Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 81

The gray sky hung low, like a solidified block of lead, with thick, inky clouds churning within it, preventing any glimmer of light from penetrating.

The vast wilderness took on a sickly blood-brown hue, the ground covered with white bones and weathered, fragmented skeletons, like a carpet of bones stretching to the ends of the earth.

A biting, eerie wind, carrying dust and the stench of decay, swept silently across the wasteland, stirring up fine bone dust from the ground to form a pale, hazy mist, like the eternal sigh of the dead.

The twisted, hardy shrubs, resembling withered ghost claws, take root sporadically in rock crevices or piles of bones, their leaves displaying a dark green or charred blackness eroded by death.

This is what Kate saw when she entered the fifth floor of the Trial Tower. What's even more troublesome is that the necromantic aura in the air is too strong. Kate needs to maintain the magical pressure unique to a level 4 wizard apprentice to resist it. Otherwise, her skin will lose its vitality due to long-term immersion in the necromantic aura.

Elena immediately activated an environmental purification field, hoping to provide a relatively safe environment for others.

Just as the purification field was set up, the surrounding necromantic aura seemed to encounter a black hole, instantly converging towards Elena. In just two breaths, it became nearly 10 times denser, and the surrounding light dimmed considerably!

"Elena, dispel the purification field. Everyone, just maintain the magic pressure. Follow me, get away from here. The undead in the distance seem to be showing signs of a riot!"

Kate immediately noticed something was wrong, quickly warned him, and sped off in the southeast direction.

Upon hearing this, Evan and the others did not hesitate and followed Kate, traveling nearly 2 kilometers before stopping.

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Just as everyone was about to share what had just happened, still shaken, a dark green owl flew down above them. It turned out to be a fully-fledged wizard-level creature.

"Tsk tsk tsk, you little rascals have made quite a commotion in the time it takes Monica to take a nap. Welcome to the final stop of the Trial Tower, follow me."

The owl spoke in the common language of wizards, and a symbol of the Southern Wizarding Alliance materialized in the air before it slowly flew away without looking back.

Kate and the others exchanged glances for a moment, then decided to follow them.

A fully-fledged wizard-level monster can speak the common language and give its identification mark, so it should be a magical pet or contracted creature of a fully-fledged wizard. As participants in the trial, the group must obey the orders of the wizards in the trial tower.

After following the owl for about 10 kilometers, a mountain about ten meters high appeared ahead, and the owl stopped under a boulder at the foot of the mountain.

"Remember this place, little ones. Monica won't bring you here a second time. There are still nearly 200 days until the end of the trial. In the days to come, this is the only place where you can rest and exchange for supplies in peace."

After speaking, Monica the owl walked straight into the boulder, and Kate and the others followed.

The omnipresentation on Kate's body emitted a faint glow, rippling outwards like water, a characteristic feature of the witch array, and a town appeared before Kate's eyes.

The town is flanked by two rows of shops built with simple clay sculptures. The shops sell a wide variety of items, but there are no shouts of vendors like in a typical market. In a few shops, some customers are talking quietly with the shop assistants.

Kate used her mental power to sense that the town was not very large, probably only 5 to 6 square kilometers. The outermost edge of the town was planted with a ring of magical plants that favored the aura of the dead—the Death Whisper Vine. Under the control of wood-type wizards, these vines could rapidly grow hundreds of tendrils. A level 4 early-stage undead creature would be sucked into a pile of bones in about 1 minute.

"Little ones, don't rush to browse these shops. You're in luck. Today happens to be the day that Wizard Philip personally guides his apprentices. Maybe Philip will answer a few simple questions for you."

Accompanied by the chattering owl, the six people and the bird arrived at a three-story stone building. Upon entering the hall, they found about 20 wizard apprentices already waiting inside.

Chloe from the Star Tower, Alphonse from the Temple of Tides, and others were all present, as was Shadowsong Morris from Shadowhold and his men in the shadows of a corner, along with several wizard apprentices who were presumably from other smaller wizarding factions.

The figure of an old man, dressed in a simple white robe, with a gentle face and deep, unfathomable eyes, slowly emerged.

He didn't look tall, and his aura was reserved, but standing there, he seemed to become the center of the entire hall.

