Okay, let’s take a moment here. I’ve been in this spot for, what... two months now? Maybe? Honestly, time’s been a little fuzzy.

I should’ve been keeping better track, but, well, I’m a plant. No clocks or calendars here. Still, not bad for my first couple of months as a Wisteria. I’ve done some growing (literally), hit my first level, made a friend, and even established a somewhat reliable food source. The soil’s getting better too—thank you, glass ants—and I’ve even got a bit of mulch going. Fancy, right?

I basked in the early morning light, letting the sun seep into me, chasing off the chill from the night. So… what’s still missing? What do I need that I don’t already have?

I ran a mental inventory, checking my status screen a few times over—no changes there. I even stretched my awareness across my little patch of territory, which has grown, thankfully. Still haven’t reached the edge of those blasted bricks surrounding me, but at least I’ve got better warning now when the glass ants start their forays into my space.

With a rustle of my leaves, I let out a pheromonal sigh. Water. Yeah, that’s the one. I mean, digesting on ants has been a decent stopgap, but I’m starting to feel a little… dry. And I get the sense that as I keep growing, my water needs are only going to go up. The ants won’t be able to keep up forever, even if they do come with a side of protein.

I eyed the "Race" section on my status screen. Am I still a wisteria? I’m pretty sure they aren’t supposed to be carnivorous. The thought lingered as I mulled over the implications. Letting the thought simmer, I shifted my perception downward, dipping into the sail around my roots. That damp patch I’d sensed a few days ago? Yeah, it had receded, but I still knew the direction it had been in.

That’s where I’ll start, I decided, a hint of determination bubbling up. With a thought, I focused on the distant memory of moisture and activated Growth.

Stamina: 22/42 (62)

This is freakin’ amazing! The new patch that had been added was working wonders. I mean, sure, I can already see how this might bite me later, but for now? Absolute game-changer. My mental celebration was interrupted by a faint rumble near my roots, snapping my focus back.

Wha-?

The soil shifted and crumbled as my roots began burrowing through it, heading straight toward that watery promise. This is so fast! I paused, caught off guard by my own excitement. Well… no. It’s not fast. It’s agonizingly slow. Or at least, it would have been once upon a time. But now? Compared to my usual glacial pace, my roots are basically racing!

I sat with that thought for a moment. Huh… my life really is different now, isn’t it? I don’t even think about time the same way anymore. I’ve had a few close calls, sure, but… wow.

The realization settled over me like sunlight, warm and oddly comforting. Life as a wisteria might be strange, but it’s mine.

…

By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, my roots had extended several inches into the ground. Miryam had once mentioned that my leaflets were about 3 inches long. Comparing that to my root growth now, I’d say… almost 11-ish inches? "That’s amazing!" I thought with a proud rustle of my leaves. My earlier growth attempts must’ve been so limited because I’d been trying to do everything at once—leaves, stems, roots, you name it. Rookie mistake, I guess.

And that wasn’t even the best news. Since I no longer had to constantly cycle between Photosynthesis and Growth, not only could I focus on expanding my roots, but once my stamina filled up again, my plant trait kicked in, and—drumroll, please—I started earning experience.

Experience: 113.53/300

At this rate, it wouldn’t be too long before I hit level two! Level two! The thought made my leaflets flutter with excitement.

“Hey, Eldritch!”

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I felt a familiar sigh ripple through the air, tinged with her ever-present amusement, as one of the glass ants marched over.

“Yes, flower?”

“What’s your level?”

Miryam paused, her antennae twitching as though she was caught off guard. “Huh? Oh, um. Well, I’m actually a level 3 Ant Hive. Why? What’s your level?”

“Level 3? That’s so cool—congrats! I’m only level 1, but I’m about a third of the way through. I think with the recent patch, I’ll be leveling a lot faster, though.”

“You’re only level 1?” Her shock practically radiated through her pheromones.

“Well, yeah.” I flexed my leaflets in a shrug. “I don’t really know the math or mechanics behind it, but the skills I have for earning XP have been pretty limited. One of them is still kinda stunted. But another just had a huge restriction lifted, so… progress!”

