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

hold onto surfaces and objects without

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

have some sort of help system built into the status to explain the skills when I think of them? This is

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 to use

my other skills

forcefully apply

digging

shot: assists accuracy when attempting to attack from a distance using a natural acid from

Okaaaaay.

are 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 that I think would, at the moment, lead to

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

is or if the surface

I'll have

Hmmm.

so

many unknown horrors as a lone

help this situation in any way. Stay

final question is, what can I spend my points on and

to spend your

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

with my status, a window opens within

Skill points: 1

Biomass: 1

purchase new skills or upgrade

can be spent to improve or modify aspects of your physical, monstrous

[Skills available to purchase:

improves your ability to hide and

over

attack: cost 1 sp, more accurate and powerful

1sp, bites pierce more and are more

1 sp, improves sense of

available

harden your exoskeleton to improve resistance to

toughen mandibles and improve

Legs +1: improve agility

Eyes +1: improve eyesight

increase sensitivity to air

the concentration of internal

of options! It's very difficult to choose! I have to think

enemies, tunnel sense would make it harder for me to get

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

hatched ant worker, I have to assume I am

I have made my

+1

Eyes

Yes, please.

a maddening itch burst over my eyes,

Gaaah!

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

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