One hundred thirty-six. Adolescence

Why the pain? Why the longing?

Lu Li scanned between the pitch-black substance of the rhizomes and the two items he had brought with him.

The floor was covered in a complex tangle of vines, layered one upon another. Lu Li inevitably walked over them, but unlike the other parts of this plant that he had encountered, these vines were already dead.

Lu Li tucked the crowbar into his back waistband and approached the rhizome. The emotions of pain and longing intensified. He unscrewed his water bottle and poured its contents over the rhizome, aiding in the washing away of the black substance.

The black matter near the roots kept getting washed away, revealing the original dark green underneath.

The pervasive atmosphere of pain gradually dissipated.

After giving the area around the rhizome a brief rinse, Lu Li twisted the cap back on. There was about one-tenth of the water left in the bottle, just enough for him to cleanse his eyes once.