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Chapter 528.5: The Madness of Plants
Boom!
Boom! Boom!
The deafening explosions left even the battle-hardened Thorn and Dale dumbfounded.
Thorn stared at the cleared twisted monsters and the burning plants, muttering in awe:
"What is this? Some new cannon from the main city?"
"No, it's magic!"
An excited Dale pointed at the red streaks in the sky and the majestic silver-white figure, exclaiming in disbelief:
"That's⌠a dragon!!!"
"That's⌠a dragon!!!"
"Ding, you have killed a mutant magical plantâTwisted Treant, gaining 3000 experience points."
"Ding, you have killed a mutant magical plantâSpraying Cactus, gaining 5000 experience points."
"Ding, you have killed a mutant magical plantâBeating Grass, gaining 1000 experience points."
"Ding, you have killedâŚ"
"âŚ"
The densely packed kill notifications on the data panel gave Matthew a wealth of information.
He looked down at the rampaging mutant plants, casting Fireball spells one after another to clear out the plants climbing the walls.
The few remaining Twisted Treants that had made it over the wall were shot down by the responding guards.
The Catachan soldiers stared in disbelief at Yaya as she circled down, feeling an intense "pressure," but they restrained themselves from acting.
Catching his breath, Thorn gulped down a bitter brew made from Barbed Poison Thorn Beans, stood up resolutely, and waved to the massive Yaya.
Yaya loosened her claws, allowing hundreds of barrels of incendiary oil to fall, turning the crazed plants outside the walls black.
With superb control, Yaya lightly landed on the wall.
She glanced at Thorn, took a deep breath.
"RoarâŚ!"
Flames gushed out as Yaya swept her breath across the crazed plants outside the walls.
The dragon's breath, filled with terrifying destructive power, combined with the fiery momentum, instantly ignited thousands of crazed plants.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The raging flames shot over ten meters high.
The scorching flames greedily consumed the plants, reducing their writhing bodies to ashes.
When Yaya turned around, the soaring flames behind her left a profound impression on the valiant Catachan warriors.
Swallowing hard, Thorn saw Matthew descend from Yaya's back and hastily called out in halting Common:
"Honored spellcaster, Outpost 46 of Catachan salutes you. We continue to stand firm in our duty!"
After saying this, Thorn gazed at Matthew with great anticipation.
Matthew smiled faintly, quietly noting down these few details. With a calm and confident tone, he asked:
"I notice you're short on warriors. Would you like me to send soldiers to reinforce you?"
Soldiers?
Reinforcements?
"Thank you for your support, spellcaster. WeâŚ"
Thorn nodded fervently, looking at Yaya as she ascended once again. He couldn't help but marvel.
Rising into the air, Yaya looked at the twisted, crazed green tide below. As before, she repeated the process, setting the other three sides ablaze.
Cheers erupted from the walls as hundreds of excited Catachan soldiers swiftly returned to the first wall, clearing the corpses from the ramparts.
They threw the bodies into the fire en masse.
Yaya resisted the urge to revert to human form and curiously observed the retreating green tide. She asked:
"Are we just going to let them go?"
Watching the fungal mat slowly retreat from the flames, Matthew could clearly see its transformation accelerating. Inwardly, he replied:
"They won't leave. In fact, they'll gather even more plants and come back."
After receiving Thorn's response, Matthew set up a small teleportation array.
With a flash of light, the distant Alice Adventurers emerged from the teleportation array.
Seeing the adventurers' well-crafted equipment, Thorn's heart raced. Suppressing his myriad thoughts, he asked incredulously:
"May I ask, honored spellcaster, are you from another plane?"
Matthew nodded, unsurprised that Thorn could deduce their origins.
After all, they hadn't hidden their identities, using teleportation and spells entirely foreign to Catachan's power system.
It wasn't that Catachan lacked spellcasters, but they had little knowledge or tradition in the arcane arts. Most were forced to become warlocks, shamans, or clerics.
True mages were extremely rare, and their levels were generally low.
