Chapter 251: Giant Erosion Thorn Mother Plant
The environment within the Carnivorous Forest indeed differs greatly from the forests I am familiar with.
The most significant difference might be those so-called plants, right?
These plants don’t seem like they evolved naturally here; they are either species that were transplanted from some specific environment or artificially cultivated.
Before reaching the area where Cheng Yu mentioned the Giant Erosion Thorn, I had already encountered too many magical plants.
And I understood why they were so eager to wait here for a whole month.
Because this place is simply a paradise for exotic plants!
Plants that I would have never dared to imagine in the past truly exist here—whether it’s the killer vines that retract upon touch or the man-eating pods that resemble bear traps. Although I admit this type of plant is quite dangerous, it is indeed fascinating.
After all, it’s quite marvelous to have a man-eating pod that could swallow me along with my protection spell…
But ultimately, it’s still a plant, which I was able to break through with my magic. However, the plant juice inside has a strong corrosive quality, and at the instant it exploded, the nearby plant trunks emitted sizzling sounds of corrosion.
Some of this corrosive juice even splashed onto an unidentified plant, which then emitted a piercing screech and burrowed into the ground.
Here, one can observe the plants’ “vibrant” and “playful” nature; it’s not an exaggeration at all.
In the end, after I blasted apart the man-eating pod, we even collected some seeds. Out of curiosity, I collected a few as well, considering it a collection.
Sofiry plans to cultivate some of these aggressive trap plants. Many planting specialists choose to use highly aggressive plants as the contract subjects for plant summoning spells since they are at least fairly useful.
Moreover, they can help guard the plantation, etc.
After some inquiries, I learned that Sofiry had managed to take over an entire plantation at the academy!
Although I don’t have experience in this area, running such a plantation should require either wealth or nobility, right?
Have I encountered a rich woman?
When we arrived at the area where the Giant Erosion Thorn was located, I finally understood why they had made so little progress after entering the Carnivorous Forest so many times.
Not to mention that the previous area was a relatively safe outer zone, but at this moment we had already delved deep inside.
In the region of the Giant Erosion Thorn, I felt the pressure coming from the plants.
The area that was primarily dominated by trees was no longer the master obscuring the sky; the deep green vines were tightly wrapped around the trees, and the imprints left behind were a testament to how long they had been there.
They intertwined and crisscrossed; although the Giant Erosion Thorn was not abundant at first, looking deeper, one could see a dense mass of vines woven into a huge net.
The once-tall trees had become dry beneath these vines, and their upper leaves were sparse. Yet they did not d*e, as they still had one last value—to provide nutrients for the Giant Erosion Thorn.
The thorns and root-like spikes of the Giant Erosion Thorn pierced deeply into the tree’s skin, and one could observe the withered remains of birds that were once perched atop the high vines.
Glistening juice secreted from the vines dripped into the soil, carried by the spikes.
The air here is quite humid, and there’s a significant difference from other places; there are not many dense bushes or ferns, etc. Even the plants that do grow here seem to avoid the Giant Erosion Thorn, indicating that the juice from the thorns is indeed highly problematic.
“The Giant Erosion Thorn has strong, resilient vines that cannot be severed with ordinary tools. It is a natural high-strength rope, and its secreted juice is highly corrosive, yet it has high value. I mainly came here to collect the side shoots of the Giant Erosion Thorn and its juice,” Sofiry introduced to me, then took out her specialized tools and custom containers, seemingly prepared for collection.
“This is where we first came last time. We suffered quite a bit here; it seems we didn’t gain much and even got injured. After we went back, Sofiry specifically found an introduction to this plant. Surprisingly, it’s pretty valuable,” she continued.
“Indeed, the book says that the side shoots of this thorne can be further cultivated, and I want to see if I can cultivate it artificially in my plantation. If successful, I’ll have another crop for sustainable production,” Sofiry said, her tone somewhat excited. After suffering last time, she seemed prepared this time to bring something back.
“Is there anything else we should be aware of?” I asked, “Will this vine behave like the one that bound me before?”
“The book didn’t say, but I doubt it. The Giant Erosion Thorn sacrifices its ability to trigger retraction in exchange for extreme resilience, and while the juice it secretes is highly corrosive, it is described in the book as slippery to the touch, so even if it binds someone, they would quickly break free, suffering only corrosion damage and thorn injuries. These would be considered superficial wounds, and my potion can provide emergency treatment.”
“Alright…”
I nodded, though I wanted to retort, I held back. How could the author know that the secreted substance has a slippery texture when it’s so corrosive?
Could they be too dedicated?
Perhaps it’s some sort of localized hand protection spell.
Moreover, this vine, rather than being a predator, looks more like a parasite, considering how disadvantaged the malnourished large trees look.
If it truly were a predator, such an extensive and dense distribution of Giant Erosion Thorns would likely not survive for long.
After some time collecting, Sofiry seemed satisfied as she gathered her things.
“Also, this is a plant specimen I made, along with a side sh**t specimen, consider it a gift for you. I used magic to preserve the side sh**t’s vitality, so if you ever want to try cultivating it, who knows, it might just grow,” Sofiry said.
