Chapter 1475: Chapter 1469: Eye of the Canyon

"Impressive..."

While the fortress in the canyon below was suffering a catastrophic disaster.

Above, Ronald, maintaining his floating state, was praising the spell Nicole had just performed.

"I thought that since you acquired two sets of rune systems, you would be wholeheartedly dedicated to studying runes. But I didn’t expect that while developing new skills, your original spells continuously deepened and strengthened."

"Nicole, you’re really something!"

Ronald’s admiration came from the heart.

Just a moment ago, when he brought Nicole and Costate to the very top of the canyon fortress.

Through multiple spells of terrain and human perception, they had confirmed that there were indeed Casters from the [Nine Commandments Secret Meet] hidden here, and Ronald was ready to strike as he always did.

However, before Ronald could take action.

Nicole responded first, showcasing her strength as both a top investigator and a true top-tier holder of the original texts!

The young girl took out several seeds from the pocket she carried with her. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

After carefully engraving a series of runes, she tossed these seeds downward.

The moment they touched the soil.

A massive vitality erupted from these seeds, which had been enhanced and modified by runes, growing rapidly like fairy-tale bean sprouts, with roots deeply extending downwards.

Ordinary plants absorb moisture from nature and nutrients from the soil, growing slowly under the sunlight.

But the seeds Nicole threw completely defied this logic.

This plant used magic power as its sole source of growth energy, thoroughly breaking through its inherent growth limits. Especially with Nicole’s generous magic support, these plants that quickly devoured magic power to grow soon completely covered the eastern side of the canyon and continued to spread in the soil below.

The thick and strong roots intertwined, soil and stones cracked under the power of life, then both squeezed together, indistinct from each other.

At this moment, the view extended far.

The eastern side of the canyon looked less like a cliff and more like a freshly unearthed yam, with cultivated fruit revealing stones and soil entangled amidst the plant stems and roots.

This scene was merely the surface.

Beneath the land unseen by the eye, the plants nurtured by Nicole found the fortress hidden within the cliffs, wantonly destroying it before greedily devouring it; the barrier meant to conceal this place was similarly shattered by her.

The destruction of the barrier accelerated the growth of the plants, as it fed on magic power to grow.

Thus, a tragedy ensued.

These plants could recklessly grow with Nicole’s magic power, and they could also devour the magic power of other Casters.

In the enclosed underground space, the Casters from the [Nine Commandments Secret Meet] who originally worked there naturally became the nutritional source these plants pursued.

Roots meant for absorbing nutrients wrapped around these unfortunate, escape-proof, living human bodies, crushing them into pieces, and greedily absorbing their blood, flesh, and magic power.

A massive fortress, a secret structure capable of repelling armies, playing a significant strategic role.

Under the erosion of Nicole’s driven plants, together with its defenders, it has become a ruin.

Crack, crack —

The situation intensified, and a huge crack spread from the cliff above.

The uncontrolled growth of the plants expanded the entire eastern side of the canyon by a whole circle. The abruptly increased weight strained the soil’s stability, causing it to tilt sideways.

Thud — boom —

Accompanied by violent noises.

The cliff torn by weight, along with the plants wrapped in soil, crashed onto the cliff on the other side of the canyon.

From Ronald’s lofty perspective, looking downward, a straight-line canyon bulged in the center with a twisted, scab-like sphere, like a giant in the earth slowly opening its eyes.

This situation continued until Nicole suspended her magic power supply, and the plant’s prey was completely depleted.

These plants that lost their source of growth collapsed and shriveled with equal swiftness.

"..."

"Hmm — this is quite exhausting indeed."

Standing before this awe-inspiring scene, Nicole’s somewhat weakened voice sounded inappropriately.

Ronald turned to look.

Sure enough, he found that Nicole’s hand, which had just effortlessly dropped the seeds, was trembling uncontrollably — she was very weak.

The investigator girl was still the same character Ronald knew.

Facing sufficiently strong enemies, Nicole didn’t hesitate to go all out, pouring all her magic power into her spells, striving to utterly destroy her opponents with a crushing force.

And the cost of exhibiting such ostentatious attacks.

Was physical exhaustion.

Just like Ronald had seen a few times before, after completing a spell, Nicole naturally was overwhelmed with fatigue, unable to maintain her normal state, with pre-engraved runes on her body as her last line of defense.

The only difference from the past is perhaps Nicole’s strength is now sufficient.

Hence, in this nearly energy-exhausting assault, she can stand shakily without immediately passing out.

"You... your combat style really needs some adjustments."

Ronald, wearing a playful expression among friends, teased and scolded:

"Today, you have me here, so it’s fine. But what if you stumble one day because of this combat style? The trouble would be immense then!"

Nicole used her limited strength to strongly refute:

"It’s precisely because you’re here that I did it this way!"

"If I didn’t have trustworthy companions beside me, I obviously wouldn’t use such an outrageous attack method!"

As she said this, Nicole intended to share her thoughts on trusting companions with Ronald.

But before the investigator girl could speak again.

An overwhelmingly dizzying Magic Fluctuation suddenly erupted from the rapidly wilting plants that had lost their source of magic power.

Ronald and his two companions lowered their heads to look down.

Immediately discovering that the source of this magic power was embedded in the massive spherical formation at the top of the canyon.

"Hey, this is just too much."

Nicole couldn’t help but cry out in surprise.

For right there, on the land she had just ravaged with her spell, a fire composed of magic power had reversed to consume the magic-eating plants and burned this massive plant body like a stubborn spreading disease!

Within the few short breaths Ronald and his companions took after sensing and observing.

The fire that followed the trees Nicole created swiftly reduced every combustible material into fierce flames, lighting up the morning canyon like a blood-red dusk.

Even from high above.

Ronald and his companions clearly felt the heat of the fierce flames below.

They could also distinctly sense this fire containing a threat to all Casters!