Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 173 Intelligence

As Kate stepped into the altar area, an aura of decay and despair, a hundred times more concentrated and viscous than the outside, rushed towards him, almost shattering his carefully maintained "death disguise."

He immediately activated the Heart of Reincarnation with all his might, achieving an even more extreme balance within his body through the rules of life and death, barely managing to stabilize his posture and avoid revealing any flaws.

The scene inside the altar was even more bizarre and terrifying than he had imagined.

The entire altar resembled a living, enormous, and twisted organ. The ground was forcibly fused together from countless pale bones and pitch-black metal, producing a teeth-grinding "crunch" sound when stepped on, with a dark red, viscous liquid flowing from the cracks, exuding a strong stench of blood and decay.

The walls were writhing fleshy walls covered with large, vascularized tissues. These fleshy walls pulsated slowly, like breathing, pumping pure, decaying energy to every corner of the altar.

The air was filled with low, chaotic murmurs, as if countless vengeful spirits were wailing in one's ears, or as if some ancient and evil being was dreaming in its slumber.

The grayish-green fog here almost condensed into a liquid state, severely obstructing visibility and greatly interfering with even energy perception.

Kate lowered her head, mimicking the worshipper's usual slightly obsequious and fearful posture, and walked along a cleared path paved with more intact skulls toward the depths of the altar.

Along the way, he saw more enslaved, decaying creatures: some were numbly cleaning the pus seeping from their fleshy walls, while others were throwing foul-smelling, unidentified materials into the gaping, mouth-like holes in the walls.

Based on the fragmented information he gleaned from the believer's memories, he headed toward the "nourishment delivery point."

His "daily task" seems to be to deliver the "nutrients" he receives from the transport team to a designated location.

The deeper one goes, the heavier the oppressive aura becomes.

Finally, he arrived at a relatively open area—this seemed to be an energy node of the altar.

In the center is a sunken pool, in which a dark red, viscous substance is boiling, which is the "nutrient".

Several believers were mechanically pouring the supplies they had brought into the pool.

Kate was about to follow suit, complete this tedious task, and then find an opportunity to investigate when he suddenly stopped in his tracks, as a highly vigilant warning came from the depths of his soul from Ash.

He sensed two extremely powerful auras in the shadows not far away.

One of them was obscure and profound, carrying a pure stillness and decay that froze the soul, and its energy level had reached the third ring!

The other force was even more bizarre, filled with chaos, greed, and a nascent yet immensely powerful evil will, as if some terrifying entity was being conceived.

Kate forcibly suppressed the turmoil in her heart, maintaining her usual numbness and obedience, lowering her head and cautiously glancing at the source of the aura out of the corner of her eye.

Deep within the node, on a slightly elevated platform, stood a figure clad in a tattered, dark purple robe embroidered with writhing, living runes.

It was tall and its face was obscured; only two eyes burning with eerie green flames were visible beneath its hood.

It held a bizarre staff pieced together from a spine and skull, and the energy emanating from its body distorted the surrounding air. It was a third-ring corrupted priest.

What horrified Kate even more was that, in front of this corrupted priest, the flesh walls caved inward, forming a natural "incubation chamber."

In the center of the cavity, a dark red fleshy egg, about half the height of a person, was suspended and constantly pulsating!

The surface of the fleshy egg was covered with twisted blood vessels and strange, eye-like holes that opened and closed constantly, emanating a chaotic and immense evil will.

Pure decaying energy was being drawn from all parts of the altar and poured into the fleshy egg like rivers flowing into the sea.

"Not enough—too slow—" The corrupt priest uttered a hoarse, low voice, like the scraping of metal. Its gaze was fixed on the fleshy egg, filled with fanaticism and anticipation. The hatching of the "Seed of Blasphemy" required more life essence and desperate souls—the Lord's offspring must be born perfectly before the "Day of Advent"—

Another Abyss Believer, whose aura was slightly weaker but who was still at the peak of the second ring, bowed in response, his voice filled with reverence: "Priest, the insects on the Ring of Life have been scouting very frequently lately, increasing the risk of the nutrient transport route—is it possible—"

"Useless!" The corrupt priest sneered, and the surrounding temperature plummeted. Any existence that "hinders" the descent of the "Child of God" will be transformed into resources for incubation!

Intensify the search and capture efforts, eradicate the strongholds of those lingering survivors in the vicinity, and sacrifice their lives and souls.

