The night passed on without much incident. Luhnan asked the system several questions in an attempt to keep a conversation going, something the system seemed oddly willing to comply with. Luhnan didn’t find out much from his persistent questioning other than that his poison could paralyze and that his petals could and nectar could heal if used properly. While interesting, he wasn’t too sure how to put this knowledge to use. The system still seemed dead set on not giving him any information he could use to get an advantage over the natural food chain. He did notice that he could sort of tense up his entire body in a odd sort of motion that made him warmer. This was something he discovered in a fit of irritation as the system kept hinting at how he would achieve evolution, yet refused to outright tell him the answer. He’d hunched up like a kid throwing a fit, and to his great surprise found out that it actually did something.

He felt himself growing just a tad taller and his leaves widened and spread wider from his stalk. Luhnan grew. Luhnan immediately gloated about it.

‘Look! LOOK! I’m taller! System look! I grew! I’m bigger! I can wiggle my leaves more! I’m all ah- uh- whu-’

His celebration was cut short as he suddenly felt the plant version of being light headed.

‘Whaz- System- I feel uh… why’s…’

You used up all your energy to cause a growth spurt. You are out of nutrition and dangerously close to wilting.

‘I’m what?! How do Iiii- the world spins… System help.’

If the system could sigh, it would.

Focus on your roots and absorb the nearby moisture and nutrients in the dirt surrounding you. Unlike many other plants, Alchemist Stalk barely needs any sunlight. You will be fine without actively focusing on absorbing the sunlight.*

Luhnan did as told but had to struggle for awhile before he got what it meant. A odd stretching feeling spread through his roots, as if he was reaching out further than they could physically reach. He had to keep his focus on keeping them like that or they would shrink back against his body. Speaking of which, what did his body look like? While keeping his thinner roots spread and doing… whatever they were doing, he turned his attention on himself for the first time since he’d awoken.

He’d assumed he looked like the other Alchemist Stalks growing around him, but he had no idea what they looked like below ground. What he felt when he tried to move what of him was buried in the dirt, he was met with the feeling of…

‘I’m just one big lump aren’t I?’

The Alchemist Stalk has one big root at its midst that grows into the stalk above ground. The main root breaks into 4 or 5 thinner roots that resemble the limbs on a human, then into several smaller yet roots that siphons moisture and nutrients from its surroundings.

‘So I look like a big lump with limbs and like small hairs on my limbs. Basically. ‘

Basically.

‘...But I’ll get a big pretty flower when I grow more like the rest?’

Yes.

‘And once I’ve grown even more I turn into a mandragora and can walk around? Do mandragora look human?’

…

‘Tsk.’

After awhile something akin to relief slowly washed over Luhnan. His leaves felt pleasantly warm and a surge of energy came over him.

‘Whoa this is new.’

You are now absorbing nutrients, moisture, and sunlight at a good pace. This process is usually performed constantly as a passive action.

‘Oh so it’s like plant breathing?’

Yes. Please keep in mind that this process is necessary for your continued survival.

‘Gotcha. So I’ll just keep doing this uh, the root thing, and I’ll grow into a strong plant that’ll eventually turn into a monster and THEN my great journey of adventure and glory begins for real!’

…

The system refrained from commenting on Luhnan’s rant about adventure and destiny as usual. It was a pleasant morning. Sun peeking through the giant pine branches above to make the stream sparkle. Dew shimmering on the nearby plant clusters and the moss. What few birds were around were singing cheerfully high above and the whisper of the wind playing with the branches created a hushed hum of sound, signaling anyone nearby just how at peace this part of the forest felt right this moment. Then a naked man covered in blood stepped out of the forest to one side of the stream.

‘-and then I’ll work on getting a harem set up but I won’t do a love triangle because I don’t wanna risk-.... System that’s a uh… He’s uh… A guy is here…’

Yes.

‘He’s covered in blood…’

He is.

If Luhnan’s mind hadn’t been reeling from this new development he might have noticed just the smallest hint of smugness in the system’s voice. As it was though, he was yet to fully process what was happening. For just a moment. Then his mind caught up.

