Kudzu looked over his kingdom of vegetation with a proud smile. She-Who-Slices had departed earlier in the day. Since she took the annoying Humming-That-Cuts birds with her, he felt much better. Even when she wasn’t directly watching him, Kudzu got the feeling those birds wanted to have another go at his him.

Just wait until I have stronger vines, then those birds will learn the terror of revenge! Kudzu thought. Thinking was a new concept that had arrived when he reached a new plateau of power.

Status. Kudzu thought smug.

Name: Kudzu

Race: Sentient Vine

Class: Hunter

Level: 5

Health: 50/50 (.75 hps regen)

Mana: 50/50 (.75 mps regen)

Stats: Str 5, Dex 5, Con 5, Wis 5, Int 5

Free Stats: 25

Skills:

Silent Strangle

Quiet Movement

Spells:

Rapid Growth

Integrate Plant

Kudzu knew his new powers of reasoning arrived from the deaths of several birds that had attempted to eat She-Who-Slices plants. As per her agreement earlier, he could eat anything that wasn’t a Grey-Small or a Brown-Small creature. With those limits in place, everything else had become simple.

Kudzu looked over his garden, well it was his garden when the Slicer wasn’t around. His vines covered the rows between the other plants ensuring order was kept. The different plants required a firm hand to stay in the same place where She-Who-Slices had place them. Everyone wanted the corner with the most mana, except that was his corner. Since he was in the corner with the most mana, of course, everyone squabbled over the scraps that remained.

Kudzu had once had thoughts of growing outside the house until he saw the Forest Titans a short distance from the Slicer’s home. They had looked at him the way he looked at stupid birds, and he had quickly decided that remaining here was the best choice.

He could challenge the Forest Titans when he was older. According to She-Who-Slices as long as he kept his vines limited to the house, he was under her protection. Considering the hunger that some of the Forest Titans looked at him with that worked just fine for him.

Quiet-That-Teaches? Kudzu directed his thoughts to the surroundings. He was much more respectful than She-Who-Slices towards the one that taught him how to gain power. For some reason, Quiet-That-Teaches allowed She-Who-Slices to be disrespectful. Kudzu had learned this was because the family of the Slicer was terrifying and had been one of the main reasons he capitulated. Anything that could scare Quiet-That-Teaches was something Kudzu did not want noticing him, at all. If that meant he had to put up with the Slicer, and the Hum Cutters he could do it.

He didn’t like it. But he could do it. Survival was the highest priority after all.

The System is waiting for the User to ask a question.

Kudzu was impressed as always, the Quiet-That-Teaches was utterly quiet. He didn’t even sense a ripple in the air as the words appeared. It was like reality simply bent in a way that defied nature and the words existed.

The ability to defy nature was beyond impressive to Kudzu. One day he too would defy nature, although he wasn’t quite sure how that could be done.

How can I grow stronger so that Humming-That-Cuts cannot harm me? Kudzu asked.

The System is sorry to tell the User that will never be possible in any of the dimensions it exists in. Humming-That-Cuts is growing faster than Kudzu due to She-Who-Slices helping them.

Kudzu felt the world collapsing around him. He would never be able to beat those birds. They would always be one step ahead because they became She-Who-Cuts servants before he existed. It was unfair, completely unfair, and there was nothing he could do about it.

I could have been a better servant! Kudzu screamed in his mind. I could have been the best, but now, now I have no chance. None. Those birds will ALWAYS BE BETTER THAN ME. WHY CAN’T I BE BETTER! I WANT TO BE BETTER THAN THOSE DAMN BIRDS!

There was a moment of silence before Quiet-That-Teaches responded to his angry outburst.

The System recognizes the desires of the User.

Do you wish a complete path to greater power with the understanding that you will always stand below She-Who-Slices?

Will I be able to rise above those birds if I do this? Kudzu asked.

The System is certain that if you do not exceed them, you will never be beneath them again. Ever.

Show me. Kudzu responded instantly.

His vines twitched as information poured into his mind showing him how the plants around him were not helping him grow. They were competition and there was no need to let them exist. With the power of Integrate Plant he could steal the things that She-Who-Slices liked from the other plants. By producing those resources, more efficiently, and more effectively he would become valued.

Kudzu turned his predatory attention towards the plants around him and they shivered as his vines rose up around them. There were screams that could only be heard by those who could communicate with plants for several minutes before She-Who-Slices garden returned once more to silence.

Hours later as the sun was starting to set, the first of the new vines grew with his Spell of Rapid Growth. Soon the Spicy Vine was joined by a host of others until his vines covered where all the previous plants had been.

