Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 130 Communication and Growth

Kate placed Ash in a meditation room specially created within the treehouse to simulate the shallow void energy environment.

He slightly enlarged the meditation room with a spatial expansion spell, and faint runes guiding spatial energy were etched on the walls. In the center was a fragment of the void island on which Ashe was rooted.

Ashe's branches and leaves unfurled slightly, sensing the atmosphere that was similar to its original environment yet more stable and safe, especially the pure life energy continuously emanating from Kate, harmonized by the Heart of Reincarnation, which caused it to emit a satisfied, wind chime-like spiritual fluctuation.

"It's comfortable here, Kate. Much safer than drifting in the Void Turbulence." Ashe's spirit conveyed a clear sense of pleasure.

Kate sat cross-legged opposite Ashe, the Heart of Reincarnation slowly circulating in her spiritual sea, emanating a peaceful aura.

"Welcome, Ash. Now, let's begin our first in-depth discussion of the rules. As the contract states, mutual assistance and symbiosis, let our powers truly merge."

"Okay!" Ash replied expectantly.

The three star fruits at its top shimmered with light, emitting a clearer spatial fluctuation and a unique rhythm that seemed to soothe and connect the soul.

The exchange has begun.

This is not a simple verbal instruction, but a deeper resonance and sharing of the soul's origin and the imprint of rules.

Kate opened her mind and body, carefully guiding Ash's spiritual power into her own cycle of reincarnation.

He was unguarded, revealing to Aisha's "perception" as clearly as possible the vibrant life force of the Seed of Life, the profound stillness of the Core of Death, the stable framework of the Garden of Space, and the mystery of how the three achieve a delicate balance under the rule of the Heart of Reincarnation.

Ashe's mental energy, like curious tentacles, gently touched the verdant roots of immortality.

It emitted a wave of amazement: "Such a vast and pure source of life—as if containing the primordial power to create all things—is on a completely different level from the scattered energy I draw upon!"

It carefully comprehends the true meaning of "growth," "nourishment," and "cycle" in the rules of life, which is like opening the door to a new world for this magical plant that relies on external energy for growth.

Then, it cautiously touched the dark core of death.

At first, it instinctively resisted, but under Kate's guidance, it gradually came to understand that death is not just destruction, but also a manifestation of "reincarnation," "transformation," and "the end of order."

Especially when it senses how the rules of death and the rules of life form a dynamic balance within the heart of reincarnation, mutually restricting and depending on each other, its understanding of the rules is elevated to a new level.

Finally, there is the Garden of Space.

Aisha felt most at ease here. It was the darling of the space itself.

It carefully sensed the extension of the Void Vine's veins, the stabilizing effect of the Void Serenity Lotus, and Kate's application of fundamental rules such as "stabilization," "anchoring," and "folding" of space.

It found that Kate's spatial framework was very solid, but there was still a lot of room for improvement in areas such as "agility", "transformation" and "deep void communication".

"It's my turn."

Ashe withdrew her senses and began to open her rule core to Kate.

The first thing that came was an incredibly pure and spiritual understanding of the rules of space.

Unlike Kate, whose spatial knowledge, primarily learned from Void Vine and wizards, emphasizes practicality and stability, Ash's spatial rules lean more towards "origin" and "spirituality."

It is born with the ability to sense the "breathing" and "pulse" of space, and knows how to move through the void like a fish swimming in water, how to resonate with the energy of the void, how to use the folds of space to hide itself, and even how to guide the energy of space to subtly "weave" and "shape".

These insights were like a refreshing rain, instantly filling many gaps and deficiencies in Kate's understanding of spatial rules.

The Seed of Origin operates wildly, recording, analyzing, and integrating this new knowledge.

The spatial framework within the Reincarnation Nursery begins to undergo subtle yet profound changes, becoming more dynamic and in line with the essential laws of space. Its stability not only does not decrease, but it becomes even more resilient due to a deeper understanding of the rules.

Next comes Ashe's other unique talent rule—soul control and connection.

This rule is not a form of coercive spiritual enslavement, but rather a sophisticated art of "resonance" and "guidance".

Ashe can emit a special kind of soul energy that can establish a weak spiritual connection with beings of lower intelligence, influencing their instincts, guiding their behavior, and even sharing simple perceptions.

This ability is based on a precise grasp of the frequency of soul fluctuations and empathetic guidance, rather than violent suppression.

When this understanding of the rules entered Kate's mind, it immediately produced a wonderful chemical reaction with his rules of death and life!

The rules of death inherently include an understanding of the essence of the soul and the means to annihilate and erode it.

The rules of life contain the power to nourish and stabilize the soul. Ashe's rules of soul control seem to build a bridge between the two extreme attitudes of life and death towards the soul, providing a new perspective on "communication," "coordination," and "symbiosis."

Kate has gained a lot of insight!

He has been suppressing the symbiote's instinctive backlash, such as the ferocity of the Blood-Eating Vine, mainly by relying on the absolute control of the Seed of Origin and the forceful restraint of the Cage of Order, which are methods of "blocking" and "suppressing".

At this moment, he saw another possibility—"dredging" and "guiding".

