Deeper into the thick, 90-degree crops consisting of corn and wheat, Cetas found himself surrounded by thousands of seed-like black cocoons. Occasionally, one of them would fall and erge as an inky-black butterfly that emanated a black sludge.
Cetas was careful to dodge these creatures but as he traversed deeper, he struggled to keep his footing steady - the inky black soil preventing him from becoming nimble.
Once, his right foot got stuck and he spent a couple of minutes rely pulling it out.
If he were not careful as to where he needed to step to, Cetas could be put in a fatal position, especially with the existence of these butterflies.
So, his pace got slower and he treaded carefully.
Taking one step at a ti, Cetas also made sure to be aware of his surroundings. He looked around every now and then to see if there were butterflies coming on his way.
However, the vile creatures were not that prevalent.
He took a deep breath and gazed down to the inky and soft soil. His feet were covered in black and it was almost halfway towards his knee.
As his dark-blue hair shifted with every step, Cetas glimpsed at a peculiarity in the distance.
A tree? How co I've never seen this before? Cetas inwardly questioned using his mother tongue.
The tree was the similar shade of black as the vile butterflies, its leaves looked withered - as if it were eaten by caterpillars that he once saw. Its branches, however, looked resolute and durable.
There was almost no light that reflected on the tree and adding to that, the sun looked like it was already parting from the sky.
In essence, the darkness of the night would soon co, the moon would rise up and bask the fields in its serenity, and a cold breeze would soon ensue.
Staring at the odd tree, Cetas formulated a goal in his mind.
Make his way towards it!
Even with dangers striding from every corner, he would continue to traverse a path towards his goal.
Almost, if not all, the crops were turned to a 90 degree angle. Hanging from their stems were the single strand silk belonging to that of a seed-like cocoon.
The sun, which is setting behind the odd tree, cast a shadow in the direction of Cetas as if tempting him to co closer.
Beaming lights emanated from within the tree, forming the dark splendor of its blackness to be enhanced.
Using all of his brain power to focus on the direness of the situation, Cetas had no ti to assess and think at all!
For if he got distracted even for a second, his feet would sink and a butterfly could co and lt his onyx-scale covered body.
Yet, he had to make haste.
After half an hour, Cetas could see dark roots of the odd tree, surrounding the earth below.
Stepping on the root, he determined that it was hard enough to lessen his worry about the dampened soil. Thus, he rested while standing up, only worrying about the floating butterflies.
So, Cetas took his resting ti to ponder:
Co to think of it.. I have seen a weirdly bent crop when I was lost in the fields. Could that peculiar scenario be connected with how I have traversed here? That mirror... and the weird occasion called a reflection? Is that what the surface-dwellers call it?
These inky-black soil, sohow.. they seem.. familiar. I have seen sothing akin to this in the depths. However, with the lightless environnt of the depths, I cannot determine nor verify this object.
My very being seems strongly attached to this place though, as if there was a calling.. from sowhere.. or sothing..
Cetas noticed the black root below his feet, then he gazed upon the odd tree in the distance.
Perhaps that tree holds the answer to my queries..
Inside his mind, fragnts of a fractured mory seed to form.
Cetas reminisced, seeing fluttering wings and cascading black sludge.
His eyes adjusted to the darkness of the depths, and he saw creatures akin to that of the butterfly. Only that it was bigger and more formidable.
With every movent of its wings, the tides shifted and large ripples were ford.
This creature.. No.. this Dreadspawn is called as..
"The Lightless Moth.." Cetas faintly whispered.
The surroundings seed to turn quiet when his words ca out.
Now knowing the concepts of Zeal and its rankings, Cetas wondered what the Dreadspawn would be ranked as.
Perhaps it would be a Pathfinder of the highest level - capable of shifting the tide and controlling the water of the depths?
Skadi was able to do the sa, only it was on the surface, where she could control the winds and the clouds above.
Then what would be the rankings of the butterflies in this sod yet dampened landscape?
Due to their lack of impact and influence, Cetas deed them to be of the Unblemished strata, a Spark level.
Probably at the lowest level too..
Sparks, at first, were only given a single Flourish upon growth. Then, as they traversed the path of a Zealot, they would then unlock 2 more Flourishes, maxing out their Zeal and accommodating the requirents for an ascension.
Similarly, these butterflies.. only seed to have a single Flourish, that being the Elental Zeal.
It was obvious, they emanate a black goo which decayed anything on its path. It was quite a strong Zeal but their bodies were feeble and they possessed no mind of their own.
Only the instinct to spread.
Cetas did not know the na of this black and viscous fluid so he nad it as Decay.
If even his durable skin was penetrated then this elent known as Decay would be very much dangerous if exposed for long periods of ti.
He had to be careful.
Cetas deed that the soft soil ca from the sa material as Decay, however, due to it being produced by the caterpillars and cocoons, it seed that it was not as lethal as their final form.
Similarly, he had another theory.. The soil below him could not be that dangerous due to the existence of the crops.
As they absorbed liquid to prosper, their stems and leaves would succumb to the poison of Decay, hence the soil being sapped of its lethal conjunction.
However, when the plants are blacker and the soil goes softer, would it beco too dangerous to handle or even stand on?
Cetas frowned.
Then, would continuing from here on be dangerous for myself?
Perhaps so..
However, Cetas simply continued.
As he walked deeper, the roots were becoming more visible, giving him a steady ground to stand on.
Alleviating the risk of the black soil, Cetas hopped from one root to another. Sotis, the distance from one root to another was significant, so he was forced to dive into the black soil once more.
