10.3c

Kudzu sighed as he continued expanding the borders of the territory while talking with the Dark Bird, Jeffery T. Wellington. It was excruciatingly boring, as the coin-hungry bird didn’t seem to have any applicable understanding of potions to be worth discussing. All the Dark Bird could chat about was drugs, distribution, pricing, and so forth. It was quite boring and the only saving grace he found was the potion samples. They were inferior products, but still useful for research.

Research. Kudzu thought as he paused. Wouldn’t it be better if I could get more potions for research?

“Dark Bird,” Kudzu said.

“Actually, it’s Dark Prince.” the Dark Bird replied as a vein twitched in his forehead.

“They are the same to me. How much BH2 for more potions.” Kudzu said.

“What type of potions do you want?” the Dark Bird said sitting up straight.

“All of them,” Kudzu said keeping his vine from quivering in anticipation.

“A-All?” the Dark Bird replied as he started to sweat. Birds were strange that way, you never saw a plant sweating unless it was to lure prey in.

“Indeed. I want everything in this Flightless Bird.” Kudzu said, waving the inappropriately named Dark Catalog in another vine. Clearly, the fact that it was a bird that couldn’t fly and just provided information to live escaped the Dark Bird’s feeble mind.

“O-One hundred t-tons?” the Dark Bird stammered out.

So cheap! Kudzu thought before remembering Boom Slicer’s admonition to always cut the price by fifty percent. Something about not revealing the capabilities of mass production. Right, something about not attracting attention from dangerous bird flocks?

“Fifty tons,” Kudzu replied swiftly.

“Seventy-five.” the Dark Bird countered.

“Forty-five.” Kudzu countered. He was rather good at this negotiation process.

“Fifty works fine.” the Dark Bird said making a pinched prune expression.

Kudzu was satisfied with his premier bird negotiating skills and turned his attention away from the vine by the Dark Bird. His attention traveled down the vines to meet in the hibernation chamber with the others. The discussion in the chamber allowed him to see the path forward and he pulled up his Status to commence the process of choosing his Perks.

Level: 2,500

Tier: Fourth

Race: Aetheric Monster Vine-Lord

Class: Aetheric Alchemic Predator

Profession: Aetheric Alchemist

Affinities (2): Plant, Alchemy

Health: 150,000/150,000 (150,000 HPs regen)

Mana: 150,000/150,000 (150,000 MPs regen)

Stats: Str 15,000; Dex; 15,000; Con 15,000; Wis 15,000; Int 15,000; Perception 15,000

Monstrous Aspects:

Balanced X

Predator X

Bird Slayer X

Rapid Growth X

Regeneration X

Spore Production X

Flower Production X

Vine Production X

Thorn Production X

Poisonous Blood X

Venomous Blood X

Acidic Blood X

Alchemy Tools:

Aetheric Crafting V

Aetheric Extraction V

Aetheric Combination V

Aetheric Infusion V

Controlled Zones:

Kudzu’s Aetheric Swamp II

Plant Seed Core X

Plant Perks:

The empty space where Plant Perks had yet to be chosen upon breaking the Tier Four barrier was an eyesore. Alchemy Tools had slowed upon gaining access to the Aether. However, his Monstrous Aspects had all capped in the meantime. While the Boom-Slicer, Eve, had more raw strength than him. Kudzu’s power was in balance, meaning every vine, flower, and spore had the same strength as the Core. Listening to the Perks that the succubus was listing out though, opened his mind to the possibilities that Plant Perks truly offered.

Mass anti-bird Specialization.

I’ve been thinking too small. Kudzu thought as he watched the changes as Eve stacked Rituals onto her Items. I cannot fall behind.

Opening up the Plant Perk List he momentarily wished he hadn’t chosen Enhancement of his Alchemy Affinity. Even though it had pushed his Alchemy Tools to the next level, there was still the nagging worry it hadn’t been the right move. He crushed that sliver of doubt, improving Alchemy was the path to an Alchemy God, there was nothing else to consider on that. As his mind started to scroll through the Plant Perks though, that thought expanded like gaseous potion residue. His hunting in the Aether granted a copious amount of Slots, more than even Eve had acquired so far since he had done it for a longer time.

