I slept for what felt like days, my mind drifting in and out of consciousness as I remained locked inside my corn body, exhausted. I was unconsciously siphoning kernels from any nearby living thing the whole time, however, feeling the energy gradually getting sipped into my kernelled form. When I did feel rested enough, having taken in enough new energy later on, I attempted to recreate what I'd accomplished during my fight with the hobgoblin. It took some focus, but I was eventually able to regain sight using my body itself. I decided to call this my "open state" as my human senses were all accessible while doing this. Well, sight and hearing, at least. I wasn't sure how I'd be able to feel or taste.
Getting used to the view wasn't too hard, as I had since gotten used to controlling insects with compound eyes. Seeing like this was kind of like seeing with my entire body, giving me a constant panoramic view of whatever was around me. I assumed that this phenomena was simply the result of a different use for the mysterious power of kernels. A corncob doesn't have a nervous system, and the knobs all around my body certainly didn't count as optic nerves.
It looked as though I was nestled on a fluffy white pillow upon the familiar bed of the guest room that I'd woken up in earlier. I was apparently alone this time, though I sensed several sources of energy nearby. Laying there, I thought back to my interesting experiences so far. Surviving a scythe-toting mage, saving a pretty girl from goblin highway men, fighting an ever bigger goblin to save a town. I would maybe expect to achieve such scenarios on one of my many videogames in my old life, but living it for real was something I could have never even dreamed about.
The longer I lay there, motionless and not attempting to try and use my energy to move, I realized that I could feel the kernels seeping out of my body. I supposed that being able to use "open state" used up energy, so instead of risking exhausting myself again, I sought a host to grab hold of. Unfortunately, this guest room was largely bug-free, but I did manage to locate a lone gnat buzzing along by a wet spot on the stone wall. Taking control of it through a kernel link, I flew it to the head of the bed and watched over my corn body for a while. Growing bored, I called out telepathically.
"Hello? Is anyone around?" I asked.
Within seconds, I could make out rapidly-approaching footsteps. The room door flew open a second later, and in came Lyka.
"Master! Thank the gods you're awake!" the young woman cried as she belly-flopped onto the bed and held my yellow body up to her lips, before pecking at it with kisses. "I was so worried when you stopped responding, you were floating in the air and then you just dropped down after you sent that disgusting goblin flying!"
"Y-yeah I was just exhausted from that," I replied. "I had no idea that I was capable of any of this. What happened afterwards?"
Lyka gave me the run-down with what followed me using that improvised shockwave attack on Gogrin. Apparently the mayor and everyone else watching was mystified as they witnessed a floating corncob hitting the giant goblin with an invisible force, where my last move sent his large body flying out of the street and crashing into several buildings behind. Knocked out, the hobgoblin was promptly restrained, and a detachment of the army was now transporting him to exile in Tundra.
"My dad wants to talk to you, he's in the dining room," Lyka explained after she'd finished. "Don't worry, I think he just wants to thank you. The whole town owes you for taking out that beast."
As we went upstairs, I also learned that I'd been out for at least 12 hours. It was now nearly midnight, with darkness outside the windows and distant torchlight from the nearby buildings. As Lyka carried me, I followed along in my tiny gnat vessel. It was nice having the added mobility of flight again.
We entered the dining room to find the mayor seated at the head of the long table. A large slab of sliced meats and cheeses was out in the middle, where I was surprised to see Dirx and Krissy helping themselves to the food and eating it noisily as they watched us walk in.
"Corn-man!" Dirx exclaimed, his left eye bandaged and several patches of gauze wrapped around different parts of his bruised body.
"Here comes our hero," Krissy said as she kissed towards my corn self. "If you were a goblin, I'd be dragging you off to marry me right now."
Lyka let out a faint growl as she hurried passed the voluptuous goblin, before explaining that the pair was allowed to stay and rest up at the Belle castle in gratitude for their failed attempt to stop their rogue boss.
"Alright then…" Soundov began as he watched his daughter gingerly lay me down on the table at the corner near to him. "First off, I do want to express my gratitude for your help in defeating that monster. The whole town suffered losses, dozens are now without homes, 60% of our troops suffered casualties. Yet things could have been worse without you. But of course, since I don't understand what it is you are, how about you do me the "honor" of explaining yourself. Are you a demon? A spirit?"
"My name…" I began with a telepathic link between everyone in the room, deciding to take the time to identify myself finally. "My name is Tino Lawson, and I'm actually a human from a land called "Ohio". I was killed in an accident, and when I woke up, I was in the body of this corncob. I don't know how, I don't know why. But since I could do nothing but just sit there motionless, I eventually discovered that everything has this energy coming from it. I then learned that I can do all kinds of thing with this energy—I call it "kernels", and I—
"Qi, you're talking about qi," Soundov nodded as he sat back in his chair. "It is one's vital energy. Most people only ever learn how to detect it, and some believe that it's how mages harness the power of the elements."
"Yeah, well I'm still learning about it myself. I can use it to do so many things, I feel like I'm always discovering another way to manipulate it," I added. "I know I sound crazy, Mr. Mayor, but you have to believe me. I'm not here by choice, and I'm still very confused. I mean you would not believe the day I was having up until I died."
"I believe you," Soundov sighed. "Because as much as I want to think that you're a possessed vegetable, you are not the first to appear here claiming to be from another world."