Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 141 Post-War

The defeat of the Pale Lord and the Shadow Assassin's avatars was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, completely shattering the remaining fighting spirit of the undead army in the Eternal Night Canyon.

The monarch fled in defeat, the ritual backfired, and the high-ranking undead were either killed or injured in the energy storm. The low-ranking undead lost unified command and guidance, and instantly fell into unprecedented chaos.

They were no longer an organized legion, but had transformed into a true "horde of zombies"—aimlessly, fighting each other, and instinctively fleeing the terrifying radiance of life energy.

The defensive pressure on the seventh outpost was greatly reduced.

Commander Elmer, covered in blood, leaned on his nearly broken ancient wooden staff, watching the disintegration spread like the receding tide.

Even the sea of ​​undead, which was fighting amongst themselves, exhaled a long, turbid breath, a mixture of exhaustion and unbelievable ecstasy.

"We held on! We won!" His hoarse voice carried through the amplification array, trembling with the relief of surviving a catastrophe.

After a brief silence, the entire defensive line erupted in deafening cheers!

Wizards and apprentices, whether injured or not, embraced and shouted excitedly. Many even collapsed to the ground, exhausted, and shed tears as they gazed at the emerald green sky that was gradually dispelling the darkness.

This is the most decisive victory the Hand of Life has achieved since the opening of the battlefield in the Eternal Night Canyon!

"Quickly! Treat the wounded! Reinforce the defenses! Clear out the remaining dead! Quickly!"

Elmer quickly recovered from his euphoria and issued a series of orders.

He knew this was just the beginning.

Defeating the main force of the undead does not equate to completely occupying the plane. Eliminating the remaining enemies, establishing a stable rule, and beginning to purify and transform this land of death will be a much longer and more arduous task.

But now, the light of hope shines brightly on this land.

The avatar of Elune, the Sage of Life, did not pursue the fleeing avatar of the monarch.

Her mission was to stabilize the battle at minimal cost, rather than venture into dangerous territory and engage in a deadly confrontation with the enemy's potential backup plans. Her figure, composed of radiance and vines, hovered in the air, and gentle yet vast life energy showered down like rain, nourishing the wounded earth and weary warriors, quickly purifying the dense plague and curse in the air.

She looked down at Elmer, her voice resounding directly in his mind: "Commander Elmer, well done."

The darkness of the Eternal Night Canyon is torn apart today by your own hands and those of your warriors. Secure your lines and advance step by step.

"Reinforcements from Aoki Castle will arrive soon."

"I humbly obey the decree of the Sage! I am deeply grateful for the Sage's arrival!" Elmer bowed deeply in excitement.

Elune's avatar nodded slightly, her figure gradually fading until it dissipated into countless points of light in the air. The immense pressure also vanished, but the vitality and hope she brought were deeply imprinted in everyone's hearts.

In the following days, the Eternal Night Canyon underwent an unprecedented upheaval.

Large numbers of reinforcements from Greenwood City and even further back in the Southern Region Wizarding Alliance were continuously being deployed to the Seventh Outpost and other important strongholds via the reinforced teleportation array.

These reinforcements are not just combat wizards, but more often artisan wizards, plant artists, and barrier masters who are skilled in purification, construction, rune inscription, and ecological transformation.

War fortresses and forward bases with various functions were built at an unprecedented speed.

A powerful purification array was activated, acting like a giant light shield, continuously and over a wide area neutralizing the death energy and dispelling the soul-devouring dark mist.

Countless domesticated light and life-type magical plants were sown, their roots penetrating deep into the land that had been soaked in death for millennia, tenaciously releasing vitality and changing the structure of the soil.

The craftsmen began to repair the damaged ley lines, guide the flow of positive energy, build a new energy network, and gradually cover and replace the old dead energy nodes.

The battle to eliminate the remaining enemy forces continues, but it has transformed from a fierce defensive war into an organized mopping-up operation.

Teams of elite wizards, working in coordination with modified golems and contracted creatures, systematically swept through every corner of the canyon, clearing out the stubborn undead strongholds and collecting valuable undead materials and research samples.

The entire Eternal Night Canyon, like a dying giant, is being infused with new and vibrant life.

Kate, Evan, and Elena were treated like heroes after the battle.

In particular, Kate's decisive role throughout the operation—obtaining key intelligence, planning and executing the infiltration, controlling Grom, turning the Lich Lord against his cause, and ultimately guiding the precision strike—had already been compiled into a detailed report by Commander Elmer and presented to the Life Sage and the Alliance leadership with the highest priority.

His contribution was so great that it can be considered the key to turning the tide of the entire battle.

