Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 112 News from the Undead Plane

Kate returned to the quiet treehouse he had temporarily set up. The furnishings inside were simple, but it was filled with gentle and abundant life energy regulated by a precise magic array, which helped him consolidate his realm and restore his spirit.

He had just sat cross-legged, preparing to reflect on the gains from his trip to Whispering Woods and further refine his understanding of reincarnation, when his brow furrowed slightly. A familiar yet powerful spiritual fluctuation was rapidly approaching, carrying a rare air of solemnity.

The visitor was Glenn.

Sure enough, a few breaths later, Glenn's steady but slightly hurried voice came from outside: "Kate."

"Please come in." Kate stood up and waved to remove the simple barrier at the door.

Glenn pushed open the door and entered. He was dressed in a simple gray robe, but his brows were shrouded in an unyielding worry, and his eyes were sharper than ever, as if he were bearing immense pressure.

"You look rushed, what happened?" Kate asked, her heart sinking slightly. Glenn was always calm and collected; his unusual demeanor meant something serious had occurred.

Glenn took a deep breath, skipped the pleasantries, and cut straight to the point, his voice low and serious: "Kate, time is of the essence, so I'll get straight to the point. The highest-level warning jointly issued by the Southern Council and the Starry Sky Tower—a war in the undead plane—may break out ahead of schedule, and on a scale far exceeding initial estimates!"

Kate's pupils suddenly contracted. Although she was mentally prepared, her heart sank when she heard the words "ahead of schedule" and "far beyond expectations."

"According to the latest reconnaissance and divination feedback from multiple channels," Glenn's speech quickened, "the five main undead plane passages that our Southern Wizarding Alliance is primarily responsible for guarding have seen their death energy concentration surge by an average of three hundred percent in the past two weeks! Large-scale, organized undead legions are gathering at an alarming rate near the exits of each passage. We've even observed the figures of several high-ranking undead lords who rarely appear before, and—traces of what appears to be an undead Scourge organization!"

"Five dimensions are acting strangely simultaneously?" Kate caught the key point. "Is it a coincidence, or—"

"It can't be a coincidence!" Glenn said decisively. "It's more like the prelude to a long-planned, coordinated, all-out offensive."

The council and the masters of prophecy in the Star Tower joined forces to make several in-depth prophecies, at a considerable cost. The fragments of the future they glimpsed were extremely dark—a horde of undead was crashing against the barriers of various passages like a tsunami, and the flames of war might even spread to the edge of the prime material plane.

We initially estimated we'd have a year and a half to two years to prepare, but now it seems we only have three months at most! Or even less!

Three months? Kate's heart sank completely.

This timeframe is far too tight!

"The Hand of Life is responsible for guarding two medium-to-large undead plane portals: the Bone Wasteland and the Eternal Night Canyon."

Glenn continued, his tone extremely grave, "The stronghold's leadership held an emergency meeting overnight, and Archmage Horn personally decided: passive defense, waiting for the undead to gather enough power to attack our lines, is tantamount to suicide. We must seize the initiative!"

He stared intently at Kate: "The council's final decision is: take the initiative! Before the undead army is fully assembled and the most powerful beings have fully awakened from their slumber, gather superior forces and launch a preemptive, large-scale interdimensional war!"

The objective is to penetrate these two undead planes, destroying their rallying points at all costs, and eliminating or severely damaging the high-ranking undead commanders to weaken their initial offensive force as much as possible. This will buy more time for our subsequent defenses and keep the main battlefield within the undead planes.

Actively invading the undead plane is undoubtedly an extremely risky but possibly the only effective strategy.

"In this war, the Barrier will go all out!" Glenn's voice was resolute. "All wizarding apprentices and full wizards of level four and above, except for those who must remain, will participate in the war! This is a mandatory conscription order, concerning the survival of the entire Southern Region and even the wizarding world of the Southern Region. No one can be exempted."

His self-illumination fell upon Kate: "Kate, although you are a newly appointed official wizard, your 'Heart of Reincarnation' possesses unique characteristics, combining the powers of life and death, and your spatial abilities are also extraordinary. You may have unexpected advantages in combating the undead and in mobile warfare. Therefore, you have been included in the first batch of assault targets."

Kate took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, her eyes quickly becoming calm and sharp: "I understand, Master. Protecting our homeland is our duty. What preparations do I need to make?"

Kate was not afraid of this inevitable war; on the contrary, she felt a strong sense of urgency and a hint of—uncontrollable excitement.

The perfection of his Heart of Reincarnation was precisely lacking in contact with and supplementation of the rules of death, and the war in the undead plane was the perfect environment that Kate expected to accelerate the construction and supplementation of the rules of death.

Seeing Kate quickly get into the zone, Glenn's eyes flashed with admiration: "Excellent! Survival is the primary task! Then comes killing the enemy!"

He explained in detail: "The Undead War is different from ordinary battles, and there are several key points that must be noted:"

First, environmental suppression: The undead plane is permeated with an almost tangible aura of death and negative energy, which has a continuous corrosive, weakening, and mentally polluting effect on living beings. High-level undead protection potions, continuous positive energy enchantments or holy water, and sturdy soul-protecting equipment are essential; otherwise, one's physical body will decay quickly.

Soul pollution.

Second, the Undead Swarm Tactic: The low-level undead are endless; they will overwhelm and drain your strength and will. You must be equipped with large-area clearing capabilities or efficient area-of-effect sustained damage methods, strictly control mana consumption, and carry sufficient high-efficiency mana and soul recovery potions.

Third, the characteristics of high-ranking undead: Be wary of high-ranking undead with special abilities. For example, the curses and summons of necromancers, the shrieks and mind control of banshees, the charge and aura of death knights, the physical immunity of ghosts, and the deadly poison or self-destruction of certain mutated undead—you must understand these in advance and prepare corresponding countermeasures.

Fourth, soul attacks and negative energy erosion: these are the most difficult to defend against. Besides soul protection, it's best to possess some ability to counterattack with your soul or purify, absorb, and transform negative energy. Your life force absorption and death resistance might have miraculous effects.

Fifth, logistics and sustainability: In the undead realm, regular food and water may be inedible, and the negative energy environment makes the recovery of natural magic and life energy extremely slow. It is essential to carry sufficient concentrated nutrient potions, high-efficiency magic stones, and methods of life restoration.

Glenn paused, his tone extremely serious: "Remember, in the plane of the dead, being severely injured or running out of mana almost certainly means death, and you might even become one of the undead. Therefore, survival is the top priority!"

"Secondly, we should consider how to efficiently kill enemies and earn contribution points," he continued. "Both the council and the stronghold will distribute huge rewards based on battle achievements, including contribution points, rare materials, and advanced knowledge."

There's even a chance for inheritance. If your Heart of Reincarnation can effectively purify or utilize death energy, you might grow stronger in battle, but this requires your own exploration and adventure; please proceed with caution.

After speaking, Glenn handed Kate a black runic token that gleamed with a cold metallic sheen, engraved with the Evergreen Bastion's war emblem and a complex numerical designation: "This is your war mobilization order and identification. With this token, you can go to the Bastion's armory to exchange for a batch of standard war supplies at the lowest cost price, including highly effective undead protection potions, Holy Light enchantment scrolls, and Soul Guardian amulets. The amount is 5000 contribution points or equivalent magic stones per person; this is the Bastion's support."

He then handed over a jade slip: "This contains some environmental information about the two known undead planes, illustrations of common undead creatures and their weaknesses, as well as some basic survival and combat tips for the undead battlefield. Be sure to memorize it as soon as possible!"

"Finally," Glenn looked at Kate, his eyes filled with a mixture of expectation and worry, "you have about three months. During this time, focus all your efforts on improving your strength and making targeted preparations! Your Green Vine Workshop might be able to prioritize producing a batch of undead protection and healing potions, which will be very useful whether for personal use or for exchanging resources. If you have any questions, feel free to come to me or Liria. Come back alive, Kate!"

After speaking, Glenn patted Kate on the shoulder, and his figure disappeared in a gust of wind. He was obviously busy informing others.

Silence returned to the treehouse, leaving only Kate, along with the heavy conscription order and jade slip in her hand.

The shadow of war descended suddenly with a speed and pressure far exceeding expectations.

Without the slightest hesitation, Kate immediately focused her mind on the jade slip.

A deluge of information flooded my mind: the Skeleton Wasteland—an endless plain of gray-white skeletons, with a green undead moon forever hanging in the sky, bone claws that could reach out from the ground at any moment, and ghosts that suck life force floating in the air. The undead army consisted mainly of hordes of skeletons and zombies, interspersed with terrifying gargoyle hordes and undead knights.

The Eternal Night Canyon has a complex terrain and deep valleys. Darkness is its eternal theme, and it is home to a large number of shadow undead, cursed spirits, and liches skilled in necromancy. The death fog in the environment can greatly weaken perception and spell effects.

The forms, characteristics, weaknesses, and attack methods of various undead creatures are vividly presented.

The brutal scenes of the undead war seem to be right before my eyes: endless howls, shattered limbs, corrosive black mist, and the desperate wails of souls—

[Risk Assessment of the Undead Plane War: Extremely High! Estimated Mortality Rate (Newly Appointed First-Ring Wizard): 35%–50%]

[Seed of Origin notification: The host's "Heart of Reincarnation" trait has been detected to have a high potential compatibility with the undead battlefield. The likelihood of successful survival and efficient combat depends on thorough preparation and adaptability.]

Despite the immense pressure, Kate's gaze grew increasingly cold and focused, even faintly tinged with a flame.

Danger comes with immense opportunity! For him, the pervasive death energy and endless undead might be the perfect place to temper his reincarnation heart and accelerate the accumulation of resources!

"Three months—time is tight, we must develop the most efficient preparation plan." Kate's mind raced, and she instantly got into the zone.

"The Seed of Origin, combining existing information, deduces the optimal preparation plan. Core objective: Maximize the survivability and combat efficiency of the undead battlefield. Priority: Survival > Sustain > Kill/Purify Efficiency."

The cold, instantaneous response of the analysis stream:

[Command confirmed. The deduction is based on: the host's current state (First Ring, Initial Stage - Heart of Reincarnation), available resources (Green Vine Workshop, Hand of Life access, War Supply quota), time limit (approximately 90 days), and characteristics of the Undead Battlefield.]

[Diagram Generation]

[Dimension 1: Strengthening and Targeted Enhancement of Core Competencies (Highest Priority)]

1. Deep integration of the heart of reincarnation:

Daily high-intensity meditation is conducted to simulate the deathly atmosphere of the undead, honing the instantaneous cast speed, range of effect, and energy conversion efficiency of the Life Drain/Death Resist runes. The goal is to maintain a low-cost, continuous purification/absorption field when facing hordes of the undead.

The focus is on improving the stability, accuracy, and anti-interference capabilities of spatial blinking under conditions of energy disturbance and spatial compression. Increase spatial blinking practice. Objective: To ensure the absolute reliability of this critical survival skill.

Try fine-tuning the Heart of Reincarnation's force field to simulate and develop a targeted "low-level undead intimidation/annihilation aura".

2. Symbiote combat readiness enhancement:

Bloodthirsty Vine: Focus on maximizing its ability to devour, purify, and transform the death aura, negative energy, and soul fragments of the undead. Try incorporating trace amounts of "Holy Silver" or "Sunstone" powder to enhance its lethality against the undead. Objective:

Evolve the "Undead Devour" feat.

Golden Thorn Iron Armor: Enhances physical defense and is enchanted with the "Negative Energy Resistance" and "Soul Barrier" runes. It can be infused with Undead Metal Powder to further strengthen resistance to undead attacks. Objective: To become the first and most solid line of defense against undead attacks.

Floating Flower/Moon Shadow: Enhances mental defense and resistance to negative status effects. Moon Shadow primarily improves stealth and spatial awareness accuracy in deathly environments.

3. Equipment and Item Preparation (Make full use of the 5000 contribution points and workshop production):

Protective items: Exchange/customize the [High-level Undead Protection Amulet], [Soul Guardian Barrier Generator] (active activation), and [Negative Energy Purification Cloak].

Weapon types: Add the [Life Strike] or [Exorcism] enchantment effect to the Golden Thorn Armor. Temper the Bloodthirsty Vine with [Energy Drain Tail Spike].

Potions: [Potential Mana Restoration Potion], [Soul Stabilizing Elixir], [Advanced Stamina Replenishment], [Undead Antidote].

Utilize the workshop to mass-produce [Undead Protection Potion] and [Mana Restoration Potion] as regular consumables and potential trade items.

Special items: [Undead Immobilization Scroll], [Small Delayed Bomb], etc.

Logistics: [High-Energy Nutritional Solution] for convenient long-term storage as a food substitute, [Water Purification Rune], [Portable Purification Barrier Pillar].

4. Knowledge Reserves:

Master all the information about the dead in the jade slip, and be able to identify and react instantly.

Consult Glenn, Master Liria, or wizards with experience in the Undead Wars for practical combat techniques and precautions.

With the access to the Hand of Life, you can learn low-level necromancy spells (such as auxiliary spells like detecting undead and dispelling minor curses).