Just when I thought that white bird had escaped my trap, I realized a huge snake was lurking right beside me.

It startled me so badly, I was shocked!

This was a snake-type monster called a Varnschlange.

It’s incredibly thick and long.
I’d guess it’s at least 15 meters in total length. A real bigshot.

And it looked almost identical to an anaconda.
Alright then, from now on, I’ll just call it an anaconda.

But what’s an anaconda doing here, anyway?
Maybe I wasn’t the only one waiting for that white bird to descend to the ground.

This anaconda must’ve been trying to eat the bird too.

And since I accidentally let the bird get away, it must’ve decided to change its target to me.
Too bad for you.
My upper body might look human at first glance, but it’s actually a pistil. Eating me definitely wouldn’t be tasty.

The anaconda ignored my warning and started slithering through my vines, trying to slip away.

There’s no way I’m letting myself get swallowed whole by an anaconda.

Go, Vine Whip!
I tried to bind the anaconda.

But the anaconda’s slick skin made my vines slide right off.
Even when I wrapped them tight, they seemed to unravel in seconds.

Varnchlange are snake-type monsters that can live near water.

There’s probably a river nearby, and it must have come all the way here from there.
Its naturally slimy skin, combined with the river’s humidity, meant its entire body was constantly coated in a viscous liquid.
It could also be secreting mucus on its own.

Either way, it was one seriously slippery snake.


Then I just have to bite and hold it, right?
I’ll bloom a bunch of man-eating flowers along my vines and have them bite into the anaconda.
Then the vines would restrain it.

No, that’s not a good idea.
Even a dozen man-eaters won’t be able to pin down a 15-meter anaconda.

Maybe if I bloomed hundreds, it’d work, but that would drain all my nutrients.
Blooming man-eaters actually use up quite a bit of energy.


If I can’t catch it, then I’ll just have to stop its movements and its life.
Time for some poisonous pollen.

But to my surprise, the anaconda slipped right past the poisonous cloud.
Despite its massive body, it was incredibly fast.
And to think it even uses its long tail to skillfully flick away the poison pollen, unbelievable.

Looks like I underestimated this anaconda.

Sure, it was big and strong, but compared to Papa Bear from the other day, I thought it was way below his level.

After surviving Papa Bear, I figured defeating one snake would be easy.


But I was wrong.

At first, I couldn’t tell, but this anaconda seemed battle-hardened.
Its combat experience was on another level.
It was a veteran warrior.

If I keep spreading poison pollen around me, it shouldn’t be able to approach so easily.
But that’s all I’ve got.
I had no other options left.

While I had no way to attack it, the anaconda had its long tail.

Keeping its head at a distance, it started whipping at me with its tail.

No matter how much the pollen clung to the anaconda’s body, it had no effect.
After all, the poison only works when inhaled through the mouth, nose, or eyes.
This anaconda’s pretty smart.

Fifteen meters long, with a body thick enough to swallow a cow whole, its whip strikes carried devastating force.

First strike, the blow blew away the vines I raised to block it.

Second strike, the whip struck the side of my bulb directly, sending my body swaying to the right.

Third strike, the attack came down from above, lashing my human-like upper body.

I collapsed to the ground.

My roots were still connected, but the powerful blow to my bulb knocked my whole body closer to the earth.

Then its body came crashing down and pulled me downwards again, forcing my upper half flat against the ground.

My bulb toppled sideways with me.

Honestly, it hurt so much.
It was almost as painful as when Papa Bear threw that tree at me.

The attack on my pistil especially stung.
My upper body doesn’t have much defense; I am the pistil, after all.

Wait, I’m in big trouble here!


The anaconda slithered closer and closer.
It was going in for the kill.

But don’t worry.
I still have a secret trick.

When the anaconda moved right in front of me,
I sprung the trap.

Hidden underground vines surged out to coil the anaconda.
The power of the mycotrophic plant really is useful for someone like me, who fights best by waiting.
This should immobilize it.

But that thought only lasted a moment. The snake slipped free from the vines as if mocking me.

Ah, that’s right. Vines don’t work on anacondas.
What was I thinking?!

Its slimy skin glistened as the anaconda slid out of the trap’s grasp.
It began circling around me, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

If only it had tried to coil around my bulb, I could’ve blasted its face with poison pollen.
The fact that it’s avoiding that means it’s quite intelligent.

If it wrapped my bulb, I wouldn’t be able to escape, but then, neither would it.
Though honestly, I can’t really run away anyways. I am a plant.
So maybe there’s no need to catch it either in the first place. Ahahaha…


Wait!
Forget about fighting Papa Bear again.

Am I about to get eaten by an anaconda!?

Um, if possible, I’d really appreciate it if you’d let me go.
I can offer you some nectar instead!

Ah, yes.
Is that so?
You’re not interested in my nectar, Mr. Anaconda?

Well, I suppose some monsters just aren’t into that.
I mean, I’ve never seen a snake licking honey before.

Gradually, the encirclement around me tightened.
The moment I showed any opening, the anaconda would surely strike.
Or it might bind me with its tail, or slam me again.

I had no idea where or how it would attack next.

This is really, really bad.

I thought the next time I’d face danger, it would be against Papa Bear.

But I was wrong.

The forest is a world of survival of the fittest.

Besides the forest lord, there are fierce monsters everywhere like the Höllenwolf and this Varnschlange.

I’d underestimated the forest.

The anaconda sped up, closing in.
It was ready to finish me off.

What should I do?
I’m in serious trouble here!

***

Author’s Note:

Today, there’ll be two updates as usual.

Next time: The Four Heavenly Kings of the Forest