Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 106 Advancement to First-Ring Wizard

Time flowed quietly like a stream as she meditated and prepared. Two months later, Kate slowly opened her eyes in the treehouse. The silver and green light in her eyes swirled and faded like a galaxy. Her aura was harmonious and restrained, yet it contained a powerful force ready to be unleashed.

【Life Origin Star Chart - First Layer Complete】

[Purity of Spiritual Energy: 100%]

[World Tree Core Fragment Fusion Complete: Immortal Root Activity Increased by 250%, Total Life Essence Increased by 180%, Gained the "Slight World Tree Blessing" trait (Increased affinity for natural energy, slightly increased life regeneration speed)]

[Space Core Fusion Completed: Spatial Nursery Framework Stability Increased by 300%, Spatial Perception Accuracy Increased by 150%, Gained the "Space Protection" trait (Slightly increases resistance to spatial tearing and distortion damage)]

[Life Drain/Death Resistance Rune Mastery: Proficient (Instant cast with a thought)]

[Cycle Nursery Status: Perfectly balanced, having reached the current stage's capacity limit, the rules of life and death flow in a self-contained cycle, the spatial foundation is indestructible]

Promotion readiness: 100%

"It's time," Kate murmured to herself, her voice calm yet carrying an undeniable determination.

He rose and pushed open the door. The avatar of Elune Greenleaf, the Sage of Life, stood silently outside, her soft green light and powerful life force causing all the surrounding magical plants to bow down.

She looked at Kate with approval and expectation in her eyes.

"Your foundation has been polished to perfection, even better than I anticipated." The avatar's voice was gentle yet powerful. "Let's go to the Corridor of Realms, the place where all kinds of rules intertwine most actively, the best place for you to construct the Heart of Reincarnation."

Without a word, the avatar waved its hand, and a vibrant green portal, composed of pure life energy, silently opened.

Strange spatial fluctuations and energy currents that seemed to come from different realms emanated from behind the door.

Without hesitation, Kate stepped inside. The Sage of Life followed her in.

The feeling of being teleported was completely different from before; it wasn't a simple spatial transformation, but more like penetrating through layers upon layers of world barriers.

After a brief period of weightlessness and dizziness, Kate found herself standing in a strange void.

It wasn't solid ground beneath my feet, but rather like stepping on an invisible yet resilient membrane.

All around was a bizarre and surging scene: to the left was an ocean of life energy, surging with emerald waves and radiating endless vitality; to the right was a deathly, gray abyss of misty death, seemingly capable of swallowing all light and hope; and above and below were constantly emerging, twisting, and folding silver spatial rifts and flowing light, like the breath of the universe.

Three distinct forces of rules collide and merge fiercely here, forming an extremely unstable balance that exudes a chilling yet incredibly alluring aura of the origin of rules.

[Boundary Corridor: Highly active and unfiltered elements detected: Origin of the Rules of Life, Origin of the Rules of Death, Origin of the Rules of Space]

[WARNING: The environment is extremely dangerous; the turbulent flow of rules can easily tear apart the soul of a Level 4 apprentice.]

[Note: This area is a manifestation of rules, making it an excellent location for constructing complex rule-based mental images; however, it is extremely dangerous.]

"The rules here are brutal; an ordinary level four apprentice would be assimilated or torn apart in an instant. But for you, it is the best whetstone and catalyst."

The voice of the Sage of Life echoed in Kate's consciousness, tinged with solemnity: "I will protect you, shielding you from the most violent impacts of the rules, but the construction and fusion of the core must be completed by you alone. Begin, guide your Cycle of Reincarnation, receive the rules of this place, and forge your Heart of Reincarnation!"

Kate nodded emphatically, sitting cross-legged in this strange void node.

He took a deep breath, a breath that simultaneously contained the fragrance of life, the coldness of death, and the emptiness of space.

Deep within the sea of ​​consciousness, the "Reincarnation Nursery," which had long since reached its limit, trembled violently!

