《Watching Grass Grow》Chapter 9: Gaining Territory
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Authors Note: I'm back, sorry about the long wait but it took some time to get back into this. My release schedule will be one a week, I know I talked about a double release before christmas but it's just not happening, sorry. Anyway I'm trying to add an image this time round to help you understand the current land layout, no maps yet just something to build on.
POV: Mystical Sakura
After unlocking his new abilities Joseph spent hours experimenting on various ways to use them in strategies for attack and defence. He even theorized that it was possible to move around on his roots but decided against it due to various threats and unknowns. His experiments went on through the night, when morning came his experiments were interrupted by four nymphs down on their knees as if praying to his goddess.
[Ellie] “Oh great and powerful mistress who’s beauty outshines the stars in the night sky we your humble servants have come to plead for your help.”
‘What the hell is this about, I didn’t notice anything that could lead them to this, even Aria is on her knees and those eyes with that hair it looks like these girls were kept up all night.’
[Ellie] “Oh great and powerful mistress we beg of you to calm your recent activities they have been kind of… frightening. The earth shakes violently and there’s constant movement beneath the soil, the trees are worried about being uprooted from the earth.”
‘Wait they could feel that, oh shit I suppose if many roots were to start moving underground the earth would come loose kind of how when a farmer ploughs a field. Um… Ellie I apologise for that disturbances earlier, I was testing my potential in battle, I hope you can forgive my transgressions.’
[Ellie] “Oh thank you mistress it is wonderful that you are willing to show mercy upon your servants.”
The three girls behind her start nodding their heads vigorously.
‘I’m starting to wonder whether my words are being projected to her properly or if there is an inaccurate representation. Ellie would you mind explaining to everyone that I consider myself a male so master would be appropriate or even Joseph is fine.”
[Ellie] “Mistress we thank you for your show of gratitude and will continue to guard your territory with our lives, let us leave girls.”
After her words the four nymphs stood and made their way back towards their home tree with no sign of hearing his last request.
‘No doubt about something is definitely wrong with how my words are getting across, guess I need to invest in some speech abilities next. Well then let’s look at my current stats doubt there’s much change I was only experimenting for a bit.’
Stats
Rank: Mystical Sakura
Age: 15 Days
Durability: 100%
Titles: Mistress of the Nymphs, Late Bloomer, Landowner, Monster Under the Bed, Deep Rooted
Nutrients: 16381N
Nutrient Generation: 1601N/hour
Abilities:
‘What the, when did my points get so high I was sure I only practiced for a bit an hour at most, maybe living as a tree time moves faster… not going to think about it, too hard and it gives me a headache. Moving on now should be the time to celebrate, woo hoo I have finally managed to go one day without passing out, hip hip hooray. And even better my nutrient gathering has reached levels were I can start indulging with my spending. He he what to get first boosts, defences, magic… why am I thinking about it like that, a normal guy of my age and in my situation would be aiming for tentacles and erotic situations. Unfortunately for me this stupid tree body doesn’t feel any attachment to that sort of thing. Damn that stupid glow in the dark bitch why did you take my lude thoughts away why I tell you whyyyyyy!’
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POV: A Certain Goddess
[Alena] “That little brat, if he doesn’t keep those thoughts of his in line I might just incinerate and his followers from the face of the planet.”
[Irena] “Alena you can’t he still hasn’t accomplished his purpose yet, you know how difficult it was to obtain his soul.”
[Alena] “I know I know, but I’m telling you if he keeps this up I will go down there and break his illusion of you right in his face.”
POV: Mystical Sakura
‘Well, with all this pointless shouting and complaining out of the way it’s time to get serious. I’ve been talking about my territory for a while but technically I don’t actually have territory just individual trees in a forest. But with my new plant network ability I can finally make that statement a reality, gaining control of every tree around me should qualify as owning the territory of the forest at least a small portion of it. And if anyone complains Il just kick them out, this ability allows me to see through everything I control and move it to my will, just try and claim a forest that can fight back.’
‘Ok time to focus how much should I spread out, I already know from my experiments that while I seem to be able to spread out quite far the further I spread the less I can focus. I’m able to set a sort of automated response to warn me of any changes but I can’t be all seeing, tch pity. Then I will spread myself out in an even circle and stop when I reach my servants home, they will be like recon posts to my wall.’
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(Author: Body layout image, pink is Joseph, orange is Tia, yellow is Aria, blue is Maria and red is Ellie. Other dots are trees, blue line is water and the background green is unknown.)
