The Wizard: From Zero-Ring Wizard to Almighty Lord.

Chapter 174 [Landscape] Origin

Chapter 174

A war fortress is the ultimate war creation, a fusion of mechanics and magic, its interior filled with intricate and sophisticated structures.

It not only possesses an impenetrable defense system, but also devastating firepower.

It is a powerful weapon in war!

But in Lynn's eyes, the war fortress had another, more fitting name.

"Space carrier".

In his previous life, on that vast ocean, aircraft carriers were the core force in naval warfare, while in the skies of this world, war fortresses play the same role.

Like steel fortresses suspended in the sky, they not only serve as outposts for wizard armies but also as hubs for war resources, playing an irreplaceable role on the battlefield.

War fortresses are also the cornerstone of interdimensional expeditions.

In the wizarding world, wars against other planes take many forms, with the smallest expedition usually being initiated by a level four Morning Star wizard.

Regardless of the size of the expedition, the war fortress is the most crucial combat unit.

Generally speaking, a war fortress is the most important component of an interdimensional expedition, and even the most powerful war force.

For many fourth-level Morningstar wizards, having a few war fortresses is enough to support an expedition.

After all, the cost of building a war fortress is extremely high, and even the Morning Star Wizard needs to carefully consider its expenses.

However, the Thirteenth Dimension War Zone, where Lynn is now located, has a war fortress of far greater scale than usual.

Why?

Because the target world of this expeditionary war is not an ordinary otherworld.

Its value far exceeds that of ordinary planes, and the one in charge of leading this war is not just a single fourth-level Morning Star Wizard.

Currently, in the Thirteenth Plane War Zone alone, there is more than one Morning Star Wizard in charge of coordinating the war.

Moreover, the true mastermind behind this war is the entire Mechanical City!
As a great wizarding city, the Mechanical City mobilizes resources large enough to support a massive war spanning countless dimensions.

In this war, fourth-level Morning Star wizards, and even higher-level wizards, all played key roles!

Lynn walked inside the war fortress, his gaze sweeping over the unique architecture that blended mechanics and sorcery. With each step, he gained a deeper understanding of the creations of the mechanical city.

This steel behemoth floating in mid-air is not only a fortress of war, but also the crystallization of the wisdom of mechanical wizards.

However, his interest in observing was quickly shattered by the atmosphere around him.

At this moment, the shadow of war looms over the fortress.

Although neither the wizard army nor the goddess army had any immediate plans to go to war.

However, judging from the intense atmosphere of preparation inside the fortress, both sides are stepping up their preparations and waiting for the next direct confrontation.

"The storm is coming..."

Lynn could clearly feel the tension.

Especially when he looked at the faces of the wizards around him, whether they were wizards guarding the fortress or survivors returning from the battlefield, their faces all carried a lingering sense of heaviness and caution.

Lynn understood this deeply.

After all, he had just escaped from the battlefield with his life hanging by a thread.

Of the original assault team, all seven of his teammates, all of whom were first-level wizards, had perished, leaving him the sole survivor.

Such heavy casualties solidified his belief:
"We need to think of a way...we can't just go straight to the battlefield again!"

On the battlefield, life and death are unpredictable.

With his current strength as a first-level wizard, if he were sent to the front lines, it would be a gamble with his life, and survival would depend entirely on luck.

"Perhaps we'll have to rely on this..."

Lynn looked down at the token in his hand:
It was a token covered with exquisite mechanical patterns, and under the dim light, the complex engravings on the token appeared incredibly mysterious.

This is the "Mechanical City Research Institute Membership Token" that Lori gave him!
Membership in the research institute is a key protected status in the mechanical capital.

As is customary, only those who have made significant contributions to the field of mechanics are eligible to receive this token and enjoy corresponding special privileges.

Logically speaking, Lynn is not qualified to have this identity, after all, his strength is not high, he is only at the level of a first-level wizard.

While Lynn had some research experience in mechanics, he certainly did not make any outstanding contributions to the field.

He made no outstanding contributions to mechanics, let alone to the mechanical capital.

The reason he was able to obtain this token was because the High Wizard Chris had previously assured Lynn of his safety.