How can I explain to She-Who-Slices? Kudzu was worried. The Slicer had a noticeable trigger that might result in his death. If there was nothing explaining the disappearance of the plants, Kudzu felt he might be in trouble. It hadn’t occurred to him earlier in his rage, but now it was rather obvious.

The System will ensure the User known as Kudzu is safe from retaliation. In return the Kudzu cannot attempt to harm She-Who-Slices or Humming-That-Cuts or the Grey-Small or the Brown-Small. Agreed?

Agreed. Kudzu replied in relief. Quiet-That-Teaches is so nice!

The System will take action if the User known as Kudzu violates this agreement. The User will be disintegrated inside the core of a yellow star nearby without delay.

Kudzu understood threats, and knew that this was definitely a threat. However, in return for simply growing different vines he would rise up. It gave him a slimy feeling how easily he had cheated Quiet-That-Teaches. That was how nature worked however, so Kudzu simply kept quiet about how much better he had gotten in the deal.

The new knowledge that he had learned even helped him hunt prey more effectively. He understood instinctively now how to present tasty scented delights that would attract even more birds. More birds meant more Experience, and more Experience meant faster growth.

Laying his new scented traps next to grab-crush vines, Kudzu set in to wait. In less than a minute a bird arrived, the bird died instantly without having a chance to even fight back. Kudzu made sure to use a new vine to remove the scent of death before resetting the trap. The idea that red smears, scent, or even leftover bones could signal prey he was dangerous was incredible. No wonder some prey flew over the garden, yet never entered within. They were able to spot the marks of death and knew to avoid him.

Quiet-That-Teaches is such a genius. Kudzu thought. It would have taken me a long time to realize the mistake, time that could have been used more effectively to grow faster with enough prey.

The System acknowledges the User known as Kudzu and his feelings!!!

Hours passed as Kudzu slowly ate his way through the population of stupid birds in the area. As his growth sped up he even moved his vines outside She-Who-Slices territory. While he couldn’t approach the Forest Titans, the clearing was well known to be She-Who-Slices territory as well.

Kudzu showed no mercy extending his various traps into the clearing until everything within ten meters of the forest was completely inside his control. For some reason, even with the increased death count of stupid birds, he was barely keeping up.

The Forest Titans have summoned their flying servants to stop me. Or the birds here are even stupider than I can comprehend. Kudzu thought as his intelligence increased further. Since the ground is completely controlled, I need to move upwards if I want to keep growing.

The concept of a multi-layer trap in three dimensions sparked in Kudzu’s mind from his increased intelligence. Looking at his new Status he was filled with pride.

Name: Kudzu

Race: Sentient Vine

Class: Hunter

Level: 9

Health: 90/90 (1.35 hps regen)

Mana: 90/90 (1.35 mps regen)

Stats: Str 9, Dex 9, Con 9, Wis 9, Int 9

Free Stats: 45

Skills:

Silent Strangle

Quiet Movement

Spells:

Rapid Growth

Integrate Plant

As his vines started to reach for greater height than the Forest Titans around him Kudzu lowered himself. It wouldn’t do to steal the sun when he was encircled by the enemy. Such an action would force both parties into a battle in which only one could survive. He might be willing to take the attempt when She-Who-Slices was here, if she gave the ok. Starting a war himself though without support that could turn the Forest Titans into mush was a very bad idea in his opinion.

Kudzu might be a coward, but he wasn’t stupid bird. He could read the writing in the bark around him. To that end he humbled himself keeping one meter lower than the Forest Titans. It wasn’t submission, it was just a sign of respect. The surrounding Titans all murmured in appreciation at his actions and parity was reached once more. Several species of stupid bird stopped attacking him, while a new more aggressive stupid bird didn’t take the hint.

As he glanced around, Kudzu realized the surrounding Forest Titans were quietly celebrating as each of the Stupid Black Birds was crushed before being eaten.

So there are Stupid Birds that even the Forest Titans cannot handle. Kudzu thought. Hah, witness the glory of one who serves She-Who-Slices!

Kudzu upped his game finding the perfect bait that all the Stupid Black Birds preferred to go after. Once he lined all his vines with the new flowers, his vines were smug.

Right up until the sky darkened above the clearing and an enormous host of the enemy arrived.

This is war. Kudzu thought grimly as he abandoned the bait vines to their fate to grow more combat types.

This was his land. This was his territory. No amount of Stupid Black Birds would drive him back.

Blood makes the grass grow. Kudzu thought, his mind flashing back to one of the comments She-Who-Slices had made upon discovering him.

Since blood could make him grow, then he needed to simply supply enough to rise up further.

Nothing would stop him from trampling Humming-That-Cuts beneath his green roots!