"Bountiful Hand."
A green light glowed from Summer's hand. Today, he was experimenting with the exotic plant known as Fist Flower. According to its description, this plant used fist-shaped petals to attack nearby creatures.
Slowly, a tender green shoot emerged from the soil. For some reason, Summer felt a bit nostalgic.
Then, the shoot suddenly grew, and the scene turned bizarre. A sturdy stem with red flowers shaped like boxing gloves swayed back and forth, and there were two of them, resembling a boxer ready to fight.
"As expected, it's the same. Rillaboom, how about you challenge it?" Summer sighed.
"Rilla?"
Rillaboom seemed puzzled. Wasn't fighting a plant a bit of an overreaction?
Sensing Rillaboom's disdain, one of the Fist Flower's petals extended as if making a rude gesture, provocatively pointing at Rillaboom.
Rillaboom swung its arms and approached the Fist Flower. "If you want to fight, I'll oblige."
As Rillaboom drew near, the Fist Flower assumed a combat stance, suddenly bending its stem and swinging its flower in a sneak attack.
Quick to react, Rillaboom blocked with its arm. The collision generated a strong shockwave. Rillaboom widened its eyes, surprised by the plant's strength.
"Rilla!"
With a fierce punch, Rillaboom struck the Fist Flower. The plant didn't dodge; instead, both flowers combined to counterattack. Its stem bent backward, using the recoil to deliver a powerful punch.
Blow after blow, the exchange was pure force, no finesse. Rillaboom gradually got serious—it found a worthy opponent!
"Rilla!"
With intense energy radiating from its body, Rillaboom gathered strength into its fist and smashed down hard.
The Fist Flower compressed its stem, storing power, then unleashed it just as Rillaboom's punch came, swinging its flower in retaliation, swift and fierce!
Boom! The Fist Flower was driven into the ground by Rillaboom's heavy blow. Trembling, its petals slowly extended a thumb, as if smiling in acknowledgment.
Then, the flowers detached from the stem, which withered rapidly, leaving behind two vibrant blossoms.
"Rilla..." Rillaboom looked forlorn. It extended a thumb toward the withered stem, smiling, acknowledging the fallen foe.
[Rillaboom has learned the move Arm Hammer.]
"Eh..." Summer was stunned by the forest assistant's words. Rillaboom had learned a new move, Arm Hammer, a powerful attack, from its battle with the Fist Flower.
Should he praise Rillaboom's exceptional talent or the Fist Flower's formidable strength? He concluded it was probably both.
"Eating these flowers will temporarily boost strength. The flowers falling off might be the Fist Flower's way of acknowledging a worthy opponent," Summer said to Rillaboom.
"So, it's up to you to decide what to do with them, Rillaboom, since you defeated it."
Rillaboom thought for a moment, then decided to eat the Fist Flower. It seemed to be what the plant had intended.
[Research Report on Exotic Plants (Part Three): Fist Flower, a plant with a sturdy stem and fist-shaped, powerful petals. It actively provokes and attacks nearby creatures.]
[Possibly self-aware (unconfirmed). When defeated, it voluntarily sheds its petals, and its stem withers.]
[Note: The petals taste like slightly bitter honey, have a chewy texture, and temporarily boost strength equivalent to a Swords Dance.]
Another new day began, with only Sword Grass and Radiation Mushroom left to study. Radiation Mushroom was sealed away due to its need to absorb pollution and its extreme toxicity, leaving Sword Grass as the next subject.
"Bountiful Hand."
A strange-looking grass quickly sprouted from the soil. Its unusual appearance was familiar to Summer, prompting him to say, "A vegetable knife?"
Rectangular leaves with stems resembling knife handles—if the leaves were as hard and sharp as described, they'd make perfect green knives.
To test Sword Grass's hardness, Summer brought two notoriously tough berries, a Coba Berry and a Babiri Berry.
Gently touching the Coba Berry to the Sword Grass's edge, it instantly cut through, proving its sharpness.
"Let's try the Babiri Berry," Summer said, and it too was easily sliced.
"Impressive. Could it even cut through steel?"
"Squawk!"
Corviknight descended from the sky. Summer, I can't ignore that remark!
"When did you get here, Corviknight?" Summer asked.
Glaring at the peculiar plant, Corviknight was displeased. How could a plant be harder than steel?
Corviknight had been following Summer since he planted the Bright Block Berry. A fruit that glowed, trees that generated electricity, flowers that boxed—now a grass that could cut steel?
Summer must have gotten these plants from somewhere strange, but Corviknight couldn't dismiss the steel-cutting claim.
Spreading its wings, Corviknight thought, If you can cut steel, then try cutting my feathers. You'll fail miserably!
"Corviknight, why are you competing with a plant? Fine, if you want to try, let's see how sharp and tough it really is."
"Squawk!"
Corviknight slashed at the Sword Grass with its wing, and something seemed to snap. It looked at its feathers, screeching.
"Squawk? Squawk!" (What?! My feathers are cut?!)
"Oh, it can cut steel. Impressive," Summer remarked.
Corviknight shed tears, then opened its eyes, its wings gleaming with metallic light. "Damn, take my Steel Wing!"
Sword Grass was sliced in half by Corviknight's Steel Wing. Goodbye, feathers. I've avenged you.
"Limit noted: Corviknight's Steel Wing," Summer recorded.
"Squawk!"
Corviknight squawked in discontent. You cut my feathers and acted so coldly, Summer!
"Didn't you want to try it? And I did warn you."
Summer looked exasperated, then shoved the sliced Coba Berry and Babiri Berry into Corviknight's open beak.
"Have some berries to calm down."
The unique flavors burst in Corviknight's mouth. The once-unpalatable Babiri Berry was now delicious! It could only think, "So tasty!"
[Research Report on Exotic Plants (Part Four): Sword Grass, shaped like a knife. Its leaves are hard and sharp, capable of cutting Corviknight's feathers.]
Note: The cut leaves are safe to use (made into knives).
(End of Chapter)