Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 154

Images, like fragments of an ancient scroll swept up by a gale, or like remnants of memories suddenly rising from the depths of consciousness, forcefully flooded into Kate and Amber's minds with irresistible power.

This was not a gentle transmission of information, but rather a surging torrent of spirit, a near-self-destructive outpouring of information by the "Dream Core" before its own structure collapsed.

Their "before-sight" was suddenly filled with boundless, brilliant golden light and flowing arcane radiance.

This enormous underground palace was not as desolate and dilapidated as it is today, but rather filled with a vast flow of life energy and an orderly magical power.

Above the magnificent dome, there is not rock, but a dazzling light curtain made of pure energy, simulating the changing starry sky.

The stars moved along mysterious trajectories, scattering starlight containing different rules of power, which was precisely injected into the huge complex array nodes below.

The dark gold metal and luminous crystals on the wall blended perfectly, with energy streams flowing across the surface like liquid gold.

Countless complex and dazzling elven runes are born, die, and recombine within it, emitting a deep and harmonious hum, as if the entire ruins were a living, breathing, giant magical life form.

In the center of the hall, the core of the enormous magic array shone the brightest.

Dozens of high elves dressed in ancient and magnificent robes can be seen bustling about or standing quietly at key points.

Their faces were blurred in the radiance, but the profound aura and the absolute control over energy that they possessed, even across countless ages, still deeply moved Kate on a spiritual level.

Every gesture they made stirred the immense power of the earth's veins, and every chant they sang resonated with the fundamental rules of the world.

At the very core of the magic circle, above the sunken giant pit, floats the "Dream Core".

At that time, it was not amber, but rather a pure and flawless, fiery white color that seemed to condense all light and hope.

It beats like a throbbing heart, each beat releasing a gentle yet incredibly powerful wave that resonates with the entire magic array, the hall, and even the deep ley lines of the vast, tranquil forest above.

It is not simply an energy source, but rather the "harmonizer" and "consciousness center" of the entire vast sealing system, perfectly coordinating the immense energy injected from the stars, ley lines, and elves, weaving it into an invisible yet indestructible net that presses deeply into the depths of the giant pit.

Just as the camera's perspective followed the flow of energy from the magic circle into the depths of the giant pit, an extreme terror, even across countless ages and fragments of memory, gripped Kate and Amber's hearts.

In the endless darkness, at the core of the seal, they glimpsed only a corner—a part of an eye so enormous it defied description, seemingly capable of filling the entire world.

Those eyes were not made of flesh and blood, but were formed from countless rolling, writhing, ashes-like black flames and a cold, deathly will to destroy.

Deep within the pupils, there seemed to be an absolute void vortex that was constantly collapsing and devouring all light and hope. Even a mere wisp of aura that escaped unintentionally was enough to freeze the souls and shatter the reason of ordinary beings.

That was the ancient, terrifying being that was sealed away. Its full form was unknown and unimaginable. This fleeting glimpse was enough to prove the absolute necessity of this magnificent seal.

The high elves, with their immense power, suppressed it here and protected the peace of the world.

The scene abruptly shifts, as if time is flowing away like a rapidly passing sand dune.

The glorious scene gradually faded, as if covered by the dust of history.

The starlight in the dome dimmed and became erratic, the energy streams on the walls became intermittent, the runes in many areas lost their luster, and even tiny cracks appeared.

The figures of the high elves who had been moving about had long since disappeared without a trace, as if they had all left at some point in time, or that some unforeseen event had made it impossible for them to maintain the operation of this place.

Inside the hall, only the magic array continued to operate on its own due to inertia, and the suspended "Dream Core" faithfully performed its duties.

But its light has gradually changed from a blazing white to a slightly tired, soft white, and its pulsation frequency has slowed down considerably.

Silence became the dominant theme, with only the low hum of the magic array in operation and the suppressed, resentful, and deathly will deep within the giant pit silently resisting.

Some minor damage that was originally covered by powerful energy began to appear.

