Chapter 44: 44: Still Like Stone

I wasn’t sure how long it took for me to awaken, to break away from the bad-dreams that the heat had forced me into.

It was long enough, I knew. Long enough for my scale-flesh to feel all but dried out, for my mouth to run dry of all moisture except the fluid that [Molten Bite] dripped through my fangs. My tongue felt as if it was destroyed entirely by the constant heat; unconscious, I had stopped draining away the heat that [Molten Bite] consistently created.

It weakly flicked out into the air, tasting nothing. It couldn’t taste anything, I realized.

Slowly, I bent inwards, weakly grasping for my tail. It wasn’t far, but it felt like a journey further than I had ever taken. It felt as if I could more easily return to the comforting light of the Great Core’s nest than grasp my own end within my mouth.

Despite that, I eventually reached it. My scale-flesh started to sear the moment that my fangs touched down, forcing me to pull rapidly from the heat that assaulted it. A gout of flame spread outwards and away from me, a blast of fire that consumed my vision entirely.

And still, there was more.

There was always more.

For a while, I stayed like that - [The Snake That Eats Its Own Tail] just enough to keep myself awake. My entire length itched, both inside and out, as the ability did all that it could to ensure I stayed alive.

That, at least, it managed.

Little more.

Around me, the Flame-Wisps danced and drifted about. They threw their tiny licks of flame and absorbed my own. It felt as if they knew. They knew that I wanted them. They knew that I needed them.

Every so often, one would dance just outside of my reach, greedily sucking in the flames that I released; if I had been stronger, my scale-flesh healthy and whole, that would have been enough. By the time that I released my grip on my tail, they would already be gone.

More than once, I lashed out at them with a gout of flame, hoping for it to accomplish something.

It didn’t.

Each time, they just absorbed what I gave them. A moment later, they would direct it back at me, forcing me to hastily rip it from the air before it singed my scale-flesh. The only thing that my poorly thought out attempts managed was giving me a small amount of practice with [Illusion Spark].

That wasn’t what I needed right now.

Or was it?

I focused a little more, trying to push past the hazy fog that the fire-pain had created. It had been a little difficult to notice before, but the Flame Wisps were acting oddly. I had thought that they were taunting me, bringing themselves just close enough to me that I might hope that I could reach them.

But were they?

The Flame Wisps, for all that they possessed an ability that had the potential of [Illusion Spark], were flawed. They were lesser creatures created by a lesser Core.

They were stupid. Mindless, almost.

If they weren’t, I would never have been able to reach them in the first place. All they had to do was stay somewhere that couldn’t be reached, and they would be safe.

I would have never received [Illusion Spark], and I would have never been able to upgrade it even afterwards.

Another gout of flame lashed from my scale-flesh, and a nearby Flame Wisp drifted closer. Again, it stopped just out of reach, absorbing the heat and loosing some of its own.

As my reservoir of heat quickly built again, filled rapidly by the constant fire of [Molten Bite] on my tongue and the general temperature of the air, I released it again - but less, this time. The spurt of flame was weaker than before, not reaching quite as far from my scale-flesh.

The Flame Wisp danced closer, its flame-wreathed figure sparking and flaring. A moment later, the flame was gone.

I released another gout of flame almost before I had seen the result. I knew what I had to do now; just release lower and lower amounts of heat to draw the Flame Wisp in. That was difficult, because the constant fire-pain that seared my insides and filled my reservoirs begged for release.

Even with [The Snake That Eats Its Own Tail] keeping the damage at bay, the bad-dreams were drifting closer. My vision flickered and wobbled, and I almost lost myself again.

One blink later, and the Flame Wisp was somehow right beside me.

I didn’t question the lost time. Instead, I let go of my tail and snapped for it. It danced away from my fangs. Still, that had been closer. I just needed to do better.

Before I could fall to the bad-dreams again, I emptied my reservoirs entirely. In my unfocused state, I dumped it all; both light and heat flared outwards in a brilliant corona, causing my scale-flesh to glimmer under the effect.

More Flame Wisps drifted closer, slowly floating downwards from their watch near the cavern’s ceiling and greedily absorbing what I had released. I tore my gaze away, sluggishly reaching for my tail again as my vision darkened.

[The Snake That Eats Its Own Tail] gave me some blessed relief, beating back the darkness somewhat. Letting me think.

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Though the constant itching was very distracting.

Focus. I needed to focus. The Flame Wisps were attracted to light and heat, causing them to willingly drift closer to me - but they also responded to sudden movement or danger, moving away when I tried to threaten them.

I needed a way to prevent that.

As a few Flame Wisps drifted closer, responding to my now almost automatic habit of releasing gouts of flame to cool myself and empty my reservoirs, I let go of my tail. Immediately, the fire-pain grew worse, raging through my insides and nearly causing me to slump.

I fought against it, holding my head upright. Flames leaked from my head-scales, beckoning the Flame Wisps closer. My mouth gaped wide.

I stayed still like stone.

Anything that I could to make sure I succeeded in my strike.

It would probably be my last try before the bad-dreams took me. I could already feel them rushing in, causing my vision to go black and taking my sight away.

I held firm, feeling for the heat of the Flame Wisps as they approached.

For a moment, I almost gave up - until a lick of flame pressed against my scale-flesh. I followed it to its source, blindly striking in the direction of the fire. It was sluggish and delayed, and I was sure that I had failed.

That was, until my fangs pierced through yielding flesh.

Until my mouth filled with the taste of smoke and power, the scent-tastes barely noticeable with my damaged tongue.

Until the thought-light flickered.

Experience Gained!

Level Up!

1 Trait Point Gained.

It had been a long time in coming. Despite how many bad-things I had consumed since I had last leveled, I hadn’t actually killed many of them myself. Mostly, I had just scavenged the battlefield, devouring the corpses that the Coreless left behind. More than that, the few that I had killed myself were all low level; the Flame Wisps didn’t ever seem to have a level, as they were almost entirely unable to kill something without tricking them into burning in fire-water, while the Flame Formicans had too many bad-things involved in a fight to receive more than a tiny amount of experience as a reward.

Despite that, it had been finally enough to push me over the edge.

I mostly ignored all of that, focusing on what the thought-light revealed next.

Level 0 Flame Wisp Consumed.

Transferred to Core.

Blooded Trait Acquisition Progress: 20/20.

Blooded Trait: [Illusion Spark IV] Increased.

[Illusion Spark V] Acquired.

Progress Towards Next Upgrade: 0/40.

The reservoirs within my scale-flesh expanded, growing in size as I changed again. At the same time, the speed at which I could absorb heat and light increased significantly.

As my newly-increased reservoirs rapidly filled, I let out a continuous stream of heat.

My scale-flesh began to cool at last.

I felt blessed relief.

And when my vision finally came back, a crowd of Flame Wisps had drifted closer, attracted by the heat - some of them extremely close.

I lunged.

This time, I was more than fast enough.

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