《Uprooted》First Gloom

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Those negative stats give me some seriously bad vibes, I think I better do something with them. But I don’t have quite enough to make all of them zero or more… so which? Let's just look again to be sure!

{Name: Dita}

{Lvl 1. Nightgloom}

{Attributes}

Current status points: 4

Strength: 2

Agiliy: 0

Speed: -1

Dexterity: -1

Constitution: 0

Movement: -2

Magic: 1

Luck: 6

Defense: 1

Resistance: 0

Mind: 2

Power: 1

Charisma: 7

Intelligence: -1

Fire: -20

Water: 5

Ice: 2

Wind: 5

Earth: 25

Light: 19

Dark: 39

Lightning: -10

{Allignment}

+0

{Affixes}

Blessing of Ancor

Lucky

Nocturnal

{Titles}

N/A

Hm? Intelligence of -1?! Am I being insulted?

Although she couldn’t fume in a proper way and she had nobody to see her, she was fuming all the same! What kind of idiot do they take her for? It was probably the devil’s doing.

Wait, isn’t it kind of pointless if I’m this smart with -1? Isn’t that stat kind of pointless for me right now?

Curiously she tried to find some means to describe the stat in more detail, but unfortunately, the feature seemed to be locked. By looks of it, she had no conceivable way to confirm her theory. Assumingly, she would get more points later, right? But aren’t the beginning levels the most crucial?

Why can’t I have an easy choice for once? Everything was gonna be perfect until he ruined everything.

She dared not even give him the gratification of even a single thought, cause she could feel he was watching her frustration with that big dumb smile on his face.

Wait.

She had connected the dots all at once, the puzzle of choice now crumbled before her new resolve!

It’s simple! If I can’t move quick enough everything will just avoid me before I can get the experience points! Intelligence be damned! I’ll worry about you later. Plus I already know I’m smart! You agree, don’t you?

She gestured at a generous diety peering down on her with gentle intent. Though it quickly disappeared and got replaced by he who shall not be named. Rather, he who she didn’t know what name to call besides “jerk”.

Ok ok, so two points in movement.. One point in speed, and last but not least agility! This is kind of fun! Though I half wonder if zero is actually any better. No! Gotta believe or I’m gonna be toast!

With quivering hands like leaves in the wind, she hovered over the confirmation button.

This is it. Time to start my new life.

Abruptly her would be fingers pressed against the cool, almost glass-like texture of the button. The stars around her began to spin and her vision began to tunnel. A panging in her core radiated sickening pain.

Am I really going to be ok?

The stars had faded completely now, replaced briskly by a cave flooded by moonlight. The beautiful breathtaking stones cast a natural light against the surroundings that painted an environment in an all-consuming sepia tone. The breathtaking silence may have stolen her breath if she hadn’t already lost it to a creeping shadow forming in the great distance to her left. No, that was wrong, it was directly beside her. “It” happened to be a hunched over mass of sharp teeth and gruesome claws attached to a venus fly trap looking plant that also happened to be her new neighbor.

I’m too pretty to die!! I don’t taste good! I’ll give you diabetes!

She instinctively reached her leaf-like arm over her face and winced.

Huh?

The beast seemed to have no interest in her whatsoever, so much so that she felt a bit offended.

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Neighbor? Am I too small for you to care? Wait did you hear my thoughts too? On a diet?

She cautiously moved her “arms” and tested if he was going to attack.

Not a single sign of movement.

I wonder if he’s dead? You’d think something like that would be kind of sturdy but I guess he’s no match after all. Hmph. I win the first battle evil Neighbor!

She grinned and danced about in a victory fanfair. Sadly it was cut short by the feeling of being watched.

Neighbor? Is that you?

She was afraid to peek but felt a strong danger raising in her deepest instincts as a flower. Peeking her eyes from between her leaves she peeked upward.

Not you? Wait then who?

She scanned her available view which was somewhat obstructed by bushes and other plants and plant creatures growing mostly along the sides of the cave.

It’s no use I can’t really see what’s inside the bushes. Wait? A bunny? Aww!!

A very big bunny hopped from one of the bushes only several hops away from reaching the crucial petting range!

I will pet you!

Her stuffed animal loving soul was on fire with determination! The cute bunny would be her new pet and she would live her life by riding on his back to victory! Feeding carrots and with lots of pets too!

I’ll name you Fredrick Von Hops! Yes, it's perfect! Ah, but what if its a girl? Then I’ll name her Vanile Bellivox Hoppington! Perfect! Now we just have to...huh?

The bunny hopped toward her at an impressive speed, wasting no time closing half of the distance. She opened her leafy arms hoping he would jump right into them.

Come here, my cute little bunny friend! Wait, why do you have that look?

She had realized it, that look, the drooling, the overearger pace, he wasn’t coming for a hug he was..

