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

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

notice that my MP 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 was in. By drinking the water which was somehow suffused with mana they were able to absorb it and hasten

stats in order to condense the core which has given me, in

is likely more dangerous territory than I have experienced

the wrong choice, the prospect of being able to use mana was just too tantalising in my

may not be that 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

skill points as an unevolved creature which could allow

reach level five. I won’t even look at

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

walk out into the

place

maybe even seventy meters high, 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 ends of the

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,

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

body part I mutate to +5. Since skills can evolve at +5 I’m very excited

Any clues Gandalf?

...

be surprised at this state. For all his immense wisdom the grey one has been very taciturn, or perhaps he’s

would

for me to do but move into this

small tunnel and

a large enough word to describe this place, it feels

huge oversized mushrooms and a carpet of plant-life underneath

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

poke the grasses and plants with my front claw, snipping at them to see if they react. When they don’t respond I move

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255