Chapter 251: The Giant Erosion Thorn Vine Mother Plant
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 251: The Giant Erosion Thorn Vine Mother Plant
The environment within the Carnivorous Forest was vastly different from any forest I had ever known.
The biggest difference, I suppose, was the so-called plants.
They didn't look like they had evolved here naturally; they were either species born in some specific environment and transplanted here, or they were artificially engineered.
Before reaching the area of the Giant Erosion Thorn Vines that Cheng Yu had mentioned, I had already seen far too many miraculous plants.
I finally understood why they were so eager to wait a whole month just to come here.
This place was practically a paradise for exotic flora!
Plants that were once unimaginable were a reality here. Whether it was the Man-killing Vines that contracted upon touch or the Man-eating Pods that snapped shut like bear traps—while I had to admit they were dangerous, they were truly wondrous.
After all, being swallowed whole—protection spell and all—by a Man-eating Pod was quite the experience...
But in the end, they were still just plants. I used a spell to burst it open from the inside, though its internal sap was highly corrosive. The moment it exploded, a sizzling sound echoed as the sap ate into the surrounding tree trunks.
Some of the corrosive fluid even splashed onto an unidentified plant nearby, causing it to let out a piercing shriek and burrow into the soil.
One could see the "vitality" and "liveliness" of the plants here; that wasn't an exaggeration in the slightest.
In the end, after I blasted that Man-eating Pod, we collected some of its seeds. I took a few out of curiosity, mostly as souvenirs.
Sofiri, on the other hand, planned to cultivate some of these aggressive trap plants. Many Planters chose highly aggressive flora as contract subjects for plant summoning spells; they were quite effective, at the very least.
Plus, they could be used to guard a plantation.
Upon further questioning, I discovered that Sofiri actually leased an entire plantation back at the academy!
Though I had no experience in such matters, someone who could lease a whole plantation had to be either incredibly wealthy or of high status, right?
Had I run into a wealthy lady?
Once we reached the area where they had previously encountered the Giant Erosion Thorn Vines, I understood why they had made so little progress despite entering the Carnivorous Forest so many times.
Setting aside the fact that the previous area was part of the relatively safe outer perimeter, we were now deep within the forest.
In this specific region of the Giant Erosion Thorn Vines, I felt a palpable sense of oppression emanating from the vegetation.
In this part of the forest, the trees were no longer the dominant masters of the sky. Deep green vines were coiled deathly tight around the trunks; looking at the rib-like indentations pressed into the wood, it was clear how long they had been there.
They crisscrossed everywhere. When we first arrived, the vines weren't that numerous, but looking into the depths, the dense thicket of vines looked like a giant, woven web.
The once-tall trees had withered under the vines, their top leaves sparse. Yet, they weren't dead; they were being kept alive for their final value—providing nutrients for the Giant Erosion Thorn Vines.
The thorn-like protrusions on the vines, which looked like both spikes and roots, were driven deep into the bark. High up in the canopy, I could see the skeletal remains of birds caught on the vines.
A shimmering sap secreted from the vines, eventually dripping from the thorns and into the soil.
The air here was incredibly humid, and the area differed significantly from the rest of the forest. There were no dense thickets of shrubs or ferns. Even the plants that did grow here gave the Giant Erosion Thorn Vines a wide berth; it seemed the sap of these vines was highly problematic.
"The Giant Erosion Thorn Vine has incredibly tough vines that even sharp blades can't easily cut. They're a natural high-strength rope. Moreover, the sap they secrete is highly corrosive but very valuable. I'm mainly here to collect the side buds and the sap," Sofiri explained to me. She then pulled out her professional tools and custom containers, clearly prepared for the task.
"This is where we came last time. We suffered quite a bit and barely got anything out of it; we even got injured. After we went back, Sofiri specifically looked up information on this plant. Turns out, this stuff is actually worth quite a bit."
"Indeed. The books say the side buds can be cultivated. I want to see if I can grow them artificially in my plantation. If I succeed, I'll have another crop with sustainable output." Sofiri’s voice was tinged with excitement. It seemed that after failing last time, she was ready to take this prize home.
"Is there anything else to watch out for?" I asked. "Will these vines try to bind us like the ones we met earlier?"
"The books didn't say so, but I don't think they will. The Giant Erosion Thorn Vine sacrificed its ability to trigger a contraction in exchange for extreme toughness. Also, while the secreted sap is highly corrosive, the books describe it as feeling greasy to the touch. Even if it did bind someone, they would slip out quickly. At most, they'd take corrosive and piercing damage. Those are just superficial wounds; my potions can handle emergency treatment for that."
"Alright..."
I nodded. Though I wanted to complain, I held back. If the corrosion was that strong, how did the person who wrote the book know the secretion felt "greasy"?
Were they just that dedicated to their craft?
Perhaps it was some kind of localized hand protection spell.
Furthermore, rather than calling these vines predators, looking at these malnourished trees, they seemed more like parasites.
If they were true predators, such a dense distribution of Giant Erosion Thorn Vines probably wouldn't survive for long.
After some time spent collecting, Sofiri satisfiedly packed everything away.
