Chapter 2 Coming to grips (1/2)
The world before the System Descent is mystery to us now, any records of that time disappeared during the Rending or were lost in the centuries since. How did those people judge each other, unable to view themselves with perfect numerical accuracy as we so easily can today?
Was that society a more equitable place? When the worth of a human being can be weighed with such precision, strict roles and structures are easy to maintain, perhaps back then, when the qualities of each individual were more nebulous, it allowed greater freedom, greater choice in a persons' life? Many believe the System elevated us, empowered us to fight back against the great cataclysm, but many of the wise question this narrative, we know what we gained in the Descent, but we can no longer recall what we lost.
Exert from page 15 of ”Ruminations on the pre-Descent society” by Illarion the heretic.
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Okay. So I have a skill point and a body point to spend? If this is a game-like situation then I would be able to open some sort of menu in order to spend my points and improve myself. How do I access this menu here in my tunnel though?
Erm. Level up!
No, that didn't work.
Escape! Escape key!
… Nothing.
I mean, worth a shot right?
Sigh.
Status!
Whoa!
Name: Anthony
Level: 1
Might:15
Toughness:12
Cunning: 25
Will: 18
HP: 30
MP: 0
Skills: Digging level 1; Acid Shot Level 1; Grip Level 3; Bite Level 2
Species: Hatchling Ant Worker (Formica)
Bioma.s.s: 1
Skill Points: 1
Wow, this is really interesting! My status huh?
The first time I saw these numbers I thought they looked high but perhaps they are actually really low? I can't imagine a hatchling ant worker has an impressive status in any way. And what are these skills?
Grip? Does this mean I can hold onto things well?
[Grip: Ability to hold onto surfaces and objects without letting go, for example, walking on walls]
The triumphant return of Lord Gandalf! My lord! My savior! Truly your beard is the most luxurious, your eyebrows the most bristly!
So I have some sort of help system built into the status to explain the skills when I think of them? This is amazing!
So my grip skill improves my ability to hold onto stuff with my six legs, including walking on walls and the ceiling? I totally forgot ants could do that. I'll have to try it as soon as I get out of here, why would you walk on the floor if you had the option to use the wall or roof?
What do my other skills do I wonder?
[Bite: Improves the ability to accurately and forcefully apply a bite using fangs, mandibles or teeth].
[Digging: Provides sub-conscious guidance when digging to increase efficiency and effectiveness].
[Acid shot: a.s.sists accuracy when attempting to attack from a distance using a natural acid from the body].
Okaaaaay.
There are many species of ant on earth that were able to shoot formic acid from their rear zone. I must belong to a monstrous species of formic acid spraying ant then. This could be very helpful, it gives me an option to attack without getting too close to my opponent, a course of action that I think would, at the moment, lead to my instantaneous destruction.
So I can bite, crawl on the roof, dig and shoot acid? That doesn't seem like a lot of tools to survive in an environment like this.
What I'm missing most is information. I have no real idea where I am, I have no idea what kind of creatures live in this place other than ants like me and Croca-beasts, I've no idea where the surface is or if the surface even exists in this world. I can't communicate with anything since I'm fairly sure I don't even have vocal chords, so even if I found someone prepared to talk to a monstrous ant, dialogue would be impossible.
This means if I want any information I'll have to get it myself. Out, in the tunnels.
Hmmm.
Scary! That's so scary, Gandalf!
You want me to go out there with who knows how many unknown horrors as a lone little ant monster?! Madness, madness I say!
Phew. Came down Anthony, stay cool. Panic will not help this situation in any way. Stay rational, stay cool, stay alive.
So, the final question is, what can I spend my points on and how?
[Would you like to spend your skill points?]
I would! I absolutely would oh wise and magnificent Gandalf, bringer of hope, bringer of light, may your beard be ever fluffy!
Just like with my status, a window opens within my mind.
Skill points: 1
Bioma.s.s: 1
[you can use skill points to purchase new skills or upgrade existing ones]
[Bioma.s.s can be spent to improve or modify aspects of your physical, monstrous form]
[Skills available to purchase: