Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

The cold stone steps spiraled downwards, each step treading into the bottomless shadows of the thorn garden.

The clamor of the upper celebrations, like a phantom from another world, was filtered into a muffled hum by the thick rock layers, which only made the path leading to the deep, abandoned mine tunnel seem even more desolate.

Ayla led the way, her figure blending into the darkness like ink. Her mechanical prosthetic eye flickered with a faint red light, silently scanning the energy nodes and guardian heat sources ahead.

Chen Lin followed closely behind, the lining of the Undead Moss under his cloak emitting a faint interference field, the Moonlight Moss Amulet pressed tightly against his chest, its silver radiance restrained, and the Bloodthirsty Vine pattern on his right arm throbbing slightly under pressure, like a lurking ferocious beast.

At the end of the moss-covered corridor is a heavy metal door embedded in the rock wall.

The door was covered with intricate patterns of thorns and eyeballs, with a slowly rotating energy vortex at its center—the first rune lock.

This is the first checkpoint leading to the abandoned mine tunnel, and it requires specific privileges to unlock.

Ella stopped in her tracks, her mechanical prosthetic eye locking onto the center of the vortex with a red glow.

She didn't use any identification, but instead extended her metal left hand, her fingertips precisely pressing on an inconspicuous energy node at the edge of the vortex.

She forcefully guided the power of the iron-corroding fungus, and a weak but highly corrosive metallic energy pulse was instantly injected!

"Sizzle—!"

The energy vortex of the rune lock suddenly stopped, its rotation becoming irregular and jerky, and a faint mechanical friction sound came from inside the door.

The logic bomb implanted by Ella has been detonated!

The secondary barrier control crystal was instantly overloaded, disrupting the preset permission verification process and creating a brief energy gap.

"Now!" Ella's voice was like a cold command.

Without hesitation, Chen Lin knew that the Seed of Origin had already imprinted the data provided by Ella into his mind.

He formed an extremely strange hand seal, one that was not part of the Thorn Garden system, and used his mental energy to simulate the temporary maintenance permission fluctuations that Ella had preset, precisely striking the core of the energy vortex!

hum!

The heavy metal door let out a muffled groan and slowly slid open a crack just wide enough for one person to pass through sideways!

Behind the door was an even deeper darkness and a musty smell, a mixture of rust and dust.

The two slid swiftly into the doorway like fish.

The metal door closed silently behind them, and the runes lit up again, as if nothing had happened.

But Chen Lin knew that the interference implanted by Ella could only last for a short time, and the next patrol by the guards would likely discover the anomaly.

The abandoned mine tunnels are like the intestines of a giant beast—deep, winding, and fraught with danger. Rotten wooden frames support the crumbling rock ceiling, and rusted minecart tracks and the skeletons of unknown creatures are scattered on the ground.

The air was thick with necromantic energy, purer and colder than that of the Bone Swamp, as if it could freeze the soul.

On the walls, the gloomy moss grew more luxuriantly than elsewhere, emitting a grayish-white glow as it greedily absorbed the negative energy of the area.

"Stay close and avoid energy stagnation points," Ella's voice rang out in the darkness, her mechanical eye scanning the area ahead like a searchlight.

The route she provided avoided several known necromantic nodes that could potentially harbor powerful vengeful spirits.

However, accidents always happen unexpectedly.

As they passed a fork in the mine shaft that had mostly collapsed, an extremely cold and malevolent spiritual force, like a venomous snake, suddenly sprang out from the shadows behind them and locked onto Chen Lin!

"We've found you."

A figure shrouded in a greyish-white cloak slowly emerged, revealing a pale face covered in cracked ice beneath the hood. His left eye was covered by a black eyepatch, while his right eye burned with a ghostly green soul fire—Kane!

Another prized disciple of the Icethorn Mentor!

He held a short staff made of solidified ice in his hand, with a rune stone at the top that pulsed with an icy blue light and emitted powerful fluctuations of frost magic.

Clearly, Malcolm's failure and Ella's unusual behavior prompted Icethorn to send out even more powerful minions, which Kane has been tracking all along!

