What is intelligence?
'The process of understanding something and figuring out ways to adapt.'
Most believe that intelligence is possessed only by humans and similar races, but that's incorrect.
Monsters and beasts also have intelligence. It's just that their level is extremely low, with only a few special individuals having higher intelligence.
Then what about plants?
Do plants have intelligence? Do they possess the ability to analyze and judge things - that kind of thinking?
Like automatons that move as commanded, whether they possess intelligence has been a long-debated topic among scientists of this era.
Do they have intelligence?
To conclude simply, 'yes.'
'Plants don't have brains, but brains aren't responsible for all intelligence. If something responds and adapts, that too is intelligence.'Even without a brain, intelligence exists and learning is possible.
In fact, various experiments have shown that plants can adapt to their environment.
The way plants change into various forms depending on the environment was also such a result but intelligence and intellect are different.
Simple learning itself is possible even for plants, but to go beyond that learning and develop it further requires intellect.
Plants have the intelligence to respond and adapt to their environment. However, there was no advanced process of achieving something beyond that.
'Plants have intelligence but no intellect. But this one is showing intellect now.'
Mimicking humans to hunt prey is learning hunting methods.
That alone was something plants couldn't do, but going beyond that to imitate humans and create new evolved forms was clearly in the realm of intellect.
'Even if it had just clumsily imitated, that alone would have been an amazing discovery in evolution.'
But it went one step further than that.
It wasn't just putting on an empty shell of mimicry.
The motion of swinging the sword to cut down the projectile was exactly like the movement Osian had shown before.
It was beyond imitation, a replica like looking in a mirror.
'Insight that penetrates the essence.'
Did plants ever have such ability to copy things to this degree?
Never. At least in the mythical era of the past, there was no such being.
A mutation of the century created by modern scientific advancement, that's exactly what this ethereal plant was.
Osian was intrigued.
'Just how much has it copied me, I wonder.'
Suddenly, he thought of Lupona.
A variant doppelganger that copies the opponent's class but implements its characteristics in the opposite way.
How would it compare to her, who had become a complete intelligent being living somewhere in this city like a wild wolf?
"Well then, how far can you copy me, and how well can you implement my swordsmanship?"
There was no answer to Osian's question. It couldn't speak since it had no vocal cords capable of human language but considering its intelligence, it should be able to understand what he's saying.
Even if this wasn't the main body, given the network formed by its colony, it would probably be monitoring everything he does.
"Shall I help?"
"No. I'll handle this one. Don't interfere."
"But......"
Alania tried to say something but couldn't quite manage it.
She lacked the experience to judge the situation rationally. Moreover, this kind of situation was such an extreme exception that her mind wasn't working properly.
Osian walked forward slowly, gripping his sword.
The plant that copied Osian walked forward to meet him.
The tension was so extreme that even the surrounding sounds seemed to disappear.
Two sets of footsteps echoed softly, overlapping.
Thus, they both stopped simultaneously, without either taking the lead.
The distance was about 5m.
Not close enough to reach with a sword swing, but considering their physical abilities, not a far distance either.
"Even though I'm like this, I'm the original you're based on, so I'll let you have the first move."
Osian was the first to speak.
"Show me the best swordsmanship you can manage."
The plant didn't reject the offer. Whether it fell for the provocation or not, it immediately lowered its upper body and put strength into its legs.
The legs made of sturdy roots strongly kicked the ground. The ground cracked where it stepped, and its body shot out like a bullet.
Its movement was faster than even the agility of wild beasts.
Even the pure physical ability itself seemed to be trying to copy Osian.
An ordinary person's motion vision couldn't catch its movements. Only the trajectory of the single-wheel light blooming above the flower showed where it had moved from and to.
Of course, reacting to that would be too late.
The moment you see that light, your life would already be over.
Naturally, this didn't apply to Osian.
-Clang!
Osian's sword collided with the wooden sword it was holding.
"The speed is good."
-Kagagak.
Although it was a sword made of wood, its cutting power was far beyond any ordinary fine sword.
