Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

The Valley of the Dead is not a canyon in the traditional sense, but an area resembling a graveyard of giant beasts, formed by countless huge, twisted black fossilized skeletons and fragments of broken stars.

The air was thick with the stench of decay and a chilling cold. Necromantic energy, like viscous fog, clung to everyone, attempting to erode their souls.

A low, mournful wail, seemingly from ancient times, echoed faintly among the bones, disturbing the mind.

The terrain is extremely complex.

Huge rib fossils jut into the sky, forming a natural archway; broken skull fossils pile up like mountains, hollow inside like caves; broken spine fossils stretch across the land, like a collapsed city wall.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of shimmering gray bone meal, which made a sickening "rustling" sound when stepped on.

"Watch your step!"

Sophia let out a low shout, and her rock armor instantly covered her entire body. She stomped on a bone plate that looked flat but was actually covered with tiny cracks!

Whoosh!

Beneath the bone plate lay a bottomless pit, radiating a dense aura of death!

Countless pale, maggot-like carrion worms were startled and surged out like boiling rice porridge, making a chilling hissing sound, and rushed towards the crowd with a strong corrosive acid!

[WARNING! Swarm of Carrion Carrion Worms (Level 3 Mid-Stage)! Massive numbers! Highly corrosive acid! Slightly causes mental pollution!]

"Rock Wall - Isolation!" Sofia reacted extremely quickly, slamming her fists into the ground!

A thick, grayish-white rock wall rose up instantly, temporarily blocking the swarm of insects.

"Wind Blade·Ranbu!"

Aiven swung his short staff, and dense cyan wind blades swept across the swarm of insects like a meat grinder, cutting the individuals that tried to pounce into pieces.

"Molten Impact!" Rhodes roared, his fists bursting with flames as he slammed them into the ground.

The raging flames spread along the bone powder, instantly turning a large number of worms into charcoal! A pungent, burnt smell filled the air.

Kate didn't make a move; his sharp gaze swept over the edge of the pit.

With the Seed of Origin's enhanced perception and the spatial refraction vision of the Moon Shadow Essence, he "saw" several irregularly shaped crystals emitting a faint silver-gray luster deep within the pit, being covered by a swarm of wriggling insects.

[Analysis: Void Shard (Secondary)]

[Characteristics: Contains weak, fragmented spatial energy; structurally unstable.]

[Value: Can aid in understanding spatial concepts, or serve as material for unstable spatial traps.]

"Good stuff!" Kate thought to herself.

He slightly raised his right arm, and several vines, like nimble snakes, silently burrowed into the pit along the rock wall, precisely wrapped around the few fragments of void crystal, and quickly retracted!

The crystal felt slightly cool to the touch, and inside it seemed as if tiny spatial storms were silently raging.

Although the energy was weak and chaotic, it greatly benefited Kate's perception of spatial refraction and his attempt to optimize the trajectory of the Spiritual Pivot Seed.

He calmly put the crystal into his dimensional bag.

"Let's go! Let's go around it!"

Seeing that the swarm of insects was temporarily suppressed, Evan immediately directed his team to bypass the dangerous pit.

The deeper you go into the rift valley, the more treacherous the environment becomes.

Clinging to the massive fossilized skeleton is a "wailing moss" that emits a ghostly green phosphorescence. Its spores diffuse into the air, and inhaling them can trigger intense negative emotions such as sadness and despair, interfering with mental concentration.

Elena's stellar purification field remained constant, forming a thin layer of silver-blue halo that dispelled mental pollution.

They also encountered flocks of "skeleton vultures"—giant bird skeletons powered by necromantic energy, flying silently and their talons laced with necromancy as they swooped down.

Kyle and Serena, like reapers in the shadows, precisely assassinated the core members the moment the vultures swooped down, while Rhodes and Kate's vines were responsible for cleaning up any stragglers.

The tunnel was filled with a thick, foul-smelling black slime.

As everyone proceeded cautiously, Kate's Seed of Origin suddenly emitted a sharp alarm!

[WARNING! High-energy spatial fluctuations! The spatial structure 50 meters ahead is unusually fragile! A spatial fold trap exists!]

"Stop!" Kate hissed, pointing to a seemingly calm, dark area ahead of the tunnel. "There's a spatial trap ahead! The energy fluctuations are abnormal!"

Evan immediately raised his hand to stop the group, and the Nebula Crystal in Elena's hand shone brightly as her silver eyes stared in the direction Kate was pointing.

"Indeed... the spatial structure is like a crumpled piece of paper, with multiple folds. Once triggered, it may be randomly teleported or torn apart."

Elena's voice was solemn.

"Can we go around it?" Sofia asked in a deep voice.

"The tunnel is the only way out."

Kyle's voice came from the shadows ahead, "The trap has a large coverage area, and forcing your way through is extremely risky."

"I'll give it a try."

Kate took a deep breath and focused.

