Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 176 News of the Reincarnation Ruins

Under the steady guidance of "Stone Skin" Patton, Kate tried to channel her pure life energy beyond just individual wounded soldiers.

Instead, it seeps quietly into the war-torn soil beneath our feet, like a stream flowing into the earth.

Suddenly, he felt a qualitative change in the effectiveness of his healing spells.

The emerald green light rain, which was originally like precise drip irrigation, now seemed to resonate with the land of the entire outpost on a deeper level.

Where the rain of light fell, not only did the wounds of the injured heal at a speed visible to the naked eye, but even the ground beneath their feet, soaked in blood, seemed to radiate a faint vitality, forming a temporary, tiny "pure land of life."

The treatment area has also expanded significantly. What used to cover only about ten meters in radius is now enough to cover a small part of the defensive position.

Even more surprisingly, when he tried to channel a condensed life energy to a low wall that had been corroded and pitted by the acid of the "Crimson Predator," the surface of the stone wall began to repair itself at a slow pace.

While it wasn't as miraculous as Patton's Midas touch, it did indeed enhance the durability of the fortifications on a small scale.

[Record: Patton's "Earth Barrier" domain unfolds.]

Principle: It resonates deeply with the vast and tranquil energy ocean deep within the earth's veins, using itself as a node to guide the upward surge of crustal energy, forming a semi-materialized regional defensive force field that is integrated with the earth in a specific area.

This force field is not inanimate; it continuously draws energy from the earth's veins to repair itself.

Application of rules: This embodies a higher-level combination of energy and matter, and further demonstrates the "regional" application and "stabilization" of the power of rules, forming a relatively enduring domain of rules.

[Record: Barton's "Thorn Regeneration" spell.]

Technique: Using the natural authority of the druid, sense and instantly unleash the potential of countless dormant plant seeds that already exist in the soil.

It shapes and empowers these thorns with the laws of nature, giving them temporary characteristics such as "sharpness," "tenacity," and "bloodthirstiness."

Application of rules: This involves the extreme acceleration and precise directional mutation of the "growth" rules, and also contains the supreme mystery of the instantaneous transformation and combination of seed and rule characteristics.

This time, Kate grasped not just simple healing or defensive techniques, but a deeper understanding of the true meaning of the rules of "protection" and "endurance".

"Protection" is not about passively enduring, but about establishing an energy cycle and resonance with the object of protection to form an integrated defense system.

"Endurance" means being connected to the inexhaustible energy of the earth's veins, rather than simply consuming oneself.

He gained a deeper understanding of the synergy between energy and matter, and between the individual and the environment. The power of an individual is insignificant in the face of the might of heaven and earth, but if one can become a bridge to guide the power of heaven and earth, one can unleash infinite potential.

His connection with space also became closer, because he realized that stable space is the framework that supports the earth, and the pulse of the earth, in turn, affects the stability of local space.

This understanding will allow him to better utilize the power of the earth for anchoring and stabilization when casting spatial spells in the future.

His defensive and group support abilities have indeed been significantly enhanced, not only in terms of spell effects, but also in the initial budding of a sense of "domain".

He began to try to build a small-scale "life resonance field," which, although far from Patton's "Earth Barrier," was already taking shape.

Having accumulated and digested the experience from the previous two missions, Kate's strength has steadily improved. She has become more adept at using the rules of life, death, and space, and with the newly comprehended "dream" rules, her methods have become increasingly diverse.

He craved even more extreme pressure to hone his newly acquired strength, so he decided to take on the more risky Scorching Throat counterattack mission.

"Flamewing" Phoenix, true to his name, is an elven mage whose hair seems to spark with life, whose temperament is as fiery and aggressive as an active volcano.

Behind him are energy wings, formed from highly compressed fire elements, as magnificent and dangerous as phoenix feathers, which are permanently suspended in the air, overlooking the battlefield.

With a wave of his hand, he unleashes meteor showers and lava explosions. He doesn't pursue complex techniques, but rather the ultimate destruction and killing efficiency, advocating the use of the most violent power to destroy the enemy in the shortest time.

During the fierce battle to attack the "Molten Core Fusion Tower," Kate truly witnessed what a "meat grinder of war" was like.

