“I won’t die here, not like this.” Desperation, this was all Glass felt as he was digging through the dirt navigating through the roots and ascending upward after finding the most optimal path he can find. Glass was in highly concentrated state, he didn’t even notice the little worms and insects that lived in the loose dirt get mushed by his bloodied claw.

The little light he had access to was no more as he ascended upward and the hands that he was using in place of shovel were bleeding because he had lost his nails in the mud long ago. A painful experience that even surprised Glass. He never was one to endure painful things but now that he is close to death a fuse blew up in his head and he ignored the throb and scream of his hands and just kept on digging.

“Stupid Gyatri! you muddled brained asshole. Why didn’t you wake up earlier?” Glass cursed his old self and the stupidity he displayed after entering this place. If he directly acted on the mission after he woke up, he would have easily completed the 1st condition after thinking for a while. But he was still taking it all as just a bad smelling game and waited for the “introduction” that he was so used to.

“I still have more than 28Hp left. I will go in critical after 10HP, I need to act fast.” The strenuous work was not suiting the body of Glass very much. The tense movements of his muscles were injuring his body further the more he dug and the crystals in his body were also spreading and increasing in mass inside unknown to him. But he never forgot to keep track of his health and the accelerated depletion of health he was facing. He can somewhat deduce what may be happening to inside his body.

‘I can’t stop now. Staying in there may secure some more seconds of my life, but it will not contribute to my survival one bit. This is just like share market, I am throwing the little amount of money I have at dangerous ventures. If I am right, I will have my money multiplied and my options will increase but if I fail, I will become bankrupt and will probably suicide.’  Glass mocked as he climbed a little bit every time he dug.

“Gambling my life on chance feels a little …exhilarating!!… Am I losing my mind?” Glass had a mild grin on his face hidden away in the darkness and bandages. This felt just like his little accidents, but he was completely sober and control of his actions this time. ‘This horrific and deadly situation has a little merit I suppose.’ Unconsciously, this was Glass’s way of coping with the absurd situation he was in.

After suffering for 2 hours in the tunnel that Glass dug with his hands just for the hope of reaching the surface. His legs were shivering, he was maintaining a steady grip on the walls through with his legs and back so that he doesn’t fall back to where he came from.
 But a human’s body is not invincible, through sheer will a man can’t achieve his goals. He requires tools to achieve it which in this case were already rusted and on the verge of breaking.

Name: Shatter Glass
Species: Human/Crystallization
Class: None
Level:0
Health: 14[145]
Stamina: 34[85/165]
Auxiliary Energy: 0[Not awakened]

“My… oh my… this is some shitty body I have.” Glass was breathless, a rest was compulsory if he wanted to climb higher. But he didn’t had time, the strain his body has suffered already left him no other way out beside the up.

“I don’t w… want to find answer… this way.”

*****

“The forest is in agitated mood today, I wonder what that boy did in there?” The Shaman ruminated as she moved deeper into forest. Her voice sounded ancient but her youthful face told a contradictory story, it was glittering in silver under the moonlight further amplifying her exotic beauty. She was followed by an equally stunning bodyguard with dark hair who wielded a broadsword on her back and wore leather armor for protection.

After reaching a tall tree, the Shaman stopped and placed her hand on its trunk.
“Little child, would you kindly bring out the insect that is knowing on your roots… without harming it? I will give you a great treat if you do so.” In a motherly voice, the Shaman pleaded the tree. She can see the pain this tree was suffering, and not just this tree, she can see similar agitation and annoyance in most of the trees in this area. ‘The boy has brought corruption with himself. Oh, poor things.’ She thought as she noticed the squirming spirit of the underground river. Some vile things have entered not just the body, but even the soul of the river. Causing the trees that sustained on the river to feel the same.

Just below the shaman, Glass was struggling to maintain his grip on the walls, his legs were stuck deep in the soft soil while he maintained his position after pushing his back on the other side of the walls. He was tired, while his breathing was tightened after the crystals invaded his breathing pipes.

For the last few hours after he woke up, life has brought him many surprises. But all these surprises were after taking his life away. The sudden obstruction of his wind pipes has been a lethal blow to his health. He was pushed into critical state instantly while his body overall stamina got capped at the miniscule amount of 10. It felt like fate was playing a bad game with him and something wanted him dead.

And just when Glass’s HP dropped to 4, something tugged at his hands.
“This is the ….end.”

Glass was already out of it due to the lack of oxygen his mind was not able to maintain his consciousness. He wasn’t capable to notice that the roots he was surrounded with were started to move like snakes and then coiled around his body.  These roots formed up a cocoon around his body and started dragging the cocoon upwards.

On the surface, the ground broke apart and the cocoon carrying Glass who was in the verge of death showed itself to the Shaman.

“Madam, please stand aside. It may be dangerous.” Minerva that followed the Shaman here exclaimed after witnessing the arrival of the being that spark her master’s curiosity as she stood in front of her master with her weapon out.
Being curious is not a bad thing, but it can be dangerous if a person is not attentive enough. She has learned it first hand and if not for his master, she would have to pay for it.

“Minerva, this little thing can’t even harm that child.” The shaman gestured the tree while soothing her bodyguard. “So how can it even harm us…” She placed her hand on Minerva’s shoulder asking her to put her guard down. While she went in front of the cocoon and waved her hands.

“Let’s see what the carrier looks like.”

The cocoon in front of her started opening up as a beast opening its mouth inside which was thin bandaged body with broken and bloodied hands. There were various red crystals like objects sticking out of the bandages which shimmered under the silver moonlight.

