Chapter 32: Time

Year 11, Day 31

Amidst trees aplenty, greenery abound. 

[+1 Copper Ticket]

[1 Copper Ticket has fused with 6 Copper Tickets]

[+1 Silver Ticket]

[1 Silver Ticket fused with 3 Silver Tickets]

[+1 Gold Ticket]

[Would you like to use it?] 

'Sure.' Why not? Root pushed his roots outwardly as he woke up from his small nap. His Qi spread out in a wave, touching everything within the entirety of his forest. He could feel his lesser Nature children floating around and cultivating, he could feel his lesser Earth children following instructions from Ahteus beneath his roots, working alongside Lilith and her ants to carve out tunnels beneath his roots. Such tunnels would become the roads the ants would take to reach their hatching places- Talking about hatching and ants, the big egg the Ant Queen was protecting was… unusual. 

Under Lilith's control, the ants were instructed to procreate or somehow increase their numbers, and all the ants did was to lay these small red rocks that had these small tentacles on top of them, and whenever an animal or anything capable of providing enough nutrients touched the tentacles, it would get attached. Then comes the nasty part… These small tentacles will then pierce the skin and the small rock will reveal itself to be a sack of small eggs, which will be injected into whatever it is attached to and will fucking push all of its eggs inside. 

It takes about two days for the eggs to hatch - Root also found out that anything rich in Nature tree reduced the speed by an incredible amount, making them hatch at the stupid speed of 5 minutes - and from it, larvae will consume their host. The larvae grow to their full size in about 3 days, and after that period is over, they will become a full fledged ant! So, in total time for about 5000 ants to be born is 5 days. 

No wonder these things have such huge numbers… 

[You've received a Spirit Egg]

…a what now? 

[Spirit Beast Egg 

Rank: A

Description: An egg from a long dead species of creatures that lived in this world, when Spirit Qi was the most common type of Qi and when Spirits were not such a rarity. To hatch it, it needs to constantly be fed Spirit Qi.

Upon hatching, it will reflect the nature of the first being it recognizes as a parent.]

'Huh.' This item revealed a lot about this world's history- To think Spirit Qi was once the most common type of Qi in this world and now can only be obtained and produced by one's soul… Right, he also has another egg to look at. And here comes the weird thing: 

[Red Swarm Princess Egg

Rank: B

Description: A mysterious being seems to have blessed this egg. The mother has taken great care of herself, sacrificing a lot of her own Qi and soul to protect and nurture this egg. Upon hatching, it will automatically have the natural capacity for controlling all Red Swarm ants. 

The red Blessing of Blood shines] 

See!? What the fuck is that!? Ominous shit. 'A mysterious being? Most likely a god or god-like being, and their divine domain must be blood or even death.' Root thought as his roots began to curl as he released a small puff of Earth Qi. He was about to continue to push his roots deeper into the earth when his son floated to him. His ethereal appearance shimmering as he spoke: "Father-" his voice was also echoing, almost as if he was speaking from the depths of the abyss: "-can I please slap Frost and Freeze?" His voice sounded a little frustrated, much to Root's amusement. He saw as a ball of pure white snow phased through his son's phantasmal body and hit his trunk, making Frost stop for a moment. 

"Well, you asked for their help, Tahsm." Meet Tahsm, Root's 12th child and 5th son. He was a 5'6 feet humanoid man with long luscious gray-white hair and pointy ears like his fellow siblings. He was a pure Spirit. No elemental Qi, he was a Spirit! He was born from Root's Spirit Qi fused into a seed that fell upon the ground. "You wanted their help with working the in and outs of your natural abilities." Ah, talking about them, let's see them? 

[Status]

Name: Tahsm

Race: Greater Spirit

Cultivation Root: Spirit [Legendary]

Age: 0 Years

Qi Realm: Foundation Formation [7th Stage] 

Techniques: 

F Rank: [Spirit Levitation]

F Rank: [Spirit Phantasmal Body]

F Rank: [Soul Invasion]

"But they keep pestering me." He cried out, his body turning into a shimmer as another snowball phased through his ghostly body: "I already figured out how to continuously do this." He pointed at his own body with a clear dismissal, making Root sigh heavily. You see, due to the nature of this world (Or the curse, who knows?) Spirit Qi dissipates quickly. 

Like, very quickly.

And his son, Tahsm, was made out of Spirit Qi! Meaning? He couldn't stay outside of Root's soul space for long periods of time or else he'll cease to be. The only reason Zhu Tei was even able to cultivate was because Root could provide him Spirit Qi, and around his main body he could keep this constant mist of Spirit Qi that would replenish Tahsm's spent Qi, but the discomfort the boy would be put through by feeling his entire body being quickly and almost forcefully dissipated… Comparing the amount of time Tahsm can stay outside of Root's Soul Space and the amount of time Root can manifest his soul outside of his body, Tahsm wins every single time. The pressure on Root's soul alongside the ever increasing amount of Spirit Qi used was really heavy. 

