Strategy

Haeto's sharp gaze locked onto the group of flytraps surrounding him.

Their stalks swayed gently in the wind, their jagged teeth glinting faintly under the filtered sunlight that managed to pierce through the dense canopy above.

In that instant, he remembered something—to become a Mana Beast, he needed to reach level ten.

Only then would he even qualify for evolution. But getting there would require strategy, precision, and control.

He inhaled deeply, his muscular plant body expanding slightly as if to amplify his voice.

He needed to rally these creatures, to organize them into something effective.

"Listen!" Haeto barked, his voice sharp and commanding. "If we want to survive and grow stronger, we can't keep doing things the same way. Do you hear me?"

The smaller Flytraps swayed faintly, their stillness eerie and unresponsive.

Haeto narrowed his glowing eyes, his vine-like muscles rippling as he raised himself higher, trying to project authority.

"No more chomping insects the moment they land!" he continued, his tone sharper now. "That's wasteful! Half-eaten prey is far more effective for attracting more insects. We'll use their instincts against them. The scent of their dying brethren will lure others to their deaths. Do you understand? We're not just mindless predators anymore. We're—"

He paused.

Why is it so still?

So quiet.

He observed the Flytraps around him, they remained motionless, their mouths slightly ajar, their leaves trembling not in obedience, but simply from the soft caress of the wind.

Haeto's confident expression faltered. His jaw tightened, and he clenched his vine-like arms in frustration. "What's wrong with them?" he muttered. "Didn't they hear me?"

His glowing eyes darted from one Flytrap to the next, scanning their forms for any sign of acknowledgment. But there was nothing.

No change in their posture, no reaction to his words.

A bitter realization crept into his mind. I can't control them, he thought. His eyes darkened as he mumbled, "They're just plants... no matter how similar they look to me now. They don't have minds of their own."

He let out a low sigh, the sharp edges of his teeth glinting as he exhaled. .

These Flytraps weren't his allies.

They were simply… there.

"I see," Haeto said softly, his voice barely audible. His glowing green eyes glanced down at his muscular, sinewy form.

He flexed his body slightly, and as he did, something unexpected happened.

From his side, a single vine unfurled.

It wasn't like the roots he had used before.

This was new. It was a sleek, verdant tendril, pulsating faintly with energy from his recent evolution.

He tilted his head, studying it. "Can I use this?" he asked himself aloud.

He tried to slowly move the vine. It moved! And it responded smoothly, coiling and twisting in the air like a serpent.

He couldn't deny the sense of control he felt over this new appendage was appealing.

Before he could experiment further, a soft buzzing sound reached his ears.

Haeto's sharp eyes darted upward, and he saw them.

Insects.

Dozens of them hovered in the air above him.

Their iridescent wings caught the sunlight, flashing shades of blue, green, and gold as they flitted about.

Their movements were erratic yet strangely coordinated, as if they were drawn by an unseen force.

Below, the smaller Flytraps began to stir.

Their jaws opened wide, releasing faint wisps of pollen into the air.

The golden dust shimmered as it rose upward, a trap designed to entice the unsuspecting insects.

Haeto's mind began to think about what he should do.

Soon, something entered inside his plant brain.

His eyes widened.

He needed to test his strength, to figure out his limits. If he couldn't rely on these mindless plants, he would have to handle things himself.

Instinctively, he lashed out with his vine.

The sleek appendage whipped through the air with a sharp whoosh, slicing upward toward the swarm of insects.

But it fell short.

The tip of the vine barely grazed the lowest insect.

Haeto blinked, startled by the realization. "It… didn't reach?" he muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.

He tried again, snapping the vine forward with all the strength he could muster.

Swoosh! Pak!

The motion was sharp and precise, but once again, it fell just short of its target.

"I see," he murmured. His glowing eyes narrowed as he analyzed the situation. "So even this new vine has its limits. Its reach isn't infinite."

He let out a frustrated huff, his mind already churning for a solution. "If I can't reach them directly, then I need to bring them to me."

