Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 80 The Heart of the Dead

Kate stood in the circular plaza of the Emerald Temple, where the light of life flowed, feeling the steady operation of the "Time-Space Nursery" within her body.

That miniature, wondrous garden, a fusion of the rules of space and life, has become the core of his spiritual sea, radiating an unprecedented sense of power.

However, he knew that this was only the beginning and that the road ahead would be long and arduous.

As the core of the "Seed of Life," the Fragment of the Immortal Root has growth potential that directly relates to the upper limit of the "Space-Time Nursery" and even his own path as a wizard.

He returned to the temple entrance and bowed respectfully to the two towering tree-man guardians, who resembled emerald sculptures: "I humbly request an audience once more with the wise Lord Aldridge. I, the wizard apprentice Kate, have questions regarding the cultivation of the Immortal Root and hope to receive guidance."

The treant guard's emerald-like eyes swept over Kate, seemingly sensing the deeper, more stable life force within him, as well as the unique fluctuations of the "space-time nursery."

They remained silent for a moment, the patterns on the tree trunks undulating slightly, as if they were communicating.

A moment later, the treant on the left spoke in a deep voice: "The wise one already knows. Follow me."

This time, Kate was not taken deep into the temple, but was guided to a quieter area on the outskirts of the temple.

Here, countless vines flowing with liquid green light naturally intertwine to form an arched ceiling, the ground is covered with a thick carpet of glowing moss, and the air is filled with pure and delightful life energy.

At the end of the corridor, a huge ancient tree, even more ancient in form, with gnarled branches and covered with dark gold patterns, stands quietly.

Its branches and leaves are not lush, but each leaf is like a piece of jade, flowing with a warm luster.

This is one of the original forms of Aldrich, the Ancient Tree Sage.

As Kate approached, she felt a vast, gentle yet profound will envelop her.

On the trunk of that ancient tree, the familiar outline of the sage's face, composed of bark and vines, slowly emerged.

"Young explorer," the wise man's voice resonated directly in Kate's mind, like a whisper of wind through an ancient forest, "your path is more unique than I anticipated. You emanate an aura of the fusion of the laws of life and space. It seems your yearning for the Root of Immortality is not a fleeting impulse."

Kate bowed deeply: "My sage, Kate has constructed a rudimentary form of magic using the Root of Immortality, but senses that while the Root of Immortality possesses immense potential, its growth is slow. I do not know how to help it grow so that it can truly bear the weight of the future."

The wise Aldridge's vine-like "beard" swayed slightly, and his emerald-like eyes gazed at Kate, as if they could see through everything in his mind.

"The root of immortality is the manifestation of the rules of life; it is an existence that transcends the river of time and draws upon endless vitality."

Its growth is unlike that of ordinary magical plants, and it cannot be achieved simply by accumulating energy.

The wise man's voice carried a hint of melancholy, "The fragment in your hand, though containing the essence, is like a tender sprout, needing specific soil and weathering storms to thrive."

He slowly raised a root-like tentacle made of pure life energy, flowing with an emerald glow, and pointed it at Kate: "I see your sorcery, fusing space and life to construct a nursery," a lofty ambition. There are several different ways to help the root of immortality grow, each with its advantages and disadvantages; it depends on your own choice."

"First, the Sea of ​​Life's Origin." The wise man's voice was calm. "This is the safest, but also the longest path. We must find a place where the origin of life is extremely rich and the rules are manifest, such as the core of the Garden of Life, the heart space of some ancient World Trees, or a pool of life sources that may exist in some planes."

Place the fragments within it, and guide them with your own spirit to slowly absorb and assimilate the vast source of life.

This method is gentle, with very low risk, and can solidify the foundation, but it is time-consuming, often taking decades.

Moreover, such a precious place is rare, and it's difficult to be distracted by anything else while there.

Kate felt a chill run down her spine. A hundred years? He couldn't afford to wait. Besides, how could a place like the Pool of Life Source be easily entered and occupied for long?

"Secondly, the sacrifice of purification and rebirth." A faint green light flashed in the wise man's eyes, and his voice became solemn. "This method—dangerous, but it may bring about transformation. The essence of the root of immortality lies in immortality," in resisting decay and death.

