Reincarnated As A Plant Life
chapter-65

After returning to the camp, Lucius summoned Alpha to have a talk with him about perimeter control. He was certain that both Alpha and Hannibal would evolve today, which meant that they would be out of commission for a few days, so he wouldn't get another chance.

"Yes, Captain?" Alpha reported upon arrival.

"I need you to pick out a right-hand man that will report to me while you're out. You are aware that you will be out of commission after today's session, right?" Lucius replied as the other leaflings prepared for the photosynthesis session.

"Right-hand man?" Alpha asked, clearly confused by the concept.

"Who do you trust the most amongst your squadmates? Who would the others follow if you weren't around?" Lucius clarified, to which Alpha gestured towards a leafling that was currently talking to another.

"So you're Alpha's right hand, huh?" Lucius asked as the leafling appeared.

"Right hand? Not a clue what that is, Captain," the leafling replied.

~A girl huh,~ Lucius thought to himself as he heard her speak. Based on the way she had approached, Lucius could tell that she had a more laid-back demeanor compared to Alpha.

"Forget that. Alpha will be going through evolution after this session, so you'll be directly under me, meaning that you'll have to give daily reports," Lucius explained.

"Sigh, so basically Alpha's putting even more work on me?" the leafling sighed in response before nodding.

"Sorry about that," Alpha replied.

"I'm only kidding. Congratulations on your evolution, the rest of us will join you soon," she said, before nodding to Lucius once more and returning to her spot in the photosynthesis circle.

~Seems they've formed a little family, good,~ Lucius thought to himself as he noted down the familiarity with which they spoke to each other.

Shortly after, Pagan began the photosynthesis session, once again adding his 5% photosynthesis efficiency increase to Lucius's 15%.

*

As usual, most leaflings lasted up till the 20-minute mark, from which point they began dropping out in large numbers. However, a few more seemed to have breached the 30-minute mark this time around, making their way closer and closer towards the elites of the commune.

Apart from Hannibal, Pagan, and Alpha, Ghost and two other leaflings were still in the race. But by the 35-minute mark, the two other leaflings dropped out.

The 40-minute mark came to pass, and the 'welling-up' feeling appeared. It felt as if it were right within reach, at any moment Alpha and Hannibal would evolve.

Just as the sensation was becoming palpable, Lucius could feel another leafling show its first signs of evolution. A third 'welling-up feeling', though it quickly disappeared as the leafling's link was severed.

By the 50-minute mark, the 'welling-up' sensation was akin to a burning sun, like it would melt his skin if he carried on any longer. He could feel the world around him slowly fade away, his mind drawn away from his physical body.

*

~This space again, huh,~ Lucius thought to himself as he opened his eyes to the white void that surrounded him. Just like last time he wasn't exactly sure when it had happened, only that it had, the welling up feeling had come to pass.

[Evolution of secondary creatures has commenced.]

[Rewriting creatures' genomes...]

[Genomes have been successfully rewritten to accommodate for the evolution process.]

"Well done you too," Lucius whispered to himself before being kicked out into the real world.

Unlike the last time he had been there, he didn't seem to have spent all that long inside the void, as everyone was still where he had left them. Of course, only Pagan, and a few other leaflings were still awake.

Lucius stood up to inspect the two pods that had appeared in place of Hannibal and Alpha. They were much like the pod that Pagan had been in, except both had their own minor differences.

One of them had wood-like vines of a similar color to Lucius's horns -a charred black wood- surrounding its base instead of flowers. It also had wood-like venations running across it, forming mesmerizing patterns all along its surface.

The other pod had flowers, however, the tendrils that sprouted from underneath it seemed thicker, and the flowers noticeably smaller. This pod did not have any venations or patterns and was as smooth as silk.

~More variations?~ Lucius thought as he touched the pods.

[Creature's evolution is incomplete.]

~Figures. Thought I could get them out like I did with Pagan,~ Lucius thought to himself before returning to Pagan. He still had quite a bit of energy and wanted to grow as much as possible, so he decided to carry on with the session.

"Shall we continue?"

***

The photosynthesis session continued until the 2-hour mark before both of them decided that they were at their safe limits. Once again Lucius allocated all his points to growth, however this time there were no noticeable changes to his size.

Though he could feel a few internal changes within his body. For one, there was a slight density increase. He could also feel that his senses had become sharper, more intense.

He could now feel the cold chill of the moist forest floor, the warmth of the sun's rays. He could smell the dirt all around him, the scent of tree bark in the air. And he could somewhat sense the vibrations from the ground in a small area around him, the snores of his sleeping children.

~Kind of chilly,~ he thought, a slight shiver traveling up his body.

Though it wasn't obvious to him, his body heat had shot up significantly as well, and the organ that acted as his brain had grown larger. The connections that held his body together had become stronger, and the internal framework that acted as his skeleton even denser.

But the most significant change to his body was this slight pulling sensation he felt from the ground. It wasn't a hard tug, but he felt a sort of attraction to the earth beneath him. As if a weak magnet was calling towards him.