However, there is nothing there that explains the change in the water. So, I start looking around at that depth and finally I spot a cave filled with black smoke. Unfortunately, the cave doesn't have any tunnels leading away from it.

The only way to get down to the cave is to dig my own tunnel, which will take a while. From what I can see with my mana, the cave is over a thousand feet deep. Although, I could probably come up with a form that would make it easier.

"The source of the corruption seems to be in a cave deep in the ground. It would take quite a bit of time to dig down to it. So, do we spend the time or forget about it and move on? I want everyone's opinion."

Brightfire says "How bad is your curiosity about the source of the corruption? How bad will it torment you if you don't get an answer?"

"It's not too bad. No worse than some other things I have had to deal with."

Lin says "If we can end the corruption, I think it is worth the time."

Albion says "I want to get stronger."

Brightfire says "Let's go ahead and do it then."

"Alright. We should clear out the surrounding area and then move our camp here."

The others agree and once we are done eating we spiral out from the spring. We count on Albion to deal with the corrupted plants that we come across. We don't encounter anything other than the plants in the surrounding area.

Once we have cleared a decent area around the spring we head back to our camp. We encounter a few more plants on the way back, but Albion easily deals with them. If it wasn't for the fact that only Albion benefits from them, this would be a good hunting ground.

I am still fine with hanging around for a while just to help him increase his rank. However, I would still prefer to help the others get stronger at the same time. Hopefully, after we cleanse the corruption we will still have time to explore further.

We reach our original camp site, pack up the tents, turn around, and head back. The way back to the spring is still clear so we don't encounter anything. When we reach the spring we set up camp again and then sit down to have dinner.

"This is not a safe place, we are going to need to keep watch."

Lin says "No need. I can set wards that will alert us and protect us if something attacks."

"Will the plants trigger them?"

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Lin says "Anything that isn't one of us will trigger them."

"Well, in that case, go ahead and set them up after you are done eating. Then I will open a soulscape and after that we can get some sleep."

Lin finishes her food and then sets up the wards while the rest of us finish eating. Once she is done I open a soulscape, invite everyone, and then let them play. While they are playing I try to think of what form will work best for digging.

I will need to dig a big enough tunnel for everyone to be able to walk through. Especially Albion, since a horse can't really crawl, so the tunnel needs to be big enough for him. That means the form needs to be big and able to dig quickly through dirt and rock.

My first thought is one of the worms from Tremors, but they can't dig through rock. The worms from Dune have the same problem, in fact I can't think of anything that digs through rock. So, I need to make something up, but it needs to make sense or it won't work.

A worm is probably the right choice, I just need to modify it to be able to eat rock. For that to work it will need to be able to digest the rock and extract nutrients from it. That is a little far fetched, but should be possible if it has earth magic.

Then again, I could just try and turn into an earth elemental that can move the rock easily. Using magic to create a tunnel might be faster, at least as long as my mana lasts. I will try that first and only if it isn't efficient I will try making a worm form.

Once I have a plan, I stop worrying and go join the others in playing with the kids. Albion is spending his time talking with Kechara and Asuna about being a sacred beast. The two of them are a good choice since they are the oldest of my kids.

It also helps that I already taught them pretty much everything I know about being a sacred beast. They both take their role as big sisters very seriously and they are good at it. If the younger kids turn out well, most of the credit will go to the two of them.

I am really proud of the two of them, and I make sure to tell them that. I also make sure that all of my kids know that I love them, just in case something happens to me. That way I don't have to worry about them not knowing that they have a place where they belong.

I am fairly confident at this point that if something happened to me, the kids would be able to stop the invasion. Or, at the very least, they would be able to give our side a fighting chance. If they can keep the tribes from splintering, then their odds would be pretty good.

Hopefully, we will never need to find out, I don't want to leave them to deal with my responsibilities. It is bad enough that most of them will still be too young to understand me leaving after the war. At least if things keep going the way they are, they will have a mother figure or two.

I am still nervous about how that is going to play out, I guess I will find out when we return to the ship. Seeing that the kids are getting tired, I chase everyone out and end the soulscape. When given a choice, Albion chooses to sleep in my tent and Nala wants to sleep with Brightfire.

In order for there to be enough room I shapeshift into human form before entering the tent. Lin and I wait for Albion to get comfortable before we lay down to the side. Lin chooses to sleep on the outside, so I end up in the middle, but I don't mind.

Albion falls asleep as soon as he is comfortable, but he did use a lot of energy today. I put my back against him and then pull Lin into my arms and kiss her. We kiss for a while and then we get comfy, she falls asleep soon after that.

Before I go to sleep, I send out my mana to check the surroundings and take a look at the wards. That is another spell I have no knowledge of and it could come in handy at some point. However, it is hard to figure out from the finished product, so I will have to ask Lin about it.