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 things

Ability to hold onto surfaces and objects without letting go, for example, walking on

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

system built into the status to explain the skills when I think of them?

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

Improves the ability to accurately and forcefully apply a bite using fangs,

sub-conscious guidance when digging to

assists accuracy when attempting to attack from a distance using a

Okaaaaay.

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 that I think would, at the moment,

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

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 sure I don't even have vocal chords, so even if I found someone prepared to talk to a monstrous

any information I'll have

Hmmm.

That's so scary,

want me to go out there with who knows how many unknown horrors as a lone little ant monster?! Madness, madness

Anthony, stay cool. Panic will not help this situation

can I spend my points on and

you like to spend

would! I absolutely would oh wise and magnificent Gandalf, bringer of hope, bringer of light, may your beard be ever

with my status, a

Skill points: 1

Biomass: 1

to purchase

can be spent to improve or modify

[Skills available to purchase:

your ability to hide and

speed over short distances but

1 sp, more

1sp, bites pierce more and are

improves

available to

harden your exoskeleton to improve resistance

+1: toughen mandibles and improve their ability

Legs +1: improve agility

Eyes +1: improve eyesight

sensitivity to air

the

very difficult to choose! I have to

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

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.

have to assume I am close to the

I have made my

+1 and

Eyes +1 and the

Yes, please.

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

Gaaah!

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

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