The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 594 Abyss Crystal Erosion
The messenger shook his head with difficulty, his eyes red and swollen, his tears frozen into transparent ice beads.

"His Majesty ordered 'no visitors,' but she disappeared without a trace, without any response." His voice trembled and was filled with confusion. "I don't know where Irene went; I only know that it's getting increasingly dangerous there..."

Silence enveloped the command center, and the expressions on everyone's faces gradually froze into cold resoluteness.

An unprecedented sense of foreboding arose: not only were there terrible disasters outside, but also more complex and unknown unsettling factors brewing inside.

The disappearance of former ally Irene adds further uncertainty and uncertainty to the situation.

Lia gripped her staff tightly again, her face pale but resolute. "We must strengthen the runic protective array as soon as possible to create a safe environment for His Majesty's repair."

This is not a short battle, but a long wait.

Arya walked to the edge of the ruins and scanned the small area that had not yet been cleared with her sharp eyes.

"The enemy's shadowy figures remain treacherous and cunning; we must remain vigilant without any slackening." Her sword grip was stern and full of alertness. "Defending this place is contributing to victory!"

Hill gritted his teeth and said, "I will assemble the elite of the Wizard Knights into a strike force to wipe out the 'Black Mark' in a localized area, leaving no trace of corruption behind!"

Chief Technologist Erin looked exhausted, but she remained focused on the screen, constantly adjusting the star core's release frequency in hopes of stabilizing the situation.

“If the ‘dimensional bridge’ is built, we will be able to quickly dispatch resources and carry out rescue operations across different regions,” she whispered. “But for now, this is only a hope for the future, and it still needs to be refined and improved.”

As David's palm slowly touched the core of the sundial, a dazzling blue and white light suddenly burst forth, illuminating the cold night sky like the breaking of dawn.

The surrounding space seemed to twist and change, and time seemed to freeze for a moment and then flow rapidly.

A strong sense of tearing came over me, and then, everything froze in an instant.

They arrived near the far northern fortress.

The scene before them was so shocking that everyone was speechless.

The once majestic and impregnable northern fortress is now nothing but ruins piled up haphazardly among the snow and rubble.

The gray-white stone bricks were broken into pieces, and the protective runes on them had long since failed or been completely destroyed.

Even more alarming is that most of the city walls and turrets that once struck fear into the hearts of the enemy are now covered by a strange purplish-black crystalline vein.

They wriggled and stretched like living creatures, constantly devouring the stone and iron, gradually turning the fortress into an unclean corpse woven from corrosion and erosion.

The crystal veins flickered with eerie dark purple phosphorescent flames, which burned eerily as if they came from the depths of hell, yet they did not emit heat, but only filled the air with a suffocating stench of decay.

A series of low, rumbling vibrations accompanied by a faint humming sound, as if some ancient, forbidden power was awakening from time immemorial and constantly expanding its sphere of influence.

The earth was in a terrible state, with bottomless gaping maws splitting open from the ground, tearing snow and rocks to shreds, and countless low-level demons surging out from the dark cracks.

Their bodies were grotesque and twisted, with bat wings spread out, blood-stained claws, and menacing horns.

They roared and howled, casting a shadow of death across the desolate land, transforming this former battlefield into a hellish and despairing place.

But what shocked and terrified everyone the most were those humanoid creatures wearing the armor of the Imperial Royal Knights, yet stained with the scars of fierce battle and strange dark patterns.

These demonized knights had bloodshot eyes that burned like flames, their gazes revealing madness and insanity. Thick, viscous black energy swirled around them, emanating corrosive toxins just like the demons themselves.

These black wisps flowed freely, yet seemed to be consciously prepared to attack or defend at any moment, silently swallowing enemies into the abyss of shadow.

Even more terrifying is that these demonized knights not only lost their minds and became beasts, but they also retained some of their former martial arts skills and superb command abilities.

Amidst the smoke and blood, they issued orders with cold-blooded decisiveness, guiding the torrent of demons to assault the unconquered defenses.

They wielded their greatswords, slaying their former comrades, and galloped across the ruins, each strike accompanied by a deafening roar and a spray of blood and flesh.

Angry shouts and shrieks pierced the night sky, chilling the guards to the bone, yet they could not stop this catastrophe that was eroding the very foundation of their homeland from within.

