What did it even mean to be "plant-like," anyway?
I couldn’t help but ask myself that as I used my Poison Pollen to paralyze a deer-type monster.
Quietly?
Peacefully?
Elegantly?
What were those—some kind of snack?
I’d leave those concepts to the sheltered little flowers kept in greenhouses. The wild plant world was governed by the law of the jungle. It was a far cry from a botanical garden. A pampered plant that knew nothing of the world would likely wither and rot in no time at all.
Regardless, I was hungry.
Malnourished.
I demanded a meal!
Chomp.
Oh, this deer meat wasn’t half bad for prey.
I hadn't been a fan of wild game in my previous life, but as an Alraune, the type of meat didn't matter. I just dissolved it, after all. I couldn't even tell what it tasted like!
Anyway, back to the question: what did it mean to be plant-like?
Basking in the sun and photosynthesizing all day long.
Struggling to stretch my roots whenever I wanted water.
Napping because the sunlight felt delicious.
And since I was hungry, I would spray poison over the monsters lured in by my nectar, immobilize them, and then ensnare them in my vines to be devoured.
Yeah, I was definitely a plant.
I was carnivorous like a Venus flytrap, sure, but I was a perfectly normal plant!
A few days passed like that, and I found myself managing well enough as both a plant and a monster. My pride as a human had vanished almost instantly. There wasn't a single soul in this forest; only animals and monsters that couldn't understand language appeared. I didn't have to worry about anyone watching me. In a sense, I was free.
Besides, as they say, "when in Rome." I had heard that your environment can influence your mind, and that certainly seemed to be the case. Since I was a monster and a plant now, I had no choice but to live like one.
Furthermore, as I investigated my new body, several things became clear. First of all, although I was a monster, I wasn't an animal. At my core, I was a plant. There was nothing in particular to do during the day. Since I couldn't move, it wasn't like I had a choice.
During the day, I basked in the sun. When night fell, I closed my bud and went to sleep. In the morning, I bloomed and woke up. That was the cycle of my new life.
As a former human, I had many desires, but my needs as a plant were few. Basically, I was driven by three major urges: water, sunlight, and animals for nutrition.
First was water.
I would get incredibly thirsty. It probably wasn't that my throat was actually dry, but that was the easiest way to describe it. My very being craved water to sustain its life force. When that urge hit, I felt like I didn't need anything else in the world. I wanted water so badly it was all I could think about. I didn't need juice or anything fancy. I just wanted water. To that end, I focused all my will on stretching my roots as far as they would go. It was the only thing I could do.
Next was sunlight.
Basking in the sun and photosynthesizing felt wonderful. It made me happy. I could feel the chlorophyll throughout my entire body rejoicing. Photosynthesis was pure bliss.
Plants used light energy to decompose water and generate oxygen, synthesizing carbon dioxide from the air into organic matter like starch. In other words, just by photosynthesizing, I created nutrients that filled my stomach. Carbon dioxide decreased, oxygen was born, and the Earth took a tiny step back from global warming. It felt good, and it made me happy. It was three birds with one stone.
However, every time I photosynthesized, I got thirsty again. I never seemed to have enough moisture. I really, really wanted water. If I only had enough water, I wouldn't need anything else besides a decent amount of sunlight and a little carbon dioxide. I wondered if someone would ever come along to water me.
The last thing was food.
Photosynthesis alone didn't provide enough energy. A flower this large had never existed on Earth, after all. On top of that, I had a human upper half and vines that I could move at will. To maintain that, I had to ingest nutrients, but this was the most difficult problem of all.
Since I couldn't move, I could only wait for prey to come to me. Even though I produced sweet nectar powerful enough to turn a gentlemanly bear into a pervert, prey didn't show up every day. Moreover, every battle was life-threatening. If I lost, I would be the one eaten or killed. The natural world was terrifying.
Even when I did successfully catch prey, I would end up in a state of exhaustion afterward, as if I’d just finished a marathon. Perhaps because I was a plant, I wasn't very good at rapid movement, and it seemed to consume a massive amount of energy. And then, naturally, I would get thirsty again.
I wanted water.
Water, sunlight, and dissolving living creatures for nutrients. As long as I had those three things, I was satisfied.
Being satisfied was well and good, but my biggest worry lately was the boredom. There was zero entertainment here. I had no one to talk to.
Hey, what am I supposed to do?
Well, I usually just napped while photosynthesizing.
To kill time, I decided to study the ecology of an Alraune. It made me nostalgic for my previous life, when I used to read plant encyclopedias at school.
