Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 171 Orion

Commander Orion's words struck the silent command room like a heavy warhammer, each word carrying the weight of bloody experience and unquestionable authority.

His sharp, hawk-like eyes were fixed on Kate, as if trying to pierce through the carefully constructed "death disguise" and reach the depths of her soul.

"Remember," Orion's voice was deep and imposing as he leaned forward slightly, the metallic armor creaking softly, "in the Withering Swamp, your greatest enemy has never been the visible corrupted gnolls, the plague walkers, or even the lurking abyssal priests. It is the swamp itself!"

He raised a hand covered in armor and pointed to the area on the sand table marked as a hopeless gray-green, his fingertips seemingly able to feel the stickiness and malice there.

"Every breath you take there may carry a toxic miasma mixed with spores of decaying plants and lung-eating mold, which won't kill you immediately."

Instead, it's like the most insidious parasite, slowly eroding your alveoli, making it difficult for you to breathe, making your spellcasting hoarse, until you suffocate in your own gradually failing lungs.

We have lost more than one excellent sorcerer, not because they were less skilled, but because their lungs had unknowingly turned into a honeycomb of rotten wood.

"Every inch of land beneath your feet could be a cleverly disguised quagmire of despair."

"7

His fingers traced several seemingly flat areas on the sand table, "the surface covered with harmless duckweed or withered leaves, but underneath lies bottomless, highly absorbent and corrosive silt."

Once you're trapped, the more you struggle, the faster you sink. Even more terrifying, the depths of the quagmire may harbor decaying, drowned zombies.

They have no consciousness, only the instinct to drag all living things into the swamp and assimilate them. They will grab your ankle like iron clamps and drag you into eternal darkness.

Three years ago, an entire scout team of twelve, along with a second-circle wizard skilled in earth magic, vanished without a trace, without even being able to send out a distress signal.

The commander's gaze swept over Kate's entire body, seemingly assessing whether he was prepared to deal with this invisible threat.

"And then there's that ever-present 'whisper of decay' —"

His voice was even lower, with an almost instinctive disgust: "That's not the sound of the wind, it's the spiritual pollution emanating from the swamp itself, accumulated over millions of years of death and despair."

It will crawl into your mind and amplify your fears, doubts, and negative emotions.

Those with weak willpower may experience hallucinations, seeing their dead comrades calling out to them, or be overwhelmed by a nameless sense of despair.

Last month, one of our berserkers, known for his unwavering will, returned from patrol and, in a shock, strangled his bedmate in his sleep. Upon waking, he claimed he had been fighting rotting corpses in a swamp.

He eventually suffered a mental breakdown and died by destroying his own heart core.

We had to purify him, lest his soul be corrupted and become yet another empty shell, filled with resentment, wandering in the swamp.

He paused, his gaze returning to the obscure "death disguise" surrounding Kate, his expression scrutinizing and warning: "Your disguise—"

He deliberately emphasized those two words, "Perhaps it might fool those low-level undead who rely on instinct, making them mistake you for one of their own and ignore you. But!"

Orion's tone suddenly rose, carrying a strong warning: "In the face of true abyssal creations, or abyssal priests who serve the source of decay and have an extraordinary perception of the energy of death and decay, your tricks are like fireflies in the dark!"

Your disguise may be able to mimic the aura, but can you mimic the soul fluctuations that are utterly twisted by the will of the abyss and filled with eternal hatred for all living beings?

Can we mimic their profound sensitivity to the scent of life, like a hungry beast smelling blood?

Once exposed, you will not face blind attacks, but rather the most precise and vicious strikes—a curse that targets the very soul, or a corrupting spell aimed at the very source of your life.

Therefore, do not rely on it too much; treat it as a layer of dispensable dust rather than a life-saving armor.

"Be cautious in everything you do; survival and bringing back intelligence are the primary objectives."

These words are detailed and chilling, vividly depicting the horror of the Withering Swamp, not only the physical danger, but also the all-round erosion of the spirit and the environment.

The temperature inside the command room seemed to drop sharply because of this description, and even the light from the magic lamps on the walls seemed to dim.

