The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 630 The Choice of the Secret Box
The wand tapped the ground lightly, activating a complex sequence of forbidden spells.

Her eyes shone with a mixture of determination and reluctance.

“We must find a balance so that the decomposed divine energy can be safely absorbed, rather than erupting violently. This requires unprecedented technology and collaboration.”

Hill stepped forward, his voice resounding: "The members of the Witch Riders must immediately double their training to improve their mental defenses, while also sending in elite troops to guard the core positions, to buy time for the commander-in-chief!"

The delegates nodded in agreement. Some clenched their fists, some bit their lips until they bled, but all of them had a look of determination and hope in their eyes.

Even if the future is full of unknowns and darkness, they are determined to protect the remaining homeland with their lives!
Inside the room, a massive arcane model slowly rotated, with hundreds of energy cables connecting to the central crystal core, which was the location of the Blood Demon Core.

Technicians busily moved between the instruments, monitoring and adjusting various data in real time to prevent any abnormalities from occurring.

At this moment, the mural projections around the hall suddenly transformed into a complex network of runes, seemingly disordered, yet containing ancient wisdom codes.

These patterns are as intricate as the veins of life, concealing the forbidden mysteries sealed away by the wizarding civilization for thousands of years. Among them may lie the methods to fight against the remnants of Sothos and to break the dark plans of the Eternal Night Council.

Liliana gazed at the dazzling yet chaotically interwoven runes, like a star map. "Our time is running out. Every minute and every second is part of the fight against the demonic corruption."

I will personally lead the top mages to continue researching the 'blasphemy removal' solution, while coordinating the full cooperation of wise men from all races!

Hill brandished his longsword, unleashing an aura as powerful as flames: "All warriors, prepare!"
The road ahead may be difficult and fraught with obstacles, but as long as we work together, there is no peak we cannot overcome!

The air seemed to tremble at the oath, and everyone stood in solemn silence. At this moment, they were not only fighting for survival, but also for free will and dignity!

Suddenly, a melodious and mysterious chanting voice came from the depths of the hall, as clear as a silver bell, yet seemingly containing ancient secrets.

The sound guided the resonance of the entire spatial barrier, instantly filling the originally silent and cold hall with a vibrant arcane aura.

A group of secret priests are taking turns initiating ancient rituals to lay out a spiritual shield and spatial barrier in preparation for the upcoming "blasphemy operation".

Meanwhile, outside the sanatorium, dark clouds loomed, a fierce wind howled, and the earth seemed to be whispering its lament.

Elite shaman cavalry quietly infiltrated the outer dense forest. They were fully armed and moved with unwavering steps, every action revealing their deadly intent and decisiveness.

Under the cover of darkness, this group of steadfast believers embarked on a perilous journey, all in order to seize the initiative!

Above the ruins, countless fragments of stars drifted and swirled, their faint glow like doomsday torches, flickering and struggling in the cold wind.

But those people under the lights, they hold onto hope, and even in the face of destruction, they will never yield!
“This road is destined to be full of thorns,” Hill murmured to himself, wiping the sweat from his brow. “But as long as our faith remains, we will eventually see the dawn.”

David stood at the edge of a dark, interwoven rift, surrounded by distorted, layered fragments of time and broken stars.

That was ten minutes before the destruction of the wizarding civilization, a moment about to be swallowed by the dust of history, yet filled with endless secrets and desperate struggles.

He was clad in crimson-gold armor, the afterglow of the battle still lingering, his gaze as deep as the stars, discerning every subtle fluctuation within the rift in spacetime.

He tightly gripped the artifact called the "Elven Sundial," crafted by an ancient elven artisan. Its intricate engravings reflected a cold, eerie blue light, mirroring the ripples of time that danced and flowed around him.

"Let's go!" David whispered, focusing his mental energy into the core of the sundial, where arcane runes spread out like vines climbing the walls of space and time.

In an instant, a dazzling beam of light pierced the void, enveloping him in a ripple-like torrent of time that flowed and spread continuously.

He felt his body being pulled, compressed, and torn apart, and his consciousness wandering and drifting between multiple timelines.

Fragments of distant, intermittent information echoed in my ears, like the chanting of an ancient priest: "...On the eve of purification...The end times are coming...The spark of civilization must be preserved...The closed loop must be completed..."

