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

Ability to hold onto surfaces and objects without

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

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

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 the

my other skills

Improves the ability to accurately and forcefully apply a

digging to increase efficiency and

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

Okaaaaay.

must belong to a monstrous species of formic acid spraying ant then. This could be very helpful, it gives me an option to

roof, dig and shoot acid? That doesn't seem like a lot of

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

any information I'll have to

Hmmm.

That's so scary,

out there with who knows how many unknown horrors as a lone little ant

help this situation in

can I spend my points on

to spend your skill

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

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,

[Skills available to purchase:

cost 1sp, improves your ability to hide and move

over short

attack: cost 1 sp, more

and are more difficult to shake

sense: cost 1 sp, improves sense of

available to

to

toughen mandibles and improve their

Legs +1: improve agility

Eyes +1: improve eyesight

+1: increase sensitivity to air

thicken the

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

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

survival. 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

to assume I am close to the

I have made my

Eyes +1

you like to purchase Eyes +1 and the

Yes, please.

itch burst over my eyes,

Gaaah!

scratch this itch, I might poke

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