"Based on space!" Kate's will solidified.

Om-!

The power of the Void Crystal Core was fully activated, and silver-blue spatial veins spread wildly from the nursery, like the roots of a giant tree, forcefully piercing into the constantly emerging and disappearing spatial rifts and flowing light around them.

Sizzle—!

The violent spatial turbulence instantly backfired, but was barely resisted and filtered by the protective properties of the Void Crystal Core and the layer of soft green light laid out by the Life Sage's incarnation.

The pure yet still fierce power of the spatial origin was forcibly extracted and poured into the spatial garden.

The nursery's spatial framework groans under its strain, yet it grows stronger and more expansive through breaking and rebuilding, as if it is truly beginning to evolve into a miniature void.

"With life and death as the wheel!" Kate endured the excruciating pain of being torn apart by space, but her will remained unwavering.

The verdant seed of life and the gray core of death lit up at the same time.

The fragments of the Root of Immortality, like thirsty whales, stretched their roots toward the ocean of life on the left, frantically drawing upon its nearly inexhaustible source of vitality.

At the same time, the core of death transformed into a deep vortex, drawing in the pure death power from the death mist on the right.

Life and death, two completely opposite forces, surged wildly into the nursery!

[Warning! The conflict between life and death energies is intensifying, and the balance is about to be broken!]

The nursery shook violently, the green light of life and the gray light of death clashing wildly, as if it were about to collapse completely at any moment.

"Life draws from you, death resists you," Kate roared inwardly.

Two mysterious runes instantly lit up at the core of the nursery, like the yin and yang eyes of a tai chi symbol, forcefully channeling...

It transforms and buffers the two enormous forces.

The Life Drain rune frantically absorbs excess life energy and transforms it into nourishment, while the Death Resist rune neutralizes the erosion of death.

But that wasn't enough; the conflict was too intense!

Kate began to bleed from her seven orifices, her body seemingly about to split apart under the pull of life and death.

"Guide them. Use space as a bridge to let them flow." The voice of the Sage of Life was like a resounding bell, carrying the power of guidance.

Kate, with a sudden inspiration, endured the excruciating pain of her soul being torn apart and guided the power of the Garden of Space to intervene.

The silver-blue spatial network, like the most intricate pipe system, forcibly inserts itself into the opposing center of life and death energies, separating and guiding them to form a huge cyclical system with the spatial network as its channel.

In this forced cycle, the energy of life and death remains violent, but it no longer collides and annihilates; instead, it begins a difficult, spiraling flow.

Each cycle of life and death involves a portion of the life and death energy being absorbed and assimilated by the nursery itself, becoming part of its foundation.

Under this terrifying infusion, the Reincarnation Nursery began to expand and solidify at a visible speed.

But this is just the beginning; the external rules are increasingly impacting us.

The green light surrounding the Sage of Life trembled slightly; she was under immense pressure.

Kate knew she had to be faster and stronger.

"Seed of Origin, analyze with all your might. Symbiote operates at maximum capacity to stabilize its own state," Kate roared inwardly, squeezing out every last bit of potential.

The Seed of Origin burst forth with golden light, operating at overload, its cold analytical stream frantically calculating the optimal solution for energy flow and fine-tuning the cycle.

The Bloodthirsty Vines roared, their ferocious aura forming the foundation anchoring death energy; golden thorns spread, their tenacious strength stabilizing the spatial conduits; floating flowers flickered with electricity, their spiritual power calming the restless energy; the moonlight shimmered, its spatial affinity enhancing the circulation efficiency—

All forces were mobilized!

Gradually, the violent cycle of life and death began to move from barely maintaining itself to becoming more orderly. Although it was still vast and boundless, it began to possess a certain rhythm.

The morphology of the revolving nursery has undergone a dramatic transformation.

It is no longer a simple garden, but has transformed into a slowly rotating space, its interior imbued with silver and blue hues.

A complex nebula-like structure with flowing light in three colors: emerald green and dark gray!