Root could keep his spiritual form outside of his body for about 30 minutes to 40 minutes now - which is an amazing improvement if compared to the first time he ever used the technique. 

Tahsm could stay outside his father's soul space for 3 to 4 hours, which was amazing. Then he'd go back inside Root's soul space to replenish his strength for a few minutes before coming back out if he wished so. In a way, Root compared Tahsm to a kid with some kind of disease that needed constant doses of "medicine" to keep the child alive… Why does he feel nostalgia from that? Huh, weird. 

"C'mon Ghost boy, Danny Phantom, come play with us." Said the emotionless Frost whole his sister also held two snowballs on her hands: "We will freeze you." It sounds both like a threat and a promise… 

"Children, behave." Root warned as he felt Tahsm's connection flare a little. This was one of the symptoms that the boy needed another "dose" of 10 to 5 minutes bathing in thick and pure Spirit Qi. "Your brother needs to rest… I'm sure after he's done resting, you can try to convince him to play with you." Both Freeze and Frost did a military salutation with their hands before flying away to pester their other siblings. "Come now, child-" A gash tore open from Root's wooden body, and behind it stood an endless white with a single white bed in the middle: "-It does need some decoration." 

"I told you so." Tahsm groaned as his body faded in and out of existence. Once he crossed the threshold between the outside world and his dad's soul, he felt calm and his body stopped feeling like it was tearing apart. He loved his dad, and he loved being in his dad's soul space - it was basically full of Spirit Qi, after all - but he didn't quite like the whiteness of it all. It was just white, as far as the eyes could see! "Also, a few potted plants here and there wouldn't hurt." 

In a way, Tahsm was like Root's "soul guardian", seeing as he lived inside Root's soul. He discussed it with his son, and they both decided that if somehow somebody or something was able to enter Root's soul, or any of his children's souls, he and Tahsm would work to get rid of the threat. His son floated towards the bed in the endless white of his soul space as they discussed what kind of potted plant would go where.

Amidst Mortals, in shaded cover

Life was, although many disasters have happened, good for Elenor. She and her family were chosen by the immortal to serve his sect and have the highest of places among the mortals in this forest. Her entire family had names, but the immortal renamed them, telling them that a new name meant a new life- And that was his gift: Life renewed. Her own grandmother, Andromeda, was dying before they got to this forest, but a single touch of a fallen leaf from the Immortal's body cured her immediately. 

"Wei!" Looking down at this strangely adorable little humanoid being made of bark with a single leaf atop its head, Elenor smiled as she saw the little one offer her his little hand that looked to be made out of bark and roots: "Yes, little one?" She asked and took his little hand. Immediately, she felt this weird sensation over her body as the roots sank into her flesh, piercing her skin without pain. The little creature fused with her body, and she could feel this extremely weird sensation all over her body, until this warmth emanated from her. "Elenor." Snapping out of her stunned stupor, Elenor turned to look at her grandmother who walked into the room. Her left arm and leg were still the same wooden ones she received from the Immortal. "Greetings, Grandmother." Greeting her, Elenor bowed as she was taught to ever since she was 5 years old: "That's not necessary, child." Her voice carried warmth and soft amusement, making Elenor a little surprised that her normally stern and serious grandmother was so… warm to her.

"It seems the immortal has chosen you for the next head maid of the Curator family." Ah, that was the reason huh? Their family received the Curator surname by the Immortal and their duty was to take care of the needs of his children and sect members, and that was considered something good for their family seeing as they wouldn't need to struggle to survive anymore. She can still remember the cries of her mother as she cut off her own hand to feed her and her siblings as they walked in the desert, letting then drink her blood to quench their thirst. The replaced arm and leg in her grandmother's body shows how much she loved her family too, as she also did what Elenor's mother did, but in a much, much grander scale. "I am happy to tell you, child, that your mother would be proud of you." 

Elenor had to stop herself from crying, but small tears did fell from her closed eyelids. Her mother died, she died to save her children, to save her family. "Thank you grandmother." She nodded, lifting her head and looking at her grandmother.

"Ah…" She smiled as she walked towards her. "You look just like your mother…" Her hand softly caressed her cheek: "You her eyes and her determination… Your eyes carry the same fire she had in hers, and the same fire I have in my soul, determination to protect our own…" She paused for a moment, her hand pushing Elenor's black hair away to reveal her face: "Are you ready to face the world?" 

"...yes." Elenor was ready. 

"Then, come with me." She followed her grandmother out of the Curator central abode in the Inner Circle. A few minutes walking and they were at the base of the Immortal Tree, looking up to his majestic canopy. "My lord." Andromeda called: "I have brought to you, Elenor Curator, my successor as the Curator Head Maid and Family Matriarch." 

"Ah, the time has come it seems…" A voice, ethereal and strange, echoed in their minds: "Come, child… It is time." 

[author]

Thank you, my first Patreon - Dallas Meck! You're my favorite now. 

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