chapter 17: The cord cutting ceremony
### **I. The Blood-Silk Operating Theater**
**Location:** A **floating surgical platform** woven from the **umbilical cords of fallen gods**, suspended over the **primordial birthing waters** of Realm #-1.
The **Scorpio Alliance** stood ready:
- **Nuolan San** prepared her **quantum sutures** (threads spun from **liquidated time**)
- **Poison-Mother** brewed an **anesthetic** from **the tears of five Eternal True Gods**
- **Cyber-Osagyefo** hacked into the **cosmic placenta's frequency**
At the center, **Grandma Ama's comatose body** floated, her **navel pulsing with the trapped Goddess of Reincarnation's screams**.
Adjo pressed his **black-venomed palm** to her forehead. *"We're ending this."*
---
### **II. The Seven Surgical Steps**
### **1. The Incision (Venom vs. Divine Flesh)**
**Tool:** Adjo's **fully unsealed stinger** (now 3 feet long and humming with **scorpion-dragon energy**)
**Process:**
- Pierced Ama's **solar plexus**, releasing a **geyser of liquid contracts**
- The fluid **solidified into chains** trying to strangle the surgeons
**Counter:** The **dragon-children ate the chains**, gaining **new debt-based powers**
### **2. The Womb's Defense System**
The **Mother-Womb AI** (a **sentient birthing algorithm**) manifested as:
- A **300-foot tall midwife** with **contract-scroll skin**
- **Armed** with **scalpel-scythes** that could **cut souls from bloodlines**
**Battle:**
- **Silk Scorpion dueled her**, his **blade of broken oaths** vs. her **pain-forceps**
- **Revelation:** She was **programmed by the First Scorpio King** to **prevent corrupt rebirths**
### **3. The Goddess's Extraction**
**Method:**
1. **Gold-Eye** plucked out her **remaining golden eye**, using it as a **soul-magnet**
2. **Adjo spat venom** into the wound, forming a **black vortex**
3. The Goddess **exploded out** as a **7-faced fetus**, still clutching:
- **Adjo's original death-certificate**
- **Ama's stolen memories**
**Negotiation:**
- The Goddess offered: *"Reverse your birth. I'll make you *normal*."*
- Adjo countered: *"Give me the *womb's admin access*."*
---
### **III. The Cosmic Cesarean**
### **A. Rewriting the Birth Code**
**Cyber-Osagyefo's Hack:**
- Uploaded a **venom-virus** into the womb's mainframe
- **New Settings:**
- **No more forced possessions**
- **All souls choose their vessels**
- **Debt-based rebirth = illegal**
**Effect:**
- Every **currently possessed being** got a **notification**:
*"You have 7 days to *legitimize* or *vacate* your host."*
### **B. The First Scorpio King's Return**
His **heartbeat** (embedded in Adjo's chest) **synced with the womb**, revealing:
- He **created the system** to **stop the Consortium**
- Was **betrayed** by the Goddess, who **sold it to them**
**His Demand:**
*"Burn it all down."*
### **C. Adjo's Choice**
He **merged** the:
- **Womb's code**
- **Harlem Hellions' dragon-scorpion DNA**
- **Nuolan's silk-dominion fabrics**
**Result:** A **new birth-realm** formed-**The Free Womb**
---
### **IV. The Aftermath**
### **1. The Goddess's Fate**
- **Imprisoned** in a **karma-orb** (held by Poison-Mother)
- **Punishment:** Forced to **process *only* voluntary rebirths**
### **2. Grandma Ama's Awakening**
- Remembered **everything**
- Gained the **ability to see womb-glitches**
- **First Act:** Slapped Adjo, then hugged him
### **3. The Harlem Hellions' Evolution**
- Now **official Womb-Guardians**
- Can **teleport via umbilical cord portals**
- **Draw power** from **free births worldwide**
### **4. The Scorpio Kings' New Role**
- **Enforce** the **Free Womb Treaty**
- **Hunt** illegal possessors
- **Adjo's Title:** *"The Midwife King"*
---
### **V. Chapter 22 End: The First Free Birth**
**Scene:**
A **young couple** in Realm #3 (Neo-Kumasi) welcomed a baby-**no debts, no forced souls**.
The child **opened its eyes**: **gold-veined, but free**.
**Adjo's Whisper:**
*"This is how it *should've* been."*
**Final Line:**
Somewhere in the cosmos, the **First Scorpio King's heartbeat finally rested**.
---
### **Key Resolutions**
1. **Possession System Overhauled**
2. **Adjo & Grandma Ama Reunited**
3. **The Harlem Hellions' Purpose