Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

Chapter 94 Ambush

Inside a stone house in the town of Eternal Desolation, Kate sat cross-legged, her mental sea resembling a deep starry sky, with the "Reincarnation Nursery" slowly revolving at its core.

Pale silver spatial veins intertwine and flow with emerald green life aura, the dark red energy of the Bloodthirsty Vine is tamed and surges within the cage of order, and the cold analytical force field of the Seed of Origin sweeps over every inch of energy node, optimizing the circulation path.

After a few days of rest, Kate not only fully stabilized the "Reincarnation Nursery," but also raised her mental strength to 82.

At this point, his self-control reached its peak during the apprenticeship stage.

Knock knock knock!

A soft knock on the door interrupted Kate's meditation.

With a slight thought, the simple warning array covering the stone house responded with a message: five people – Evan, Sophia, Kyle, Serena, and Elena.

Kate got up and opened the door. Evan stood at the front, his expression solemn yet tinged with excitement. Sophia's rock armor gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen in the dim light. Kyle and Serena seemed to blend into the shadows, while Elena's silver eyes sparkled with a starlight that seemed to see into the future.

"Kate, excuse me," Evan said bluntly, his voice low. "We've discovered the lair of a big guy, and what's inside—it's worth the risk."

Kate stepped aside to let everyone into the house.

"What's the goal?" Kate asked, the Seed of Origin silently working, analyzing the information in Evan's words.

"A Howling Lord!" A glint of light flashed in Evan's eyes. "It's entrenched in the Bone Rift in the northwest."

Deep within. According to Elena's celestial omens and fragments of the ancient bailiff's tome, this undead creature was a powerful psychic wizard in life. After death, its soul was twisted by the will of the abyss, transforming it into a half-lich form, with strength—pseudo-formal wizard level!

Pseudo-formal wizard level!

This word made the air instantly heavy.

Although it was only "pseudo", it meant that it had touched the threshold of the rules and possessed power far exceeding that of a fourth-level peak apprentice. For Evan and others, the Corruption Lord of the same level at that time was something that could only be killed by thousands of apprentices working together.

"Through our long-range reconnaissance using the Shadow of Thorns, combined with Elena's prophecy," Evan continued, "we confirmed that its lair not only contains a large number of magical tomes and experimental notes collected during its lifetime, but also piles up many relics of the trial participants it killed! Among them are many high-value magical artifacts, potions, and even—possibly—clues related to the Heart of the Dead!"

He glanced at Kate, his gaze pointed: "Moreover, deep within the lair, it seems, lies a Howling Heart, nourished by its soul core and the power of the abyss," containing immense spiritual and deathly energy, its value immeasurable!"

Kate's heart skipped a beat. A clue to the Heart of the Dead? The Heart of Wailing? This was indeed an irresistible temptation. The Seed of Origin quickly deduced:

[Target: Wailing Lord (Pseudo-Formal Wizard Level)]

[Feature speculation:]

Primarily psychological attacks (soul screams, mental pollution, hallucinations).

They may have some knowledge of the rules of death (summoning the dead, life drain).

Nest environment buffs (spiritual enhancement, undead minions).

Core: The Howling Heart (a composite of spirit and the essence of death).

[Threat Assessment: Extremely High! Mental attacks pose a significant threat to the team; pseudo-wizard-level rule suppression is strong.]

[Benefit Assessment: Extremely High (Knowledge, Materials, Fundamental Energy)]

[Necessity of Team Collaboration: Extremely High (Requires sharing of mental stress and overcoming environmental constraints).]

"The risks are enormous, but the rewards are worth the gamble," Kate said in a deep voice. "What are your plans?"

"A direct assault is not advisable. Originally, I was going to give up, but Elena's prophecy tells us that you can successfully hunt it down with Kate's help. Therefore, your task is the most important."

Evan clearly had a plan in mind: "We plan to use Sofia's Earth Resonance" to create small-scale earthquakes, disrupt the nest's structure, and attract its attention.