Moreover, due to Catachan's unique educational methods, even spellcasters had highly unconventional builds.
Strength Mages or Battle Mages!
Dale, pale-faced, watched the adventurers unpack crate after crate of supplies, clutching his firearm with trembling hands as he exclaimed excitedly:
"The prophecy has come trueâit's really happening!!"
Hearing this, the other Catachan soldiers also looked over with excitement, eagerly discussing among themselves.
"Nearly 6,000 years⌠we finally see the prophesied ones!"
"Are they really the ones from the prophecy?"
"Could it be true?"
"It must be trueâreal dragons, spellcasters, magic, another planeâŚ"
"So, we don't have to be wiped out?"
"We'll never be wiped out!"
"âŚ"
Listening to their discussions, the adventurers couldn't help but feel curious, while Matthew fell into deep thought.
He had heard that the people of the Catachan plane had migrated from the Prime Material Plane.
But for certain reasons, the connection between the Catachan plane and the Prime Material Plane had been severed.
What Matthew hadn't expected was that, after thousands of years, the Catachan people still passed down legends of the Prime Material Plane.
As for the prophecy, Matthew didn't take it to heart.
There were too many various true and false prophecies.
Glancing at the notably composed Thorn, Matthew couldn't help but feel great admiration.
Thorn.
Race: Human.
Age: 35.
Profession: None.
Challenge Rating: 14+!
Talent: ExtraordinaryâChild of the Jungle LV3. Jungle combat grants +3 to all attributes, +30% stealth, and +30% attack.
Legacy: None.
Feats:
Extraordinary FeatâDanger Sense LV2.
Advanced FeatâWeak Spot Insight LV3.
Advanced FeatâSturdy LV3.
Advanced FeatâQuickness LV2.
...
Attributes:
Strength: 16
Agility: 18
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 12
Charisma: 11
Perception: 16
Luck: -4 (Sign of Death)
Evaluation: One of the strongest mortals.
So formidable!
Incredible!
Matthew never expected that, at this stage, Catachan soldiers would have no professional legacy.
And yet, even without that, someone like Thorn, who unlocked his own bloodline abilities and self-developed combat skills,
could still reach a challenge rating of 14+ and possess superior base attributes with all scores above 10.
Soldiers like Thorn, a low-level mortal warrior, were not uncommon among the Catachan forces.
No wonder the Catachan people could resist the green tide assaults across the entire plane with just a dozen or so cities.
With their basic qualities, combat abilities, and the power systems and professional paths learned from the Prime Material Plane,
calling them "everyman Rambo" would almost be an understatement.
While imagining the scene of Catachan soldiers learning the power system and becoming professionals, rapidly boosting their combat capabilities,
the green tide retreating in the distance began to transform violently.
The twisted plants, fed by the fungal mat, grew rapidly, turning into more twisted treants.
The increasingly robust twisted treants slowly developed grayish-black shells.
Seeing this transformation, Matthew mused, "A flame-resistant shell? Such rapid changesâthis is fascinating."
Having delved deeply into fleshcraft magic, Matthew understood the difficulty of conjuring a specialized trait out of thin air.
That the fungal mats and mutant plants could "process" these changes so easily was nearly beyond belief.
However, it was precisely because these fungal mats seemed so "monstrous" that they piqued Matthew's interest.
If he could obtain information about the principles behind these changes, he could potentially develop new results from this modification capability.
Whether refining his own enhancement surgeries or exploring a new path of plant augmentation, the research would be greatly beneficial.
But for now, the priority was to deal with these mutant, crazed plants.
The flames subsided.
A large expanse of scorched earth was revealed.
Thick smoke billowed into the sky, making the already dim light even gloomier.
Nearly all the mutant plants were consumed by the roaring fire, reduced to twisted lumps of metal on the ground.
Looking at the metal remnants, Matthew couldn't help but have his thoughts stirred.
These mutant plants carried various metallic structures within them.
"Could these metallic structures be the reason behind their transformation and internal changes?"