"Derek's debt, the Icethorn Mentor's wrath, will be repaid with your flesh and blood and those filthy vines!"

Kane's voice was like two pieces of ice rubbing together, hoarse like withered leaves yet full of killing intent.

With a flick of his staff, several ice spikes radiating extreme cold instantly condensed, tearing through the air and shooting towards Chen Lin with a piercing shriek that seemed to freeze the soul!

The ice spikes followed a treacherous trajectory, sealing off all of Chen Lin's escape routes. Even more terrifying was the layer of pale gray-white energy covering their surface—Necromantic Frost! It could not only freeze the body but also erode the soul!

"Watch out!" Ella shouted, her mechanical left arm instantly extending a sharp alloy wrist blade in an attempt to block.

But Kane's target was clear: the ice spikes were mainly aimed at Chen Lin, and they were too fast!

Chen Lin's pupils constricted sharply! Kane's strength far surpassed Malcolm's; he was definitely at the peak of a fourth-level wizard apprentice, and had even touched the threshold of becoming a formal wizard!

The icy demonic pressure made his blood flow sluggish. At the critical moment of life and death, the Bloodthirsty Vine patterns on his right arm suddenly erupted!

"roar--!"

The dark golden vine phantoms were no longer the previous probing attacks, but solidified into a tangible form, carrying a violent blood aura and a ferocious roar, sweeping out like a giant python!

On the surface of the vines, the purifying silver glow of the moonlight moss and the dark red blood light of the blood-devouring vine itself intertwined fiercely, colliding violently with the incoming ice spikes!

Boom! Crack!

Ice shards and dark gold blood splattered everywhere!

The ice spikes, imbued with necromantic frost, were incredibly powerful, instantly freezing large areas of ice crystals on the surface of the vines, while corrosive necromantic energy frantically penetrated them!

Chen Lin groaned, a tearing pain shooting through his right arm, and the illusory vines dimmed noticeably.

But the Seed of Origin operates wildly, devouring evil thoughts!

The necromantic energy on the frozen and corroded parts of the vines was forcibly stripped away and devoured!

At the same time, the Blood and Qi Regeneration talent was passively activated, and the frostbite on his right arm was healing rapidly!

"Huh? It can actually devour the necromancy?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Kane's single eye, quickly turning into deeper greed. "There's definitely something strange about this! I'm taking this vine!"

He swung his staff again, and a large area of ​​slippery ice instantly froze on the ground. At the same time, sharp icicles began to fall from the rock strata at the top of the mine tunnel under the erosion of the ice magic!

The environment, under his manipulation, has become a deadly frost trap!

Seeing that Chen Lin had temporarily blocked the first wave of attacks, Ella immediately turned her attention to Kane.

Her figure approached like a ghost, her alloy wrist blade whistling through the air as it aimed straight for Kane's throat!

Her attacks were devoid of any fancy moves, only precise and deadly speed!

"Get out of here, you defective product!"

Kane scoffed dismissively, slashing his short staff in front of him, instantly conjuring a thick ice shield.

"Clang!" The wrist blade pierced the ice shield, sparks flying everywhere! The ice shield was exceptionally sturdy, leaving only a faint white mark.

But Ella's goal wasn't to break the shield! The stitches on her left arm suddenly burst open, and several strands of silvery-gray iron-corroding fungal hyphae shot out like venomous snakes, not to attack Kane, but to wrap around the ice shield and the ice surface beneath Kane's feet!

Sizzle sizzle!

A sickening metallic corrosion sound rang out!

Iron-corroding fungi have a terrifying corrosive effect on metals and energy structures!

Spiderweb-like gray-white cracks instantly appeared on the surface of the ice shield, and the ice beneath Kane's feet quickly softened and crumbled!

Caught off guard, Kane stumbled!

"Now!" Chen Lin roared!

He suddenly pulled out a bone tube from his waist and slammed it between Kane and the mine wall!

puff!

A large clump of grayish-white undead moss powder burst open!

These powders not only contain pure necromantic energy, but Chen Lin has also inscribed interference runes on them with the Seed of Origin!

