No sooner had I realized the White Bird had escaped my trap than I noticed a massive snake waiting right beside me.
It was so sudden that it genuinely startled me.
This creature was a Snake Monster known as a Wahnschlange. It was incredibly thick and long—at least fifteen meters from head to tail. It was a real monster. Since it looked exactly like one, I decided then and there to just call the Wahnschlange "Anaconda."
I wondered what an Anaconda was doing in a place like this. It occurred to me that I might not have been the only one waiting for the White Bird to land. This snake had been hunting the bird, too. Since I’d let the bird slip away, it must have decided to make me its consolation prize.
Too bad for him. My upper body might look human at a glance, but this was a pistil. I was certain it wouldn't taste very good.
Ignoring my silent warning, the Anaconda slithered between my vines, attempting to slip past. I certainly had no intention of being swallowed whole.
"Go, Vine Whip!"
I tried to bind the beast, but my vines slipped right off its slick skin. No matter how tightly I coiled them, they unraveled instantly.
The Wahnschlange was a Snake Monster that could also live near the water. There was likely a river nearby, and it must have slithered here from the banks. Between its natural secretions and the river’s moisture, its entire body was constantly coated in a thick, viscous slime. It was impossibly slippery.
If coiling didn't work, I’d just have to bite it.
I sprouted a cluster of Man-eater flowers along my vines and let them sink their teeth into the Anaconda’s hide to hold it in place.
Ah, it was no use. A dozen or so Man-eater flowers weren't enough to pin down a fifteen-meter serpent. I might have been able to pin it if I bloomed hundreds of them, but that would have drained my nutrient reserves. Growing Man-eaters was surprisingly taxing.
If I couldn't restrain it, I’d have to shut down its vital functions instead.
"Take some poison pollen!"
To my shock, the Anaconda nimbly dodged the spores erupting from my corolla. Despite its massive size, it was incredibly fast. It even used its long tail to fan the air, skillfully blowing the poison away.
I had clearly underestimated this creature. No matter how imposing it looked, it was a lower rank than Bear-papa, and since I’d survived a brush with that monster, I thought a single snake would be an easy kill.
I was wrong. I didn't realize it at first, but this Anaconda was a veteran of many battles; its combat experience was in a different league. It was a battle-hardened serpent.
As long as I scattered poison pollen around myself, it shouldn't have been able to approach easily. However, that was all I could do. I had no more moves left to play.
The Anaconda, on the other hand, made up for its lack of limbs with its long tail. It kept its head at a distance and began lashing out at me. Poison pollen was useless if it only touched the scales; it had to be inhaled or absorbed through the eyes and mouth to take effect. This Anaconda was terrifyingly intelligent.
The whip-like strikes of a snake thick enough to swallow a cow possessed devastating force.
The first strike blew away my defensive vines. The second caught my Bulb right in the side, sending my entire body reeling. The third strike slammed down from above, directly onto my human upper body.
I was slammed into the dirt.
My roots remained anchored, but the sheer force of the Anaconda's heavy body hitting my Bulb forced me down. The weight of its torso forced my upper body—my pistil—to face the ground. I fell sideways along with my Bulb.
Honestly, it hurt incredibly much. This was easily the most pain I’d felt since Bear-papa threw a tree at me. The attack on my pistil self was particularly effective, as my upper body had virtually no defensive capabilities. It was just a pistil, after all.
Wait, I was in a major pinch!
The Anaconda slithered closer, intent on finishing me off. But do not worry—I still had a secret plan.
As the Anaconda moved right in front of me, I sprung my trap. I lashed out with the vines I’d hidden beneath the soil. The abilities of a saprophytic plant were incredibly useful for a stationary predator like me.
"Now your movements are sealed!"
Or so I thought for a brief moment, but the snake slipped through the bindings as if mocking me. Right... I’d already forgotten that my vines couldn't get a grip on its skin. What was I thinking?
The Anaconda freed itself from the restraint with its slime-dripping skin. It began to circle me, watching for an opportunity. If it would just coil its body around me to constrict me, I’d have a chance to blast its face with poison. The fact that it avoided doing so meant it was exceptionally clever. If it wrapped around my Bulb, it would trap me, but it would also be unable to escape. Not that I could escape anyway—I’m a plant. Ahahaha...
Wait a minute. Forget a rematch with Bear-papa; I was about to be eaten!
I tried to offer it some Nectar in exchange for my life, but Mr. Anaconda didn't seem interested. I suppose some monsters just don't have a sweet tooth. I’ve never seen a snake lick honey, anyway.
The circle was closing in. The moment I showed a gap in my defense, it would strike—either a bite or another strike from its tail. I had no idea what was coming next.
This was bad. Very bad.
I’d expected my next life-or-death crisis to involve Bear-papa, but I’d been naive. This forest was a brutal meritocracy. Beyond the Lord of the Forest, there were plenty of other terrors like the Wolf of Hell, the Hellwolf, and this Wahnschlange. I had let my guard down.
The Anaconda accelerated, moving in for the kill.
What should I do? I am in a massive, unexpected pinch.
There will be two updates today as well.
Next time: The Four Heavenly Kings of the Forest.