Rhizome

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Rhizome (根茎)
Alias(es)	Rhizome system; root-and-stem system 23
Affiliation	Huo Gu; later operated and expanded by the Collectors/Amoeba 23 101 429
Occupation/Role	Living infrastructure for resource extraction, material transport, environmental engineering, surveillance, and mass combat 23 116 172
First Appearance	Chapter 22 22

Background / History

Huo Gu first employed rhizoids while approaching a volcanic island. Their liquid-environment structure was unsuitable for land movement because they depended on water buoyancy and lacked energy-efficient limbs. 22

He subsequently transformed the Hu swarm into a plant-like network centered on a tumor-like nodular mass anchored beneath the volcanic island. Multiple main roots spread several kilometers across the seafloor, while rootlets gripped rock at the molecular scale and extracted inorganic elements. 23

The early network served as both Huo Gu's fixed base and a life-field relay. Concentrating the Hu swarm's sensory cells in the nodular mass expanded the life field's radius to roughly six kilometers and reduced command delay, at the cost of mobility. 23

During the volcano modification plan, Rhizome roots reinforced the island's rock layers and sacrificed a specialized hollow main root to open a route for lava to reach the sea. 28 Lightning later struck exposed conductive root axes; the current spread throughout the linked system and overrode Huo Gu's order to sever its connection from the nodular mass. 30

After relocating to an underground hollow, Huo Gu ordered Gourds to establish a new Rhizome network across its floor, walls, pillars, and connected caves. The cave-based system was later reinforced with lead-bearing epidermis to resist radioactive minerals in former lava channels. 35 36

Following clashes that burned away many subterranean roots, Huo Gu rebuilt downward toward the mantle's lava region to obtain heat energy. The restored system eventually supported Hives and became a globe-spanning resource and command network available to Perpetuity and the Collectors. 59 101

Rhizome became a principal weapon during Huo Gu's conflict with alien colonists. Its first assault regenerated through shells, flames, and autocannon fire, but was halted by the microscopic cell-killing vibrations of “Blast Sound.” 116 Huo Gu later used it for covert observation, embedding small eyes inside trees, buildings, street fixtures, and drainage systems throughout the colony. 117 127

As the Amoeba expanded beyond a single world, the Rhizome template became a foundation for Collector planetary occupation and industrial development. Root networks linked Hives, harvested resources, generated power, reached deep underground, and could eventually replace an entire geological layer beneath a planet. 429 486 529

Appearance

Rhizome generally resembles an immense plant-root network: thick main roots supported by countless finer rootlets. Its form is highly adaptable, ranging from seafloor-spanning vine-like nets to underground forests, giant serpentine combat masses, and specialized bridge structures. 23 172

• Main roots — Large load-bearing and transport structures that grow through cell division rather than limb-driven movement. 24
• Rootlets — Microscopic branching filaments capable of entering gaps between molecules in rock and metal. 23 39
• Epidermis — Originally a thick cocoon of overlapping dead cells; later variants could be thickened or modified with radiation-absorbing materials. 23 36
• “Flowers” — Unmodified Hu mouths transplanted onto main roots, used to capture organic matter. 23
• Nodular mass — The early system's central sensory and command hub, anchored among volcanic formations. 23

Abilities & Functions

Molecular-Scale Growth and Penetration

Rhizome moves by growing. Its rootlets can exploit molecular gaps in solid material, allowing the system to bore through stone, metal, and other dense structures without conventional tools. 23 39 110

• Extracts calcium, magnesium, iron, silicon, zinc, and other inorganic materials directly from rock. 23
• Can excavate or examine buried objects with molecular-scale precision. 39
• Specialized tips can penetrate the defenses, skeletons, and energy cores of alien ground combat units. 172
• Roots are expendable; individual losses can be regenerated within minutes due to their simple structure. 697

Resource Collection and Material Transport

The network gathers organic and inorganic matter, then routes it through internal channels to nodules, Gourds, Hives, or other dependent organisms. 23 24 429