As a result, Archmage Chris was proven wrong and failed to save Lynn, so she gave Lynn compensation.

"Previously, the sudden attack by the goddess's army prevented me from using this token..."

Lynn narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingers tracing the cold surface of the mechanical token.

"But now, it's time to think about how to make use of it."

The sound of maple trees

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly rang in Lynn's ears—it was none other than Maple Tree!
He felt a slight jolt in his heart.

Ever since the maple tree activated the "Spirit of Azure Sky" to seal the level seven knight and his warhorse, it has been as if it has completely lost contact with them.

This made Lynn worry that the maple tree might have fallen into a deep sleep again due to overexertion.

After all, Maple Tree himself admitted that his current condition was unstable, and barely maintaining consciousness was his limit.

However, now, the voice of the maple tree echoed in Lynn's mind once again!

"Thank goodness...it seems he's still alright."

Once he confirmed that Maple Tree was in alright, Lynn immediately seized the opportunity—he had so many questions he wanted to ask Maple Tree!
Whether it's about the otherworldly creature "Qi" or the current civilization of gods, Maple's knowledge far surpasses his.

So Lynn sorted out his thoughts and reported everything that had happened to Maple Tree, hoping to get a more in-depth analysis from him.

At a window of the war fortress, Lynn leaned against the railing, gazing at the distant battlefield. On the surface, he seemed to be admiring the scenery, but in reality, he was already deeply engaged in a conversation with the maple tree.

"Huh? You said that otherworldly creature is called 'Qi'?"

"He also signed a contract with you? Using that golden scale?"

There was a hint of surprise in Maple's tone.

"You don't even know his name?"

Upon hearing this, Lynn paused slightly, then showed a look of surprise.

"Maple Tree knows less about 'Qi' than I do?"

At least, Lynn knew the name of that otherworldly creature!

For a moment, the will of the maple tree fell silent, seemingly somewhat embarrassed.

A moment later, Maple Tree added:
"I don't know much about him... and even my knowledge of that civilization is extremely limited."

"According to you... you've already mastered some of that civilization's writing and language?" Maple's tone gradually calmed down before she said:

"It seems I can't just express my subjective opinions casually. However, I can tell you everything I know."

The sound of the maple tree echoed in Lynn's mind in a low, deep voice, carrying a profound meaning that was hard to describe.

"It all started with the 'civilization of gods'."

He paused briefly, then slowly began to speak.

"Do you remember what we used to call that labyrinthine environment?"

Lynn paused slightly, as memories of the past surfaced in her mind.

After a moment, he said softly:
"【landscape】."

“That’s right, it’s the [landscape].” Maple’s tone was calm, but it contained a profound meaning that could not be ignored.

Then he asked:

Do you know what the true meaning of 'landscape' is?

Landscape, on the surface, can refer to the natural scenery of a place or to man-made scenery.

However, Lynn had a vague feeling that this "landscape" was not an ordinary definition, but rather concealed a far deeper secret...

"I won't waste my time, I'll just tell you directly."

Maple's tone suddenly turned somber, and a hint of coldness crept into his words.

"The so-called 'landscape' is actually a product created by the 'civilization of gods'."

"They hunted countless planes of existence. Some civilizations were completely conquered and became worlds supplied with faith, while others... because their energy levels were too high to be fully exploited, were directly destroyed."

"However, this 'destruction' is not literal annihilation, but rather a kind of... compression and extraction."

"The entire civilization is condensed and refined, ultimately transforming into a piece of light and shadow, a landscape. This is the true meaning of 'landscape'."

Upon hearing this, Lynn's pupils contracted slightly, and a chill ran through him.

"In other words, the prerequisite for something to become a 'landscape' is that this civilization was once powerful enough?"

"Yes."

Maple continued, her voice calm and deep.

“A civilized world is conquered by the ‘civilization of gods’, but for various reasons it cannot be completely absorbed. So they use great methods to cover and seal the entire civilization, and eventually… transform it into one ‘landscape’ after another.”

"Like a dimensional reduction attack, sealing the entire world into a painting?"