You can guide it to absorb and transform highly refined "death" or "decay" power, stimulating its origin and unleashing its "life" potential through extreme opposition and purification.

The wise man paused, seemingly considering his words: "For example, delve into the core of the undead demiplane to find the heart of the dead, which is condensed from the essence of billions of undead yet contains a trace of pure and annihilated origin; or the source of pollution in the abyss, to peel away the purest source of corruption, and then neutralize and transform it with powerful purification."

This process is like tempering steel, extremely risky. If you are not careful, the fragments may be contaminated, assimilated, or even backfire on you.

However, if successful, the fragments will gain the ability to resist death and purify decay, growing at an extraordinary rate and potentially developing unique "purification" or "life-stealing" characteristics.

Kate's heart pounded with fear. The core of the undead demiplane? The source of the abyssal corruption? This was like dancing on a knife's edge!

But considering that the fifth level of the Trial Tower is a plane related to the undead, and the Seed of Origin has a strong suppressive effect on evil energy, this method seems to be—not entirely impossible.

However, the risks are indeed quite high.

"Thirdly," the wise man's voice became ethereal, carrying an indescribable meaning, "a resonant leap in the level of life. This method is the most profound, and also the most dependent on personal opportunity and enlightenment."

The root of immortality is a fragment containing the rules of life.

If your own life essence undergoes a leap, touching upon higher-level life rules, the fragments will naturally resonate with and grow accordingly.

"How do we jump?" Kate asked eagerly.

"It doesn't refer to a simple increase in power," the wise man said slowly, "but rather to the sublimation of life form and essence."

For example, it can be fused with the sap of a life form of extremely high origin level that contains faint life rules, such as the legendary "Heart of the Ancient Elemental Tree", the "Origin of the Light Healing Elf Queen", or even a trace of the "World Tree".

Alternatively, when you advance to become a formal wizard and construct the Wizard's Heart, if you can invoke the descent of the rules of life, using the fragments of the Root of Immortality as the core to bear part of the imprint of those rules, it can also undergo a qualitative change.

The wise man looked at Kate, his gaze seemingly piercing through his soul: "If this method succeeds, the fragments will be deeply bound to your life essence, with immeasurable growth potential, and may even give birth to new life rules."

But—everything required is a legendary treasure, something that can only be found by chance.

The rules and regulations instilled during promotion are extremely dangerous; the slightest misstep can result in complete annihilation.

Three methods, like three completely different paths, were laid out before Kate.

Kate fell into deep thought. The cold, analytical current of the Seed of Origin surged through her consciousness, weighing the pros and cons:

[Option 1: Low risk, low efficiency, and unacceptable time cost. Rejected.]

Option 2: High risk (estimated mortality rate 40%), high efficiency (estimated growth rate increase of 300%)

(500%), highly compatible with the trial environment, and the risks can be suppressed using the Seed of Origin. Feasibility: Medium to High.

Option 3: Extremely high risk (promotion failure rate >70%, success rate of obtaining materials <1%), but with unlimited potential.

Feasibility at this stage: Extremely low. Recommended as a long-term goal.

After a moment, Kate raised her head and looked at the wise man with a firm gaze: "Thank you for your guidance, wise man."

"You're welcome. You've gained the recognition of the Immortal Root, and this knowledge is something you'll learn sooner or later. Perhaps I'll need your help in the future."

"Thank you, wise one. I choose to try the second method. I wonder if you have any other insights. If Kate ever needs anything in the future, she will do her best."

On the vine-covered face of the wise Aldridge, a faint, almost imperceptible hint of approval seemed to appear.

"Your courage is commendable," the wise man said slowly. "The land of the dead is far more dangerous than you can imagine. The heart of the dead is the core of the will of the undead. Everything depends on you."

The wise man extended a verdant root and gently touched Kate's brow.

A warm and vast flow of life information surged into Kate's mind.

[Obtained: Partial Derivation Chart of Heart of the Dead Traits]

[Information includes: energy fluctuation characteristics of the Heart of the Dead, possible locations (core altar of the Undead Demiplane, gathering point of resentment in the Ancient Battlefield), and a preliminary purification guidance plan.]