Kyle and Serena were responsible for clearing out the outer undead minions and setting up spatial interference traps to prevent it from teleporting away. Elena used a stellar field to construct a mental barrier to withstand the first wave of impact. And you, Kate—”

Evan stared intently at Kate: "Your spatial abilities are key! We need you to use spatial teleportation to penetrate the core of the lair the instant you create chaos in Sophia, and strike directly at the Heart of Wailing! Or at least severely damage its core! Your Spacetime Nursery Domain should be able to resist its mental pollution and death erosion to the greatest extent!"

"Go straight for the core—" Kate's eyes sharpened.

This plan was bold and risky, entrusting him with the most dangerous task, but it was also where his spatial abilities and domain advantages could be best utilized.

"Okay," Kate nodded, "but I need a more detailed diagram of the nest's structure and the distribution of the psychic field."

Elena stepped forward, the Nebula Crystal hovering in her palm, projecting a 3D map outlined by starlight: "The nest structure captured by the star trails shows the strongest mental field in the core area, like a vortex. The outer passages are patrolled by a large number of undead servants, level 3-4."

Kate quickly memorized the structural diagram, and the Seed of Origin began simulating its advance route.

"There's no time to lose. The Wailing Lord seems to be performing some kind of ritual. His mental field is fluctuating periodically, and now is a relatively vulnerable window of opportunity."

Evan said decisively, "Let's set off immediately!"

The six-person team left the town and once again stepped into the gray and desolate wasteland.

This time, the goal was clear: head straight for the Bone Rift Valley in the northwest.

The Valley of Bones, as its name suggests, is flanked by towering cliffs made up of countless enormous animal skeletons, with a viscous, foul-smelling black river flowing through its bottom.

The air was thicker with the scent of death and a faint, unsettling whisper of the soul.

Evan and the others activated the Alliance Amulet, while Kate maintained the faint domain of the Reincarnation Nursery; the death energy was no longer an obstacle for him.

They moved swiftly along the shadows at the edge of the valley, trying to avoid the vengeful spirits that lingered above the River Styx.

Kate released the Shadow of Thorns in advance, like a silent scout, to explore the way ahead and report back the safe path.

Just as they were about to reach the entrance to the lair marked on the map—a dark cave entrance deep within the eye sockets of a giant skull fossil!

A sudden change has occurred!

"Buzz—!"

A powerful spatial disturbance suddenly erupted from all directions without warning, tightening instantly like an invisible giant net.

Kate instantly sensed that the surrounding spatial structure had been forcibly disrupted and folded, and the originally clear spatial coordinates had become blurred.

"Spatial Trap!" Kate hissed, and the Reincarnation Nursery Domain expanded to its limit in an instant.

"Spatial anchoring!"

hum!

A pale silver ripple spread outwards from Kate, attempting to forcibly stabilize the disturbed area.

However, the other side was clearly prepared.

"Snap!"

Several spatial interference rune crystals, which were embedded in the gaps between the surrounding bones and shimmered with an eerie light, exploded instantly, releasing even more violent chaotic energy.

Although Kate's "spatial anchoring" negated most of the interference, the spatial structure still experienced brief delays and distortions.

In that moment of hesitation.

"Do it!" A hoarse voice filled with resentment and glee rang out.

It's Shadowsong Morris!

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!

Four figures emerged from the distorted folds of space like ghosts!

Besides Maurice himself, there were three unfamiliar apprentices dressed in dark green robes embroidered with twisted thorns.

Their aura was chilling, carrying a strong sense of abyss and decaying plants, clearly indicating that they were members of "Thorn Garden".

Morris's target is Kate.

His eyes burned with a frenzied, ghostly green soul fire, and the Void Severing Dagger in his hand, with a piercing shriek that seemed to tear through space, stabbed straight for Kate's back with extreme speed.

The other three Thorn Garden apprentices had clearly defined roles:

One person pressed his hands to the ground, and countless corrupting vines covered in a viscous, dark green liquid instantly sprang up from the ground, coiling towards Evan and Sophia's lower bodies like venomous snakes.

