Mato was lost in his thoughts as he swam forward. The pressure gradually increasing as he went deeper. He was racing along the narrow tunnelway. The scenery around him looked familiar every way he looked. The flesh walls were blurry because of the intense speed he was traveling at. He was in a labyrinth-like tunnel of flesh. The flesh jutted out like mountains reaching for the sky. Mountains upon mountains of flesh were laid out, repeating in the same pattern. The mountains lay parallel to each other like dominoes.The patterns repeated endlessly and time seemed to pass slowly. Mato’s thoughts numbing his mind as he traveled.

Huff...Huff….

Sounds of panting could be heard from behind.

Shoot!

Mato had thought in his head. He had completely forgotten about Tamo.

Finding out that he left Tamo behind. He came to a complete stop, waiting for her.

It seems I have gotten too fast. I was swimming at a snail's pace.

The sound of huffing and puffing came nearer as Mato saw the distressed Tamo. The intense pressure of liquid barreled down his back as he looked toward Tamo who was behind him.

Beads of sweat were pouring down her face. Her body looked stressed to the extreme. It looked like she was racing with all of her might.

Tamo had finally caught up and tried to maintain her composure. She let the life energy that flowed within her calm down.

Tamo looked at Mato and smiled with her eyes. Her body’s condition couldn’t cover that dazzling smile.

“Thanks for waiting for me.”

Two eyes were looking straight at Mato. Mato looked on astonished. It looked like the very stars were looking at him, showing gracefulness and purity to those who wished upon them. Mato’s heart shook.

Beautiful.

He thought in his head.

After a moment of admiring, Mato snapped back to reality.

“No problem. The current of the liquid here seems to be getting faster. You might have trouble going along with me. Tell me later if you are having any problems.”

The liquid current that was rushing through the tunnel was getting extremely high. As they went deeper, the pressure had increased to four times its normal amount. They were like carp swimming up a waterfall. Only the fastest and strongest will get out alive.

“No problem. I just need some time to rest.” Tamo said.

After waiting for Tamo to rest up, they immediately ventured forth. They were both swimming against the current. Mato felt no problem with the pressure as he was swimming but he drastically reduced his pace. The liquid pressure was constantly being repelled off of his body. On the other hand, one could see the strain Tamo was going through. Her body was shivering through the amount of pressure she was swimming against.

A few moments later, a large wave of pressure came forth barreling down the tunnel. It was like a rogue wave and it would push back anyone who wouldn’t see it coming. Mato saw it coming but chose to ignore it and continued to swim. Tamo, on the other hand, braced herself. She was thrown back as the pressure couldn’t help but toss her aside like a bag of rice.

Her body was sent tumbling backwards and stopped a few lengths away.

Shoot! I didn’t think the wave was that strong...

Mato had a problem. His transformation had increased his power by a large margin. This power had distanced himself from the ordinary sperm. What he could accomplish, others could not.

His strength had let him take the lives of his enemies but what was the point of it? Was killing the enemy the ultimate goal? Why does he kill? He kills to protect himself and his friends. He becomes stronger so he has the strength to do what is right. And what he thinks is right is staring right at him.

Tamo looked at Mato, wondering what he was thinking about.

“I think you’ll have to go on without me. The water pressure is too high.” Tamo said, “It’s incredible that you can swim this leisurely.”

Wanting to protect his friend, Mato said,“Wait here and hide in between one of the crevices of flesh, I’ll come back right after finding out the origins of those two foreign sperms.”

Mato swam forward leaving his heart with Tamo. He couldn’t help but wonder for Tamo. She was the first friend he had ever had. He knew he couldn’t stay by her side forever. She has to be able to fend for herself.

I have to find a way for Tamo to get stronger. I’m strong right now but if she could become strong too, I won’t be as lonely.

Having made up of his mind, Mato concentrated on the task at hand. His gaze looking forward, Mato continued to travel down the tunnel, all the while getting lost in its mesmerizing beauty.

…..

I wonder what this place really is?

Mato had questions that no one could really answer: Why were they born? What is their purpose in life? Where does this tunnel lead to? These questions boggled his mind but he was sure that only time would give him the answer.

Mato traveled along the path. Time seemed to stretch as he felt minutes of his life pass him by.

It was only then when Mato stared into the distance. A gleam of light started to appear on the horizon.

Mato felt the light reach his skin and then flow through his meridians. Mato could feel that this light was life energy.

Mato swam forwards. He looked at the walls of the tunnel and saw flesh that was filled with white light.

Even the walls are filled with life energy.

Mato continued swimming forwards, the light getting stronger as he drew near. The light blinded him as he approached. As he entered he focused his eyes to see past the light. What he saw amazed him.

In front of him was a huge ball of flesh. The flesh was different from the tunnel walls. While the tunnel walls were a deep red, the ball of flesh was a luminous pink. The ball of flesh had tunnels that seemed to reach deep into its core. Light seeped out of the tunnels and then illuminated the surrounding area. These tunnels seemed large enough for multiple Mato’s to go through.