Trying to eat me?!

The rabit leaped its last leap closing the remaining distance to her in one fell swoop.

Is this it? Am I really going to die to a bunny? No! I can’t let it end like this, I just got a new chance and I’m already in this kind of situation. This was your doing wasn’t it bastard? Hmph as if I’ll let you win!

She did the only logical thing that could save her from those adorable but slightly scary teeth. She tried to move to the side but realized too late she couldn’t budge.

Seriously? No please!

The bunny took its first chance to bite at her would be arm catching the very edge of the leaf and snacking a bit.

Ow! Ow! Stop! That hurts Mr. Hops! Plants aren’t food they’re friends!

Her internal pleas didn’t buy her any extra time. It certainly didn’t help that the pain of the bite was nothing if not harsh. The second bite was descending, this time to her core. It was checkmate. She would die if it connected probably.

Someone! Help me!! Damnit, they’re not going to hear thoughts and I don’t even have a mouth.. What do I have?! Wait! Skills!!

She imagined the skill name in her head and focused with all her might, half praying that it would activate. A bright light illuminated the cave abruptly and with the intensity that the moon had made a guest appearance on top of her head.

It, it worked! Wait, it was just a light?!

As she dared to peek her eyes open she was greeted by a bunny that was stunned but not deterred. Worse, it now seemed to be considerably more pissed off and determined to have its meal.

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No! No! No! No!

She panicked in her head trying to move but only managing to cause a sharp pain in her lower half. She gave up after a moment as the bunny approached for its next bite.

I guess I just have to sit here and be eaten? Like hell! I’ll use the skill again!

Moonlight Burst:

Cooldown remaining: 23:59

The dreadful words formed in her mind as clear as her memories of Ramiel’s ultra-rare signed autograph she had sitting in her room back on earth.

I can’t beat you can I Mr. Hops?

She tried desperately to fend off his bites with her little leaf arms but it only slightly delayed his assault. The bunny pounced to attack. She quivered and winced preparing herself for the worst. She was scared, horrified of dying but strangely, no pain rushed over her body. No pressure, no sickinging feeling like before.

Did Mr. Hops spare me?

She peeked out to see the lower half of Mr. hops dangling mid air.

Wait, how did you do it? Are you actually just testing me Mr.--

She stopped dead in her tracks as she gazed up in shock.

Hops…?

Her would be killer was dangling helplessly in a fruitless struggle against encircling vines. A battle of desperate nibbles in a frantic effort to escape.

Neighbor! You do care!

Her eyes sparkled with all the glistening of fresh tears as she felt thankful to the brutish neighbor. He had been a softy all along!

Go go neighbor you get em! Neighbor?

The toothy mouth of the neighbor closed the distance to Mr. Hops in a painstakingly slow advance. All at once the fear on Mr. Hops face reached a feeling much like she had moments before. In a lightning fast moment, the jaws of the beast bisected Mr. Hops clealy.

The discarded lower half fell to the ground with a wet grizzly splash.

Ah, Mr. Hops. I knew you well.

She felt a bit sad seeing the first cute denizen of the world, the biggest bunny she had ever seen, devoured by her neighbor. Though given the situation it was him or her so she was ok after all.

Hmph, you shouldn’t have tried to eat me! Serves you right!

She crossed her arms in an abject rebellion of being a bunny’s lunch. Though it was also to convince herself she wasn’t sad that the bunny had to go.

{Dita has gained 1 Experience Point!}

Huh?

Her would-be sassiness was interrupted by the sheer confusion that now found its way across her features. Features that she still hadn’t even properly seen herself.

I didn’t kill Mr. Hops, so why did I get experience? Hmm…

She contemplated if somehow it was the damage she sustained that somehow marked him as her prey despite the opposite being quite obvious.

Ah! Could it be, assist exp?

It was her best guess, due to her having used the Moonlight Burst earlier. It did stun it for a moment after all.

Well, it was only one point but I’ll take it! Thank you, honored neighbor! I love you! Don’t eat me, please!

She was curious about something that had been bothering since the start. Managing to stretch as far as she could from her rooted position she looked down at the puddle of blood left from Mr. Hops hoping for a reflection. Sure enough, she saw a cute looking plant baby looking back at her. Her eyes were drawn immidiately to her beautiful wispy pink flower atop her head. It was flawless! Two golden stamens moved at her curiosity. They seemed to work sort of like secondary hands or animal ears. Her face had two large babydoll looking water drop looking eyes and her body was round like an onion! No mouth which made her quite curious as to how she would sustain herself.

In the panic of the moment, she had overlooked something very important above her head.

The name that floated above her, of course, it was her own, but she somehow had not realized it was there until the reflection.

Dita

Lvl. 1 Nightgloom

HP: 12 / 22

MP: 10 / 10

SP: 1 / 1

AP: 2 / 14

The status was easily readable from the bloody puddle despite its crimson hue. She curiously looked around trying to peek at any more she could find. Quickly turning to neighbor she wasn’t disappointed.

Maneater

Lvl. 12 Chower

HP: 363/363

MP: 53/91

SP: 1/1

AP: 59/60

So that’s how it is. Mhm, mhm! I’m absurdly weak just as I thought but Mr. Munch has some seriously scary stats. Though I didn’t expect the MP use. Guess it takes some to entangle prey?

She went into a studious mood, after all, there was no one to tell her, no phone to look up a guide and no help that would come anytime soon.

Wait, there seems to be a serious problem still…

She tested her theory by trying to stretch her body beyond the blood puddle and grasp the remains of Mr. Hops. A brutally sharp pain assailed her where her feet would have been if she was still human.

That’s not good. That’s seriously not good. What the heck is keeping me here?

She gazed back at her most stretched point only to see a root connecting her to something underground.

Wait, you can’t be serious. I’m tethered to Mr. Munch? No wonder he didn’t eat me, but the real question is how do I escape? Is it going to kill me if I do? Ah, what the heck life?

She sufficed to try again tugging against the root and again realized that the pain was even fiercer than before. Worse yet Mr. Munch seemed to be looking at her for the very first time since she had come to.

Did I do something wrong? Crap! He’s totally gonna try and eat me after all!!

She had an idea, but it wasn’t a very good one. After watching the maw of the beast retract back once again as it did moments before the end of Mr. Hops she did the only thing she knew how! Crawling to her maximum tether range, she hoped he couldn’t reach her here or that maybe he would miss.

Come on Mr. Munch! We’re neighbors! Can’t you let me go just this once?

His jaws came flying at the speed of a king cobra if only a king cobra was the size of a small vehicle.

She winced at the approaching teeth which clamped down painfully on the root, the breathy scent of dissolving bunny meat lingering on the brutish breath of Mr. Munch.

To her surprise, she was not in fact being devoured in the jaws of the beast, but instead dangling upside down from Mr. Chomp.

No please! Not like this! I don’t want to die smelling bunny breath! At least take a breath mint you hungry hippo hack job!

She winced preparing to be devoured with the next bite but found a wet and incessant licking against her cheek.

What? So you were helping me out? Aww, you cute softy! I love you Mr. Chomp! I’ll let you be my replacement Mr. Hops! We’ll give you a ribbon someday and I’ll feed you lots of tasty treats!

After maticulously biting free the root from her body she felt much lighter and far more agile! Or at least agile for a zero agility, speed, and movement plant girl!

Now let’s just check to be sure…

Dita

HP: 11 / 22

MP: 10 / 10

SP: 1 / 1

AP: 1 / 14

So it did one point of damage huh? Then why did it hurt so much leading up to it?! Oh nevermind.

Her slobbery plant puppy of a friend decided to let her free of the barrage of loving licks to be free and prosper! Of course, she had zero intent to leave Mr. Munch for good! Quite the contrary! She wanted to explore the cave and discover how to eat! Sadly she lacked a big mouth or even a little one. What’s more, breathing seemed to be from her skin all around. So did that mean her eating would work that way too?

I think its time to explore! I won’t learn anything from just standing around. But first... Something more important.

She walked over to the remains of Mr. Hops and placed her leaves against his hefty leg.

One, two, three!!

She tried with all her might to lift up the half bunny and drag it valiantly and use it as bait like a true hunter!

Heavy! Way too heavy! Mr. Hops what have you been eating? Well, that’s a silly question now, but still!

With her best attempt, she managed a centimeter, which summoned the support of Mr. Chomp who seemed very impressed with her for some reason. She was happy for that but just a tad discouraged at the results of her two strength attribute.

Guess two just isn’t enough yet. Well, at least I can hop around! I don’t make a lot of noise either. So I bet I could avoid predators purely on the merit that I’m a fabulous, one of a kind! Plant! Hazzah!

She struck a pose clearly more amused than she should have been! Though it was the little victories that really counted!

She decided that she’d need to ponder where to explore next. Though as she saw it there were only three options!

{A} She could explore the inner cave to her left which appeared to be dazzling with bright and beautiful glowing crystals and numerous other foliage to hide in! Hopefully no more rabbits either!

{B} Other than that she could always go toward the right! That would lead her to what she supposed was the exit in the distance. Though she was decidedly unsure of what to expect there were far fewer crystals that way and far more mystery and darkness separating what she could see from what she thought she could see.

{C} Lastly but certainly not least she could set up a camp with Mr. Munch and hope that some prey would come by so that she could feed her new friend! Though it didn’t really solve the problem of her own hunger it definitely would keep a happy Munch friend! Though it might get a few experience points too!

But which is the right choice?

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