“One of the infected?” Minerva thought when she saw the state of the body, she had heard about the current job from her master, so she knew what kind of plague they were going to deal with. “Master how can an infected escape till here? Is the Lord of Shanark so incompetent? “

“We will find out if he is or not, first we need to secure this little critter’s life.” She bent down towards Glass’s body and took out a small crystal that was exposed out of his bandage. This crystal was nothing special but after the Shaman picked it up, the rest of the crystals in Glass’s body started moving on their own. Attracted to this small piece of crystal in the Shaman’s hand.

The Crystals in his bloodstream were the easiest to escape first but the larger ones lodged in his muscles and organs were forcefully destroying their surrounding in order to escape this prison. At this moment the body in which they propagated for such a long time was holding them down, but they didn’t stop.

[-1 damage]
[+2 health]
[-1 damage]
[+2 health]

Breaking apart the bandages the crystals moved toward the Shaman’s hand forming up a crystal lotus while Glass even though unconscious cried in pain. His voice was hoarse as most his wind pipe was damaged a bleeding after the crystal broke out but now, he can at least breath properly. And if not for the steady stream of vitality the Shaman was sending his way. He would have already been dead.

The pain was unbearable, in dangerous situations the brain would usually cut of the consciousness to defend itself from suffering such pain. But it did the opposite here, Glass unconsciously felt danger to his life causing this torture to act more like a tonic waking him up, though only for enough time to speak a sentence.

“Lotus Lady……. Thank you.” Some inaudible words or gratitude escaped his lips.
Even though he gained consciousness for a small time, Glass was happy to find that his health had already increased to 34 and his breathing was also without any problem. The thought of how convenient it was didn’t enter his mind, he was just glad to be alive and was very thankful to the woman with the lotus flower. ‘I just wish, this isn’t some hallucination before death.’ And as this thought formed up in his head.

[Crystallization quotient reached required amount.]
[Jadeite Conversion starting.]
[Jadeite Conversion 1%...]

‘FUCK!!’ He lost his consciousness.

“Minerva, take him to the carriage. We need to have this escapee judged by the lord of Shanark.” The shaman requested her bodyguard while she hid away the crystal lotus in her sleeves after sealing it up. ‘Oh, poor Manira. I shouldn’t have asked her to make some soup for this guest of ours… now it will go to waste.’ In some sense, Glass was criminal. Him “escaping” from the city can have dangerous consequences as it was already considered a contagious disease and Glass who was infected so badly had the chance of carrying it and spreading it, further amplifying its coverage area.

“Take this little tree.” While Minerva was carrying Glass body and taking hi to her camp. The shaman took out a small bottle made of sap and broke it near the root of the giant tree.

“This is the sap from an elder treant, it will help you to transform into a treant 1000 years earlier.” The tree wriggled in joy after hearing Shaman’s word. It took a tree at least 1000 years to become a treant and even thought the size of this tree was humongous, it was still a sapling in front of true protectors of nature.

“Help your fellow brother and sisters, seal up the little river underground with your roots. I know it will be hard for your family to manage without any water but don’t worry I won’t take any time.” The Shaman consoled the tree and the future protector of this forest.

And in return the new born trembled in front of the Shaman embracing his new job.

“I will go for now.”

*****

“Hey, man you need to call a cab. You shouldn’t drive.”

“You are not interesting Gyatri. It would be better if we break up.”

“You will fail Gyatri, the market is already congested with similar businesses like yours.”

“You need to obey your superiors, we can’t have employees that can’t even follow basic orders.”

“Oye Gyatri, just taste it a little. Nothing wrong with tasting it.”

“Damn you bastard!! Did you snitch to teachers about alcohol?... We are going to get expelled because of you!!”

“My life would have been so free if you were not born.”

“I should have had an abortion.”

“Am I not needed in this world?”

In a fever dream, Gyatri’s life was rewinding before his eyes. His love life, his office life, his school life, his family. Everything was rewinding in his dream, maybe it was the shock that dug out the painful memories and fuck ups of his life at once but he didn’t care. For him it was all real.

“The spell worked, but everything is hidden behind a fog.” In a small tent with basic luxuries of life, Glass was placed on the bed while beside him the Shaman was conducting a soul search with her wand.

After her bodyguards changed the bandages and cleaned Glass’s body, she was trying to find something about this escapee that was able to survive and live through those hellish injuries and still able to make out sentences even though there were crystals in his brain.

But she didn’t succeed.

All she witnessed was grey fog obscuring her vision. “Its as if this body doesn’t even have a soul but just a doll.” The Shaman contemplated, but denied her conclusion. “A doll won’t feel gratified and relief after it was saved. Than perhaps it’s a mutation?” The Shaman deliberated after taking out the crystal lotus.

“Maybe the disease is the cause? It can not only corrupt but mutate too. I need to research some more samples before forming up a conclusion.”

A piece of petal from the crystal flower broke and flew into her hand while the rest of the crystal lotus disappeared in her sleeve again. ‘I need to understand the structural make up of this glass like thing.’ “And check whether this boy can speak or not.” The Shaman thought after taking a last look at Glass before leaving her tent.

[Jadeite Conversion 2%...]

TabooGod

Just wanted to clarify something, I will refrain from putting in the stats bar again and again. The only thing I will put is the required change and if the stat bar is needed.

Also, The name Shatter Glass was thought up on the spot with no meaning attached to it, but as the story is progressing I am thinking of giving him something that will make that name have a meaning to it.

P.S. And thank you all for reading my shitty story. I don't have a stable schedule so please bear with me.