Chereads / The evolution of the Rabbit God / Chapter 5 - Addicted to herbalism

Chapter 5 - Addicted to herbalism

There are many things that I know my previous self would be appalled by that I might do in the future.

I am not trying to brag, but I like to see myself as a clean freak. I wouldn't say I am at the level of OCD in cleanliness, even if other people makes jokes in reference to me and my OCD in cleanliness.

The morning breeze while still dozy steals away my sluggishness. The freshness brings vitality to my dead eyes. The hunger that accompanies this morning ritual, which is the first time for this ritual, keeps me with reality and stops me from going back to sleep. My mouth feels like a dried river bed in the desert. I know it is time to take note of my surroundings so I can start my day.

There is plenty of ambient noise around. Oh, this is the first time I thought about it, but I think that is a good sign. I can smell blood in the distance, and I know that is not a good thing. I do not know which direction it is from. The light is partially low, as I think it's slightly after dawn, but the tree foliage keeps the light away anyways. I never officially took a mental note, but this is a forest. The floor of the forest has plenty of long grasses and underbrush. I would not call this a jungle, but I do not actually know the difference. Actually, I think this is a jungle. I wonder if I can find any mushrooms - on second thought, I should stay away from mushrooms. I know mushrooms are easy to misidentify.

Thinking about mushrooms, I am hungry.

I start eating some grasses near the bush I am under. After munching a few mouthfuls, I remember I need to change my eating habits. However, I do not know if I can find my home again if I traveled some distance to eat.

Oh, and I just realized after eating some grass; I can stand on my four legs without too much of an issue. I can also slowly walk properly. I think this must be the monster genes and not the animal ones. I do not know if I am a monster of regular animal.

On second thought, I do not have to live under this exact bush. I'll build closer to the river. It would also make finding the entrance easier.

I start moving my body towards the sounds of water in the distance. If this is not the sounds that a river makes, I would be quite surprised.

After reaching that I presume to be a river over a small bank of a hill, I am getting slightly excised. I manage to climb and make my way through the brush closer to the river, but then I run into a problem. I can't reach the water. I will fall into the water, as the area is too steep.

After walking for a bit, I think I see a beach on the other side of the river... Do I attempt to swim across or look for one on this side? Well, if I can barely walk, I will drown if I even attempt this retarded idea. I wonder if I can push a log or wood into the river for a floating device.

I decided to turn around and walk upstream instead. Worst case scenario, I wade across and land on that beach if I can not find a beach on this side.

I never found that beach I was looking for, but I had a new idea. I will just make my own beach or a ramp to the water. While trying to dig a slope, I caused a slight land slide, and fell into the water.

I started to struggle and fight to keep afloat. I was panicking with despair. What felt like an eternity, I manage to get to that beach. I rush to the nearest bush, and started to shake. Never again. Never, never, never again. I do not think I will ever go into the river again. After almost drowning in that puddle the first time, I do not think I will ever like water. For some reason, I felt like I wanted to throw up, but I do not know why, but I do not think I can. I feel like this body is incapable of throwing up. Matter of fact, I think rabbits do not throw up, or gag, even on earth. I have my stomach filled with water right now, and I do not think I have room for anything solid at this moment. I ended up laying down and taking a nap.

I had dried off after an hour of lazing around. I decided to check my stats.

Stats:

Strength: (2.3/2.8)/5

Vitality: (1.9/4.4)/5

Dexterity: (0.9/1.2)/5

Agility: (1.7/2.2)/5

Intelligence: (2.9/3.1)/5

Wisdom: (1.5/2.5)/5

Luck: (?/?)/?

Fatigue: 27%

I have been wondering what will happen when I reach one of those caps on my stats. I have a feeling that I will get a quest or something when that happens, else I will not know what to do to increase the caps.

I saw some nearby grass that had what appeared to be silver highlights on it. Walking closer to it, I wondered if this was edible. Before I could even remember myself proclaiming that I would not eat strange things, I already had started to gnaw on it.

*Ding* Quest: "Herbalism" added to quest book.

I was surprised that the grass I started to eat was a herb that might be good for me.

Quest: Herbalism

- There are many plants that can be described nutritious. Herbalism is not only about finding herbs, but all plants that have efficacies similar to one.

- Find and eat more rare plants with strange effects (1/100)

Note: all killing and negatively effecting permanent effects will be 90% negated during this quest. Negatively efficacies will be 50% negated during this quest. Resistance to substances will grow at normal rates. Low dosage requiring poisons can and will still cause death in large dosage or over consumption.

- Reward: The skill Herbalism will be added to status.

Note: You can view details of last herb consumed: *Info*

This quest left me slack jawed, unbelievable. I clicked for more information.

