NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6 – Rain and Clones
My patience had paid off.
Torrential downpour flooded my temporary living quarter. We had to evacuate immediately or risk drowning. Because my plant body was technically no longer there other than just some clones or scattered, I couldn't return my fey body into my plant body. Basically I was stuck outside with nowhere to hide. It sucked but what could I do about it?
What was terrible was that if I stayed at the surface, the stupidly massive rain droplets came crashing down like a meteorite shower, the water version. They hurt like hell and I couldn't dodge them at all. I might as well be dodging thousands of bullets coming at me.
What were those beetles doing? They were digging some more like some drones each carrying an air bubble under their head like oxygen tanks.
It can't be? Are they smarter than me? I know I'm a plant but this is a disgrace. I'm lower than insects now?
I couldn't replicate what they were doing. I just felt that was too suicidal for me. My body wasn't built for that. Instead, I decided to run to the nearest shelter, under that burnt fallen tree from earlier.
Ready.
Set.
Dash!
I flew at top speed. Believing I was some fighter jet, I zoomed toward that tree. Did I make it? No. I got smacked down in less than two seconds after I took off. Basically, it was face plant.
God, why!? We could have gotten along so well. We really could have.
As much as I wanted to cry, plants couldn't cry and nor could a green little imp like me cry. That feature, it wasn't added to this body.
Cough. Cough.
You know what, I've had enough. Do what you please!
Poke.
What's this?
I was completely soaked and my body hurt everywhere from constant water bombs. Without a giving me a cue, something made the muddy earth bulge, pushing me up.
Are you trying to send me to heavens? Is it that time already?
On a serious note, I knew what it was. One of my root pieces or clones was growing and sprouting. It was as if I was some kind of root vegetable, or worse, those undying weeds found in lawns. Regardless, this growth was way too quick. Perhaps that trait "rapid growth" had kicked in? I didn't know. There was no one to answer any of my questions.
[Level 1 Fey Plant (clone);
Species: Strawberry Imp (lesser);
Traits: Bewitching, Devious, Rapid Growth, Cloning;
Abilities: Absorption, Charm;
Description: A dangerous plant fey that lures their preys before leeching all of their life force.]
It was too painful to be in my fey body. Even if I was to become level one again, I was okay with it. It didn't too long for me to level up, and leveling up really didn't do anything for me as far as I was aware other than opening up evolution paths.
Argh! I'm merging.
It actually allowed me to merge easily into this sprout. My pain was gone too. It was truly just the miracle I needed other than removing this stupidly heavy rainfall. It showed no signs of letting up.
I'm feeling better already, phew. I did not buy into the "no pain no gain" shenanigans. No pain, all the gain!
I checked my status again to see if there were any changes to the clone body.
[Level 7 Fey Plant (main);
Species: Strawberry Imp (lesser);
Traits: Bewitching, Devious, Rapid Growth, Cloning;
Abilities: Absorption, Charm;
Description: A dangerous plant fey that lures their preys before leeching all of their life force.]
Neat, I can convert clones to main bodies? I wonder if there's more to it.
For now, I waited for the rain to pass.
What's this faint pulling sensation?
It wasn't just from one direction but multiple directions. I could feel this gentle tugging sensation from the ground around my burnt plant body. I didn't have to wait long to see the cause.
That was because the rain actually passed not too long after, thankfully. Seven sprouts had broke through the surface.
More clones. I'm officially a ninja now. Hmm... Maybe I should start spreading my bodies as an insurance? I don't want to be burnt up again.
Thinking along that line, I came up with a list of body parts that might make this work. Roots were tested and okayed. All that was left was everything else. I really wasn't sure seeds worked since they might end up becoming new individuals. What I wanted were clones which had nothing to do with babysitting.
While I was pondering about life like a melancholic philosopher, the beetles had all resurfaced like miners that had just resurfaced. I was flabbergasted with their survivability.
"How did you all survive? Is your cousin the cockroach? I don't know what I would do with you all if you gain a 'survivor' trait of some sort."
I wasn't exasperated or anything but rather intrigued. They would make the perfect slave workers if I could command them.
No, no, no, I'm not like that.
I corrected my thoughts before I could deviate too much. I still wanted to keep my humanity even though I was in this state. From an outsider perspective, I was probably just a lunatic talking to itself.
Plants, why no gender! Why! God, is it because you received too many gender inequality complaints? I promise I won't complain.
Anyway, time passed quite quickly when I was merged with the plant body. Every day, I watched the beetles frenzying around, sometimes fighting one another, or downright unmoving. They really went cold turkeys without my strawberries.
So this is what happens when I take drugs away from drug addicts... How interesting!
That was just a side observation from me but it didn't take long for my clones and main body to grow up nice and healthy. Food sources were scarce but the beetles were generous enough to sacrifice themselves to me. They really loved those strawberries. The only issue was that they didn't know how to pollinate the flowers so I had to do it.
This feels so weird, you know? I'm pollinating myself? I felt like I just lost something important. No. Way. Mind boggled.
It wasn't like I was lazing around either. With no predators around at the moment, I tested cloning myself with every single part of my plant body. And, what did I find out? It didn't make sense, but as long as the pieces were large enough, they were considered clones.
Of course, I didn't plant my clones next to me. I personally carried them as far as I could before dropping them. How I wished that these beetles could make themselves useful as couriers!
I wasn't sure if there was a rainy season here or not, but rain had came almost once every two days. These were the light rain that weren't overbearing for the tiny me. There were no complaints from me. Not only that, I appreciated it since rain really helped my new clones sprout and grow. It was the start of my new empire, my strawberry empire!
"Mwuaahahaha...!"
Oops. No one heard that. I'm a good plant.
