The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 572 Destruction Protocol
Dark clouds filled the sky, and a strong wind carrying dust and embers swept rapidly across the palace spire. Lightning bolts struck from high above, creating a chilling and eerie glow under the illumination of the flames.

For a time, the elemental world seemed to be on the eve of the apocalypse, and people could only grit their teeth and persevere, searching for the last glimmer of hope on the edge of despair!
Leishir raised his hand and conjured a blue waterfall-shaped holy water shield, which cascaded from the top of the palace to the rainbow core crystal in the center of the square, colliding violently with the elusive chaotic corrosion.

"We cannot give up! This is the last line of defense!"

The roar of the colossal lava giant was deafening. Each swing of its arm unleashed a violent torrent, relentlessly trampling solid buildings into the ground. Thick smoke and dust billowed into the air, creating a stark contrast with the distant blue sky.

The survivors fled in terror, their faces streaked with sweat and tears, yet they maintained their indomitable will, unwilling to let darkness devour their last glimmer of life!
Time, like water dripping on stone, is slow and heavy, yet it seems exceptionally short and precious at this moment.

This is a critical moment in the fate of the elemental world, and the truest embodiment of the heartfelt vow of all warriors to fight to the end!

They believe that as long as there is hope for survival, there is a possibility of reversing the future!

The sky over the Water Sprite City gradually turned dark gray, with thick clouds like massive boulders pressing down on the city, as if they were about to devour the entire world.

The howling wind carried the mixed scents of scorching lava steam and icy water vapor, like the most intense roar of heaven and earth.

Queen Lehir stood before the palace observation deck, her clear eyes, like a deep lake, now flashing with determination and anger.

She wore a light gauze robe, her hair fluttering in the wind, but it couldn't hide the worry and weariness deeply etched between her brows.

At this moment, her hands were filled with intense, azure elemental magic, which gathered at her fingertips like a surging torrent. It was the wrath of the elements, the kingdom's last hope for a counterattack.

"All troops prepare! Use all your strength to repel the Lava Giants!" Lysir commanded in a deep voice. Her gaze swept intently over the guard captains and priests around her, each face filled with unwavering conviction and a sense of urgency as they prepared to face the final battle of the apocalypse.

At this critical moment, a strange fluctuation suddenly surged around the obelisk.

On the surface of the obsidian-carved base, the long-hidden observer runes, sealed by the dust of time, suddenly lit up with a faint blue light. Complex symbols flickered and leaped like stars, appearing particularly mysterious and dazzling in the dark night.

Lena frowned, staring at the surging stream of information on the projection screen. "These runes... are information codes left behind by the Observer civilization!"

Her voice was low and trembling, “They seem to be actively activating and transmitting an extremely important data wave.”

The entire hall fell silent, save for the faint humming of the flashing numbers, which intertwined with the raging elements outside to create an ominous melody that was both awe-inspiring and inexplicably frightening.

Lyshill strode toward the base of the obelisk. She reached out and touched the radiant runes, immediately feeling a chilling coldness penetrate her skin, yet also a strong, indescribable fluctuation that seemed to tear apart a barrier of time and space.

“This…this is a destruction protocol…” Lena exclaimed in shock. Among the countless dense entries projected onto the data screen, she discerned a subtle yet terrifying chain of information: “The so-called rebellion and attack on the royal city by the Lord of the Flame Demon is not simply an awakening of will or an expansion of ambition, but a large-scale destruction program designed and implemented long ago by the observers—the ‘Ultimate Destruction Protocol’.”

The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly heavy. Some guards clenched their fists, while some priests bowed their heads and silently chanted prayers. But everyone's eyes revealed a mixture of shock and panic.

This sudden truth struck like a bolt from the blue, completely overturning their understanding of the enemy and filling them with unprecedented and profound questions about the future:

Why would an observer place themselves in a dead end of opposition?

What unspeakable secrets are they hiding?

How many unknown secrets lie behind the truth of this disaster?
“Your Majesty…” Lena’s voice trembled, “We must adjust our strategy immediately!”
The enemy's actions were pre-planned and controlled; if we respond in a conventional manner, we are likely to fall right into their trap!

