The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 551 Puppet Army Controlling Giant Beasts
"Keep talking, we can't wait until disaster strikes before we're caught off guard!"

The white mist exhaled with each breath echoed in the rhythm of the rune array, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, and the heavy atmosphere tightened in everyone's hearts like iron chains.

Liliana closed her eyes and gradually sank her consciousness into the source of the emblem within her body. She seemed to be traversing layers of spatial mist, exploring countless parallel dimensional rifts.

There, she encountered those eerie beings hidden in the darkness, who transformed into invisible shadows, their wills intertwining in the void rifts, merging with the power of chaos to live and thrive.

The observers, like manipulating a giant web, use their brutal and ruthless methods to plunder the energy of various worlds, gradually corroding and devouring them.

"They are not just willing to be bystanders."

The voice was deep and threatening, “They are even attempting to corrode the originally sacred and pure spacetime network of our land, causing the cracks to widen continuously, and using the ‘Abyss Emblem’ to link tiny fissures between multiple realms to achieve cross-realm collaborative invasion!”

The crowd was shaken, realizing that they were facing a much larger and more complex problem that could not be solved by force alone. It was a highly intelligent, large-scale, and cross-dimensional hostile group!

Zellos was pale, but quickly regained his composure. He clenched his fist and swore, "No matter the cost, we must not let these dark forces succeed! The faith of our people is our shield!"

Amy slowly walked forward and gently stroked the rune stone tablet on the altar with both hands, causing it to release a faint and holy light, adding more protective barriers to the entire communication magic circle to resist any potential illegal interference and soul invasion risks.

"I will reinforce the spell barrier, and you should begin preparing your countermeasures."

If what you say is true, we must prepare in advance to avoid being put in a completely passive situation.

Lena's muscles tensed as she looked up into the deepest part of the night, her eyes burning with a fierce fighting spirit. "I swear, no matter how well the enemy hides, we will drag them out and sever all their evil roots with our blades!"

David looked one last time toward the direction of the floating, shattered spatial fault outside the gate. That area was still reddish-purple, like a wound groaning in pain.

He knew this was only the prelude to a long night, and the true darkness had not yet been fully revealed.
The air grew thicker and more oppressive, creating a suffocating sense of pressure that swallowed everything in sight, causing everyone's heartbeats to gradually quicken.

At the same time, they supported each other and shared a firm belief: as long as there is hope for the community, they will be able to withstand any torrent of despair!

At that very moment, a thin but intensely bright, flame-like fluorescent light streaked across the distant horizon, piercing through the dark clouds and traversing the desolate landscape to reach the center of the camp, illuminating the darkest hour before dawn with a brief glimmer of light.
This encouragement comes from a cross-border ally and close friend, from another time and space thousands of miles away, and is the only true proof of the belief in a glorious future!

As this fluorescent light shone, many people, including David, Lena, Amy, and Zellos, looked ahead and felt an indescribable, ancient, warm, and inspiring power welling up from the depths of their souls:
The cold winds of the far north grew increasingly biting, and the desolate ice plains gleamed with a chilling light under the bright moonlight, as if the entire world had been frozen in an instant.

In the camp, the air was still heavy, shrouded in an invisible shadow of crisis, having just experienced the aftershocks of the self-destruction of the divine remnant crystal.

Outside the Star-Eyed Clan's sacred ground, the remains of the defeated insect swarms and the parasitic limbs frozen into ice crystals were scattered all over the ground, like an eternal, still lament on the battlefield.

David stood outside the tent, his cloak fluttering in the cold wind, but his gaze was resolute, showing no sign of retreat.

He took a deep breath of the cold air, his breath carrying wisps of white mist, but it could not conceal the burning passion and determination in his heart.

He knew that this land was still not safe, and that greater darkness was lurking.

"We must protect the leyline nodes."

David's hands trembled slightly as he slowly gathered the profound magical power within his body.

This time, he will no longer rely solely on external forces, but will personally split his spirit, shattering his soul into countless fragments to control thousands of frost puppets.

Dark clouds filled the sky, and streaks of lightning and thunder could be faintly seen in the distance.

Snowflakes mixed with frost particles fell one after another, swirling and dancing in the air, silent yet filled with a chilling atmosphere.

The surrounding environment grew increasingly cold, the biting chill seemingly penetrating to the bone marrow, causing one to unconsciously tense up.

