I was Alraune, a plant monster girl.
And at that very moment, it looked like the Anaconda was about to deal me the finishing blow.
It seemed I had been far too careless when it came to the monsters of this forest. Until then, I had managed to defeat every creature I encountered—with the exception of Bear-papa. There was the monkey-type monster, the Barbaaffe, and the deer-type, the Teruhilfe. I had taken down several other species and enjoyed them as delicious meals.
However, in this forest, there was always a bigger fish.
The creatures I had been hunting were likely nothing more than small fry. I simply hadn't known. I hadn't realized that the forest was still teeming with truly powerful beings. There was the Wolf of Hell, the Hellwolf, and this snake-type monster, the Wahnschlange. And reigning at the very top was the Lord of the Forest himself, Laobubear!
If you added one more powerhouse to that list, they would be like the Four Heavenly Kings. The Four Heavenly Kings of the Forest—though the Lord of the Forest had already eaten one of them.
No matter how I looked at it, the odds were stacked against me. If only my Lady Knights, the Bee Monster Army, had been there, I might have stood a chance.
Bee-sans, I really wanted to see you again...
The Anaconda, which had been circling as it surrounded me, suddenly accelerated. This time, it truly intended to end me. I had no way to stop it. My vines just kept slipping against the snake’s slimy skin. Without the ability to restrain it, I couldn't block its attacks.
Ah, why did things have to end up like this? I just wanted to live a quiet life in the forest, photosynthesizing in peace.
Was I being punished for trying to trap and eat the White Bird? I was sorry, Bird-san. Since you technically helped me with that Nectar Ball incident, I decided I wouldn't hold a grudge anymore. I promised not to eat you the next time we met.
So, in exchange, please go get eaten by this Anaconda to satisfy its hunger. Since this whole mess started because we were fighting over you, it was only fair that you were the one to get eaten. That was just the law of nature.
Wait... the White Bird?
Come to think of it, I had eaten that rose-like flower the White Bird had been carrying in its beak. That red rose that fell to the ground. Just like a real rose, that flower had thorns growing along its stem.
Hold on. Maybe I could reproduce that now?
At this point, I had no choice but to try. My life was on the line anyway. I might as well give this Anaconda a nasty surprise before I went out.
I activated my Plant Generation to alter the form of my vines.
Perhaps seeing this as an opening, the Anaconda lunged at me. Because I had left myself exposed, it chose to finish me off with its fangs rather than its tail. After all, the Anaconda had nothing to fear from me as long as it avoided a direct hit from my poison pollen.
But how about this?
Using every last one of my remaining vines, I moved to restrain the lunging Anaconda. This was the third time I had attempted this attack. The Anaconda likely thought it wouldn't work, but it was mistaken.
Through Plant Generation, my vines had transformed into Briars, covered in countless sharp prickles. It was a new type of vine I had recreated by fusing my own with the properties of the rose’s thorns.
The thorns of the Briars pierced deep into the Anaconda’s moist, slimy skin. Because the thorns were firmly embedded, the vines no longer slid off the snake’s hide.
Thanks to that, the Anaconda couldn't break free. I had it pinned with over ten Briar vines, and the number of thorns digging into it was far too many to count.
The Anaconda’s movements ground to a halt. I wasn't so kind-hearted that I would overlook an opening like that.
The snake’s tail began to lash out, but before it could strike, I released my poison pollen. Being right in front of me, the Anaconda took the full brunt of the cloud. Judging by its massive size, I figured it would need a substantial lethal dose, so I made sure to spray the pollen directly into its open maw.
A few moments later, the Anaconda frothed at the mouth and collapsed onto the ground.
I had actually done it. I had taken down the Anaconda.
As the poison took hold, its eyes rolled back, and it breathed its last. I had managed to survive yet again!
"Yes! A total comeback victory!"
If I hadn't been able to use those Briars at that exact moment, I surely would have lost. That was a close one; I really did owe the White Bird a thank you.
But man, I was exhausted. I was low on nutrients and desperately needed water. For now, I decided to replenish myself using the long thing lying right there.
"It’s time to eat!"
Munch, munch, munch... Hmm, this was a problem. I couldn't just swallow it down in one go.
Honestly, this Anaconda was way too long. I tried shoving its face into my Bulb's mouth to start the digestion process, but I couldn't fit any more of it inside. It looked exactly like a snake was growing out of my Bulb.
Well, whatever. As I digested it, I’d eventually be able to eat the whole thing.
Still, even though I had faced plenty of life-threatening situations since becoming an Alraune, wasn't this the first time I had survived a deadly encounter through pure combat?
When the Bee Monster Army tried to pollinate me, I ended up in a Vine Cocoon and eventually chose the path of symbiosis. Even my fight with Bear-papa ended with me just tricking him into leaving with a Nectar Ball decoy. This was the first time I had used my own strength to defeat a formidable enemy several ranks above me.
I felt a little proud of myself. After all, I had technically defeated one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Forest.
There was the Wolf of Hell, Hellwolf; the snake-type monster, Wahnschlange; the Lord of the Forest, Laobubear (otherwise known as Bear-papa); and one other. Well, that was just my own personal classification, anyway.
Maybe since I defeated the Wahnschlange, I would end up taking its place in the Four Heavenly Kings. That Anaconda was pretty tough, after all.
"Nah, probably not."
There were bound to be many more monsters even stronger than that. After all, I was just a flower. The idea of a plant—something that wasn't even an animal—joining the ranks of the Four Heavenly Kings was simply ridiculous.
However, at that time, I didn't yet realize the consequences. Defeating a member of the Four Heavenly Kings meant destroying the local ecosystem.
In truth, the struggle for territory had already begun the moment Bear-papa shut himself away in his nest, obsessed with the taste of the Nectar Ball. With Bear-papa gone, the Anaconda had moved in from another territory, only to be taken down by a mysterious flower.
With the powerful gone, the territorial disputes in the newly created power vacuum intensified. Violent monsters began to roam the forest in droves. They strode through the woods, eager to slay their enemies and claim the title of the next Heavenly King.
And, of course, their sights were set on the mysterious flower that had slain the Wahnschlange.