The sap that released into the pitcher slowed to a trickle after a few moments. The walls were still sticky and glistening with it while only about a quarter of the well had filled with the viscous liquid. ‘Well, that was lucky. Where did all this sap come from? If it had been my blood, (which isn’t that what sap is?) I would expect to have taken a hit to my hp. But… hmm.’
Health: 100/100
Stamina: 25/100
Mana: 100/100
‘Why is my Stamina so low? I only ran Growth for ten of the twenty minutes. Shouldn’t I only be down 50?’ Reflexively, I started to Photosynthesis as I mulled over the possibilities. ‘Perhaps Growth just went a little bit further and… ‘grew’ the sap? Would that count? Or perhaps it was a cost of the skill leveling up? It says it still only uses five Stamina per minute.’
Now that the main bulk of the project was completed, I relaxed in the sunlight, letting the warmth seep into me as time drifted by. The golden rays shifted, deepening to shades of orange and pink as the hours passed. My Stamina had steadily refilled, and I took a little extra time to savor the lingering glow that came with using the skill. The slow march of the sun across the sky marked the quiet passing of those two hours, a peaceful interlude before what came next.
‘Alright, break time is over. Let’s get to work.’ With a thought, I shut down Photosynthesis. I let my perception bloom, and for the first time in a week, I truly allowed my focus to expand, covering my entire area. It wasn’t much—only a few feet in all directions—but it was enough to encompass my domain. Though I’d been aware of everything within this range the whole time, it wasn’t the same as focusing on something directly. It was like when I used to have eyes, and they would unfocus while I stared into space. I still saw everything in front of me, but didn’t always register it. I was aware, but not fully observant.
That’s partly what I wanted. Only the faintest stirring of a breeze disturbed the area. The sun had fully set by the time the first scuffling started. The ants had arrived. My focus narrowed to the direction of the movement. ‘Perfect!’ As the first ants of the evening stepped onto my dirt—just a pair of them—I forced my leaves to relax and waft gently in the breeze.
With the lightest feather touch of my mind, I activated my Pheromone skill. This time, I used a little more precision. Instead of an overall blanket of STFA, I released a spritz of my Attraction Pheromones from within the well of my new pitcher. Through my unique vision I could see the little bloom of shimmery air puff out of the open hole and slowly ripple out from it. Part of it was caught up in the light breeze and began to flow along with it, right across the ant’s path. As soon as the first ant crossed into the stream, its antennae began to wave wildly. Without any prompt it swerved towards my pitcher and charged straight for it. Moments later the second ant was moving right behind the leader.
Mentally, I held my breath and zeroed in on the ants as they reached the lip of the pitcher. They seemed frantic, their tiny bodies quivering with energy as they searched the area around the well. One of them hesitated at the edge, its antennae twitching as it cautiously explored the rim. After a moment of indecision, it began to crawl in. I reoriented my focus to watch the ant from the inside. Its front half hovered for a heartbeat before its legs found purchase on the inner wall.
The ant probed the interior, its movements quick and erratic as if searching for something unseen. Then, without warning, its body shuddered, a ripple coursing through its tiny form. It stiffened abruptly, legs freezing in place. Just as quickly, it went slack, sliding forward into the hole. With a soft ‘plop,’ it landed in the sappy substance at the bottom of the well. ‘Well, that was weird. What just happened?’
‘Wait,’ The other ant did not seem to notice what had just happened as it also approached the hole. ‘Wait,’ My leaves were rigid and trembling with anticipation. ‘Wait,’ Exactly as the first had, the second ant poked its head into the hole. For what felt like an eternity, it half hung in the hole. Its head cocked to the side ever so slightly, and then it placed a foot on the inner wall. ‘WAIT!’ The near invisible shudder ran through the ant and it two slipped down into the pitcher.
‘What! What happened?!’ I noticed the occasional twitch of the legs and antennae as they slowly sank into the sap. ‘So, are they still alive? Well, not for long. Ants can suffocate, right?’ As they became enveloped, their movements grew sluggish, eventually ceasing altogether. ‘Yeah, they’re dead, or will be soon. But what happened? How did that happen?’
