Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 144 Light Fairy

Kate sat alone in the quietest corner of the Garden of Life's library, surrounded by ancient scrolls and crystal runes piled up like mountains, like a seeker overwhelmed by the ocean of knowledge.

The eternal twilight outside the window shone through the glass panes, casting dappled light and shadow on his focused profile.

He had spent several days and nights here without sleep, his mind highly focused, the Seed of Origin operating with unprecedented efficiency, coldly processing the vast, smoky flow of information.

The battles and life-or-death experiences in the Eternal Night Canyon allowed him to clearly grasp the key to the next step on his path of reincarnation—he needed a "core," something that could unleash the already powerful life, death, and... within him.

A supreme wonder that is a fusion of the three laws of space, triggering a qualitative change.

Rather than allowing them to coexist within the framework of the Heart of Reincarnation.

Drawing upon his own profound experiences and the instinctive understanding of plant life—growing and coalescing around a "core"—transmitted through symbiotic connections by Ash, he focused his attention on several ancient legends...

Even high-ranking wizards regarded it as a mysterious and elusive object.

He searched for clues in the vast sea of ​​books, and each discovery stirred his emotions.

【Fragment of the Heart of the World Tree】: According to legend, it is one of the very few core fragments scattered throughout the worlds after the collapse of Yggdrasil, the ancient divine tree that supported the multiverse.

Every single fragment contains the most primordial rules of life and creation from the very beginning of the universe, and may even be engraved with the original mysteries of the formation of the world's spatial structure.

It is not a simple crystallization of energy, but a tangible history of the "living" rules of the universe.

If one can obtain and successfully integrate it, it will be enough to allow any cultivator of the life system rules to advance to the next level in one step, directly glimpsing the mysteries of the third ring or even higher levels. Its power is enough to create small ecological planes out of thin air.

However, this item exists only in the Elven creation epics and the oldest origin myths of wizards. The most recent reliable record dates back to the early Third Age, when an Elven king attempted to use it to resurrect his fallen kingdom, but ultimately, the kingdom itself turned into dust in the turbulent flow of time and space.

Searching for it is like trying to catch a single drop of water with a specific shape in the vast ocean of stars—the hope is so slim it's almost despairing.

【Void Star Core】: This is not the core of a natural star, but a strange crystal formed after the complete condensation of the essence of certain “Void Beasts” or “Ancient Star Spirits” that were born in the depths of the void and were composed entirely of spatial energy and dark matter, after they were destroyed and subjected to billions of years of void tides and compression.

It contains the purest and most primordial power of space and stars, and is the supreme sacred object of space-type wizards.

It is said that a complete Void Core is enough for a wizard specializing in space to directly open up and stabilize a demiplane, and can even grant him near-godlike powers such as "Voidwalking" and "Star Summoning".

However, the void is boundless and extremely dangerous. The places where ancient Protoss or Void Beasts perished are even more forbidden, often accompanied by temporal and spatial ruptures and chaotic rules, where even legendary wizards can get lost.

Its traces are even more elusive than the fragments of the World Tree; it is more of a conceptual object existing in theoretical deductions and the dreamlike prophecies of astrologers.

【The Stone of Life and Death】: This is a more bizarre and vaguely documented object.

Legend has it that it was not born in the prime material plane, but rather at the boundary between life and death, the source of the River Styx, or the core of a place of reincarnation that connects the destinations of countless souls.

It simultaneously contains two extremely contradictory forces: the most surging source of life and the most desolate destination of death.

These two forces are not simply mixed, but rather intertwined, cyclical, and symbiotic in a very high-level way, forming a unique "reincarnation" field.

For those who comprehend the rules of life and death, it is an invaluable treasure, capable of instantly revealing the true meaning of life and death, and even touching the edge of forbidden realms such as "resurrection" and "reincarnation".

However, the records about it are fragmented and often linked to some long-extinct death pantheons or underworld secrets, making their authenticity highly questionable.

Most wizards believe that this is perhaps a philosophical symbol of the laws of life and death from an ancient civilization, rather than an actual physical entity.

【Original Essence】: This is a relatively broad but also more "down-to-earth" concept.