“Look…that’s…” Hilton frowned as he pointed to a group of knights in the distance. Several of the leaders were clad in imperial insignia, but their eyes were bloodshot as they fiercely commanded both sides while calling on the demon legion to annihilate the remaining defenders.

"This mutation... it actually possesses clear thinking? It can even coordinate attacks!?"

Cynthia's projected blue face trembled slightly. She raised her hand to cover half of her face, her expression one of extreme pain.

“These are… my people… my guardians… who have been corrupted by this evil…” Her voice choked with emotion, the resonance piercing her soul like needles. “I can feel their inner struggle, but I cannot dispel the poisonous miasma.”

The air around them grew even heavier and more so because of this shared pain, and a sense of oppression and desolation enveloped the entire place.

On these ruins, every collapsed brick seems to bear witness to past glory, but now serves as a testament to decay.
Each expanding crystalline vein seems to announce the disintegration of the Frost Crown, and the future ahead is filled with unknowns and a complex mix of fear and conflict.

The earth rumbled, and the edge of the huge "living" crack that extended into the core area kept spewing out purplish-black dust and shimmering rune fragments. These runes extended and self-replicated, radiating outwards at an extraordinary rate. Even the wind and snow seemed to be attracted and drawn into it, as if being sucked into a bottomless abyss in despair and irreversibility.

The ghostly howls emanating from within the rift were caused by the complex and painful memories of the monsters that were reborn from the dead, making the already silent and desolate situation even more tragic and indescribable.

The "living" rift is like an open gate to devour souls, where countless desperate monsters emerge, constantly writhing and expanding their destructive territory, turning the entire area into the true epicenter of a deathly inferno.

David frowned. He took out the data map he had just collected from his pocket and compared it with the scene before him. "These crystalline veins are not ordinary crystals. They contain a kind of mixed spatial energy, which is very similar to the frequency released by the void star core, but is more disordered and has the ability to self-diffly." He tapped his fingers on the projection screen. "This 'activity' is not just a physical erosion, but a kind of spiritual corruption that spreads."

Hill drew his sword and stood at the front, looking at the knights who still maintained a sense of order but were clearly corrupted and twisted: "We must prioritize containing these mutated leaders. As key nodes controlling the demon attack legions, they are the most dangerous threat at present." His voice was firm, "If we allow them to spread, it will cause the entire defense line to collapse rapidly."

At the same time, Cynthia's projection slowly appeared on David's shoulder. Her voice was weak but resolute: "Let me try to use my soul power to disrupt some of the infected."

Though I am weak, I still have some momentum to hold them back and buy you precious time. Her tone was firm, and her last concern for her homeland made her spirit even more focused, like a sharp blade, refusing to give up any chance to fight back even when she was on the edge.

Several wizards quickly set up a protective magic array to control the range of mental infection on site. At the same time, they launched a high-frequency spatial interference experiment targeting the purple crystals at the outer edge of the "living" crack, hoping to stop its continued expansion and weaken the influence of the internal evil energy.

However, each fluctuation was accompanied by rampant explosions and a large number of monsters going berserk and counterattacking, making the environment increasingly dangerous, chaotic and uncontrollable. Even the best technical team had to be careful when casting spells and do their best to keep the situation stable and prevent it from getting out of control.

Arya stood atop the ruins of the collapsed turret, her sharp gaze piercing through the swirling snowflakes as she fixed her gaze on the horde of monsters gathering for their attack.

"This place has become the focal point of the deadly battle. We must hold this position and buy time for reinforcements to arrive!"

Her sword-wielding posture was solemn and resolute. Each charge was a steel barrier built with her life. She also used her unwavering will to encourage the remaining defenders to fight to the end!
After a brief exchange, David gave the order: "Hill, you lead the elite squad of Wizards to take down the key mutated leader first. I will assist Cynthia in using soul fluctuations to disrupt the infection chain, while coordinating with the rune team to reinforce the outer control circle."

Hill clasped his hands in agreement, then led his men swiftly into the shadows of the city wall ruins.

His face was as solemn as a sharp iron blade, and every step he took seemed to be the drumbeat of death.

His breathing was steady and focused, as he concentrated on the impending bloody battle.

Behind them, however, was a sliver of dawn that was gradually freezing and drifting away. It was because of this sliver of dawn that people were not completely plunged into the endless darkness!

