The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 550 Crystal Explosion Curbs Insect Plague

Without hesitation, Lena rushed to the battlefield, wielding her silver blade with precision. Each swing of her blade sent sparks flying from the surrounding ice and frost.
Amy chanted prayers from the rear, using pure magic to purify the damaged atmosphere and infuse the team with a strong shield.
Lia unleashed a giant, transparent energy shield, infusing it with runic power to form a robust defensive grid. Working in perfect harmony with David, they created a multi-layered protective circle to jointly defend against the frenzied attacks of an exceptionally powerful enemy!

However, even with such a difficult struggle, the large parasitic tentacles continued to coil and entangle, ruthlessly devouring the branches and leaves, causing the once lush and vibrant canopy of the tree to gradually wither and become desolate.

Streaks of mycelium spread rapidly like a spider web, leaving a thick musty smell in the air and making it difficult for all living things to breathe—these are the most obvious signs of impending collapse!

Seeing the situation becoming increasingly critical, David accelerated his use of the basic folding skill, briefly transferring parts of his body to a parallel dimension to avoid blades and venom attacks, and then countered the deadly sweep with a more ferocious posture, constantly severing mycelium and gnawing at limbs.

However, each harvest cannot completely stop the deteriorating trend, because the pain has spread deep into the core, and the pressure to resist it increases exponentially over time!
A sudden roar echoed across the sky as a shadow streaked across the heavens. It was the giant Void-Eating Larvae released by the observer, arrayed together. They drew energy from the spatial folds and descended violently, simultaneously impacting the outer barrier of the protected area from multiple directions. This caused the originally stable and solidified atmospheric barrier to begin to tremble slightly and briefly disappear!
The soldiers were filled with shock and disbelief, yet they showed no sign of backing down. They were prepared to face this catastrophe and were determined to defend their homeland to the death. This was an important chapter in their journey of trials and tribulations to realize their dreams for the future.
Beneath the wild stars, human warriors, wizards, and allies of the Star-Eyed race formed an impregnable wall. They encouraged and supported each other, burning the last embers of their lives together to fight against the invasion.

Their faces were pale or dripping with sweat, but their eyes were firm and clear, because they knew that only by protecting this mysterious source of hope and the miracle of life could they ensure that the world would not be completely destroyed and plunged into eternal darkness.
As night deepened, the snow fell more heavily and densely.

A pale silver moon hung in the sky, like a compassionate guardian watching over all this tragic and magnificent scene.

Meanwhile, the swarms of Void-Eating Insects, wriggling and leaping on the broken, glass-like walls of space, continued their frenzied expansion, their foraging steps inching closer and closer to the heart of the matter—the location of the Star-Eyed Clan's Sacred Tree.
At the critical moment, a dazzling ice-blue magical explosion suddenly appeared, instantly freezing a large group of attacking evil parasites into hard crystal blocks that disintegrated.

The spellcaster was Amy, her cheeks ashen but her eyes shining brightly. "I cannot fall!"

She gasped for breath, "Even if it costs me everything, I will give everyone a chance to catch their breath!"

The fragments of the frozen crystals disintegrated and drifted in the wind, while the frozen spores lost their activity and quickly dissolved and disappeared. This brief moment of tranquility became a precious interlude in the midst of the struggle.

The biting winds of the far north were still as sharp as knives, and snowflakes drifted in the night, reflecting on the desolate wilderness that had endured so much hardship.

The air in the Star-Eyed Clan's sacred land was filled with the smell of gunpowder and decay, yet this oppressive feeling did not dissipate even after they had just withstood the attack of the Void-Eroding Insect Swarm.

On the contrary, the aftermath of the battle made this land seem even more heavy and anxious.

In the center of the camp, beside a makeshift altar, Lena held the divine relic crystal tightly in her hands. It was a crystal that had been collected from a rift in the abyss and was filled with ominous power and mysterious energy.

Its surface glowed with a dim, eerie blue light, constantly flowing with complex patterns that seemed to originate from ancient, distorted ripples. At the same time, one could also sense the abyssal corrosive aura emanating from that power.

"this thing"

Lena murmured softly, her gaze anxious, but even more so, it was filled with determination and courage.

She knew that this crystallized divine remnant was not only extremely dangerous and difficult to tame, but also the key to turning the tide of the battle at this moment.

“David,” Zelllos transmitted in a deep voice, his deep voice carrying a hint of urgency in the cold wind, “These insect swarms are strong, but they are extremely sensitive to the remnants of alien creatures.”

