The Underground Farm

Aaaand... Done.

Finally, it took a quite lot of effort and mana from me.

But it is done.

A four meter tall humanoid, the fusion of the human corpse's flesh and my branches.

It looks quite... Lanky? I think...

What's lanky anyway?

Never mind that, there are runes, spread all over my first guardian's skin... and bark. Believe it or not, this rune grafting part is the most complex part. I mean, a wrong rune in the wrong place is more than enough to create an explosion strong enough to blow up this entire stomach sac.

How do I know all of this? I don't know.

It is beneficial to me, so I won't complain about it. Beside, now I at least know that I am currently located in one of a fog wurm's stomach sac, of which there are twelve of them.

Oh right. The visible human skin that's uncovered by the branches, is oddly enough gradually taking into a more bluish shade. That's the mana pumping in I guess? So that's fine?

Affirmative.

Right.

So anyway, my guardian has a humanoid form with four appendages made out of twisting branches that uses the human corpse's arms and legs as its foundation.

It has the capacity to stand up straight and to twist its torso more flexibly than when it was just an invader A.

Ah right. I am also proud to announce that this creation of mine is fully capable of utilizing mana without any problem.

Buut, there's still a big problem. Remember when I said I am done?

But something tells me that it's not supposed to work like that. So... Hmm.

uSE TheIR soUL.

Hmm?

Soul? What's th-

Progress is deemed to be lagging behind the acceptable parameter.

Taking over...

The soul of the invader is stored inside the core. Subject then reaches into the invader's soul with their mind. Subject proceeds to obliterate the invader's soul mental defense...

Succeeded .

Target has lost its individuality.

Subject then proceeds to coat one of the tree organism's branch tip with destructive mana.

Subject inserts the tip into the prototype guardian's torso.

Setting up a rune formation model...

Engraving rune of binding...

Engraving rune of extraction...

Engraving rune of obedience...

eNGraVIng tHE RuNE oF ThE uNdyInG.

Rune engraving completed.

Subject inserts soul into the formation...

Rune formation is completed.

Relegating control...

...

Phew, it's finally done.

It's not easy, but there we go...

But... I somehow felt like something is wr—

Eliminating thought process.

Okay, now all that's left to do is to activate it.

Drawing in mana from my new generator, i load the mana into all of the the rune formations scattered all over my protot- I mean first guardian.

Hmm...

As I inspect it, I think I have found the cause of this. It's the central formation. I mean I know that the central formation will always consume more, but I know that it's not supposed to consume this much mana.

Wait, there is a squiggly rune that's taking up most mana. It's buried underneath all the other runes.

Weird. I don't remember ever grafting it?

I also doesn't know what this is.

I don't know what it does.

I can't read it because the rune is constantly changing its shape. How does it do that anyway?

Irrelevant.

... Well alright, it's a protoype anyway.

...

[PROGENITOR?]

Hmn?

[THIS ONE HAS BEEN AWAKENED]

... Oh.

Oh!

Wait! you are the first guardian right?

[AFFIRMATIVE]

Wait how are we communicating?

... oookay. So what can you do?

[SENDING IN DATA...]

Oh right, okay. So you can do all that? Does that mean you are lacking in a "directive" right now.

[AFFIRMATIVE]

Okay, so would you mind if I give you a new directive right now?

[REQUESTING DIRECTIVE]

Right, considering that I can't move beyond my boundary, and I can apparently see through you... Would you mind doing some recon of the area. Your bark should offer you sufficient protection against those digestive gases.

[DIRECTIVE ACCEPTED]

[COMMENCING RECON]

As it said that it turns and starts walking towards the gate. The way it walks is odd though. The two branch covered legs doesn't even move. It looks like it's... Sliding?

Although the legs doesn't move (even though I know that it can move it.), the branches or should I say wooden tentacles, is crawling across the fleshy floor, and yet it is somehow very fast. At least compared to the human invaders.

As it reach the gate, it then proceeded to phases through the trees blocking the hole. Apparently it can phase through any surface made out of wood or plant based material, and yes, that also means even living plants.

Funny, I always thought that plants aren't alive. Well, I guess I should have guessed it since I remembered being chased by one during my time as a-...

Eliminating thought process

!? ... W- well I guess I just know about it from the start.

Anyway, It's a shame that this fog wurm is considered an animal. I mean, if it could go through plants, why is it any different with animals? Is it because I made it using my trees components?

Anyway, as i watch my first guardian went out, I wonder if it will come back at all. I really think that it is a dumb idea to send out my only guardian out there to possibly perish, leaving me guardless once more. Well at least until another invader come.

Yet I somehow knew that it will all be fine.

Readying myself, I watch through the window that is my first guardian's senses.