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

feelings are rising in my heart as I survey my new status, but when I 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

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

likely more dangerous territory than I have experienced already,

made the wrong choice, the prospect of being able to use mana was just too

level one may not be that bad, doesn’t it mean that I’ll be able to level back up to five and

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

level five. I won’t even look at the skills menu in case mana shaping or spell chanting has appeared in the list. I may not be able to resist the temptation! Be disciplined Anthony! Don’t let your precious skills

body and shaken the dust off my mind as I reach the end of the tunnel. Beyond

walk out into the open

this place

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

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

nature of my vision, especially over a distance. It probably also

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

Any clues Gandalf?

...

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

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

large enough word to describe this place, it feels

I can. Strange twisted trees, huge oversized mushrooms and a carpet of plant-life underneath face

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

the grasses and plants with my front claw, snipping at them to see if they react. When they don’t respond I move toward a giant mushroom. These things are easily