The celebration and commendation ceremony was held at the newly expanded Seventh Outpost Square.

Commander Elmer presided over the event personally, and even the Sage of Life, Elune, attended via a projection to show her importance.

"—In this decisive battle in the Eternal Night Canyon, the following personnel have made outstanding contributions and are hereby commended!" Elmer's voice boomed, echoing throughout the square.

"Evan Windwhisper, awarded the 'Emerald Wind' medal, rewarded with 100,000 contribution points, granted special permission to enter the 'Wind King's Vault' to study the three parts of the first-level wind-based secret arts, and promoted to level three resource quota!"

"Elena Starry Eyes, awarded the 'Silver Star Guardian' medal, a reward of 100,000 contribution points, special permission to use the 'Stargazing Platform' for one deep meditation session, and a 'Moonlight Veil' crafting recipe!"

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience. Evan clenched his fist excitedly, while Elena bowed gracefully in thanks.

Finally, all eyes were on Kate.

Elmer took a deep breath, his tone becoming even more solemn: "Kate the Wizard! In this battle, with your extraordinary wisdom, unparalleled courage, and outstanding contributions, you penetrated deep behind enemy lines, turned the tide, and laid an indelible foundation for the final victory!"

"With the personal approval of the Sage of Life and the resolution of the Alliance's Supreme Council, you are hereby awarded the highest honor—the 'Heart of Life' Medal! This medal grants you some of the privileges and priority in resource allocation equivalent to those of an Honorary Elder of the Alliance!"

A jade-green medal, radiating a gentle yet powerful aura of life, woven from leaves of the world tree and eternal gold, was personally placed on Kate's head by Elune's projected avatar.

"Reward: 1 million contribution points! 500,000 magic stones! Granted entry to the second level of the 'World Tree Heart Treasure Vault', with the option to choose two treasures!"

They were awarded the title of "Eternal Night Pioneer" and granted a permanent 3% share of resource revenue from the future development of the Eternal Night Canyon plane!

The square fell silent for a moment, then erupted into even more enthusiastic exclamations and applause, filled with envy and admiration.

One million contribution points! Treasure Vault Level Two! Permanent resource sharing!

Each of these rewards would drive any wizard below the third ring mad! And Kate, at the level of a first-ring wizard, obtained them all!

Even Evan and Elena stared wide-eyed, shocked by the generous reward.

Kate took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and calmly bowed: "Thank you, Sage, thank you for the Alliance's generous gift, and thank you for the Commander's guidance. This is my duty."

Elune's projection looked at him, her gentle gaze carrying a hint of approval and profound meaning: "This is what you deserve, Kate. Your path is extraordinary. I hope you will make good use of these resources, never forget your original intentions, and continue to protect the glory of life."

"I will heed your advice," Kate replied solemnly.

After the commendation ceremony, Kate did not bask in the honor and cheers; he immediately sought out Commander Elmer.

"Commander, Grom and the remnants of his Skullcutter gang have been temporarily housed in a secluded valley. They are now under my complete control, but please advise on their next course of action."

Upon hearing this, Elmer's eyes flashed with a sharp light. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Fully controlled undead combat power—invaluable, but also extremely sensitive. Directly purifying it would be a waste, but leaving it in the open might invite controversy."

He thought for a moment and made a decision: "In this way, I will report to my superiors and define them as your 'Special Contract Prisoners of War,' under your full supervision and 'secretly registered with the Transformation Alliance.' You can place them near your wizard tower, designating it as a restricted area, as a covert force of yours. But remember, there must be no trouble."

"Understood! Thank you, Commander!" Kate was overjoyed; this was exactly what he wanted.

A necromantic force that is completely obedient to you can be surprisingly effective in many situations.

"And here's another one—the Heart of Corruption and a few Thousand-Faced Soul Cores," Kate said, taking out two pieces of loot. "The power they contain will be very helpful for my research into the rules of death, and I want to keep them for further study."

Elmer waved his hand: "Since it's your spoils, you can do whatever you want with it. Just be careful when you study it; the undead king's things might have hidden tricks."

"Yes."

After dealing with these trivial matters, Kate finally had time to take stock of her gains and begin planning her next step in her spiritual practice.

He first used the teleportation array to return to the World Tree Heart Treasury in Aoki City.

This time, he was able to enter the second floor, which was more heavily guarded and contained more valuable artifacts.

The number of treasures here is not as many as on the first floor, but each one exudes a heart-pounding energy fluctuation, and they are at least treasures of the third ring or above, with many even being ancient relics.

Kate's goal is very clear.

He first chose a [ethereal chalcedony].