"This is my deduction, for your reference only. The true heart of the deceased takes many forms; you must discern and deal with it yourself." The wise man retracted his roots. "Furthermore, since you have chosen this path, I will give you a gift."

A jade leaf, radiating a warm green light, shaped like a Bodhi leaf, with golden veins flowing inside, drifted down from the wise man's branch and landed in Kate's palm.

[Item: Jade Beacon (Gift from the Wise Man)]

[Characteristic: Contains a trace of a wise person's life imprint and a faint resonance with the rules.]

[Effect:

1. Slightly increases life recovery speed and resistance.

2. In an undead environment, it can slightly dispel low-level undead and reduce the probability of being targeted by high-level undead.

3. If the fragments encounter uncontrollable backlash during the purification process, the beacon can be crushed to activate the life rule power reserved by the sage for a final, powerful suppression and purification.

[Value: Extremely high! A life-saving trump card in critical moments.]

"A beacon can offer some help. But remember, external forces have their limits; true transformation comes from your own will and strength."

The wise man concluded with these words of advice: "Go forth, young explorer. May the path of life guide you on your journey."

Kate held the warm, lustrous jade beacon tightly, feeling the powerful life force and the wise man's expectations contained within it, and solemnly placed it into the jade box close to her body.

He bowed deeply once more, then turned and left the Corridor of Life.

Back at the Forest Inn, Kate was still deeply troubled.

The wise man's guidance was like parting the clouds to reveal the sun, pointing him in the right direction, but also making him more clearly aware of the dangers ahead.

The Undead Demiplane — Heart of the Dead — So this is what the 5th floor of the Tower of Trials looks like.

Undead creatures are endless, necromancy is unpredictable and bizarre, not to mention the "Heart of the Dead" at its core, which must be an aggregate of the will of the undead, powerful and twisted.

"Seed of Origin, In-depth Deduction: Based on the solution provided by the sage, optimize the cultivation path of Immortal Root Fragments, integrate existing resources, and formulate a contingency plan for exploring the Undead Demiplane and obtaining the Heart of the Dead."

A chilling stream of analysis instantly surged through the sea of ​​consciousness:

[Core Objective: Obtain the Heart of the Dead (or similar pure essence of death/decay), guide the fragments of the Root of Immortality to complete purification and absorption, and achieve transformation and growth.]

Current resource integration:

1. Immortal Root Fragment (Active): Core cultivation target.

2. Holy Spring Water (Highly Concentrated Essence of Life): Approximately 10 units, core purification and nourishing medium.

3. Emerald Beacon (gift from the wise): A life-saving trump card, providing slight environmental adaptation and suppression of backlash.

4. Spacetime Nursery (Core Magic): Provides spatial awareness, defense, life enhancement, and energy circulation framework.

5. Seed of Origin (Core): Absolute analysis, suppression, and harmonization of the central nervous system, key to resisting death erosion and fragment backlash.

6. Blood-Eating Vine (Symbiotic): Its ferocious and predatory instincts can be transformed into purification power, but require strong suppression and guidance.

7. Shadow of Thorns (Puppet): Environmental reconnaissance, interference, and luring enemies.

8. Reserves of various medicines and materials.

[Cultivation Steps Deduction:]

Phase 1: Fragment preprocessing.

Solution: Guide a small amount of holy spring water to slowly nourish the fragments, activating their life force, while simultaneously using the Seed of Origin to build a spiritual connection and strengthen control. Time required: 3 days.

Phase Two: Adaptation to the Undead Environment.

Solution: After entering the undead demiplane, find a relatively safe area, activate the Emerald Beacon's weak protection, guide the fragments to passively absorb the floating death aura in the environment, observe the reaction, and adjust the Seed of Origin suppression strategy. Time required: Depends on the environment.

Phase Three: Locking in and acquiring the Heart of the Dead.

Plan: Combining information from the Sage, team intelligence, and reconnaissance by the Thorns, pinpoint the target area. Utilize the spacetime nursery's spatial abilities to infiltrate the core, using the Seed of the Spiritual Pivot to disrupt the will of the undead, while the Seed of Origin suppresses and strips away the core essence of the Heart of the Dead. An explosive battle is anticipated, requiring teamwork and cover.