‘SYSTEM THERE IS A NAKED GUY THAT LOOKS LIKE HE ATE SOMEONE AND HE’S COMINGHEREOHGOD!’

Said naked man was indeed approaching, although his aim seemed to be the stream and not the cluster of Alchemist Stalk growing next to the largest rock. He was a pretty tall guy, with light brown skin and black dreadlocks reaching down just past his waist. High cheekbones, a wide mouth, thick eyebrows, a well kept goatee, and intense yellow eyes gave him a handsome face that would have many hearts flutter if he were to focus on them. Luhnan was more focused on the dried mess of blood running down his chin, over his muscular chest, and down his arms. The guy looked like he’d torn someone apart and eaten them judging by the amount of blood. Luhnan’s leaves quivered at the sight. The man’s well toned body left him no doubts that he probably could do something like that too. He had well defined muscles, thick arms, a somewhat thin waist sporting a glorious six pack, wide hips, and legs that spoke of a man that was very used to using his body for heavy work. Luhnan felt a slight tang of jealousy as his gaze traveled further down. The sight had him distracted enough to forget his fear for just a moment. Then Rowan finished looking around and stepped into the stream.

‘S-system, what do I do. Look at the guy.’

A fine specimen.

‘A f- don’t joke, now isn’t the time!’

You sound worried Luhnan.

The system sounded just a bit amused over this. It couldn’t help it, not with how Luhnan was trying to whisper his thoughts. The thoughts only he and the system could hear. Meanwhile Rowan had gone further into the stream until he had water reaching his waist. Luhnan’s gaze was glued on him as the man started scrubbing at the blood and dirt clinging to his skin. The plant felt a odd kind of feeling as he watched muscles move under that dark skin, glistening as the sun caught on the water running down his body. The system took this moment to make an announcement.

You have taken enough interest in a species to affect your future evolution! Congratulations!

This snapped Luhnan out of his thoughts. If he had eyelids he would have blinked.

‘Wha- wait what do you mean? What’s that supposed to mean?!’

For once the system actually explained further. This was rare, but Luhnan didn’t pay it much attention. He was just glad to be given more information.

Creatures and changelings are able to adapt and change their physical bodies at a remarkable rate for the sake of thriving in any environment. Sometimes desire, if strong enough, has an affect on your future path in life. You have continuously shown interest in humans. Enough interest to make your future evolutions more likely to take this into account.

The flood of informations seemed a bit much for Luhnan to comprehend though.

‘...Uh…’

The system paused, then added

In other words, if you were to continuously aim to live in a desert, your evolution be affected so that you would have an easier time thriving in a desert, for example by making you more resistant to heat and able to survive off less water.

‘Ooooh.’

That did the trick.

‘So if I keep thinking about humans I might be able to turn into one eventually?’

…

Seems Luhnan’s luck was out. Meanwhile Rowan had managed to get the last of the blood off and was now absently washing out his hair. Thinking about what the system just said, Luhnan decided that ogling the guy probably was the right way to “show interest”. He wasn’t sure what else he could do to show the system just how much he wanted a humanoid form, and something about watching the guy bathe was… distracting.

‘This is for my evolution. For science. Mhm… ‘

…

Luhnan felt like he should make a witty comment or something, just like, point at those back muscles and crack a joke. He doubted the system would laugh though, and he couldn’t come up with a good joke. So he just watched instead. He couldn’t point anyway. He didn’t have fingers.

A flicker of movement caught his eye, or rather, whatever to call whatever it was that gave him vision in plant form. Something dark yet pale yet colorful moved past him and the rock, and the next second it was gone. He felt like he had seen someone though. Then Rowan spun and suddenly Luhnan saw a woman appear as she turned away from where she’d stood at the man’s back. A crazed smile split her face as she leapt, then the next second her hair spun around and swallowed her whole. The ball of black hair flew across the water in a flurry of movement and water droplets. Right towards Luhnan.

