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

of downgrades? Why am I level one Gandalf?! My hard work, my accumulated experience, all the ridiculous good luck I’ve had? It

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

the core which has given me, in effect, only ten MP that I can’t

to advance now into what is likely more dangerous territory than I

made the wrong choice, the prospect of being able to

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 I

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

have one skill point available right now but I 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

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

breath I walk out

this place is

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

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

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

Since skills can evolve at +5 I’m very excited to see what will happen when

Any clues Gandalf?

...

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

little extra advice would

anything left for me to do but move into this

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

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

huge oversized mushrooms and a carpet of plant-life underneath face me everywhere I turn. The whole ... forest ... pulses

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

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

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