Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 170 Zerus, the Forward Outpost

Inside the isolation barrier of the rest area, Kate sat cross-legged with her eyes slightly closed, shutting out all the noise and disturbances from the outside world.

His consciousness sank completely into the depths of his spiritual sea, where the Heart of Reincarnation was slowly rotating in a mysterious trajectory, with four-colored halos flowing erratically, symbolizing life, death, space, and the newly integrated, still-adjusting rules of the dream world.

His target for this mission was the Withered Swamp, a severely affected area corrupted by the forces of the "Abyss of Decay." It was filled not only with physical poisonous miasma and swamps, but also with the pervasive "decaying" power of rules that could erode the minds and very essence of living beings.

As a sorcerer who follows the path of "reincarnation" and seeks a balance between life and death, facing and understanding this extreme "decay" and "death" is itself a form of spiritual practice.

But before that, he needed a layer of camouflage, a disguise that would allow him to reduce unnecessary attention and conflict in this enemy-occupied territory.

"Death disguise—" Kate murmured the word to herself.

Its principle is not simply illusion or shape change, which would be easily seen through by high-ranking undead or abyssal priests with keen senses.

What he pursues is to imitate the rules, making his energy aura infinitely close to those "walking corpses" or specific kinds of decaying creations that have been deeply eroded by the power of "decay" but have not completely lost their vitality.

He first focused his mind on the dark and profound "core of death" at the center of the heart of reincarnation.

This crystallized rule, obtained from the depths of the Eternal Night Canyon and imbued with a trace of the Undead Monarch's primal power, was being carefully touched at this moment.

Instead of extracting its violent and destructive energy, Kate subtly guided out a trace of the most primal and purest "deathly stillness."

This power, like a drop of cold ink, caused the temperature within the surrounding barrier to drop slightly upon its appearance, filling the space with a sense of emptiness and the end of all things.

However, the "decay" of the Withering Swamp is not just pure death.

It is more like a "pathological," slow, viscous, and corrosive process of death, mixed with a kind of distorted "activity."

This is subtly different from the direct and absolute "deathly stillness" of the Core of Death.

The imagery of "lesions" and "ulceration" needs to be added, along with—a trace of distorted vitality as fuel.

"A false impression."

Kate's mind raced, and she began making meticulous adjustments.

This requires an extremely high degree of control, as if dancing on a sharp blade.

He attempted to extract an extremely faint trace of life force from the "Seed of Life," and immediately used the power of the rules of death to "contaminate" and "distort" it, simulating the bizarre state of life energy struggling in vain before collapsing after being eroded by the power of decay, which instead accelerates the decay.

This process was extremely mentally taxing, and fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on Kate's forehead.

He had to find an extremely unstable balance between the two diametrically opposed forces of life and death, so that they would neither annihilate each other, but also present that dynamic effect of "decaying".

He imagined plants withering and turning black under the plague, and animals rotting in the plague, and incorporated these images into energy regulation, trying to give this simulated atmosphere an unsettling activity that was "in progress".

At the same time, in order to ensure the integrity and concealment of the disguise, he mobilized the power of the newly acquired "dream" rules.

This power is not used to create illusions, but rather as a "harmonizing agent" and "enveloping layer".

The power of dreams has the characteristic of blurring the boundaries of reality and affecting perception.

Kate used it to soften and blur the ripples of rules that might arise when the forces of life and death clash, and to envelop the final simulated "decaying" aura, making it less "glaring" and more naturally integrated into the environment, like aging a replica to make it more deceptive.

As time passed, Kate's aura began to subtly change.

At first, there was only pure, cold, and deathly silence. Then, a faint, sweet, fishy smell, like spoiled slime, began to permeate the air, mixed with an obscure feeling of mold growth and decaying wood.

His skin even had a faint, unhealthy grayish hue, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to be just an illusion of light.

He was like a skilled perfumer, except that he wasn't blending floral scents, but rather "decay" itself.

Every subtle adjustment is accompanied by a high degree of mental concentration and precise operation at the rule level.

He even separated a wisp of his divine sense to recall the undead and land corrupted by the decaying aura he had seen in the Eternal Night Canyon, comparing it with the aura he had simulated and constantly making corrections.

