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Tale of The Genie Sprout
Chapter 3: Extraction

Chapter 3: Extraction

Dongung: "A-are we going to fight her?"

Untou: "We can take em ma! Knock em out!"

I could feel the door of the office open and the heavy footsteps enter the room. It was faint but I could sense someone else was in the room with her, my limited senses hampering my ability to judge the threat I decide to try something new. One of my roots move within the earth and leap from the ground stabbing into my stem, blood leaks into my core as I wish for my senses to improve.

"Minor passive skill: Echolocation has been gained.... Method of skill obtainment unrecognized..."

"Minor passive skill: Translation has reemerged.... Method of skill obtainment unrecognized.... Translation contradicts with Mind of the Masses."

"Minor Skill Assimilation: The positive effects of Mind of The Masses have been combined into Translation"

"Skill ascension: Translation is attempting to ascend to moderate.... Ascension completed"

That monotone voice spoke and after that, I could hear again, not only that but I could understand the subtleties within their speech. The skill assimilation was especially vexing, the information flooded into me tells me that it allows me to communicate with the others in the Posy but I wondered if that is what allowed me to hear them as well. With Echolocation combined with tremorsense, I could sense the environment with much more clarity. It was a large office space with two tables beside and one desk behind me, while the material was still unknown to me I was able to see the various potted plants that were scattered across the tables likely filled with the same artificial soil that once caused me discomfort. Other assorted objects were placed among the plants of which their purpose I had no knowledge of though Dongung guesses that they are lab equipment and I couldn't come up with a better answer. On the desk was a large casing taking up most of its surface, I recognized it immediately as the display she contained us within and it gave me no pleasure seeing the state of which she left it. I could sense other miscellaneous objects throughout the room with Dongung and Untou helping me clarify what kind it was, pictures, trophies, fertilizer, a vent, and other such things that would have been below my notice had it not been for my realization.

My leisure sight seeing was cut short when I heard the figure standing with Yan speak. His tone was cold and calculated as if he was talking with someone which I assumed to be Yan but my instincts are telling me that may not be the case, my senses could detect that he wore some type of armor being clearly more deadly than the scientist next to him.

Extraction Personnel: "Genie Sprout, fully bloomed.... Office has been turned into an optimal living space for the plant, soil carefully constructed to provide proper nutrients while subduing its supernatural abilities..... Growth looks to have spiraled out of control and has escaped containment, reclassifying to Genie Swarm..... Yes, she is guilty. Permission to detain?" I could feel the personnel turn to Yan once he was finished. "A monster extraction team has been alerted, you are under arrest for the unlawful harboring of a monster, all your titles and previous achievements are on their way to being oblivionized in the Concept Incinerator, anything you say in your defense will be stored in a stasis chamber before the council hearing."

Yan: "This.... This is impossible!! I-i can't lose everything I worked for over something like this!"

I could hear the abrasive worry in Yan's voice, more importantly, I caught a feeling of guilt from Dongung. Apparently she sympathized with Yan's punishment as she was also a victim of being oblivionized. In contrast, I felt little sympathy for her, she openly mocked our existence when I first arrived after all was my justification.

Dongung: "We... we need to find their storage room or at least where they keep their stasis chambers"

I wondered what a stasis chamber did for us to not prioritize escaping above it. I had little time to ponder on that thought however as I sensed the extraction member pull out a cube and tossed it at us. I moved my roots and body to avoid the cube my instincts alerting me to the danger it held but the cube was quite fast and I had to use earth control to soften the ground for swifter movement which took a considerable amount of concentration. My instincts were soon proven correct when the cube collided with the desk behind me and I could no longer sense the desk, only the cube as it hit the floor.

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Extraction Personnel: "Genie Swarm avoided containment, notably mobile for its size. Detecting Minor spellcasting ability, permission to activate dispel sequence... Earth manipulation sir.... Engaging"

I knew whatever dispel sequence meant, it certainly wasn't anything good. Stretching my roots through the earth, I made my way to the vent but before I could rip off the steel gate a melting pain coursed through me. The pain dulled slightly as I realized what hit me, acid, and that wasn't the only instance. Several times all over my brambles, roots, and petals I felt acid coat my body in quick succession. I needed to escape so using the strength of my remaining roots I ripped the gate off the vent and quickly went inside. I sensed another volley of acid streaming my way so I tried to form the earth under me into a wall but I felt my core weaken during it. Whatever that acid did to me, it prevented my magic from coming into affect. The acid slammed against my stem nearly melting into my core, I would've been dead if it weren't for the acid resistance.

Extraction Personnel: "Genie Swarm has escaped into the facility, lock down all nearby departments and alert all trained personnel to search the ventilation"

I heard faintly the personnel speak as I moved further and further away from the office my hearing deteriorating as I traverse the vent. I could feel the unconscious of the silenced minds scream at the pain and I along with them. It hurt but it wasn't a pain I was unfamiliar with but that didn't make the pain any more tolerable.

Dongung: "We... we made it!"

Untou: "It hurts... So much"

Dongung: "It's ok sweetie, it's ok! You'll be safe so long as mama's here! Just bare it for a little longer!"

Hearing Dongung comfort her child distracted me from the pain a bit but I needed to continue. This moment of peace would not last so long as we remain in this place and so I continued onward. The vents themselves were a little strange, they had a steel floor but dirt as their walls and ceiling. I'm not going to complain as the soil allows me to move with ease but the memories I've been given tell me that vents aren't usually like this so there must be a secondary purpose.

Dongung: "Ok, let's find those stasis chambers"

A thought returns to me, why? Shouldn't finding the exit be our top priority. I wanted to read her thoughts but I had to keep my mind focused on moving so I simply conveyed these thoughts to Dongung curious to her intention.

Dongung: "Oh you don't know do you? Stasis chambers protect against the effect of the concept incinerator. You put something in there and they won't be oblivionized like everything else."

Her answer allowed me to form the assumption that her belongings were in a stasis chamber in this facility. However, this prompted another question, how do concept incinerators work I asked.

Dongung: "I... I don't know. I just know anything incinerated by it makes it seem like that thing never existed to the world around it. Specifics are beyond me"

That was mostly unhelpful but I get the gist of her intention now. She wants to bring her belongings with her when we escape, her desire for such materialistic possessions at risk of her own life I couldn't understand but I have grown a fondness for these two at this point. Despite my fondness however, I must put my whims above theirs for I am the one in control. If I find the stasis chambers on my way out though... then so be it.