That too must be some characteristic manifesting from the mutated plant.
The plant put strength into its body connected by thick stems, trying to push Osian back but Osian didn't budge an inch, as if nailed to the spot.
"The strength isn't bad either."
At this level, it would be fair to say that in pure physical ability alone, it was superior to apprentice knights.
When pushing with strength didn't work, it changed its approach.
It naturally held the wooden sword at an angle, letting it flow along Osian's sword while aiming for his wrist.
Osian lightly twisted his sword to block the attack.
Not perturbed by this, it retrieved its sword and quickly aimed for Osian's legs.
"But the technique is crude."
Osian lifted his leg and stepped directly on the swinging wooden sword.
With a boom, the stepped-on sword writhed and then wrapped around Osian's ankle.
This was possible because the sword itself was a plant.
"The unpredictability passes. But this is instinctive movement."
However, Osian's leg was already covered with greaves made of starlight.
The wooden sword wrapped around his ankle couldn't break through the starlight armor.
It let go of the sword and pulled out a new wooden sword from its body then hazily changed and sharply aimed for Osian's vital points.
Osian swung his sword, either completely blocking or deflecting all of its attacks.
Dozens of sword exchanges occurred in the short span of 1 second, and Osian was not only unharmed but completely at ease.
The plant, seeming to realize this wouldn't work, pulled out its trump card.
-Whoosh!
The Sun Ring burning on its head intensified, and its power was overlaid on top of the wooden sword.
With a whoosh, the wooden sword transformed into a sword of yellow fire.
The fire sword drew an arc as it swung toward Osian.
"That power..."
White light surged from Osian's sword.
"That's not how you use it."
-Slash.
The Sun Ring sword was helplessly cut before the starlight and the wooden human behind it met the same fate.
From the shoulder joint to the side, nothing remained where the starlight had mercilessly cut through.
The diagonally cut upper body slid down and fell to the floor.
The Sun Ringl flame blooming above its head, which had collapsed with a thud, went out like a candle.
"Ultimately, you fail. Still insufficient."
Using the Sun Ring against Starlight, the strongest power against humans.
Though its power is remarkable, the Sun Ring wasn't a power specialized for such close combat.
'Of course, a being that just picks up and uses others' powers wouldn't have enough knowledge to know that.'
Osian checked to see if the Sun Ring power would return to him.
He didn't feel any power building up inside him, meaning the Sun Ring hadn't returned yet.
'So the real one is with the main body, is it?'
He wasn't disappointed since he had expected this anyway.
After finishing the battle, Osian turned around.
"It's over. Let's move quickly."
"Wow......"
Alania gaped with her mouth open at Osian's words.
The exchange just now between Osian and that wooden human was so fast that even elven motion vision couldn't track it.
All she saw was them clashing once heavily, then a few sword exchanges, and yellow and white lights flashing.
Considering that this exchange took less than a few seconds and happened in an instant, it was truly unbelievable.
Belatedly understanding the situation, Alania asked.
"But will the others be alright?"
Even though Osian subdued it easily, that plant human was no ordinary strong being.
Thinking of that strength, one couldn't help but worry about team members infiltrating other sectors.
"You don't need to worry about that."
The one who answered was the black mage James.
"There are elves, and even the Special Operations Unit has been deployed. They are strong, so even plants won't be a match for them."
"Still......"
"Trust the Special Operations Unit. We're not that weak."
There was a certain force in James's voice. Though he may be a black mage, he's a civil servant working for the city.
From the fact that he does this kind of work despite still having a bad reputation, he must take great pride in Special Operations Unit work.
"Even though we look like this, we're next in rank after the Executioners......"
James's words weren't properly finished because a sharp root fragment protruded through his pierced abdomen.
"Huh?"
Before James could say anything, the wood that had pierced his abdomen lifted him up like a skewer.
"Gaaaahk!"
"M-Mr. James!"
James screamed in pain as another plant human had somehow approached behind him.
James' trembling body went limp. He was dead.