The moment the powder filled the air, Kane's mental lock, the transmission of frost magic, and even the already chaotic necromantic energy field within the mine tunnel all underwent violent distortion and disorder!

Kane’s vision in his single green eye became blurred instantly, and his mental perception felt like he was stuck in a quagmire!

"Let's go!" Ella grabbed Chen Lin's arm, her mechanical prosthetic eye glowing red as it locked onto a crack deep in the mine shaft, thickly covered with undead moss—a shortcut to the lower levels, closer to the entrance of the dark river!

Without hesitation, the two charged towards the crevice like arrows released from a bow!

"Trying to run away?!"

Kane flew into a rage, forcefully dispelling some of the interference. His Frost Staff burst forth with a blinding blue light, and a massive shockwave of icy wraiths, filled with countless illusory souls wailing in agony, shot out with a deafening roar!

Wherever it passed, even the air was frozen, leaving paths of ice crystals!

At this critical moment!

Deep within the distant Howling Rift, the flesh and blood puppet created by Chen Lin using the Seed of Origin, carrying a carefully arranged "gift," was instantly detonated by the Seed of Origin!

Rumble, rumble, rumble—!!!

Even through the thick layers of rock and the vast distance, a dull yet incredibly intense energy fluctuation, like the heartbeat of the earth, violently shook the entire Thorn Garden!

This fluctuation was extremely unique—it was a mixture of the violent vitality of the Bloodthirsty Vine, the pure purifying energy of the Moonlight Moss, the destructive energy of a large amount of unstable alchemical materials, and most importantly… a faint but extremely pure life aura of the Soul Tree seed that Chen Lin had simulated with his own blood essence and the Seed of Origin!

Top-level laboratory.

Vivian stood in front of the crystal ball, admiring the grand celebration of Winter Veil, a smile of complete control playing on her lips.

Suddenly, a blinding surge of energy erupted from the area within the crystal ball representing the Wailing Rift!

That familiar life fluctuation belonging to Experiment Subject 78 (Chen Lin), and that wisp of the Soul Tree seed that haunted her dreams, were as clear as a lighthouse in the dark night!

"What?!" Vivian's smile froze instantly, replaced by incredulous shock and anger! "Number 78?! The Seed?! In the Howling Rift? Impossible! He clearly..."

She suddenly looked at another crystal ball—the one displaying Chen Lin's cave was now blurred, covered by intense energy interference! And the sensor representing the location beacon on Chen Lin... after flashing wildly at the rift explosion point, suddenly went out!

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" Vivian instantly flew into a rage!

She thought that Chen Lin had encountered far greater dangers than expected in the Rift Valley, and that it might have even triggered some kind of chain reaction, causing the seed energy in his body to leak out unexpectedly!

Even more terrifying is that the aura is rapidly dissipating! This means that her "fruit" and "seed" may be destroyed simultaneously!

"Chaos!" Vivian shrieked, her dark green robes billowing without wind, and a surge of violent magic erupted from her!

As if provoked, the withered ancient demonic vines outside the window let out a silent roar, and the huge vines suddenly lashed out towards the direction of the Howling Rift!

The defensive array energy of the entire Thorn Garden was instantly drained by more than half, surging towards the rift like a tidal wave! She had to go personally to confirm it, to salvage the situation! Even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance!

Deep within the mine, Kane's icy vengeful shockwave was already upon them!

The terrifying cold and resentment almost froze the soul!

"Ella!" Chen Lin roared!

A burst of blue light flashed in Ella's eyes!

Under the dual stimulation of Kane's necromantic frost energy and the necromantic energy of the undead moss, the encrypted data packet deep within her mechanical brain—"Report on the Origin of Abyssal Fungi"—instantly completed its final self-decoding!

It wasn't text information, but rather a predictive algorithm for the stress response patterns of the Abyssal Iron-Corroding Fungus under specific energy environments! This algorithm was as instinctively integrated into her combat logic!

"45 degrees to the lower left, weak point! 0.7 seconds!"