It refers to the crystallization of rules formed under certain extremely rare environments, through the natural condensation, sedimentation, and eventual "activation" of extremely pure single or complex rule forces over unimaginable long periods of time.

Its properties depend entirely on the environment in which it is formed: it may be "Flame Essence" or "Frost Essence" condensed deep within the elemental plane, or it may be "Holy Essence" or "Shadow Essence" formed over many years in the place where some powerful divine creature fell, or even "Joyful Essence" or "Despairing Essence" generated in a place where certain emotional energies converge.

Compared to the previous three types, the original essence is "possible" to find, and there have indeed been several confirmed discoveries in history.

However, its rarity remains astonishing, and each appearance is enough to trigger a regional war.

Moreover, whether its attributes perfectly match one's own is an extremely difficult problem that is hard to come by.

Kate took a deep breath as she examined the four strange objects.

Any one of these would be enough to drive a high-level wizard mad and unleash a bloodbath that sweeps across multiple planes.

For him, pursuing these goals with his current strength and resources seems too distant and unrealistic.

But he did not lose heart. Kate's will had already become incredibly strong through repeated trials.

He quickly changed his approach: "Since it's so difficult to find strange objects directly, could we try a different angle and look for special regions that are most likely to produce such strange objects?"

Or, could we dig into the historical record to uncover clues about events that might have intersected with these strange objects?

He suddenly expanded the scope of his search, no longer limiting it to official records and magical texts of the Southern Wizarding World.

He began to delve into those long-forgotten, brittle ancient adventure notes, otherworldly travelogues filled with personal speculation and exaggerated descriptions, and even some incomplete, vague fragments of prophecy and fragments of poetry.

He trudged along the fringes of knowledge, trying to sift out a glimmer of gold from the dust of history.

This process was tedious and lengthy, with countless promising leads disappearing into nothingness after in-depth investigation.

Just as he was feeling a bit tired, a tattered scroll written in ancient Elvish, with a cover made of some kind of unknown animal hide and the writing already somewhat blurred, caught his attention.

This book is unsigned and its date is difficult to verify. The content is mostly a bizarre description of a legendary place called "Emerald Dreamland," and it is mostly like a dream.

However, in the corner of one of the pages, a description, extremely obscure and with handwriting slightly different from the main text, struck his consciousness like lightning: "—In the gap between dreams and reality, at the end of the ancient path of life, there lies a land of amber, forgotten by time—"

There flows a stagnant, amber-colored river of time, its bottom slumbering with the core of an ancient dream, neither real nor illusory, reflecting countless hearts and weaving a tapestry of reality and illusion.

Only those beings whose souls bear the seed of a unique destiny can resonate with it and glimpse the path—

"Emerald Dreamland", "Ancient Path of Life", "Amber River of Time", "Core of Dreams", "Seed of Destiny" —

These words, when combined, sparked strange ideas in his mind, creating a strong yet vague suggestion.

Kate's heart skipped a beat. "The Core of Dreams"?

This sounds like a strange crystallization related to the spirit, illusion, and even the rules of time!

It is not purely life, death, or space, but it seems to be able to reach the boundaries of all fields, and may even become a unique "adhesive" or "catalyst"!

And the "seed of destiny"—his "heart of reincarnation," which merges life and death, communicates with space, and walks on paths that ordinary people cannot reach—is this a unique kind of "destiny"?

Is his soul the so-called "seed of destiny"?

More importantly, this description mentions a clear location clue—"the end of the Ancient Path of Life"!

In Elven legends, the Ancient Path of Life is an invisible path that connects various sacred sites of life, spreading throughout the world like veins. Although it is ethereal and elusive, many ancient texts mention its existence and believe that certain special locations may be its nodes or entrances.

As if he had grasped the key information, he immediately began cross-referencing all information related to "Ancient Path of Life" and "Emerald Dreamland" with maximum efficiency.

However, the gains were minimal.

Most accounts of the "Jade Dreamland" are absurd and far-fetched, while the "Ancient Path of Life" is more of a symbolic description.

Just when he was about to hit a deadlock again, a worn-out rubbing tucked inside an old botanical atlas caught her attention.

This is an image copied from a mural in an ancient ruin, from a long-extinct tree spirit tribe.