Phase Four: Purification and Absorption.

Solution: In a safe environment (or within the spacetime nursery), import the essence of the dead's heart into the fragments.

At the same time, a large amount of holy spring water is injected for neutralization and purification.

The Seed of Origin monitors energy conflicts throughout the process, forcefully suppressing any potential backlash and contamination from the fragments.

The jade beacon serves as a last resort. This stage carries the highest risk!

Time taken: Depends on the purity of the essence and the absorption speed of the fragments, estimated to be several hours to several days.

Phase Five: Consolidation and Growth.

Plan: After absorption, continue to nourish with the remaining holy spring water, guiding the fragments to digest the acquired properties and solidify the new characteristics. The Seed of Origin records the energy changes and the fusion process of the rule fragments.

[Risk Warning:]

Fragment Backlash: Impacts from the essence of death may cause fragments to go out of control, backlashing against the host's life essence. This relies on the suppression of the Seed of Origin and the Emerald Beacon.

Undead Siege: Obtaining the Heart of the Dead inevitably triggers an undead frenzy. It relies on team strength and the control of the Time-Space Nursery.

Environmental erosion: The deathly aura of the undead continuously erodes the physical body and spirit. Resistance is achieved through Thorn Armor, Life Resonance, Emerald Beacon, and potions.

Unknown variables: The form of the Heart of the Dead and the strength of the Guardian are unknown. A high level of vigilance and adaptability are required.

[Estimated success rate (current status): 45% (acquisition) * 35% (purification and absorption) = overall success rate approximately 16%. Further improvement in strength and preparation is needed.]

The success rate was only 16%! The cold, hard data made Kate's heart sink.

But this did not deter him; instead, it fueled his fighting spirit even stronger. He knew that the path of a wizard was inherently defying fate, and with countless opportunities and preparations, a 16% chance might just be enough to fight for survival!

"Enhance your strength and prepare fully!"

Kate immediately took action.

First, he used the remaining few days to revisit the Emerald City's plant trading area and materials workshop.

He spent a lot of points and magic stones to buy several potions and materials that were effective against undead environments: "Dawn Dewdrops": a highly concentrated light-attribute potion that can instantly dispel low-level undead, has a burning effect on mid-level undead, and can briefly purify a small area of ​​death energy. It was expensive, but Kate gritted her teeth and bought three bottles.

"Soul-Soothing Incense": Made from a special soul-soothing herb, it forms a weak mental barrier when lit, resisting the wails of the dead and mental erosion. Kate purchased a large quantity of raw materials, preparing to concoct it herself.

"Undead Bone Powder": High-level undead bone powder that has been specially purified. It can interfere with the senses of the undead and can be used to make traps or applied to the Shadow of Thorns to enhance stealth.

"Life Crystal Fragment": Replenishes the consumption of Holy Spring Water. Although its effect is not as good as Holy Spring Water Essence, it has the advantage of being more abundant and can be used for daily nourishment of fragments and recovery from injuries.

Secondly, he used the Seed of Origin to perform undead-specific modifications on the Shadow of Thorns:

Etch faint purification runes onto the puppet's shell and coat it with Nether Bone Powder to enhance its resistance to undead death energy and its stealth.

The core driving energy incorporates trace amounts of "Dawn Dew" essence, giving the puppet's attacks a slight light burning effect, which is extra lethal to low-level undead.

Several self-destruct modes targeting undead hordes are pre-set, such as "Purification Bomb" (mixing holy spring water with light energy) and "Paralyzing Mist" (enhancing neural interference against the undead's mental connection).

Finally, and most importantly, Kate began deep meditation to solidify the "Spacetime Nursery" and attempted to conduct preliminary fusion exercises with the newly acquired spatial abilities (spatial blinking, void refraction) and the nursery domain.

He found a secluded corner in the heart of the Emerald Forest and activated the Time-Space Nursery.

hum!

Pale silver spatial fluctuations intertwined with emerald green life radiance, forming a strange domain covering an area of ​​fifty meters in radius. Within this domain, space was slightly distorted, and life energy flowed.

Kate had a sudden thought.

"Spatial Flash - Domain Anchoring!"