"Also, I made these plant specimens and side bud specimens. Consider them a gift. I've used a spell to maintain the vitality of this side bud specimen. If you ever want to try your hand at planting, you might be able to grow it."
"I'll pass. I don't have a massive plantation, and this thing clearly isn't suitable for a villa," I declined.
"Alright then. Once we're out, we'll convert your share into Red Copper," she offered.
I tacitly accepted. Although our harvest hadn't been massive so far, the dangers we'd encountered were anything but few.
At the same time, I had seen many novel things. This trip wasn't meaningless; at the very least, it gave me a sense of the diversity of Secret Realms and established a baseline for their difficulty.
There probably wasn't a Secret Realm cheaper than this one.
By the same token, there probably wasn't a Secret Realm with a lower danger level.
This meant this was the easiest type of Secret Realm, yet if actual freshmen were sent here, casualties would be unavoidable.
Setting aside the dangerous plants, even dealing with something like the Giant Erosion Thorn Vine—which didn't actively attack—could lead to major problems if one didn't know what they were dealing with.
This so-called Carnivorous Forest tested one's keen observation of danger and knowledge of alien plants. Without a vast store of knowledge and corresponding strength, it wouldn't be easy to thrive here.
Even now, while I considered the plants here fragile, they had caused me significant trouble.
The binding vines, the Man-eating Pods, the Giant-mouth Flowers, and even the Man-eating Trees disguised as normal trees were all far too dangerous.
Add to that the restriction on excessive damage to the Secret Realm—which required paying a fine—and it was truly a hassle.
The only pity was that we hadn't found any of those bottles containing notes, drafts, or recipes yet.
However, we had collected many exotic plants, and they had shared quite a few with me.
Even though this was the Carnivorous Forest and most plants were dangerous, there were also many beautiful ones. Dreamlike flowers bloomed in deserted corners, and the three of us naturally didn't let them pass.
Since we were here, we had to take something back to make the trip worthwhile.
Even if we weren't experts at cultivating such exotic flora, growing a potted plant was something anyone with half a brain could do, right?
If these plants could survive in such a harsh environment, why couldn't they live in my flowerpot?
They'd look quite nice as decorations in the villa.
We set off again, heading toward the deeper region of the Dark Thorn Vine Grass. Facing the Giant Erosion Thorn Vines blocking our path, I dealt with them directly using Wind Blade.
Since there were no other major dangers here, though poisonous insects were becoming more frequent.
I cast protection shields on all three of us, with a focus on protecting the top of our heads. Who knew if the vine sap would drip down as we passed? If it corroded our scalps and left us bald, how hideous would that be?
As I used Wind Blade, I also felt the toughness and strength of these vines. A standard Wind Blade actually struggled to cut through them!
Normally, a standard Wind Blade could slice right through an ordinary person. While I was impressed, they still had to yield before my Modified Wind Blade Spell.
I had even used Wind Blade to derive a specific technique for cutting highly flexible targets, though unfortunately, it didn't count as an independent derivation.
Because of this, our pace quickened, significantly faster than their first time here.
Beside me, Cheng Yu was telling me about their last trip, mentioning how Yanyan had bitten through these vines until her mouth bled, and how her fur had been corroded by the secretions.
If she hadn't used Earth Element protection, they wouldn't have known what to do.
"This is the first time we've made it this deep into the Giant Erosion Thorn Vines. By coming this far, I guess we're clearing the path for others, huh? Lucky for whoever comes after us." Cheng Yu turned back to look at the path we had carved out, feeling a bit sentimental. This was only their second time in this area, but they had never gone this deep.
Then again, others probably wouldn't need us to clear a path. While the corrosive effect was strong and the vines were tough, it wasn't like they were indestructible.
Even a basic Wind Blade spellbook could clear a path; it just wouldn't be as efficient as I was.
At that moment, Sofiri was holding a very thick book. The label indicated it was borrowed from the library. She was currently reading the section on the Giant Erosion Thorn Vine category.
I saw that she had already flipped through several pages, and the content on the vines still wasn't finished. It seemed the information in that book was incredibly rich.
"It's getting denser the deeper we go. Moon, are you okay? You've cast so many Wind Blades. Should we take another route?"
"No need. I have plenty of Mana Sources," I said, shaking my head. The path we were taking was one I was deliberately guiding us along, heading straight for the depths. That was why it was getting denser.
Through my Spirit Vision, I could see the flow of Transcendent energy within these vines. Since they were the type that propagated through side-bud transplantation, the energy flow in all the vines was highly directional.
Therefore, I reasonably suspected that a "Mother Plant" existed somewhere in the central area.
Whether that Mother Plant was special or not didn't concern me; I just hoped no one had beaten us to it. Since this was a very low-level Secret Realm, it shouldn't have been completely scoured. My main interest remained the notes and such left behind in the realm.
"Sofiri, a question. I see you've been reading about the Giant Erosion Thorn Vine. Does this plant have a special existence like a Mother Plant?"