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Almost reflexively, I spent ten Mana on a light bulb clicking on above my stem. ‘The extra Stamina. Did I make the sap poisonous? Or was it already and it didn’t cost anything until it left my body?’
A scuttling off to the side drew my attention. ‘Uh-oh.’ A small stream of ants was crawling over the brick and onto my land, following the faint trail of pheromones that had been carried by the breeze. ‘I can’t fit all those…’ Several ants began circling the pitcher pot, and something caught my attention. There were two different types of ants.
Most of them were the same large ants with stained-glass abdomens, but a pair stood out. These were slightly smaller and had a deep, almost black, shiny purple coloration. Each time they moved their shells shimmered… oddly. Unlike the glass ants, these hung back from the hole, ‘Almost as if they are watching. What are they waiting for?’
While I was focused on the eerie purple ants, two of the glass ants disappeared into my pot, and a third ambled over to my main body. Its pincers snipped deep into a root that grew out at ground level before dipping beneath the earth. ‘YOW!’
‘GO AWAY!’ STFA bloomed out from me. The pheromones washed over the little horde of ants, sending them scattering. For the briefest moment, the purple ants seemed to resist. Then, in unison, they turned and fled. Within moments, I was alone again in my patch.
Health: 88/100
Stamina: 90/100
Mana: 90/100
‘Twelve health?! Da’ fuck!’ The wound throbbed as I assessed the damage—it had cut through the soft bark, tearing out a small chunk. ‘Can ants normally do that? With a little nip like that, it took twelve freakin’ health?! That hurt!’ Sap oozed from the gap in my root, filling the hole that had been ripped from me.
‘Well, this sucks.’ To take my mind off of the injury, I looked for the ants I had captured. Four of them were stuck in my sap pot. Only a few bits seemed to be left out of the sap. They were still and firmly submerged. ‘But I guess that is part of what this was for, eh?’ Focusing on the sap pot, I activated Nutrient & Water Absorption.
Nutrient and Water Absorption
Level 1
Effect: The user can draw nutrients from the soil, nearby organic matter, and water sources, absorbing vital minerals and nutrients needed for growth and health.
-
Rate: Absorbs and converts nutrients equivalent to 1 health point per hour, supporting overall growth and well-being.
-
Additional Benefit: In nutrient-rich environments, the rate of absorption can increase, providing a more substantial health boost.
‘Oomph, that feels weird.’ An ache radiated through the roots stretched into the sail around me, like sucking on a straw with something stubbornly blocking the other end. The roots attached to the sap pot faced their own challenge; instead of a blockage, it was more like trying to slurp down a really, really thick shake. ‘At least it is running. Only twelve hours to go and I will be right as rain. After that, I suppose I should see just how long an ant will last.’
Twenty-four hours. Twenty-Four Hours! Not twelve, but twenty-four hours to heal all the damage that ant had done. ‘Additional Benefit my ass! Why put that but not the ‘Additional Detri-freakin-ment!’ It had taken nearly twice as long to heal up as the skill had stated, which is probably why it feels like I’m sucking up a birthday cake through a straw.
When I had only healed up six hit points by the time the sun had risen, it took a whole hell of a lot not to start freaking out. The wound itself seemed to be doing something at least. It was like the sap had hardened over it like a scab. Little by bit it had took on a rough, woody sort of texture.
When the injury had not been healed by morning, like I had expected, I was glad that I had already decided to take a day of rest. I deserved it after all, didn’t I? I had worked a solid week straight. Ten, eleven-hour days! And now I had been wounded as well? Oh, the wisterianity!
Alright, maybe it hadn’t been that bad. With my little cloud of STFA surrounding me, I had been able to take the day to Photosynthesis and to heal. My totally founded anger and annoyance at the drawbacks of not living in proper soil aside, I was pleased to find that when I checked my sheet that it wasn’t just my health that had gone up. I had also gained my first full xp!
Name: Cy
Species: Wisteria, Seedling
Experience: 1.8/100
Class: N/A
Profession: N/A
‘Not only that, but I am just that much away from another! But what the hell did I do? All I did all day was lounge about. Soaking in some sun.’ I projected my frustration at the sheet as it hovered before me. ‘Tell me your secrets.’ My leaves rustled with the hiss I threw at it. Yet it floated there. Indifferent. Mocking.