A gentle yet vast and awe-inspiring spiritual wave swept across the entire venue, instantly soothing the ripples and wounds in everyone's spiritual sea.

"Welcome to the heart of the Eternal Wasteland, young explorers."

The old man's voice was calm, yet it resonated clearly deep within everyone's soul, carrying a comforting power.

"I am Philip, the Word of Life, the guide and guardian here."

He swept his gaze across the crowd with a hint of approval: "You have passed the previous trials to arrive here, proving your strength, wisdom, and resilience. This is no easy feat. For this, the Wizarding Alliance will bestow upon you the rewards you deserve."

Wizard Phil gently raised his hand.

Buzz!

Above the hall, in the flowing galaxy, countless tiny, pure rays of light, like shooting stars, precisely shot towards each survivor present!

Kate felt a slight jolt from the V2X recorder on her wrist, and a warm current flowed in.

[Received a gift from the Alliance: 500 points!]

[Total points updated: 1727!]

At the same time, a diamond-shaped amulet, warm and smooth as jade, milky white in color, with liquid starlight seemingly flowing slowly inside, appeared out of thin air in his palm.

The amulet felt cool to the touch and emitted a peculiar, tranquil energy that resonated perfectly with its surroundings.

[Item: Alliance Guidance Amulet (Special Crafted by the Southern Wizarding Alliance)]

[characteristic:

1. Undead Stealth: When activated, it forms a weak but continuous assimilative force field in the perception of undead creatures (excluding high-ranking undead lords), greatly reducing the probability of being detected.

2. Environmental Adaptation: Passively increases the wearer's resistance to the harsh environment of the undead demiplane (death aura, mental pollution, negative energy erosion), and slightly increases the life recovery speed.

3. Alliance Mark: Proof of identity as a member of the Southern Wizarding Alliance.

4. Energy Core: Contains pure life energy, capable of slow recovery (requires an environment rich in life energy).

[Value: Extremely high! Essential for survival in the undead demiplane.]

"This amulet is a gift from the Alliance to protect you as you explore the final trial."

The wizard Phil's voice rang out again, tinged with solemnity. His gaze sharpened and deepened, as if piercing through space to see the distant battlefield: "A necromantic calamity sweeping across multiple planes is brewing! The power of the undead is eroding the boundary between life and death, and countless undead lords, driven by the will of the abyss, intend to transform the wizarding world into an eternal realm of death!"

"The Southern Wizarding Council, in alliance with numerous allies, is about to launch an unprecedented war in the undead plane!"

The goal is to curb the encroachment of the undead, purify the polluted deathly territory, and even—counterattack!

The hall fell into a deathly silence!

A war in the undead plane?!

This news was like a bombshell, creating a huge wave in everyone's hearts!

"And you," Wizard Phil's voice was filled with expectation and gravity, "as the most promising and capable elites of the new generation, you will be the backbone of this war in the future! Especially—the spearhead, penetrating deep behind enemy lines to carry out special missions, destroy the core nodes of the undead, and gather crucial intelligence!"

"This final trial—the exploration of the eternally desolate wasteland—is the ultimate test of your ability to survive behind enemy lines, operate independently, and hunt efficiently!"

Therefore, the rules are as follows!

Wizard Phil's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable authority: "First, prioritize independent operations: Solo operations are encouraged, or teams of no more than five people are permitted. Operations with more than five people in the same area will not earn leaderboard hunting points or material points. Objective: To maximize individual skills in survival, stealth, reconnaissance, and hunting in extremely harsh, isolated environments!"

"II. Resource Self-Protection: All harvested items in the Eternal Desolation Wasteland—including undead materials, abyssal crystals, ancient relics, and special magical plants—belong to the individual owner! The Alliance will not distribute them uniformly!"

"III. Ranking Incentives: The Alliance Core will establish an Undead Hunting Ranking and a Material Collection Ranking!"

Wizard Phili raised his hand and pointed, a sliver of light shooting onto the crystal ball in front of him.

hum!

In front of the crystal ball, above the sea of ​​light, two enormous lists made of pure light energy slowly unfolded!