The scene depicted on the rubbing is mysterious and beautiful: a winding path paved with glowing vines and moonlight leads to a fantastic forest shrouded in a hazy, colorful halo. In the center of the forest, a river flows calmly, its water displaying a warm, stagnant amber hue.

This scene matches the description in that ancient book perfectly!

Kate's fingers trembled slightly as he carefully turned to the annotations on the back of the rubbing.

The annotation was written in an extremely ancient tree spirit language. After a difficult translation by the Seed of Origin, the key information emerged: "—The scenery of the Holy Land of Dawn's Whisper is located on the southeastern edge of the Eternal Night Forest, the place protected by the Ring of Giant Trees—"

The Eternal Night Forest, a ring of giant trees!

Kate's gaze suddenly sharpened.

The Eternal Night Forest! This is a vast, primeval, magical forest located on the eastern border of the Southern Region. It shares the same name as the Eternal Night Canyon, but its nature is completely different.

It is both a forbidden zone and a paradise for life, filled with fantastical creatures and ancient ruins unimaginable to the outside world.

And dangerous natural traps.

Legend has it that deep within the region, there are even remnants of ancient elves and ancient dragons that have fallen into eternal slumber.

The Giant Tree Ring is a relatively famous, yet extremely mysterious, landmark on the outskirts of the forest.

It is naturally formed by a ring of giant iron oak trees, all over 10,000 years old, which are naturally formed and towering into the clouds. It is regarded as a sacred pilgrimage site by many Druids and nature believers, who believe that it is a node where natural energy converges.

"Could it be that—an entrance to, or a crucial node in, the legendary Ancient Path of Life—lies within this ring of giant trees?"

A long-dormant flame of hope was rekindled in Kate's heart.

Although the clues are still vague and full of uncertainty and unknown risks, it is, after all, a clear direction and a target that can be explored in the field, which is far more realistic than daydreaming about vague legends.

He immediately prepared to retrieve detailed geography records, adventure manuals, and dangerous creature guides about the Eternal Night Forest and the Giant Tree Ring, and planned to begin developing a preliminary exploration plan.

Just as he was engrossed in planning, the communication rune he carried with him emitted a soft but continuous vibration, interrupting his thoughts.

It was a message from mentor Liria.

"Kate, come over to see me sometime."

The Barrier recently received a batch of ancient documents newly unearthed from the Falling Star Lake ruins. They are relatively well-preserved, and some of them involve the arcane rune framework of the High Elves and the original way of establishing natural contracts. The content is very profound, and I think it may be of reference value to your research on the nature of rules.

Also, a little one specifically asked to see you by name; it seems to be from afar, so there might be something special going on.

The ruins of Falling Star Lake? High Elf magic? Kate's heart skipped a beat.

Falling Star Lake is a famous ancient elven site in the Southern Region, said to be closely related to the High Elf Royal Court. The documents unearthed there may indeed hold secrets about the Ancient Path of Life, or even more ancient natural magic!

This will undoubtedly provide him with more crucial clues.

And who could it be that "a little one wants to see you"?

He didn't know many people at Evergreen Barrier, so who would approach him so formally through his mentor, Liria?

Suppressing her various speculations and vague expectations, Kate quickly straightened her slightly wrinkled robes, put away the important documents, got up and left the quiet library, heading towards her mentor Liria's tree tower study located in the canopy of a huge ancient tree.

Passing through the spiral staircase entwined with glowing vines and pushing open the wooden door engraved with intricate runes, Kate's first sight was not of her mentor, Liria, but of a petite figure sitting in a large wicker chair on one side of the study.

Her feet barely touched the ground and she was swaying slightly.

This is a strange creature that looks like a human girl of about seven or eight years old.

She had elfin, pointed ears, long hair as soft and green as newly sprouted leaves, and skin so white it was almost transparent, as if one could see a faint life force flowing beneath.

She wore an exquisitely crafted miniature dress armor, woven from fresh, vibrant vines, delicate petals, and some shimmering, gossamer-like material, exuding a fresh, natural fragrance.

What was most striking were her eyes, a pure, unblemished amber color, like two lakes reflecting the morning light in the forest. At this moment, they were filled with pure curiosity and a hint of timidity in the face of an unfamiliar environment, staring unblinkingly at Kate as she pushed open the door and entered.