‘There all done that should provide give me clear warning if any unsavoury elements attempt to enter my territory. I am already picking some signals caused by beasts in the forest; rabbits, deer and a pack of four wolves but they shouldn’t be a problem. If they do decide to pick a fight I can make some nice fur clothes for my servants, I wonder if they ever change out of the leaf dress their always wearing.’
[Ellie] “Mistress, mistress we have a group of unknowns coming towards us, what do we do?”
‘What, but I just set up my surveillance system it can’t be bugging out on me already, Ellie which side are they coming from.”
[Ellie] “They are heading towards Tia’s tree they should be there soon.”
‘Ok, I will go to Tia, Ellie you stay here and guard my main body.”
[Ellie] “Yes mistress.”
‘I really want to talk about my title but now is not the time, that said I swear I will get to the bottom of this.’
Joseph sent his consciousness through his network and arrived at Tia’s tree in seconds, once light returned he could see Tia bowing before him.
[Tia] “Mistress you have come, I have not been able to identify them yet as they seem to be hiding themselves with magic. However I can confirm that there magic has a familiar feel to it, we will be able to know who they are once they reach the river.”
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‘Ok we need to prepare in case they are hostile lucky we can hit them at range while they are stuck behind the river, need to be wary of magic, wonder what she meant by familiar. Tia do you have any magic or attacks you could use against a group, I understand it’s probably not your specialty, her being a poisoner front line combat is not suitable for her weapon of choice.’
[Tia] “Forgive me mistress but I do not have anything like that, I humbly beg your forgiveness.”
‘Knew it, that’s ok Tia don’t focus on what you can’t do, instead tell me anything that you have that hold great pride from you.’
[Tia] “Yes mistress this servant is humbled by your words, I do have something I’ve currently been preparing. They are poisoned herbs dried and turned into powder, not lethal unless inhaled in large doses but can cause irritation when contact is made with flesh which can develop further in rash and infections.”
‘Hmmm not lethal but could make a good distraction if sprinkled on the victim before I use my roots to pound away at their bones, Tia you’re in charge of poison can you get it to them before a battle starts.’
[Tia] “Yes, with the assistance of magic I can spread the poison to the other side of the flowing river.”
‘Ok, prepare yourself I’m starting to pick up something on my network, so now it works maybe I need to have a closer look at my set up after this.’
On the other side of the river figures started to appear in the trees, their silhouettes were blurred as if looking through a bad camera recording, effects of magic maybe. They made their way towards the river and stopped by the bank appearing to look this way, Tia had already hidden herself making there reason stopping unknown.
‘Do they know I’m here, but how can they tell, am I that easy to distinguish or is it something else. The girls can tell but considering there connection to nature I would be an abnormality, what about Tia’s comment earlier about familiar magic. Put them together and what do you get…’
At that moment the group on the other side came into focus revealing 12 beings. 2 Young girls with green hair and eyes like nymphs but with bark covering their arms and legs with no clothes leaving them completely exposed. 6 winged beings the size of Barbie dolls, all unclothed and all female with different hair styles and colours. Finally the most varied of the group are the 4 older looking girls though 3 of them can still be considered children from looks they still look older compared with the large number of loli’s around. 2 have blonde hair one has green and there wearing what appears to be silk clothing though not much just enough to protect modesty. The final one looked older around early twenties with blue hair sapphire eyes and a cyan silk one piece skirt fixed to her body. She had noticeable tattoos along her arms and legs but that didn’t draw Joseph’s attention from the plot.
‘Damn, another fine rack not as good as Irina’s but definitely worthy of being a hug pillow among other things. Though I questioned whether fairies were all loli’s, if this is what their adult form looks like it will be worth waiting a few hundred years before getting my desires back.’
At that point Tia came out of the forest on the other side of the river, her appearance shocked the small group at first, but they quickly got over it and started to listen when she spoke. Joseph’s attention was focused on other things and didn’t quite register their interaction until they started coming his way by crossing the river. Although it reached to the stomach of some of the children they didn’t seem to be affected by the current. They eventually reached his current bodies position were Tia started by bowing before speaking.
[Tia] “Mistress these fairies have come to beg for your assistance, they have been chased from their homes and have lost many to get here. They ask for your protection against their pursuers and in return they offer their servitude to you.”
‘There offering to become the slaves of some unknown being what could drive them that far, Tia who’s chasing them.’
[Tia] “Slavers from the human country.”
Damn it didn't work, sorry about the image. Try to imagine three circles coming together, these are the nymphs then at its centre is Joseph. If anyone can help me with the image please comment. Advertisement Previous
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