Spiritual Seed Awakening 23 Chapter 23 A Long Road To Freedom

I do not panic after the underwater cave in. The most important thing at the moment is to have enough air, and to move forward. I have my group of snakes swim around, and find air with my third body. It will guard the other snakes along with lilac.

My second , and first body both have no need for air. This comes in handy again, and again it seems. These two bodies of mine can remain here to find, or create a path foward. I already have extended my soul around myself in all both my main, and third body. My perception finds the water is filled with dust, but this does not effect my vision. I find out there is a pile of debris in front of me blocking any movement forward

In my third body, I find there are serval partially collapsed parts of the tunnel. These do not block my group's effort to find air. This issue being resolved for now, I begin to tunnel into the remains of the collapsed tunnel with my second body.

My soul perception extended into the remains of the collapsed tunnel revealing it would be too unstable to dig. There are solid areas in some places, and some places that are too unstable There is no road forward trying to tunnel through the debris.

If I tried to tunnel through the debris, it would collapse on me for sure. I feel my corpse worm instinct strongly on this matter. The ceiling above is already cracked, but strong enough to hold til the next quake. I must be fast. The parts this tunnel above the debris are only alittle better then those that fell.

I have the bone fish join my third body guarding lilac before I start tunneling. I dig into the ceiling while using my soul, and instinct to find the best route. My soul allows me to see though earth, but my corpse worm instincts grant me knowledge of how to dig.

A good comparison would be a normal person with high quality paint, and a master painter with poor materials. The high quality paints can only increases the chance of a better looking paiting. While the master painter, is not limited by material due to wisdom, and experience.

The same could be said about pseudo-serpent corpse body's ablity to dig, and my soul perseption in terms of usefulness. My now pseudo-serpent body has corpse worm origin. My second body gives me the ablity to tunnel through earth. This helps me dig very well. I need qi to dig through stone.

The soul that inhabits my second body was formed through the fusion of a portion my own soul, and the amalgamation of many corpse worms souls. There is a deep wealth of knowledge buried in my soul because of this. My instinct would be like of a master painter. The soul perception only makes the tunneling easier like high quality paint.

The ceiling is already weak. I only need to dig through, while avoid weak points that might might cause a another collapse of the ceiling. I am low on qi due to use of the bonefish as a defense. This slows douwn my digging speed as I try to conserve qi while using finish this new tunnel.

I make great process. I tunnel through this solid rock like a river full of manny turns, curves. This tunnel is by no means me tunneling straight through. I follow the path of least resistance forward. I have not caused a cave in. which I feel is an achievement giving I have been rus.h.i.+ng this tunnel. I avoid manny of the unstable sections.

I reward myself by pulling a core from my ring, that has earth type qi. I place the core into my mouth, crush it. I use my main, and second body to refine this qi into my own qi. I then use my main body to channel qi into my corpse snake body core.

The pseudo- serpent body has not inhibited my ablity to dig, but lack of qi definently has. I am not physically strong. I need to use qi constantly to increase my strength to dig through this stone. It feels tougher to dig though the deeper I go. My method though has allowed me enough qi keep pus.h.i.+ng forward without stopping. This allows me to push through rock like water.

This qi saving method allowed my second body to recover a good portion of my qi. My body can slithers through stone at a good pace with the held of qi from the core, but absorbing qi from the environment would not meet my needs.

I must conserve my supply of cores. I have found cores provide quick burst of mostly unrefined qi. Which is necessary when in danger, or in need short term qi restoration. This is not without consequences though.

This method of absorbing qi from cores would negatively impact me if I used it frequently, and with out refining the qi. Even when refined, it's not my own qi. I can only refine the qi so much as I am not actively focusing on refining the qi, and am mult.i.tasking.

The absorption of cores frequently would harm me long term doing it this way, but they are useful in a pinch. I have found running out of qi at the wrong time is death. I am not sure how long this journey will take. I must sure I have enough.
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I see water up ahead. I tunnel through the remaining stone. I break a small hole into the wall. I am met with a path to the rest of the old tunnel. I head back through the tunnel I made. I make small adjustments along the way so that it's big enough for one snake to make it through at a time, with enough spare room for a certain clam to be carried . The time it took to get this far was about three fourths of the way to the next quake I believe.

I slithered back through this tunnel with my second body. I need to be in a certain proximity to take all the bonefish back into the ring. My third body was able to find enough air, and swims back. Lilac is waiting in front of my new tunnel as my third body heads back. The other snakes follow in an organized manner under lilacs charm to the new tunnel.