If we can turn the divine remains crystals into bait, lure them into devouring them, and then let the crystals self-destruct…

"Self-destruction?"

Amy frowned, gently touching the frost on her forehead. "Wouldn't that also trigger a huge spatial fluctuation? Isn't the risk too great?"

"But if we don't stop the spread of the insect swarm as soon as possible, our entire holy land will probably fall."

"This is our last hope," Zellos said firmly.

At this moment, Lena had completely focused her attention on the divine remnant crystal in her hand. Her eyes were as cold as ice as she mobilized the power of her Frost Wolf bloodline to its limit. At the same time, she used the forging technique passed down for thousands of years by the Star Eye Clan—transforming the unstable spatial energy, which was originally full of chaos and destructive potential, into a device that could cause strong oscillations and directional explosions through high-frequency resonance technology.

She closed her eyes and concentrated, her fists trembling slightly, each thought seemingly a struggle against the deepest fear of darkness and the temptation of destruction within her own heart.

Outside, the wind and snow howled, like a thousand horses galloping across the sky, but she felt as if she were in a lonely, boundless place where time seemed to stand still.

This forging process is not only about skill, but also a battle of will and soul.

As the last rune was etched into the crystal surface, the dark blue stone began to tremble violently, releasing subtle and dense high-frequency resonance waves that were almost invisible to the naked eye. These waves swept across the surrounding air like countless tiny sword blades, causing the air molecules to vibrate and produce a crisp, sharp sound.

These sounds pierced the night, yet carried a strange and intimidating quality, causing the camp's guards to stop what they were doing and unconsciously hold their breath and listen intently.

Lena slowly opened her eyes, and the resolute look on her face completely erased her weariness.

"I have completed the modification. This is our only chance to fight back against the insect swarm."

Her tone was firm and extremely calm.

"As long as we place this high-frequency resonator into the core area of ​​the swarm, after they devour it, it will trigger violent internal oscillations, causing them to collapse and perish."

David nodded, his gaze sharp as a blade, appearing even more stern in the glow of the dark blue flames.

He quickly led a team of elite guards to escort this deadly weapon safely to the edge of the shattered space fault at the forefront—where a large number of parasitic spores and tentacles were still wriggling, making it one of the most dangerous areas where the swarm of insects was stirring.

A fierce blizzard, carrying with it a pungent stench, swept across the land. Every step they took was accompanied by the crunching sound of breaking ice echoing through the wilderness. The soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, fully armed, yet their faces were etched with anxiety, for they knew what unpredictable and even more devastating battle awaited them.

Upon arriving at the designated location, everyone gathered in a semi-circle and carefully placed the high-frequency resonator of the divine remains, which had been transformed and improved by Lena.

The ripples emitted by this thing seem to be gradually interfering with the spatial structure of the surrounding environment. The clouds above appear to be slightly distorted and deformed, and a sense of oppression suddenly intensifies, causing the atmosphere to freeze briefly—as strangely as if time itself has been disturbed!
"Begin the seduction!"

David gave a low shout, and at the same time used the Elementary Dimensional Folding skill again to move between dimensions and dodge the flying parasitic tentacles and spore attacks. He also used the power of fire to strengthen the shield barrier, buying precious time for his teammates on the outside!
As the resonator is activated, the high-frequency pulses it releases spread rapidly, triggering a chain reaction of vibrations in the surrounding air and space molecules.

Not far away, the countless creatures that flew and devoured the void structure suddenly converged on this source, crowding together and devouring the ominous stone bodies that shimmered with a ghostly blue light.

The whole process was as terrifying as a demon hunting its prey, or as chilling as a doomsday apocalypse magic circle being activated!
At the moment the swarm of insects engulfed and swallowed them up, the high-frequency resonance effect reached its peak, and a series of violent shock waves, accompanied by piercing and shattering notes, exploded out!
The parasitic limbs collapsed and shattered in an instant, their chaotic and overlapping forms scattering in all directions with the impact, pouring down like a torrential rain, instantly tearing the original scene of darkness engulfing everything into a desolate and empty void!
However, just as the dawn of victory was breaking, people were horrified to discover that deep, ever-expanding cracks had appeared on the surface of the divine remnant crystals used as the core of the weapon, each one as sinister and terrifying as a lifeline being torn apart.
Zellos was shocked and cried out, "We can't withstand such a massive energy backlash! If it shatters completely, we may face a disaster even more terrible than the Void Worms!"