The title of the list on the left is: [Undead Hunter Ranking]

The screen displays dozens of different undead creature phantoms, each exuding a terrifying aura, ranging from common skeleton warriors and ghouls to rare undead knights, ghost lords, and abyssal stitched monsters. Each creature is marked with a corresponding points reward, ranging from tens to hundreds of points, with the highest reaching over a thousand points!

The title of the list on the right is: [Materials Collection Ranking]

Above are various materials exuding the aura of the abyss: fragments of the Undead Monarch core, crystals of abyssal resentment, fragments of corrupted dimensional crystal cores, and withered life-source seeds—all marked with high point rewards!

"Hunting undead on the leaderboard or collecting leaderboard materials will reward you with leaderboard points in addition to the target's intrinsic value! Leaderboard points can be exchanged for special resources in this lobby at any time and will not affect your overall ranking at the end of the final trial!"

"IV. Resource Exchange: You can use the All-Encompassing Recorder at any time to exchange for Crystals in the lobby," consuming points or ranking points to exchange for, but not limited to: high-level potions, custom-made magical artifact parts,

Rare materials, inherited knowledge, and even—one-time-use high-level sorcery scrolls or protective treasures!

Wizard Phil's voice softened, carrying a hint of deeper meaning: "The Alliance's reserves far exceed your imagination. As long as you have enough points, you can even arm yourselves to the teeth here, making the fullest preparations for the upcoming war!"

"Now, rest, exchange, and form teams! During the remaining time of the trial, you can study your own witchcraft in this town according to your own situation, or go out to collect or hunt, and compete for trial points ranking rewards."

The figure of Wizard Phil slowly faded and eventually disappeared, leaving only the crystal ball and the shocked crowd.

The talkative owl then flew out of the hall and disappeared without a trace.

The hall erupted in chaos!

"A war in the undead plane?! My God—" an apprentice from the Star Tower muttered to himself, his eyes filled with shock and bewilderment.

"Independent operations—a five-person squad—this is practically sending us to be a suicide squad!" A Tide Temple apprentice's face turned pale.

"The leaderboard! Points redemption!" A Shadow Keep apprentice's eyes gleamed, and he licked his lips. "Hunting undead knights—Abyssal Crystals—good stuff! This is much more exciting than doing quests in the Bastion!"

"Advanced potions! Custom-made magical artifacts! Knowledge transfer!"

Another apprentice stared excitedly at the huge exchange crystal, "As long as I have enough points—I'm rich!"

Team leaders Ivan, Sofia, Chloe, Alphonse, and others quickly gathered their respective team members and discussed the matter in hushed tones.

Evan looked at the remaining five members of the Green Peak Alliance and said in a deep voice, "The rules are set: solo operations or five-person teams. How do we choose?"

A serious expression crossed Sophia's rock-like face: "The Eternal Desolation is fraught with unknown dangers, and the undead creatures are endless. Going alone is extremely risky. A five-person team can support each other and make the most of each other's strengths."

Kyle said coldly from the shadows, "Five people would be too conspicuous, making it difficult to hide and move stealthily. The undead's methods of sensing are unpredictable, and a large number of people may not necessarily be safe."

Serena nodded silently, clearly agreeing with Kyle's point of view.

Elena's silver eyes sparkled: "Astral omens are severely disrupted in the plane of the dead. Acting alone, the advantage of prophecy is difficult to utilize. But even a five-person team cannot completely avoid the risks."

All eyes finally fell on Kate.

Kate remained silent.

Within his spiritual sea, the cold analytical flow of the primordial seed was operating at high speed:

Current Status Assessment:

Advantage:

1. Seed of Origin: Super strong environmental analysis, energy suppression, and symbiotic control.

2. Blood-Devouring Vine: It has a predatory affinity for life energy (including negative life sources transformed from the death energy of the dead) and can devour the essence of the dead to strengthen itself.

3. Lunar Symbiosis: Spatial perception and refraction concealment; when combined with a talisman, it provides extremely strong concealment capabilities.

4. Shadow of Thorns: High tactical value for environmental reconnaissance, interference, luring the enemy, and self-destruction.

