Survival to Godhood 79 Collapse

The rock looked just like the one he touched before, but this one was giving off no pressure, such as mind attacks, at all.

"Yes, her name is Apu Cavillaca. She turned herself into Ukhu Pacha's Apu when Inti played a trick on her and Coniraya." Urcaguary sighed after telling this to Leo. This story seemed to have more to it, but Urcaguary didn't want to go into it.

Mana started to encircle the rock, and a great beauty was projected before them. The image of the virgin goddess would've made Leo blush, but luckily he was in golem form.

"Hello, Urcaguary. Who is this boy before me?"

"Cavillaca, this is Leo. I need you to return him to his body."

"Oh...he is still alive. Boy, can you tell me which Apu sent you here?"

Leo thought for a second and remembered the boy's name. "Apu Sima."

A small tear formed in the woman's eye and drifted down her intangible face. "How is my boy?"

Leo was surprised. That boy in the rock was her son. There was more to her story like he suspected. "He seems well." Leo gave her the best answer he could think of on the spot.

"Alright, let us get you transferred back."

"Leo, I'm counting on you. I could've let either side take you, but something about you makes me want to trust you. If you do this, I promise to keep up my end of the deal."

"Boy," the maiden said. "Tell my son. I miss him very much."

Leo didn't know how to respond, so he just shook his head. The next moment he was enveloped in mana again. His consciousness started to fade, and he transferred back to earth.

Having your soul and mind transferred takes a toll on someone. Leo was able to recover quickly as his technique Demon Heart made him withstand the limits of soul pain.

Leo cracked open his eyes to see himself lying on the ground covered in a thin layer of dust. He sat up and started to dust himself off.

*Cough* *Cough*

Leo cleared his throat and stretched. Looking up, Leo saw the two bionic arms in the air, and he remembered he didn't have human arms anymore. The thing about being a golem was the feeling of touch returned to him in that form and now returning he lost it again.

Before Leo could even get depressed about his situation, the artifact spirit interrupted.

"Look. You returned."

Leo looked over to see the image of the little boy again. Then he remembered what the other Apu asked him to relay for her.

"Apu Sima, Apu Cavillaca told me to tell you she misses you very much."

"Is she the Apu you got to send you back? How does she know me?"

Leo didn't know what to think. This boy might not know she is his mother somehow. He looked at the astral boy curious face and almost felt sorry for him. Leo thought back to his own mother. Even now he could barely remember what she looked like, but he knew she loved and cared for him very much.

"Apu Sima, the Apu who sent us here called you her son."

There was a long silence in the room. The boy reflected on the news that he wasn't placed in this world motherless. He the artifact spirit had a mother which meant he was born not created.

"I know this must be a lot to take in at once, but I need to know where is Machu Picchu."

Apu Sima took a few seconds to collect himself and said, "It is southeast of here. If you are going there to return to the Inca Kingdom, bring me with you." The serious tone and face of the boy told Leo all he needed to know. The boy wanted to meet his mother.

"Alright. I can do that." Leo walked over to grab the rock, but Sima yelled out.

"Stop. I need to warn you. Once I'm removed from this spot, the cave will start to collapse. We, Apu spirits, were placed here to be guardians forever and never to be removed."

Leo breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad he had a heads up before the place fell on him. Even with his control over earth, this far underground he would be crushed once his mana was extinguished.

Leo looked at the spirit once he resolved himself to run as fast as possible once he grabbed him. "You ready."

The spirit nodded. Leo grabbed the rock, and the entire cavern started to crumble.

-----------------------------

"What is going on here?" Jira asked.

After learning his master sent Leo here to explore a deep cave, Jira came to make sure everything was alright. Upon arrival, the cave started to enclose, and the ground began to shake violently. All of the beast nearby started to scatter and run.

Jira looked on at the cave entrance started to crumble, and the once large hole was nowhere to be seen.

"Nooooo. Leo." Jira started to panic. Even though Leo tried not to get close to Zero or Jira, Jira considered him a friend.

The tremor forced Jira to fall over. The ground started to crack and shift all around him. Getting up Jira had to back away before the earth swallowed him up.

Jira got far enough away until the quake was sufficient to stand comfortably. The shaking eventually stopped, and the Sima Pumchacocha cave was lost forever.

All of the sudden, rocks and dust shot up out of a crack and a metal-armed human grasping a sizeable oval rock burst into the air and landed on the ground.

"Leo!"

Jira recognized him right away and ran over.

*Cough* *Cough* *Cough* "I hate all this dust." Leo was bent over coughing up a storm. He was also relieved he made it out alive. Leo looked up to see a metal-arm draconian running over.

"Jira, what are you doing here?"

"I came here since you didn't return yet. You look exhausted let me help you out." Channeling the life mana around them, Jira injected into Leo giving him a soothing sensation all over. Leo could feel his tired muscles and depleted mana recovering.

"Thanks."

"What is that large rock in your hands?"

"It is a long story. Do you have a ship? We need to get to a location southeast of here in a hurry."

"Yeah, I brought one. Please explain what is going on, on the way."

"Sure thing." Leo carrying Apu Sima ran to the ship with Jira, and they took off for Machu Picchu.

Chapter end