The escape is time-consuming, but I need the snake power to escape. Losing the water snakes, or the bonefish at this point would only hinder my escape. I make it back to the other side of the tunnel with my second body. I take the bonefish into ring. I then head through the tunnel I created. Lilac follows me through. My third body is the last to enter the new tunnel with the clam still in it's mouth.

I destroy it after using it. Who knows what may follow me. Our group of snakes, and clam swim at a slower pace then before due, but manage to keep pace with my second body. The air pockets in the second half were more then plentiful enough to meet our needs.

I happen on a few strange crystals on the way out. They remind me of the crystals I absorbed when I was first exploring with my corpse worm body. I quickly take a as manny as I can. I have to use my second body to tunnel into the stone. I don't waste time on anything I would have to struggle with. I allow our group to rest for a short period of time, while I mine.

These crystals should be diffrent then the ones I found before. I can feel they are a treasure. I don't have time to mess with them, and store them in my ring. I end the rest period shortly after this mining detour, and keep going swimming toward the exist.

I "see" light up ahead. My main body's soul is expanded in a wide area making sure nothing sneaks up on the group. The miasma grows stronger, but my soul is able to handle it. The water seems to grow more contaminated the closer to exit we become. My third body holds the clam tightly, and lilac leads the snakes. I feel almost free of this collapsing h.e.l.l.

I make it to air, or this air pollution zone it should be named with my second body. This air has no effect on my second body, but this would be toxic for the living snakes in the rest of the group. I head back into the water. I dare not enter this air with my third body. It's much worse out there than in the other chamber. I know lilacs, and my third body would die not long after such intense exposure.

I quickly think, and I remember the low grade plant encyclopedia. I grab a few plants, and throw them together as fast as I can. I make a paste by chewing the plants up. I then grab two of my qi filled plants I had been saving, and chew them up as well. I mix the three paste into one paste. Then I split the paste into seven large pills, and a small pill with the leftovers.

I feed one pill to my third body, and lilac. I crush two pills, and then disperse medicine around the rest of the water snakes. These snakes all get small portions each in the end. I remember the red pill hemlock made. This paste rolled into b.a.l.l.s should not be half as effective, but it might last a few hours at best.

The plants I mixed all had posion fighting properties that were complementary. The two plants I had saved were both full of vitality, but I did not have a recipe. I'm sure my poor methods wasted a good portion of the medical strength. I added all the of plant all together without much thought. I have no fire, so this was my only way to refine these pills.

I can only hope what I made works. The clam is immune it seems to the miasma, just like my second body. It may have absorbed some of the pill I dispersed, but I care little for it's life in the short term.

I value my life, and bodies more then a treasure making clam, but I still value it. It makes little sense to throw away somthing of value, if alittle effort can helps to keep it. It also could be said that throwing away your life for money before you can spend it is just foolish.

The only two lives I truly care about are lilac's and my own. I would trade that clam in a heart beat. I need prepare for the worst case. I save the remaining four pills for later. I make sure to keep small one as extra. I leap out of the water in my zombie body, followed by lilac and my third body. The rest of the snakes come out right after.

I begin to cultivate the snake cultivation method as we slither forward. I try to absorb some the miasma around myself to ease the burden on the living. The clam is also impressive in its ability to absorb the toxic gas from the air. This does not cleanse the air, but it does help the snakes have to use less qi.

The clam seems better able to absorb the miasma since shrinking in size. I am happy with it's progress. The clam's ability to absorb miasma was why I took it along. It has helped keep lilac, and my third body with only a low level of miasma posioining. This is a great achievement for any creature that lives in this environment.

I can see a open chamber ahead. It is familiar. I see nothing living, but the miasma probably is the cause of that. The lack of life does not matter. This is the chamber where I first emerged in my corpse worm body. I can confidently navigate this area, even if this cavern has s.h.i.+fted.

I then slither fast as my tail will take me towards the air chamber. I am afraid I may lose my living allies, and third body, but I need to live. Two out of three bodies is better than nothing. If I must sacrifice my third body, I do so willingly. I keep going, pus.h.i.+ng myself forward, to freedom.

The chamber is eerily quiet. I remember the constant sounds of bodies s.h.i.+fting, inspect noises, and fighting. This cavern is drastically diffrent from the water chamber, or how I remembered it. I slither over solid ground. The cave shakes, but the ceiling is not falling, or rather is is not falling apart as fast. There are occasional peices of rock falling, but the cave feels more stable. I am used to the quakes by now

I keep traveling through tunnels, and open s.p.a.ces. I am not heading towards where I awoke in this world. I travel towards the air chamber. That had required a good amount of slithering, and fighting along the way.

