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Entry 2 | Date Unknown | Interesting Results
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I lost track of time as I simply watched the area around my boulders. The mushrooms swayed, and the slime undulated with each breath. I couldn’t help noticing a change in the mushrooms’ color. They had started emitting a glow similar to the hue of my crystal. The closer the mushrooms were to it, the brighter and more saturated their color.
Their slender stalks and flat caps reminded me of something. Then the name popped into my mind. Enoki Mushrooms. I watched as they swayed gently as the breeze swept through the tunnel, while the fabric on the corpses remained motionless.
I scanned the area for any other signs of movement, but found none. ‘Weird.’ I floated downward for a better view of the mushrooms.. Experimenting with my breathing. However, my focus was interrupted by scraping noises emanating from the left side of the passageway.
Chirps, clicks, and growls echoed throughout. I adjusted my breathing, causing the slime to turn black and shrouded the tunnel in darkness, except for the illuminating mushrooms.
Three creatures lurked in the shadows. I could hear them communicating. I stayed alert, but they didn’t approach. I asked the slime mold to emit more light, and it complied. However, the creatures scurried away in response. ‘Those were much bigger than that tiny round creature I encountered before. I must watch that direction.’
I went back to experimenting. Time slipped away as I delved into studying. By concentrating while inhaling and exhaling, I could direct the “air” from a specific direction, illuminating the mushrooms in that area. While I moved around, I noticed that the intensity of their glow varied depending on the proximity of my vision to them. This led me to believe that my vision was composed of, or emitted, the same energy as my breaths.
Next, I focused my attention on the orbs. I realized I could direct them with my thoughts. Seamlessly connecting and moving them into different shapes within the liminal space. Then I found I could freely expand or compress a single orb to my liking. But no matter what I tried, their color and opacity remained.
When I visualized the passageway. The orbs obediently arranged themselves, forming a comprehensive map. The more orbs I integrated into the map, the more intricate and detailed it became. However, it required my full concentration to maintain. The moment my focus wavered, the orbs swiftly returned to their original circular formation around the void’s center. ‘That’s fine, but what can I actually do with them? Can I expand my flying range? Alter the environment? Transform the crystal?’ Drifting aimlessly, I mulled over what I had learned. Hovering above the crystal, my gaze fixed upon the direction where the creatures had been lurking.
After some time, a shudder reverberated through my crystal. Without hesitation, I darted inside and saw the last misty orb combine into a foggy orb. Then ten foggy orbs formed a perfect circle around the center. In a flurry of motion, they surged inward. Merging into a hazy white orb that throbbed with a radiant teal glow, and then the orb pulsed. Its rhythmic throbbing was akin to the steady heartbeat of a colossal beast.
The crystal shuddered and embedded itself into the ground, piercing the boulders with spikes. It felt like staking a claim. Roots sprouted from the crystal, snaking into the stone, slowly consuming it. Energy surged through me, making me feel more alive than ever.
Eagerly, I rushed out of the liminal space and watched teal roots sprouting within the boulders and rocky terrain. The crystal and newfound roots pulsed with my light..
Every living entity within my sight quivered. The slime mold crept up the walls, bubbling with vibrant life. While the mushrooms released spores. Forming a carpet over the remnants. Voraciously feasting on both organic and inorganic matter. Anywhere my roots met a mushroom, they took on the full color and brightness of my crystal.
As my breathing grew deeper, I watched my roots spreading out within the stone, forming a faint yet discernible latticework. I could see them inside the stone. Even though they had not broken the surface. It reminded me of the intricate nervous system of a creature, although I didn’t know what the creature was called.
As I breathed, I sensed their growth, moving steadily towards a predetermined limit. It felt like an invisible force guiding their path, instructing them where to expand and how far. The sensation was peculiar. Reminding me of a plant twining its tendrils around a finger. Driven by an innate desire to grow and climb. But within the depths of my being.
‘I need to conduct some experiments and explore the newfound possibilities now that my crystal is rooted.’ Gliding towards a mushroom stalk. I attempted to channel my energy into it. But to my disappointment, nothing happened.
I broke down the steps in my mind, envisioning one of the foggy orbs breaking open, traveling through the veins and roots into the mushroom. As I did this, a dim orange light seeped from the boulders, casting dancing shadows over the bones and armor.
The light reached the base of the mushroom, traveled up the stalk, and permeated the cap. Lighting up every nutrient vein and fiber. The cap swelled with newfound vitality, and spores burst forth. Shimmering like tiny stars as they descended gracefully.