5. Seed of the Spirit Pivot: Mental interference and illusions, effective against low-level undead hordes.

6. Newly Acquired Amulet: Greatly enhances the undead's adaptability and stealth.

7. Sufficient points (1727 points) can be redeemed for targeted supplies.

Disadvantage:

1. Relatively weak in direct offensive capabilities (compared to Rhodes and Sofia).

2. Lack of large-scale, powerful purification methods (compared to Elena and Alphonse).

3. Insufficient awareness of the threat posed by high-ranking undead lords (formal wizard level).

4. Solo operations have a low margin for error, and the risk increases dramatically when encountering multiple threats of the same or higher level.

Team collaboration analysis:

The five-person team (Evan, Sophia, Kyle, Serena, Kate):

Advantages: It integrates offense and defense, possesses strong comprehensive combat capabilities, and can cope with most threats.

Disadvantages: The target is conspicuous and easily locked onto by high-level undead or undead swarms; disagreements may arise regarding resource allocation.

Efficiency is constrained by the slowest.

Acting alone:

Advantages: High degree of freedom, rapid action, strong concealment, exclusive access to resources, which is conducive to the original seed to exert its reconnaissance and devouring advantages.

Disadvantages: Lack of support, vulnerable to uncontrollable risks (such as undead lords, large undead legions, spatial traps).

Survival rates plummeted.

[Conclusion: Solo operations offer both benefits and risks, aligning with the host's abilities (stealth, reconnaissance, absorption, ...]

Controlling the battlefield (allows for maximizing leaderboard points and resource accumulation). A five-person team is more stable, but may limit the host's unique strengths.

Kate looked up, her eyes sharp and resolute.

"I choose to act alone."

His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable determination.

Evan frowned slightly: "Kate, the Eternal Desolation is not like the first few levels of the Trial Tower. It is a true realm of the dead, fraught with danger—"

“I understand the risks,” Kate interrupted him, her gaze sweeping over the group. “But my abilities are better suited to working alone. Stealth reconnaissance, finding targets on the leaderboard, and using the environment to hunt are my strengths. A five-person team would actually limit my effectiveness.”

He paused, then added, "Of course, it's not a complete separation. If we encounter special targets that require teamwork to handle—such as high-scoring undead lords on the leaderboard, or suspected abyssal nodes—I will contact you via communication runes. We can still cooperate temporarily and share the profits, just with fewer points, but the materials and the prey themselves will still be quite substantial."

Looking at the calmness and confidence in Kate's eyes, and recalling the amazing spatial awareness he had previously displayed, Evan...

The puppeteer, with his masterful control and manipulation abilities, finally nodded slowly: "Alright! Since you've made your decision, we respect your choice. Keep the communication talisman open, and if you encounter any problems you can't solve, immediately call for help!"

Sophia said in a deep voice, "Be careful. The methods of the undead are unpredictable, especially their mental attacks and curses."

Kyle said coldly from the shadows, "Don't die."

Elena said softly, "Though the stars are dim, their guidance remains. If needed, you can try to contact them."

Kate nodded: "I will. You all be careful too."

Having reached a consensus, Kate no longer hesitated and walked straight to the huge "Alliance Exchange Crystal" in the center of the hall.

.

The crystal stands three meters tall, crystal clear throughout, with a dazzling brilliance flowing inside like a galaxy, radiating a rich spatial and informational energy.

Kate brought the Variants recorder on her wrist close to Crystal.

hum!

A soft beam of light emanated from the crystal and connected to the recorder.

In an instant, an enormous, meticulously categorized, and incredibly detailed redemption list flooded into Kate's mind like a waterfall!

[Exchange List Open]

[Category: Pharmaceuticals]

[Lesser Undead Resistance Potion (Increases Death Resistance by 10% for 1 hour) - 10 points]

[Advanced Undead Stealth Potion (Greatly reduces undead awareness for 30 minutes) - 50 points]

[Soul Protection Potion (Resists mental shock and curses for 1 hour) - 80 points]

[Life Spring Potion (Rapid Recovery from Severe Injuries) - 200 Points]

[Category: Materials]

[Pure Moonshine Moss (Enhanced Purification and Stealth) - 30 points/unit]

[Undead Bone Essence (Undead Material) - 20 points/unit]

[Abyssal Resentment Crystal Fragment (Abyssal/Curse Material) - 100 Points/Unit]

[Space-stabilizing dust (for making space reels) - 150 points/unit]

[Category: Magic Device/Scroll]