Information: Unknown leaves of unknown plant

- The lanceolated shaped leaves, counting around 8 leaves, with silver highlights can be used to describe the efficacies of the rooted plant.

- Uses: unknown

- Effects: source of calories for infant rabbit

Ugh, I will say that was informative. This did let me know there is a rooted herb below the grass I was nibbling on.

I started digging it out. And lord behold the treasure I find. It looks like a cluster of brown carrots. I know rabbits are notorious for liking carrots on the television, but I actually know that you should only feed them sparingly. I remember once being told by a fellow doctor, who was going to become a food safety inspector for animals, that carrots have lots of dead calories or something. Uh, I am only trying to survive and all the free sugar I can get will be useful for me. I do not think that worrying about a balanced diet is in my priorities, and who is to say this is a normal carrot? It should be a herb.

I with no worry in the back of my head, start to devour the carrot looking herb as quickly as I can. I took my first bite and it melted in my mouth. I would say the tastiness of this carrot is like the chestnuts when I was human. I tried a bite of each of the roots.

*Tick*

The sound that usually sounds when there is an update to a quest, I never really bothered paying those weird sounds any attention, but right now I am.

Information:

- The burgundy colored obovate shaped closed cluster roots, have many veins running along them.

- The number of grooves indicate the efficacy density.

- Uses: Drug

- Effects:

: Addictive (1-40, 1 for each pound, amount required to consume is divided by number of grooves)

: high source of calories for infant rabbit

: increases sensitivity of senses for 20 minutes by 10-200% (reach 200% with a pound)

: decreases to a permanent gain (5% for each groove on root, if more than 20 grooves, extra remains dormant in body)

I wonder if addictive substances count as negative efficacies in the quest or not. This root is larger than my body, I think I should just eat this root for a while. I wonder if I should just make my den right next to this root or not. This is plenty of food for a while, and I don't want to eat anything other than this anyways. I wasn't able to eat anymore of the root, I only had 4 ounces of the herb so far. The roots had between 8 and 12 grooves each. I'll start eating the lower count groove roots first. I also noted that the leaves had a similar count of silver highlights on them. The number of leaves matched the number of roots that can be grown. The leaves that have silver highlights matches the number of roots with grooves, so I think the extra leaves are for future grooved roots.

I started to dig a den right next to the rooted herb. It will make eating the root easier too, I am a genius. Digging uses lots of energy, I barely dig a few inches and am already dead tired with fatigue. I went to drink some water, then lay down under a nearby bush. I can't lay out in the open, can I?

After relaxing for 2 hours, I realize I made a terrible plan. I should make the den entrance under this bush. It is a few feet away, maybe I should move that root closer too. It'll give me something to do I guess.

I started to dig a new hole right under this bush. A few inches down, and I am tired again. I guess I have enough energy to eat some more. I went over to the roots and started to go to town. Chewing the roots was very easy when they practically melt in my mouth with tastiness. My jaw felt tired of chewing, but my tongue did not want me to stop. I ended up laying back down under the bush after swallowing large food chunks.

Life was good. I did my business in the river where it was shallow on the beach. I drank fresh cool water when thirsty. The sky was always cloudy, but never rained. The temperature was relaxing I guess. I had the best food in the world, the smell was just as intoxicating as the taste of it. I got very lazy and rarely did anything other than lay around not working on my den I was suppose to work on.

7 or so days pass with life being so good.

I ran out of root to eat this morning. The leaves themselves do not do anything for me. I think they reduce the addicting reaction parts of the root, but I do not think I am addicted to the roots like some hard core drug user. I am addicted to it like someone might like coffee or chocolate. I do not think I want to ever eat anything other than these delicious roots, not even to complete this quest I have.

Today I wake up tired and hungry. I have not ate anything for 30 plus hours. Maybe, I can find more roots if I eat other grasses that are lanceoate in shape. Lanceoate shapes are spear or lance shaped, or you can think of an oblong shape with one side that is pointed. I am no biologist, but I do know a little bit about plants when it relates to food after all.

I started to wander to other grasses to take nibbles regardless of shape or color. When I came across some mushrooms, I don't remember when they landed in my mouth.

*Ting*

Information:

- Solitary light brown stock mushroom with dark brown dome hood.

- You find this mushroom growing from some sort of special decaying log. The log has an aura that brings death, being purified from the mushroom.

- You are unable to identify the log.

- Recommendation: Stay away from log after picking mushroom.

- Uses: Detoxification

- Effects:

: Calories for infant rabbit

: Detoxifies abnormalities in infant rabbit

: Strengthens vitality growth by 15%

Uh, that is a scary warning. I will stay away from this log until another mushroom grows on it again I think.

I went back to my bush, to rest again. I feel less cloudy in my head, but oddly fatigued. My stats says my fatigue is only at 70%.