‘SYSTEM WHAT’S THAT IT’S COMINGRIGHTATME-’

Luhnan did the mental version of a scream as the hairy woman flew right over him and landed on the large rock he was growing at the base of. While the plant shivered like a leaf the system’s voice rose up.

That is Esbi, the rå of this forest.

Esbi settled down on top of the tall rock as the system spoke, hair falling back again to reveal her naked form. She had tan skin, if only a few shades lighter than Rowan’s, except for her arms that lost all color from the elbow down. Luhnan felt just as shocked as Rowan looked now that he could see her again. Luhnan had a harder time looking up at her. He only saw her legs and her face whenever she leaned forward to stare back at Rowan, seemingly unaware of the third person present. Or forth, if the system counted as a person.

“My my, aren’t you a jumpy one. Scared me dead you did.”

The rå’s voice was deep, yet unmistakably female. It didn’t come from her, as much as from everywhere at once. It was like standing in a room full of stereos all broadcasting the same message at once and it made Luhnan’s head spin.

“Who-”

Rowan’s voice on the other hand sounded normal, if a bit raspy as if he hadn’t spoken in awhile. The man immediatly shut his mouth and grew paler, as if he’d made a horrible mistake. Luhnan felt a overwhelming sense of glee wash over him, but it wasn’t his own. He felt as if the ground was laughing. Esbi continued, this time with clear amusement in her voice.

“Clever one. Wary one. Afraid I will eat you whole? You, are not one of mine. What do I, do with you?”

Rowan looked lost and afraid, body tense as he kept his full attention on Esbi. While waiting for Rowan to answer Luhnan dared a quick question to the system.

‘What’s a ro? She didn’t notice me but would she hurt me? Is she gonna hurt the guy?’

Rowan kept quiet and just stared at the rå, something that made another surge of glee flow through Luhnan’s surroundings. The system spoke slowly, as if explaining something it didn’t think Luhnan would understand if rushed.

A rå is the spirit of a forest. They were given physical shape by Ilo as a gift, but belong to Igor. She knows you are there, just as she knows about everything happening within her forest. In a sense she is the forest.

To the system’s surprise, Luhnan actually seemed to get what it was telling him.

‘Oh so like a dryad? But like, for the entire forest? That’s a lot of trees… Is she evil?’

...She is a guardian of her territory. Very few of Igor’s life forms can be called evil.

The rå started speaking again, but Luhnan gave up on making sense of what she was saying in favor of questioning the system now that it was willing to tell him things.

‘Who’s Igor and Ilo anyway? And why’s Esbi talking like that?’

Igor is the god of the sea, evolution, and birth. He rules over beasts and plants. Katrina is the goddess of humans and their close cousins who often call themselves the Sentients. Ilo is the deity of the Underground. Ilo takes from both, and changes them into their own. The humans call their creations changelings. Changelings act… strangely. They do not live to evolve.

Esbi talks strangely to your ears because she has a hard time speaking like humans. Changelings and some other entities of the Underground speak with more than one voice. They try to say several things at once and often forget that such cannot be done with tongues and lungs, so their words becomes jumbled. They know what they want to say, but they often forget to do it in the right order, or they’ll leave parts out, or repeat them. Rå are part changeling and think in ways very similar to how the creatures of the Underground think and communicate. Several things going on at once.

The sudden lesson left Luhnan stunned and not a little bit confused. As he went to speak again he noticed Esbi had stopped speaking, then she turned around and disappeared. Rowan was left standing in the stream as if he’d seen a ghost.

‘Why-’

He’d barely started talking again when Rowan suddenly bolted. The naked man scrambled up the side of the stream where the smaller pines grew then disappeared among the branches without looking back.

‘Wait where’s he going?!’

Away from here. It seems Esbi spooked him.

‘Yes but what about me?!

...What about you?

‘What- uh… well. Hrm… So uh, how’d Esbi turn invisible like that?’

…

‘Just answer my question.’

She turned around. Her back is hollow.

‘That doesn’t make sense.’

Are you upset that the naked man left?

‘Let’s not talk about that.’