He channeled the essence of the moonlight, and a faint blue halo appeared in his eyes.

With the help of the Seed of Origin, he tried to "see" the invisible, tangled spatial folds in the space ahead.

"Three steps to the left front, there's a safe place to land... then move one meter to the right... then jump two meters forward..."

Kate's voice carried a hint of uncertainty, after all, his spatial perception was still very rudimentary.

He cautiously took his first step following the path he "saw".

The thick, black slime underfoot made a "gurgling" sound, but there was no change in the space.

Step two… Step three…

When he successfully reached the first safe point, a glimmer of hope appeared in everyone's eyes.

Follow my footsteps! Don't make a single mistake!

Kate whispered and continued to probe the way forward.

Evan, Sophia, and the others held their breath and followed Kate's instructions meticulously.

Although Rhodes was impatient, he knew what was important and obediently followed behind.

Just as Kate was about to pass through the most complicated area, something unexpected happened!

"Hiss—!"

A sharp, piercing scream, seemingly capable of tearing apart the soul, came from the depths of the tunnel!

Accompanied by a shrill whistle, an invisible mental shockwave swept in like a tsunami!

The target is Kate, who is concentrating on exploring the path!

Kate felt as if her brain had been struck by a heavy hammer, her vision went black, and her perception of the moonlight was instantly cut off!

His foot instinctively slipped, and he stepped into a hidden fold of space!

"Watch out!" Evan and Elena exclaimed simultaneously!

Om-!

The space beneath Kate's feet instantly twisted and folded!

A terrifying suction force came, trying to drag him into an unknown spatial turbulence!

"Bloodthirsty Vine - Anchored!"

Kate roared in agony!

The vines on his right arm suddenly grew rapidly, piercing into the hard, skeletal rock walls on both sides like a giant python.

The metallic spikes on the vines, thanks to the properties of the golden thorns, have carved deep into the rock!

scoff!

The attraction of the spatial folds and the pull of the vines are fiercely in conflict!

Kate's body was pulled so far that she was almost suspended in mid-air!

A sharp pain shot through his right arm, and the vines groaned in agony as they succumbed to the strain!

"Chains of the Wind!" Evan reacted extremely quickly!

Several condensed cyan wind ropes instantly wrapped around Kate's body, and together with the vines, they pulled him back from the edge of the spatial fold!

boom!

Kate fell heavily to the ground in a safe area, gasping for breath. Her right arm was torn in several places by the vines, and it was covered in blood.

Just a moment ago, he truly felt the threat of death.

"What is that?!"

Rhodes roared, flames rising from his body as he warily peered into the depths of the tunnel.

From the darkness, a distorted, semi-transparent figure slowly emerged.

It has no fixed shape, like a viscous gel that is constantly wriggling and refracting the surrounding light.

At the core of the gel, a crystal emitting a faint blue light and pulsating like a heart is clearly visible.

Several equally translucent tentacles, their edges shimmering with a sharp, cold light, extended from the gel; it was from these tentacles that had emitted the mental shriek just now!

Kate looked at the strange creature, and the Seed of Origin gave its findings:

[Target Analysis: Void Aberration (Level 4, Late Game)]

[Characteristics: Semi-solid, semi-energy state, with a core of spatial crystallization.]

Attack methods: Psychic Scream (area-of-effect psychic shock + interference), Tentacle Attack (with spatial cutting effect), Spatial Fold Trap.

[Weakness: The core space crystallization is relatively fragile, vulnerable to high-intensity energy impacts or spatial interference.]

"It's controlling the spatial traps here!" Elena's silver eyes flashed rapidly. "Watch out for its psychic shrieks and tentacle attacks!"

"Roar!" Rhodes could no longer contain himself, and his Molten Core Fist was ready to be unleashed!

"Don't be impulsive!" Evan shouted sharply.

"Its tentacles can cut through space! Sophia, defend head-on! Kate, disrupt its mental core! Rhodes, Kyle, Serena, look for an opportunity to attack its main body! Elena, activate the full Purification Field and stabilize the space!"

The order was given, and the battle erupted instantly!

"Hiss—!"

The Void Aberration emitted another piercing shriek.

An even stronger mental shockwave swept in!

"Starry Protection - Tranquility!"

The crystal in Elena's hand shone brightly!

A thick, silver-blue starlight shield instantly enveloped everyone.

The mental shockwave struck the shield, creating violent ripples, but most of it was neutralized and dissipated!

Kate felt her headache lessen slightly.

At the same time, several spatial tentacles, like invisible blades, tore through the air, carrying a chilling glint, and slashed fiercely at everyone!

"Earth's Barrier - Fortified City!"

Sofia roared, and a gray-white rock wall instantly rose from the ground, blocking the tentacles' path!

Chi Chi Chi -!

A piercing cutting sound rang out!

The spatial tentacles sliced ​​through the rocky walls with the ease of a hot knife through butter, leaving deep, mirror-like cuts.