"Lord David, this is the last line of defense."

"Zellos said in a low voice, his hand gripping his longsword, his expression as resolute as iron, but his eyes betrayed his worry.

"If this foundation breaks, not only the sacred tree, but our entire galaxy could be plunged into darkness."

David nodded slowly, without saying anything more.

He turned sideways toward the thousand frost golems that were neatly arranged in formation outside the camp, awaiting orders to be activated.

These puppets are about two meters tall, and their entire bodies are made of thick, transparent ice crystals. They shimmer with a mesmerizing white light under the moonlight and the glowing blue flames. Every joint is engraved with runes and ancient inscriptions. They appear silent, but they contain endless killing intent.

He placed his palm close to his chest, and a surge of ghostly blue soul fire erupted from his body, sweeping over his entire body like a raging inferno of his soul, before splitting into countless tiny fire threads that darted into the puppet.

As these blue currents entered, each puppet's eyes instantly ignited with a chilling, dark blue soul fire, the flames as eerie and mysterious as an ever-burning lighthouse deep within a cold, mountain pool.

"Crack!"

The first crack of joints broke the silence; it was the mechanical sound of souls being infused into them. One puppet after another began to move slowly, each movement filled with power and precision.

Their shoulders twitch, their knuckles move slightly; fully armed, yet possessing an otherworldly, pristine beauty.

Lena stood at the edge of the crowd, her eyes sharp as a hawk's. "This is a true line of defense that can protect us." She bit her lip, looking at the giant ice crystal warriors, and a long-lost hope rose in her heart.

But at the same time, she also understood the price behind this power—the burden of David splitting his own soul was extremely heavy, and he might collapse at any moment.
Amy stepped closer, clasped her hands together, and softly recited a prayer, bestowing a pure blessing upon these newly revived beings: "May the power of holiness protect you, and may you be free from the invasion of darkness."

At this moment, the intermittent, wriggling sounds of the remaining insect swarm could be heard from afar. The parasitic spores, frozen and standing on the snowfield, moved like shadows, trying to find a weakness. But what greeted them was this immortal legion, whose death had transformed into a protective force—every step was like a declaration against the malice in the void: never to retreat!
As the night deepened, David began to expand his consciousness to a wider area.

A few beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but he showed no intention of stopping, because each tiny fragment of consciousness was necessary for the link control, as precise and calm as a commander directing thousands of troops.

He controlled these frost golems through mental bonds, constantly moving them and optimizing their formation to create a flowing and unbreakable human wall, while simultaneously detecting any lurking threats.

"Activate the mobile surveillance network!"

He gave a low shout, and at the same time, the dark blue flames on his body burned even more intensely and brightly, causing his aura to suddenly expand, becoming as majestic and inviolable as a colossal beast awakening in the sky!
Some of the most elite soldiers quickly coordinated to set up rune arrays around the core node, providing energy sustain and a spatial stability barrier for the activated puppet.

During this process, their faces were solemn, and beads of sweat slid down each of their foreheads, shimmering in the cold night wind like the last rays of life. But no one dared to relax even a little, because they knew that they were shouldering the great responsibility of the survival of their people!

Suddenly, a mournful howl ripped through the sky—an alarm signal from the distant remnants of the insect swarm!
The sound, a mix of the tearing apart of the corrosive spatial structure and the explosion of dirty spores, instantly made everyone's blood boil!
They gripped their weapons tightly, each ready to face the next fierce battle!
However, at this moment, a mobile defensive line composed of a thousand frost soldiers has quietly formed.

From an eagle-eye perspective, this network of interwoven blue and green, shimmering with ghostly light and runic energy, resembles a canopy descending upon the earth, providing impenetrable protection for the camp and its surroundings.

This army of mechanical lifeforms is like a mobile fortress, constantly patrolling and monitoring every potential danger point that may infiltrate, responding to any surprise attack signal in the shortest possible time!
Whenever a suspicious fluctuation or unusual energy disturbance appears in a certain direction, a team of frost golems in that area will instantly change course and arrive with lightning speed, leaving silvery-white footprints and wisps of smoke on the snowfield. Their dark blue, burning eyes seem to be able to see through all hidden conspiracies.
It makes the enemy feel a deathly silence before they even get close.