She mulled over my explanation, her antennae waving thoughtfully. That was fine by me—her pacing gave me time to focus. My roots were pressing into the area where I’d felt the moisture earlier. The soil here was definitely cooler, but it had dried out long ago. I directed my roots to fan out, spreading sideways in hopes of picking up a new lead on where to dig next.

“I’m curious about how this System works,” Miryam finally said, breaking the silence. “Not much has changed for me since the recent patch, but you seem to be benefiting quite a bit. While things have been fairly even for me—barring any physical dangers—it seems like your start was much rougher. After all, Wisteria sinensis typically doesn’t thrive in such dry, arid conditions. Honestly, I’m surprised you haven’t died yet. Your quick thinking with the honey pots saved you, no doubt about that. Though the fact you could even grow something like that is… completely atypical for your species.”

We spent most of the night talking about wisteria. Miryam had an impressive wealth of knowledge about plants, casually dropping facts about their needs and growth patterns. Apparently, there are four main breeds of wisteria: Chinese, Japanese, American, and Kentucky. Who knew? I let her do most of the talking, nodding along (mentally, at least) as my roots kept working.

By the next morning, my roots had done some serious expanding. “Doubled in size” isn’t quite the right phrase—length wasn’t my main focus after all. Instead, I’d fanned out here and there, branching off in an effort to find moisture. Overall, I’d say my root system had grown more than twice as much overnight compared to the entire previous day. Not bad for a glorified stick in the dirt.

Even better? I’d finally found signs of water! The soil was starting to feel damp. With a little help from Miryam, I figured out that the water was below the level of the ground my garden plot sat on. The bricks I could perceive formed a ring around my plot, stacked about three to four feet from the packed earth below. My roots had already reached about halfway there.

Not too shabby. I allowed myself a mental pat on the back—or maybe a root-on-the-back? Or would it be leaf? Either way, progress was progress.

Still, it wasn’t all good news. I’d gotten a little too caught up chatting with Miryam last night, and by the time I realized I hadn’t attracted any glass ants to my honey pots, it was too late to fix it. And I wasn’t about to risk snagging any of her hive members—she’d never let me hear the end of it.

The hollow ache of hunger, or thirst, gnawed at the weird space at the base of my stem. I’m pretty sure the two are interchangeable at this point. It wasn’t unbearable yet, but it was enough to remind me that I couldn’t afford distractions right now. Water first. Then ants. Then I’ll deal with everything else.

I flexed my roots, reaching further into the soil with a surge of determination. Gotta push through…

…

Nearly three days. Three long, grueling days. And seven XP later, I finally found it! My roots had grown deep, pushing further than ever before. And let me tell you, I felt every bit of it. While there wasn’t a constant drain on my stamina, the effort had left me exhausted—bone-deep, root-shaking kind of tired.

Even without an active Stamina draw, I’d even turned off Pheromone Communication and Manipulation, only activating them briefly at night to give Miryam a heads-up and lure a few glass ants into my honey pots. Those ants had been a godsend, giving me just enough strength to keep going. But honestly? I was starting to think I’d bitten off more than I could chew—or absorb, I guess.

I was drained. Exhausted. And thirsty. So. Very. Thirsty. Maybe that’s why I hadn’t noticed the effects of dehydration earlier. I’d been feeding myself, sure, but I hadn’t been pushing my limits like this before. It was new, uncharted territory.

Still, my roots had done their job, reaching into beautifully damp soil. It wasn’t a lot of water, but I think my little garden-well-plot-thing deserves some credit. The area in which I grew provided ‘shade’, keeping the ground beneath me cooler and the water closer to the surface. Or something like that. Either way, I wasn’t about to overthink it.

Because now? Now it was time.

With several hours left before the sun would rise, I activated Nutrient Absorption for its intended purpose.

And oh. Oh. Oh.

Satisfaction rippled through my roots as they began to drink, pulling in the precious moisture. It was like… like taking that first sip of ice-cold water on a scorching summer day. No, better. It was like diving into a cool lake after roasting under the sun for hours. Pure, unfiltered bliss.

Oh, yeah. That’s the stuff.

Experience: 120.16/300

Stamina: 42/62