This is a strange jade stone, about the size of a fist, constantly shifting between reality and illusion, with countless galaxy vortexes seemingly creating and disappearing inside.

It contains an extremely pure and advanced source of spatial rules, and is a treasure for stabilizing and expanding subspace and enhancing the power of spatial spells.

This is exactly what Ashe needs right now.

For his second item, he chose a bottle of "Life Source Dew".

This is a sacred object formed from the essence of dawn and the dew of life gathered by ancient trees around the world. There are only three drops, and each drop contains an incredible and abundant source of life, enough to revive the dead and heal the wounded. It is also an unparalleled treasure for enhancing the source of life and nourishing contracted creatures.

This is of great benefit to him, to Ash, and to the entire Reincarnation Nursery.

With the two treasures in hand, Kate returned to his treehouse in Evergreen Fortress and began a period of deep seclusion.

He first placed the [Ethereal Jade Marrow] in the Reincarnation Storage Domain.

As soon as the chalcedony entered, it immediately emitted a soft, silvery-white halo. The spatial barrier of the entire storage domain became more solid and stable at a visible speed, and its range began to slowly expand.

Aishi was overjoyed. The entire plant was bathed in the radiance of the chalcedony. Its branches and leaves stretched out, and the light of the star fruit became even more dazzling. Its perception and understanding of the rules of space were improving at an unprecedented speed.

"Great, Kate! This jade stone—I feel the space has become so solid, and many things I didn't understand before suddenly make sense!"

Ash's mental state was filled with joy.

"Absorb these insights well; it's crucial for you," Kate replied with satisfaction.

Then, he took out the bottle of [Life Source Dew].

He carefully dripped a drop of Source Dew onto the Seed of Life at the core of the Heart of Reincarnation.

hum!

A burst of emerald green light erupted instantly, like a small sun shining in Kate's mental sea!

A vast, boundless life energy surged forth, instantly flowing through his limbs and bones. Every cell cheered and frantically absorbed this extremely pure energy.

His physical strength, maximum vitality, and recovery speed are all increasing at an alarming rate.

The Seed of Life within the Heart of Reincarnation grows and strengthens at a visible speed, becoming even more lush and vibrant, and the rules and runes it contains become increasingly complex and clear.

He then channeled the remaining energy into the various symbiotes within the Reincarnation Nursery.

The Blood-Devouring Vine grew thicker, its dark red color tinged with a sacred golden light, its ferocity greatly diminished, and its spirituality increased significantly.

The Golden Thorn Armor was covered with a warm luster, enhancing its defensive capabilities.

The floating flowers and moon shadow vines also benefited greatly.

Of course, he shared the largest portion with Ash.

Ashe's roots greedily absorbed the energy of the Life Source Dew, making its amethyst-like trunk even more translucent, with dewdrops rolling on its starlight-covered leaves, radiating vitality.

Its previous slight instability caused by rapid advancement and the void environment has been completely repaired and solidified.

"So good—so comfortable—such powerful energy—" Aisha sighed contentedly.

After that, Kate began to devote herself to integrating and understanding her own power.

He sat cross-legged in the quiet room of the treehouse, his mind completely immersed in the sea of ​​consciousness.

The heart of reincarnation slowly rotates, the seed of life is lush and green, the core of death is deep and silent, and the garden of space is stable yet dynamic.

This journey through the Eternal Night Canyon, filled with countless battles and schemes, especially the final manipulation of Grom, the defection of the Lich, and the experience of a King-level battle, brought his understanding of life and death, space, and the rules of the soul to a whole new level.

Now, fueled by abundant precious resources and the essence of life, these insights are rapidly settling and merging.

sublimation.

His mental strength grew and condensed at an unprecedented rate.

260——265——270——280——最终，稳稳地停在了290点的门槛上」

Late-stage first-ring wizard!

This is a qualitative leap. Not only has the total amount of mental power increased significantly, but its refinement, control precision, and affinity with the rules have also far surpassed those of the mid-stage.

More importantly, his control over the Heart of Reincarnation has reached a new level.

The rules of life and death are no longer merely mutually restrictive, but have begun to merge at a deeper level, giving rise to more profound applications such as drawing life from death and giving birth to new life from the extreme of death.

With the insights gained from the ethereal jade marrow and Aisha's feedback, the spatial rules progressed rapidly. The distance and precision of spatial flickering were greatly improved, and the initial threshold of "spatial cutting" and "spatial confinement" was even touched.

At the soul level, due to complete control over Grom and multiple soul resonances, his soul strength and mental resistance have been greatly enhanced, and his use of the Spirit Seed has become even more masterful.

Secluded in seclusion, one loses track of time.

When Kate opened her eyes again, his aura had changed drastically.