The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 577 Illusion Battlefield
David instinctively gripped his staff, feeling an unprecedented sense of oppression and severe trial.

He glanced at Liliana, and their eyes met instantly, their understanding reaching its peak: they could not be bystanders, but had to be deeply involved in this vivid history and completely uncover its mysteries!

The spatial ripples continued to spread, this illusion not only recreated the turbulent scene of the ancient war, but also drew the two's thoughts to the most crucial point of that bygone era. They seemed to hear the whispers of those heroic spirits of the past, echoing in their hearts:
"The responsibility of protection transcends time; the legacy of bloodlines shines eternally."

As the scene gradually zooms in, an elven leader with silver hair that shines like moonlight and an aura of both regal majesty and compassion comes into view.

He held a longsword carved from sacred wood, its blade tip inlaid with shimmering emeralds, making him appear like a forest deity descending to earth in the twilight.

His gaze was fixed on the distant battlefield, confronting the hostile dark vine creatures. Every move he made contained the rhythm of the laws of heaven and earth, making the entire battle seem to change in some kind of order because of his presence.

“This is…that legendary leader…” David’s heart pounded; he felt as if he were experiencing an unprecedented adventure that transcended the boundaries of time and space—

We must not only understand the past, but also find the key secrets to the future!
The twilight enveloped the smoke-filled battlefield, the air thick with the mixed scents of gunpowder and decaying vegetation, mingled with the lingering stench of blood after a brutal battle.

In the distance, a mournful elegy, a blend of clanging metal and roaring fury, could be faintly heard.

This is an ancient battlefield of elves, obliterated by time but etched in the memory of their souls. The dust and ruins tell tales of their once invincible glory and tragic grandeur.

David and Liliana seemed to exist outside of reality, like two shadowy figures floating on the waves of time and space.

Unable to touch the physical form of this chaotic place, they could only watch coldly, feeling the pain and resolve surging behind the endless slaughter.

Each explosion illuminated their pale faces, and each roar echoed in their ears with a piercing pain that felt like their hearts were being torn apart.

Ahead, a giant silver-white sundial floated in mid-air, enormous and solemn, its surface engraved with complex and mysterious runes and geometric patterns, like a mysterious ritual instrument created by nature.

The sundial emitted a faint, cold light, which, in the twilight, resembled the breaking of dawn, guiding the only undying light in this chaotic battlefield.

David stared at the suspended stardial and couldn't help but feel a power surging out from it that transcended time and space and the boundaries of life and death.

This is not only an important artifact that the Elven race has lost for a long time, but also a crucial core that connects the rhythm of heaven and earth and regulates the flow of time.

Around it, layers of distorted and chaotic spacetime ripples spread continuously, as if the very reality itself was trembling frequently because of its existence.

Around the stardial, a squad of elven guardians, clad in silver armor, with agile figures and piercing eyes, stood ready.

They either wielded wands to guide the flow of elements and construct magical barriers, or deftly wielded sharp swords to try and repel the surging invasion of darkness.

Each guardian exudes an unwavering will, forming an impenetrable defense with this divine artifact.

Opposite them stood a group of ancient, fallen elves with twisted, dark faces and bodies permeated with evil black energy.

They were once the pride of their people, but their greed for power led them into the abyss of forbidden magic, and now they have become ominous figures that devour life and order.

The corrosive black mist released by these fallen beings continuously erodes the earth and air, making the surrounding environment increasingly gloomy and desolate.

In the fierce battle, countless elemental blades tore through space, and invisible energy waves rippled and spread. Each spell was accompanied by explosive sparks, sending thousands of tiny dust particles flying in the air.

The sound of the wind, mixed with mournful cries, echoed on the wind and will remain a legendary, eternal echo for thousands of years to come.

Liliana gripped David's arm tightly, her pale face reflecting a cold, silvery light, her eyes burning with an unyielding spirit and an unwillingness to give up any hope.

“Look, that’s… a stardial… it controls time… it’s our only hope.” Her lips trembled slightly, but she uttered each word clearly and firmly.

David nodded in response, but his gaze remained fixed on the army of evil spirits that rolled and writhed in the darkness, and the grotesque, monstrous, and terrifyingly corrupted elves.

“They not only want to destroy our present, but also want to erase our past and future…” he murmured. “I must find out the real truth behind this war.”