This ti, Cetas felt a tingling pain on his feet.
It is getting dangerous..
Cetas sighed deeply, carefully treading upon the soil with no rush.
Then, he made it to a small layer of root on the ground. Standing on it, he gazed towards the tree and examined his next location.
Now, the next black root had a considerable distance away.
Cetas steeled his resolve and dove onto the soft soil akin to that of quicksand. His leg sank down almost to his knee level.
Feeling the tingling sensation, he gritted his teeth and vowed his heart to move on.
Just a little bit longer..
Upon 6 minutes of carefully treading upon the black soil, he made it to the black root. Thankfully, it was big enough to size his entire body and let him sit down to rest.
Cetas carefully examined his leg and gazed on the bottom of his feet.
"Gods..", he cursed in depth-dweller language, noticing that there were small holes ford and black goo was seeping out from it, "This would make walking much harder!"
He did not have any black scales on his feet so Cetas was thankful that it did not get absorbed. If it did, then he would've been vomiting blood for minutes!
Cetas looked around and saw that all the crops in the surroundings had bent into a 90 degree angle. Butterflies flew above these crops, spreading Decay all over.
He breathed a sigh of relief as there were no vile creatures that were on his way.
After a few minutes, he continued on his path. This ti, roots were much more prevalent so he did not have a hard ti crossing the fields.
However, due to the miniature-sized holes on the bottom of his feet, Cetas had to take a break much more often.
On a break, Cetas examined that the black goo wasn't stopping from seeping out from the holes.
Additionally, it was eating away at his skin!
Although it was only at a slow pace, it still made a major concern within Cetas' mind.
After the break, he continued on his path.
Now, a night sky enveloped the fields, darkness ensued and visibility decreased.
There were no stars up above, only a black scape filled with a mysterious void from within.
Cetas gazed up and was disappointed. He liked seeing the stars of the night sky, and admired their sparkle.
Yet the situation was fraught, Cetas left his disappointnt and shook off the feeling of pain on his feet.
After carefully paving a path forward, Cetas finally made it to the base of the tree. Looking at it up close, he saw that it was no re ordinary tree.
Leaves were falling and decayed, the branches were sturdy but felt brittle, the shaft was pitch black, and there were faint noises of the wind being pushed back and forth.
He believed that the noises ca from the butterfly's flapping of their wings.
The tree itself, which was enormous in size, was withered!
Making his way towards the tree's trunk, Cetas felt a touch on his shoulders and thigh. He quickly rubbed them off with his hand and felt a droplet of Decay on his right hand.
However, it was futile.. There were more butterflies that ca towards him and began emanating Decay.
Cetas felt a searing pain on his body, he felt that his muscles and skin were being lted away!
He couldn't help but brush them off and continue walking towards the tree.
However, soon enough, he was covered in the black butterflies, his body drenched with Decay.
Cetas felt his body being torn apart by a cold and viscous liquid, and even though he could not see, he kept on walking forward towards the trunk.
He could only grit his teeth at the situation!
Suddenly, with a step on his right foot, he lost his balance and fell on the base of the tree.
Cetas could no longer feel his right foot! It was decayed!
Pushing himself upward, he used his fingers and arms to crawl towards the tree.
The longing feeling only got stronger as he made centiters of progress.
His fractured mories ford and he could see glimpses of what he once was!
However, they were not enough to formulate entire scenes in itself.
Cetas rembered flowing along with the lightless depths.
Cetas rembered talking to soone..
Cetas rembered the sight of a Dreadspawn.
Cetas rembered the feeling of cold liquid enveloping him
All of which lasted only for 0.5 seconds.
As if a mirror was broken apart into pieces, Cetas could not help but feel his brain pulsate.
Then, his throat swelled and Cetas urged to vomit. Decay and blood ca out of his mouth, lting away at his tongue and teeth.
His mouth was filled with miniature holes and his throat felt as if it was being burned by magma!
All over his body, black goo seeped and lted his skin, his muscles contorted and the fibers were broken apart.
The black and viscous Decay flowed in his veins, and slowly made their way to his heart. He felt his chest tighten and lted from the inside.
His leg was almost gone, his fingers were filled with holes, his stomach grumbled, his teeth were falling apart, his eyes had lost their vision, his ears could no longer hear, his nose was gone - replaced only by an empty hole, his lips were shattered, his shoulders, his bones, his solar plexus, his ribs, his skin, his ankles-
Yet even with all the struggles, Cetas garnered all of his strength to raise his arm once more.
He used his fingers to grip on the base of the tree and drag himself towards his goal.
He pursued on his path even as his body decayed, determination coursing through his entire body.
His body was screaming for help, yet Cetas uttered not even a single breath.
He gritted his shattered teeth, and glared forward with his visionless eyes.
I will not stop! I will pursue forward even if pain envelops ! I may not rember my mories nor who I am. But I will face forward to a future that will be shaped by myself! Even if I succumb to death! Even if my body is broken! My spirit will live on and walk to an existing future!
This will be the person I am- I will be!
Cetas faced forward and stood with his one leg. He carried his arm forward and opened his palm wide.
Then, he pushed..
His palm t with the tree's sturdy trunk and a feeling of resentnt, joy, sadness, fear, and many other emotions filled his body!
Soon, a radiant light enveloped him, carrying him upwards in haste.
The moon glowed far above, its serenity basking the fields of black.
Cetas rose up - the moon above him shedding its light towards his dismbered figure.
Suddenly, a faint whisper echoed, "To a fractured past..."
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