Surprisingly, nothing came of Rick's attempt to slice the vine. It seemed to be a normal vine, and if anything, the overgrowth had occurred a long, long time prior to his arrival. The only result of his little test was the vine being cut apart. It felt normal, smelled normal, and didn't come alive even after a few moments of waiting. In his poised position, Rick could hear the gentle wind, the rustling of some of the greenery around him because of it, and the sounds coming from his own body.

It seemed like his test had produced a result that was, while nothing special, wasn't utterly horrendous either. He was still at an impasse, though it did seem that climbing up the massive wall of vine-covered trees, or around it, would involve far more difficulty than was worth. It was his decision, however.

As for whether this was all real or an illusion, well, the stinging in Rick's eyes had vanished along with the Crimson-Eyed Beast.