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

mother of downgrades? 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

for me and my fellow creatures down here. This could explain why so many monsters

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

territory than I have

worry I’ve made the wrong choice, the prospect of being able to use mana was just too tantalising in

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

is 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 pace

don’t want to spend it 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

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

breath I walk out into the

place

so high I absolutely refuse to climb on it. One slip and 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 at plus four, to be able to see 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, 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, but the

frustrated by the blurry nature of my vision, especially over a distance. It probably also explains why I’ve been able to avoid having anything sneak up on me, since I’m essentially watching every

and they’ll probably be the first body part I mutate to +5. Since skills can evolve at +5 I’m very

Any clues Gandalf?

...

at this state. For all his immense wisdom the grey one

advice would surely be

for me to do but move into this

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

word to describe this place, it feels like

into the distance as I can. Strange twisted trees, huge oversized mushrooms and a

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

if they react. When they don’t respond I move toward

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