As Mato continued to inspect the ball of flesh, he found something wrong. This majestic looking ball of life had growths squatting on it.

The growths were plastered onto the exterior of the ball. Some of the growths were larger than Mato and some were smaller. The growths seemed to have appeared randomly. Some of the growths had even blocked some of the tunnels leading inwards to the sphere.

This ball of flesh pulsed with life energy, sending waves of light in every direction.

Mato was amazed, “ There must be a huge amount of life energy inside for it to be radiating so much light.”

The life energy being radiated by this sphere was blinding. When he was having his transformation, he too radiated some light. But compared to the light currently being emitted, it was like comparing a candle to the sun. There was no comparison.

Mato swam forwards hoping to probe with his vibrations.

A small wave of vibrations came from his head in a sweeping motion. The vibrations scanned the exterior of the sphere and then made their way into the tunnels. The vibrations seemed to pick up some information as they were bounced back into Mato’s forehead. His forehead tingling as he processed the information into a clearer picture.

It seems there’s more of those mutated sperm in those tunnels.

From Mato’s scan, he saw the bodies of around four mutant sperm drifting through the tunnels. From the looks of his scan, it also seemed to indicate that those sperm were still asleep.

Mato rushed forward, causing vibrations to echo out from his location. He advanced headfirst into one of the tunnels.

Mato examined the interior of the tunnels with his eyes as he continued to swim deeper. He saw the familiar white glow of the growths here in the tunnels. The number of white growths increased as he got deeper into the ball of flesh. The growths were clumped up like a festering disease that haunts its host. The growth’s pink membrane was being stretched out as life energy was expanding it past its full capacity. The growths looked ready to explode.

What are making these growths?

Mato then sensed one of the sperm he scanned from before approaching him.

He looked at the sperm.

The sperm was mutated. The massive growths on its body looked similar to the two mutated sperm he had met when Tamo was by his side.

From the looks of it, Mato seemed to guess that the two sperm that he met back in the outer tunnel must have come from this place.

The mutated sperm was sleeping.

Mato took this as an opportunity.

“Vibrational Destruction. Die in death.”

A beam of vibrational energy shot forth, instantly destroying the mutated sperm. Only the life energy was left.

Mato swam forward and sucked it up with his tail and moved on.

The scraps of life energy contained within these mutated sperm are nothing compared to the life energy that’s causing all of these growths.

Mato made his way through the tunnels, eventually reaching the core region.

The core region was an open space. It’s interior was lined with millions of white bodies. These bodies were mutated sperm. They were all lined up on the walls like soldiers waiting for their orders. Their bodies seemed to expand and pulse. They were being comforted by a white light that was coming from the center of the core region.

Mato looked to the center and in the middle was a small white orb.The orb was many times smaller than Mato but it seemed to emit a dazzling white light. Life energy radiated out as Mato stared at this orb.

“That’s it!”

Mato couldn’t help but shudder from the feeling of power from this little white orb. His eyes twinkled as they reflected back the light coming from the orb.

His mind started to hum in hunger. Ecstasy filled his body as his instincts were telling him to take that orb at all costs. His body was inching forward slowly, like an addict about to get his fix.

Mato knew what his instincts were telling him but his mind was telling him to be cautious. There were hundreds of millions of sperm lining the walls of this cave. Mato deeply examined the mutated sperm on the walls.

They’re all asleep. Even if they wake up, I can kill all of them if they threaten me.

The mutated sperm on the walls all had growths. Some sperm had growths larger than others. The larger the growths they had, the stronger they seemed to be. Even though they looked strong, Mato had belief in himself. If millions of mutated sperm started attacking him he was sure he wouldn’t die. His meridians had given him untold power, this power had given Mato confidence.

Mato looked at the white orb in the center and dashed toward it, not even caring of the vibrations coming from his mad dash.

Mato reached the orb and reached out with his tail. He took ahold of the orb and his body shivered in delight.

The orb was pure white and had a glassy shell. It looked like a fiery white sun was encased in a coating of clear ice. White light reflected off of this clear casing, refracting into a multitude of colors. Mato held in his anticipation.

He swallowed the orb with his tail.

The orb gently traveled up Mato’s body. The orb pushed through the digestive juices of Mato but it was in no ways harmed.

A feeling of incredible energy seemed to radiate from the white orb.

“Interesting…”

Mato failed to digest the orb and the orb ended up being stored near his nucleus. The orb was pure white. While his nucleus was jet black. The two objects sat beside each other, close enough that they felt the other’s presence but close enough that they did not touch.

The white orb continued to radiate life energy but this time it was contained within Mato’s body. The life energy provided by the orb was steady, it was like a super battery that gave his body juice to run on.

He started to feel that energy being radiated throughout his body. The light became a mist, then condensed to a liquid, as it started to pour into Mato’s meridians.

Mato continued to delight in his new treasure. Mato could feel the boundless energy residing within this orb. He couldn’t tell how much life energy this orb kept, but it felt like it would last forever.

Mato was concentrated on his body, while he couldn’t help but notice the cave starting to shake.