Lena stared at this scene for a long time, unable to look away. Her fists were clenched, her blood boiling with intense emotion. Perhaps this was the most effective way to fight against the Void-Eating Worms. Even if the price was heavy, it was worth it for all the Star-Eyed Clan to give their all!
She exhaled softly: "I admire you, David. Your sacrifice will not be in vain. We will definitely protect our homeland!"

Amy nodded, her usually gentle and delicate figure now bursting with unwavering determination: "May heaven and earth protect our warriors, and may no matter how much darkness comes, it cannot devour the hope in our lives!"

The night wind continued to blow, and they stood amidst the desolation and loneliness. The unwavering belief that surged from within them was like a sharp blade slicing through the dark steel, annihilating all fear.
Time slipped by unnoticed; several hours had passed since the initial setup.

During this process, there were several times when the crawling parasites tried to break through from the edge, but they were quickly annihilated by dozens of small frost legions that had just been resurrected and had an extremely fast attack speed.
Several other strange spatial distortions appeared, but were all torn apart and blocked by powerful sealing magic deployed at the core. The battle sites left behind tragic but resilient and indestructible marks, proving that even in the face of the apocalyptic catastrophe, this new legion, constructed and controlled by souls, still fought steadily and carried out its mission in an orderly manner!

Finally, as the first rays of dawn pierced through the dark clouds and shone upon the vast land, this enormous, dark blue mobile surveillance network, standing like a steel fortress against the sky, overlooked the expansive territory, instilling unwavering hope for the new day to come.

Despite their exhaustion, the controllers stood solemnly across the open field, for they knew the real test had only just begun.
In the sky above the frigid world of the far north, dark clouds rolled like surging undercurrents, and thunder rumbled faintly, as if foreshadowing an unprecedented disaster about to erupt.

The snow-covered ice fields on the ground howled in the wind, and ice chips flew in the wind like thousands of sharp blades cutting through the air.

Outside the camp, the thousand frost golems controlled by David stood ready, but they knew in their hearts that the upcoming battle would be the final test of their ultimate will and strength.

In the dead of night, a strange and intense ominous aura slowly emerged from the depths of the earth.

The mother spore of the Voidworm, which had been sealed and frozen here, merged with the severely damaged earth energy, which was filled with corrosive and chaotic power, under the influence of the aftershocks of the explosion of the Divine Remains Crystal.

The mutated energy produced by the fusion was like a sharp sword tearing through space and time itself, causing an uncontrollable and violent shock.

Lena gripped her twin swords tightly, her eyes as cold and steely as she stood at the edge of the tent, her gaze fixed on the distant, gradually rising undulations in the earth.

"That is the spore mother body."

Her voice was low but filled with urgency: "It has already begun to evolve."

Amy clasped her hands together and prayed softly before the altar. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, but her gaze remained firm.

"If this thing fully awakens, all our efforts may be in vain."

Zellos walked slowly to the center of the tent, his gaze grave: "We must act quickly, or the consequences will be unimaginable."

Amidst the somber atmosphere, a massive shockwave erupted from the center of the earth's veins.

A colossal beast, hundreds of meters tall and covered in blackish-purple venomous spores and a thick carapace, slowly rose from the crack.

Its eyes emitted a scarlet glow, and its entire body exuded a suffocating stench of decay and intense spatial distortion energy, as terrifying as the end of the world.

With each step the behemoth took, the surrounding permafrost cracked, and snow-capped peaks tens of meters high collapsed instantly.

The surrounding space was distorted and deformed by its immense gravity, much like the spacetime curvature near a black hole, filling the air with a distorting and breaking sound.

"This is the most dangerous evolutionary form!"

David stared ahead, veins bulging on his forehead, his entire body ablaze with ghostly blue soul fire. "We can't let it continue to wreak havoc here!"

He strode quickly to the center of the altar and drew upon the power of dimensional crystals from the depths of his body. This was a rare and highly destructive high-level spacetime magic energy that could tear apart the weak interfaces between worlds.

In his palm, a huge blue-white ice crystal gradually expanded and formed, containing endless, shimmering fragments of complex dimensional patterns inside.

A biting wind howled, whipping up clouds of snow and dust. He gritted his teeth, focused his mind, and poured his soul and will into the crystal, while chanting an ancient incantation—

(End of this chapter)