I am an Alraune, a plant monster girl.
I had just used "Plant Generation" to sprout a doll-like Avatar Alraune right beside me and activated "Teleportation."
Then, something wonderful happened.
As my perspective dropped, a massive plant monster appeared before my eyes.
Yes, it was me!
By teleporting into the Avatar Alraune, I was able to see my own form for the first time. Since there were no mirrors in the forest, I’d had no way to check my appearance, and it had been bothering me for over a year. Now, my wish was finally coming true!
Looking at myself through the eyes of the Young Girl Alraune, I realized just how massive I was. I had to tilt my head back just to fit my entire body into my field of vision. Including the lower bulb, I stood well over three meters tall. I really was huge.
But more than anything, the mouth on my bulb was terrifying!
What even is that? Am I going to eat myself? I actually felt a surge of pressure—it looked like I could be swallowed whole in a single gulp!
Gazing up from the bulb, I saw a wide, vibrant red corolla spreading out. I really was a flower, wasn't I? Seeing blossoms growing directly from my skin drove home the fact that I was a monster now, not a human. Well, having a vicious-looking mouth on my lower half already gave off a pretty strong monster vibe.
I looked even higher and saw my human upper body, vines wrapped across my chest.
Oh... I was actually quite a beauty, wasn't I?
What made me happiest of all was that I had the exact same face as Iris did during my Saint era. It would have been so lonely to have a different face. Saint Iris might be dead, but as long as I kept this face, I could hold onto the memory of who I used to be.
The only real difference in my physique was that my figure had somehow become much better since becoming an Alraune. My eyes were still gold, just like they used to be. My hair had turned yellowish-green, but if I thought of it as Iris just dyeing her hair, it didn't look that strange.
However, anyone who knew Saint Iris would recognize me at a glance. No wonder the Stalker Four Heavenly Kings and Lady Dryades realized who I was so easily.
While I had revealed my identity to Nina, I didn't want the lord, Manfred, to know. Since we looked identical, I had to make sure he never associated the two of us. I wanted to do everything in my power to keep my survival a secret from that hateful apprentice Saint—that shitty junior who betrayed and killed me—and the Hero who had been my fiancé.
Once I was satisfied with my general shape, I shifted my gaze to the red flower growing on my head. I see, so that’s what it looks like. It resembled a red rose.
—Yeah, it’s not half bad.
It actually suited me surprisingly well. If it were growing right out of the top of my head, I’d look like an idiot, but since it was just above my left temple, it looked like a cute hair ornament.
Overall, I felt that if someone saw only my upper body, I could almost pass for human. But since my lower half was entirely plant-based, being accepted as a fellow human seemed like a stretch. Moreover, seeing that massive, carnivorous mouth, I finally understood why adventurers were so terrified of me.
Though I say so myself, having a lovely girl's torso attached to a vicious monster's lower body created a sense of imbalance that doubled the creepiness—no, what am I saying? I’m not a violent monster; I’m just a delicate, fleeting flower! I’m pretty and cute! Come on, have some confidence, me!
As I was admiring myself, the Little Witch gave my empty main body a worried shake.
"Alraune? Did you stop moving again?"
Because my spirit had teleported to the Avatar Alraune, my main body had become doll-like. I was incredibly defenseless in this state. To stay safe, I should probably close my bud before teleporting from now on.
"Are you really sick? If you wither, I'd hate it... I really would..."
The Little Witch looked like she was about to cry. I had to reassure her quickly!
"Little Witch... I am... over here."
"……Eh?"
Sighing, the Little Witch turned to the Avatar Alraune I was currently possessing.
"You’re definitely an Alraune, but you’re the child one, right? You’re one of my precious flowers, too, but my number one Alraune is the big one over here."
"That Alraune is me. Only my consciousness... has teleported."
"……What are you talking about?"
"I became able to teleport... like Lady Dryades."
"Did the flower growing on Alraune's head turn the inside of the little Alraune's head into a flower garden, too?"
W-What are you saying, Little Witch! I'm actually very smart, you know!
"Anyway... just listen."
In order to be believed, I explained the details of the "Teleportation" skill to her from start to finish. I also took the opportunity to teach her the difference between a Child Alraune and an Avatar Alraune. Finally, the Little Witch seemed to understand that I could move my spirit into other bodies.
"In other words, if Alraune connects her roots to another Alraune, she can become that Alraune?"
"That's... how it works."
Child Alraunes and Avatar Alraunes are clones with the same genetic makeup as me. That’s likely why I could inhabit them.
I used "Teleportation" to snap back to my original body.
"I'm back... in my real body."
"……So you were telling the truth. Now the little Alraune has stopped moving."
My small body remained before me, frozen like a doll. What should I do with it? Leaving it here would be convenient for the next teleport, but it was also a concern. Unlike the Child Alraunes, the Avatar Alraune had no will of its own; it couldn't fight back. If an intruder found it, they could do whatever they wanted. At worst, an insect like Hachi-san might try to forcibly pollinate it. I absolutely refused to let that happen!
It was a waste, but I decided to bring it back into myself. I manually triggered the Avatar Alraune’s self-pollination. Once it turned back into a seed, I snatched it up with my lower mouth and absorbed it.
Instantly, the exhaustion that had been weighing me down vanished, replaced by a surge of energy. It felt like I’d recovered most of the energy spent during the generation process. At this rate, I could create an Avatar Alraune whenever I needed. I couldn't make many at once, but I could cycle them out as much as I wanted.
If I generated one far away, I could just have Kiri go pick up the seed for me. Or, it might be faster to stretch my vines to that location and collect it myself.
If I applied this method, I might finally be able to see the rest of the forest. Next time, I should take a walk—or rather, a Tele-stroll—through the woods. Just thinking about being able to see the world again made me want to cry with joy!
As I was simulating my future plans, I felt something heavy land on a branch nearby.
—A bird?
No, it was too heavy; it felt more like a human. That meant it had to be a bird-type monster. I realized then that I'd overlooked a major flaw in my Forest Fortification Project. I could detect intruders on the ground as soon as they touched a tree, but I had no defense against the sky. Someone could fly straight to the heart of the forest.
I looked up toward the sound, but what I saw wasn't just a monster.
I locked eyes with a beautiful woman. However, stretching from her shoulders were bird wings instead of arms, and her legs ended in sharp avian talons. She was neither bird nor human.
A Harpy—a half-human, half-bird member of the Demon Race—was staring down at me from the branch.
The "Teleportation" performed this time involved generating an Avatar Alraune and teleporting the spirit there. The main body didn't move at all, but subjectively, it felt like moving to another location.
Next time: Stalker's Younger Sister.