Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 167 Elune

Led by the elven guide Elarion, Kate passed through a magnificent archway formed naturally by huge, winding living roots and entered the enormous trunk of the Eversong Tree.

The interior space is much larger than it appears from the outside, thanks to the use of extremely advanced space expansion technology.

The light does not come from torches or magic lamps, but from glowing moss embedded in the wooden walls and dome, gentle strains of fireflies, and naturally formed luminescent crystals, enveloping the entire space in a tranquil yet vibrant green glow.

The air was so fresh it was invigorating, a blend of the fragrance of ancient trees, the sweet scent of nectar from a hundred flowers, and the purest life energy. Every breath felt like a gentle meditation.

They ascended the spiraling natural staircase paved with soft, glowing moss, occasionally encountering other light fairies or elven wizards in emerald robes. They all cast curious and friendly glances at Ellarion and Kate, and when they sensed Kate's unique and powerful aura of reincarnation, they would nod slightly in greeting.

Finally, they arrived at a door naturally woven from countless fine vines, on which bloomed strange flowers that never faded and emitted a soft glow.

"The Sage awaits you inside, Lady Kate."

Ella Lyon stepped aside gracefully, making a gesture of invitation, and then stood quietly to the side.

Kate nodded, took a deep breath to calm her slightly excited feelings about arriving at the holy land and meeting her mentor, and pushed open the door to enter.

The space behind the door wasn't particularly wide, but it gave people an incredibly peaceful and serene feeling, as if they were at the heart of the world.

In the center of the room, a shrunken World Tree phantom, though infinitely smaller, was still incredibly lifelike, slowly rotating and emitting gentle yet vast energy fluctuations, as if the energy network of the entire Ring of Life had been miniaturized here.

Beneath the phantom, a figure composed of pure radiance, flowing emerald energy, and countless tiny blooming flowers and leaves stood with its back to him, as if gazing at some kind of information flow within the phantom of the World Tree.

She simply stood there, as if she were the embodiment of the will of the entire vast forest, filled with boundless wisdom, compassion, and indescribable majesty.

However, its aura is gentle and restrained, without making people feel oppressed at all. Instead, it is like being bathed in the warm spring sun.

This is the embodiment of Elune Greenleaf, the Sage of Life.

Although it was not the real person present, the power and will it contained still made Kate feel that it was unfathomable.

"You've come, Kate."

A gentle voice, seemingly resonating deep within the soul, rang out, and Elune's avatar slowly turned around.

Her face was blurred in the light, indistinct, yet one could sense the admiring and inquisitive gaze upon her.

"Mentor," Kate bowed respectfully, "thank you for your guidance, mentor. I have successfully reached the Ring of Life."

"Very good." Elune's avatar nodded slightly, and the phantom of the World Tree swayed gently beside her. "I already know most of what you did in the Southern Region through the connection between the avatars."

"As a single link in the chain, you single-handedly resolved the crucial juncture of the undead threat in the Eternal Night Canyon, delved deeper into the Silent Forest, dissected the essence of 'gloom,' and ultimately annihilated the seed of nightmare—such an achievement far surpasses what I had hoped for."

Her tone was filled with undisguised admiration: "Especially—you were able to integrate the rules of dreams on your own, complete the Heart of Reincarnation, and step into the second ring realm in one fell swoop."

Such comprehension and opportunity are extremely rare, even in the Central Continent where geniuses abound.

Kate remained humble: "I was fortunate to have had such an extraordinary experience, and I dare not take credit for it. Without my mentor's guidance and life-saving support, I would not be who I am today."

Elune's avatar seemed to smile, and the surrounding light seemed to brighten slightly: "No need for modesty. Your path is unique, and your future achievements may not be inferior to mine."

She changed the subject, her tone becoming more serious: "Once you've entered the cycle of life, you need to plan for your future."

The Central Continent is not the Southern Region; it is a place of countless opportunities, but also one of equally profound crises.

The various forces are intertwined and their relationships are complex. You need to understand the general environment before you can choose your direction.

With a gentle wave of her hand, the illusory World Tree beside her shimmered with light, projecting a vast, intricate star map composed of countless points of light and lines. The area representing the Ring of Life was a vast, emerald-green nebula.