The sky was dyed with bizarre colors by the magical light, which was filled with an aura of death. The high-level wizards on both sides clashed in the air, and each collision produced a deafening roar and an energy shockwave that swept across the battlefield.

On the ground, low-ranking soldiers and alchemical golems fell like straw, instantly vaporized by the high temperature or torn to pieces by the subsequent magical aftershocks.

The air was filled with the smells of burning, sulfur, and blood, creating a hellish scene.

Phoenix's fighting style had a huge impact on Kate.

He witnessed Phoenix smash a massive, white-flaming meteorite directly onto the fusion tower's shield, creating a terrifying physical explosion.

The "purifying" properties contained within the flames caused a brief "stun" in the shield's energy structure.

Signs of "collapse".

He maximized the "explosive" and "burning" characteristics of flames, and even cleverly incorporated a trace of the rule of "light" into them, so that his flames produced an additional holy purification effect on lava fire core creatures that were also energy bodies, as if they were natural enemies.

Spurred by this, Kate no longer limited himself to a support role in battle; he began to boldly try to use the rules he had just learned to attack.

Faced with a fiery behemoth spewing lava, he infused the concept of "annihilation" from the rules of death into highly compressed life energy, forming a gray-green, withered ray filled with the aura of decay.

The ray hit the troll but did not cause an explosion. However, the part of the troll that was hit instantly lost all activity, collapsing and decaying as if all its energy had been drained, effectively eroding its energy core and causing its movements to become significantly slower.

On the other hand, facing swarms of small fire elementals, he incorporated the concept of "purification" he had learned from Malcolm into spatial cutting with the assistance of Ashe.

This imbues each spatial crystal leaf of the emitted "Crystal Leaf Storm" with a faint anti-evil property, greatly increasing its damage to energy creatures and significantly improving its cleanup efficiency.

During a dangerous raid, Kate's squad advanced too far and was surrounded by a large number of fire creatures and a molten colossus. Their retreat was cut off, and their situation became extremely precarious.

In the critical moment, Kate had a sudden inspiration. Under extreme pressure, the Heart of Reincarnation operated wildly at an unprecedented speed. The rules of life and death were no longer slowly transforming, but under the forceful drive of his will, they underwent another extreme attempt to merge at the core.

He simulated Phoenix's "fire burst" mode, where all energy is released instantly, but the core driving force was not the element of fire, but rather the combination of highly compressed life energy and highly condensed death energy.

The collision took place in an extremely dangerous, almost out-of-control manner!

The extreme conflict between life and death did not produce an explosion, but unexpectedly collapsed and annihilated, producing an effect that was almost nothingness.

A grayish-white, inconspicuous, and even somewhat distorted beam of light shot out with difficulty from his fingertips. It was not fast, but it carried an eerie aura that caused the surrounding space to ripple slightly.

The beam struck a powerful molten giant that was blocking the escape route.

There was no explosion, no fire, no sound.

To everyone's astonishment, the molten core giant's chest, along with its internal energy core, silently vanished, leaving a hole nearly a meter in diameter!

Its edges are as smooth as a mirror, as if they have been erased by some invisible force.

Its energy structure completely collapsed, and its massive body, having lost its core support, instantly disintegrated, turning into the most basic fire element particles that vanished into the air.

This attack instantly created a fatal gap in the impenetrable encirclement, clearing out a small area and creating a crucial opportunity for the team to break out.

Even Phoenix, who was engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy third-ring wizard in the air and whose body was engulfed in flames, seemed to sense this strange and powerful attack. In the midst of his busy schedule, he took a moment to cast a glance with surprise and inquiry, seemingly not expecting that this second-ring kid could use such an "unconventional" method.

[Record: Phoenix's "Sunburst" - ultimate destruction.]

Application of the rules: The key lies in the instantaneous peak control of energy output, compressing all power into a single point for instantaneous release, and the ultimate purification and superposition of the characteristics of the flame rules.

[Insight: Destruction is not an independent rule; it is also an indispensable part of the cycle of reincarnation.]

The burning of life to its extreme can bring destruction, while the annihilation of death can achieve another form of "purification".