"Or are they adaptations made to enhance their combat effectiveness?"
"If these metal alloys were analyzed to some extent, could new alloys be discovered?"
"Or would incorporating metal into their bodies result in greater physical durability?"
"..."
With these thoughts in mind, Matthew promptly took action.
He used Mage Hand to collect pieces of the fire-baked, fused metal clusters.
Yaya, observing the complex composition of the metal pieces, beamed and said:
"Oriana would probably love thisâjust consider it a gift for her!"
Yaya always looked out for Oriana.
In her own words:
"I have to protect my little brothers and sisters, after all!"
Yaya's growth never failed to bring surprises to Matthew.
Crossbows were set up one after another on the walls.
Within minutes, the Catachan soldiers had learned how to use them, showcasing remarkable marksmanship.
They specifically targeted the large twisted treants, leveraging the crossbows' destructive power to disable their limbs.
Without branches, just a bare trunk, the twisted treants posed no threat.
At the same time, the adventurers brought out boxes of nutritious potions, antidotes, and vitality elixirs.
While this was done under Matthew's orders, it also reflected Alice's ingenuity and resourcefulness.
With Catachan soldiers so fierce, it would be a shame not to recruit a few for the adventuring team.
Especially after Alice had a chat with the injured Dale.
Learning that Catachan soldiers had the final say over their own futures, Alice naturally became more amicable.
Having spent so long under the lord's guidance, she'd naturally picked up the art of recruitment.
After taking the vitality potion and marveling at its magical properties, Dale resisted the urge to ask more about the potions. Instead, he turned to Alice to learn about the Prime Material Plane.
Both sides got what they wanted from the exchange and had a pleasant conversation.
As more mutant monsters approached, Alice's adventurers attacked with renewed enthusiasm.
They were eager to seize the defensive opportunity to engage these bizarre monsters.
Once they understood their basic traits and weaknesses, they wouldn't fear them anymore.
With new weapons and supplies, the Catachan soldiers demonstrated extraordinary combat ability and skill.
Each soldier possessed excellent learning and adaptability.
When given incendiary oil, Fireball scrolls, and heavy crossbows from Bay Territory, they quickly mastered their use.
Whoosh!
Blazing flames burned through the surrounding fungal mats, leaving charred patches.
The fungal mats, scorched by fire, showed clear signs of becoming inactive or dying.
While they could alter the twisted treants, they couldn't adapt quickly to their own damage. As flames blocked their advance, they had to spread their forces.
Then they were met head-on by the determined Catachan soldiers.
With adequate weapons and supplies, the Catachan soldiers' formidable combat prowess impressed Matthew greatly.
These naturally elite soldiers were not to be wasted.
The battle lasted half a day.
With enough incendiary oil, the fungal mats and mutant plants attacking the walls suffered a loss of nearly two-thirds.
The remaining tens of thousands of monsters vanished into the distant fog as the mats scattered.
The victorious crowd cheered in excitement.
Overjoyed, Yaya transformed back into human form under the astonished gaze of the Catachan soldiers.
Raising her hand, she conjured a spread of aromatic food on the walls.
Without concern for formalities, everyone gathered around and feasted.
Eating together strengthened their bonds; drinking fostered camaraderie.
As long as drinking didn't interfere with work, it was generally an enjoyable activity.
Tasting the Bay Territory's signature dishes and wines, many Catachan soldiers experienced such rich and delicious food for the first time.
Particularly during casual conversation, learning about the Prime Material Plane and Bay Territory's situation, many Catachan soldiers couldn't help but light up with excitement.
Initially elated, Thorn's mood turned complex when he realized the implications.
Sitting nearby, Matthew noticed the change and quietly addressed it directly:
"Before long, more adventurers from Bay Territory will come here to explore."
"They'll clear the dangerous animals and plants outside, burn those bizarre fungal mats, and gradually expand the controlled territory."
A thought flickered through Thorn's mind as he gazed into Matthew's calm eyes. He asked the question weighing on his heart:
"And what will be the cost of that?"