Memories of Resh’s recent ordeal assailed its mind as it rose, driving it ever forward. Resh once again remembered how helpless it had felt in the face of such unimaginable power and destructive capability, that thing had been a master of the Earth and Earth Magic. Deadly and unstoppable like an avalanche. Resh shuddered at the thought and tried to put it out of its mind. The thoughts were going nowhere fast. With nothing more to do other than rest and recover Resh just let the memories wash over it and hoped that they would stop inducing that paralysing fear. Resh was not going to be able to live if it continued to dwell on it. While it was so far below that creature’s power, it did not mean that one day it could not reach there…right?

Haha, just the idea of it is laughable. As if I could get to that level of power, that thing is a force of nature, not an animal or monster like what I have encountered before. That this was the size of a….I don’t even know what, maybe the size of that metal bridge in that dream or memory or whatever. No, it is likely larger than that even, larger than that metallic bridge. Unreal…

Okay, Resh was not past it yet, maybe it never would but it had to continue if it was to survive. Now just under the surface where it was feeling safe Resh pushed and focused on the healing process. Using Meditate was going to be the first task. Perhaps it would also discover a Talent that would allow it to boost the healing ability of Zen Meditation it was going to be a struggle with the reduction in control, intellect and other mental faculties but Resh would persevere, it was nothing if not persistent. Resh would continue to survive, just as it had with On the Brink!

Resh planned to wait out the fourteen days until recovery returned to normal while continuing to work on Zen Meditation and Natural Plant Healing at the same time. It had already gained two Talents for Natural Plant Healing but that only worked properly above ground so chose to focus on Zen Meditation after the Talent it had gained Resh sensed that there was more it could accomplish with that Skill. With its perception Resh checked again that there was nothing in the vicinity to hurt it while it was concentrating, the reduced range did not inspire confidence but it was best that could be expected for now. Also with Ears of Echo Location, nothing could be heard.

Resolute and fairly happy that it was safe for the moment Resh dove in, entering the state of Zen Meditation was easy now. It observed how its body changes in subtle ways to accommodate the needs of the Skill. In addition to the effects, Resh had observed before now it could also understand that spaces between slime particles opened up. It almost seemed that Resh’s “pores” opened up and allowed more energy to enter through the skin. Further in the chain of events, the spaces between the particles that made up Resh’s body increased the gaps between them. Resh seemed to imperceptibly swell and grow while on the outside its body seemed to swell and skin stretch in tandem. It was difficult for Resh to understand how it happened but the result was obvious, the change allowed for greater blood flow and greater neural messaging. It was almost like Resh’s blood vessels and neural pathways expanded into the additional space and then retracted when the Skill was terminated. Resh experimented by turning the Skill on and off a few times before being satisfied with the result.

Resh now understood how the base Skill worked, it had taken a while but being armed with that knowledge would make improving the capabilities possible and hopefully through that earn a new Talent to help with faster recovery. Resh experimented with several things, first making the “pores” larger, then more numerous, they both seemed to give similar effects but more pores were marginally more effective, Resh stuck with that. It allowed more nutrients to be absorbed compared to what it could without intervention.

The next thing Resh experimented with was increasing the internal gaps and making its body larger, Resh was cautious though, knowing how much damage it was possible to do with thoughtless experimentation. After everything else I’ve been through I don’t need to cause more problems for myself by being overzealous. One per cent at a time Resh grew its body. The skin around it was pulled taut as it stretched, 1%...2%...3%...it was starting to strain as becoming denser had reduced its malleability. Resh decided to push a little further and see what it could handle but even more slowly. 3.5%...4%...4.2%...Resh felt something start to give as it pushed up slowly. This was the warning sign and Resh quickly backpedalled to get to 4%, this was its maximum for now, as a side benefit the pores in its skin had also grown a little to the space adjustment and skin stretching.

Now Resh examined the effects, more nutrients entering the skin and then more blood and signals flowing in the body as a result of the relaxed state had made Resh’s Zen Meditation that much more effective! Resh received a Talent for its efforts.

You have gained the Talent Basic Cultivation. This Talent will allow you to improve the flow of energy through your body during all forms of meditation. Will instantly grant you up to 4% compounded greater Healing while active. This Talent will also allow you to use Meditation Skills while moving. +50% exp to Zen Meditation while this Talent is active. Evolve this Talent to get greater bonuses. No Active Skills can be employed while using this talent, all your attention must be focused on your dissolving appendages and weapons.

Resh sighed, it was not a great increase but the big advantage this one had over the other was that it would allow Resh to keep pores open and accepting while it was running or moving around. So it could run and have Zen Meditation active and also get a slight boost to healing. Perhaps it would prove more useful than it currently appeared; Zen Meditation could not be used while moving. Also, there was no adverse effect to using it like with the other. Limbs and appendages could be called out whenever they were needed, even used since they were passive. And activating and de-activating the Talent did not reset the boost either. The more Resh thought about this one the more amazing it seemed. It should not have written it off the way it did, this was great!

Resh regained a little pep in its step and activated the newly acquired Talent immediately. While the boost was small it was noticeable and immediate. Resh settled back to allow it to do some work and promptly fell asleep leaving Zen Meditate and Basic Cultivation both active.

Zen Meditation has increased to Level 14!

That fifty per cent boost to experience was already paying off, less than twelve hours after falling asleep Resh was rewarded with Zen Mediation levelling up. So great! Resh woke up in exactly the same place it had started. A little better for Health, Stamina and Mana but not anywhere near full. It was taking too long with the massive handicap. It was time for Natural Plant Healing to be brought into the mix and if Resh could, fix the underground problem that it had with the Skill.

As Resh had before it started on the surface of the soil, spreading itself out and mimicking the soil beneath. The sun was still shining brightly and it was difficult for Resh to see using its eyes after so much time in the dark of the soil. Resh closed its eyes to the sun. The daylight was warm on its toughened skin and Resh could feel the energy held in that light, just a Skill away from being absorbed into its body. Activating Natural Plant Healing was as simple as thought now, and as soon as the Earth Slime did the feeling of warmth was added to the feeling of Zen Meditation amplifying the effect. Natural Plant Healing worked differently from Zen Meditation and it was important for Resh to understand what was stopping it from working underground. It needed to modify the Skill itself not gain a Talent. That was an important difference; it needed to modify the Skill so that it would be able to use it everywhere and at any time.

Resh got to work, first analysing how the Skill worked above the ground, then observing how it changed on its underbelly where the soil was and the absence of light. Above the ground but in the darkness, the Skill seemed to work fine but it was only under the soil that there seemed to be a hitch. There was some subtle difference between the two, some blockage in the latter. Resh delved deeper into the problem. What it finally realised, left its mouth gaping in surprise.