For some time afterward.
One anomaly after another unfolded in tribe after tribe of vine monsters.
In one tribe.
A group of vine monsters was feasting inside a cave.
The vine monsters were exceedingly careless about their living habits. Right beside them lay a pile of foul-smelling filth, including excrement and urine.
Yet the vine monsters turned a blind eye to it, each one wolfing down food.
Just then.
One vine monster suddenly showed a pained expression. It threw down its food, clutched its throat with both hands, and began dry-heaving.
"Blergh~"
It spat out a bloodstained stone as large as a fist.
The surrounding vine monsters all turned pale at the sight.
Then.
As if the first domino had fallen, a chain reaction began.
Most of the vine monsters in the cave began vomiting painfully.
"Blergh~"
"Blergh~"
Without exception, they all vomited up stones.
Then.
Gray White Patches emerged across the body of one vomiting vine monster and rapidly began to spread.
The few vine monsters that had not vomited were scared out of their wits. They scrambled and fled from the cave.
One minute later.
The cave fell silent.
Every vine monster left behind had turned into a stone statue, still frozen in a vomiting posture.
In another tribe.
The situation was slightly different.
An elderly vine monster dreamed of a gray mosquito biting one of its fingers.
The next day.
After waking up, it found that finger had turned to stone.
Terrified, it immediately snapped off the stone finger.
The news quickly spread throughout the tribe, and every vine monster heard about it.
Another day passed.
Several dozen vine monsters woke up to find that one of their fingers had turned to stone as well.
As for the elderly vine monster whose finger had turned to stone