Chapter 231: Life Hunter

Chapter 231: Life Hunter

It wasnt a hard decision.

Okay, it wasnt that hard of a decision. It was still a little hard. There were a lot of options that I wanted; [The Golems Echo], [Guardian Link], and even [Bloomhaste] were good choices, though the last one was more focused on helping the Great Cores Coreless than growing my personal power - but there wasnt anything wrong with that, really. If the Coreless were of the Great Core, then taking an ability to empower them was more than acceptable.

Unfortunately, that would have to wait. [Verdure Parasite] would have to be enough for now; I would just have to make sure that I used it as much as possible while slithering through the Coreless many-nests. It might even be a good idea to make it obvious that I was doing that, only focusing on growing the plant-flesh that was closest to me - it would ensure that any stupid Coreless that had not yet seen the light of the Great Core would be forced to face it. After that, understanding the wonder of the Great Core, they would quickly convert.

A foolproof plan. I hissed with glee, letting the thought-light wash over me as my real choice was confirmed. Of all the choices that I was offered, it seemed the most important to take quickly.

Reward Chosen: Life Hunter.

[Life Hunter] Acquired.

Another carefully-pointed question brought the thought-light back again, revealing my newfound strength in its entirety. It was a far cry from what it had once been, back when I was a defenseless snake working to defend the Great Core.

Name: Paradox

Species: Snake, Ouroboros

Major Title: [The Snake That Eats Its Own Tail] [Little Guardian]

Minor Titles: [Minor Mana Core] [Venomous Retribution] [Touched By Fire] [Ascended Seeker]

Innate Traits: [Venomous II]

Blooded Traits: [Paralyzing Venom IV] [Poisonous Blood III] [Illusion Spark IV] [Clinging Grasp III] [Sound Shaping VII] [Chains Of The Creator I] [Anticoagulant IV] [Constriction I] [Spore Puppeteer IX] [Ascended Sense I] [Ambushers Vision III] [Streamlined Scales V] [Sting IV] [Enhanced Lungs III]

Resistances: [Piercing Resistance - Intermediate I] [Venom Resistance - Intermediate II]

Level: 70

Trait Points: 15

A weight on my scale-flesh lifted, one that had been so constant since my most recent false-life that I had begun to forget that it was there.

I wriggled in glee, exulting in the sensation. A hand scratched at my scale-flesh, running lightly down my length. I wriggled a little more, pushing against the touch.

And finally, for the first time in this new life, truly relaxed.

My scale-flesh twisted and flexed, stretching out with a relaxing sort of strain; one that teetered on the edge of becoming uncomfortable, but only just so. I let my scale-flesh fall loose just before it fell over that edge, enjoying the way that my stretched-out length comfortably burned. My mouth opened wide in a great yawn, and scent-tastes pressed against my tongue.

The scent-tastes of uncountable plant-flesh and a great many Coreless most prominent among them. We had returned to the ruined many-nest at last.

It wasnt so ruined anymore. What had once been a series of broken nests wreathed in the horrid green spore-mist of a Lesser Core, there was now awell, there was still a series of broken nests. But they were looking better. Near the place where we emerged, climbing up from a series of tunnels and wall-paths that my Coreless had found in their journey towards me, debris had been gathered and moved into piles. Great chunks of stone, many of which I noticed were remnants of The Golems final Tiamat-shaped form and many others that were clearly gathered from the ground itself, were propping up the places where the nests leaned awkwardly, preventing them from falling as repairs went on in other places.

Even the useless moving-walls were back! I wasnt sure why; they had already shown their uselessness in holding back the Lesser Cores advance. Id have thought that the Coreless would have learned from that. They apparently hadnt. I let out a heavy breath, giving up on my hopes related to that. Id just have to accept their ridiculous insistence on walls that didnt actually defend anything. They just went together with Coreless, an integral part of them. Like legs.

For now.

Theyre back! a voice shouted, forcing me to put the thought aside. Scattered waves of emotion rushed towards me, carried by the [Little Guardians Totem]s around the necks of various Coreless as they caught wind of our return. Their praises resounded through the massive cavern, echoing off of the walls of the ruined nests that surrounded us again and again.

[Excitement] and [joy] pressed against me with palpable force as the entire many-nest began to resonate with it at once, and I noticed that there were more Coreless around than when I had left, many of them dispersed throughout the forest of plant-flesh that I had created. Their hands plucked at the fruits that grew within, brushing past dangerous plant-flesh marked in blue and gold.

I focused on [Verdure Parasite], and before long the lost fruits throughout the forest quickly regrew and were plucked again, sparking another round of [joy]. It pulsed again, growing louder as a mass of tiny feet started thudding against the ground in a thunderous roar, a giant sound formed of a great many little pitter-patters melding together.

The Grateful One backed up before they arrived, one arm dangling at her side and the other carefully shielding the crystal-covered fang that she carried, holding it away from the incoming horde. I hissed my praise at her foresight. It was a wise decision, because a tide of tiny Coreless washed over us a few moments later.

Were back! not-Needle announced [happily], leaning down to pat the head of the nearest of the little ones. They chirped back in a series of incomprehensible jabbers, each running into the next. I let it wash over me like a stream of mana-water gently running across my scale-flesh. Basked in it. Relaxed.

And then, when we arrived at the many-nests [Little Guardians Focus], I set the disciples to work. A few bursts of [Illusion Spark]s light were all that it took for them to understand, and they quickly gathered a nearby group of Coreless and got started.

Another two [Little Guardians Focus]es began to form beside the first, their construction joined by a chorus of oohs and ahhs from the audience of tiny Coreless.

And then there were three, and the formerly ruined many-nest had become about as secure as I could make it - a haven for the Great Cores Coreless, with more than enough food and healing to go around. I hissed with satisfaction, certain that I could feel the Coreless devotion increasing yet again.

As it should.