His figure vanished instantly from his original spot, and the next moment he appeared at another point on the edge of the domain. The entire process was almost entirely free of spatial fluctuations that escaped the domain's boundaries!

This utilizes the spatial framework of the nursery to confine the flickering trajectory and fluctuations within the domain, greatly increasing concealment!

"Void Refraction - Domain Deflection!"

He channeled the essence of the moonlight, creating several tiny spatial refraction points within the domain. A simulated wave of death energy shot forth, its trajectory cleverly deflected by the refraction points, and it hurtled towards an open space to the side.

"Thorn Armor - Enhanced Life Resonance!"

With the life energy of the nursery, the defensive aura of the Thorn Armor became more solid, and its passive recovery speed also increased slightly.

Although it was only a preliminary attempt at fusion, the results were remarkable.

Kate felt that her mobility, defense, and control within the area had all improved. This would be a crucial advantage for her survival and combat in the undead demiplane.

The ten-day rest period passed in the blink of an eye.

When Kate reunited with his allies from the Green Crown at the Ancient Tree of Life Plaza, his aura was more restrained and profound, and his eyes were filled with calmness and determination.

Evan, Sophia, Kyle, Serena, and Elena were all in high spirits, clearly having each gained something.

Evan's aura of wind was more ethereal, Sophia's rock armor faintly revealed a metallic luster, Kyle and Serena's shadows were more elusive, and Elena's starlight was purer.

"It seems everyone is ready." Evan's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Kate, and he nodded slightly. "Kate, your aura—is more stable now. Very good."

"The fifth level, the Eternal Wasteland of the Undead Demiplane." Evan's voice was solemn. "According to the intelligence from the Barrier and Elena's prophecy, it is the realm of the dead, filled with deathly aura, teeming with endless undead creatures, and even containing powerful undead lords and liches. The environment will continuously erode life and spirit, making it far more dangerous than any of the previous levels."

"Our goal: to survive, explore, earn points, and search for any possible ancient necromancy knowledge or special materials."

Evan glanced at Kate meaningfully, "Of course, if you have personal goals, you can explore on your own, provided the team is safe."

Kate understood that Evan was hinting at something about the Root of Immortality.

"Elena, where is the entrance?" Evan asked.

Elena, holding the Nebula Crystal, her silver eyes shimmering with starlight, declared: "The starlight guides you to the entrance to the Eternal Desolation Wasteland, located at the crack in the Sighing Barrier to the northeast of the city-state. The spatial tides will stabilize in two hours."

"Let's go!" Evan gave the order.

The group left the vibrant Emerald City and once again headed towards the Wailing Wall, the barrier separating life and death.

The group stopped in their tracks before a massive crack in the barrier, from which a grayish-white mist flowed.

Within the crack, a swirling, chilling gray aura of death emanates, with glimpses of a wasteland paved with white bones and the twisted figures of the dead.

The warm, life-giving air was replaced by a biting, chilling cold, and the wails of countless dead souls seemed to echo in my ears.

"Activate protection!" Evan hissed.

Everyone activated their respective protective mechanisms. Sophia's body was covered in gray-white rock armor, Evan was surrounded by a gentle breeze, Kelserina blended into the shadows, and Elena was protected by starlight.

Kate activated his Thorn Armor, a layer of dark gray metallic thorns covering his entire body, while a life resonance aura shone, resisting the corrosive influence of the ordinary. He subtly touched the jade beacon in his pocket, feeling the warm life force emanating from it, and felt somewhat at ease.

"Walk!"

Six figures rushed into the churning gray-white death aura without hesitation!

In an instant, the world spun around, and all life was cut off!

Kate felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. The biting cold instantly enveloped her entire body, and the dense, viscous energy, like a viscous liquid, tried to penetrate her pores and erode her life force.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the seed of origin shimmered with golden light, its icy power flowing and forcefully suppressing the invading ordinary energy.

disperse.

The Bloodthirsty Vine on the right arm stirred slightly within the Cage of Order, seemingly developing an instinctive—desire—for this rich environment of constant energy.

Kate's eyes were sharp as she gazed at the gray, desolate, and bone-strewn wasteland before her.

We've arrived at the Eternal Desolation!

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