Strawberry Devil in a Fantasy World

Oh god, why?

Strawberry plant? He forced me to incarnate as a strawberry plant. All I asked was to be incarnated as a god, but why strawberry plant?

Now, I'd become a genderless not that plants normally had genders anyway. It was like a prank gone wrong. I meant, I rather be a goblin than making strawberries. The only saving grace was that I wasn't a normal strawberry plant, I think.

My senses had all changed. I had basically lost my five senses. Did I have a sixth sense? Probably not.

Vegetative state? No! I refuse to be a vegetable. Just kidding.

The least I could do was feel my way toward sunlight so I could grow up healthy. I had nothing else to do anyway.

Days passed or so I believed.

I broke through the surface! That feeling of liberation from eternal darkness was truly blissful. Being a plant sure changed my perspectives. Seriously, I used to hate sunlight. It was my archenemy!

Pitter-padder.

Oh? Could this be?

Pitter-padder.

I could feel it, the vibrations. This must be the rain. I could faintly feel moisture from my immediate surroundings.

Pitter-padder.

Being soaked all the way down felt super refreshing.

Pitter-padder.

Days passed, or so I felt.

I was bored. I tried to sleep but I couldn't. I tried to wake up, but how could a plant wake up? It wasn't like I felt tired or anything. As long as I was nourished, life was good! Sometimes I tried to feel with my roots and my greens to get an idea where I was.

Rip.

Who did that!?

Munch. Munch.

Stop!

Munch.

No!

Stomp.

I barely had the chance to grow and I was already bald. Ermm, I meant, barren.

I demand retribution!

I shouted at the heavens, not that anyone could hear me. A plant was a plant. I didn't even know what took so much out of. Despite my losses, I actually didn't feel any pain.

Next time, next time! The victory shall be mine! I'll strangle whoever tries to munch on me.

I dug my roots deeper and had them spread wider. One of these days, I'll accomplish great things! God, you just watch.

[Level up available.]

Have I gone crazy from boredom? I thought to myself. Am I in a fantasy world? Is it really one of those cliché events?

I pondered. I pondered very much to the point that my newly grown leaves wilted.

Who cares? I'm already screwed up, level me up!

[Level 2.]

How about my status? Do I get any of that?

Nothing new showed up. There were so much I wanted to know, like how the experience system works or what level up did. Right now, I felt nothing new.

Another few quiet days passed.

I'm so thirsty, where's my rain?

My call was answered.

Flooosh.

Something unexpected came instead.

You can't be serious. I'd be a laughingstock if any of my old friends saw me like this!

Warm liquid flooded my domain.

Yuck. Curse you! Go drown yourself or something.

The next day, actual rain came and removed the stench off me. It wasn't like I could smell anything but the idea of something stinking me gave me the shivers.

[Level up available.]

Again? Whatever, I'll level up.

[Level 3 Plant.]

I was right. I received more information now that I leveled up again.

I didn't feel anything different. My roots were the same, and my greens were the same. Nothing changed at all, literally nothing at all. I didn't even feel smarter or anything.

More time passed.

My first flower! Finally, after so many setbacks, my first flower blossomed. I waited and waited. A bee, or so I believed, came to pollinate my first flower.

Thank you whatever you are! You have my eternal gratitude!

Crunch.

Sorry, what?

I felt something gooey stuck in my flower.

[Level up available.]

I was so happy that I received a bee that my body all tensed up. Who knew? My flower could crunch things? Given how I received that message, that whatever must have died and I received some type of experience.

Mr. Bee, you didn't die in vain. I'm leveling up!

[Level 4 Plant;
Species: N/A.]

It really wasn't helpful at all. For one, I now knew that I wasn't a normal strawberry plant. Second, I was never good at biology but my flower wasn't normal. Third, I now understood how to level up! It was time to grow lots of flowers.

Blood sacrifices are needed for my growth. Thus I shall spare no one!

I grew as many flowers as I could and waited patiently.

Crunch.

Hm? Where's my level up message? Did I need more experience or something?

Crunch.

Crunch.

[Level up available.]

My patience paid off.

Level up!

[Level 5 Plant;
Species: Strawberry Plant (mutated);
Traits: N/A.]

Neat, but what is this mutated thing? If I remember correctly, mutation usually means a good thing? Hurray! Hmm... I wonder if I look nice and pretty.

I was sure if I looked nice and pretty, more bees would come to me. Honestly, I couldn't change my appearances even if I tried. It was all in the genetics.

Crunch.

Crunch.

More time had passed. I felt as if my level up speed had slowed down to a crawl.

[Level 8 Plant;
Species: Strawberry Plant (mutated);
Traits: Bewitching, Devious;
Abilities: N/A.]

Hey, who are you calling devious? I'm a nice plant! I even spared some of them so I could grow a strawberry. 

Recently, nothing ever tried to eat me or anything.

Strawberry time?

The day after I thought that, something came for me. It wasn't even funny. I bet that god sent it to harass the penniless me.

Munch.

Munch.

Munch.

Curse you! You pig! Go die from diarrhea!

Munch.

Then the munching stopped. However, half of my leaves and most of my flowers were all gone by now. Whatever it was, it was merciless, even my unripe strawberry was eaten.

Splat.

Splurg.

Whatever it was hurried away after probably leaving a mess next to me.

For now, I had to grow back all my lost flowers and greens. Life was harsh but I shall persevere. 

[Level up available.]

I hadn't killed anything recently. The last thing I interacted with was whatever munched away so much of me. The way I leveled up was like the first two times I received the message. Either I could level up with the passage of time or it had to do with my cursing? I decided to test it out later.

Level up!

[Level 10 Plant;
Species: Strawberry Plant (mutated);
Traits: Bewitching, Devious;
Abilities: Absorption.]

Two levels at once? Neat! What's this new ability? It sounds useful but I wonder how I'm supposed to use it? Hmm... Let me try absorbing the gooey mess.

Since much of their fluids had seeped underground, I reached out with my roots into those pockets of nutrients. However, to my disappointment, I was only absorbing those nutrients normally. I didn't feel any boosts. They were just regular nutrients.

I guess nothing is that easy, eh?

After absorbing as much nutrients as I could before the rainwater diluted them, my growth increased exponentially. My body doubled my previous size, and so did my flowers and leaves.

Mr. Bee, it's your favourite, twice the size! Let me show you some love!

Sniff.

Nibble.

Nibble.

Huh? I didn't ask for that, did I? Who do you think you are?

Although I couldn't see, it was definitely a furry thing. It had wiggled its way around and I could feel it with my leaves and stems.

Enough is enough!

I tugged at the flower being nibbled away. Ah, how I wished I could see. It would make things so much easier.

Hmm? It stopped?

I could feel that it was still there except it was no longer moving.

[Evolution Paths Unlocked.]

Seriously? What is this madness? Of course I'm evolving!