Using this technique of soul resonance, he can more clearly perceive the "emotions" and needs of each symbiote, and establish a deeper spiritual connection with them, no longer a simple command and obedience, but tending towards a more harmonious "partner" relationship.

By guiding and satisfying their reasonable instinctive needs, we can reduce their disorderly backlash and make their cooperation more harmonious and natural!

At the same time, he also saw new directions in the application of death rules.

Since it can resonate and guide low-intelligence beings, can it have a similar effect on low-level undead?

Complete control is not required; simply applying subtle interference, guidance, or simulating the aura of a high-ranking undead to create a deterrent effect can greatly facilitate infiltration!

This is far more sophisticated and covert than direct killing or hiding!

The benefits of the convergence of rules are immediate.

As her understanding of spatial rules deepened, especially with the inspiration she received from Ash regarding "creating a stable subspace," Kate was struck by a sudden realization.

He guided the power of the Heart of Reincarnation, combined with the energy provided by a large number of magic stones, and began to attempt to construct an independent and stable subsidiary space on the edge of the Reincarnation Nursery and on the foundation of the Space Garden.

This process is extremely complex, requiring very high precision and a deep understanding of spatial rules.

But thanks to Ashe's unreserved sharing and the Seed of Origin's precise calculations, Kate succeeded!

hum!

The mental sea trembled slightly, and a stable subspace of about one thousand cubic meters in size was successfully opened up!

This space is connected to the Reincarnation Nursery, yet it is relatively independent. It is empty inside, but exceptionally stable. More importantly, it can accommodate a special energy life form like Aisha.

Kate named this space "Reincarnation Storage Area".

When Kate opened this newly opened space to Ash, Ash was overjoyed!

It sensed that this space was filled with Kate's presence and pure spatial energy, and that it was extremely safe and stable, far more comfortable than drifting in the void.

"Can I stay here, Kate?" Ash's mind was filled with longing.

"Of course, this will be your home in the Reincarnation Nursery from now on," Kate agreed with a smile.

Aisha immediately immersed her main consciousness into the Samsara Storage Domain, leaving only a part of her perception to maintain contact with the outside world.

It stretched its branches and leaves joyfully in that space, feeling the security and abundant energy nourishing it through its close connection with Kate's soul, and was in a better state than ever before.

The arrival of Aisha, and the pure spatial rules it continuously exudes, in turn further nurtures and stabilizes this nascent subspace, and subtly strengthens Kate's entire spatial garden.

The complementarity and symbiosis of rules form a perfect positive cycle.

Under the stimulation of this intense understanding of rules, fusion, and power enhancement, Kate's mental strength began to grow at an unprecedented rate.

The rate of increase, which had become extremely slow after reaching 150 points, now seemed to have broken through some kind of bottleneck and began to climb steadily and firmly upwards.

155——160——165——170——

The balance between life and death is made more harmonious with the addition of the rules of soul control; the spatial framework is made more solid and expansive with Aisha's original insights; the foundation of the Heart of Reincarnation is polished to be more brilliant; and the upper limit of spiritual power that can be contained and transformed is also greatly increased.

Time flies by amidst the profound interplay of rules.

Inside the treehouse retreat, Kate and Ash stood like statues, with only the regular halos of light flowing around them—sometimes emerald green, sometimes silver-blue, sometimes gray, and sometimes multicolored—signifying the profound transformation they were undergoing.

Two months later.

Kate slowly opened her eyes, her gaze restrained yet seemingly containing countless tiny spatial vortexes that were both created and destroyed. The aura of life and death blended perfectly, without the slightest stagnation, giving rise to a feeling of perfect harmony and clarity.

He sensed the state of his mental sea.

[Mental Strength: 200/200 (Intermediate Level 1)]

[Heart of Reincarnation Stability: Greatly Increased]

New capabilities:

1. Cycle Storage Domain (1000 cubic meters): A stable subspace that can store items and accommodate the energy life form Aish.

2. Soul Resonance (Beginner): Allows you to establish a deep connection with symbiotes and low-intelligence beings, enhance tacit understanding, guide behavior, and reduce backlash.

3. Whispers of the Dead (Beginner): Can simulate the aura of death, providing subtle interference, guidance, or deterrence to low-level undead.

4. Spatial Affinity (Significantly Improved): Optimized spatial blink distance, accuracy, and cooldown time; significantly enhanced spatial perception range and sensitivity.

Symbiotic state:

Bloodthirsty Vine/Golden Thorn, etc.: Under the influence of soul resonance, instinctive agitation is significantly calmed, and the connection with the control core becomes stronger.

Contracted Magical Plant Aishi: Now resides in the Reincarnation Storage Domain, in excellent condition, with a deeper understanding of the rules, and its leaves showing faint signs of elementalization.

[Overall Assessment: A qualitative leap in ability has occurred; understanding and application of rules have reached a new level, laying a solid foundation for advanced level one advancement and future promotions.]

"Two months—the results far exceeded expectations." Kate breathed a sigh of relief, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.

This in-depth exchange with Aishe was more effective than absorbing several high-level soul cores; it was a fundamental improvement.