Haeto's gaze shifted back to the smaller Flytraps.

He felt like he could do something.

The insects needed to be drawn closer. Half-eaten prey was the key. But how could he bait the insects into landing to them?

Haeto stood still, staring intently at the wide-open mouths of the flytraps surrounding him.

The faint glimmers of light reflecting off their jagged, green teeth caught his eye, and a wave of irritation ran through him.

Why had he been overthinking this so much?

With a sharp slap to his own head using his sturdy vine, he muttered to himself, "Why am I making this complicated? I don't need some grand strategy. I just need to make a small sacrifice."

Determined, Haeto widened his own formidable maw.

Almost instantly, a heavy, sweet fragrance filled the air as his evolved body released potent pollen, far more intoxicating than anything the smaller flytraps could muster.

The surrounding air became thick with the golden glow of Haeto's pollen, shimmering under the dappled sunlight.

It didn't take long for the insects to notice.

They buzzed frantically above him, their movements growing erratic as the irresistible allure of his scent pulled them closer.

One by one, the insects began descending toward Haeto, their wings producing a steady hum that made the air feel alive.

As the first insect came close, Haeto readied his vine, coiling it tightly like a spring. His sharp gaze locked onto the unsuspecting creature.

With a quick flick of his vine, he lashed out.

Bang!

The impact sent the insect flying, a loud whooshing sound following its launch.

Haeto watched with anticipation, thinking his strike would send the insect hurtling into one of the surrounding flytraps. But to his surprise, the insect soared upward instead, escaping into the canopy.

"What?" Haeto blinked, his vine twitching in frustration. His gaze darted back to the swarm as he muttered, "Was my attack... too weak?"

Refusing to give up, Haeto readied his vine again.

Another insect buzzed near, lured by his powerful pollen. With precision, he struck again.

Whoosh!

The insect spiraled away, just like the first.

Haeto's jaw tightened as realization dawned on him. "So… my vine attacks are weaker than I thought," he murmured. His expression hardened. "I see. I've been overestimating myself. This new evolution doesn't make me invincible."

But Haeto didn't let the setback deter him. His mind churned for alternatives. After a brief pause, a sly grin spread across his face. "Fine. If my vines won't deliver the kill, I'll do it myself."

Haeto opened his mouth wide, his jagged teeth gleaming ominously.

As another insect buzzed near, he snapped his mouth shut with a loud chomp.

The sound reverberated through the clearing as the insect's upper half disappeared into his maw, leaving its twitching lower half dangling from his teeth.

Quickly, Haeto released the half-eaten corpse and swatted it with his vine.

This time, his aim was true.

The mangled remains of the insect landed near one of the smaller flytraps.

Haeto's eyes lit up. "It worked!" he exclaimed, his tone a mix of relief and triumph. "And my control over instinct became better," he would mumble.

His movements became more fluid as he repeated the process, refining his technique with each attempt.

His powerful pollen continued to draw more insects, and his precise chomps left just enough of each corpse to serve as bait.

Occasionally, a few insects bypassed Haeto entirely, lured instead by the pollen of the smaller flytraps.

He noticed this but didn't let it bother him. "Let them have their share," he muttered. "It's all part of the process."

Gradually, the clearing transformed.

The ground beneath the flytraps became littered with insect corpses, their broken wings and crushed bodies piling up like offerings at an altar.

Some of the flytraps even began to twitch slightly, responding to the overwhelming scent of the dead insects below them.

Haeto worked tirelessly, his sharp focus unwavering.

The smaller flytraps swayed gently in the breeze, oblivious to the strategic genius unfolding around them.

To Haeto, this was just the beginning.

Finally, as he took a moment to survey the clearing, his glowing green eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

Almost every flytrap was surrounded by the remains of dead insects, a testament to his efforts. Haeto's body pulsed with newfound confidence.

"It's done," he murmured, his voice low but resolute. His sharp teeth glinted as he added, "Let's see how far we can take this bait I set up for them."