But control slipped with every second.
The corruption pressed back, grinding against his mind, pushing invasive impulses into his thoughts. It tried to sink roots deeper, to claim ground he had never intended to give.
And Quinlan fought back with all he had.
The effort shredded him further.
His body shook violently, muscles tearing under pressure that ignored physical limits. His soul realm cracked in places, fractures spiderwebbing through the conceptual ground as corrupted power surged unchecked.
Mimi cried out as she felt it ripple through the tree.
"Uncle! You're breaking!"
"Not yet…" Quinlan rasped, feeling his powers swell.
He leaned into it.
There was no pulling back now. Too much had been released. The seed was active, its influence already flooding systems that could not be resealed quickly enough. Stopping would only leave him torn apart without direction.
So he took more.