"The Ring of Life, located in the eastern part of the Central Continent, with the Eversong Tree at its core, rules—or rather, protects—the 'Emerald Forest' spanning six million square kilometers."

"Our philosophy is to pursue the essence of life, maintain the balance of nature, and live without conflict. But this does not mean that we are weak or easily bullied."

Her gaze swept across several directions on the star map, where the light in those areas appeared dim or aggressive.

"We have three main enemies:"

'

"First, the Abyss of Decay." A star field, emanating a murky, dark green hue and seemingly constantly decaying and expanding, was illuminated. "They are a fanatical cult that believes all things will eventually decay and seeks to purify the world with the power of plague and decay."

Its power is bizarre, capable of eroding the very essence of life, making it our most direct and oldest mortal enemy.

Their activity area is mainly in the "Withered Swamp" region on our southwestern border.

"Secondly, the lava fire core." A star field, blazing hot and constantly spewing violent energy, lit up. "This is a group of elemental fanatics who worship the destructive power of fire to the extreme, believing that only fire that purifies everything can bring new life."

Their desire to turn the entire Emerald Forest into scorched earth is completely contrary to our philosophy of life.

They are constantly at odds with us in the "phlogiston plains" to the east.

"Thirdly, the Crimson Predators." A dark red star field exuding an aura of bloodshed and plunder appeared. "This is a loose yet extremely dangerous alliance composed of numerous beastman tribes, bloodthirsty barbarians, and even fallen druids who believe in the survival of the fittest and take pride in hunting and devouring powerful life forms."

They consider the Emerald Forest their prime hunting grounds, frequently infiltrating and raiding with ruthless methods. The main threat comes from the Bonebreaker Wastes to the north.

After introducing the enemy, Elune's tone softened slightly, and several mild or neutral areas lit up on the star map.

"Of course, we also have friends and forces we can win over:"

"The alliance most closely related to us is the Silver Moon Alliance."

A star field radiating a soft, silvery-white glow lit up, "primarily composed of remnants of the high elves, followers of the moon goddess, and star whisperers. They revere order, balance, and wisdom, share similar ideals with us, and have long served as our protectors and helpers. It is located to our northwest."

In addition, the dwarf kingdom of "Heart of the Mountains" and the nomadic elf tribe of "Wind Whisper Plains" also maintain good trade and intelligence-sharing relationships with us.

While they may not fully agree with our ideology, they are reliable allies in the face of the threats posed by the "Lava Core" and the "Crimson Predators."

"As for the neutral Arcane Alliance," the "Mechanical Realm," and those ancient and powerful lone wolves, the relationships are more complex, sometimes enemies, sometimes allies, requiring a balance of interests and power."

After introducing the general layout, Elune's avatar refocused its gaze on Kate, and the World Tree phantom returned to its original state.

"Understanding these things helps you understand the environment you're in. Next comes the choice of your own path."

Her voice became more solemn: "Based on your current situation—the early stage of the second ring, the initial formation of the Heart of Reincarnation, with great potential but requiring time to settle and accumulate."

I have provided you with three main development paths, each with its own advantages and disadvantages; the final choice is up to you.

"The first path is to remain in the core area of ​​the Eversong Tree and enter either the Temple of the Origin of Life or the Library of Natural Rhythms to conduct in-depth research."

Elune's avatar pointed to the ground beneath her feet, as if pointing to the heavily guarded halls deep within the tree canopy. "This place possesses the most advanced life-system research facilities and knowledge base in the Central Continent. It is safe and secure, with ample resources."

You can focus on analyzing the fragments of your "Dream Core," deepening your understanding of the rules of life, death, and dreams, and even attempt to nurture your contracted magical plant to a higher level of transformation.

Advantages: Safe, stable, and can quickly solidify your theoretical foundation, making up for any instability that may result from rapid promotion.

The Ring of Life has enough resources to ensure you advance to the third ring step by step, without having to worry about external things.

"Disadvantage: The practical compatibility with your reincarnation path may be slightly less."

The ultimate understanding of the rules of life and death often needs to be honed in real battles and crises.

An overly comfortable environment may slow down your understanding of the more impactful and dangerous aspects of death and dreams.

This path is more suitable for pure scholars or wizards who seek a peaceful life.

