I almost forgot the situation I found myself in. It felt so... Alive...

I let my leg slither towards it without even realizing it. Somehow, I felt attracted to it. Something about it was... Different.

When I got closer to it, I could almost feel the energy seeping from it. Every two seconds it would give off two weak beats. However, the closer my leg got to it, the more powerful and the more regular the beats became.

Toot-toot. Toot-toot.

Toot-toot-toot. Toot-toot-toot.

Toot-toot-toot-toot-toot-toot-toot-toot-toot-toot...

It started rapidly beating as my leg inched closer.

I was almost there.

The second I thought that, I felt my leg touch something. A root.

I let my leg slither around it. Another root...

The pulsating thing was hidden in a cage of roots.

However, not even this realization brought me out of my trance. Instead of leaving it alone to pursue other things, I started slithering my leg around the small cage in an attempt to either break or absorb it.

I could almost hear the “No!” as the roots which were previously only slowly surrounding me shot out and tried to grab my leg. However, my absorb was slightly faster.

- Absorb has reached Lv.7. Grow has reached Lv.5. -

Yes!

Quickly, I made a single hole in the cage using a burst of absorb.

And, for the first time in a long time, I saw.

It might simply have been an image in my head, it might only have been a hallucination, but... I saw it.

It was rather small and almost round in shape. It looked like a very small onion. From its bottom grew roots which not only surrounded it, but also shot out from beneath it. From its top grew a single, green stem that escaped the small room through the roof.

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However, that wasn't the most interesting part. The onion was blue.

It shone in a faintly blue-ish light that shone brightly every time it beat. On that subject, it was beating rather quickly. Like a heart.

Could this be... the heart of the Lily?

Whatever it was, it was almost certainly both on the receiving and the giving side when it came to the energy. Every time it beat it shone and the light excluded left the onion(or the heart, whatever it is) and flew down into the roots. At the same time, some energy came from the roots and entered the onion. It was a very pretty display.

However, I didn't have time to observe it, as roots started shifting and moving all around my leg, and if I didn't do something quick, It would all be over.

The Lily would hold onto my foot and slowly drain my energy as to not to destroy its “straw”.

I shuttered at the thought.

Well, now that I'm looking at it... what does one do in order to defeat another?

Well, I've got the heart straight in front of me, so...

hehe.

Hehehehe.

Ehhehehehhehehehehhhe.

My leg almost unconsciously slithers its way around the heart. It's warm. Feels quite nice. However, I don't have time to feel!

Quickly, I use absorb. There is some resistance, and I can feel how its roots are grabbing onto mine and absorbing as quickly as it can.

Eeeh, are ya panicking??

never panic, bbbbrrrritttch!

If my leg was a hand, then I would squeeze the life out of the heart, but, as all I had was my leg, I instead focused on absorbing.

After only a second of absorbing at full speed...

- Absorb has reached Lv.8. -

haha! Finally, on the same level, are we!?

- Poison resistance has reached Lv.2. -

oh.

ohohohohoohoho.

GUESS WHOS DYIN' TONITE; BOIII

I could feel how the Lily panicked as the heart(or onion, whatever it is) started beating so fast it was almost a constant.

The roots stopped absorbing in their panic and tried to pull on my leg, however, it was too late.

They knew it, I knew it, there was only one thing left.

- You have received 50 Ap. You have reached Lv.10. Max level reached. As a surplus of Ep was received, the rest will go to skills. Poison Resistance has reached Lv.3. Absorb has reached Lv.10. Grow has reached Lv.7. Bite has reached Lv.4. Automatic growth will now ensue in order to Evolve. You may choose one of three skills before Evolution commences. Please choose wisely. -

- Double Head. -

- Root Control. -

- Venomous Bite. -