Aisha's consciousness also came from the Samsara Storage Domain, carrying joy and a hint of fatigue: "Kate, your rules are so complicated and profound—I seem to understand a lot of things I didn't understand before, and I feel—Leaf is a little different."

Its mental fluctuations were tinged with novelty.

Kate sensed Aisha and indeed found that its amethyst trunk was more crystalline, and the light of its starlight branches and leaves seemed to be mixed with a very faint elemental luster, as if it was about to transform into a purer form of energy. This was a sign of deepening understanding of the rules and improvement of its origin.

"We've all benefited greatly, Ashe. Get some rest and consolidate your gains."

Kate responded gently.

Leaving the meditation room, Kate felt light and had a better grasp of her energy.

He decided to visit the Green Vine Workshop first.

Upon arriving at the workshop, Terriel saw Kate and immediately greeted her respectfully: "Lady Kate, you've arrived!"

"Yes, thank you for your hard work these past few days. How's the workshop doing?"

Terrell's face beamed with excitement: "My lord, everything went smoothly! Your improved high-efficiency undead protection potion and mind-controlling vine potion are in extremely high demand and have always been in short supply."

Adding in the orders from previous war reserves, the net profit for the past two months has been quite substantial! Here are the accounts and the magic stones.

She handed over a recording crystal and a bulging dimensional bag.

Kate scanned the area with her mental energy, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

The net profit reached an astonishing 30,000 magic stones! And that doesn't even include what was accumulated before.

It seems that the demand for medicines at the front lines, along with the reputation of the medicines themselves, has brought unexpected benefits.

"Well done." Kate nodded, put away the magic stone, "Continue production, prioritizing quality."

In addition, this is a newly drafted list of materials; we will collect them as quickly as possible, at any cost.

He handed Terriel a list he had prepared beforehand, which included a large number of rare magical plants rich in life energy, ores to improve the stability of spatial equipment, and some mild materials to aid in soul cultivation.

All of this is to further consolidate the results of this training and to provide better growth resources for Aisha and other symbiotes.

"Yes, sir." Terrell solemnly accepted the list.

After leaving the workshop, Kate thought for a moment and then turned toward Mentor Glenn's office.

Knocking on the door, Glenn was flipping through a file. When he saw Kate, his eyes flashed, and he put down the file, smiling. "Kate? You're back? Your aura—is even more profound. It seems you've gained quite a bit from this seclusion."

"A little progress," Kate said modestly, then got to the point, "Wizard Glenn, I've been in seclusion for two months. I wonder how the battle is going in the Eternal Night Canyon?"

Mentor Glenn gestured for Kate to sit down, his expression slightly grave but not urgent: "In the two months you were gone, Eternal Night Canyon has been relatively peaceful overall. The intelligence you provided last time was extremely valuable, and the council and command have made corresponding adjustments and preparations."

On the undead side, it seems that due to several failed raids and internal investigations, they have temporarily ceased their large-scale operations.

Currently, the skirmishes are mainly sporadic skirmishes and small-scale reconnaissance battles in the border area between frontline outposts and undead-controlled zones, with low intensity.

He paused, then looked at Kate: "What? Planning to go back?"

Kate nodded: "My strength has improved, and I want to go back and take a look. Beneath the calm surface, there are probably undercurrents. The Undead Lord has been plotting for a long time and will not give up easily."

I want to take advantage of the relative calm now to conduct a more in-depth investigation and see if I can find more clues about the "Household Tide Awakening Ritual."

Mentor Glenn pondered for a moment, then nodded: "It's good that you have this intention. But remember, safety comes first."

You are now a disciple of the Sage of Life, and a rising star of my Evergreen Barrier; you cannot afford to fail.

Elmer sent a message a few days ago, mentioning that the undead's activity patterns have undergone some subtle changes, seeming to be more covert and dispersed. You should be extra careful when you get back, and consult with Elmer on everything.

"I understand, thank you for the reminder, mentor." Kate kept Glenn's advice in mind.

After exchanging some insights on cultivation, Kate took her leave.

Back in the treehouse, Kate began to take stock of the supplies and make final preparations before setting off.

He exchanged most of the magic stones from the workshop for high-purity energy crystals and rare scrolls for survival.

The newly acquired life materials are properly stored in the Reincarnation Storage Domain, with a portion used directly to nourish Aishe and other symbiotes.

He carefully examined the condition of the symbiotes, including the Bloodthirsty Vine and the Golden Thorn Armor, and used his newly acquired "Soul Resonance" ability to communicate with them at a deeper level. Sure enough, he felt that he could control them more smoothly and freely, and the information fed back by the symbiotes was much clearer.

Everything is ready.

"Ashe, let's get ready to go."

"Okay, Kate! I'm starting to get familiar with your storage area. It's very comfortable here, and I'm ready to assist you anytime!"

Aisha's mental fluctuations emanated from the depths of the Heart of Reincarnation, brimming with vitality.

Kate took a deep breath, her figure blurring amidst the spatial fluctuations, and the next moment, she appeared in the direction of the teleportation array leading to the Eternal Night Canyon plane.