Upon contact with other mushrooms, they fused together. Growing in size and vibrancy. Their caps gleamed with an incandescent brilliance, akin to dancing flames. Mesmerized, I watched the light dance around the intricate fibers of the mushrooms. ‘I don’t know what I just did, but I’m loving it!’
Eager to replicate the process, I selected another mushroom in a different section of the passageway and started the same infusion. Observing the sequence from within the crystal, I marveled at the identical outcome.
‘Now, I wonder what effect this energy will have on the slime mold?’ I was brimming with anticipation. Enjoying the discovery and experimentation, feeling like a scientist testing ideas. I replicated the procedure with the slime mold, infusing it with energy. It slowly absorbed it, gradually growing in size. Impatiently, I sped up the process. Waiting for a noticeable reaction. It took several foggy orbs, but eventually, the mold responded. It did so with an explosive display.
The slime mold detached itself from the ceiling and disentangled from under the mushrooms, forming a ball around the boulders. It transformed into a multitude of shapes and compositions. Its tentacles thrashed wildly against the walls, ceiling, and floor. Causing loose bones to be sent flying.
Initially, I was elated by the change I had triggered. However, my joy quickly turned to horror as I sensed the mold’s agony. I realized that I might have done something terribly wrong. ‘What’s wrong?!’ I flew over to the quivering mass. ‘How could I have known it had nerves or could feel pain?’ I lamented to myself. With a growing sense of dread, I witnessed the mold solidify into a sphere before violently exploding.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
It took me several long moments to gather myself, making a mental note never to infuse energy into something too quickly. I took a somber moment to offer a silent prayer.
Then I sensed multiple creatures, much larger than anything I had encountered before. They oozed and moved in a peculiar, sack-like manner.
I hurried over to a pile of small bones. I discovered them covered by a clear, undulating puddle of slime. The slime itself was devoid of color, and I would have missed its presence had I not detected its subtle movements. Checking on the others, I found them to be similar. Small pools of transparent slime that seemed acutely aware of their surroundings.
They flowed over the mushrooms, collecting all the metal and dried skin, dissolving them and moving the metal into a pile beside the boulders. They didn’t harm the mushrooms, but simply flowed around them.
Bursts of energy surged through my mind. Reminiscent of fizzy candy popping at the back of my throat. A sensation from a distant memory. I shook my vision. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the slimes successfully capturing insects that had eluded them before. With each capture and consumption, I absorbed a portion of their energy. ‘Fascinating. That was pure luck. There is little margin for error when dealing with complex life forms..
Returning to the mushrooms, I gradually added bits of energy. Swirling it around them to ensure proper integration. It seemed to be effective as their structures grew and developed in a slow and methodical manner.
During this process, an odd sense of familiarity washed over me. The aroma of butter and flour and the sound of a whisk beating slowly against a pan filled my mind. But these sensations quickly faded, leaving me confused. I couldn’t help but wonder about the connection between these memories and the gradual infusion of energy into the mushrooms.
I stopped working and looked back at my crystal, at myself. ‘My memories may never be fully recovered. I might have to accept that I’m just a fragment of a person.’
Certain aspects of my past were within reach, like how things felt, smelled, or sounded. But the who, what, when, and where remained elusive. I remembered doing math and how frustrating it was, but not who taught me or where I learned it.
The light emanating from my crystal dimmed, transitioning from teal to a stormy gray. A deep urge to cry welled up from within, but tears would never come. I rested my vision on the ground, allowing myself to wail inwardly, letting the pain flow.
As the light from the crystal grew deeper, the mushrooms reflected the new color. Their swaying slowed, and their mycelium sent energy back to the crystal. The slimes flowed back to the boulders, each extending a pseudopod and gently resting it on the crystal. They began to merge and form around it, as if offering a comforting embrace.
I watched these creatures and fungi trying to console me in their own way. I felt the crystal vibrate as I inhaled, wailed, and exhaled. The trauma of the attack, the loneliness, fear, anxiety, and uncertainty had taken a toll on me. Not to mention the persistent feeling of a void in my mind that I couldn’t close or fill. I was lost in those emotions for a while before eventually finding calm. I felt lighter.
I took some deep breaths, steadying myself and refocusing on the mushrooms. The slimes returned to their usual behavior, and I resumed feeding the mushrooms with energy. They absorbed it steadily, forming a liquid sac.
As the sac pulsed with its own energy, I stopped the feeding and observed how they shifted their caps to conceal it. ‘If I’m reading their actions right, I think I’ve created a new life. Can’t recall if mushrooms communicate through mycelium networks or not.’
