Chapter 1
"So, what makes you come all this way in the middle of a manna storm?" John Harris asked the stunningly beautiful young professor who sat in his office. Professor Rix had come from the nearby Sanjiken Magic Academy here to Sanjiken High School with two assistants with two giant plants on flatbed carts each in the middle of the yellowish-white flurries visible out in the yard as Mr. Harris gestured at the window.
While exposure to manna fall wasn't directly harmful, particularly for a mage like Professor Rix, most people tended to avoid direct contact due to the intoxicating effects that accumulation of manna could have. The town couched its public service announcements in indirect language, not wanting to alarm the people of the walled city of Sanjiken, but the truth they both knew as teachers and privileged government officials was that manna overload could send the body into a feedback loop of arousal.
"It is the only time we can safely transplant the venus seductress," she answered, gesturing to where her two assistants guarded the dangerous plants out in the hall visible through his open office door. "They're direct hybrids," she continued, using the term to describe any plant or animal that had fused directly with a human after manna exposure, instead of other plants or animals as is far more common. "As such, they consume vast amounts of manna, which is useful for our experiment, but makes transporting them dangerous unless it's during a manna storm."
"So, you want to introduce these venus seductresses to our school?" John Harris raised an eyebrow, looking at Professor Rix skeptically. He had heard rumors about the deadly plants and knew that they could pose a risk to his students.
"I assure you, John, I will have everything under control," Professor Rix said, smiling confidently. "The venus seductress will only target students with potential manna quirks, and I will be with my psychic magic standing by in case anyone gets too... excited. This experiment has been approved by Harold Kune himself as a way to attempt to bolster the number of potential mages in your graduating senior class."
John sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine. But make sure that you don't put anyone in danger. I don't want to deal with angry parents if something goes wrong."
"Of course," Professor Rix replied, a glint in her eyes. "Thank you for trusting me, John. This will be a great opportunity for us to identify students with unique sexual energies. No one will remember anything more unusual than some plants that aren't normally in the gardens."
With that, Professor Rix left John's office, a wicked grin on her face. She couldn't wait to see how the venus seductress would react to the hormone-charged atmosphere of the annual school senior class lock-in event. The event was only open to those students who were 18, so it was held near the end of the senior year to ensure as much of the class as possible could attend. And maybe, just maybe, she could find a student to take to the side to help her with her manna quirk. Outside were a couple of mages with giant plants under glass domes to contain their overpowering pheromones.
She looked at the plants as they wheeled the carts toward the garden, contemplating nature's cruel twist that endowed these giant mutant plants with a thirst for seducing humans. Manna had begun falling from the sky approximately a century ago. The magical substance infused the ground and any organisms it landed on, being concentrated by plants and then by the animals that ate those plants. Its primary effect seemed to be activating dormant abilities within the plants and animals to allow interbreeding in ways that scientists at the time of the first fall said were patently impossible. Many of the plants and animals of Professor Rix's world were hybrids of two or more plants depicted in the few surviving records of the time before the fall, before humanity cowered here behind the Sanjiken Wall on 86 acres of comparatively safe land amidst the magical and dangerous Wilds.
The only thing that had saved mankind was the fact that, not long after the fall, humans got exposed to the manna directly, or indirectly through their food supply. Among all the creatures and plants of the earth, humans seemed to be special, many humans died of a form of magical cancer, but the humans that were overexposed and didn't die developed the ability to gather and channel manna from their environment, giving each a magic-like control over one kind of natural energy. Plants and animals that didn't already hybridize with each other before their first contact with these enhanced humans tended to develop into gigantic manna-hungry monsters, bent on sucking the manna from manna-sensitive humans to power their own life and reproduction.
As the venus seductress was wheeled toward the garden, Professor Rix admired its beauty. The leaves were wide and green, almost shimmering in the sunlight, with jagged edges that resembled the jaws of its ancestor, the venus fly trap depicted in ancient wildlife books. Its delicate white flowers exuded a sweet scent, laced with potent pheromones that made her heart race with excitement as the mages lifted the domes off the delicate-looking flowers.
But behind the alluring scent lay a deadly predator. The venus seductress was known for its powerful tentacles, which pulsated and throbbed as they secrete an aphrodisiac that could amplify its prey's arousal and therefore manna energy. The mages moved quickly, using their earth magic to manipulate the soil and create a suitable space for the venus seductress. Their movements were precise and calculated, their faces set with concentration as they worked together to complete their task before either they or the plants absorbed too much manna from the ongoing storm.
As the plants were planted and soaked up manna from the soil and air, the pheromones grew stronger, filling the courtyard with a sweet fragrance that made Professor Rix's head spin. She felt herself growing more aroused with each passing moment, her manna quirk kicking in and sending waves of pleasure coursing through her helpers and the students passing nearby in the gym.
Finally, the four venus seductresses were firmly rooted in the ground, their jaws open wide in anticipation. Professor Rix licked her lips hungrily, eager to see how her experiment would play out. With a flick of her wrist, she signaled for the mages to depart, leaving her alone with the deadly plant.
As the mages departed, Professor Rix took a deep breath, savoring the sweet scent of the venus seductress. She closed her eyes and focused her psychic energy, reaching out to the plant with her mind.
To her surprise, the venus seductress responded docilely, its tentacles writhing and pulsating as it sensed her approach. Professor Rix smiled, feeling a thrill of excitement as she realized the plant was under her control.
She gestured toward the nearest tentacle and it wrapped around her wrists and waist, snaking among them fluidly. Rather than capturing her and drawing her to its large gaping leaves, it merely held her as the plant's aphrodisiac began to take effect, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body.
Professor Rix moaned softly, feeling her arousal grow stronger with each passing moment. She knew that her manna quirk would amplify the effects of the aphrodisiac and spread it to all those around her, making their urges irresistible.
When she judged the effect strong enough, she waved her hand dismissively at the plant and the tentacle released her. She made her way through the hallways, ears open for any sound that might betray some student caught in the pleasure-amplifying area around her. As she passed the principal's office, she saw movement. Hearing a moan from inside, she paused at the slightly ajar door. Peeking within, she saw Iris, the student assistant, sitting on the desk facing slightly away from the door.
Iris Thompson was a vision of beauty, her fiery red hair cascading down her back in soft waves. Her skin was smooth and creamy, her curves accentuated by the tight-fitting uniform she wore.