Gradually, a gloomy, cold atmosphere, carrying the feeling that something was slowly rotting and making people subconsciously want to stay away, steadily enveloped Kate.

Compared to the pure, decaying power described in the intelligence reports deep within the Withered Swamp, this aura may lack in "concentration" and "corrosiveness," and it may lack a trace of the madness and chaos unique to the Abyss, but it already possesses the core essence of "decay" and "morbidity."

On the level of energy perception, he was more like a wanderer who was slightly corrupted and was transforming into a decaying creature, or some kind of decaying monster that was good at hiding and whose aura was not obvious.

"Success—" Kate slowly opened her eyes, a hint of fatigue flashing deep in her pupils, but more so satisfaction.

He carefully examined the invisible "disguise" around him, confirming that its stability was sufficient to maintain for a period of time and that it would not conflict with his true source of reincarnation.

This "death disguise," though crudely created in its early stages, undoubtedly added a crucial trump card to his upcoming journey through the swamp, greatly reducing the risk of being harassed by low-level undead and detected by certain sentient beings.

He removed the isolation barrier and got up to stretch his somewhat stiff limbs.

Time is running out; it's time to set off.

On her way to the seventh teleportation platform, Kate could feel some scrutinizing and slightly surprised gazes directed at her.

Although the "decaying" aura he was emanating at this moment was faint, it still seemed somewhat out of place inside the Eversong Tree, which was full of life energy, especially in the relatively "clean" public area.

However, the wizards who could come to the Expeditionary Force Hall were all quite knowledgeable. Most of them just glanced at him a few times, guessing that this unfamiliar colleague might have practiced some kind of unorthodox magic or had just returned from a special mission, without investigating further.

The seventh teleportation platform was far more magnificent than any platform I had ever seen before.

It is cast from a single piece of some dark silver metal, and the runes engraved on its surface are not only incredibly complex, but also faintly flow with a spatial distortion luster, clearly made for ultra-long-distance, or even interdimensional, teleportation.

At the edge of the platform, several guards clad in heavy runic armor and exuding a calm aura stood like statues, their sharp, eagle-like gazes sweeping over every approaching individual.

There were already three or four wizards waiting on the platform.

A female elf, draped in a deep blue cloak and wielding a crystal staff, exuded a calm and profound aura, clearly a powerful individual skilled in water or ice magic.

An elderly human being dressed in a simple gray robe, with several herb bags hanging from his waist, exuded a faint, natural healing aura, like a military doctor or botanist.

There was also a tall, thin man shrouded in shadow, his face almost completely obscured, with only the occasional glint of a dagger in the shadows hinting at his profession.

Kate showed his mission badge, and after the guard checked it, he was signaled to stand at the designated teleportation point.

He chose a spot near the edge, maintaining a proper distance from the others, and silently adjusted his own state, keeping the "death disguise" at its most stable level.

A moment later, a high elf dressed in a silver-white commander's uniform stepped onto the control panel in the center of the platform. His gaze swept over the crowd, and his voice was clear and powerful: "Target: Forward outpost—Zerus. Spatial coordinates stable. Energy infusion commencing. Best wishes for a successful mission and a safe return!"

As he activated the command, a massive surge of energy erupted from beneath the platform, pouring into the complex runes.

In an instant, the entire platform was completely engulfed by a blinding silver-white light. The intense spatial fluctuations caused Kate to feel a strong pulling sensation, far more intense than when she was teleported from the Southern Region to the Central Continent.

If he hadn't already been a second-circle wizard, whose body and soul had undergone multiple enhancements, he would probably have been in extreme pain.

It seems the teleportation distance is quite far.

After a brief moment of dizziness and distorted light, the feeling of solid ground came through.

The intense light around them quickly faded, and an aura completely different from that inside the Eternal Song Tree rushed towards them.

Damp and cold, with a distinct musty smell, an earthy smell, a faint smell of blood, and a deeper, more...

It was as if the stench of decay had seeped into the very marrow of one's bones.

The melodious elven music and the whispers of wizards were no longer in their ears, but rather the powerful shouts and clashing of weapons coming from the training ground in the distance. Further away, the unsettling rustling sounds unique to the swamp could be faintly heard, interspersed with some vague, mournful sound of the wind.

Kate finds herself standing on a much larger and completely different teleportation platform.