One of them opened its mouth, and a silent shriek erupted, unleashing a mental shockwave carrying the language of the abyss, which crashed fiercely into Elena, who was gathering a star field.

The last person threw out a handful of seeds emitting an ominous green light. The seeds exploded the moment they hit the ground, transforming into a rolling thicket of thorns that emitted a paralyzing poisonous mist, enveloping Kyle and Serena.

A meticulously planned ambush.

Using spatial traps to create instantaneous chaos, and targeting everyone in the Greencaps Alliance, Morris's hatred for Kate's previous treasure hunt led him to join forces with the Thorn Garden to kill Kate!

"You're asking for death!" Evan roared, his Wind Staff flashing.

"Wind's Shackles - Thousand Blades Strangling"

Countless condensed wind blades instantly materialized, swirling towards the entangling corrupting vines like a meat grinder! At the same time, he retreated rapidly, attempting to create distance.

Sofia reacted even faster, letting out a low growl: "Rock Armor - Immovable as a Mountain".

The grayish-white rock armor instantly covered her entire body and spread to her feet, forcibly shattering and solidifying the vines that had wrapped around her. She clenched her fists and slammed them hard into the ground.

"Major earthquake waves - ground fissures"

Boom! A violent shockwave shot out in a fan shape toward the Thorn Garden apprentice who had released the vines.

Faced with this mental shock, Elena's silver eyes shone brightly!

"Starry Barrier: Tranquility"

The Nebula Crystal shone brightly, and a thick barrier, flowing with starlight, instantly appeared in front of him.

The abyssal language struck the barrier, producing a sizzling, corrosive sound, but failed to break through.

Kyle and Serena's figures blurred instantly in the poisonous fog and thorn bushes, disappearing into the shadows, but the paralyzing fog and the ever-growing thorns clearly restricted their movement and assassination abilities.

Kate, however, saw a cold mockery flash in her eyes as she faced Morris's determined backstab, which possessed the properties of spatial tearing.

"this one?"

Just as Morris's dagger was about to strike.

"Void Refraction!"

Kate's figure blurred and distorted in an instant, as if it had turned into several overlapping afterimages.

laugh!

Morris's deadly thrust pierced through the afterimage and slammed into empty air.

The sharp spatial tearing energy ripped a deep gash in the ground.

"What?!" Morris's pupils constricted in disbelief!

His spatial lock failed?!

"Spatial Anchoring and Confinement"

Kate's cold voice rang out beside Morris.

hum!

A spatial stabilizing force field, far more powerful than before, descended instantly.

Centered on Morris, the space within several meters around him solidified instantly, as if molten iron had been poured into it.

Morris felt as if his body was trapped in invisible amber, his movements suddenly stiffening, even the flickering shadows were forcibly interrupted and annihilated.

"The Thorn Garden? A bunch of insects dare to come here to die?" Kate's gaze swept over the three Thorn Garden apprentices, with a hint of indifference as if looking down on ants.

He raised his left hand and pointed lightly at the Thorn Garden apprentice who had unleashed a mental attack and interfered with Elena.

A silver seed, shrouded in pale blue moonlight and emerald green life energy, shot out silently, its speed slow but carrying an eerie feeling that seemed to lock onto the soul.

The apprentice was focused on maintaining the Abyssal Whispers' impact on Elena's Star Barrier when it was caught off guard.

puff!

The Seed of the Spiritual Pivot ignored the faint Abyss Shield on his body and pierced directly into his brow.

"ah--!"

He let out a piercing scream and collapsed to his knees, clutching his head.

The abyssal murmurs he unleashed instantly went out of control and backfired, raging wildly in his own mental sea, causing blackish-green blood to spill from his seven orifices.

At the same time, the Bloodthirsty Vine pattern on Kate's right arm flashed with a ghostly light.

"Bloodthirsty Vine - Strangulation"

Several vines, solid as solid, interwoven with dark gold and jade patterns, and with purple light swirling at their tips, tore through the ground and instantly entangled the apprentice who had released the paralyzing poisonous mist, Thorns.

