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

the ridiculous good luck I’ve had? It hasn’t been easy

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

upgrade to my stats in order to condense the core

advance now into what is likely more dangerous territory than I

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

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

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

yet. I have several skills at level four which will need to 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.

control of my body and shaken the dust off my mind as I

a deep breath I walk out

this place is

I would certainly plummet to my own death. To my left and right the walls curve away into the distance to a place I cannot see, my eyesight isn’t good enough, even

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 human who can see the one place they are directly looking at in great detail, my eyes are able to look in many directions at once,

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

can evolve at +5 I’m very excited to see what will happen when a mutation reaches that level. Will I be

Any clues Gandalf?

...

shouldn’t be surprised at this state. For all his immense

extra advice would

left for me to do but move into this new

slowly I more down the slope, leaving the shelter of the small tunnel and exposing myself to the open air of this

to describe this place, it feels like a fully enclosed world, like a biome

the rocks I strain my eyes to see as far into the distance as I can. Strange twisted trees, huge oversized mushrooms and a carpet of plant-life underneath face me everywhere I turn. The whole ... forest ...

for the first time I really think to

at them to see if they react. When they don’t respond I move toward a giant mushroom. These things are easily

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