The battle was still fierce all around: giant beasts trampled and cleared a path, and countless enemy and friendly soldiers were torn to pieces;
The summoned elemental storm instantly devoured a large area of ​​space;

Magical runes spun and flashed, constantly unleashing dazzling energy that pierced through the enemy's defensive lines.

Everything seemed like a celebration after the release of the most primal forces in the world, or like the endless ripples generated by the collision of the gears of fate, drawing all life into an inescapable cycle of reincarnation.

These scenes were so realistic that the two almost believed they had become warriors among them, but deep down they knew they were just observers in an illusion.

This sense of powerlessness mixed with awe made his feelings even more complex and heavy—he wanted to throw himself into the fight but was constrained by the boundaries between reality and illusion, and could only wait for the right opportunity to break through...

Gradually, an even deeper and more unfathomable power slowly emanated from the center of the giant star dial. The ethereal green light pierced through layers of mist and reached the sky, causing subtle changes in the spatial time sequence, which instantly stabilized the originally chaotic and disordered spacetime.

In that instant, the earth seemed to breathe again, and faint life veins stretched and spread from beneath the soil, resonating with that shining, eternally green core...

“This is… a gift from fate—to awaken lost memories and protect them forever!” Liliana sighed softly, the weariness on her face seemed to ease, but more than that, she held an unprecedentedly firm belief in the unknown future!
On the battlefield, the smoke of battle had not yet dissipated, and the crimson afterglow reflected the mottled marks on the ground. The air was filled with the smell of decay and acridity.

David stared intently at the silvery-white suspended stardial, its vast and mysterious power seemingly struggling to resist the encroaching darkness spreading from the surroundings.

However, he noticed that the ancient elven fallen beings shrouded in black mist were not merely launching unrestrained attacks; the dark aura emanating from them seemed to possess a deeper, deadly, and eerie power—

It was a corrupting whisper that could corrode the soul, distort space, and penetrate the depths of the will.

David's sharp gaze locked onto a high-ranking mage dressed in magnificent robes and carrying a cloak with runes symbolizing the Elven race.

This person was rapidly moving through the ranks of the guardians, attempting to approach the core of the stardial to execute some complex defensive procedure. He held his staff in his hands, silently chanting incantations, and streaks of runic light flew from his fingertips, forming a dazzling shield around the space.

However, in the instant he focused on casting his spell, a wisp of subtle black energy, hidden in the shadows of the dust, silently coiled around his wrist like a snake.

The black aura, like the whispers of a demon from a dark abyss, slowly infused his blood and spirit with ancient, corrupting power.

The high-ranking mage's expression changed drastically, from initial surprise and doubt to pain and contortion, his eyes flashing with an ominous light that was a mixture of greed and madness.

He suddenly let out a low shout and turned around to pounce on a young guardian who had just been protected by a shield. His movements were swift and fierce, as if he had been possessed by a demon and had lost his mind.

"Kill—!" His voice became hoarse and cold, each swing carrying a chilling, deathly power, indiscriminately treating all the elven guards around him as enemies.

For a time, the guardians who should have been united and vowed to protect the star dial line fell into chaos and panic. They faced their former comrades without hesitation, but their strong beliefs had not completely collapsed. Some people still tried to dodge and attempted to awaken the remaining rationality in the hearts of their corrupted companions.

"Quickly... control him! Don't let him get close to the core!" a silver-haired female warrior roared. She brandished her longsword, drawing a cold light in the chaotic flames, aiming straight for the fallen high-level mage's neck.

But the opponent reacted astonishingly, constructing a bizarre barrier with distorted energy to deflect the attack. The demonic figure chuckled, yet it brought a chilling unease: "You ignorant mortals are not worthy to touch the truth!"

The air seemed to be tinged with a gloomy chill by those words, and the invisible pressure made all the living beings present tremble.

The life force of the earth, which was originally so solid, seemed to gradually weaken due to this evil fluctuation, and the roots below faintly groaned in pain, as if the very source of life was being torn apart.

David frowned. He clearly sensed that this erosion was not a simple physical attack, but rather an infection spreading from the spiritual level to the entire war zone, causing cracks to appear within the Guardians. The sundial had become a key point of contention between the two sides in their struggle for control.