Leisher slowly closed her eyes for a moment to calm her mind. When she opened them again, she was more composed and calm. "I understand," she said. "Since this is a pre-set agreement, we must find the core of the program to break it and at the same time activate our own 'righteous backlash'—the wrath of the elements is not only power, but also a powerful information field to counteract and reverse this destructive cycle!"

Eileen knelt beside her, softly chanting ancient incantations to mobilize frost energy and cast a mental shield on the Queen.

The surrounding cold air temporarily suppressed the blazing flames, and this delicate balance seemed to symbolize the uncertain situation of the entire war—hope mixed with despair, locked in a struggle and conflict.

Outside, the sea of ​​lava continued to rage and churn, each spark reflecting a scene of lightning and thunder piercing the clouds, like an apocalyptic hell descending.

The palace was filled with a metallic aura mixed with lingering magical energy, making the already fragile defenses even more resilient and vibrant.

"Guards, heed my command!" The Queen's voice was firm and powerful; even faced with such a secret conspiracy, they could not back down.

"Immediately strengthen the obelisk's protective barrier, and at the same time, deploy mages and priests to form a 'code-breaking team,' led by Lena, to do everything in their power to crack and interfere with the source code of that destruction protocol!"

At the same time, the rainbow-colored light emitted by the crystal core on the marble plaza oscillated slightly again, and the cracks seemed to have been temporarily restrained by an unknown force.

But everyone knew that this was only a brief respite, and they could not let their guard down!

Following the hidden guidance, David and Liliana stepped into the core area of ​​the massive projection of the World Tree, a place steeped in legend.

This place is dozens of miles away from the Water Spirit Royal City. The surroundings are gradually enveloped by a dense ancient forest, but what they see before them is far beyond what ordinary forests can compare to.

Vast aerial roots, like an invisible giant net, climb out from deep underground, intricately intertwining and forming root labyrinths that seem to breathe and pulsate as if they were alive.

Each root is covered with lush, shimmering moss and delicate vines, which tremble gently and rhythmically flow with transparent, crystal-clear, pure life energy as continuous as a stream.

The air was filled with a rich and ancient atmosphere, an atmosphere that cannot be described in words, yet it made people feel the sacredness and solemnity of the relics left behind at the beginning of time, as if time had never changed.

David frowned slightly, sensing the extraordinary aura of the environment, both oppressive and supremely sacred.

He could sense that the air contained not just pure elemental power, but also an ancient will silently watching over him—

A vast silence that seemed to transcend the level of words and existence itself.

Liliana moved with a light and graceful gait, her emerald green brocade robe making her appear particularly ethereal in the center of the hall formed by intertwined tree roots. She slowly closed her eyes, and a vast, star-like shimmer emanated from her gently clenched palms—a response to the elven blood within her.

Gradually, faint emerald green lines appeared on her arms, spreading from her wrists to her shoulders. These lines seemed to flow like living water, faintly glowing on the surface of her skin, as if they resonated with the lifeblood of this land.

“There is a particularly strong and ancient information fluctuation here,” she said softly, her gaze passing through her half-closed eyes as she looked at the swirling, atmospheric roots. “It’s like… the World Tree itself is calling to us in some language.”

David took a step closer, attempting to use his mental power to actively communicate with that seemingly silent yet magnificent will.

He focused his mind, immersing himself deeply in the layers of information network that surrounded him.

However, what awaited him was an invisible and thick information barrier that was almost cold and hard.

Although the barrier did not manifest in sound or image, it subjected his mental power to unprecedented suppression and rejection, like a small boat thrown into a vast ocean encountering a raging storm. No matter how much he struggled, he could not break through the vast, boundless, cold, and desolate silence of the sea.

He could only vaguely sense that behind this silence lay not just a simple rejection, but a profound and complex new kind of examination—an attitude of existence that transcends good and evil, and even the meaning of life itself.

“I… don’t feel any specific response.” David frowned and turned to look at Liliana.

"This is the first time I've truly 'suffered a defeat'; the trials here are far more complex than I imagined."

Liliana nodded slightly, the fine beads of sweat on her forehead reflecting a faint glow as she breathed. "My bloodline does resonate, but this strong resonance also makes me feel an unknown unease."

This is not just a summons, it's more like a judgment—or a test—on us.

