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, ᛖᚡᛖᚱᛚᚨᛋᛏᛁᚾᚷ making multiple circles, crisscrossing each other all over my first guardian's skin... and bark too. I still don't quite understand it though, this rune grafting part is definitely the most complex part. A wrong line in the wrong place is more than enough to create an explosion strong enough to blow up this flesh space I've been inhabiting.
How do I know all of this? No clue.
Though it is beneficial to me, so I won't complain about it. Beside, now I at least know that I'm currently located in 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, the complexion is gradually turning into a bluish shade. A skin like mine when i still walks on two legs. When's that again?
That's the mana pumping in. So that's fine?
Affirmative.
Right.
And so, my first guardian has a humanoid form with four clawed limbs 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 360 degrees, that is to say it's more flexible than when it was just an invader A.
I am also proud to announce that this creation of mine is capable of utilizing mana without much problem. Well there's still problem though.
A big problem actually.
I have no idea of how to animate it. I mean I could always just move it manually since the insides is already filled full with my branches.
But something tells me that it's not supposed to work like that. I'll be guarding myself instead of being guarded. Which is what a guardian is supposed to do. So... Hmm.
uSE 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 within core. Infiltrating the invader's soul with subject's mental power. Defense obliteration in progress...
Success.
Object soul has been emptied.
Forming necessary instruments...
Applying locomotion to instruments
Subject bisects target's torso region.
Applying life mana to instruments
Increasing concentration of mana...
Inserting instrument
Altering instrument shape...
Access granted.
Setting up a rune formation model...
Engraving rune of binding...
Engraving rune of extraction...
Engraving rune of obedience...
eNGraVIng RuNE oF uNdyInG.
Rune engraving completed.
Subject inserts soul into the formation...
Prototype guardian's soul is successfully secured.
Rune formation is completed.
Relegating control...
...
Phew, it's finally done.
It's not easy, but there we go...
I still got those branches i use to make build the circuitry inside its body still attached to me. The mana it gives off is odd though, it's different than my own mana. I connect—
Eliminating thought process.
I snap instrume- the branches off. The stump of the branch wiggles like worms and connects the bisected body part. Perfect
Now all that's left to do is to activate it.
Drawing in mana from my new generator, i load the mana into each and every single one of those rune formations scattered all first guardian.
For some reason the mana it draws from me far exceeds my initial estimation. The generator produced less mana than the mana consumed by the formations. At this rate I may even have to use my own mana. That might not even be enough though hmm...
Found it.
It's the central formation. I know that although the central formation will always require more energy, it's not supposed to consume this much mana.
On a closer inspection, there is a squiggly ᚹ that's taking up most of the mana. It's buried underneath all the other runes and unlike its other more stationary brethren, it moves. A lot. It's making me dizzy actually? Dizzy? That's odd.
Weird. I don't remember ever grafting it?
I don't know what this is.
I don't know what it does.
I can read it, it's supposed to be read as joy. Though that's doubtful since it does warp a line or two in and out of existence each time it wiggles. How does it do that anyway?
Irrelevant.
... I suppose it's irrelevant.
So for now let's just spend more mana and wait for the result.
...
With a sudden jerk its head snapped up, staring directly into my core.
[PROGENITOR?]
Two dots of red light comes to life from the many gaps between the branches that made up its head. It made quite the contrast between the bluishness of the barks and the darkness that is its eyesockets (eyecracks?)
[THIS ONE HAS BEEN AWAKENED]
It's also transmitting things to me...
Oh!
You are my guardian?
[AFFIRMATIVE]
How are we communicating?
[WE ARE ONE]
Right. So what can you do?
[SENDING IN DATA...]
Ow ow ow, right, okay. So you can do all that? Does that mean you are lacking in a "directive" right now.
[AFFIRMATIVE]
So would you mind if I give you a new directive right now?
[REQUESTING DIRECTIVE]
Considering that moving beyond my boundary is difficult right now, and you can act as my eyes... Would you mind doing some recon of the area. Your bark should offer you sufficient protection against those digestive gases and those worms shouldn't attack wooden things like you anyways.
Ah you should cover your exposed flesh with bark come to think of it.
[DIRECTIVE ACCEPTED]
Vines and branches extends from its limbs and head to cover its body. Not leaving even a single inch of skin exposed.
[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, well it's more of wooden tentacles at this point, is crawling across the fleshy floor, it's surprisingly fast too. At least compared to the human invaders.
As it reach the gate, it then proceeded to phases through the trees blocking the hole. It told me it can phase through any surface made out of wood or plant based material, and even living plants. I'm not sure how the human part of it can phase through as well but i didn't get this far by constantly asking why.
Though it is funny, I always thought that plants aren't truly alive. Well, I guess I should have guessed it since I remembered being chased by one during my time as a-...
Eliminating thought process
I lied. I know about it from the start.
Ah imagine if this fog wurm is considered plant. Why makes it different even? Just because it's an animal my guardian can't go through it's flesh? Guh! Such inequality really makes my non existent blood boils!
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 sight.