As the light gradually subsided, he found himself standing in a strangely quiet place shrouded in thick fog: a large, dilapidated complex of buildings towering into the clouds stood before him. It was the last research institute of the wizarding civilization, the most critical core area in the last ten minutes before its destruction.

The air was thick with the stench of burning and decay, and the ground was covered with cracks and charred marks, all telling the tragic tale of the impending catastrophe.

Not far away, a white-haired, haggard-looking figure with piercing eyes was kneeling in the center of the blood-red rune array.

He is the chief scientist of the wizarding civilization, the great sage Kahn, who was once famous throughout the universe but is now struggling to survive.

Upon seeing David appear, he trembled slightly, but his eyes revealed surprise and joy. "You...you've finally come...I've been waiting for so long."

David slowly stepped forward and sensed a strong energy fluctuation emanating from the other person, the resentment and despair of someone burning out their last flame of wisdom before death.

“Mr. Kahn,” his voice was steady yet warm, “I come from the future. In order to prevent the disaster from happening again, I must carry your legacy and return it safely.”

Kahn slowly nodded and took out an ancient box from his pocket, which was covered with dense runes and arcane chains.

"This is the 'Civilization Spark Box,' containing our most precious and secret data, as well as the key to cracking the purification plan."

His expression was solemn as he spoke, “This is the only key to the closed loop. You must deliver it to ourselves in the moment before we were born, otherwise everything will be forever annihilated.”

David took the box and felt a scorching heat emanating from his palm, penetrating his bones through his fingers and reaching the depths of his soul.

He looked down closely and saw that the runes seemed to be alive, subtly pulsating and changing, constantly releasing hidden power channels.

“But…” Kahn said with a wry smile, “Correcting this timeline is not easy; it will inevitably come at a price.”

If the intervention is successful, the redemptive divinity within you will begin to flow backward, which means your power will gradually weaken.

Only in this way can we create new possibilities!

Before the words were even finished, a powerful shockwave swept through the surrounding void, and the earth trembled violently as if foreshadowing the coming of the apocalypse.

Kahn struggled to his feet, his face deathly pale, but his eyes remained sharp and resolute: "Go! The future rests on our joint efforts! Let not darkness devour hope!"

David nodded in acknowledgment, then turned and walked away.

This time, it's not just about saving a kingdom, but about fighting against the fate of the entire universe.

He clenched his fist, storing the 'Civilization Spark Box' within his chest shield. Holy flames flickered around him, like a resilient, unyielding giant tree in the dawn's light, unmoved even by a raging storm. On his return to the real world, the divine redemption within him began to slowly recede like a reversed current. Each breath brought a slight sting, yet infused it with even greater resolve: "Sacrificing myself for rebirth—this is my only choice!"

Meanwhile, above the council chamber, the enormous, suspended silver-blue crystal sphere continued to rotate, and the links on the holographic map flickered incessantly.

A new path to the future has quietly emerged, guiding people toward an unknown yet hopeful new era.

Liliana stood beside the control panel, her arms clasped in front of her chest. She lightly touched the holographic projection screen with her wand, constantly adjusting the protective array to deal with any unstable ripples that might occur.

“The head coach is undergoing an extreme test,” she said, her brow furrowed, “but as long as we hold fast to our beliefs, we can wait for a miracle to happen!”

Hill stood in the center of the hall, raising his blood-stained longsword and gazing at the dark sky: "No storm can stop the Guardians!"

David sat quietly on the bench made of the central megalith, holding the ancient and mysterious fire-starting box in his hands.

It was entirely black, with intricate and ancient runes engraved on its surface. Those runes seemed to contain some kind of active yet indescribable power, occasionally emitting a dark blue light, like a ghost lurking in the deep sea.

Liliana stood to one side, her wand gripped tightly, her brow furrowed, but her eyes filled with determination and worry.

Hill leaned against a stone pillar, fully clad in armor, his sword lightly touching the ground.

He stared at the sealed box for a long time, but did not utter a sound.

Whispers and whispers echoed in the hall, but no one dared to break the solemn atmosphere.

They knew that this small box contained information that could change their destiny.

David slowly opened the sealed box, and a deep, mysterious aura immediately filled the air.

He held his breath and stared intently, only to see three clear streams of data appear on the inner wall of the box—three core secrets:
First, there is the "World Anchor backdoor program".

