The second day of my new life as a Thorny Alraune started with the smell of the vibrant air entering my nose before my eyes opened.

The layers of petals covering my upper half had already 'bloomed' to allow my body to rise.

After stretching my arms a bit, I relaxed for a moment enjoying the sight. Even now, a part of me wondered if this was just a dream before I ignored it.

I knew for a fact that this is my life now, and I just need to continue living! A simple goal, but it's good enough for me.

"Now, let's give myself some new fruits and plants to eat!" I spoke, and my lower half opened its eyes and mouth as well, as I marched to catch whatever that can satisfy my appetite for the moment.

Also, now that I think of it, I can 'speak.' I say it with that emphasis because now that I can think and focus properly, I noticed the strange absurdity of me being able to talk at all.

Now that the excitement of the first day, along with the euphoria I felt yesterday, and focus that I had to muster to deal with my Qi problem, along with the hunger I felt afterwards, I can now think about it for real.

'So I can talk, huh.' I thought, wondering about this development.

Most beasts in the Long Live Summons couldn't speak, at least in any intelligent manner. They could growl and bark and screech all they want, but they couldn't just talk in a human language at all.

And even if they could, most of these beasts were Gold-ranked at the very least, if not Platinum-ranked and higher.

So I was quite surprised that I can speak in any comprehensible words at all, since I wasn't even a Bronze-ranked beast. I was only a Normal-ranked one.

Another thing I noticed was that I was speaking in Japanese, which I know for sure isn't this world's primary language. Well, unless the goddess just wrote something like: "if (reincarnator==true) then setting.language=reincarnator.language" on her divine computer.

Yeah, I will just ignore that until I actually meet someone who actually talks this world's language to be sure.

Still, now that I think about it, me being reborn in this form is rather ridiculous from what I know about the lore, and the power systems of this world.

Eating a bunch of plants and swallowing them, I continued to think.

Let's check the facts that I know so far.

"I am human-looking, at least my upper half is."

True.

"I also can speak, and I have an intelligence that far outstrips most beasts in this forest, or at least, I have more sapience than them."

True.

"And in the world of the novel, these traits are the foundation to become a Holy Beast, along with high power and rank of course."

Also true.

...

Damn, I was reincarnated lucky, aren't I? I knew that Alraunes are humanoid since that's what legends said about them. And I am able to speak most likely due to having the memories of the human Kasumi Ai, which I still am.

Not that I actually know how lucky I was in that department. For all I know, this would make Rankers and warriors even more annoying to deal with.

I can already hear it. The lines of "If this beautiful alraune had made a contract with me, I would cherish her forever!", "A mere beast dares defy me! If I can't have you then no one can!", "You're courting death!" and "mommy, gimme your nectar please..."

Of course, the last one is me imagining what being addicted to my nectar will be like. Also, why does that feel like it's the best option?

Oh, right. Alraunes can feed on Qi, so I might end up capturing an idiot who tries to attack me just to feed on their energy. I am honestly surprised that this idea felt so natural at all. Had I been a human, or more precisely like I was before I reincarnated, I would be questioning myself on how cruel I was. Meanwhile, as a Thorny Alraune, this just felt completely natural, just like how eating and breathing were normal things in life.

'... I think I might just leave that idea out of my mind for now.' shaking my head, I realized that I had finished digesting the plants I had eaten.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Feeling myself energized, I shook off these thoughts as I decided to finally focus on what I believed was the most important thing for me to try now while I was in my safe area: train and cultivate!

Now, the cultivation technique I had chosen to try was the Natura Aeterna Nirvana, with a latin name that meant 'Eternal Nature of Nirvana.'

Assuming that the goddess wasn't mean-spirited, I expect that it will be rather effective now that I am literally a plant beast. Who better to use a cultivation technique made with the concept of "I want the whole reality as my flowers and gardens" after all? I mean, that's what I had in mind when writing about it in my previous life.

Well, no time better than the present to find out.

Taking a long breath, I assumed my meditation position, attaching my roots to the ground to get a constant supply of energy, my hands on each side as the tips of my thumb and index finger joined, the remaining fingers straight. Eyes closed, as the world seemed to vanish, my focus going inward as if I was looking at my own body under a microscope.

This was what I felt the most comfortable and helpful meditation pose for me right now. There was no reason for me to ask why. I just knew so, and I followed my instincts, combined with my minimal control of Qi, as it started to flow, its movement feeling like a small river inside of my veins.