The foes I have faced have grown stronger as I make my way through this cave. There was a corpse bat that got a needle in it's brain after attacking me. It's body decomposition was with enhanced with a posion I created. It's not my five deaths poison, but it proved effective against the dead bat.

I saw the corpse bat pinned to a wall rotting when I left. The next opponent I faced was a corpse salamander. I felt somthing in me snAp when I encountered it. It was beat to meat paste after daring breath fire towards me. That act of fire breathing from a salamander awakened a deep rage within myself. I blacked out. I only came to after my tail was slammed into the remains of what looked like salamander paste.

I lost control, but I did gain the lizard's core. The fight was not long I was able to figure out, and I also learned how to better regain control after rage takes over. This was the sliver lining of the situation.

It is not my own hate. Hemlock's soul fragment shows itself again. The fragment not sentient, but the soul power I absorbed from it was closely bond to her rage. That salamander was close enough to a dragon to cause a reaction.

I will not be absorbing any dragon blood any time soon, or else I might destroy one of my own bodies. I keep the core, but refuse to let any amount of dragon blood near me. The smell in my third body alone almost causes me great anger.

I am able to keep it at bay. I know it's irrational, and not my own, but even the smell of it blood with my third body causes rage bone deep. I refuse let any to let any of the water snakes eat the remains corpse either. I would be angry with myself if I beat any of them to death because of the lizard blood. I know I have huge problem if it takes just lizard blood to set me off, but that's the price I paid for a powerful soul.

I speed off again only to feel a stronger shaking. The cave does not collapse to my great joy this time as well. The shaking has been happening periodically at different strengths. The only ones I worry about or take note of are the stronger ones. This one is stronger, and caused more corpse creatures to flood from other the other tunnels.

They kill each other from time to time, and only the strong survive. This is both a blessing, and a burden. The lower number of corpse creatures is great, but the strength of those that survive is a pain. Our snake tribe is able to defend itself, but the new intensity has put a drain on our energy as a group.

I have used my soul to it's limits continuously monitoring our surroundings. I have made sure there were no losses. I have had to stop at times to recoup because of this. I know I can not speed through this by myself non-stop. I am not that strong, and these snakes are stronger then I have given them credit for. The group has pushed forward again and again against horrible chances of survival.

The luxury to rest is only because our group is strong enough to do so. I am our eyes, there are few things that can sneak up on us. Those creatures we are confident in fighting we fight, and those we are not we avoid when we can. I know I need to rush forward, but recklessly pus.h.i.+ng forward will only result in death due to exhaustion.

I am thankful for out numbers. The corpse creatures are violent, and seem to lack basic intelligence. The fight to the death with no fear or sense of pain. These creatures are diffrent then those I found when first studing corpse creatures. They were in lower number, and seemed more diverse in qi type.

These walking corpses are have a limited range of creatures. There are instincts, and local cavern animals that have moving corpse bodies. These are the same type of creatures, but diversity in species is lacking. The time before all of this, there were manny types of spider for example. They had varying characteristics. The spider corpse creatures I see now all have torrential like bodies, and long legs.

The most prevalent type of qi it fire. These fire corpses are unlike my the corpse worms I ate, or the other corpse creatures I have killed. These fire corpses creatures are just as mindless, but seem to be organized some how. They are similar to the creature hemlock faught, but diffrent. The creatures she faught were all training in lava. These creatures don't seem to actively train in lava. It's like they adapted to live under the same conditions rather then training to do so.

I have examined the bodies of some of the corpse creatures I killed while resting. There does not seem to be a any huge diffrence between these fire corpse creatures, and normal the average corpse creature. The only unusual thing I have found is the bodies of these creatures seems to contain abnormal amounts of miasma.

I am tired, but not feeling thirst, or hunger in my third body. The ring I have in my second body has proven it's worth. I am able to pull food, and water from it. The food, and water I pull out are pure compared to what we find. The corpse creatures are not all edible, in fact most are too old, or tainted to eat. When I rest, I can only depend on the what I packed.

My corpse body does not need sleep, or food, but fighting constantly, and using my soul while is running is draining. My second body would shut down if I did not take breaks. My third body needs food, water, and sleep. I have no reference to compare living in a snake body to, but I know I must eat from time to time. I do not feel hunger as often anymore. As I strengthen my body, the need seems to be greater, but my time between feedings grow longer. This constant fighting requires food, and water. My breaks also allow the rest of the living a chance to rest, and refuel.