In some remote corners of the ground magic circle, energy cracks thinner than a hair appeared at the connection points of some runes. A faint, almost imperceptible gray aura, like the most cunning venomous snake, began to seep tentatively from the weakest point of the giant pit seal, slowly eroding the surrounding structure.

This is a slow but deadly process, sealed in the unmaintained river of time, gradually being eroded and loosened.

The scene shifts rapidly again, bringing us back to a short time ago—the very "adventure exploration" that the High Priest of the Deadwood vehemently opposed, condemning it as inviting divine punishment.

A group of about seven or eight light fairies appeared on the outskirts of the ruins.

Their equipment was clearly different from that of the light fairies like Amber, who had guarded the forest for generations. They carried more sophisticated metal detectors, energy resonators, and rune deconstruction devices that clearly reflected external technology and even incorporated some dwarf or human engineering features.

Their faces were filled with curiosity about the unknown, longing for ancient power, and perhaps even a hint of desire to change the status quo of the tribe by controlling this power.

They clearly expended a great deal of effort to find and breach the outermost layer of protection of the ruins, entering this sacred place that they did not fully understand.

They recorded and measured with caution yet excitement, awestruck by the power of the High Elves, but seriously underestimating the risks involved.

Ultimately, they were drawn to a relatively independent rune node at the edge of the magic circle, emanating strange energy fluctuations.

It appears to be a spare interface reserved by the elves for reversing energy for overclocking suppression or maintenance in emergency situations.

One of the light fairies, who seemed to be the leader, held a complex crystal probe and, under the expectant yet tense gazes of his companions, attempted to connect the probe to the node to decipher its operating mode.

However, they completely misinterpreted the node's security protocols and energy flow.

The moment the probe connects is not a peaceful connection, but rather triggers a series of catastrophic energy backlashes within the node.

It was like using an iron bar to roughly pry open the core gear of a precision clock.

"Click-clack!!!"

A piercing, shattering sound, not transmitted through the air but acting directly on the soul, and a scream of energy overload, exploded silently in the scene.

The triggered critical point instantly erupted with a blinding, eerie black-red light.

The originally stable flow of energy, like a calm lake surface tossed with a boulder, instantly became violent and chaotic.

Countless rune chains broke and twisted, and energy paths were forcibly rewritten.

The entire grand magic array's operational logic underwent a fatal and irreversible reversal.

Instead of drawing energy from the stars and ley lines for suppression, it transformed into a terrifying and highly efficient pump, frantically drawing in the ancient and terrifying evil power from the depths of the giant pit.

The final scene is like the gates of hell being opened wide.

A massive amount of "dark" substance, viscous like asphalt, cold and lifeless, containing endless destructive and decaying will, erupted from the depths of the giant pit like volcanic magma suppressed for eternity, instantly engulfing the center of the magic array and spreading wildly throughout the entire hall.

The team of light fairy explorers were the first to be hit. They didn't even have time to scream before their figures melted, twisted, and mutated in the dark torrent, just like snow under the sun. They eventually turned into the twisted skeletons that Kate and the others had seen before, or even worse.

The gloom surged upwards and outwards along the energy channels reversed by the magic array, as if it possessed a life of its own, searching for any possible exit to erode the entire tranquil forest, aiming to drag it into the abyss of death.

At this moment of absolute disaster and despair, the suspended "Dream Core" erupted.

It seemed to be completely awakened from its long, slumber of guarding, and realized that disaster was about to strike.

It burst forth with an unprecedented, tragic, and dazzling light, a light filled with a resolute meaning.

It forcibly severed most of the direct connection with the core of the magic array below, which had been contaminated and reversed, at the cost of a large consumption of its own original power and structural damage.

Going against the current, they painstakingly guided the remaining orderly power of the earth veins, which were not yet completely contaminated, and forcibly constructed a final, fragile protective barrier above.

The core connection point of this barrier is the "Crystal Flower Field" above and its surrounding area, which resonate most closely with it.