The platform is located in a spacious stone hall, with a ceiling supported by thick ancient wooden beams and gray stone arches. Huge military maps hang on the walls, clearly marked with different colored markers for outpost defenses, patrol areas, known enemy strongholds, and danger zones.

Fully armed, stern-faced elves and human sentinels patrolled the passageway. Their armor was mostly worn and stained, their eyes sharp, and their movements exuded a seasoned and fierce aura.

A tense and somber atmosphere permeated the air.

This is the forward outpost of Zerus.

One of the frontline fortresses of the Ring of Life in its fight against the "Decay of Decay," a steel fortress standing on the edge of the Withering Swamp, constantly accompanied by death and decay.

As soon as Kate stepped off the teleportation platform, an elven warrior in light armor and wearing an officer's insignia greeted her. He quickly checked Kate's badge and mission information and said succinctly, "Kate the Wizard? Welcome to Zerus."

The commander is in the command room. Please come with me to report for duty.

Please note that some areas within the outpost are military restricted zones; please do not trespass.

Your activity area and suggested routes have been entered into your badge and can be viewed at any time.

Kate nodded and followed the sergeant silently.

As he walked, he quietly and to the maximum extent possible extended his senses, while simultaneously allowing Aisha, who was in the contract space, to experience the external environment through the soul connection.

Unlike his previous impression of a simple military fortress, the Zerus outpost had an unusually complex structure.

It is not entirely constructed of stone and metal, but rather cleverly utilizes the terrain, blending in with some enormous, seemingly fossilized ancient tree root systems and natural caves.

The passageway is sometimes as wide as a plaza and sometimes as narrow as a tunnel. Along the way, you can see defensive platforms with giant cannons, holy water pools that emit purifying light, barriers inscribed with protective runes, and some simple medical stations and supply depots.

The soldiers on duty had serious expressions and rarely talked. Even when they did communicate, they spoke very quickly, and the content was mostly related to patrols, fortifications, and enemy situations.

Kate could sense the calm aura emanating from them, forged in the crucible of blood and fire, and an almost instinctive wariness of their surroundings.

Everything here is optimized for war and survival.

Although the decaying aura in the air had been greatly weakened by the purification array at the outpost, it still existed like background radiation, constantly trying to erode the vitality of living beings.

Even with purification measures in place, being stationed here for an extended period is a continuous test of the physical and mental well-being of ordinary warriors and even low-level wizards.

Led by the sergeant, Kate passed through several heavily guarded passages and arrived at a large door made of heavy ironwood and inlaid with metal strips.

The sergeant knocked on the door, and after receiving permission, pushed the door open, gesturing for Kate to enter.

The command center was much simpler than I had imagined, with more detailed tactical maps and energy monitoring crystals hanging on the walls.

A high elf, clad in dark green commander's armor trimmed with gold, with a resolute face and eyes as sharp as an eagle's, stood before a massive sand table.

The sand table clearly simulated the terrain within dozens of kilometers of the outpost, including the daunting gray-green swamp.

Several elves and humans who appeared to be adjutants were whispering reports to each other nearby.

Sensing Kate's arrival, the commander looked up, his gaze sweeping over her with an almost tangible light. When he caught sight of the faint aura of "decay" on Kate's body, his sharp eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't show much surprise, clearly indicating his extensive experience.

"Commander, we have brought in the newly arrived reconnaissance mission operative, Wizard Kate." The sergeant saluted and reported.

The commander nodded, waved to his adjutants, signaling them to leave first. Then he looked at Kate, his voice steady and powerful: "I am Orion Windrunner, commander of Zerus Outpost."

"Kate the Wizard, I've reviewed your mission briefing. A new anomalous energy point has been discovered 30 kilometers to the southeast, suspected to be a decaying altar."

He walked to the sand table and pointed to a red-marked area deep in the swamp: "This area has complex swamp terrain and extremely high concentrations of poisonous miasma. It is known to have a large number of corrupted gnolls and plague zombies. Recently, the energy readings have been abnormally high, and the possibility of higher-level abyss priests appearing cannot be ruled out."

Your task is to ascertain the altar's condition, size, and defensive strength, and to obtain energy samples if possible. Avoid combat and prioritize intelligence transmission.