Over the course of the next 2 days, Quinn observed every interaction between the worms. Despite his condition worsening, Quinn's boredom was only cured every time he noticed something about the language. He figured that the 'song' they kept singing was a cry for help. That would explain the constant influx of worms coming into the trap. And the different creatures falling for the viper's trap.
Additionally he noticed that the higher pitch vibrations indicated the joy of a new arrival. Which was quickly shattered when it became paralyzed like the rest of them.
He noticed frequent patterns in the rumbling which was attuned to a language. But he also recognized the lack of vocabulary.
Quinn probably only counted around 150 words.
The meaning of most words were unknown. But Quinn thought he could pick a few.
'Food, help, Me, Dirt'
'Ahhhh this is stupid. What's the point in learning this stupid language if I'm going to die anyway!!! Stupid worms and stupid skills'
( •̀ - • )
Skills?
Traits?
Quinn had a number of skills and traits. Most of them came from his race. So he assumed all of them were useless seeing that all the other worms weren't doing anything. But their was one trait that might have some use.
[Resilient diet: Your body craves to eat and only to eat. Your stomach will accept most things]
Quinn could eat all the poison around him converting it into food. It was crazy. Voluntarily eating poison. Ludicrous. But it was Quinn's only hope. He opened his mouth and consumed the poison.
He quickly faded into unconsciousness.
...
...
The battle was lost.
The army demolished by the ritual [Miasma of The Mad Savant]. 3000 lives brutally sacrificed for the for the winning of a single battle? Nay. The complete annihilation of the 3rd Army of the Stormreach House.
The enemy, The Cult of Umbramore.
They were looking for something.
Something the commanders had.
All the commanders were lined up as a hooded domineering figure paced Infront of them.
"Where is it?" It demanded
"Where is what??" a rookie commander asked. The figure looked into the rookie's eyes as they turned black. Black veins spread across his face as his body convulsed into a seizure.
The rookie hit the floor ice cold.
Dead.
But only for a second before the rookie stood up. The constraints on it's hands suddenly gone. But his eye's as black as shade pearls.
"Where is it??" the figure's words were not spoken but heard.
The rookie struggled a bit until his neck broke twice. Once over his shoulder and hanging behind him, the next back in place.
"No Jefferey don..." that commander died instantly. His skin no longer the vibrant color it once was but grey and cold to the touch.
The animated Jeffery began to talk.
"Our best men left with the package two moons ago, heading through the Dark Alpines"
"The Dark Alpine's?? " The figure gestured to the three figures surrounding the oldest captive and they leaped away.
All going in the same direction.
To the Dark Alpines
"You've out done yourself this time, Stormbreaker" The figure looked at the old man adorned with jewels embedded into his silver armor.
"You seem really proud of defeating an old man, Carlson" Stormbreaker muffled.
"I DO NOT GO BY THAT NAME ANYMORE" The figure rushed at Stormbreaker with knives in hand. Stopping mere millimeters from his neck. "You're nothing but a dead legend"
"And that's your folly"
A giant lighting strike hit Stormbreaker directly lashing out at anything around it. Especially the figure known as Carlson.
"AGHHHgg"
...
Quinn dreamt for the first time in this world.
He was in the body of a child. The body he used to inhabit. He was playing with some of his friends at the park. His babysitter finally agreed to let him play at the park.
He finally experienced something he had never felt.
Friends.
It could only be described as bliss. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into hours. Until Quinn's mother turned up.
"QUINN!!!!" She shouted. She grabbed his arm, marched over to the babysitter, and scolded her.
Quinn tried to tell her it was his idea. He tried to let her off the hook. But she didn't listen.
'Why... Why... WHYYYY??'
He never saw that babysitter again. He never went to the park again. And he forgot what a friend was.
Blackness surrounded his child like form. As loneliness rooted in him. Blossoming a black flower of depression and anxiety. Bringing out his ADD.
Quinn felt isolated.
"A C-grade. No son of mine is this bad. Your younger brother, Will, always gets A's."
'Stop'
"Why can't you be like him?"
'I'm not him'
"Failure"
'YES, ok, I am!!'
"Ugly"
"Worthless"
"Failure"
'ENOUGH!!!!'
Everything went out. Quinn sobbed.
'It's always me. Why always me?'
Blackness surrounded his worm-like body. And Quinn felt it. The black around him, but more importantly the blackness within in him.
[Skill Unlocked: [Mana Sense] ]
[Awarding 10 Exp]
[Level up: Lvl:0.9 -> Lvl 1]
[Exp:6.1]
[
Evolution Quest unlocked:
Breakdown complex materials into it's raw parts [0/3]
]
'Breakdown?'
The role of worms within the environment is to breakdown complex biological matter into simple parts. The plants love these simple parts and usually the microbes take forever to break them down by them selves. And hence gardeners love worms. Since they actively fertilize the soil faster than the microbes can.
Now Quinn was tasked to perform his role in this ecosystem.
'Organic matter would include this poison. Right??
What if I can break this blackness down'
Quinn observed the poison inside his body. Noting down the complexities and trouble he might have. He noticed a whiteness not too far away.
The Gluttonous Miasma-shroom
It seemed to have the exact properties that was required to break this down.
'Of course!! The reason why I've never seen it anywhere else is because it needs poison for it's food. It breakdown the poison. I need to eat it.'
There was hope but Quinn still couldn't move.
But the snake couldn't either.
Something was happening.
Something big.