Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chen Lin slowly opened his eyes, his consciousness struggling to rise from an abyss.

In the sea of ​​consciousness, the translucent, seven-colored floating flower phantom had stabilized, and three rice-grain-sized seven-colored seeds slowly rotated at the flower's stamen, emitting a warm and pure spiritual energy fluctuation.

What followed was not the joy of abundant strength, but a tearing pain and a deep-seated weakness.

A burning pain and numbness came from my right arm, as if countless tiny ice needles were piercing my brain.

This is a sequela of nerve damage caused by the psychic torrent that washed away and tore apart the edge structure of the mental sea when the floating flowers were forcibly merged.

Worse still, he felt an unprecedented emptiness, as if his soul had been overdrawn.

The golden roots of the Seed of Origin appeared somewhat dull, and their operating speed was a bit slower than usual.

"Awake?" A slightly tired but still gentle voice sounded by the bedside.

Chen Lin turned his neck with difficulty and saw Master Liria standing by the bed, her silver-gray eyes carrying a hint of barely perceptible concern and a deeper scrutiny.

Standing behind her was Tamir, his eyes filled with a complex mix of curiosity and schadenfreude.

"Mentor..." Chen Lin's voice was hoarse as he tried to sit up, but was knocked down by a strong wave of dizziness.

"Don't move." A wisp of pale green life energy swirled around Liria's fingertips, and she gently touched Chen Lin's brow.

A gentle surge of energy slightly eased the weariness deep within my soul and the stinging in my nerves.

"You were unconscious for two whole days. The fusion process was extremely dangerous, with multiple tears at the edge of your mental sea and damage to the nerve plexus in your right arm from the psionic backlash. Although the core has been stabilized, the repair will take time."

Including the time spent on preparation and fusion, three days! Chen Lin's heart sank! The qualifying round-robin tournament consists of one match per day; missing three days means…

"Your matches," Liria's voice was calm and even, yet carried a cold reality, "are all forfeited due to absence. According to the rules, one point is deducted for each match. Your previous score was 15 points, and with three points deducted over three days, your current score is 12 points."

A chilling prompt from the Seed of Origin echoed in my consciousness:

[Current Score: 12 points]

[Number of matches remaining: 30]

[Estimated minimum points required to advance to the top 20: 37 points (with a net win of 25 games)]

[Time: 30 days]

[Physical Status: Mental Strength 60.3 points, but there are several minor hidden injuries at the edge of the mental sea, currently repairing; full recovery is expected in 15 days. Mild damage to the right arm nerve plexus; psychic seed manipulation precision decreased by 30%, vine manipulation flexibility decreased by 10%. Origin Seed analysis efficiency decreased by 15%.]

[Warning: High-intensity continuous combat will exacerbate the risk of mental damage, potentially leading to permanent damage or mental stagnation.]

25 wins by a margin!

This means that he must win at least 25 games in the next 30 days and cannot afford too many losses! This is even while he is physically and mentally injured and has not yet mastered his new skills!

Tamir spoke up from the side, his tone carrying a deliberate hint of "regret":

"Junior Brother Chen Lin, what a pity."

You must have gained a lot from fusing with that floating flower, but the price... is far too high.

With such a large deficit in points, and many tough battles ahead, such as "Flame Fist" Rhodes and "Shadow Strike" Serena... catching up will be incredibly difficult.

His words implied that Chen Lin had ruined his chances in the selection competition in pursuit of power.

Liria glanced at Tamir, who immediately fell silent.

She turned to Chen Lin, her eyes sharp:

"Chen Lin, the new symbiote in your body has initially stabilized, and its psionic properties are significant."

But your body and mind need time to recover and adapt.

Forcing a battle is extremely risky.

I suggest you give up this selection, focus on recovering from your injury, and solidify your cultivation level.

This isn't the only opportunity to participate in the Southern Region Trials.

Give up? Chen Lin sneered inwardly.

Giving up means losing access to the best resources within the barrier and the opportunity to compete for the Purification Temple artifacts in the Trial Tower. No one can guarantee that they will be able to enter the Purification Temple again next time!

