Chrysalis

Chapter 24

I don’t know how much time had passed before I regain consciousness. The light slowly returns to my eyes and sensation to my limbs.

Deep inside my thorax (the middle bit) a hot, boiling feeling is slowly fading away, drawing in a dense ball of heat. Probably my new core.

Groggily I get my legs underneath me and start slowly moving through the tunnel again. No matter how weak I feel, I cannot stay here to rest, pursuers could be dropping down the shaft to investigate even now. I have to move.

Gradually my muddled thoughts begin to straighten themselves and my coordination slowly returns. As I navigate my way across the rocky tunnel I check my status.

Name: Anthony

Level: 1 (core)

Might: 15

Toughness: 12

Cunning: 25

Will: 18

HP: 30

MP: 10

Skills: Digging level 4; Improved Acid Shot Level 1; Grip Level 4; Bite Level 4; Advanced Stealth Level 1; Tunnel Sense Level 3;

Mutations: Eyes +4, Antennae +2, Acid +3, Legs +1

Species: Hatchling Ant Worker (Formica)

Skill points: 1

Biomass: 0

ridiculous good luck I’ve had? It hasn’t been easy to survive to this point you know?! Where is my

raises my spirit a bit. Looks like my hunch was correct and the monster core is the vital ingredient to mastering magic for me and my fellow creatures

sacrificed a significant upgrade to my stats in order to condense the core

is likely more dangerous territory than I have

made the wrong choice, the prospect of being able to use mana was just too

to level back up to five and evolve again? Which also means I’ll be able to gain more of the precious skill points as

creature which could allow me to gain more levels and skill points

I won’t even look at the skills menu in case mana shaping or spell chanting has appeared in the list. I may not be able to resist the temptation! Be disciplined Anthony! Don’t let your

I’ve regained full control of my body and shaken the dust off my mind as I reach the end of the tunnel. Beyond here lies the vast underground space I glimpsed

walk out into the open air

this place is so

to my own death. To my left and right the walls curve away into

an insect, I don’t have regular eyes like a human, but compound eyes. This means a few things, firstly, my eyes don’t need to be wet, so I don’t have to blink, more to the point I can’t since I have no eyelids. Secondly, my eyes don’t have one point of focus, unlike a

the blurry nature of my vision, especially over a distance. It probably also explains why I’ve been able

my eyes has been the correct choice for me and they’ll probably be the first body part I mutate to +5. Since skills can evolve at +5 I’m very excited to see what will happen when a mutation reaches that level. Will I be able to advance my

Any clues Gandalf?

...

state. For all his immense wisdom the grey one has been very taciturn,

advice would

There isn’t anything left for me to do but

shelter of the small tunnel

a large enough word to describe this place, it feels like

I can. Strange twisted trees, huge oversized mushrooms and a carpet

scene is just so alien, for the first time I really think to myself, this

plants with my front claw, snipping at them to see if they react. When they don’t respond I move toward a giant mushroom. These things are easily twice the height of

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