The air in the vast central cavern of Hollow Earth pulsed with overwhelming intensity, a silent symphony of primordial energy. At the center, the colossal figure of Father Mountain lay inert, covered in the embrace of crystal and bioluminescent vegetation, a sleeping giant at the heart of the world. The resonance Jiraiya felt was that of immense power, contained but still dormant, like a volcano dormant but still alive.
The group of Kongs remained at a respectful distance, their low growls conveying reverence and a deep ancestral connection. Leader Kong regarded the figure of his ancestor with a solemnity that transcended mere animal emotion.
Jiraiya approached the base of the natural altar where Father Mountain rested. The energy emanating from it was so strong that he could feel it pulsing through his very bones, vibrating every cell in his body. It was the source of the island's wild energy, the same force he now channeled thanks to the initial pact.
He knelt before the sleeping figure, closing his eyes and concentrating his mind. He breathed deeply, feeling the energy-laden air fill his lungs. He tried to replicate the resonance he had felt when making the pact in the cavern of the imprint, sending a pulse of his own fused energy toward the immense being.
At first, there was no response. Only the constant, powerful hum of latent energy. But Jiraiya persisted, focusing his intent: recognition, respect, and the urgency of the threat from the "Darkness" they had faced. He projected the images of the Skullcrawler attack, the sensation of the Alpha Skullcrawler, the danger to the tribe.
An answer came, not in audible words, but as a flood of sensations, images, and knowledge directly into his mind. It was Father Mountain's "voice," clearer and more powerful than before, now that he was so close to his place of power. It wasn't a full physical awakening, but an activation of his ancestral consciousness, communicating through the vast energy network that connected him to the island.
[Father Mountain: I feel... your presence. The resonance of the pact... stronger here. You have brought the urgency... from the outside world.]
The ancestral consciousness showed him visions: The island was not just earth and rock, but a living organism, connected by veins of energy that pulsed with the planet's pulse. The Hollow Earth was its heart, a realm of raw, primordial power. The Titans were the natural guardians of this balance, each with their role in the energetic ecosystem. The Kongs, their direct descendants, had a special bond with Earth energy.
[Father Mountain: The Darkness... feeds on imbalance. Creatures that are the shadow... of life. Corrupted by stagnant energy... in the lowest depths.]
He showed him images of the Skullcrawlers, not just as savage beasts, but as manifestations of a negative energy that accumulated in the lowest layers of the Hollow Earth, a kind of parasitic cancer on the planet's vitality. The ancestor had fought a greater threat in the past, an "Alpha Beast of Darkness" that sought to consume all energy and life. His sacrifice had sealed it within the depths, using the volcano's power as a lock.
[Father Mountain: The seal... weakens. The Darkness... stirs. It sends its servants... to the surface.]
The revelation was grim. The previous battle hadn't been an isolated incident, but a symptom. The seal that contained an even greater threat—the very source of the Skullcrawlers and other shadow creatures—was weakening.
[Father Mountain: You... the conduit. The bridge. Your outsider spirit... your island body. You can channel energy... in new ways. Strengthen the seal. Protect the heart.]
The communication focused on energy. Father Mountain couldn't fully awaken, but he could strengthen his connection with Jiraiya. He could feel the pulse of his ancestral consciousness transmitting knowledge about the flow of primordial energy, how it manifested in different biomes, how it could be purified or used to strengthen balance.
Jiraiya felt another surge of power, more controlled this time, flowing from Father Mountain toward him. It wasn't an addition of raw power, but a refinement, a harmonization of the wild energy with his own channels. He felt his control becoming more intuitive, the energy responding to his will more fluidly. New ideas for techniques, ways of shaping and utilizing energy that had been impossible before, surfaced in his mind.
It was a deepening of the pact. Father Mountain was passing him the keys to understanding and manipulating the island's energy at a fundamental level. It was a legacy of power and responsibility. Jiraiya's perversion, amazed by the immensity of what he was receiving, fell silent, momentarily unable to find an inappropriate analogy.
[Father Mountain: Seek... balance. The life force... against the Darkness. The source must be protected.]
The transmission began to fade. Father Mountain retreated back into his deep slumber, his energy returning to a steady, latent pulse. But the connection remained, now stronger, clearer. Jiraiya felt he could "listen" to the island in a new way, sensing not only the movements of the beasts, but also the energetic health of different regions.
He stood, feeling the energy bubbling within him, powerful but now with a sense of direction. He looked at the Kongs, then at the inert figure of Father Mountain, and finally toward the uncharted depths of the cavern, from where he felt the most corrupting energy and threat emanating.
The Kongs approached him, their growls silently questioning. Jiraiya conveyed what he could through his energy connection and gestures: the source of the Darkness lay below. They must go. Leader Kong nodded, determination in his golden eyes.
The pact had deepened. Secrets had been revealed. Jiraiya now better understood his role and the nature of the struggle in this world. He had the legacy of Father Mountain running through his energy veins, a power he must fully master to face the coming threat. The Hollow Earth, the heart of the island, awaited, and in its depths stirred the "Darkness" that Jiraiya, the Nexus Agent and wielder of the primordial power, was destined to confront. The greatest challenge was about to begin.
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