"W-When did it......"
"Looks like that one specializes in moving stealthily."
It appeared silently behind James without making a sound.
Its appearance was also different from the one that fought Osian, being more slender and nimble.
Looking closely, its silhouette was similar to the beastkin Tarka.
"To die right after saying to trust the Special Operations Unit. This will lower credibility."
Osian shot a glare at Mist who was muttering beside him.
It was as if asking if he really had to say that here.
Of course, inside, Osian was thinking something similar.
Meanwhile, Alania wailed in great sorrow as if James's death was truly tragic.
"No! How could you go like this! You said you had a fox-like wife and rabbit-like child at home!"
"Did he?"
"No. First time I'm hearing this too."
Osian asked and Mist answered.
There hadn't been any such conversation with James on their way here, so it wasn't a misunderstanding.
Alania also asked in a puzzled voice.
"D-Did he?"
"We barely talked in the first place."
"B-But looking at his face, he seemed at least 40, so he might have had a family!"
"Being a black mage and in the dangerous Special Operations Unit, that doesn't seem likely."
"Anyway, I'll avenge Mr. James! He was our comrade!"
Though they were just co-workers for this mission, were they really close enough to get this fired up?
But Osian and Mist couldn't bring themselves to point out this attitude. After all, there was sincerity in Alania's voice.
They thought she was quite an emotionally rich elf.
It was puzzling how she had managed to keep quiet until now with that personality.
Perhaps this was her true personality coming out now that there were no workplace superiors watching.
"Whatever the case, we do need to deal with that one."
That plant had taken Tarka’s form. While copying Osian made sense since they had met before, that wasn't the case with Tarka.
"It seems it learns and copies our behavior patterns in real-time."
"Saying it does this in real-time means the longer we give it time, the more accurately it will analyze us."
"Yes. The longer this fight drags on, the more disadvantageous it becomes for us."
"...What if, possibly, it killed Tarka?"
For reference, Tarka moved together with Eldin and the dwarf Special Operations Unit member.
If Tarka was taken down, there was a high possibility that others who went with him were also taken down.
"No. That's not possible."
Osian firmly denied Mist's such anxiety.
"They're not weak enough to go down that easily."
Eldin's combat power that he had seen for a moment was definitely not something to be ignored.
Moreover, the fire spirit she handles is the natural enemy of ethereal plants. He couldn't picture her being defeated.
"However, we can't assume the situation is absolutely positive either."
Just like our side, these plant humans must have gone to other teams as well.
While Osian might handle them easily, they would clearly be tough opponents for others.
All Osian could do was silently hope for their safety.
*
-Bang!
Eldin, who had swung her hammer, had to endure her body being pushed back with her legs.
"This bastard......"
Eldin frowned at the large wooden ballista that had deflected her hammer.
However, she couldn't let her guard down. After all, a hammer made of wood was already being swung at close range.
The hammer, glowing with Sun Ring power and drawing a bright yellow trajectory, belonged to the plant human copying Eldin.
Eldin pulled out a short hammer from her waist and reduced the impact with the power of the wind spirit as she stepped back.
"Hey! Are you alright!"
"I'm fine, worry about your own injuries first!"
Eldin shouted not to worry to Dagran the dwarf, who was bleeding from his shoulder joint, then focused on the enemy before her.
Meanwhile, another ballista bolt flew from the darkness.
It was similar in size to what Dagran used.
"These bastards. Copying us and all."
Eldin frowned. The one swinging the hammer was obviously copying her, and the one sniping from the darkness was copying Dagran.
Moreover, they were blatantly copying them and launching coordinated team attacks.
Eldin felt that the longer this fight dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would become.
"Ah, this isn't something I should use here."
Eldin muttered quietly before warning Dagran and Tarka.
"Hey, you two. Step back, it's dangerous."
"What? You want us to step back in this situation?"
"No time to explain, but I warned you anyway. Don't blame me if you get caught up in it."
Simultaneously, enormous flames burst out from Eldin like an explosion.