"I can't believe you threw that kid into a forbidden zone! Actually, I can't even believe that I trusted you to take care of him." The brunette rubbed her temples. Knowing her, it won't be soon until she got a headache.

"Calm down, he'll be fine. The kid is too used to the good life. He can use a little tempering," Tenma took a swig of the booze the brunette had personally concocted. She nagged alot, but her booze made it all worth it.

"Every thumbling we get is a valuable resource. That is one more chance of beating Tore at his sick game of 'chess'. What if he dies in there?"

"The kid won't die. Do you really think that a child who survived in this forest for days before we found him can be easily killed?"

Tenma looked on with relish as Taylor glared at him. She'll cool down later. If he left that kid to grow organically, he would be way behind the true cream of the crop.

The inter-village competition would be easy as pie for him with his current level of strength. However, the kid couldn't be just above-average. He needed to be above-best.

Tore had his eyes on the throne for years. As soon as his only child was born, he trained him relentlessly to become the future Tom Thumb. He had to admit, the child became outstanding.

Yep. Outstanding. He should make sure Tai knew all about politics after the inter-village competition.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Taylor was on the verge of exploding. He couldn't help but snicker.

"Heard every word."

"What I am basically saying is to be a little more gentle on Tai. He is one of our top candidates and as you know, his batch was the last to be thrown out here. We can't afford to use the same...harsh methods to find the diamonds in the rough."

Tenma closed his eyes and refrained from commenting. He took another swig and relished in the intoxicating burn of the liquor.

He was the strongest village leaders, yet because of his recluse behaviour, he had the least say in major decisions. Behind his back, the village leaders used inhumane methods to filter out the best.

It took beating most of them half to death for the cruelty to stop. By then, it was far too late. It was ironic that the same leader who was cruel to her people became gentler than himself.

It took a cut in thumbling supply for her to change.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Okay." He left her lounge.

...

The vine plant was impenetrable, and deceptively fast. It melded with the consuming darkness, and made no sound when it moved. Tai was calm.

He shoved his hands in the wet dirt, flailing his fingers about. He swiftly removed them and dug into another spot. Then, a familiar stir coursed throughout his being. He found a seed.

He rubbed his thumb on the tiny seed, hoping to take control of it. It will be easy since a mere seed would never possess a consciousness.

Meanwhile, in the cold darkness, the chilling wind stopped. He was now in the vines' trap. He focused on the seed, attempting to take control of it. The seed, against all odds, fought back. It exuded a hate similar to the terrifying vines that entrapped him.

However, his mental strength dominated it. He forcibly manipulated the seed, convincing it that he was its friend. It stubbornly refused. It saw him as an enemy.

The seed was like a pebble in a river: no matter how much it was thrashed to and fro, it would not give in.

"Damn it."

Out of desperation, Tai rubbed the seed on his bloodstained clothing. He remembered the greed of the bug after it tasted the power of his thumbling blood. The seed vibrated, and a faint yet crisp crack filled the silence. The seed began to grow.

The stubborn, weak consciousness took the initiative and reached out to Tai, asking for blood.

The unreasonably sharp blades now brushed against his newly healed skin. He was forced to crouch, much to the pain of his injured foot.

Tai decided to play with the seed's desperation. 'If you want more blood, be my slave. If you refuse, I'll crush you to death,' Tai transmitted mentally to the seed. His heart twinged in guilt at threatening a baby seed, but he steeled himself.

The naive seed vibrated in anger for a moment, then agreed. The metaphorical gate restricting him from absolute control was opened, and he recieved free reign over the seed.

Tai hurriedly rubbed the seed on his bloody clothing again and buried it in the earth. He took a deep breath, and commanded the plant to grow without limits. The tiny seed exploded before his face.

Tai clung for dear life to the rapidly growing tree. They long broke free of the tiny enclosure he was trapped in. His mind was stretched so thin he could feel 'strands' of them snapping.

Though he instructed the plant to spread its roots as far as possible for nutrients, it still took energy from him. He could feel the little fat beneath his skin vanishing away. If things continued like this, he'd be dead.

'Hide me,' he commanded.

The tree created a pocket of space within its expanding bark. Tai limply fell in. He took a deep breath and focused on controlling the plant.

He felt multiple vines entangle with the fresh tree, sawing it in half. Tai's heart lurched, and he quickly commanded the tree to expand its roots to gain nutrients and repair the damage.

The situation quickly became a game of tug-of-war. As soon as the tree repaired itself, the vine lodged its blades on it and ripped out the fibers.

The weak consciousness of the tree scratched at him, begging him to not let it die. He gently assured it. As he assured the plant, his hair glowed, and he lost a bit more weight.

Even calming the plant took energy.

At the moment, the seed was growing into a tree. He couldn't have that. It needed to become a vine to stand a chance at beating the opponent.

Or maybe...

He could try to transform it into a carnivorous plant? Doing that would certainly take a lot out of him. Looking at how much energy he had to spare, he would be have no energy left if he went with the plan. The plant and himself would be sitting ducks if he failed.

Without a second of hesitation, he went with his plan.