Kate's expression was solemn as she etched every warning from Commander Orion, especially those bloody examples, into her mind.

He replied in a deep voice, "Understood, Commander. I will keep in mind every point you made, especially the examples of environmental traps and mental pollution."

Survival and intelligence are paramount; we will never act rashly or take chances.

His response was brief and forceful, his gaze calm, demonstrating that he fully understood the extreme difficulty of the task and the code of conduct that had to be followed.

"Very good." Commander Orion seemed somewhat satisfied with Kate's calm and collected demeanor and ability to grasp the key points. He straightened up and pointed to a stone platform next to the sand table that emitted a faint magical glow. "That's the tactical information station. It contains the latest high-precision magical map of the surrounding area and dynamically marked crystals for known threat points. You can use your badge permissions to copy a copy to your personal log."

The map shows the changes in miasma concentration over different time periods, verified relatively safe routes, and recently detected hotspots of undead activity.

In addition, the outpost's supply depot is open to you, and you can claim the standard rations of potent antidote, anti-corrosion ointment, and a small bottle of calming incense to temporarily stabilize your mind, based on your mission privileges.

Even if you have a higher-quality item on hand, it's always good to be prepared and have an extra layer of insurance. Any other questions?

Kate strode to the information desk and pressed her badge against a pale blue crystal that shimmered with a faint light.

With a slight mental movement, a large amount of complex information flowed into the badge like a stream. It was not only a static topographic map, but also included dynamic energy flow simulations, known biological community migration patterns, and even spectral analysis and historical records of the frequency of the "decaying whisper" energy fluctuations.

He rapidly browsed, memorized, and cross-referenced data, his powerful mental strength processing massive amounts of data like a precision instrument. He focused on memorizing the migration route leading to the target point, which had multiple alternative routes and risk markers, and began to construct a preliminary three-dimensional model of the operation in his mind.

A few seconds later, he looked up at the commander and shook his head: "The information is very comprehensive and professional. Thank you, Commander."

No further questions, I'm ready to depart immediately.

May nature and courage guide your path, illuminating the shadows ahead. May you return silently and unharmed, like the night wind in the forest.

Commander Orion nodded, his tone less stern than before, but with a subtle hint of expectation and blessing for the brave warriors who dared to venture into danger.

"Remember, the highest-level surveillance array at the outpost will lock onto your life signals and emergency distress signals."

In case of extreme emergency, use the issued "Mist-Breaking Signal Flare". Its strong light can temporarily disperse a small area of ​​poisonous miasma, and the special energy fluctuations it contains can be clearly received by our patrol team within a ten-kilometer radius.

They will try their best to come to your aid and offer support. But—”

He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze sharp as a knife, and reiterated the harsh reality: "Once you go deeper into the swamp than ten kilometers, the signal strength will decrease dramatically with distance and harsher conditions, and patrol teams may be unable to reach their targets due to their own missions or encounters with the enemy."

At that time, you can only rely on yourself, the power in your hands, and all the warnings you're keeping in mind. Go.

Kate clenched her right fist and placed it on her left chest, giving the commander a standard, respectful wizard's salute. Then she turned sharply, pushed open the heavy wooden door of the command room, and strode away.

Without the slightest delay, he headed towards the supply depot—in the expeditionary hall of the Eversong Tree, he had indeed exchanged his merits for higher-quality potions and supplies.

Now, the most important thing is to try to enter the swamp before it gets completely dark and use this short window of time in the evening to acclimatize to the environment.

Based on the newly acquired 3D map information, he quickly traversed the intricate but clearly marked passages inside the outpost, as if he knew his own backyard, and headed towards the small exit leading to the eastern outskirts.

By now, the sun had mostly sunk below the horizon, casting a sickly, hazy yellow hue over the horizon, a mixture of gray-green and dark red. It was a delicate moment for diving into the swamp.

The daytime heat had largely subsided, and the activity of some light-loving poisonous insects had decreased, but night had not yet fully fallen, and visibility was still good, making it easy for him to make a preliminary observation of the terrain.