At their core, the Root of Immortality and the Core of Death remain opposing poles, yet they are intertwined by countless spatial veins.

Connected, below lies the heavy power of the earth, above lies the ethereal power of the starry sky.

A miniature prototype of a "world" containing the cycle of life and death and the mysteries of space is being born!

[The embryonic form of the Heart of Reincarnation is forming: 10%...25%...50%...]

Progress is accelerating rapidly, but the pressure from external regulations is also increasing exponentially!

Boom!!!

As if completely enraged by the strange activity here, the three fundamental rules of the Boundary Corridor erupted simultaneously!

The emerald green ocean of life surged with towering waves, the dark mist of death coalesced into ferocious giant claws, and the silver spatial turbulence transformed into a destructive storm, simultaneously crushing towards Kate from three directions.

The Sage of Life snorted coldly, his body radiating light, and his vast life force transformed into a huge tree shadow stretching across the sky, forcefully blocking most of the impact.

However, a small portion still managed to penetrate the defenses and crash into Kate's mental state!

"Pfft—!" Kate suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, her mental sea trembled violently, and the newly formed nascent Heart of Reincarnation shook violently, cracks appearing on its surface.

At the critical moment, the [World Tree Blessing] and [Skybound Sanctuary] traits activated on their own, barely offsetting some of the damage.

"Stay calm! This is a test from the rules, a tempering process. Integrate them into your heart of reincarnation." The voice of the Sage of Life came, filled with encouragement.

Kate's eyes were filled with madness. Instead of backing down, she made an extremely bold decision.

"Not enough! This kind of reincarnation isn't strong enough. I will—devour them!"

He actually took the initiative to release his defenses, guiding the three extremely violent turbulent currents of rules that had penetrated in, directly into the embryonic form of the Heart of Reincarnation.

Click!Click!

The nascent form was instantly covered with more cracks, as if it was about to explode completely at any moment!

"Seeds of Origin! Decompose them. Absorb life, resist death, anchor space, refine for me."

Kate is risking everything, pushing her control to unprecedented limits.

The light of the Seed of Origin dimmed for a moment, clearly reaching its limit, but it still desperately tried to analyze the turbulent structure.

The three runes flashed wildly, desperately transforming, neutralizing, and guiding.

The embryonic form of the Heart of Reincarnation trembled wildly on the verge of collapse. With each tremor, it forcibly devoured and integrated a fragment of the purest and most violent rule into itself.

This is an extremely dangerous tempering process, like putting a red-hot iron ingot into ice water; it either succeeds in forging the shape or shatters completely!

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly.

Kate's consciousness was both blurred and clear amidst extreme pain and focus.

He felt as if his soul was being torn apart and reassembled time and time again, and his understanding of life, death, and space was increasing at an unprecedented speed.

That was no longer a realization, but an almost instinctive control.

at last!

After the last vestige of turbulent, violent currents of rules were painstakingly swallowed and transformed—

hum! ! !

An indescribable, vast, and powerful fluctuation, containing the power of the three rules of life, death, and space, suddenly erupted from the center of Kate's mental sea.

The nascent form of the Heart of Reincarnation, which was originally riddled with cracks, now radiated endless brilliance.

All the cracks healed instantly, leaving behind mysterious and profound patterns on the surface, as if they contained the ultimate truths of the universe.

It stabilized.

Its shape is completely fixed.

It was a slowly rotating, fist-sized, three-colored sphere of light.

On the surface, the three colors of light representing life, death, and space blend and flow perfectly like living things, while inside, it seems to contain a miniature world phantom that is constantly undergoing a cycle of birth and death.

Powerful, stable, and perfect.

[The Heart of Reincarnation has been successfully constructed!]

[Mental strength qualitative change begins: 85.2 → 126]

[Reflections on Rules: Rules of Life (Beginner), Rules of Death (Beginner), Rules of Space (Beginner)]

Perfect fusion

The core sorcery "Reincarnation Nursery" has been officially upgraded to "Heart of Reincarnation".