I followed its path, from my head to my abdomen, from the upper pair of eyes to the lower pair, from a blood drop to the next, vitalizing the blood cells as oxygen was burned and resupplied, as even my hair and fingernails felt the sensation of power as it pulsed in a rythmic manner.

It was rather odd, if I was honest. I didn't know how to describe it any other way. It was quite a strong sensation, yet it didn't overpower me, and instead it seemed to guide me.

And as my qi kept flowing, my mouth opened of its own to speak.

"Natura."

My heart throbbed, and I felt as my qi seemed to pulse in my veins, and I sensed as if they wanted me to move them in a certain path. Wanting me to direct them towards some specific points in my body.

"Aeterna."

The sensation that followed seemed to feel as if something had exploded inside of me, yet I knew, both instinctually and intellectually that my qi only started to slowly emerge outside of my body, as if unleashed to the air to disperse. Yet, I felt no real tiredness as my roots kept me filled with energy to continue.

Meanwhile, the remaining Qi that was in my body felt like something was leaving it, slowly but surely.

I had a feeling on what that was.

"Nirvana."

A point that seemed to be clotted and trying to stop my Qi from properly passing through, found itself swarmed with it. Yet I didn't just bulldoze the path with qi, preferring to instead let the technique do its job of gently and slowly breaking the barrier trying to stop my energy from fully going through, as if the impurities of my Qi are being gently gouged out of my system.

Meanwhile, even as I continued, my external and internal senses started to overlap, as I felt as if the grass below me was swaying right inside my veins, gently and harmlessly, as if wanting me to give it some of my energy, while I could hear the flow of my own blood and heartbeats and taste the air around me as it gets dissolved inside of my body.

'So, let me pass.' and thus the knot, after what felt like hours of it trying to resist as my Qi was being purified and slightly diminishing in quantity yet equally increasing in density and purity, had been shattered, not with a (internal) roar that shook the heavens (my body and mind), but in a manner that felt more like a farewell to a loved one, as I gave them their last embrace before their time had run out as they died with a smile on their face.

I guess that fit so well. After all, these impurities were with me since I was reborn (since yesterday). Not to mention that the Natura Aeterna Nirvana technique was designed to be greatly benificial to those with huge affinity with plant-type beasts or abilities. Me being a plant now, it makes sense that this technique will help me grow without harming me. At least I think so.

Finally, I let out a shuddering breath, deciding to stop for the moment. My Qi slowly dropped as I asked, the sound of my beating heart becoming more and more quiet, and I could no longer hear my own blood moving, and I opened my eyes.

The sun had already moved from its position, telling me that I really had been cultivating for hours.

As I breathed, the air felt rather... strange. It felt like it was, purer? Yes, that's the only way I can describe it. And it wasn't just it. When I looked around, I noticed that the grass around me had grown just a few centimeters, most likely, and it seemed more vibrant. I could already see that some of them had small flowers that had yet to bloom.

"Huh. It seems that they enjoyed the qi I had unleashed around me." I commented, feeling rather refreshed.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, that feeling transformed into confusion when I had noticed something that felt like a liquid moving across my skin. Specifically, from where my breasts are.

What is that? And how did I not notice it? The answer turned out to be simpler than expected.

Looking down as the yellow-golden liquid pouring from the nipples, I just realized what happened.

Okay, so that's my nectar! I have to admit, the smell alone was really sweet and enticing, and it seemed to spread for a long distance! And I knew just by instinct that this one is the one responsible for healing and restoring stamina.

'But, wait a moment...'

Something in my mind screamed that something bad is happening, crushing that feeling of happiness as I felt like sweating.

Alraunes lure their prey with many things; their appearances, their aphrodisiacs, and their sweet, healing nectars...

... Damn it Murphy!

I cursed, because even if I had not bothered to enhance my senses with Qi, just my natural senses were still sharp enough to hear the sound of a low growling, and I can feel this presence! And they were approaching rapidly!

Just great. First time I cultivate, and I have a beast chasing either after me or my nectar!

It seems that just a day after being reborn, I might have my first fight. I can probably hope for this to be an anticlimactic encounter and that it's just a peaceful beast that can mimic the sounds of other beasts, but my guts told me to prepare anyways.

With that, my Qi faintly surged, as my leaves seemed to rise as if to shoot on my hypothetical enemy.

I really hope this is something I can actually manage.