Amy immediately cast a spell to try to stabilize the remaining structure, wrapping and freezing the damaged area with pure, holy magic.

Even so, she could only barely slow down the rate of deterioration, because the chaotic elements implied within the abyss spring were too vast and complex for a mortal wizard to control for long!

David frowned, his entire body instantly heated and amplified by flames, using his Frostwolf bloodline to drive his soul willpower to suppress the spread of the mutation.

He chanted a special incantation of his tribe in a low voice, using his spiritual connection to solidify the overall defense network, unwilling to see another sacrifice come.
The surrounding world seemed to have noticed this change: the swirling clouds in the sky continued to roll and expand, while the falling snowflakes stopped and started falling due to the distortion of space, forming a deathly contrast with the constantly trembling and shaking sacred tree pillar.

The earth trembled slightly, as if silently awaiting the eve of final judgment; everyone in the camp was pale, yet bursting with the most fervent and tenacious hope of life, vowing to build an iron wall with blood and faith to guard the future.
Staring at the massive rock, which was already radiating a dangerous red light and showing increasingly severe signs of decay, for an extended period of time, no one could ignore the fact that it was gradually approaching the brink of complete collapse.
While this operation successfully wiped out a large number of Void-Eating Poisonous Insects, using them as a final, deadly attack came at a heavy price, setting the stage for even greater challenges to come.
The warriors of the Star-Eyed Clan looked at each other, all understanding that tonight was only a short rest, and the more severe test was yet to come.

They must press their advantage and delve deeper into the secrets hidden behind this dangerous ruin, as well as how to avert the impending catastrophe that threatens to spiral out of control!
The frigid winds of the far north continued to howl through the camp, snowflakes danced in the air, and the tents were surrounded by thick snow, shrouded in a heavy, silvery-gray curtain.

Despite the shockwave from the self-destruction of the divine crystal, the ancient holy land was still shrouded in a somber atmosphere.

Everyone's face was etched with fatigue and tension, but even more so with vigilance and unease.

David stood quietly at the tent entrance, his eerie blue flames still leaping and burning around his body, intense and unquenchable.

He gazed into the distance, breathing in the biting cold wind while feeling a strange fluctuation gradually surging within his blood and spirit.

This fluctuation was unlike the lingering effect after a previous extreme battle; instead, it was a resonance imbued with a strange and abyssal aura.

The sky was covered with thick, dark clouds, almost completely obscuring all the starlight, leaving only a few faint stars twinkling.

The fluttering snowflakes were blown about by the wind, each one reflecting a cold, eerie blue light, like shattered mirrors floating in the night sky, reflecting off the ice crystals on the ground.

The whole world seemed to be enveloped by this ominous sign, silently telling of the new crisis that was about to descend.

Just then, a slight tremor came from inside the tent—the unique frequency ripples that come when the communication secret technique is activated.

"Liliana?"

Zelllos suddenly turned his head and asked in a hoarse but steady voice. He stood beside the altar, where the ancient runic stone tablet emitted a faint light, pulsating slowly like a sleeping giant rock awakening.

Amy stopped praying, her gaze gentle yet full of concern: "It's her message."

Lena gripped her twin swords and stepped out of the shadows, her resolute expression unable to conceal the deep unease hidden in her eyes.

"Connect her quickly and let her speak."

David stepped into the tent and saw Liliana sitting in the center of the square magic circle beside the altar—wearing a silver-white robe, her silver hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders like a waterfall, her face thin but unusually calm and solemn.

She gently touched her chest with both hands, where faint blue patterns were shimmering with a faint ripple. That was one of the sources of the mysterious power within her body—the "Abyss Emblem".

“David, you must be on alert immediately.”

As soon as Liliana spoke, a chill spread from her fingertips, as sharp as an ice blade cutting through the air. "My emblem resonated abnormally with somewhere in this far northern icy world."

Everyone was slightly shocked upon hearing this, and Zellos frowned deeply: "Resonance? What kind of omen is this?"

“This means,” Amy explained softly, “that the dark forces in the abyss are quietly infiltrating and connecting with the real world.”

Moreover, this force does not exist alone, but rather in collusion with the shadowy forces of the 'Observers'.

Lena bit her lip and said, "Observers...those powerful beings from another world who control creatures from spatial rifts? Could it be that they have already infiltrated our strongest defenses?"

David stared at Liliana, and he could sense that her words contained not only fear, but also an important message she was eager to convey.

(End of this chapter)