As for those insects—”

It paused, its eerie green gaze sweeping across the entire node. Kate immediately felt a chilling sensation pass by. He did his best to maintain his disguise, even simulating a trace of "fear" and "awe" in the face of a higher being.

"When the Divine Child descends, this swamp, and even the entire border, will be our paradise."

At that time, the faint glimmer of the Alliance of Nature will be utterly swallowed up by eternal decay!

The corrupt priest, seemingly oblivious to Kate's unusual behavior, continued issuing orders to the follower: "Go and accelerate the process! I want to see the nourishment increase by 30% at the next lunar eclipse! Any delay—you know the consequences."

"Yes! Yes! Your Excellency!" The second-circle believer was so frightened that his soul flame flickered, and he quickly retreated.

Kate was shocked!

Seed of blasphemy? Son of God? Advent? Son of our Lord?

These words, when put together, point to an extremely terrifying possibility—this hatching egg is not some ordinary abyssal creation at all, but very likely a direct descendant of an abyssal evil god.

Once successfully born, this being could potentially reach the terrifying level of a Saint.

This has gone far beyond the scope of ordinary frontline conflicts.

This is a massive conspiracy that could overturn the entire border defense line and even trigger a regional disaster.

This intelligence must be sent back immediately!

Kate made a decision in an instant. Destroy the altar?

With his current strength, facing a third-ring corrupted priest and the entire altar's guards is like throwing an egg against a rock.

His primary task was to bring this earth-shattering intelligence back alive.

He suppressed the urge to flee immediately, mimicking the actions of other believers, mechanically pouring the "nourishment" in his hand into the boiling pool, then lowering his head and carefully exiting the core node step by step along the original path.

Every step felt like walking on a knife's edge.

He could feel the corrupt priest's gaze, seemingly faint yet almost tangible, occasionally sweeping across the area.

He had to play the role of this "lower believer" perfectly, without revealing the slightest flaw.

Fortunately, the decaying creatures inside the altar seemed to be strictly hierarchical, and lower-ranking believers dared not look around or communicate freely in this core area, which made it easier for Kate to disguise herself.

He successfully left the core node and, following the path he came from, walked out of the altar's area without any major incident.

Only when she stepped back into the relatively "thin" decaying fog outside, away from the suffocating pressure of the altar, did Kate breathe a slight sigh of relief; her back was completely soaked with cold sweat.

Without pausing, he immediately returned at full speed towards the Zerus outpost.

This time, he stopped testing and reconnaissance, pushing his speed to the limit and using Ashe's spatial awareness to avoid all possible obstacles, speeding through the dangerous swamp like a shadow blending into the mist.

A day later, Kate reappeared in front of the heavy gate at the Zerus outpost.

When the guards saw this "believer" who exuded a strong aura of decay but had sharp, clear eyes, they almost launched an attack.

Kate was only allowed in with suspicion after she revealed her identity badge, removed her disguise, and showed her true self.

Without a moment's rest, Kate rushed straight to the command center.

"Commander, urgent intelligence!"

Kate didn't even have time to bow; her voice was urgent and serious.

When Commander Orion saw Kate return safely, he nodded slightly at first, but his face immediately darkened when he heard the words "urgent intelligence".

When he listened to Kate's concise yet incredibly clear report, especially regarding the "corrupted priests," "seeds of blasphemy," "offspring of evil gods," and the deduction that they might reach the "sacred level," the seasoned commander's face turned extremely grim.

"Are you sure?" Orion's voice was terrifyingly low.

"I'm sure. I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears."

The corrupt priest was a third-ring rank priest. He called the fleshy egg "the Son of God" and mentioned "the Advent Day" and "the offspring of our Lord".

"The will fluctuations it emits are extremely vast and malevolent, far exceeding those of ordinary abyssal units," Kate said with certainty.

"A holy-level offspring of a wicked god—" Commander Orion took a deep breath, a look of horror flashing in his eyes. "If it successfully descends, the entire Zerus outpost, and even a large area behind it, will face annihilation. This is no longer an ordinary border conflict."

He immediately turned around and roared at the communication array: "Highest emergency preparedness, activate red alert! Connect to the Eversong Giant Tree Expeditionary Force Headquarters, I need to speak directly with the Supreme Council."