• Rootlets capture organic matter near the seabed, while “flowers” supplement collection with the Hu's original mouths. 23
• Early Rhizome warehouses were placed in cavities designed for sensory cells inside the tumorous mass. 24
• Later networks supplied Hives with matter, allowing industrial processing, storage, and the production of additional roots. 429
• Once Work Cells could independently produce organic matter, transport capacity—not material acquisition—became the principal limitation. 97

Environmental Defense and Adaptation

Rhizome can alter its biological composition to survive hostile environments or deny them to other organisms. 23 36 169

• Root cores can produce oxygen, creating conditions lethal to many anaerobic microorganisms and collecting their remains afterward. 23 33
• Cave-dwelling sections were reinforced with lead-bearing epidermis to reduce radiation exposure. 36
• During recovery of a heat-sterilized seafloor crater, it incorporated a liquid-nitrogen transport layer to cool surrounding water to survivable temperatures. 169
• Deep networks can stabilize planetary strata, divert pressure, and reduce the effects of lava flows and tidal forces. 489 529

Regeneration and Mass Combat

Rhizome's strength comes from scale, rapid repair, and the ability to attack across broad fronts rather than from individual combat strength. 116 736

• Absorbs surrounding elements and destroyed Rhizome fragments to repair shell and bullet damage. 116
• Can move underground to bypass flame emitters and dismantle them from below. 116
• Forms forests and giant serpentine structures for large-scale ambushes. 172
• Can produce nitroglycerin, detonate portions of itself, and coat enemies in rapidly hardening gel before piercing their cores. 172
• Overwhelms stronger individual organisms through battlefield width and sheer numbers, especially in underground environments. 736

Surveillance and Communication

The network functions as an extension of Huo Gu's senses and command structure. 23 117

• Early sensory cells converged in the nodular mass, expanding Huo Gu's life-field coverage and reducing command lag. 23
• Huo Gu used a sensory Rhizome as a physical bridge to transfer his consciousness between the nodular mass and a Titanium Snail. 28
• Hidden Rhizome eyes were planted throughout an alien colony and modified to survive by breathing and absorbing trace moisture and nearby substances. 117 127
• A space-deployed Rhizome, formerly a Collector, operated beyond Huo Gu's life-field range and successfully bridged a container to starport wreckage. 158

Limitations

• Early rhizoids were poorly suited to land movement because gravity hindered their water-adapted structure, while limbs would have required excessive energy and protein. 22
• Seafloor networks initially collected only material close to the seabed, leaving much of the ocean's three-dimensional resource space inaccessible. 24
• Exploration through barren underground cavities could exhaust available organic material and slow further expansion. 36
• Exposed root axes containing metal ions conduct electricity; a lightning strike can propagate through the entire linked network. 30
• “Blast Sound” can kill Rhizome cells at the microscopic level and halt Huo Gu's direct control over the advancing mass. 116
• Individually, Rhizomes are weaker than many specialized combat organisms; their effectiveness depends on numbers, terrain, and coordinated deployment. 736

Relationships

• Huo Gu — Creator, primary designer, and original controller; uses Rhizome as his base, sensory extension, industrial system, and weapon. 23 28 116
• Collectors — Recipients of authority over the globe-spanning system and later developers of Rhizome-derived planetary infrastructure. 101 184 429
• Gourds — Assist early deployment by gathering organic matter, transforming into conical organisms, and establishing Rhizome systems. 24 35
• Perpetuity — Uses the worldwide Rhizome network for navigation and operations after Huo Gu grants the Collectors access to it. 93 101
• Ming — Rhizome is repeatedly used to alter, stabilize, exploit, and defend Ming's planetary body. 59 118 169

Trivia

• The early Rhizome system's “flowers” were not true flowers; they were the Hu swarm's original mouths transplanted onto main roots. 23
• A single Rhizome can contain hundreds of billions of root fibers. 95
• The alien colonists referred to Huo Gu's attacking Rhizome mass as a new “Flood Tide.” 116
• Some hidden Rhizome pathways were intentionally left for aliens to mistake as natural lava channels. 127