I feel the plant trying to destroy my mind. My earlier assumption that it cared not for my mind was naive.
Perhaps, when two minds occupy the same form, the other cannot properly control the body? That seems odd since I never had any trouble with Aitos, may he rest in peace, but then again I'm a bit unique.
The plant's gnawing at my mind, but... It's also making zero progress. My senses are blocked yet I can somehow tell my body isn't moving. Why is that? Do I have some sort of connection which prevents it from fully taking my body?
Is that why it wants me gone?
I reach out through this tenuous connection to try moving my leg. My leg trembles. The plant seems to notice, apparently able to move itself on instinct. It redoubles its efforts. Hrr. Then, I sho—
"Y... ou... A... re No... thi... ng... Jus... t... D... ie..."
Rowh.
Am I talking to a plant? No, wait. Thinking back, its attacks against my body got more adept as it 'took' more from me. Does that mean this plant is using my abilities to learn? To gain sapience? Or—. No.
No, it's probably that damn talent again. It's evolving my invader. Again. Thinking back, it makes sense that a talent with a pivot called 'Evolution' should be the reason Parasite was able to evolve.
It's so obvious in hindsight. Or am I becoming smarter? Silly question; of course my intellect is ever-evolving. I'll outsmart this plant before it gains more mental prowess.
"I have no intention of dying. You evidently cannot kill me, so I'll soon retake what's mine. And then? Everything you have shall also become mine."
"!!!"
It didn't like that. Somehow I can tell that it's gnawing on my mind. Feels weird, but it still does nothing.
I try to move my leg again. This time, it moves slightly. I try to open my eyes. They open. I can see nothing, but the reason has become self-evident.
I try to see. My vision returns.
This is similar to puppeteering my own body. I lack direct control, but the 'strings' connecting it to my Will are intact. They simply aren't getting the proper signals.
The plant is now trying its damnedest. It's even bashing my mind against something, as though a mind could be bashed against a rock. I have no idea what it thinks it's doing. Still, nothing is happening. It's getting frustrated.
I think for a moment. Then, I whip up a series of mental programs similar to Ainthia's conditional magic. These programs are designed to automate my body's senses and functions as though I have full control regardless. I implement them.
My body springs back to full function. Rewh!
C'mon, c'mon! Status.
Name: Π||¿
Stats:
Str: Π||¿
Sta: Π||¿
Int: Π||¿
Wis: Π||¿
Raughhhhh.
Alright, well. I still don't have magic or access to my Origin abilities. That makes sense.
"Y... ou... What AR...E you?"
Its speech is getting more competent. That's not good. But I notice it isn't able to read my thoughts, like Parasite could. Let's see if I can direct my thoughts at it, and trick it into activating my Origin.
"Origin. I cannot be consumed nor destroyed."
"We... Shall s...ee..."
I feel it immediately attempt to consume my Origin. How did it know what I meant by Origin? Maybe my thoughts contained my conceptualization of Origin. Regardless, it isn't working, hreh.
I finally manage to locate the 'string' connecting my mind and Origin. I realize this string— thread. This Origin thread is somehow blocking my mind from being damaged.
I watch the bulb's impacts against my mind being transferred into and along the string. The impact hits my Origin, which doesn't even tremble. It's like the bulb is trying to attack a black hole. Rawh, I had no idea my Origin was so absurdly strong.
I suddenly realize my Will and my Origin are one and the same. Ruh. Makes sense, I guess?
I think, therefore I am.
I am the Origin.
I whip up another mental program and start consuming the bulb back.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
"Aggh! ... How?!"
"You cannot win. Give up."
"No! Then... I'll us...e it against you!"
Wait, can it use my Origin? That could be bad.
I feel something powerful come near my Will. It's not like before. This thing is so much more powerful than myself; it's like I'm a small rock next to the sun. I feel my Will absorbing into it.
"Goodbye. And thank you."
Damn.
...
...
But, as my Will sits inside it, nothing happens. The Will it absorbs isn't... Leaving my Origin? I don't understand.
...
No, wait. It IS consuming my Will, but my Origin is— reah.
Staying the same. Hruh?
...
I notice the bulb feels even more ridiculously powerful than it did earlier. No, wait. Weirdly, my own Will is also becoming more powerful. Where is this extra Will coming from?
The heck is going on here?
Both Wills continue to grow.
How long will this keep— reh?
I notice a random Origin thread.
I poke it into the bulb. Whatever.
Suddenly, I feel a massive wave of panic.
Except, it's not my panic. The bulb is panicking.
