Ex Nihilo

[Samifer]

Malky this adventure is great and you're great and here's a token of my appreciation.

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[MalkyTop]

oh my god oh my god oh my god waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh

[MalkyTop]

> Flail around in the water like an imbecile! If that works somehow, try to go upwards.

You make little progress.

>Can you control wood? Pull the cane towards you, grab it, and have it carry you out of the water?

Wait, then again, if it's sinking, it can't be all wood. If you can't move wood, maybe there's something in it that you can move?

You have heard of those who claim to be able to control plant life, but you have never seen it yourself. You doubt anybody has that power. It would be like controlling people.

You try anyways but gain no results. Farewell, cane.



You find yourself still alive.

You're not complaining or anything, but it's surprising. Mostly because you are fairly certain that you don't have any oxygen left in you. Actually, yes, you are extremely certain that you have no oxygen left in you. You seem to be stuck fast on the verge of passing out and dying. Your lungs are burning, your vision's kinda there, but you're still having coherent thoughts?

This is baffling.

[ashdenej]

>Pass out.

>When you wake up, find yourself miraculously saved.

[Anthano Zasalla]

> This is what we call being super zen when faced with imminent death. Instead of wondering about that, wonder why you aren't swimming up for air yet seriously

[Dragon Fogel]

>Maybe you're already dead? You just didn't think about your breathing and the like until now, when you actually had to worry about it.

This would explain Blue being on his feet after Red found him dead, too.

[informativeCloud]

>Assume lotus position. Concentrate, and release your true power. Resonate with the holy rocks on your neck, surely they are what's keeping you alive.

[Whimbrel]

Dive deeper. Get the cane.

[MalkyTop]

> This is what we call being super zen when faced with imminent death. Instead of wondering about that, wonder why you aren't swimming up for air yet seriously

You have learned how to swim.

>Maybe you're already dead? You just didn't think about your breathing and the like until now, when you actually had to worry about it.

This would explain Blue being on his feet after Red found him dead, too.

If you happen to be dead now, it's strange that you would still feel pain. But maybe it's the lingering expectation of pain? Overall, this is an unimpressive afterlife, if that's what this is. There is a remarkable lack of dead people, for one. But you have no other idea why you suddenly have Not-Drowning abilities.

But you think you should stop thinking about this and start thinking about how to save that man whose name you don't know. You don't have many tools to work with, though, especially since you'll probably have to go underwater again, definitely a place you aren't suited for fighting in.

>Assume lotus position. Concentrate, and release your true power. Resonate with the holy rocks on your neck, surely they are what's keeping you alive.

Let's be honest with yourself, those rocks aren't special at all. They're just another symbol of ostracization. Why would a regular man of the church need good luck charms and relics if they're supposedly already Holy and Moral and all that crap? Still, they may be useful.

Maybe in combination with the other things you always lug around.



Your collection of knives.

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I think everybody who reads this stupid thing already knows about the MSPAFA Awards and how I am the master of all judges but I figure I really oughta put a link here or whatever I dunno.

You better not nominate this I swear to god.

[Whimbrel]

Oooo

Ok, first peer into the unfathomable depths and see if you can't fathom something out down there.

Then sculpt some stone from this platform down below to lift it up.

[informativeCloud]

>Crossing the water is no option. The walls, however...
>Use rocks and knives to scale the walls and ceiling all the way to the other side.

[MalkyTop]

Oooo

Ok, first peer into the unfathomable depths and see if you can't fathom something out down there.

You can't exactly peer into the depths, but you definitely see something that looks like (and probably is) blood on the surface, all the way out there. Probably the place where you should investigate.

>Crossing the water is no option. The walls, however...
>Use rocks and knives to scale the walls and ceiling all the way to the other side.

Well you do need to cross over the water, but that plan seems exhausting and you're still winded. Even if you weren't, your clothes are still quite weighty with water and that would definitely get you winded. That ceiling is also ridiculously high. The circumference of the room hasn't stopped being ridiculously large either. But you think you have an easier way of moving across.



Obviously, you should just move this large platform thing you're standing on and --



owowowowowowowowowowowowowowowow shit



it burns

it burns like holy fire

[Whimbrel]

Dunk your hand in the water!! hopefully that won't make it worse!

[dragonpaul99]

Have the glitches spread to any other part of your body yet? If not, maybe you should consider amputation before things get any more out of....

.....hand.

[Anthano Zasalla]

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Have the glitches spread to any other part of your body yet? If not, maybe you should consider amputation before things get any more out of....

.....hand.

> Uh uh uh do you have any ointment

[ashdenej]

>Try to get it burning like unholy dirt by smothering it in a big rock. Or amputate it with a shard of earth, either way.

[Jovian]

you know, if a poison is spreading through one part of the body, it's best to just amputate it.

[informativeCloud]

>As much as I hate to agree with them
>Either you amputate it, or you find a way to stop it.
>Please don't lose your arm it's too useful

[MalkyTop]

you know, if a poison is spreading through one part of the body, it's best to just amputate it.

You keep still.

You try to stay conscious.



You thought you might have trouble when you got to the bone but...

Somehow you got through it.



It's a different sort of pain.

You block it out.



You really hope this worked...

...

You suppose that now you should --









Uh.





Amazingly, he shakily gets to his feet.





And....now he's noticed your (lack of a) hand.



And now he's noticed that the thing is still lurking underneath the waters.



And now he's pushing you backwards.

[Solaris]

yea you should like, run

[PumpkinMan]

Not being in the middle of the water seems like a good idea. And having some hard ground nearby should help.

[Whimbrel]

SMASH IT WITH ROCK LIKE A TRUE EARTH ASSASSIN

[informativeCloud]

>Yea? No. You know how to write, right?
>Gain metaknowledge from voices in your head about the fact that going back is never good.
>Communicate through writing.

[MalkyTop]

yea you should like, run

Despite all of his urgency, it doesn't seem like he can really do any escaping, with his injuries. Nor can you. You don't particularly care to admit it but it's really hard for you to focus right now. Both of you could probably use a cane before even thinking about running. Or walking somewhat fast.



You're doing a somewhat decent job at not blacking out, though.

SMASH IT WITH ROCK LIKE A TRUE EARTH ASSASSIN

It's swimming ahead of you. Maybe trying to meet you where you're going and cut you off.



You have no idea how good your aim is, or if you even have enough energy to twirl a pebble around really fast. In your confusion, you momentarily forget that you are missing a hand and you reach for a rock. You still snap the rock off easily with the power of your mind, though.



Your attack goes embarrassingly wide.



You miss on your rebound too, but still manage to snap off that thing on the top.



...It looks like that thing was powering the thing in the first place. The huge lunk starts sinking.

That was pretty lucky.





The thing that you snapped off, you realize, can move.

[Dragon Fogel]

>Into the hole?