Authors Note: My brother gave me a hand with this chapter so it's a shared effort, figured i would give him some of the recognition, If he enjoys it this story might become a two man job. There's also a warning, chapter releases are slowing down do to common problems, you know college, job seeking the usual.

POV: Joseph

*Congratulations on a successful reincarnation into your new world, Floera.*

‘My name is Joseph Phisher, and I have been chosen by the powers that be to reincarnate into another world in hopes that I will advance its current inhabitants with my knowledge and personality cultivated on Earth. The first thing I see after regaining consciousness are letters spelling a friendly introduction to my new life, so it’s going to be one of those stories, well reading on.’

*Due to certain circumstances, the body you are given is plant based in its early stage of development, specifically you are a seed.*

‘Wait what … your joking right … a seed, I’ve been tossed into the unknown as a seed … there must be a mistake in my reading, look again.’

I read over the message again going over each letter and pronouncing it hoping that I was mistake, unfortunately reality is a cruel mistress.

‘Why goddess, how could you leave one of your most devoted servants in such a hazardous environment with a body that can’t even scream while it’s being devoured. Wait a minute, was this my goddess’s doing or someone else, that women did treat her like a subordinate maybe she affected her decision. That’s it, that bitch tampered with the body my goddess chose for me, I swear next time we meet my facade as a gentlemen is over, Il be sure to inform her where she can shove …’

[Bing]

*Before you are officially born, pay attention to this brief tutorial on how your new body functions, and adapting to survive threats in Floera.*

‘A tutorial … well I don’t have any experience as a plant, maybe my goddess provided this after seeing the situation. Oh praise to Irina the Goddess of Life; I swear to you on this day with these gifts bestowed upon me I will spread your name to all corners of the world. Now on with the tutorial, this is becoming very cliche for a reincarnation story.’

*Courtesy of the Goddess of Wisdom, you have access to a specialized system customized for your needs, this system includes a status screen, growth menu, body layout and calendar. Select a tab to continue the tutorial.*

‘Ok I get the status screen that’s a common thing in these scenarios; even the calendar makes sense to some extent, but what about the other two. Could it be since I’m a plant I can choose what grows and were it goes? Moving forward I’m going to start with status screen.’

*Status

Rank: Seed

Age: 0

Titles:

Durability: 100%

Nutrients: 1000N

Nutrient Absorption: 1N/Hour

Abilities:

· Status System/ An interface customized to serve the wielders purpose and can be upgraded to accommodate any new information.

· Life Blessing/ You have the opportunity to access every plant related body part and ability within your rank.

· Character Growth/ You absorb nutrient faster and the cost to purchase new parts and abilities is reduced.

‘They are really trying to nail home the fact I’m not human anymore, I don’t even get a name and durability makes me feel like an inanimate object. (sigh) Well let’s try to make sense of this, rank is my level, age is obvious and doesn’t include my past life as for titles maybe an achievement list like on some consoles. Durability is my health, in MMOs a piece of equipment will have something like that but what about the nutrients meter, I could assume it’s a plant version of mana, magik or magicka. And then we have abilities, not sure how this will go but the current 3 seem good. Status system is self-explanatory; character growth seems to be linked with nutrients and abilities I guess there more like skill points. Life blessing what does it mean by plant structure, could I become a cactus in the middle of a jungle, or perhaps an apple tree in the dessert. OK next tab growth menu show me what you got.

*The growth menu lists all the parts you can grow from your current body from roots to flowers, each one has its own benefits. Abilities do not add visually to the body but can enhance your survival capability. Be sure to choose wisely, certain options may be ineffective in your current environment.*

*Growth Menu

Seed Break/ Grants ability to break free from your shell and begin your new life as a plant.*

‘Hmmm… well I guess having an option to grow anything at the beginning is too much of a cheat, and it makes sense that you can’t grow when you’re stuck in a ball. So to clarify I generate nutrients then use those nutrients for upgrading myself even further. Does it have an end, oh well next tab body layout.’

*Body layout shows a 3D replica of your body, here you are able to indicate were body parts will grow after purchase and upgrade existing body parts, the map will expand as you grow.*

After reading the message my view changes to a black canvas with a white dot at its center that looks very similar to an egg, in size and shape.

‘So this is the current me, I must be the ugliest seed that has ever been born…, laid…, formed… how are seeds created anyway? Well guess I’ll find out soon enough, last tab calendar probably be something like a date book or something.’

*Your calendar will work independently from you recording events that have passed and things you intend to do in the future. The clock has started but you won’t age until your born, thank you for reading this tutorial good luck with your future endeavors.*

‘So I wasn’t too far off with the calendar tab and now with the tutorial finished I can begin my new life as a seed… they really did nail it home. Anyway status first I currently have 1000N with a 1N per hour generation rate, as a seed the generation rate is frozen so breaking my shell is step 1.’