"A Mother Plant? Uh... I think I saw something. Yes, there is. The Giant Erosion Thorn Vine is a highly reproductive species. It's not recommended to introduce it into an unfamiliar ecosystem. Once introduced, it will multiply recklessly, just like what we're seeing now. The original Giant Erosion Thorn Vine will lose many of its characteristics through continuous reproduction, becoming a pure reproductive body that requires the offspring to provide it with nutrients..." Sofiri flipped back several pages and pointed to a specific paragraph.
"So, there is one?" I asked.
"Yes, definitely," Sofiri nodded. "Wait, you're not planning to look for it, are you?"
"Yeah, I want to go find it. We've already reached the central area, haven't we?"
"True. The Giant Erosion Thorn Vine doesn't have any active attack capabilities. I'd love to see what a Mother Plant looks like! If... if it can be transplanted, that would be even better. Otherwise, I don't know how long it would take for the side buds I collected to become a Mother Plant."
Sofiri closed her book, her eyes suddenly sparkling. It seemed she was truly passionate about plants. My earlier impression of her was that she was introverted; perhaps fighting side-by-side had made her open up?
"If we find any notes or recipes there, I'd like to make a copy," I added.
"Eh? You know, that's actually quite possible. Don't worry, we'll definitely give you a copy! After all, you've done the most work on this trip. I'm almost embarrassed..." Cheng Yu said, her gaze drifting toward Yanyan, who she felt was being a bit useless.
Besides, these things could be shared; you just had to copy them.
That was the nature of knowledge—it could be spread.
And Cheng Yu knew that without Moon, they might not have been able to get this deep. It wasn't that they lacked the means, but it wouldn't have been worth it. It would have cost too much in terms of resources and time.
Soon, under my guidance, we arrived at the center.
There, we saw a massive sphere woven from entangled Giant Erosion Thorn Vines. From a distance, it possessed a strange, eerie beauty.
"Wow... it's so big? The weaving is actually quite pretty. Is this the wonder of nature?" Cheng Yu exclaimed in awe.
"Indeed, it's fascinating."
I stared at the massive cocoon of vines, sensing a strange rhythm within.
Then, I raised my hand and sent a Wind Blade toward it. The blade struck the giant cocoon with powerful cutting force.
I hadn't been idle on the way here; I had been using the Practical Learning Spell to constantly improve my Wind Blade, hoping to use the derived effects I'd discovered to deduce an independent derivative spell. Unfortunately, I hadn't found any inspiration yet.
However, my efficiency in cutting the Giant Erosion Thorn Vines had increased dramatically.
Even so, my Wind Blade didn't completely slice the thing open.
But I did see a thick cross-section and corrosive sap flowing out.
This thing wasn't just big; it was incredibly thick!
"This thing is that tough? Moon, your Wind Blades were clearing entire paths in one go earlier!"
"It is tough, but that's all it is." I nodded and followed up with several more Wind Blades.
I was careful with my cuts, though, fearing I might damage whatever was inside. There seemed to be some kind of liquid within.
Since it was so well-protected, the contents inside must be something that needed safeguarding.
"This really is the Mother Plant of the Giant Erosion Thorn Vine! The book says the Mother Plant, having lost many of its traits, becomes fragile but gains extreme reproductive capabilities. It needs mature vines to wrap it into a giant cocoon!"
As Sofiri pointed to an illustration and text in her book, the giant cocoon finally split open under my blades. Inside, a large sphere made of countless tender, intertwined vines was revealed...
"That's it! The white... core curled into a ball!" Sofiri cried out excitedly.
But before she could rush forward, the opening in the giant cocoon suddenly contracted, and a massive amount of corrosive liquid sprayed out, aimed directly at us.
"Watch out!" I shouted instantly, manifesting an energy shield in front of Sofiri, Cheng Yu, and myself.
When I made the second cut, I had sensed a pressurized layer of fluid inside. I hadn't expected it to be waiting for us like this.
If I hadn't been cautious and prepared, I wouldn't have been able to cast protection spells for the others so quickly.
"Ah? Phew... that scared me to death..." Sofiri collapsed onto the ground, clearly shaken by the sudden turn of events.
"Thank you..."
"It's fine. It was my responsibility for breaking it open so abruptly," I said, shaking my head.
"No... I had the book right here. I just saw it, but I forgot to tell you. It's my fault for getting too excited..."
"Hey, you two, stop taking the blame. Why don't we check out the loot?" Cheng Yu stepped forward, interrupting our back-and-forth.
"True. It happened, and no one was hurt. Don't dwell on it. If you remember every life-and-death moment, life gets very exhausting," I said. I had a very clear perspective on such things.
"I suppose so... Let's see how the Mother Plant is. This is my first time seeing a Mother Plant-type... I feel like if I can transplant it... I might be able to trade it for an even bigger plantation..."
"Stop obsessing over your plantation and go check the loot, my dear Great Botanist Miss Sofiri~" Cheng Yu leaned in and gave Sofiri a playful slap on the backside.
"I'm going, I'm going! Honestly!" Sofiri shot a mock glare at Cheng Yu and walked over.
"Let me put another protection spell on you. Be careful," I said, raising an eyebrow. That gesture looked a bit too practiced; those two were clearly very close.