Chapter 3

Lao Bubear. That is the name of the bear-shaped monster.

It is characterized by its horns and is a fearsome creature that is feared by people. It is said that its sharp claws can fell large trees and its powerful jaws can crush the armor of a fully armored soldier.

Indeed, when it grows, it becomes larger than the trees around it. It should be about the size of a large truck, but this bear is only about two meters long. It seems to still be a child.

It stares at me intently, its nose twitching, and drooling like a dog. I think it must have been lured here by the sweet nectar emanating from my body.

My nectar might be so delicious that it could make people stop by. Maybe if I sold it, I could live as a honey seller in a town, as long as I don’t get hunted as a monster.

But this is bad, it means I’m its prey.

I don’t want to be licked by a bear.

Even if it loves honey, I’m not sure I can survive being attacked. The problem is that I can’t run away because I don’t have legs. Being a plant is inconvenient at times like this.

Lao Bubear is getting closer.

I try to intimidate it by opening the mouth on the lower part of my root ball wide. But the bear doesn’t stop.

At this distance, I can see that the bear’s eyes are wild. I can sense its determination to obtain the nectar no matter what. Is this nectar really that delicious?

If I do nothing, my body will become food for that nectar-crazed bear.

Alright, I’ve made up my mind. I will fight Lao Bubear.

I’ve heard that Alraune can lure and capture humans and animals with the nectar that oozes from their bodies, and then consume them for nutrients. So, I should have a way to fight back.

The only weapon I have is the vine extending from my root.

I have to stop Lao Bubear’s movements with this vine.

Go, vine whip!

I try to attack it like in some game, but I can’t hit it at all.

The bear is faster than I thought. But the main reason I can’t hit it is probably because I haven’t mastered using the vine yet.

The distance is gradually closing.

If I can avoid it, I can stop it and then capture it.

In my previous life, I lived in the countryside. As a child, I used to go on adventures in the back mountains and go fishing with my father.

So, this is what I’ll do. I’ll use the vine like a fishing rod to catch the bear, using my own nectar as bait.

I bring the vine in front of my face and pretend to bite it.

Now the nectar, or rather my saliva, is all over the vine.

If I bring this sweet nectar-covered vine in front of the honey-loving bear, look!

The bear licks the vine obediently.

It’s so addicted to the nectar that I’m worried it might be on some kind of drug. Wow, it’s a bit disturbing.

After all, that nectar is my saliva.

I don’t have such a perverted fetish.

Moreover, the vine is also a sensory organ. The feeling of being licked is unpleasant.

I’ll capture the nectar-crazed perverted bear with the vine.

But the bear wants more nectar. It starts to struggle.

Like a spoiled child, it claws at the vine. Lao Bubear’s sharp claws tear the skin of my vine, and the chloroplasts inside are flying around.

It hurts!

It’s not bleeding, but I can feel the pain signals.

Since it’s a vine, it’s not excruciating, but it’s the first time I’ve felt pain as Alraune. I was quite surprised.

Perhaps because of this, a purple powder was sprayed from the area around my waist where the flower crown is.

The powder, like pollen, descends upon the perverted bear, now a tyrant.

Surprisingly, the bear suddenly stopped moving, as if a tired baby had fallen asleep.

It’s foaming at the mouth and rolling its eyes. Is it reflecting on its actions? Good boy… What is this?

It must have been the poison that came out of me just now.

Poisonous pollen. How terrifying.

It seems I accidentally poisoned the perverted bear to death.

I might be stronger than I thought. I feel a bit more confident now.

The danger has passed.

Now I have to decide what to do with Lao Bubear’s body. Since I moved, I’m strangely hungry.

I’m lacking nutrients.

I need more energy.

My instinct as a wild creature tells me to consume the bear.

I don’t need to think about how to do it.

Carnivorous plants also capture insects and use them for nutrients.

As a plant-type monster, it makes sense that Alraune would use other monsters for nutrients.

However, my human self refuses to eat the bear.

───.

──.

─.

I couldn’t do it.

This plant body was more nutrient-deficient than I imagined.

I couldn’t hold back.

I’m sorry, perverted bear.

I apologize in my heart and use the vine to move the bear to the lower mouth.

The root ball opens its mouth wide and swallows it.

I can feel the bear being secured inside my body. Now I just have to wait for it to be dissolved by the digestive fluids.

The bear is covered in poison, but since it came from my body, it shouldn’t affect me. So, I don’t need to worry about that.

I never thought I would eat a bear raw when I was human, but since my body is now a plant monster, I don’t feel as much disgust as before.

Instead of chewing with a human mouth, the root ball swallows the bear whole and digests it, which is a big difference. I don’t have the same sense of eating as I did when I was human.

I can feel the captured meat slowly dissolving and flowing through my body.

It’s okay, bear. I’ve been dissolved by digestive fluids before, so I understand how you feel. You’ll be dissolved, but I’ll use you as nutrients, so you can rest easy.

But it’s still not enough. One young bear isn’t enough to satisfy this hunger.

I think a lot of energy was used when I merged with the flower monster to become Alraune.

Even after eating Lao Bubear, I still feel a bit nutrient-deficient.

Still, being able to swallow a bear-shaped monster whole makes me realize that I’m no longer human.

If the people of the country knew that the holy maiden was doing such survival, what would they think?

They would probably say a lot of things. But that doesn’t matter anymore.

I can’t accept all of reality yet, but I can understand this much.

I am a plant and a monster.

I have become a monster called Alraune.

From now on, I will live modestly like a plant.

Quietly, peacefully, and gracefully, like an ornamental plant.

Next time, please take care of me and sell me to a botanical garden.