Characteristics of the Heart of Reincarnation:

1. Cycle of Life and Death: Allows for the free conversion of life and death energy, greatly enhancing the power and resistance of related witchcraft.

2. Spatial Core: Spatial affinity is greatly increased, spatial magic consumption is reduced, and its effects are enhanced.

3. Primal Domination: Possesses extremely strong control and resistance to all energies.

4. Symbiotic Feedback: All symbiotes receive the blessing of the Heart of Reincarnation, enhancing their potential and strength.

5. Growth Potential: The Heart of Reincarnation possesses extremely high growth potential and can continuously evolve as its host grows.

A vast power, like a torrent bursting its banks, surged forth from the heart of reincarnation, washing over Kate's soul and body.

His mental strength surged and underwent a qualitative change at an unprecedented speed.

The soul is being elevated, and the level of life is being transformed.

The turbulent currents of rules in the surrounding boundary corridor are no longer a threat at this moment. Instead, they are like a gentle stream, spontaneously absorbed and transformed by the Heart of Samsara, becoming resources for universal ascension.

The Sage of Life revealed a relieved and gratified smile, slowly withdrawing his protective power and quietly watching Kate complete her final transformation.

After an unknown amount of time, the surging torrent of energy gradually subsided.

Kate slowly opened her eyes.

Deep within his pupils, his left eye seemed to hold an ever-growing, verdant forest, while his right eye appeared to contain a gray vortex where all things returned to stillness. And at the very depths of both eyes was a single, silver spatial origin that pierced through everything.

The aura emanating from him had completely surpassed that of an apprentice, carrying a faint yet incredibly pure aura of rules!

A fully-fledged wizard!

He succeeded!

With perfect form, he condensed an unprecedented complex mental image of rules—the Heart of Reincarnation—and stepped into the realm of a formal wizard!

[Promotion Completed: First-Ring True Knowledge Wizard (Beginner)]

[Mental Strength: 126 (100 for a typical beginner-level first-ring wizard; after breaking through the limit, mental strength increases fivefold; the limit increases the maximum mental strength)]

[Mental Imagery: The Heart of Reincarnation (Legend)]

[Core Rules: Life, Death, Space]

[Status: Stable]

Kate felt a vast, all-encompassing power within her, a sense of immense control welling up within her.

With a slight thought, a wisp of emerald green vitality and a trace of gray deathly aura intertwined and coexisted perfectly at his fingertips;

As he looked around, the spatial structure seemed to become clearly visible, and he even had the illusion that he could slightly manipulate it.

He stood up, bowed deeply to the embodiment of the Sage of Life, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master!"

If it weren't for the sage's incarnation here, he could never have succeeded so smoothly, and might even have been swallowed up by the chaotic currents of rules at the last moment.

The avatar gladly accepted his bow and smiled, saying, "This is an opportunity you earned yourself. The Heart of Reincarnation—"

Even in my long life, I have never seen such a mind image with boundless potential. Nurture it well, and thoroughly master this power. Your wizarding journey has only just begun.

She paused, then continued, "Now that you've been promoted, there are some things you should know. The commotion you caused by constructing your mental imagery is quite significant. Although you're isolated here, a trace of its aura has still leaked out."

Several old friends in the Southern Region have likely sensed the birth of a new legendary mental phenomenon and will probably come to investigate soon. Just be prepared; this won't be a bad thing for you.

Kate was startled, but then calmed down. He had long understood that the path he was on was destined to be extraordinary, and attracting attention was inevitable.

"Disciple understands."

"Yes," the avatar nodded, "Come back with me. Consolidate your realm and familiarize yourself with your power."

After that, whether you stay in the Southern Region or head to the Central Continent is up to you. I will stay at the Fortress for another month to answer all your questions about your advancement.

After saying that, she opened the portal again.

Kate took one last look at this corridor of realms, imprinting the rhythm of its interwoven rules deep into her heart, before resolutely stepping into the portal.