Chapter 154

Words : 1136 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Chapter 154: Chapter 154 As Clayton teetered on the edge of unconsciousness, he began to experience a series of strange visions from multiple shifting perspectives. Somehow, he felt himself transforming—into an ant, a monster, an elephant, a bird, a fish, a snake, and countless other creatures. He perceived the size of objects in the world differently each time. A single grain of rice might seem minuscule in one moment and impossibly massive the next. Overpowering odors could become scentless. He witnessed the arrogance of enormous monsters and the shame of tiny creatures who had to tread carefully to avoid being crushed. The most vivid vision came when he experienced the perspective of a familiar snake. It had a long, rigid body, with skin as hard as stone. As Clayton drifted deeper into unconsciousness, something clicked—wasn’t that the same snake monster he had fought before? Curiosity stirred within him. In this vision, the snake seemed intelligent—almost human. But why had it appeared so mindless during their battle? The vision continued. The snake eventually encountered a lotus flower guarded by a crocodile. Believing itself stronger and assuming the lotus was valuable, it fought the crocodile with everything it had. After a brutal battle, the snake emerged victorious. But as it approached the flower, tendrils from the lotus suddenly wrapped around it. At first, it resisted, but slowly, the snake began to suffocate, its body torn and wounded. Then, the lotus infused it with a strange energy, reviving it. The flower even offered a lotus seed, which healed the snake’s injuries completely. Once recovered, the lotus began to drain the snake’s energy—mental, physical, and spiritual—little by little. Day after day, the process repeated. Eventually, the snake transformed into something robotic—stiff, soulless. Only with time did it begin to adapt once more. Clayton, watching all of this unfold, finally understood: the snake he had once fought had been brainwashed and turned into a host, parasitized by the lotus flower. That realization jolted him—he was in danger too. Though his soul struggled desperately to wake, his body remained still—eyes closed, like an infant in peaceful sleep. He fought to break free, but only managed to make his body tremble slightly. Worse still, the last remnants of his consciousness began to fade—something was siphoning it away. Clayton realized the lotus flower was trying to absorb him, just as it had the snake. Panic gripped him. He had to act quickly. His only hope was a soul-targeting spell: Vibration Harmony Chant. Without hesitation, he recited the mantra. His awareness began to vibrate. The energy hand attempting to drain him froze. A spark of hope returned. He tried to wake himself again—nothing happened. The hope he had just reclaimed collapsed, plunging him back into despair. But he refused to give up. If he didn’t find a way out, it would be the end. Ideas raced through his mind, but none seemed viable. Then, the lotus resumed its draining. Clayton quickly cast Vibration Harmony Chant again—and once more, it worked. With the threat temporarily halted, he considered how to resynchronize his body and soul. Then a realization struck him: "Of course! Why didn’t I think of this spell sooner? It’s perfect!" He redirected Vibration Harmony Chant inward. Instantly, nausea and dizziness hit him like a wave, as if every molecule in his body was vibrating chaotically. Still, he didn’t stop. In fact, he welcomed it—it meant he was reestablishing his connection to his body. Reinvigorated, he pressed on. Soon, his senses returned. He was surrounded by darkness and pierced by a deep, bone-chilling cold. Despite the complications and lingering pain, Clayton felt relieved. He was alive—not a puppet under someone else’s control. Meanwhile, the lotus’s invasive energy was still draining him, though far more slowly. Clayton didn’t confront it immediately. Instead, he pulled out spell scrolls, potions, and even pine resin to tend to himself. Gradually, relief washed over him. Even his chronic condition, which had flared earlier, was soothed by purification spells and chants. Once stable, Clayton began strategizing. Several half-formed ideas floated in his mind. He clutched his scrolls tightly. For a moment, he remained still, allowing the lotus to siphon a bit more energy while weighing his options. Then—he acted. Boom! A powerful water cannon blasted outward, shattering the cocoon of lotus roots that encased him. Simultaneously, Clayton severed the invasive connection in his mind. Finally, his vision cleared—he stood face-to-face with the lotus flower. Wasting no time, he chanted Vibration Harmony Chant again. The lotus’s roots surged toward him. Within seconds, they were just an inch away. Panicking, he prepared to cast a water dome spell—but it wasn’t necessary. The roots froze in place, suspended midair. His chant had worked. Seeing his opportunity, Clayton unleashed his strongest spell: Abyssal Vortex. A violent vortex of water erupted toward the lotus flower with unrelenting force. But just before impact, the roots snapped into motion, forming a shield around the flower. Clayton knew the attack had failed. He had anticipated this. While the lotus was distracted, he made his move. He fired a black marble toward the exit and summoned a massive water wave beneath his feet. Everything was going perfectly. But just as he was about to escape, something caught his eye—lotus seeds hanging from one of the stalks. Knowing their value, he couldn’t resist. He reached for them—only to have a vine suddenly lash out and wrap around his hand. Panic surged through him. Had the flower regained consciousness? Desperately, Clayton activated one of his scrolls. A burst of black smoke shot toward the flower, freezing all movement around it. The Pollution Scroll—it worked. Clayton exhaled in relief and surfed away atop his water wave. Moments later, the lotus reawakened, unleashing wave after wave of roots in every direction. Luckily, Clayton was already far enough. Watching the tsunami of roots crash behind him, he felt a mix of terror and gratitude. As the feelings surged, he glanced down at his palm—two intact lotus seeds. "Just thinking about that thing touching me again makes my skin crawl..." Despite the close call, he had managed to claim them. That brought his total to three—essentially three high-grade healing items. Grinning, he carefully stashed them away and continued on, eventually reaching the area where his skeletal guardians stood watch. The place was eerily quiet. Human corpses and snake monsters lay scattered across the wrecked cave. Clayton smiled. It seemed he wouldn’t have to deal with that group—or the snake—ever again. Calmly, he opened a ripple in the transparent dome and stepped out with his mini skeletons. But just as he did, one of the corpses twitched. Without warning, the body shot toward him like a missile, aiming straight for a lethal strike. Clayton, completely unprepared, could only freeze in place—his eyes wide, his mouth agape.

Chapter 154

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