Lynn seemed thoughtful, and thinking of the maple tree's abilities, he couldn't help but ask,

"Just like your maple leaf?"

However, the maple tree's answer carried a hint of inexplicable sadness.

“Dimensional reduction… Your analogy is interesting, but it’s far from simple.”

"What the civilizations of the gods did was to completely destroy and absorb them. They did not seal or temporarily preserve them, but rather to completely erase the traces of their existence and turn them into nothingness."

"This is the real 'landscape'."

"Like some hunters, after hunting, they will make specimens of the prey's carcass."

"However, the 'specimen' of the 'civilization of gods' is a complete civilized world! Dismembering the civilized world into fragments creates the 'landscape'!"

The maple tree's voice echoed slowly, then paused, as if giving Lynn time to process the information.

After all, the origin of everything lies in that landscape.

"The so-called 'landscape' is not just a trophy to be admired; it is also a special means by which the 'Civilization of Gods' wages war against the outside world."

Maple's tone was slightly somber, carrying a hint of heaviness.

"Now that you have come into contact with the 'Civilization of Gods' and are even deeply involved in this war, I can tell you a story from the past. Thousands of years ago, the 'Civilization of Gods' had a direct conflict with the 'Wizard World'."

"At that time, the 'Civilization of Gods' projected the [Landscape] onto our wizarding world."

“One fragment of civilization after another was captured and thrown into the entire wizarding world, as if a natural disaster had struck.”

“These landscapes are highly contagious. Once someone enters, they will spread rapidly like a virus, from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred.”

"This bizarre and troublesome attack method did indeed pose a great threat to the wizarding world at the time."

Upon hearing this, Lynn's heart sank slightly. "There's such a tactic?"

“Moreover, these ‘landscapes’ are essentially compressed fragments of civilizations,” Maple continued. “Even if the Wizarding Council and law enforcement wizards can track down these ‘landscapes,’ it will require a tremendous amount of effort and resources to completely destroy them.”

"Under the threat of external enemies, the long-divided black and white wizards in the wizarding world have no choice but to temporarily join forces to resist this calamity."

"Both sides must take the initiative to eliminate these 'landscapes' within their own spheres of influence...otherwise, the entire wizarding world may be eroded."

"And the landscape where those otherworldly creatures reside is essentially a civilized world that has been dismembered by the 'civilization of gods'."

"They not only cut it into multiple [landscapes] for viewing, but also used it to erode other worlds."

Lynn nodded to himself upon hearing this.

He already knew that the civilization of that otherworldly creature had once hunted down a chief god, which would naturally enrage the 'civilization of gods'.

So they simply and efficiently dismantled the entire civilized world, turning it into "landscapes" to vent their anger, while simultaneously using these remaining fragments to launch attacks on other worlds...

"Ugh……"

The maple tree sighed softly, as if lamenting something, or perhaps reminiscing about something.

"For me, a complete period of landscape is at most a minor problem, far from enough to put me in such a passive position."

Maple's voice was slightly low, and then he slowly said:

"But... you should have already realized that the origin of the 'Nature Wizards' is deeply connected to the 'Chief God' who was hunted down, right?"

Lynn's expression changed slightly.

"The Spirit of the Azure Sky was forged from a portion of the divine essence of that main god."

The maple tree's words carried a profound meaning.

"And I once glimpsed some of the truth about the 'death of the supreme god' within it... The supreme god, who was high and mighty, was actually swallowed up by that golden scale."

"Therefore, I am quite interested in that golden scale. Through the in-depth exploration of the Azure Sky Spirit, I discovered that the golden scale was actually contained within the landscape forged by that civilization!"

Lynn's heart skipped a beat.

"In order to seize that golden scale, I searched for relevant landscapes throughout the wizarding world... until I finally found that landscape."

Maple's tone gradually lowered, carrying a hint of obscure and indescribable emotion.

“Through the Spirit of the Azure Sky, I managed to find the golden scales within the [Landscape]. However, a sacred relic of the Radiant Moon, forged from a portion of the main god's divine essence, along with an item of even higher rank, seems to have produced some reaction within the [Landscape]…”

"Qi came back to life. And I, in the process, lost my body..."

(End of this chapter)