[Standard Undead Repelling Scroll (Dispels Low-Tier Undead) - 50 Points]

[Advanced Demon-Slaying Arrows (3-pack, effective against spirits and undead) - 120 points]

[One-time space jump scroll (maximum distance 1 km) - 300 points]

[Holy Light Protection Amulet (One-time use, withstands one hit from a fully-fledged wizard-level undead) - 500 points]

[Category: Knowledge]

[Undead Creature Compendium (Basic) - 100 points]

[Analysis of Common Traps in the Undead Realm - 200 Points]

[Abyss Pollution Characteristics and Preliminary Purification - 300 points]

[(Higher-level knowledge requires higher access privileges or leaderboard points)]

[Category: Customized Services]

[Magical Device Repair (depending on the extent of damage) - Starting from 50 points]

[Magic Device Enhancement (Specified Attribute) - Starting from 100 points]

(Special customization requires negotiation)

The list is vast and comprehensive, ranging from basic consumables to precious life-saving items, from practical materials to advanced knowledge—it has everything!

Kate's Seed of Origin was operating at high speed, combining her own abilities, the characteristics of the Eternal Wasteland environment, and the goals on the leaderboard to quickly select and deduce the optimal exchange plan.

[Core Requirements: Enhance stealth, increase undead resistance, supplement reconnaissance/ attrition methods, and obtain crucial intelligence.]

[Points Allocation Scheme Deduction:]

1. Advanced Undead Stealth Potion 5 (250 points): A crucial lifesaver. Combined with a charm and Moonshadow Concealment, it minimizes the risk of being discovered.

2. Soul Protection Potion, 3 (240 points): Resist mental shocks and curses, a common method used by the undead.

3. Pure Moonlight Moss: 10 (300 points): Enhances the Thorn Shadow Purification and Concealment Coating, improves environmental adaptability, and replenishes symbiote consumption.

4. Undead Creature Compendium (Basic) (100 points): Basic information, target identification, and avoidance of high-risk undead.

5. Analysis of common traps in the Undead Plane (200 points): Avoid environmental risks and improve survival rate.

6. Abyss Resentment Crystal Fragment, 1 (100 points): Research the characteristics of the Abyss, which may be used to enhance the self-destruct power of the Spirit Seed or the Shadow of Thorns.

7. Holy Light Protection Amulet 1 (500 points): Prevents attacks from high-level undead creatures and provides an opportunity to escape.

8. Remaining points: 37.

[Plan confirmed!]

Kate gave the order to exchange the items.

As the exchange crystal shimmered, several specially crafted jade bottles, a box of moonlight moss radiating a soft glow, two jade slips containing knowledge, and a dark purple crystal fragment exuding an ominous aura instantly appeared in the beam of light in front of Kate.

He quickly put it away and placed it in his dimensional bag.

Looking at the remaining 37 points, Kate felt a sense of urgency.

Ranking points! That's the key to acquiring truly top-tier resources!

He glanced one last time at Evan and the others who were having a heated discussion about team formation, and at Chloe, Alphonse, and Shadowsong Morris who had already started exchanging items in the distance.

Morris appears to have redeemed a large number of one-time attack scrolls and stealth items, clearly intending to hunt alone or with an elite squad.

Kate didn't linger and turned to walk towards a relatively quiet spot at the edge of the hall, near the Sea of ​​Light.

He sat down cross-legged, took out the newly exchanged jade slips "Illustrated Compendium of Undead Creatures (Basic)" and "Analysis of Common Traps in the Undead Plane," and immersed his mental energy into them, beginning to absorb the basic knowledge about the Eternal Wasteland with great eagerness.

At the same time, he took out several pure moonmoss plants and began to quickly repair and strengthen the remaining thorn shadows, coating their shells with a new coating that mixed moonmoss essence and a trace amount of undead stealth potion.

The Seed of Origin was operating at full capacity, analyzing the newly acquired fragments of Abyssal Resentment Crystals, and attempting to optimize the structure of the Seed of Spiritual Pivot to make its interference with the spiritual core of the undead more targeted.

The Bloodthirsty Vine patterns on her right arm lay dormant under the pure light of the Alliance, but Kate could sense an irrepressible yearning emanating from its hunting activities in the Eternal Desolation Wasteland.