The two continued deeper along the path formed by the huge aerial roots, each step accompanied by a subtle echo like the tremors of the earth.

They noticed that the ground beneath their feet was covered with soft, elastic moss, a stark contrast to the rough and hard surface of the outside world. Each step seemed to activate a latent life force underground, making the entire area function as a cohesive organic whole.

The entire core area is spacious and towering, yet there are no traces of architecture; it is simply a natural megastructure formed by countless intertwined threads.

Amidst these intertwined branches, several small, crystal-clear vines emerge from the main trunk, their interiors flowing with pure elemental essence, occasionally shimmering with blue-green light spots, like a reflection of a galaxy, guiding them gradually closer to the deepest core.

At this moment, the sunlight was blocked by the thick branches and leaves, with only scattered dappled sunlight filtering through the gaps, like fireflies hovering in the air, or holy sparks left behind by the heavens, adding a touch of life to the surrounding dark environment, and also reflecting a hint of expectation and trepidation in the solemn and focused expressions of the two people.

"Did you hear that?" Liliana suddenly stopped and pressed her ear close to a thick, dense patch of moss.

"That low-frequency hum... is like the earth itself telling secrets in its most primal language."

David held his breath and listened intently, and indeed he caught a faint yet undeniable rhythmic information, similar to the oscillations of distant stars.

This hum is unlike the release of ordinary elemental magic, nor is it a mechanical index. It is closer to an extremely intimate and solemn expression of some ancient consciousness toward the laws of the universe, a solemn murmur of the source of nature toward the cycle of destiny.

He placed his palm on a thick, vital root, and the power contained in the primordial energy of heaven and earth instantly flowed into his bone marrow. A cool sensation and tremor spread along his spine to his brain, forcing him to stop and adjust his breathing rhythm to prevent himself from losing his balance due to the excessive impact.

At this moment, not only the body, but also the mind seems to be in the center of the torrent of time, torn open with unfillable gaps, all thoughts chaotic and unformed, leaving only a vast silence awaiting a response...

Suddenly, a soft, emerald-green light burst forth from between the exquisite patterns, spreading rapidly along the network of blood vessels, causing ripples to spread across the entire surface of the body, as if fresh water had been poured in to revitalize the flames of life.

At this moment, the shock of the unrevealed truth within Queen Leithir's palace stands in stark contrast to the ancient, trans-temporal connections born here from the network of souls.

One is filled with resolute resistance, the other with eternal tranquility; together they form an important cornerstone for the turning point in the fate of the elemental world...

David looked at the vast forest before him, its center covered with strange symbol reliefs. Although the runes were slightly blurred due to years of wind erosion, their regular arrangement and correspondence to different dimensional frequencies were still discernible. They were one of the important carriers of the product of the integration of information encoding and life rhythm.

“We must find the core logic behind these runes,” he muttered to himself. “Only by deciphering them can we break this ‘silence,’ gain the true recognition of the World Tree’s will, and touch the key to breaking the deadlock in the future.”

Before the silence of the Path of Roots had dissipated, David and Liliana felt an even deeper pressure quietly descend upon them.

The ancient will permeating the air transformed into invisible fluctuations, as if a silent door was slowly opening.

What follows is a trial from the primordial elements—the World Tree's projected will takes "communication" as its primary test.

The atmosphere around them suddenly changed, and beams of light appeared amidst the dense, swirling air.

The light was not like the flickering of ordinary magic, but carried the most primal, pure, and inviolable elemental power.

As the rhythm undulated, a strange, tranquil yet soul-stirring melody came from the void, seemingly beckoning and testing the limits of the two people's minds.

David gripped his staff tightly, his gaze fixed intently ahead.

He felt his spiritual power being gradually pulled into a broader and more complex information frequency band, an information network interwoven with the most ancient elemental energy frequencies in the world.

Just then, a gentle breeze swept across the platform where roots intertwined, causing them to tremble and undulate as if they were alive.

Suddenly, amidst the swirling mist, four beings of different shapes, each radiating pure elemental light, coalesced from four different directions.

They are no longer blurry and indistinguishable information waves, but have transformed into lifelike, yet extraordinary elemental spirits—representing the four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind.

These elves, though varying in appearance, all maintained a blend of innocence and vigilance in their expressions.

(End of this chapter)