I look over at Lilac, and see she is showing signs of mild poisoning. I allow my third body to swallow another pill, and lilac ingest one as well. The two wrap around the clam to cultivate the snake cultivation method. They do not draw posion into their bodies like my second body does. Instead the two puke a black bile, and shed their skin. The effects are fast-acting, and strong it seems. It also shows how much posion they have absorbed along the way.

The two bodies can now use their full strength again, but we are still not at the air chamber entrance. The pills offer poison protection, but the effects are limited. Their efforts to remove posion from their bodies were enhanced by the clam, but this was not a full detoxification. The pills only are preventive, and can help remove some poison. The effects were stronger this time, before there was more posion in their bodies. This will not last forever though. This miasma's poison will seep into the living again.

The stops have been necessary, but counter productive to leaving. The benefit though is I have been given more time to think of a way out of this hole of desolation. I am a magical seed in the body of a dead snake like creature with a bunch of snakes, and clam. In this group, not one of us has arms, or wings. I have no clue how I will climb out.

The corpse spider never explored the air chamber like the other chambers. so I have no mental map of it to reference. Hemlock did not explore it either. I only know there is a tunnel leading up, and douwn. This tunnel must be a vent of some kind. I will use it to attempt an escape, but outside of this idea, I have no idea of how to accomplish this.

I feel strongly that it is only thanks to my soul perception I have not lost any of the semi-aquatic snakes. I have guided them like a general, but at this pointI know they will not live past this adventure. The amount of medical strength in each portions of the pill they absorbed only will prolong their life.

They are also s.h.i.+elded by the clam in having an easier burden to bear then facing the full strength of the miasma. This is not immunity though. They are living. Their bodies have been slowly absorbing the miasma. They have not been s.h.i.+elded well from this posion they breath. The more exertion they put on themselves, the less time in this world they have.

I saw this when the ordinary living creatures all died. As the level of miasma increases, their bodies begin to acc.u.mulate poison. In small doses it is a slow death. The death energy in the miasma chips at vitality. Days, weeks, and years are progressively stolen as the exposed to miasma intensifies. I can't keep track of time that well in this dark sunless world, but from what I have seen, They already have lost half their natural span.

This normally does not affect life in the cavern. Short life spans are a part of life in this cavern. The poison in the miasma most creatures have adapted to. This poison would normally amount to small doses over a longer period of time. It would not have a huge impact on their short lives. They have gained a resistance to it. They do not show signs of severe symptoms, but their life span are short.

The high levels of expure cause organ failure I have seen signs of in those that were still living. I also discolored blood, bones,and flesh became more discolored as miasma permeates their bodies. The death energy eats away at vitality, but at high intensity the effects are more obvious. They are at a visable rate. This high level of concentration only increases the intensity they must face.

Those fortunate to have qi faced a different problem. They were able to force the most of the poison from their systems, but not the death energy. The posion in the miasma I have found is beneficial to the living in only one way.

This poison keeps those under it's effects in death like state. It's like being sick. Predators may avoid eating sick prey. The posion in this miasma causes harm to vitality that makes those under it's effects apear less living. It is absorbed deep into the flesh, blood, and bone. This may help increase chance of those without qi reanimating, but those who avoid this death by poison, are left to age faster with facing heavy death qi.

This is only a theory, but It what I have found to be true. Those full of vitality are more effected, but this is only by a small amount. The living are not death energy magnets. It may be that living exposed to death enery become more suited to become corpse creatures. It may be better to face the posion in the short term as a sort of s.h.i.+eld, but removing such posion would be a difficult task. I can remove posion, but bone deep posion from the living is beyond my means.

When explosed, rapid signs of aging occur, and the bodies of those living are more likely to be destroyed. This being said, I can only delay the fate of the water snakes while resting. They have been exposed to higher, and higher rates of miasma as we have progressed with little treatment.

I slither, while maintaining a perimeter of soul around our group. I have been trying to figure out the best course of action given my circ.u.mstance, but the path to freedom is not easy any way I think about it.

As path to the wind tunnel is growing closer, I am faced with too manny unknowns. The only thing I am certain of is those living, are not long for this world. My seed body is protected in my second body, but the rest are all slowly dying it seem.

I check two bodies again as I have done many times before, my third body, and lilac. They show signs of having been effected, but they still are minor. I am relieved. The medicine I made seems to work well. Their bodies are resistant to the posion, naturally, but again this is not immunity.

