Monster Flower 7 - The Devil's Bargain

Did I just hear that wrong? The Monster Flower spoke to me. In human language, no less. And the message was—

Not "let's fight" or "die," but a deal. I doubted my ears for a second.

Then—

Unexpected consideration. Understand?

"...Obviously I can't. What kinda bullshit is that?"

I aimed my kukri—its blade chipped halfway to hell—at it. Sure, I could wrap it in sword aura and leave a pretty scar on that talking flower's face, but the Monster Flower didn't give a shit. It curled its disgustingly human-like lips in amusement.

Its awkward sentences grew smoother. It spoke in a fluid, eerie voice.

What the hell is this, some kinda cult sermon? The Monster Flower's offer left me baffled. Most baffling of all: why now?

Then it extended another tentacle from underground toward me. Too slow for a sneak attack. Moments later, the tip swelled like a bud, forming a fruit-like mass. Flesh-made pulp. The Monster Flower offered it to me.

It looked smug as hell. So confident I glanced down at the offered fruit. Flesh-packed pulp. Blood-red gleam. Pulsing with life, like a freshly ripped-out heart.

Suddenly, something overlapped beyond it—a familiar figure.

"...Eat this, and I turn into one of those nomad raider bosses?"

The leader of those nomadic raiders who'd kidnapped and fed live people to this thing. At the moment of death, he'd swallowed a weird ampule whole and mutated into something grotesque. I'd seen it.

"Failures?"

"So this one's different?"

Squelch—

In that instant, the flesh-fruit morphed. Vein-like roots dug into the floor below; human-head-like growths sprouted above. The finished form was grotesque—a mashup of things I knew all too well.

'Gluttonous Fission Beast and Vascular Devourer.'

The two Tier 3 mutants I'd hunted. The first, fine—but the second was weird.

"Say you ate the front one, but why do you have the back one?"

"No way. You made all those?"

Perfect being filling their flaws. My gaze fell back to the fruit. It had branches the Vascular Devourer lacked, roots the Gluttonous Fission Beast missed. Now I got why they originated from this thing.

'This city was its massive digestive system—and lab.'

The Monster Flower turned the city into a giant digestion vat and testing ground for its evolution. It devoured people while experimenting with possibilities. The Vascular Devourer and Gluttonous Fission Beast were results; it ate them to dream of the next stage.

"Eat this, and I become a fusion of those two freaks?"

Puke—

A fresh tentacle shot out, ripping into one of my wounds and retreating.

"Guhk...!!"

Horrific pain flooded in. Pure wound-stirring agony, but not malicious—just probing my weak spots, as promised.

In that hellish pain, I finally understood why this bastard kept making shitty offers.

'Yeah, I'm a mess right now.'

Holes riddling my limbs, blood leaking everywhere. Subweapons lost in the fight—only two kukris left. Hope still growls near its heart, but not enough to kill.

Meaning: it thinks it's won. Like tossing a Poké Ball at a weakened Pokémon.

...Hoping I'll think that?

"So, surrender quietly to your command?"

Yeah, I'm quick. So I get what this means.

Answer? Obvious. I flipped it the bird nice and calm.

"Fuck off and die."

For once, that creepy voice sounded good.

"Yeah. Three reasons." I held up three fingers.

"First. If I'm done, I'm not surviving looking like that freakshow." Folded my thumb.

"Second. Can't trust fellow humans in this world—how the fuck could I trust a monster like you?" Folded my index.

"Third. What idiot releases a fish that's already hooked?" Flipped the bird again.

"You're on death's door, asshole."

In that instant, the Monster Flower spewing nonsense began vomiting pitch-black dead blood. Not just it—the tiny flowers on the walls, the small ones sprouting from the floor. All hacked up blood.

Seeing that, I finally exhaled in relief.

Fuck. Honestly, I was sweating.

'It acted so natural, almost fooled me.'

Pill Seller's secret plan worked, but I'd half-doubted it'd stick on something this huge! The reaction said it hit home, though.

"Sounds like I force-fed you or some shit."

The cocky bastard now wheezed like a terminal TB patient. No eyes, but I felt its gaze thick with dread.

"You slurped up all the blood I spilled so far."

Drips of blood seeped into the floor—dead blood.

This was the alpha and omega of the Monster Flower takedown plan. Watching it, Pill Seller's voice ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠echoed in my mind.

"My martial art is based on crafting medicine that saves all things."

"But everything has light and shadow."

"The ultimate medicine that saves all can become the ultimate poison."

Pill Seller's Pill Refining Art was born from pure intent to save lives. Yet light and shadow are inseparable. Medicines born to cure poisons inevitably birth counter-poisons.

This was prime example.

"Reverse the Pill Refining Art, and its life-giving nature ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠turns destructive."

"Life and death are one, following that law."

"Endure it, and your heart will brew the universe's deadliest poison."

Proper blood flow is life's principle. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Reverse it, and it's death's.

Surviving what should kill you defies nature's law—great law realm.

What name for this great law?

"Call it with reverence."

Simple answer.

"Reverse Blood Great Law, Poison Human Realm."

The pinnacle of life-death reached by the great Martial God who sought to save all.