It was time to spend the wealth generated by dead birds!

One of the recent changes Eve had acquired interested Kudzu to no end. The power of Witch’s Dust, and the Silver Spores it had descended from demonstrated supreme anti-bird effectiveness. Spores could be a supreme tool in the hands of a true Bird Slayer. As an Aetheric Monster Vine-Lord, it was his duty, nay, his right to demonstrate the power of Spores to the unwashed enemy fliers!

Micro-Micro Spores

Organic factories are slightly larger than their mechanical brothers!

Micro-Micro Alchemy Tool (Aetheric)

Molecular manipulation of Aetheric Alchemy Substances possible.

Vine Factory (Spore)

Your vines now produce micro-micro spores.

Flower Factory (Spore)

Your flowers now produce micro-micro spores.

Thorn Factory (Spore)

Your thorns now produce micro-micro spores.

Kudzu watched as his entire savings were wiped out. It would take months to restore lost funds from hunting in the Aether. He took a quick look at the Plant Perk section of his Status.

Plant Perks:

Micro-Micro Spores

Micro-Micro Alchemy Tool (Aetheric)

Vine Factory (Spore)

Flower Factory (Spore)

Thorn Factory (Spore)

It was the work of moments to familiarize himself with the Micro-Micro Spores. They were slightly larger than Witch’s Dust, however, their speed of organic and chemical molecule manipulation was exceptionally balanced. Kudzu didn’t pursue direct alteration of Elements like the Boom-Slicer could do. Instead, the softly bubbling power of alchemic prowess was his hallmark. Highly addictive drugs were just a method of paying the bills that allowed research to progress without interruption. For instance, within his very own Vines, Flowers, and Thorns it was a mark of pride that Alchemy flowed. Now, with the addition of Micro-Micro Spores via the Plant Perks, he could reach even greater heights.

Uncontaminated, pure, effective Alchemy!

Potion cooldowns were a result of the inherent medical toxicity of alchemy. Contaminants increased the problem often incurring a longer cost in time. It was easily seen that the correlation between a cooldown and the purity of a potion had visible links. Yet now, Kudzu would be able to produce superior products in larger quantities. With the application of Rituals, mass production of peak quality alchemy miracles was only a matter of time. Soon the power of Alchemy would transform his form even further!

Still. Perhaps I should look into equipment now? Kudzu thought. I could wear it on my humanoid form and still derive the benefits in theory.

Kudzu was certain, that with enough additional bird-killing gear boosts, he would turn into the unstoppable death machine a plant was always meant to be. Before he could descend into experimental fervor, one of the many alarms in the thorn cages triggered. Slave collars were supposed to suppress those shackled by them, but in Kudzu’s opinion, they were complete garbage.

A good dose of BH2 made almost all of even the most bitter slaves turn into a happy docile bird waiting for the knife to descend. Even with the application of drugs though, there were still a few that managed to retain their sanity. These few slaves realized immediately that there was no reason to drug slaves unless they were not going to be around much longer.

Kudzu’s attention was drawn to a group of three who were currently in the process of cooperating to escape their thorny cages. Each bird attempting to escape had their own unique method. One of them froze the plants before slipping out, another melted their cage, and the last slipped out with the wind. It was clear the slave collars on them were either dysfunctional or damaged enough to allow minimal use of power.

Still, they were only Tier Four.

Kudzu had been eating Tier Four birds at Tier Three and these Elemental tricks were nothing to his eyes. Micro-Micro Spores spread out instantly in the space occupied by the three birds. The windy bird attempted to get a warning to the other two, but the message failed as each began to choke. As they dropped to the ground and slowly lost consciousness, he ensured the growth of additional pleasure organs in their brains. It was an elementary trick that he has mastered after experimenting with thousands of bird test subjects. There would be no second escape attempt, as the three birds' bodies would be kept in a constant state of endless bliss. While his experiments demonstrated that pain was an effective teacher, the pleasure was the most effective prison he had found so far to contain unruly experimental birds. From what he had found, birds that were constantly in a state of euphoria never attempted to escape. He just added a few additional vines to handle cleaning and feeding.