The effects of the pills are absorbed into their bodies like the poison protecting them. The death enery my second body can purge, but the process is too draining for small amounts. The posion would have have harsher side effects if left untreated.

I have lilac charm the water snakes to lead the charge, the weakest of them die soon after, not from fighting, but from old age. They are all near death.I rather not leave them behind. This way they are fighting for their queen at least rather then waiting to die. I only have enough pills for my living bodies. I have not extra I can waste on them. They would not even survive if they ate a bunch of pills now. They are too far gone.

This continues, and I enter a death march to wind tunnel. I lost water snakes left, and right. I have noticed these snakes are willing die for their queen, even without being charmed. Those under her charm are only seem to have their pained reduced as they fight. It's not actually reduced. They just don't feel it as much. Lilac only keeps them organized, while maintaining a distance from the front lines.

As I near the exit, corpse creatures grow harder to fight, and to avoid. The heat vision my third body has is useless against the cold-blooded dead, but fire zombies are like candles in a dark room.

The most difficult foe has been a corpse centipede. The dam inspect was nothing like those I first saw when surfacing into this cavernous s.p.a.ce. This centipede had a tough body. This bug the body of a fire zombies. This made it easier to spot.

I tried to avoid it, but it too was able to sense us it seems. The most dangerous aspect of it was not fire, but instead the fact that it was too hot to be near. I am not sure how it did so, but the heat it gave off was strong. It spewed fire at me. This had little affect with the water snakes around me to help fight fire with water. I used a needle I had stored in my second body, while maintaining a distance to harm it.

The snakes weakly pelted the bug with water, and I hid my attack within theirs. I launched a needle coated in posion. A weaker poison I used before on the corpse bat seemd to have no effect on it, but it lost a compound eye on impact. I also lost one of the needles I made with my main body. These needles were not easily made.

In a rage, it spewed fire towards us. I remember there were twelve snakes left at the time. We had to retreat to avoid its heat, and deadly flame. The flame were hot, but the water snakes able to put out with water. I am thankful I braught enough to replenish them. They can store water, but not create it from nothing.

The heat weakened the water snakes, and made water attacks less effective. The distance made it harder for the corpse fire centipede to harm us as well with flame as the monsters only long distance weapon as well.

We were pushed back time, and time again. The standstill was not beneficial. The water snakes seemed to be running low on water. They could drink only so much water at a time. This caused me to conserve what we had. I was not sure how long the fight would last, but at the same time the fire needed to be stopped before it killed one of our snakes.

I was lucky enough to spot a large stalact.i.te above me with my main body. I made sure the corpse fire centipede was lured right under it. I also timed my attack to happen as a quake was about to happen. This would increase my chance of ending this. I was not sure I would get anthor.

I then used both my second, and third body to fire needles at the same spot right after a strong quake began. My third body held the clam with it's tail. The corpse fire centipede was throuwn off-balance mid attack. I wish I was responsible, I could have done more then firing the needles. My soul barely is strong enough to bear the miasma, let alone engaging in battle of the souls while doing this..

Lilac took my place, and her eyes glowed purple. My serpent bodies fired another pair of needles breaking the base of the stalact.i.te. The centipede looked as it was in a trance for an instant, but that's all I needed. The world was shaking as the stalact.i.te fell, and the centipede became like the stone that held Excalibur. It's funny I remember that.

I felt like I conquered a dragon after that fight. I was tired, and exhausted. I refused to gain nothing from exchange. I went to pull my treasures from it's body. It's core is still in tact. It was not spherical like mine , but that's more common I have found.

It's full of fire qi. I stored it in my ring in a shelf I think will hold it. The core radiated heat as well. I am thankful for it's death. It caused me to lose the most important resource, time. I am currently backtracking from where that fire bug forced me back to.

I saw no other creatures as strong, but I lost eight semi-aquatic snakes on the way. Only seven snakes remaining including my second, third, and lilac. The wind tunnel entrance is so close now. I can feel the miasma against my scales in my third body like wind. The medical strength of the pill is fading in my third third, and lilac's bodies. Death or victory now, I split the final pills up.

I will not survive this alone. I have depended on lilac. I have found, not just to live, but to not be alone in this cave any longer. She is the only other creature that has made me not feel alone any more. I am not sure how she may feel about me, but I care about her. She has been a great companion.

I give her the largest pill of the remaining pills I created . It may be a final gesture, I will not regret it. She and I do not talk, but she is the only family I have in this world. I refuse to give up when I am so close. I give my third body a pill as well. I will face what ever the air chamber throws at me.