"The second path involves participating in various challenging missions, secret realm explorations, and regularly held events such as the Canopy Trials and Root Competitions organized within the Ring of Life."

Several dynamic scenes emerged from the phantom of the World Tree: an elven party battling ancient guardian beasts in a dangerous secret realm; wizards racing through a vast, intricate network of roots; and resolving a strange natural imbalance.

"These activities are carefully designed or selected by the higher-ups in the ring. Although there are risks, they are mostly within a controllable range. High-level wizards usually keep an eye on them or organize them in teams."

The rewards are generous, and can be exchanged for rare resources, secret techniques, or even access to special training grounds.

Advantages: It can effectively combine theory and practice, and hone combat skills, rule application, and adaptability under relatively controllable risks.

Suitable for wizards who excel in combat and are eager to improve quickly through actual combat.

It allows one to accumulate reputation and quickly integrate into the inner workings of the Ring of Life.

"Disadvantages: It is still mainly about training. Although the challenges you encounter are dangerous, they are ultimately "preordained" or "known". Compared with the real life-or-death battles or faction wars you may face in the future, it lacks the cruelty and uncertainty.

While the resources you acquire may be valuable, the most exceptional opportunities, those perfectly aligned with your unique path, are often rare and hard to come by.

"The third path," Elune's avatar emphasized, "is to accept an assignment to defend a frontline fortress or resource plane in the Emerald Forest."

Especially—heading to the front lines of the Whispering Swamps, bordering the sphere of influence of the "Decaying Abyss," or being responsible for patrolling and contesting newly discovered, strangely governed sub-planes.

Scene change: In a gloomy, damp swamp fortress filled with plague mist, wizards fight fiercely against twisted, decaying creatures;

In an alternate dimension with unstable spatial passages and an extremely harsh environment, the team fights a bloody battle against hostile forces and even terrifying native creatures of the dimension in order to seize a peculiar crystal vein imbued with the aura of death and dreams.

"That was the real front line, where death was commonplace."

You will face the fanatical cultists of the "Abyss of Decay," the twisted monsters they summon, and the deeply corrupted land.

At the same time, these newly discovered sub-dimensions, due to their complex formation processes, often contain extremely rare, even unique, rules, environments, and resources.

"Advantages: Extremely dangerous environments are the best way to stimulate potential. The struggle between life and death is the fastest way to understand death and the true meaning of life, bar none."

You have a very high chance of finding rare resources or opportunities for enlightenment there that are highly compatible with the rules of "death" and "dreams," and may even promote a qualitative change in the "heart of reincarnation"!

Those who make outstanding contributions receive the most generous and direct rewards.

"Disadvantages: High mortality rate. Even for you, the risk is extremely high."

You may encounter enemies far beyond your current strength, find yourself in unpredictable and desperate situations, or even be drawn into large-scale dimensional battles.

You will need to face complex battlefield environments, cunning enemies, and the treacherous competition for resources all by yourself.

Once you make a choice, there is almost no turning back. You must always be vigilant and fight your way to growth through blood and fire.

""

After Elune finished speaking, she gazed silently at Kate, the surrounding light rippled slightly, awaiting his decision.

"These three paths correspond to three development directions: scholar, elite soldier, and battlefield vanguard."

The Ring of Life will provide basic support for every path, but how far you go and how many resources you acquire depends largely on yourself.

"Kate, your path is special. Reincarnation" means balance, but it also means that you need to delve into both the extremes of life and death at the same time.

Comfortable research may deepen your understanding of the rules of life, but the understanding of death requires tempering, and the power of dreams needs to be tested in the complexities of reality.

The brutal battlefield can offer all of this, but it can also lead you astray in the killing and destruction, causing you to lose your reverence for life and disrupting your balance.

"The choice you make depends on your understanding and beliefs about your path. Tell me your thoughts."

Kate fell into deep thought, her gaze profound.

Elune's analysis hit the nail on the head.

His understanding of reincarnation is not merely about growth and creation, but also requires comprehending death and annihilation, and finding a foothold between reality and illusion.

The research life under the Eternal Song Tree was certainly safe and superior, allowing him to quickly absorb the vast knowledge of the Ring of Life and lay an incredibly solid foundation.

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