The entire Zerus outpost instantly sprang to life like a startled beast, with piercing alarms blaring through the sky. All soldiers and wizards rushed to their posts, and the atmosphere became extremely tense.

A moment later, the communication array in the center of the command room lit up with a dazzling light, and a blurry but majestic figure appeared. It was a member of the Supreme Council of the Ring of Life Expeditionary Force.

Commander Orion reported the situation in the most concise language possible.

A brief silence fell on the other end of the communication array, followed by a resolute command: "Intelligence Confirmation Level: Highest! Codename: Withered Bud" Elimination Operation, commence immediately!

I authorize your department to mobilize all available resources to completely destroy this "seed of blasphemy" before it matures.

"Order: Immediately assemble an elite assault team. Led by the third-ring battlemage 'Flameblade' Malcolm and the third-ring nature guardian 'Green Leaf Ring' Liana."

Kate, the original intelligence provider and "Heart of Reincarnation," joins the team as a core guide and tactical advisor, responsible for guiding routes, identifying targets, and providing all necessary support.

"Mission Objective: Infiltrate the depths of the Withering Swamp, locate and completely destroy the embryo of the evil god's offspring and its associated altar."

Authorize the use of all necessary means, including highly dangerous and forbidden spells. Highest priority: Prevent the descent of the evil god's offspring!

The order was issued swiftly and decisively, demonstrating the seriousness of the situation and the determination of the Ring of Life's leadership.

Commander Orion looked at Kate, his gaze sharp and full of entrustment: "Witch Kate, you heard it all. The situation is critical. You are the only one who went deep into the altar and brought back crucial intelligence."

In this operation, you will need to take on the important responsibility of guiding the team.

The two gentlemen from the Third Ring Road are undoubtedly the main force, but your familiarity with the environment and your ability to disguise yourself will be the key to the success of the operation.

""

Kate took a deep breath to calm herself.

He never expected that he would be immediately embroiled in such a high-level, high-risk elimination operation as soon as he handed over the mission.

But the situation was dire, with the threat of the evil god's offspring looming close at hand, and he had no choice but to take responsibility.

"Understood, Commander. I will do my utmost to assist you both in completing your mission."

Kate replied in a deep voice, her eyes flashing with determination. This was no longer a reconnaissance mission, but a decapitation operation that would determine the lives of countless people.

His reincarnation will once again face the ultimate test.

Soon, the teleportation platform began to flash continuously.

The first to appear was a tall, robust, middle-aged male wizard wearing a crimson robe with gold trim.

His beard and hair were like burning flames, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and his body radiated a scorching and surging fire elemental aura, like a volcano that could erupt at any moment.

On his back was a greatsword almost as tall as him, its blade gleaming with a lava-like sheen—it was none other than the third-ring battlemage "Flameblade" Malcolm.

Following closely behind was a female elf dressed in light emerald green armor and holding a longbow wrapped in vibrant vines.

She possessed a beautiful appearance yet exuded an awe-inspiring and unapproachable majesty. Her life energy was pure and vast, incongruous with the decaying aura around her, yet forming a powerful purifying force field.

Her own light was clear and wise, as if it could see through all illusions—she was none other than Liana, the "Green Leaf Ring," the guardian of nature in the Three Rings.

The arrival of the two powerful third-ring experts brought a sense of calm to the tense atmosphere at the outpost, while also instilling a strong sense of confidence.

Commander Orion immediately stepped forward, briefly explained the situation, and introduced Kate to the two men.

Malcolm sized up Kate, his gaze sweeping over her with a mixture of scrutiny and curiosity: "You're the wizard who infiltrated the decaying altar alone? Early second ring? Your aura is quite unique. I hope your intelligence is as reliable as your courage."

His voice was loud and clear, with the straightforwardness and a touch of domineering characteristic of fire wizards.

Liana nodded to Kate, her voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable power: "Witch Kate, thank you for bringing back such important information."

Time is of the essence; we need you to provide a detailed description of the altar's internal structure, the distribution of guards, and especially the corrupt priest and—

—Specific details regarding the "Seed of Blasphemy."

Facing two powerful third-ring wizards, Kate remained neither humble nor arrogant, quickly recalling the altar's internal map, energy nodes, guard configuration, location of the corrupted priest, and the state of the "Seed of Blasphemy" from her memory.

They shared the information clearly and unambiguously, and proposed an initial plan to use "death camouflage" to cover the squad's approach to the core area.