Chapter 284: Planning For Disaster
It was good to be back.
Even in our brief absence - without myself and the first disciples around to guide them - the number of faithful had grown. It seemed as if nearly every moment carried a new and unfamiliar Coreless along with it, wandering towards our forests of plant-flesh. Some came simply to look, unwilling to approach. Others were braver, pushing past the barriers of thorns and vines to look deeper within. Others still were simply stupid, trying to beat it back.
My faithful did what they could to protect those that simply wanted to explore from the dangers of the plant-flesh. The ones who attempted to harm it, however, didn’t receive the same consideration.
And anyone bearing fire was set upon with a [righteous fury]. Flames were not permitted. The bearers of the flames quickly learned that truth. The faithful were harsh teachers. The lessons harsher still.
As they should be; the plant-flesh, though it had once been the design of another Core, had been thoroughly turned into the strength of my Creator. Attempting to destroy it was little different than trying to weaken the Great Core itself.
Heretical.
I was thankful for the faithful’s efforts to stymie that heresy. It made things easier on me. With the plant-flesh protected, I could focus all of my efforts on expanding. And all of my effort, it truly was. The constant maintenance of [Verdure Parasite] remained a draining thing. If anything, it only became more so with time, as the faithful continued to increase the number of seeds that they planted as more became available - because, while the increase in plant-flesh sources to draw from meant that I could work faster, it also meant that I had more work to do.
It was neverending. But worth it, when I was able to witness what I was creating. The vast swathes of cavern that had fallen under the dominion of the Great Core.
Hissing, I slithered through the forest of plant-flesh, a scattering of faithful following in my wake. I wasn’t alone often. Fortunately, it wasn’t a problem. They didn’t get in the way. Though they did sometimes seem a little too [eager] to offer me fruits of the plant-flesh.