[Vol. 7] Chapter 248: When the Tower Collapses
These chain-like changes caused Kiri, who was supposed to be captured by Cressia after the defeat in the battle and turned into a succubus servant, to escape her fate. She, along with Sybil Roland, the daughter of the Archbishop of Sarnos City Temple, successfully avoided becoming a servant to the succubus and followed the Saintess, hiding behind enemy lines to engage in guerrilla warfare.
This shift in events led to Violet missing her only interaction with them. Although they avoided the worst possible outcome, Kiri still suffered the influence of the high-level succubus, Cressia, during the battle. The intense allure she faced made her mind unstable. After the Demon War ended, she temporarily stopped her travels and returned to the Swift Wind Sect to ask her master to help her stabilize her mind.
Through the power of the [Sword of Origin], Violet saw this future. However, that was merely "observation," and she didn’t know whether these events would come to pass in full.
But since Kiri had appeared here now, it meant that her fate... had indeed been changed by the [Sword of Origin].
Of course, while Violet knew much about Kiri, there was only this version of history, where Kiri had never even met the white fox girl “Dawn” in Sarnos City, so naturally, she couldn’t possibly recognize Violet.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, a cool, elegant beauty with a sharp black ponytail, looking to be in her early twenties leaped out from the shattered depths of the hotel. She brushed off the dust from her sword-worn robes, paid no attention to the royal princess of the current mission, and directly shook her head at Yir and the others.
“She escaped. The other side is strong and has been enhanced by some special power. I couldn’t stop her without using deadly force.”
“Eh? Even Senior Sister Kiri couldn’t stop her...?”
The [Flying Flower Sword] exchanged a glance with the nearby [Gale Wind Sword], shaking his head with some regret while also looking surprised.
After all, the six disciples of the Sword Saint were all legendary-level figures, deeply understanding the essence of the Sword Saint’s technique. They were far more powerful than ordinary self-taught legendary-level adventures.
Unless they faced a higher-level mythical being, they were nearly unbeatable each time they appeared. This time, the sect had sent three disciples in one go, intending to impress the princess, but unexpectedly, the first battle had some small accidents.
After thinking for a moment, the young apprentice turned to look at Carinvega and respectfully clasped her hands in greeting.
"Your Highness, we are all martial artists and don’t really understand strategies or plans... Since Father has asked us to fully support you, we will follow your orders on what to do next. Please, feel free to command us!"
Not only her, but also Elva and Kiri, along with the other disciples of the Swift Wind Sect, nodded in agreement, as if they had already reached a consensus.
Suddenly thrust into the position of commanding the situation, the princess felt a little awkward and instinctively glanced at Violet. However, she saw Violet casually turn away, whistling nonchalantly. Left with no other choice, the princess could only reluctantly nod.
"Alright... Thank you all for your trust. Anyway, let's head out first. We might run into some enemies along the way. Those will be guards controlled by dark magic, so please show mercy and don’t harm them."
"Understood!"
With the strong support of the Swift Wind Sect disciples, the guards, who no longer had a solid leader, could no longer block the princess’s escape. Soon, they made their way out of the hotel and onto the streets of the Sixth District.
Just as they stepped outside, before they could take in a few deep breaths of fresh air, the scene before Carinvega almost made her jaw drop in shock.
It was very strange that no one had come to check after the loud commotion caused by the Swift Wind Sect members breaking into the hotel. The princess had thought that the guards, controlled by Orluk, had used some excuse or had forcefully prevented any help from arriving. But now, it seemed that wasn’t the case at all.
The once wide and open street was now overrun by thick vines and various plants that were wildly growing and twisting. They were climbing up the tall buildings, even piercing through the stone and metal structures, wrapping around everything in sight, attacking any living creature they encountered with no clear pattern.
The entire district, and even areas further away, had fallen into complete chaos. The local defense team, which had arrived after hearing the news, was struggling to fight against the mutated plants and save the affected civilians. However, it was clear that they were facing a shortage of manpower.
After all, this plant uprising seemed to have covered the entire Sixth District, and the local defense team stationed in the district only numbered around a thousand. It was no wonder they were struggling to keep up and were completely overwhelmed.
The Swift Wind Sect members were also greatly shocked by this horrifying scene. Miss Yir, with her elegant pink-blue hair, was so frightened that she immediately covered her lips with her hand, looking around in confusion.
"What... What is going on? Everything was fine before we entered the hotel. How did these plants... suddenly appear?"
"No, I’m afraid they didn’t just appear out of nowhere."
Kiri, who had more experience from her years of traveling and observing, quickly identified the problem and spoke in a deep voice.
"Little apprentice, do you remember the plants we saw growing along the road when we first arrived? You even mentioned how this district seemed like a jungle, though it's a city, and how the environment was perfect for peaceful living."
"Uh... Yeah, I think I remember. Because this area is under the protection of the [Tower of Nature], so it’s..."
She instinctively responded, but as she spoke, Miss Yir realized the problem. Her amber eyes narrowed slightly in realization.
"Wait! Could it be that these plants are the same ones we saw along the road? But why have they suddenly grown so large?"
"It's the Tower... The Sixth District, being the largest ecological cultivation area in Sainz, grows a variety of plants that are near extinction or already extinct outside. The [Tower of Nature] gives them the ability to survive in an environment where they normally wouldn’t, and this is one of the seven towers' miracles, key to maintaining the ecological balance of the Sixth District. But if..."
As the princess muttered to herself almost absentmindedly, they all instinctively turned toward the direction Carinvega had noticed, and instantly realized the source of the strange change.
"My God...!"
"What... What is that?"
That tower, the [Tower of Nature], one of the seven giant towers that protect Sainz, was now no longer shining as it used to. The massive gem at its peak had dimmed, and ominous gray mist swirled around it like maggots clinging to a corpse, releasing a strange and eerie aura.
The entire Sixth District was now shrouded in the eerie atmosphere created by the tower’s corruption from an external force. It was clear that this was the cause of the plant rampage. The plants, nurtured by the power of ‘Nature’, had suddenly gone berserk.