“Forget it, I don’t have a plantation that large, and this plant clearly doesn’t suit keeping in a villa,” I rejected.
“Okay, then we’ll convert it to Red Copper when we go back,” she replied.
I tacitly accepted this arrangement. Although our harvest has not been substantial thus far, we have certainly encountered our fair share of dangers.
Nonetheless, I have seen many novel things. This trip has not been meaningless; at the very least, it has made me aware of the diversity of the secret realm and established a baseline for its difficulty.
There shouldn’t be a secret realm cheaper than this, right?
It also indicates that there is no secret realm with lower danger than this.
So, this means this is the simplest secret realm, but if those new students were really brought here, casualties are surely unavoidable.
Not to mention the dangerous plants; even facing something like the Giant Erosion Thorn, a plant that doesn’t actively attack, if they don’t know what it is, they could very well run into major problems.
What the so-called Carnivorous Forest tests is the keen observation of danger and the knowledge of exotic plants. Without extensive knowledge and corresponding ability, it’s not easy to mix well here.
Even now, while I consider the plants here quite weak compared to me, they still pose a significant nuisance.
For instance, the binding vines, man-eating pods, giant-mouth flowers, and even the man-eating trees masquerading as ordinary trees are all too dangerous.
Plus, given the penalty of excessive damage to the secret realm, it’s genuinely troublesome.
The only regret is that I haven’t found any bottles containing notes, drafts, or formulas.
However, I have collected plenty of exotic plants, and several were shared with me.
Although this is the Carnivorous Forest, where most plants are hazardous, there are also many beautiful plants, such as flowers resembling dreams blooming in deserted corners, which certainly caught our attention.
After all, it’s a rare opportunity; we must take something back to recoup our losses, right?
Even if I am not particularly skilled in cultivating these peculiar flowers and herbs, isn’t planting in pots something anyone can do?
These plants can survive in such a harsh environment, so why can’t they thrive in my flower pot?
It would also look nice being placed in the villa.
We set off directly, preparing to venture deeper into the area dense with Shadow Thorns, using the Wind Blade Spell to clear the Giant Erosion Thorns obstructing our path.
Since there were no other dangers lurking here, but an increase in poisonous insects instead.
Thus, I immediately placed a protection shield around all three of us, focusing on ensuring the top was well-protected. Who knows whether the juice from those thorns would drop down on us during our passage? It would be quite unsightly if our scalps were corroded and we ended up bald!
While I used the Wind Blade Spell, I also felt the resilience and strength of the thorns; the ordinary Wind Blade Spell was somewhat strenuous to cut through!
Generally, a typical Wind Blade Spell could pierce through an ordinary person directly, and while I felt a bit surprised, those thorns still had to surrender under my modified Wind Blade Spell.
Moreover, I extended the Wind Blade Spell into a technique specifically addressing targets with high flexibility, but it unfortunately couldn’t be classified as an independent derivative.
As such, our speed of movement increased, at least faster than when they first came here.
Cheng Yu beside me was recounting the last time’s events, mentioning how Yan Yan had bitten her mouth until it bled when breaking through those thorns, and how the secretion had corroded her fur.
Had it not been for her earth element protection, she couldn’t have imagined how to deal with it.
“This is still us coming to the depths of the Giant Erosion Thorn for the first time. Our journey in has opened the way for others, right? We have saved some trouble for those who come later,” Cheng Yu turned back, looking at the trail we had cleared, slightly emotional. Although this was only their second trip to this area, it did not reach as deep as this time.
Yet, others shouldn’t need our trail, as the Giant Erosion Thorn, although highly corrosive, is also quite resilient; it isn’t impossible to break through.
Even the basic spellbook’s Wind Blade Spell could open a path, albeit not as efficiently as I could.
At this moment, Sofiry was holding a thick book that she borrowed from the library, and she was studying the section on the Giant Erosion Thorn.
I saw she had turned several pages, and the content regarding the Giant Erosion Thorn had not yet been completed. It seemed that the book introduced a really rich range of information.
“The deeper we go, the denser it gets. Yue, are you okay? I see you’ve released so many Wind Blade Spells; should we take another route?”
“No need, I have plenty of magic sources.”
I shook my head, stating that the path we were taking was deliberately guided deep inside, which is why it became denser.
As I viewed through Spirit Vision, I noticed that within the Giant Erosion Thorn, there was a flow of Extraordinary Energy, and it reproduced through side shoots. All its vine energy flows have a clear directionality.
So, I reasonably suspected that there might be a “mother plant” in some central area.
Whether that mother plant has any uniqueness, I don’t care. I just hope that no one has beat me to it. However, since this is a low-level secret realm, it shouldn’t have been scavenged yet. My main concern remains the notes or similar items left in the secret realm.
“Sofiry, let me ask you, I see you’ve been reading about the Giant Erosion Thorn; does this plant have a special existence similar to a mother plant?”
