What does it even mean to “act like a plant”?

That was the question that came to mind as I paralyzed a deer-type monster with my poisonous pollen.

Quietly?
Calmly?
Gracefully?

Yeah, what’s that even supposed to do for me?

If that’s what “being a proper plant” means, I’ll leave that to the pampered little flowers kept in pots by humans.
Unlike the plants in a greenhouse, those in the wild are ruled by the survival of the fittest.
A sheltered, delicate flower with no clue about the real world would wither away in no time.

Anyway, I’m starving.
Malnourished!
I demand food!

Chomp.
Oh, hey! This venison’s actually not bad.
I couldn’t handle game meat back in my past life, but as an Alraune, meat’s meat.
I’m just dissolving it anyway, it’s not like I can taste it!

So yeah, what does it mean to live “like a plant,” again?

Bask my body in the sun all day, soaking up light and photosynthesizing.
Stretch out my roots in search of water.
Take a nap while thinking, “Mmm, sunlight’s delicious.”
Lure a monster with sweet nectar, paralyze it with poison, then eat it with my vines whenever I’m hungry.

Yup. That’s plant life for you.
A carnivorous one, sure.
But it’s still a plant!

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Several days passed like that, and surprisingly, I’ve been managing just fine as both a plant and a monster.

My pride as a human? Gone before I knew it.
There’s not a single person in this forest.
The only company I get are animals and monsters who don’t understand a word I say.
With no one watching, I can be as I please.
I guess that’s freedom in its own way.

And hey, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
I’ve heard that your body and environment can influence your mind, and I guess it’s true.
Since I’m both plant and monster now, I might as well live accordingly.

Also, after some self-examination, I’ve figured out a few things about my body.

First off, I am a monster but not an animal.
I’m fundamentally a plant.

There’s not much to do during the day.
Can’t move, after all.
What can you expect?

I sunbathe during the day, close my petals at night to sleep, and bloom again at dawn.
That’s my current lifestyle.

As a former human, I used to have all sorts of desires, but as a plant, I don’t need much.

My three basic needs now are simple:
Water, sunlight, and the nutrients from living creatures.

First — water.
I get thirsty. Not literally, maybe, but that’s the best way to describe it.
I crave water. I don’t need juice or tea, just water.
So I focus all my effort on stretching my roots deeper into the ground.
That’s all I can do.

Next — sunlight.
Soaking up the sun feels amazing.
I can feel every cell of chlorophyll in me rejoicing.
Photosynthesis makes me happy.

Using sunlight to split water, I release oxygen, and carbon dioxide is turned into starch.
That’s how I make food.
Every bit of light fills me up, absorbs CO₂, produces oxygen, and helps the planet.
It feels great. I’m happy. The world’s happy.
Win-win-win.

But photosynthesis dries me out, so I want more water again.
As long as I’ve got water, sunlight, and a dash of CO₂, I’m good.
Honestly, I wish someone would just come and water me.

***

Finally… food.
Photosynthesis alone isn’t enough.
There’s no plant this big back on Earth, especially not one shaped like a human with moving vines.
So I need extra nutrition from animals.
But that’s tricky.

I can’t move, so I just have to wait for prey to wander into range.
Sure, my sweet nectar can drive even a gentlemanly bear insane, but it’s not like something comes every day.
And every hunt is life-or-death. One mistake and I’m the one getting eaten.

Even when I win, I end up exhausted, like after a full workout.
I guess plants aren’t built for intense physical activity.
Then, of course, I get thirsty again.

Water. I need water.

Water, sunlight, and the occasional dissolved creature, as long as I’ve got those three, I’m content.

Though… lately, boredom has become my biggest enemy.
No entertainment. No conversation.

What am I even supposed to do all day?
Well, aside from napping in the sun, that is.

So I decided to study Alraune ecology in my free time.
Reading plant encyclopedias back in school feels nostalgic now.

From observation so far:
Alraunes attract animals with sweet nectar and capture them. That’s how we eat.
Been there, done that.

Also, from what I remember from my saint days, Alraunes are said to tempt people with their feminine appearance and lure them using pheromones.
Which means… this body is basically bait.

Slim waist, curved hips, generous chest.
As a saint, I was definitely on the smaller side, so this feels like an upgrade.

Glad to know puberty wasn’t over yet, even after becoming a flower.
Now I can finally stand toe-to-toe with that bratty apprentice saint, who stole my fiancé using those big, bouncy advantages.
She totally used them to seduce him.
That treacherous, two-faced snake.

Anyway, what if a human actually wandered into this forest?
Would they scream at the sight of me? Or attack me on sight for being a monster?
Maybe the whole reason this body exists is to make people hesitate.

A plant with a human woman’s body is… bizarre, when you think about it.

Oh, and I remember hearing that Alraunes supposedly live off the “essence” of human men.
They seduce wanderers and lure them into their flowers, using their beauty to make prey fall under their spell.

What should I even do if that happens?
I don’t think I could pull it off.
I’ve never seduced anyone before, not even in my past life.

Sure, I had a fiancé back when I was a saint, but that was just an arrangement between families.
We weren’t close.
If we had been, he probably wouldn’t have betrayed me and tried to kill me.

…Okay, that thought still hurts.
Instead of tears, I’m secreting nectar now. Great.

Wait, hold on.
What does it mean to take a man’s “essence”?
You don’t mean… that, do you?
With this body? How??

Yeah, let’s not think about that right now.
It’s not urgent.
Actually, I’d be perfectly fine never finding out.

I mean, even if someone did give that kind of thing to a monster plant like me, what would I even do with it?
Probably just digest it for nutrients.
That’s all, right?
Right??

This world isn’t Japan, so I’m not completely sure anymore.

Speaking of which, am I even pretty?
Do I look alluring enough to tempt anyone?
There’s no mirror, so I can’t tell.

My face probably looks like it did when I was human, and the shape feels the same when I touch it.
I hope I turned out beautiful, though.

My flower crown glows a deep red.
Honestly, I think it’s quite elegant.
Maybe it’s similar to a rose, though not quite the same.
I’ve got no idea what kind of flower it is.
But at least it’s not something grotesque, like a Rafflesia. I really hope not.

I’d rather be seen as a beautiful flower than a monster, thank you very much.

Ah—
Looks like I’ve got company.

A rabbit-type monster hopped over, lured by my nectar.
Aw, it’s cute. White and fluffy, like a plush toy.

Small prey is tricky to catch, but not impossible.
I release a puff of poisonous pollen from my flower crown, and the bunny freezes.
Then I wrap it in vines and snap its neck.
It hurts, but I do it quickly. It’s… kinder that way.

Once, I let one live too long inside me and it almost tore me apart from the inside. Never again.

I drag the rabbit toward me with my vines, open my lower mouth wide, and—gulp.

Yeah, I know.
From the outside, I must look completely like a monster.
But please believe me, I’m aiming to be a beautiful flower monster.
Not just deadly, but elegant. Something people can admire.

Oh? Another rabbit?
Looks like that one had a friend.

Well then, I’ll take it to join the first one. I’m kind like that.
Don’t forget, I used to be a saint after all.

I open my lower mouth again.
The rabbit trembles like a frog cornered by a snake.

“Don’t be scared,” I tell it gently.
“I’m just a pretty flower, see?”

“Now, let’s shake hands, shall we?
As an apology for scaring you,
I’ll make you part of me.”

Chomp. Munch. Gulp.

Thanks for the meal!

***

Author’s Note:
There’ll be one more update today.
Next time: “I’m a Woman of the Nightshade Family.”

TL’s Note:
Too busy to post a chapter yesterday, so I’ll post another one later today or tomorrow.