Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 211 The Bone Collector

The interior of the hole is wider than expected; it is a natural rock crevice channel sloping downwards, about two meters high, and varying in width.

The passage was also filled with gray-black mist, but the concentration was indeed lower than outside, and there were far fewer undead reactions.

The cold, ancient energy fluctuations seemed to have weakened somewhat here, but they still existed like background radiation.

"Hurry! The cave entrance won't hold us off for long!" Blake said, panting heavily. His armor was covered in a thick, grayish-black grime. Without taking a break, the group immediately moved quickly down the sloping rock crevice.

The passage was winding and slippery, covered with fine bone fragments and an unknown slime.

The detector readings showed that they were getting closer to the core of the energy void, but taking a relatively safer route.

After walking through the passage for about ten minutes, a fork in the road appeared ahead.

One line continued to slope downwards, with higher energy readings, but the undead reactions also became more intense again.

The other one was relatively flat, leading to the lower side. The energy reading was slightly lower, but the detector detected faint traces of artificial energy fluctuations, like spell remnants or radiation from magical items.

"This way." After a moment's thought, Blake chose the path with the energy traces.

"Someone may have been active there; perhaps we can find clues and avoid direct confrontation."

The group turned and entered the side passage.

This passage is even narrower, sometimes requiring you to squeeze through sideways.

The traces of artificial energy fluctuations are intermittent but always present, guiding the way.

After walking about 100 meters further, the passage suddenly opened up, revealing a natural stone chamber of moderate size.

In the center of the stone chamber stood a rough stone platform. Above the platform, a dim, grayish-white sphere of light, about half a meter in diameter, floated.

Inside the sphere of light, countless tiny fragments of souls swirled, collided, and emitted silent wails, like moths.

Below the sphere of light, the surface of the stone platform was covered with complex runes with a distinct necromantic style, the lines of which flowed with a dark red luster that resembled congealed blood.

Beside the stone platform, with its back to the entrance, stood a figure.

The man was wearing a dark gray robe stained with dirt. He was thin and had sparse, gray hair. He was bowing his head and carefully carving something on the edge of the stone platform with a bone staff, muttering incantations.

The necromantic energy fluctuations emanating from him were exceptionally pure, far surpassing those of the grey-robed wizards in the Howling Rift, and even more refined than those of the Bone Wizard.

The soul fluctuations emanating from the gray-white orb on the stone platform seemed to be slowly guided and absorbed by him.

Upon hearing footsteps, the person abruptly stopped in their actions.

He slowly turned around.

A face as aged as a dried orange peel came into view.

Two small, eerie green, yet unusually calm, flames burned within the deep-set eye sockets.

His gaze swept over the intruder, showing no surprise, no anger, only an almost numb indifference, and a barely perceptible hint of probing.

"Oh? A new guest?" A hoarse, aged voice rang out, like sandpaper being rubbed.

"To be able to find this place by passing through the Wailing Wall—that takes some skill."

"It's the little Shadow Raven and the Forge barbarians."

Blake stepped forward, his shield slightly raised, and said in a deep voice, "A high-ranking member of the Pale Hand? State your name and cease your blasphemous ritual!"

"A title?" The old wizard's lips twitched, revealing a half-smile.

"It's been so long since I've used it that I've almost forgotten. You can call me—the Bone Collector." He paused, his gaze falling on Rolin, especially lingering for a moment on the dimensional pouch at Rolin's waist and the detector in his hand.

"Young man, the aura emanating from you... is quite interesting."

"It contains a sense of calm within its order, yet also a hidden potential for collapse."

"It's a good research material."

His tone was flat, yet carried a coldness that suggested he was treating living beings as experimental subjects.

"What are you doing here? The energy burst deep in that rift, and those murdered visitors, were you the ones who did it?" Ella nocked an arrow, the arrowhead aimed at the old wizard.

"Visitors? Oh, you mean those cold, exquisite puppets?" The Bone Collector seemed to chuckle.

"They try to delve into the throats of the dead, to uncover secrets they shouldn't know."

"I just... helped them rest in peace ahead of time."

"As for the energy burst—" He glanced at the gray-white orb of light floating on the stone platform.

"It was just the throat of the dead burping and releasing some accumulated gas."

"We're just taking this opportunity to gather some useful information."

The throat of the dead?

It seems that the crack inside the Pale Hand has such a name.

"What are you trying to do by collecting soul fragments and death energy?" Liana pointed her staff at the orb of light on the stone platform, the light of the purifying flame rising slightly, countering the orb's chilling aura.

The Bone Collector glanced at Liana, his eerie green soul flame flickering: "Pure holy flame power—what a nostalgic yet repulsive aura."

"Young lady, knowing too much won't do you any good."

"However, now that you've come—" He slowly raised the bone staff in his hand.

"Perfect timing. I'm currently short of a few live test subjects to test the new soul structure."

"You guys barely pass."

Before he finished speaking, a pale white gemstone embedded at the top of his bone staff suddenly lit up!

The gray-white orb on the stone platform suddenly spun violently, and countless fragments of souls inside emitted a shrill shriek, transforming into streams of gray-white light that cascaded down like waterfalls and poured into the runes around the stone platform!

The entire stone chamber's floor and walls instantly lit up with a dense network of runes connected to the stone platform!

Dense death energy surged from the ground and walls like a tide, rapidly condensing!

Click—click—

The sickening sound of bones grinding together echoed from every corner of the stone chamber!

One after another, skeletons of various shapes "stood up" from the shadows of the ground and walls!

These skeletons are no longer simple skulls; some have large bones covered with broken bone armor.

Some are slender with sharp, knife-like finger bones.

Some even have more than two arms or heads!

Its eye sockets burned with ghostly green, deep purple, and even dark red soul fire, emanating an aura far more powerful than that of the low-level undead outside!

A total of twelve enhanced skeletons of various shapes surrounded the team in the center of the stone chamber!

"Enjoy it." The bone collector retreated behind the stone platform, watching leisurely, his withered fingers gently stroking the bone staff.

"Let me see how much nourishment you can provide for my children's growth."

Battle is imminent!

Faced with these skeletal monsters that had clearly been carefully enhanced and modified, the team dared not be negligent in the slightest.