Adapt to the pervasive stench of decay, and find the first relatively safe observation point or hiding place before nightfall completely envelops the area and all sorts of nocturnal monsters become active.

The closer you get to the outer exit, the more the already thin life energy in the air is almost completely suppressed.

The mixture of moldy organic matter, rotting sludge, a faint smell of blood, and some indescribable, sweet yet rotten odor became strong and pungent, even making the skin feel sticky.

The soldiers guarding the exit became even more vigilant, the purification runes on their armor glowing faintly. After silently checking Kate's badge and mission authorization, they pushed the winch forcefully.

Accompanied by the heavy scraping of iron chains and the muffled creaking of gears, a massive gate made of thick ironwood and inlaid with reinforced metal strips slowly rose, revealing a scene outside that was completely different from the grim but at least orderly world inside the outpost—a scene filled with primitiveness, chaos, and malice.

When Kate stepped out of the gate and her feet truly touched the damp, slightly elastic ground at the edge of the withering swamp, it felt as if she were stepping on the rotting entrails of some enormous creature.

A more primal, savage, aggressive, and corrosive aura rushed towards him like a tangible, viscous wave, almost suffocating him.

Before me stretched an endless expanse of wetlands shrouded in a thick, liquid-like, grayish-green miasma.

Visibility here is extremely low, with the line of sight extending no more than a hundred meters, beyond which lies a rolling, unsettling fog.

Twisted, withered trees with branches reaching towards the sky like desperate arms are the most common sights on this land. They resemble dying giants, their bark peeling away to reveal their dark, rotten inner substance.

The muddy ground was dotted with murky, bubbling puddles, their effervescence unsettling.

The bubbles, carrying the smell of sulfur and decay, seemed to represent the swamp digesting and devouring everything in its path.

In the distance, strange hissing sounds from unknown creatures, rustling crawling sounds, and a low, deep hum that seemed to come from the depths of the earth could be heard. These sounds spread through the thick, oppressive air, appearing distorted, discordant, and full of malice.

Compared to the outpost behind them, which, though constantly threatened, was ultimately protected by order, steel, and magical power, this place was a chaotic, dangerous, hostile, and unknown territory governed by the most primal and cruel laws.

Kate stopped and took a deep breath of the polluted air, the kind of air that would make an ordinary person faint instantly.

The Heart of Reincarnation within the body operates at a slightly faster pace, acting like a highly efficient and precise purification core. It rapidly decomposes and neutralizes most of the harmful components inhaled air, transforming them into a trace of insignificant chaotic energy that can be used to replenish its own consumption.

The sharp, calm light in his eyes intensified, like two daggers silently drawn from their sheaths in the darkness, meticulously scanning the misty, deadly place ahead.

He checked the direction in his mind again, adjusted his breathing rhythm, and brought his muscles, nerves, and mind to their best combat readiness.

Immediately, he moved, not by rushing forward to attract attention, but like a ghost, like a nocturnal animal slipping into the shadows, silently merging into the gray-green, suffocating mist.

His footsteps fell on the soft, damp ground, making almost no sound, cleverly using the shadows of the twisted, withered trees and the dense, strange bushes to conceal his presence.

That meticulously constructed "death disguise" played a crucial role at this moment, allowing his faint aura to blend seamlessly with the decaying atmosphere of the environment, making him indistinguishable from the real thing.

His figure flashed efficiently a few times amidst the dense miasma and bizarrely distorted scenery before being swiftly swallowed up by the vast, all-consuming swamp, as if he had never existed.

In his spiritual sea, the heart of reincarnation beat steadily and powerfully, and the forces of life and death formed a dynamic and precarious balance within him, ready to tilt at any moment to meet any sudden challenge.

Through the soul connection, he could sense the faint fluctuations emanating from Ashe, which carried both vigilance and a curiosity about the new environment.

Her spatial perception, like countless invisible, delicate, and sensitive tentacles, began to cautiously spread outwards from Kate, helping him detect energy traps, spatial folds, and lurking dangerous life forms that were difficult to detect with the naked eye.