*Do you wish to purchase the ability seed break for 0N? (Y/N)*

‘Yes.’

After selecting yes for seed break I felt as if my presence was restored like waking from a deep sleep. Not a pleasant moment as I was buried alive and didn’t comprehend it till the feeling of earth started to appear all over my body. I panicked for a bit the usual way surprised, shock mentally flailing before exhausting myself and calming down to think clearly.

‘Ok I’m a seed, seeds are normally planted in the ground, I probably didn’t sense it while trapped in my seed because the shell acted like a barrier protecting me from everything. After breaking the shell everything entered at once and my sense of touch went into overdrive causing me to panic, only touch nothing else. This is a pretty weird feeling, I can sense my small body but taste, sight, smell and sound are vacant. I guess the closest comparison would be to wrap your body in bubble wrap except for your chest… I know it’s a weird feeling. Even though I have no eyes I can still see these messages like this current one that was ignored during my panicking.’

*You ranked up to seedling. You now have access to more parts and abilities in the growth menu, time now moves forward for you enabling the use of the calendar tab and nutrients generation.

P.S. Good luck with your new life Joseph.*

*Growth Menu

· Roots/ 10n

Part/ A limb that extends into the ground to absorb nutrients, can be combined with other roots to extend them further. Produces 1N/ hour.

· Stem/ 50N

Part/ Extend your main body through the earth to reach the surface. Enables rank up to saplings.*

‘Hmmm decisions decisions, I could get stem and rank up immediately or go for roots to increase nutrient production. Going for both is also viable I can easily afford it, but then I’m no better than grass which is eaten by animals. Who would think I’d have to build a strategy to combat rabbits, I really have reached the bottom of the food chain. Well that settles it roots for the win, I’ll get 10 so I can make up the price of 1 in an hour.’

*Do you wish to purchase 10X roots for 100N? (Y/N)*

‘Yes’

*Do you wish for the parts to be added automatically? (Y/N)*

‘No. I want to do this part myself’

I brought up the body layout tab and added 10 roots to the bottom half of my body, my image now looks like an albino octopus.

‘Ok no new messages and production is at 11N/ hour, I still have 900N left should I go with stem or roots. More roots, when building a base its best to have a good supply line or you starve and die helplessly.’

*Do you wish to purchase 5X roots for 50N? (Y/N)*

‘Yes. Now to add them to the tip of 5 other roots this should let me spread my roots further underground and create a nutrient farm.’

*Due to your investment in roots you have gained the title ‘Deep Rooted’, new root related abilities have been added to the growth menu.*

*The title ‘Deep Rooted’ has enabled your roots to upgrade to level 2, you are now capable of upgrading future roots to level 2 for 20N.*

‘Yes my investment payed off, not only has my nutrient generation jumped to 31N/ hour but I can also get new abilities and upgrades, shame it cost me, my nutrient count is down to 850N and my layout looks like an octopus on steroids, it even has hair. Ugh moving on abilities, let’s look at what new stuff I can get with what’s left.’

*Growth Menu

· Roots/ 10N

· Stem/ 50N

· Grapple Root/ 50N

· Vampire Roots/ 100N

· Accelerate Growth/ 500N

· Steel Roots/ 200N

‘4 new abilities but where’s the description gone and level 2 roots, is this thing cheating me.’

*Roots/ 10N

Part/ A limb that extends into the ground to absorb nutrients, can be combined with other roots to extend them further. Produces 1N/ Hour.

Level 1 1N/ Hour

Level 2/ 20N 2N/ Hour*

‘Oh there it is, so I buy a root at level 1 then upgrade it for extra, damn rip off might as well buy 2 roots its cheaper.’

*Grapple Root/ 50N

Ability/ Enable your roots to grab the earth and other objects to prevent being pulled from the earth.

Vampire Root/ 100N

Ability/ Can absorb nutrients from other living beings through contact with your roots.

Accelerated Growth/ 500N

Ability/ Increase the rate at which your parts grow from your body.

Steel Roots/ 200N

Ability/ Your roots become as strong as steel enabling you to break through stone and other plant roots.*

‘He he he, this looks good I could become impossible to uproot with these and vampire provides a new source of nutrients, ‘accelerated growth’ is useless as I already grow instantly. I thought it was normal, guess one of the gods blessings is working overtime. Thank you my Goddess. Now what to get; grapple, vampire or steel… fuck it just get them all, less work on the brain.

*Do you wish to purchase grapple Root, Vampire Root and Steel Root for 350N (Y/N)*

‘Yes. Now more roots to expand my layout and increase production but stay with level 1, level 2 is still a rip off.’

*Due to the purchase of ‘Vampire Roots’ you ranked up to parasite seedling, your body layout tab evolved into a presence map.*

‘Parasite?’