Ella's icy voice carried an unprecedented precision, and at the same time, her tightly clenched left hand suddenly opened—the jade wood carving of the leaf talisman and the vine frenzy were instantly activated!

Buzz!

A powerful, pure, and primal torrent of emerald green energy erupted from Ella's center! This power was completely at odds with the surrounding cold necromantic energy, like a torch of life being lit in the darkness!

Rumble!

The rock walls on both sides of the mine tunnel, the mine racks overhead, the rubble underfoot... wherever plant seeds exist, countless incredibly tough and thick vines burst forth from the soil like raging dragons, piercing through rocks and splitting gold!

They grew wildly, intertwined, and entwined, instantly forming a wall of vines several meters thick, vibrant yet indestructible, between Chen Lin, Ella, and Kane's icy shockwaves!

The surface of the vines shimmered with a vibrant green sheen, radiating a powerful life force!

Boom! ...

Kane's icy spectral shockwave slammed into the vine-covered wall!

Ice shards, wailing spirits, and fragments of broken vines flew everywhere!

The vine wall trembled violently, blasted into a huge crater, and frost rapidly spread, freezing a large area, but ultimately... it blocked this fatal blow! The immense vitality contained within the vines stubbornly resisted the erosion of the undead frost!

"A high-level item of the Hand of Life?" Kane was shocked and furious. He had never seen such a bizarre plant-based spell! This was definitely not the strength of an ordinary Bloodthirsty Vine!

"This isn't over yet!" Chen Lin's eyes flashed with a fierce light!

Taking advantage of the moment when the vine wall blocked his view, he pulled out the heavy lead box!

Upon opening the box, three specially treated crystals of resentment were revealed. Due to the intense energy impact from the outside world and the stimulation of necromantic energy at close range, the inside had become extremely unstable, with dark red and grayish-white light flashing wildly!

"Try this! Soul-Eating Bomb!"

Chen Lin used all his strength to smash the three crystals toward Kane. At the same time, the Seed of Origin unleashed its full power, and a mental shock mixed with the berserk will of the Bloodthirsty Vine pierced into the crystals and detonated them one by one!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

It was not a physical explosion, but a terrifying mental storm and a tsunami of negative energy!

The three crystals, like three miniature black holes of resentment, unleashed a torrent of accumulated, violent negative spiritual energy and the life-corroding power of the Blood-Eating Vine! An invisible spiritual shriek swept through the entire mine tunnel!

The grayish-white energy ripples spread out as if they were a tangible substance!

"Ugh—!" Kane was the first to be hit!

He felt as if his soul was being torn apart by countless vengeful spirits and forcibly eroded by a violent life force!

The eerie green eye instantly became bloodshot, the mental field vibrated violently, and the control of frost magic became severely disordered!

Even the frost staff in his hand groaned under the strain! The surrounding undead moss was stimulated by this energy and swayed wildly, releasing an even stronger interference field!

"Let's go!" Ella grabbed Chen Lin, her mechanical eye locking onto an inconspicuous crevice in the rock wall behind the vine wall, where the undead moss was thickest—the entrance to the underground river!

Without hesitation, the two of them, like two shadows, suddenly darted into the crevice under the cover of the wildly dancing vines, the raging mental storm, and the pervasive powder of undead moss!

Beyond the crevice, the sound of rushing water rushing downwards, icy cold, and carrying a heavy mist and the aura of the dead!

The hidden underground river that passes through the Bone Swamp leads directly to the Pale Woods!

Kane endured the excruciating pain that felt like his soul was being torn apart and the backlash of magic, watching helplessly as the two disappeared into the crevice.

He roared and swung his short staff, sending several ice spikes flying into the crevice, only to create a splash of water and a shower of falling rocks.

He rushed to the crevice and saw only the churning, dark river water below.

"This underground river...you can't escape!" Kane gritted his teeth, his single eye burning with resentment and unwillingness.

He looked down and saw several fragments of the vine, with dark gold patterns, scattered on the ground when Chen Lin's Bloodthirsty Vine broke, as well as... a few drops of dark red blood mixed with silver mycelium, spilled from Ella's broken wound.