Debris flew everywhere, and Sofia groaned as the barrier shook violently, but it barely managed to withstand the first wave of attacks.

"Seed of the Spiritual Pivot - Spiritual Explosion!"

Despite the excruciating pain in her right arm and the tremors in her soul, Kate locked onto the dark blue core!

A silver seed, shrouded in pale blue moonlight, shot out silently, its trajectory unpredictable, heading straight for the core of the aberration!

However, the gel-like body surrounding the aberrant core began to wriggle, and space twisted slightly!

The Ling Shu seed seemed to have collided with an invisible spatial barrier, detonating prematurely!

The power of the mental blast was mostly dispersed by the spatial folds, causing only a slight tremor in the core light of the aberrant mutant!

"Damn it! Space defense!" Kate gritted her teeth.

"Shadow Strike - Spatial Penetration!" Kyle's figure appeared instantly to the side of the Aberration, like a venomous snake merging into the shadows.

The shadow threads in his hand were no longer dim light, but condensed into a point of almost invisible cold light that emitted a faint spatial fluctuation, which fiercely pierced the spatial barrier near the core of the aberration!

Serena's figure appeared on the other side at the same time, her black dagger carrying an eerie, demon-dispelling light, stabbing towards the same point!

Ding!Ding!

Two extremely faint, crisp sounds!

Kyle and Serena's attacks precisely hit the weak points of the spatial barrier!

The barrier fluctuated violently, and a tiny crack appeared!

"Great opportunity! Molten Core Fist!"

Rhodes had already fully charged up his power. His violent fiery energy condensed in his right fist, and like a burning meteorite, it slammed into the cracked spatial barrier!

Boom!!!

A terrifying explosion resounded within the narrow tunnel! Flames clashed violently with spatial energy!

The barrier shattered instantly!

"Bloodthirsty Poison Ivy - Spiral Cleaver!" Kate seized the fleeting opportunity!

Several vines with dark gold and jade patterns and pale purple poisonous light swirling around their tips, like high-speed spinning drills, pierced fiercely towards the exposed dark blue core along the broken barrier!

Puff puff!

The vines precisely struck the core! A toxin, capable of paralyzing nerves, was injected in rapid succession!

Meanwhile, the metallic spikes on the vines, due to the properties of the golden thorns, possess a physical piercing effect, attempting to destroy the crystal structure.

"hiss--!!!"

The Void Aberration emitted an unprecedented shriek, filled with pain and rage!

The entire gel-like body trembled and twisted violently.

The azure core glowed intermittently!

The spatial tentacles danced wildly, leaving deep marks on the rock wall!

"Wind's Strangulation - Freeze!"

Aiven seized the opportunity and swiftly struck with the Wind Staff!

Countless condensed wind blades, like spinning wheels of blades, viciously slashed at the deformed creature's body, whose defenses had been greatly weakened by pain!

Chi Chi Chi -!

The gel-like body was sliced ​​to pieces by the wind blades!

"It's over! Starfall!"

Elena shouted, and a condensed silver-blue beam of light shot out from the Nebula Crystal in her hand, like a falling star, accurately striking the core that was entangled by vines, corroded by toxins, and dimmed!

boom!!!

The dark blue core exploded with a deafening roar!

The violent spatial energy, mixed with fragments of spirit, scattered and flew everywhere!

The Void Aberration let out a mournful cry of resentment and completely dissipated into the air, leaving behind only a few dim, glass-like fragments of spatial crystals and a relatively intact crystal the size of a walnut, still emitting a faint, eerie blue light.

[Successfully killed the Void Aberration (Level 4, Late Game), earning 40 points. Team kill, points distributed according to contribution. You have earned 12 points.]

The battle was over, and the tunnel was a mess.

Everyone was panting. The battle they had just fought was extremely dangerous, especially the unpredictable spatial cutting and mental shrieks.

Kate retracted the vines, and the wound on her right arm slowly healed under the life force of the Bloodthirsty Vine.

He walked to the spot where the aberration had dissipated and picked up the dark blue crystal and several larger fragments of space crystal.

[Item: Subspace Anchor Point]

[Characteristics: Contains relatively stable spatial coordinate information, which can slightly enhance spatial perception stability, or be used to deploy simple spatial beacons/jammers.]

[Item: Void Shard (Large)]

[Characteristic: Contains energy from shattered space, which can be used for spatial perception or creating unstable spatial items.]

"Good stuff." Kate was secretly pleased and put away her spoils.

That spatial anchor point could perhaps be used to enhance the spatial refraction effect of the Shadowthorn Ring.

The team took a short rest, treated their injuries, and continued their journey.

Guided by Kyle and Serena's shadows, they avoided several dangerous spatial rifts and undead gathering places.

Kate's spatial perception seemed to have become slightly sharper after actual combat and obtaining a secondary spatial anchor point, enabling her to provide early warnings of more subtle spatial fluctuations.