The nerve-paralyzing toxin was injected frantically, and the metal thorns on the vines, under the properties of the golden thorns, fiercely pierced into its protective energy.

"Ugh!" The apprentice couldn't even let out a scream before his body stiffened and convulsed. He was dragged into the ground by the vines, and his breath quickly faded.

The last apprentice who was controlling the corrupting vines was being overwhelmed by Evan's wind blades and Sophia's shockwaves. When he saw his two companions being crippled in an instant, his eyes showed horror!

"It's your turn." Kate's gaze fell back on Morris, who was trapped and immobilized by spatial anchors.

Morris's eyes were filled with horror and resentment. He frantically burned his mental energy, trying to break free from the spatial confinement.

"Shadows are burning, open the gates!"

The shadow energy on his body surface boiled violently, like burning black flames, forcefully impacting the spatial cage.

hum!

The spatial cage fluctuated violently, and a crack appeared!

"A dying struggle." Kate's eyes were icy as she took a step forward.

"Spatial blink"

His figure appeared in front of Morris in an instant, less than a meter away!

At such close range, Morris could even see the cold, ruthless pupils in Kate's eyes.

An unprecedented fear of death gripped him!

"Bloodthirsty Poison Ivy - Piercing Heart!"

Kate clenched her right fist, the power of the Bloodthirsty Vine highly concentrated, dark golden vine phantoms wrapped around her arm, forming a ferocious arm armor, the tip of which transformed into a sharp cone flashing with deadly purple light, carrying the will to pierce through everything, fiercely stabbing towards Morris's heart!

Fast! Ruthless! Accurate!

The spatial confinement restricted Morris's evasion, and the Shadow Burning defense was as fragile as paper in the face of the highly condensed Bloodthirsty Vine Piercing.

Pfft—!

The dark gold and purple vine spikes pierced precisely through Morris's chest, which was covered by shadow armor, and emerged from his body.

"Wow--!"

Morris suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs. The intense pain and the feeling of his life force rapidly draining away made his soul fire flicker.

But he was, after all, an elite of Shadow Keep, and his survival instinct kicked in.

"Shadow Stand - Disintegrate!"

In the final instant before the spike pierced his heart, he burned a portion of his soul's essence, and his body exploded into a dense mass of shadow.

Its true form transformed into an extremely faint gray shadow, forcibly breaking free from the remaining constraints of spatial anchoring at the cost of its foundation, and retreating dozens of meters backward.

All that remained was a dissipating shadowy remains, pierced by the sharp spikes of vines.

"Cough cough—Pfft!" Morris's true form staggered out, a bowl-sized hole in his chest, blood gushing out. His aura instantly weakened to the extreme, his face was as pale as paper, and his eyes were filled with fear and lingering dread.

If he hadn't used the forbidden life-saving technique "Shadow Substitute" at the last moment, he would already be dead.

Meanwhile, Evan's Wind Blade Storm and Sophia's Shockwave completely shattered the defenses of the last Thorn Garden apprentice.

The apprentice was thrown back by the shockwave, crashing into the bone wall, spitting blood, and losing consciousness.

The battle, from its outbreak to its end, lasted only a dozen or so breaths.

Of the three apprentices in the late stage of level four at Thorn Garden, two were crippled and one was seriously injured.

Shadowsong Morris, the leader of Shadow Keep, was severely injured by Kate's attack, his foundation damaged, and he was on the verge of death.

The entire battlefield fell silent instantly.

Evan, Sophia, Elena, and the others looked at Kate with shock in their eyes.

They knew Kate had become stronger, but they didn't expect her to be this strong!

Faced with a meticulously planned ambush, and a surprise attack from three opponents of the same level and one at the peak of level four, Kate calmly and effortlessly resolved the crisis and severely injured her powerful enemies.

That air of controlling space and disregarding life and death already possessed a certain majesty of a formal wizard.

He slowly walked up to the critically injured and dying Maurice, looking down at him with eyes as cold as ice.

"Maurice," Kate's voice was calm, yet carried a chilling edge, "I understand your resentment at being taken advantage of by me in Bone Valley last time. But unfortunately, it seems you've overestimated yourself."