My understanding of reincarnation should not reject any rules, but rather embrace all things and utilize all methods to achieve true perfection.

For the next six months or so, Kate, like a tireless ascetic pursuing the mysteries of the rules, practically made the Expeditionary Hall her second home.

He frequently takes on various challenging and high-risk purple-level missions, actively seeking opportunities to collaborate with third-ring wizards of different classes and styles.

He once collaborated with a master of the third ring of water elements, who was skilled in controlling water flow and freezing at absolute zero, to venture deep into the extreme cold realm to hunt down a rebellious ancient ice spirit.

In that environment where even the soul seemed to be frozen, he observed how the master perfectly combined the flexibility of "flow" with the eternity of "stillness," freezing thousands of miles in an instant.

This gave him a new understanding of the "dynamic equilibrium" between life and death. Life is not a continuous burst of vitality, nor is death an absolute stillness. Both evolve in an eternal "flow" and a relative "stillness".

He also partnered with a third-circle prophet, an expert in divination and astral magic, to explore the ruins of an ancient observer entangled with the currents of fate.

In the illusions of the starry sky and fragments of fate, he glimpsed how the fine threads of cause and effect are woven, and gained a deeper understanding of the illusion and reality of the rules of "dreams"—dreams may be a reflection of reality, or a preview of the future; the boundary between reality and illusion may be blurred in a higher dimension.

Every mission is a life-or-death test, honing his will, reflexes, and combat skills.

Each mission is also a feast of rules, allowing him to observe up close how high-level wizards understand and utilize the underlying logic of the world.

With the extraordinary analytical abilities of the Seed of Origin, he can absorb far more nourishment than ordinary second-circle wizards can imagine from each observation, and combine it with the inclusive characteristics of his own Heart of Reincarnation, transforming it into his own insights.

Under this intense training, his cultivation level steadily improved to the mid-stage of the second ring, and his spiritual power became increasingly refined and powerful, like refined steel.

The structure of the Heart of Reincarnation has become increasingly complex and perfect. The four rules of life, death, space, and dreams are no longer simply parallel or shallow cycles, but have formed a more dynamic and deeper cycle and symbiotic relationship.

The power of life nourishes space, stabilizing it; the power of space carries dreams, expanding their boundaries; the power of dreams harmonizes life and death, reducing conflict; and the power of death provides the "ending" attribute for spatial division.

He could even begin to simulate some of the signature attacks of a third-ring powerhouse, which involved the application of rules. Although the power and control were far from comparable to the original, the direction was clear.

He generously used the abundant resources he earned from merit points and mission rewards to improve himself and his companions.

Various rare potions, soul-strengthening gems, and wondrous objects containing fragments of rules are all transformed by the Heart of Reincarnation into resources for growth.

Ashe also successfully advanced to the mid-second ring, her spatial abilities became more powerful, her perception of spatial folds became more acute, and she could even briefly create a small, unstable subspace pocket to hide herself or temporarily trap enemies at critical moments.

Kate's name is no longer unknown in the front lines of the Ring of Life.

Despite being a second-level player, he participated in and performed exceptionally well in numerous third-level missions, demonstrating a unique and unclassifiable rule system.

His strong learning and adaptability, as well as his calm and reliable style in critical moments, have earned him the respect and recognition of many third-ring wizards.

Some powerful players, especially those at the third ring level, would even proactively ask Kate if he was available to participate in high-risk missions that required specific skills and special abilities, when forming targeted teams. They regarded him as a trustworthy teammate with special talents.

On this day, Kate had just returned to the Eversong Tree after completing a mission to wipe out the Abyss Lurkers. She was in the quiet room sorting out the spoils of the mission: several crystals containing pure shadow energy, as well as some new insights into resistance to Abyss Whispers.

A familiar emerald green communication runestone lit up, transmitting a gentle yet direct mental message from the avatar of her mentor, Elune. The message was brief, but it stirred something within Kate: "Kate, come to the Chamber of the Heart. Regarding the ancient relic you inquired about earlier, which may contain properties of 'reincarnation'—"

We've found a lead.

A glint flashed in Kate's eyes, and she immediately stood up.

Beneath a calm exterior, her heart was subtly churning.