The Raub Bear.
That’s the name of that bear-type monster.

Its distinctive horn and ferocious nature makes it feared deeply by the people.
Those claws are said to be sharp enough to chop down trees, and its jaw strong enough to bite through a knight’s armor.
From what I recall, when fully grown they can become larger than most trees in the forest, reaching about the size of a big truck.
This one, though, is maybe two meters tall.
Still a cub, apparently.

It stared straight at me, nose twitching, drool dripping like a hungry dog’s.
If I had to guess, it was probably lured here by the sweet scent of the nectar leaking from my body.

So… my nectar smells that good, huh?
Good enough to make someone wander over just to taste it?
Maybe I could make a living selling it someday as a honey vendor in town or something.
Assuming, of course, I don’t get slain for being a monster.

Anyway, that’s not the problem right now. The real problem is—
I’m the prey here.
And I have zero interest in being licked by a bear.

Even if it’s a honey-loving bear, I doubt I’d get away unharmed.
And, uh, a slight issue… I don’t have legs, so I can’t run.
Being a plant is seriously inconvenient at times like this.

The Raub Bear started closing in.
I opened the mouth on my bulbous lower body wide, trying to scare it off.
No luck.

At this distance, I could tell that its eyes were glazed.
The bear’s entire being screamed, “I’ll get that nectar no matter what!”
Was my nectar really that irresistible?

At this rate, I’d just end up as bear food.
Alright then.
No choice, I’ll fight.

I’d heard that Alraunes lure humans and beasts with their nectar, enslaving their minds before devouring them for nourishment.
That means I should have some way to defend myself.

My only weapon right now is the bundle of vines extending from the bulb below me.
Guess I’ll just have to immobilize the bear with those.

Go, vine whip!

I lashed out like some game character, but I completely missed.

Turns out this bear’s pretty quick.
Though, to be fair, the real issue is that I haven’t learned how to control these vines properly yet.

It kept closing the distance.
Fine. If I can’t hit it, I’ll just stop it from moving before catching it.

When I was a kid back home, our place was way out in the countryside. I used to go adventuring in the hills or fishing with my dad.
So I’ll just treat this like fishing.
Use the vine as a fishing rod, and the bait will be my own nectar.

I brought a vine up in front of my face and bit it gently.
Perfect, now it’s covered in drool… err, nectar.
Then I dangled the sweet, sticky vine in front of the honey-crazy bear and—look at that!

The bear started licking the vine obediently like some trained pet.

It was almost worrying how addicted it looked, behaving as if it was high on something.
Honestly, it creeped me out.

I mean, come on!
that nectar came out of my mouth!
I’m not into that kind of weird stuff, okay?
Plus, the vines double as my sensory organs so feeling them get licked is… ugh. Gross.

Anyway, time to reel in the pervy bear. I wrapped my vines around it and caught it.
But it wasn’t done yet.
The Raub Bear thrashed wildly, demanding more nectar.

Like a tantrum-throwing toddler, it clawed at my vines.
Those sharp claws shredded the outer layer, and bits of green tissue scattered through the air.

“Ow! Ow ow ow!!”

No blood, but the pain signals definitely got through.
It wasn’t unbearable, but still.
My first real pain as an Alraune. What a shock.

Maybe that’s why, suddenly, purple powder burst out from the petals around my waist.

The powder floated like pollen, raining down on the raging, honey-mad bear.
Then, like a baby falling asleep mid-cry, it stopped moving.

Foam at the mouth, eyes rolled back.
Had it… repented? Good bear… wait, hold on.

That purple stuff that just came out of me.
That’s poison, isn’t it?

Poisonous pollen. Yikes.

Looks like I just accidentally killed the pervy bear.
Guess I’m stronger than I thought. Nice confidence boost, at least.

Crisis averted.
Now, what to do with the corpse?
After all that fighting, I suddenly felt starving.

I could tell that I was running low on energy.

Instinct whispered the answer:
Eat. The. Bear.

I didn’t have to think about how, I just knew.
Even regular carnivorous plants feed on trapped insects.
So of course a plant-type monster like me could feed on another creature.
But my human side recoiled at the thought.

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…Yeah. That didn’t last.

Apparently this body was way hungrier than I realized.
Sorry, pervy bear.

Whispering an apology in my heart, I used my vines to lift the bear into the gaping mouth of my bulb.
It opened wide—and gulp. Down it went.

I could feel the bear inside me now.
All that was left was to wait for the digestive juices to do their work.
The bear’s body was full of the same poison I’d released, but since that came from me, it probably wouldn’t harm me.

I never imagined eating a raw bear when I was human, but somehow, with this plant body, it doesn’t disgust me as much.

I’m not chewing with a human mouth, after all.
It’s like being a giant carnivorous plant that swallows its prey whole. The experience doesn’t feel human anymore.

Slowly, I could feel the bear’s flesh dissolving, nutrients flowing through me.

“It’s okay, Mr. Bear,” I thought. “I know how it feels.
I was digested once too.
But I’ll turn you into life again, so rest easy.”

…Still, one bear cub wasn’t nearly enough.
My hunger wasn’t satisfied.

Maybe the fusion that made me an Alraune, human and flower merged, burned up a ton of energy.
Even after eating the Raub Bear, I still felt weak.

Swallowing a whole bear monster really drove it home:
I’m not human anymore.

What would the people of the kingdom say if they saw their saint like this, living off forest monsters to survive?
They’d probably talk, but it doesn’t matter now.
I still can’t accept everything that’s happened, but at least one thing is clear.

I’m a plant. A monster.

I’ve become an Alraune.

From now on, I’ll live quietly like a potted plant: calm, graceful, and peaceful.

***

Author’s Note:
Next time—“Might as Well Raise Me and Sell Me to a Botanical Garden”