Maurice coughed up blood, glaring venomously at Kate, and hissed, "Kate—you—you've been hiding this so well—"

—Cough cough—I'm not convinced—

"Whether you submit or not is not important." Kate interrupted him, a highly condensed essence of moonlight, carrying the aura of spatial cutting, swirling around the tip of her right finger. "What is important is that you chose the wrong opponent and the wrong way to retaliate."

"

He pointed his fingertip at Maurice's brow!

"This finger represents interest. Remember today's lesson."

"Seed of the Spiritual Pivot - Mental Explosion"

hum!

A tiny silver seed, yet containing a terrifying mental impact, instantly sank into Morris's brow.

"ah!!!"

Morris let out an even more piercing scream than before, as if his soul were being torn apart.

His eyes rolled back, his body convulsed violently, and the shadow energy on his body completely dissipated.

The spiritual sea suffered a severe blow, and a part of the soul's origin was torn apart.

Although not fatal, the foundation is completely destroyed, the possibility of advancing to a formal wizard in the future is almost zero, and it will leave permanent psychological trauma.

The screams abruptly stopped as Maurice completely lost consciousness, his breath as faint as a candle flickering in the wind.

Kate withdrew her finger as if she had done something trivial.

He looked at the three apprentices from the Thorn Garden.

The one who unleashed the mental shock was still writhing in agony, clutching his head, the backlash from the abyss leaving him delirious.

The one who released the paralyzing thorns was entangled by the vines and fell into a coma due to poisoning.

The last one was seriously injured and fell into a coma by Evan and Sophia.

"Thorn Garden—" Kate walked to the unconscious Thorn Garden apprentice and scanned him with her mental energy. From a specially made leather pouch at the man's waist, she found several strange seeds that exuded an abyssal aura and corrupting life force, as well as a domino engraved with a twisted thorn emblem.

"The Seed of Corruption in the Abyss—it seems Dean Vivian has a new creation." Kate put away the dominoes and the seed.

"Kate, what should we do with these people?" Evan walked over, his brow furrowed as he looked at the four unconscious people on the ground. Ambushing other trial wizard apprentices was a serious violation of the trial rules.

"Maurice's finished. Let the town's trial supervisor handle it; his Omniscient Recorder will record everything."

o

Kate said calmly, "As for those three in the Thorn Garden—deal with them directly, burn their bodies. Divide their belongings as spoils. The deathly aura here is so thick that their bodies will be assimilated quickly and leave no trace."

Kate's words carried an undeniable coldness.

It's normal for fights to break out in this trial tower, and what happened to them was a self-defense counterattack. As for the Thorn Garden apprentices, they had a precedent of ambushing the Starry Sky Tower, so they had no one to blame but themselves for being killed.

Sofia nodded, her rock-like face expressionless.

She walked up to the still-rolling Thorn Garden apprentice and slammed her massive, rock-armored fist down!

puff!

His head shattered like a watermelon! The pain of the mental backlash ended instantly.

Kyle and Serena appeared silently beside the other two unconscious Thorn Garden apprentices, their shadowy daggers slicing cleanly across their throats.

Evan flicked out a wisp of blue flame, which landed on the three corpses.

The flames spread rapidly, burning the corpses and the decaying vines on their bodies to ashes, the deathly aura masking even the slightest trace of blood.

"Let's go." Kate said as if nothing had happened, her gaze fixed on the dark entrance to the lair deep within the Bone Rift. "The Wailing Lord is still waiting for us. Hopefully, what's inside its lair will be worth the time we've wasted."

He took the first step, and the domain of the Reincarnation Nursery rippled slightly, smoothing out the surrounding death aura and energy fluctuations left over from the battle.

Evan and the others exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of apprehension in the other's eyes. Kate's displayed strength and decisiveness made it even clearer to them that this former junior had surpassed them, becoming the true core of the team and—the sharpest blade.

The five fell silent, quickly composed themselves, and followed Kate into the dark cave entrance that exuded a terrifying mental pressure.