“Mother plant? Um… I seem to recall that I saw something similar; yes, there is. The Giant Erosion Thorn is a species with a strong reproductive capacity and is not recommended to be placed in unfamiliar ecosystems. Once introduced, it will proliferate unchecked, just like we are now. The original Giant Erosion Thorn would lose many characteristics through continuous reproduction and become purely reproductive entities that require the nourishment of other sub-units…” Sofiry flipped back several pages, pointing at a particular segment.
“So, it does exist?” I asked.
“Yes, it does.” Sofiry nodded, “You won’t be looking for it, will you?”
“Um, I want to take a look. After all, we seem to have reached the central area, haven’t we?”
“True, the Giant Erosion Thorn doesn’t have active attack capabilities. I also want to see what the Giant Erosion Thorn mother plant looks like! If… if it can be transplanted, that would be even better. Otherwise, I have no idea when the side shoots I collected will become a mother plant.”
Sofiry closed the book, her eyes sparkling with excitement. It seemed she was truly interested in plants. My previous impression of her was that she was introverted, but perhaps after fighting alongside each other we built some camaraderie?
“If we discover any notes or formulas there, I hope to copy one,” I also spoke up.
“Ah? Don’t say that, it’s quite possible! Don’t worry, I won’t short you a copy! After all, you’ve put in the most effort on this journey; I feel somewhat guilty…” Cheng Yu interjected, casting a sidelong glance at Yan Yan, appearing somewhat disgruntled.
After all, these things aren’t unshareable; just copying another would suffice.
Knowledge works like that; it can be shared.
Besides, Cheng Yu knew that without Yue, they wouldn’t have made it this deep. It’s not that they lacked the means, rather that it wasn’t worthwhile.
It would require costs and time, and that’s simply not worth it.
Soon, under my guidance, we arrived at the central area.
Here, we saw a massive spherical formation woven from the Giant Erosion Thorns. From afar, it had a bizarre and unique beauty.
“Wow… it’s so big! The weaving looks quite beautiful; is this the wonder of nature?” Cheng Yu exclaimed.
“Indeed, it’s quite marvelous.”
I gazed at the enormous vine cocoon that looked like a silken chrysalis, sensing a peculiar rhythm within.
But then, I raised my hand and sent a wind blade crashing into the giant cocoon.
Throughout this journey, I hadn’t been idle. Instead, I had actively applied spells to continually improve the Wind Blade Spell, wondering if I could derive an independent adaptation through exploration. Unfortunately, inspiration eluded me.
Nonetheless, my efficiency in cutting through the Giant Erosion Thorn had greatly increased.
But even with this, my wind blade did not completely sever it.
However, I saw thick cut surfaces and the corrosive juice flowing out.
This thing is not only colossal but also very thick!
“Is this thing really that powerful? Before, your wind blade could cleave a path!”
“Indeed, it’s impressive, but that’s all.” I nodded, then followed up with a few more Wind Blade Spells.
However, I was also very cautious when cutting it open, afraid that whatever was inside might be damaged; it seemed there were also liquid-like substances inside.
After all, this thing was wrapped so securely that whatever was inside clearly needed careful protection.
“This truly is the mother plant of the Giant Erosion Thorn! The book says that a mother plant that has lost many of its characteristics will become fragile but has a powerful reproductive ability, needing mature thorns to wrap it into a giant cocoon!”
As Sofiry pointed at a segment of illustrations and texts in the book, I cut open the giant cocoon, revealing a massive round ball intertwined with countless delicate vines…
“This is it! The white one… the core curled into a ball!” Sofiry exclaimed excitedly.
But before Sofiry could rush forward, the cut part of the cocoon began to contract, and a massive spurt of corrosive liquid shot out our way.
“Watch out!” I immediately shouted, placing an energy shield in front of Sofiry, Cheng Yu, and myself.
I had sensed considerable pressure with the liquid layer inside when making the second cut, so I didn’t expect it to wait for us like this.
Had I not paid attention and been prepared, I wouldn’t have been able to cast protective spells for others so quickly.
“Ah? Whoo… that scared me to d*ath…” At that moment, Sofiry fell to the ground in shock, clearly startled.
“Thank you…”
“It’s no problem; it’s also my responsibility for rashly opening it.” I shook my head.
“No… I clearly had the book with me! I saw it just now, and I forgot to tell you because I was too excited…”
“I’m not saying you both should take responsibility; let’s check out the loot instead, shall we?” Cheng Yu chimed in, interrupting our conversation.
“True, what’s done is done, and no harm was done. Don’t think too much about it; if you have to remember every life-or-d*ath moment, it would be exhausting,” I spoke up, noting how transparent I felt about it all.
“It is true… let’s see what the mother plant is like! This is my first time encountering a mother plant… I feel like if I can relocate it… I could possibly switch to a larger plantation…”
“Stop thinking about your plantation; hurry and see what loot we have, my great botanist Sofiry!” Cheng Yu playfully patted Sofiry’s backside, jokingly speaking.
“Alright, alright!” Sofiry shot Cheng Yu an annoyed glare and then approached the cocoon.
“Let me cast another protection spell for you; be careful.” I raised an eyebrow, commenting that it seemed the two had grown quite close after the earlier action.