Once the defense program is compromised, not only will the artifact itself go out of control, but it may also cause spacetime distortion or even destroy the entire World Tree projection core!
“This evil…is rooted in fear and despair, the deepest betrayal of the rhythm of life.” David murmured to himself as he scanned the scene. He saw more infected people becoming dazed and their movements becoming stiff involuntarily. They would pause for a moment, then suddenly burst into a chilling roar, targeting their friends and family.

This indiscriminate destruction is rapidly expanding, and if left unchecked, it will lead to the collapse of the entire defense line!
Liliana gripped his arm tightly, her breathing rapid but her gaze resolute. "This is... the whispers of corruption. They not only corrupt our bodies, but also seek to steal our will and faith! If we cannot stop this spread, we will crumble from within."

"We must find the source of the infection and cut it off," David replied in a deep voice, his mind racing to find a solution.

He closed his eyes and focused intently, sensing the flow of life runes around him, trying to glean clues from those faint yet incredibly complex ripples of information—

At that moment, the high-ranking mage, who had been completely turned into a dark puppet, suddenly stopped. His eyes glowed with an eerie green flame, and he stared at the center of the suspended star dial like a ghost lost in an abyss of endless desire.

Then, he slowly raised his hands, drawing upon the remaining forbidden elements within his body to create a powerful resonance with the sundial.

A blinding green light burst forth instantly, tearing a thin rift in space, and countless vortexes of evil energy roared and surged in all directions, impacting the surrounding formation!

Several young elves immediately rushed to the front line to block the fierce impact, but the shockwave carried powerful distorting energy, which shook them back and even made them feel disoriented.

This internal and external crisis instantly plunged the war into an unprecedented crisis, further highlighting the heavy destiny carried by this lost artifact and the desperate yet noble mission shouldered by those who guard it.

David gritted his teeth. "We can't let it be destroyed. We must gather our remaining strength to form the last line of defense." He raised his hand to summon elemental energy, working in perfect harmony with Liliana to build a strong barrier of life, while releasing healing runes to soothe the wounded soldiers and stabilize the order slightly.

But he knew this was just the last hurdle before a brief respite; even more severe tests awaited him...

As the sun sank lower, the sky was stained crimson, and the smoke and dust from the battlefield fell slowly like a thick curtain.

The air was still thick with the smell of burning and decay, and the mottled, broken weapons and bloodstained ground silently told the story of the war's brutality and despair.

The sundial hovered in mid-air, its silvery-white light becoming exceptionally dazzling, and the flashing runes seemed filled with restlessness.

Its light shines like a lonely yet resilient beacon in the dark atmosphere, injecting a glimmer of life into the guardians who are on the verge of chaos and destruction.

However, this vitality is gradually being swallowed up.

A raging tide of fallen elves and corrupted beings crashed against the core of the stardial.

The twisted and ferocious expressions on their faces revealed the madness unique to those who were deeply mired in despair yet burning with insane desires.

Those warriors, once glorious and now enslaved by darkness, roared as they tore at the spatial barrier with near-beastly power, bringing death and destruction to this sacred land.

David felt a sharp increase in pressure on his chest, and the staff in his hand seemed to grow heavier and heavier.

He stared intently at the sundial, its runes pulsating as if alive, each flash accompanied by spatial distortion and fluctuation.

He knew that this artifact was not only the last barrier of the defensive line, but also a key power hub. If it went out of control, it would completely subvert the entire spacetime structure.

Just as the crisis reached its peak, a figure with pale silver hair, strikingly visible against the twilight, broke through the chaotic crowd. He wore a long robe, his steps firm yet tinged with weariness. This was an elven elder, his large, clear eyes, weathered yet bright, fixed on the sundial, and he charged towards the core area without hesitation.

His face was filled with determination and sorrow, and every step he took was accompanied by a slight tremor of the earth.

"We cannot let the 'Time-Eroding Worms' pollute the source!" he cried out in grief, his voice filled with endless sorrow and indescribable fear of the future.

Many guardians tried to stop him, but none could shake his resolve.

The elder stroked the tip of his staff, and ancient incantations slowly flowed from his lips, their sound echoing in the void like the roar of an ancient bell shattering withered bones.

He seemed to be pouring all his knowledge into it, detonating that dangerous and unpredictable spacetime energy hidden deep within the stardial and even beyond his own comprehension!
(End of this chapter)