What's happening? Why do I feel its emotions? Why does it HAVE emotions? I feel it trying to push against my Origin, to separate it, to break it apart... Hreh, wait.
Isn't that how I tried to stop the bulb's talent?
"Raha! You really screwed up now, didn't you?"
"No! No, you cannot! That's. That's mine!"
"Yours? No way. You stole it from me."
"No, it's my talent! That's mine!"
...
Hruh? I'm using its talent?
It's not just a similar reaction?
I mentally reach out and tug on that thread from before.
Rawah, and its been here the whole time.
I trace the thread. It neatly loops back into the bulb's Will. I really did use the bulb's own talent. I haven't truly eaten it yet, but I managed to use it anyway.
image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/066.png?v=2]
I carefully examine the bulb's huge Will.
image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/066a.png?v=2]
There's my Mana, and my Causal Decoherence, and... Rah, everything. It cut off my senses but not the connections themselves. I couldn't use them because these Origin threads are not directly attached to my mind. They are indeed attached to the bulb's Will— but they're attached to my Will as well. I can still access them.
image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/066b.png?v=2]
I look closer. There's a thick, transparent, stretchy connection between the bulb and myself. Both of our Wills are held deep within this muck. It's almost like a gooey blob. Oddly, it's barely visible unless I focus. As I focus on the goo, I notice that it seems to expand in response to my observation.
image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/066c.png]
For some reason, the scene reminds me of a wave function collapse from quantum physics. Observation changes the state of the quanta. I was never successful at anything in life, but I liked studying difficult topics. Mastering what others couldn't let me feel successful even though I wasn't.
I also note that my mere intent is making the connection between our two Wills continue to grow stronger.
I decide to further examine the translucent goo. Which is when I realize.
image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/066d.png]
My whole mindscape is coated with reams of clear goo like a giant spider web. The Will the bulb is absorbing is coming from my Will, but more is flowing into me from. From.
I trace a thinner wad of goo as it inexplicably leads outside of my mental space. One of many, many thousands, millions, billions of tendrils; they're uncountable. All of them lead out from my mindscape into the real world. They connect with...
image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/066e.png]
No. Roh, no no no no.
Each of the countless goo tendrils branches also split and branch out. They then split again, and again, and again... It's endless.
This goo connects with. With.
The land; the space; the countless air particles. It's like a glass glaze coating. The Will the bulb is absorbing is coming from—
image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/066f.png]
— everywhere.
The further I look, the more of it I see. It's not expanding; at least not as quickly as I'm looking. It's already there.
image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/066g.png]
— everything.
I decide to keep tracing my mental blobbiness. Soon enough, I see people, plants, and every manner of creature. I'm attached to all of them. They're each sending me tiny bits of Will.
image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/066h.png]
— and everyone.
I notice Harani. He's not giving me any. That's good. But unusual.
However, the translucent goo is extremely thick around him. Also, I again see this goo happily feast upon my attention. Even the stuff connected with Harani is reacting despite its relative lack of activity.
image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/066i.png]
It's stretching and growing, becoming more ordered and—
I recoil in surprise as my senses refocus. In space?
image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/066j.png]
My Origin is connected with THE ENTIRE PLANET?!
What the hell? No, really. What the hell—
— AM I?
I'mma dragon, right? Reh? I hope?
...
Rawr?
...
I quietly retreat back to my mental sanctuary, shocked by what I've witnessed. What I've learned about myself.
I, I can't. I can't observe that anymore. Whatever that clear goo is, it's entirely too terrifying for words.
Even to me, despite it evidently being a part of my own body.
...
I decide to mentally refocus on the bulb.
By consuming my power, the bulb seems to have accidentally bound itself to my Origin. Is this how my Origin works? Perhaps the moment the bulb tried to subsume my body, we became inextricably linked. Similar to how I can only add words onto my name.
However, though we are linked?
You are harming my people.
Bulb, I am the Origin.
And you shall die.
I code more mental programs... Origin programs, to run every bit of myself without external conduits.
My Will from today issues its commands directly to my body and abilities via my Origin. No longer does it send any message via my body. I have no use for nerves because my Will alone decides my actions.
I feel so different and yet so entirely unchanged.
Am I grasping upon the concept of deification?
The bulb doesn't like what I'm building.
"No... NO! STOP! STOP THAT!"
"Rh, would you?"
"..."
"Didn't think so. I'm gonna enjoy this. You sit tight and enjoy it too. Until you can't."
"Ahn. No?"
I pour my endless Mana into my shiny new talent.
Causal Conduit.