With these spores, I should prepare for the Matriarch to die. Kudzu thought. It is always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission after all.

Moving his thoughts deep below the swamp he touched upon vegetation that had been slowly encroaching on the Dragon. There was a literal wealth of old molts discarded in a corner by a large pile of feces. Kudzu observed the dragon magic that slowly converted excrement into pure water before shifting his attention to the molted scales. With only a few skins, it was clear the Matriarch molted every few hundred years. A careful check revealed no mana remaining on the scales. In order not to alert the Matriarch, Kudzu proceeded slowly in exactly the same pattern he used to approach the sleeping dragon.

After several careful minutes of allowing moss and water plants to encroach, he enacted a slow steady series of tests. As long as it appeared to be the work of Nature, the Law of Contagion that had been explained to him did not apply. Micro-Micro Spores began their minute tests to determine the most efficient method to break, grow, and consume the scales.

Eve will handle the Elements. Meanwhile, I will ensure my attacks eat the Dragon alive. Kudzu thought. I cannot assume that I will be able to detect being marked. However, if I refine myself with alchemy that will destroy anything attached. By doing that, and transmuting the devoured components, alchemy will alter everything and obliterate any chance of detection.

Indeed, it would be impossible to track him, if the frequency he gave off wasn’t that of a dragon-eating plant. A quick message to his ally along with an explanation got assent. If there was one thing that would keep him working with the Boom-Slicer into the long eons ahead, it was how she prioritized empowering those in her family. Kudzu had seen how Nature was a brutal kingdom of bird versus plant. To find a not-bird that would actively assist a plant in keeping the enemy numbers down was worth more than mere gold.

It was worth loyalty.

The side effect of the not-bird, Boom-Slicer Eve, also being able to assist in funding his experiments by creating sales channel distributions for his drugs made the choice to stick with her easy. Kudzu had no doubt he had a decent amount of strength. But there was no reason for a small bush to refuse a great tree’s protection from the elements. To do otherwise was simply the idiocy of a bird. Such creatures were always assuming they could stroll unhindered through the world without repercussions.

Yet even the strongest birds perched on a plant.

Admittedly, if it was one of his plants it was the last thing they did, but the intent remained. No plant, no matter how powerful, could exist without protective assistance. The fact that he innately understood more of the world than most plants, was also the reason he was willing to accept Eve’s leadership. Kudzu had summarized his thoughts into a systematic theory he explained once to the others.

When one is a blade of grass they see dirt.

When one is a flower by grass they see bushes.

When one is a bush by flowers they see hedges.

When one is a hedge by the bushes they see trees.

When one is a tree by the hedges they see taller trees.

When one is a taller tree they see the tallest trees around.

There is always a bigger plant. Kudzu thought. Yet even the World Tree started as a seedling who needed protection to grow.

Symbiosis was a path Kudzu knew would lead him to greatness. Already he had broken through to Tier Four. How many plants in the time he had been alive traveling with Eve were the same Tier as him?

None of them!

Such evidence before his eyes was enough to enshrine the concept of symbiosis effortlessly in his psyche. So he tended a Garden in exchange for residency in a safe environment. In exchange for chocolate, spices, and drugs Kudzu could grow and develop with ease. There were probably other plants as lucky as him, after all the World Tree that he’d read about had servant birds, elves, tending it.

Mice were clearly the superior gardeners compared to elves, though.

As he focused back on his work, Kudzu worked to develop a variant of Micro-Micro Spores that could eat dragon scales. When the Matriarch fought back, he would show the true power of an alchemic plant.

Refining a dragon into food, truly a worth effort of Alchemy!