Liria appeared to be concerned, but in reality, she was assessing whether he was still worth investing in.

If he chooses to back down, the support he previously gained and his status as a nominal disciple will be greatly diminished.

The path of a wizard is one that cannot be retreated from.

"Thank you for your concern, Professor."

Chen Lin took a deep breath, enduring the throbbing pain in his nerves and the weakness in his soul, and struggled to sit up. His eyes were as sharp as ever, carrying an undeniable determination.

"But I...can't give up."

If we're behind in points, we'll win every game we can!

If you're injured, then fight on!

Since the psionic seed is not yet fully mature, then let's use war to fuel our war!

"I am determined to succeed in the Southern Region Trials!"

Liria looked at him intently, her silver-grey eyes gleaming as if she were gauging the determination and madness in his words.

After a moment, she nodded slightly:

"Alright. Since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you."

Remember, your health is fundamental; don't mortgage your future.

"Tamir, go and inform the event management that Chen Lin's eligibility has been reinstated, and the next match will proceed as scheduled."

"Yes, mentor."

Tamir responded and turned to leave, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

Liria left behind several bottles of specially made mental nourishing medicine and nerve-soothing ointment, instructing Chen Lin to use them on time, before leaving the ward.

Chen Lin was the only one left in the ward.

He immediately sat cross-legged, ignoring his body's protests, and his mind sank into the sea of ​​consciousness.

"The Seed of Origin: Formulate the optimal recovery and combat plan."

The cold, flowing data stream surges:

[Core Objective: Win 25 games within 30 days]

[Constraints:]

1. Priority for repairing hidden injuries in the Spirit Sea: High.

2. You need to master the manipulation of the psionic seed as soon as possible.

3. Nerve damage in the right arm, resulting in decreased flexibility of the tendrils.

4. Conserves mental energy.

Strategy simulation:

Short-term (1-7 days): Adaptation period with injury

Core tactics: Defend as the primary offense, achieve victory through attrition. Prioritize using Thorn Armor and Bloodthirsty Vines for defense and counterattacks, minimizing the cost of proactive attacks.

Psionic Seed Application: Used only as a surprise attack or interruption technique in critical moments, not for precise damage, but primarily for interference, forcing movement, and creating openings.

No more than 2 seeds can be used in each battle.

Mental energy allocation: 70% for defense, symbiote manipulation, and injury suppression; 20% for guiding the psionic seed; 10% for battlefield analysis of the Seed of Origin.

Objective: Achieve consistent victories, not quick wins; aim for at least five wins within seven days and strive to remain undefeated.

The focus is on restoring mental strength and adapting to combat while injured.

Mid-term (8-21 days): Recovery and adjustment period

Tactical core: Balance between offense and defense, and synergy of spirit vines.

The initial healing of the hidden wounds in the spiritual sea allows for a gradual increase in the frequency and precision of using psychic seeds.

Try a basic combination: use the mental impact of the psionic seed or a weak illusion to disrupt the mind, combined with vine control.

Mental Energy Allocation: Adjust to 40% Defense, 40% Offense, and 20% Analysis. Closely monitor the state of your mental sea to prevent recurrence of hidden injuries.

Objective: Improve the win rate, strive for a perfect record on the 14th, and try to maintain a draw against strong opponents.

The focus is on integrating the psionic seed with the existing combat system.

Later stage (22-30 days): Sprint period

Tactical core: Highly efficient damage and swift victory. Mental sea is basically stable, and the control of the psionic seed is skillful.

The goal is to end the battle as quickly as possible with minimal losses.

Refine tactics: Psionic Seed for precision targeting + Vine Assault/Strangle.

An attempt was made to incorporate the spatial refraction properties of the Moon Shadow Essence into the flight trajectory of the Psionic Seed.

Mental energy allocation: 50% offense, 30% defense, and 20% analysis.

Objective: To strive for victory with all our might, aiming for nine wins.

[Warning: This program places the body and mind under prolonged high pressure, which carries risks such as worsening of injuries, mental exhaustion, and backlash from new abilities.]

"Execute!" A cold glint flashed in Chen Lin's eyes.

There is no turning back, only moving forward!