In the scene, a dark torrent can be seen violently crashing against the temporary barrier. Each impact causes the light of the "Dream Core" to flicker intensely, and the cracks on its surface to increase visibly.

But it held on stubbornly!

Like a lone warrior holding back a breached levee, he used his own back to fight for the last chance of survival for the homeland behind him.

Ultimately, the torrent was temporarily contained deep within the ruins, failing to engulf the entire forest in an instant.

But the "Dream Core" had also exhausted almost all its power, its light completely dimmed, and the even more violent, gray energy tentacles that had been fed back tightly bound and dragged it back to the core of the magic circle, beginning a long and painful process of erosion and imprisonment, until it was in a near-death state when Kate and Amber saw it.

All the clues and all the questions came together at this moment, and the truth was revealed to the world!

As the overwhelming flood of information subsided, Kate and Amber suddenly "came back to their senses," breathing heavily with cold sweat on their foreheads, as if they had personally experienced that catastrophe.

"So that's how it all happened—"

Amber was in tears, her voice choked and trembling, her body shaking slightly with emotion. "Not because of the exploration itself—but because of the wrong, reckless way of exploring—they didn't even know what they were touching—"

Her heart was filled with indescribable complex emotions—a mixture of sorrow for the misfortune caused by curiosity about her ancestors and anger at their lack of self-restraint.

There is also boundless gratitude and reverence for the "Core of Dreams" who silently endured everything and sacrificed itself to protect it to the very end;

There is also a deep sorrow for the fact that the High Priest of the Deadwood and others distorted the facts out of fear and almost extinguished the last hope.

Kate's heart was also in turmoil, but after the extreme shock came an extreme calm and sharpness, like the sun breaking through the clouds.

The Seed of Origin operates with unprecedented efficiency in analysis, reasoning, and judgment, instantly integrating the acquired information.

Knowing the root cause is equivalent to finding the key to exert force!

The solution was instantly and clearly imprinted in his mind, as if carved by a knife and axe:

The key lies in that rune node that was accidentally triggered, causing a fatal reversal of the entire magic circle!

It's like the vital spot of a venomous snake, the energy gate of the entire vicious cycle!

If we can repair, correct, or even just forcefully reverse its current state, interrupt or even reverse the energy flow, we might be able to cut off the energy supply cycle of the dark entity.

Once the energy supply is interrupted, the external erosion will become like water without a source or a tree without roots. At that time, it will be possible to purify and restore the forest by combining its remaining power with the power of others.

It is even possible that the remaining primal sealing power of the magic circle, originating from the high elves, could be reactivated, forcibly closing the "Gates of Hell" that have been opened once again.

And the exact location of that node is—right here—

Kate's gaze, like a magic probe with the most precise calibration, pierced through the still-lingering energy turbulence and memory remnants, and suddenly locked onto a corner on the relative edge of the giant magic circle!

There, in one area, the luster of runes and the subtle traces of energy flow stood out starkly from the grand and harmonious base of the magic array, radiating an unusually glaring, unstable, and distorted energy fluctuation, like an ugly scar constantly oozing venom.

That's it! The starting point of disaster may also be the turning point of hope.

"Amber!" Kate shouted with all her might, her voice hoarse from the immense mental shock and the impending action, but filled with an undeniable determination. "Cover me with everything you have! At all costs! I'm going to get to that corner!"

Before he finished speaking, the power he had been holding back erupted like a volcano once more, the Heart of Reincarnation began to operate wildly with unprecedented intensity, and the rules of life and death intertwined and resonated with unprecedented tacit understanding.

A blazing gray-green energy vortex formed around him, forcing back half a step the gray puppets, which had just recovered from their stiffness and were pouncing again after being temporarily suppressed by the last light of the "Dream Core," bought him a fleeting moment of space to charge forward.

The next moment, his figure transformed into a sharp arrow tearing through the darkness, increasing his speed to the limit he could reach. Ignoring the turbulent energy currents along the way and the possible rune traps on the ground, he charged headlong into that critical point that would determine life and death.