

able to run faster would help be escape my enemies, tunnel sense would make it harder for me

be suicide, if I attack a monster I can't defeat then it'll be game over straight away, improving my speed will

a newly hatched ant worker, I have to assume I am

I have made

Eyes +1

purchase Eyes +1 and the skill:

Yes, please.

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

Gaaah!

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

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255