At this moment, the strange environment surrounding the fortress became even more apparent: the thick, accumulated permafrost suddenly showed fine textures and flashing green and blue electric arcs;
In the distance, the mountains are covered with strange, symbolic flames that appear like incantations.

The sky was filled with rolling dark clouds, carrying strangely shaped meteorites and dust, shrouding the world in a post-apocalyptic fantasy. But behind this filthy and chaotic scene, a human army with an iron will was poised to meet this catastrophe that would completely destroy the order of the past!
David stepped into the heart of this fortress, a place of crumbling walls and ruins, where a heavy, decaying atmosphere filled the air.

This place was once a command center for war, but now it has become a witness to the crisis and a site of hasty response.

Cracks run across the thick stone walls, and frost and filth seep into every inch of the surface. The once fearsome battle flags are now torn and stained, silently telling the story of the devastation brought by this catastrophe.

Several pale-faced but still resolute and composed surviving generals sat around a dilapidated round table. They were among the few people in the far northern fortress who had managed to maintain their rationality and fighting ability during this disaster.

Several yellowed maps and rune array drafts were spread out on the table, and the dim candlelight illuminated the furrowed brows of everyone present.

David approached slowly, casting his gaze upon each of these men who bore heavy responsibilities: "What is the situation?"

Among them, the eldest general, Alvin, looked up. The deep wrinkles on his face were like carvings, but they could not hide the sorrow and helplessness in his eyes: "Your Majesty, even worse news has come... Before the 'Black Mark' rift erupted, Queen Irene personally went deep into that abyss to investigate."

After she returned... her behavior changed drastically; she became extremely irritable and suspicious, and wouldn't let anyone near her.

"The royal court was closed, and an order was issued strictly forbidding anyone from entering." Another young general's tone was suppressed. "Shortly after that, the rift completely erupted."

“What’s even more terrifying,” Alvin continued, “is that we discovered that a large number of the demonized knights were actually former Queen’s guards.”

Their bodies remained agile, but their eyes burned like fire, and each attack was executed with exceptional coordination and precise command—these were no ordinary fallen demons.

David frowned and slowly walked to the side wall, where an ice-blue crystal array was faintly shimmering with an eerie light: "What does this mean? Could it be that even the Queen has had her will corrupted by the whispers of darkness?"

“We have to have this suspicion.” Alvin nodded bitterly. “The infected people have a strange, cold smile on their lips, and you can hear low murmurs as they move, whispers from the abyss.”

It's not just the body that's been corrupted, but also the spirit.

The atmosphere inside the hall was heavy, like a frozen pool that had been frozen for a thousand years. No one dared to break the silence, and could only let the air slowly condense into an oppressive and stifling atmosphere.

David's eyes were cold and stern. He knew that this was not only about the outcome of the war, but also about the future fate of his family, his faith, and even his people.

He turned and looked around. The mottled, cracked marble pillars seemed to be silently telling an ancient and tragic story—the royal court had now become a hidden crisis, perhaps the final place of salvation or end.

Arya stood in the corner, her expression serious. She tapped her sword hilt lightly with her fingers, her voice contemptuous but resolute: "I have heard that there is a telepathic link between those infected guards. They can pass commands to each other without hindrance, like a spider web in the last shadow of a decaying empire, binding all resistance within it."

Anne closed an ancient scroll, her brow furrowed, and said, "Queen Irene has been under immense pressure. After delving into the core of 'Black Mark,' I felt her soul being torn apart and entangled."

The pain was like struggling between two worlds—wanting to protect one's people, yet struggling to resist the temptation of the whispers from the abyss.

This was a brutal struggle between spiritual will and chaotic forces, an unavoidable and tragic process of moral decay.

Cynthia's projection hovered beside David's shoulder. A trace of pain flashed across her pale blue face, but then she calmed down, like an undercurrent surging beneath the surface of a glacier.

“I could feel the struggle within her, which meant there was still a possibility of redemption.”

However, it requires powerful psychic energy guidance and unwavering faith to protect it; otherwise, it may become an irreversible soul-devouring enslavement at any time…

“We must block all paths near ‘Black Mark’ and strengthen external traffic control,” Lia said firmly and coldly. “At the same time, we must reinforce the rune defense array to create a stable environment for His Majesty’s recovery.”

(End of this chapter)