Leaving the sac be, I pondered what to call the mushrooms infused with fire. ‘Fireshrooms? Ingus? Blazestools? Ingirooms? All of those sound ridiculous.’
Floating over to one of the illuminated mushrooms, I watched the light dancing within its cap. Allowing my mind to wander as I observed the flickering flames.
The mushrooms resembled morels, with fire in their stalks and light playing across the ridges and pits. ‘Flamorel. Yes, Flá-Morel. Feels good to say.’ Instinctively, energy flowed out of me and into each flamorel. They twisted and shook, spreading their fire-enhanced mycelium and spores. Then a nagging thought poked at the back of my mind.
I tried to bring it to the forefront, but it eluded me. I flew back into the liminal space, scanning for anything out of place. Nothing caught my eye. I attempted to visualize whatever was causing this, only to receive more needle-like sensations.
I could feel every movement, thought, and intention of the mushrooms and slimes. I could sense the insects moving about the area, and I even noticed their bathroom breaks within my domain. It was all too much.
Screaming into the void, ‘STOP!’ Everything went black. I took a deep breath, centering my mind. ‘I can feel the ground, the stone around the roots. Air flowing in and out of me. The slimes’ movements. The mushrooms swaying. Now, everything I’m supposed to know will be presented to me in text.’ The orbs compressed into little dots and arranged themselves into text. Forming a list of information that apparently ‘I’ knew.
It was a chaotic mess, with different lists overlapping one another. I couldn’t make sense of it. ‘No, no, no. This isn’t working. Let’s try a tab system. One tab for critters in my area. One for the map. Another for area info. And a fourth tab for everything else.’
The orbs took the form of an A3 paper sheet with tabs at the top. I clicked on the first tab, labeled “Inhabitants.” There were eight slimes in my area. Then there are elemental mushrooms, Flamorels. Three types of mana mushrooms. And sixteen other mushroom species. Plus, there were a bunch of pest creatures listed, with the slimes assigned to deal with them.
The map showed a rough layout of the long passageway. The area near my crystal was in full color and extremely fine detail. ‘So this happens when I claim an area and my roots form a latticework.’
I inspected it. I could see everything in the claimed area as if I was outside my crystal. When I focused on a creature or object, it highlighted teal, and I felt like I could spend orbs to do something with it. It was like knowing how to move your arm or leg.
I took some time to experiment with the objects first. I focused on a bone, and it highlighted. I thought about turning it into a sphere. A transparent teal image of the bone appeared and transformed. I looked at it, trying to figure out how many orbs it would cost. But I couldn’t understand the feelings or urges. ‘Just show me the amount of orbs it will cost!’
Three teal orb images appeared next to the bone sphere, each with a smaller, dimmer orb inside. It showed that transforming one arm bone into a sphere would have cost me thirty orbs. I changed the image and pictured it being cut to equal lengths. The cost dropped to ten orbs. ‘So, the fancier the change, the more it costs. Fair enough, I suppose.’
I thought about changing the bone to stone, but nothing happened. Then I thought about changing it to gold, and the cost would have been hundreds of orbs. Changing tactics, I tried to imagine it as granite, which would have required around sixty orbs. ‘So, nothing is impossible, but the energy cost will depend on the action and the similarities of the materials.’
I glanced around the claimed area, but I couldn’t grasp its scale. So I searched the passageway for something I could use as a measurement. The bones were of different lengths, just like the mushrooms. The slimes were amorphous. However, I spotted stonework. There were pillars separated by ten cubic bricks.
I stared at the squares on the walls for a while until I realized they could be broken down into ten smaller squares. I set them as a measurement unit and named them blocks. A name that brought up feelings of familiarity and comfort. ‘So I have used blocks to measure things before?’
I imagined a grid overlay on the map. The passageway stretched out four blocks wide and extended ten blocks high. The pillars, positioned half a block away from the walls, were a quarter of a block thick. I diligently measured everything within reach, jotting down the measurements on the map tab. By the time I was done, I was confident that I had a good measurement system. Deciding on using a prefix system to denote the number or fraction of blocks. Since it was familiar to me and just popped into my mind when I was measuring.
Whoever carved them took care to make sure each one was a perfect square. I assumed they were blocks. But I could not see past the wall, so I was not sure.
Next, I dedicated some time to determining the costs of various actions and recorded them in a fresh tab I had set up. After it was all said and done, having a way to quantify everything brought me comfort. I started inventorying everything that was in my claimed areas. So that I knew what I was working with.