This is a set of forbidden codes hidden in the core of the anchor chain, which can bypass existing control mechanisms and make partial interventions in the anchor chain or even temporarily block certain energy flows.

However, this method is extremely dangerous, and if it gets out of control, it will trigger an irreversible chain reaction.

Second, is the "Ancient God Consciousness Separation Technology".

According to records, this technology was designed to separate and purify the fragments of souls captured and bound by the anchor chains, in order to weaken the corrosive power of the ancient god's consciousness on those who had become gods and on the world order.

However, this technique requires a vast amount of arcane energy and extremely high precision; otherwise, it may accelerate the corruption of the soul or trigger the eruption of latent power.

Third is the "Scheme to Intercept the Energy for Becoming a God".

This is an extreme solution that could cut off most of the godhood energy flowing to the World Anchor during the purification process, converting it into a pure arcane source to support the revival of civilization or the manufacture of new resistance weapons.

However, this plan also carries significant risks: severing part of it could cause the purification plan to become abnormally unbalanced, triggering large-scale mental breakdowns and spatial collapses across multiple realms.

Faced with these three secret paths, every choice means no turning back and is fraught with danger.

David closed his eyes, feeling the lingering holy flame in his chest, which was gradually cooling down but still not extinguished.

He knew that whichever path he chose would affect the fate of the entire Star Ring System and even multiple realms, and might even impact the future of all surviving beings!
Liliana approached slowly, reaching out to touch the floating rune. "Commander, this is a difficult decision... Detonating the anchor chain might immediately end the Sothos threat, but the cost would be a large-scale collapse of the present world."
Preserving energy means continued corrosion and attack; we need to find a more reliable method.

Hill frowned, his hand holding the sword trembling slightly. "We can't just sit here and wait to die... but I'm also worried that if we let time drag on, it will lead to an even greater tragedy."

Time seemed to stand still, and everyone in the hall fell into deep thought.

The torch flames flickered, casting shifting light on the faces of the crowd. Some had unwavering gazes, while others revealed deep weariness and fear.

This is a test of faith, reason, and courage, and the most brutal inquiry into the future!

Suddenly, the holographic projector started automatically, and new signal ripples appeared on the surface of the silver-blue crystal ball above.

A set of data mappings from the edge of the Silver Moon Continent vividly shows that spatial rifts have suddenly increased, and many spacetime nodes have experienced unprecedented unstable fluctuations, accompanied by signs of violent collapse!

The news struck everyone like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, and the hall fell into a deathly silence, with only the low hum of the instruments and the rapid breathing of the crowd echoing in the background.

“Silvermoon Continent…” Hill’s voice was low and tinged with anger. “That place should have been a strong bulwark in our defenses, but now it is facing such a crisis. We must immediately send witch riders to provide support!”

Liliana nodded, immediately adjusting her wand to point at the hologram. "Commander, if we act rashly, we might fall into the enemy's trap, and their plans are becoming increasingly complex..."

Should we first focus our efforts on figuring out how to safely release the forbidden program from the sealed box?

David took a deep breath and shifted his gaze from the crystal ball to the dark night sky outside the hall window. The stars twinkled sparsely, yet seemed shrouded in ominous clouds.

“We don’t have time to wait for a perfect answer,” he said firmly, his voice filled with unwavering resolve. “Every delay consumes more lives! I choose…”

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his right hand and drew a powerful arc in the air.

A burst of blazing holy flame erupted from his palm, intertwining and merging with arcane runes to draw complex array patterns in the air, instantly engulfing the entire council hall in raging flames.

This burning flame not only brought warmth, but also seemed to shatter the shackles of fear and the gloom of despair, allowing all the soldiers, mages, and even the representatives to feel an indomitable fighting spirit that boosted their morale!

With his sword at his side, Hill bowed in salute: "The manager is wise! Whatever path you choose, we will follow you to the death!"

David slowly stepped out of the secret chamber. He was wearing crimson gold armor, and although the afterglow of the sacred fire had not completely dissipated, he appeared even more composed and solemn.

The flame, like the last rays of dawn, burned quietly in his chest, reflecting boundless perseverance.

Behind him came the sound of dense and orderly footsteps. The shamans, mages, and representatives of various races gathered together, standing solemnly and looking at David with dignified eyes.

(End of this chapter)