Based on the past few days, the Alraune's standard dining etiquette was to emit sweet nectar to lure animals and then catch them. I’d already experienced that firsthand, so I checked that off the list.
As for other traits, I recalled from my knowledge as a Saint that Alraunes were monsters that used their feminine appearance to lure people in, seducing them with pheromones. In that case, this body was essentially just bait for hunting.
I had feminine hips and a narrow waist. My breasts were also quite large. Back when I was a Saint, I’d been on the smaller side, so looking at this Alraune’s charming, voluptuous chest made me feel like I’d finally grown up. I was glad; even though I’d turned into a flower, it seemed my growth period wasn't over yet.
With this, I wouldn’t fall behind that wretched brat, my "junior" Apprentice Saint. Despite being younger than me, she’d had the nerve to have a bigger chest. And she’d stolen the Hero away, too. She definitely used those breasts to seduce him. Truly depraved behavior. It was exactly what I’d expect from a thieving cat who would frame me as a traitor.
Even so, what was I going to do if a human wandered into this forest? Would they scream when they saw me, or would they just try to cut me down because I was a monster? This body’s role was likely to prevent that. After all, it was strange for a plant to have the torso of a human woman attached to it.
Come to think of it, I’d also heard that Alraunes survive on the "vitality" of human men. They seduce lost travelers and lure them into their flowers, using their beauty to captivate them.
What should I do? I had no confidence in my ability to do that. I was way too embarrassed to try and seduce a man. I didn't have that kind of experience in my previous life, either. Even though I’d had a fiancé during my time as a Saint, the Hero was just a companion. He was a childhood friend, but we were only betrothed because our parents decided it. We hadn't been particularly close. If we had been, I’m sure he wouldn't have betrayed me and tried to kill me.
Ah, wait a second. Facing that reality just made me sad. Nectar started leaking out instead of tears.
Anyway, what did "taking a man’s vitality" even involve? Does that mean... we do that? With this body? How??
...Yeah, let's just not think about that. It wasn't something I needed to worry about immediately. In fact, I’d be perfectly fine if that opportunity never came for the rest of my life. I could understand it if I were a monster in human form, but there was no helping it if someone were to give "vitality" to an Alraune. It would probably just end up being processed as nutrients for energy. There wouldn't be anything more to it than that, right? Since this was a fantasy world and not Japan, I lacked a bit of confidence in my theories.
On a more basic note, was I even pretty? Did I have the kind of enchanting look that would entice a man? I didn't have a mirror, so I didn't know what my face looked like. I wondered if it was still the same face I’d had as a Saint. Based on the way it felt when I touched it, the contours were similar, so I assumed it was likely the same. I hoped I’d become a beauty.
I thought my corolla was quite magnificent, glowing with a red light. My personal impression was that I was a "beautiful-type" flower. It resembled a rose, but it felt slightly different. I had no idea what kind of flower I actually was. However, I was certain I wasn't some creature-like thing like a Rafflesia. At least, I really wanted to believe that... I didn't want to be seen as a monstrous flower.
Oh! It looked like a guest had arrived.
Lured by the nectar, a rabbit-type monster came hopping along.
Yes, yes. How cute.
It looked white and fluffy, and it seemed like it would be soft to the touch. It was small and quick, making it hard to catch, but no worries. I released Poison Pollen from my corolla to stop the bunny in its tracks. Then, I snared it with my vines and snapped its neck.
It must have been painful, but I had to harden my heart. It was actually a mercy; I didn't want it to be dissolved while it was still alive. It’s a secret, but once, a monster I’d eaten went wild inside me and almost tore me open from the inside.
I dragged the bunny over with my vines. I opened my lower mouth wide and—chomp.
Yeah, I’m sorry. Objectively speaking, the scene I was making right now was pure monster territory. But believe me, I was aiming to be a beautiful flower, not a monster. I was going to grow into a stunning blossom that was a feast for the eyes, not just one that smelled sweet.
Oh, another bunny. So there wasn't just one. It had brought a friend along.
In that case, I would reunite it with its companion. Because I was kind. After all, I used to be a Saint.
I widened my lower mouth. Like a frog stared down by a snake, the rabbit began to tremble.
Don’t be scared~. I’m just a pretty flower~.
Now, take this hand—I mean, vine—and let’s shake.
Consider it a reconciliation for scaring you.
As proof of our new friendship, I’ll turn you into my nourishment.
And—chomp.
Munch, munch.
Thank you for the meal!
There will be another update today.
Next time: I am a Solanaceae Woman.