Chrysalis

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

Why am I level one Gandalf?! My hard work, my accumulated experience, all the ridiculous good luck I’ve had? It hasn’t been easy to survive to this point you know?! Where is

has gone from zero to ten it 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 down here. This could explain why so many monsters were drawn to the pool in the first cavern I

a significant upgrade to my stats in order to condense the core which has given me, in effect, only ten MP that

now into what is likely more dangerous territory than I have experienced already, those increased stats would have been

but worry I’ve made the wrong choice, the prospect of being able to

bad, doesn’t it mean that I’ll be able 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

actually better. I’ll have a second opportunity to amass skill points as an unevolved creature which could allow me to gain more levels and skill points at a faster

be advanced once they reach level five. I won’t even look at the skills menu in case mana shaping or spell chanting has appeared in the list.

mind as I reach the end of the tunnel. Beyond here lies the vast underground space

I walk out into the open air once

place is

slip and I would certainly plummet to my own death. To my left and right the

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,

also explains why I’ve been able to avoid having anything sneak up on me, since I’m essentially watching every direction at

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?

...

well. I shouldn’t be surprised at this state. For all his immense wisdom the grey one has been very taciturn, or perhaps

would surely be helpful

There isn’t anything left for me to do but move into

slope, leaving the shelter of the small tunnel and exposing myself to the open air

it feels like a fully enclosed world,

as far into the distance as I can. Strange twisted trees, huge oversized

time I really think to

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