Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 216 Sudden Change

Lorin switched the detector to terrain scanning and energy flow analysis modes, while simultaneously pushing the perception of the Insight Ring to its limit.

The dark gray fog severely interfered with detection, but by combining energy flow and terrain undulations, it was still possible to roughly discern the density of the undead distribution.

"The undead tide is mainly concentrated in the front fan-shaped area, extending to both sides."

"To the right is a rubble area with more severe energy disorder. The terrain is complex, the density of undead is slightly lower, but there may be other dangers."

"Left side — slight spatial distortion and energy void detected, possibly traces left by a previous battle or energy burst. Undead rarely approach that area, but the situation is unclear," Roland quickly analyzed.

"Go to the left," Blake decided.

"Avoid the frontal assault of the undead horde and try to flank or rear them to approach the outpost."

"If the outpost has fallen—at least we need to figure out what happened, and the source of that giant skeleton and the energy of order."

The team immediately turned to the left, and using the hills and fog as cover, carefully moved towards the area of ​​energy voids.

The closer you get, the more you can sense the unusual atmosphere there.

The air seemed to be repelled by some force, creating a relatively "clean" but unstable area.

The cracks on the ground became more dense, and some cracks shimmered with an unnatural dark red or eerie blue light.

Scattered among them were many charred rock fragments, as if struck by high temperatures or energy, and some—dark gray, smooth carapace fragments.

More visitor wreckage!

And there are quite a few!

Rowling crouched down and picked up a relatively large piece of shell.

The fragments had clean edges, as if they had been cut by a sharp blade, and there were traces of energy burning at the cut surfaces.

Similar to what was found in the Bone-Eroded Hills, but the battle here was clearly more intense, and the wreckage was more fragmented.

"There was a battle here, visitors, and something—" Ella whispered, having also discovered other fragments.

"The battle may have just ended." Liana used her Purifying Flame to probe the remaining energy around her.

"The energy of death and corruption is slowly eroding this area, but the remnants of the visitor's energy of order have not completely dissipated."

Lorin scanned carefully with the detector.

In addition to the visitor's remains and chaotic energy remnants, he also detected some extremely faint, intermittent residual waves resembling encrypted communication signals, whose characteristics matched the visitor's energy encoding method.

They seem to be urgently transmitting some information, but the signal is being severely jammed and cut off.

"There are drag marks here!" a furnace guard reported in a low voice.

He pointed to a deep trench in the ground, as if some heavy object had been dragged along, with a thick, dark green liquid and fine bone fragments clinging to its edges.

The trail extended into the depths of the fog, seemingly leading to the rear of the undead tide, in the direction of the Anvil Outpost.

"Follow them and keep hidden," Blake ordered.

The squad continued advancing along the drag marks. The surrounding fog seemed to have thinned somewhat, and the outlines of some low buildings could be vaguely seen ahead—the simple fortifications and watchtower of the Anvil Outpost!

But at this moment, most of those buildings have collapsed or been severely damaged, with scratches and burn marks on the walls.

There was no sign of life, only a strong stench of blood and death.

Approaching the dilapidated fence surrounding the outpost, the scene before me confirmed my worst suspicions.

On the open ground of the outpost, the corpses of imperial soldiers and low-level wizards were scattered, most of them incomplete, as if they had been torn apart or gnawed by a great force.

Some of the corpses still retained grayish-white death energy that was slowly eroding their flesh.

Several relatively intact corpses bore the familiar pale bony hand imprint on their chests or the back of their necks!

It was the pale hand that did it!

They attacked this place and may have converted or sacrificed some of the dead.

Behind the outpost, near a partially collapsed warehouse, the group saw the end of the drag marks.

There were several relatively intact remains of visitors piled up there!

Their shells were violently torn open, exposing their intricate internal mechanical and biological structures, and some parts appeared to have been deliberately removed.

Around the wreckage, a rudimentary magic circle, constantly emitting a faint grayish-white light, was drawn with a dark red pigment that resembled a mixture of blood.

In the center of the magic circle, there was a fist-sized, dark purple, tumor-like object that was constantly writhing and emitting a strong, corrupting aura!

The surface of the sarcoma was covered with vein-like patterns, and something could be faintly pulsating inside.

It was slowly absorbing the free-floating death energy in the surrounding air and the residual order energy on the remains of visitors through the magic circle below, while emitting a nauseating life fluctuation that was a mixture of corruption and chaos.

"What is this?!" Ella frowned in disgust.

Luo Lin aimed his detector at the tumor, and the readings on the screen jumped wildly!

The concentration of corrupting energy was alarmingly high, and strong, unstable life signals were also detected—

The silk thread bore a mental fluctuation imprint that vaguely resembled that of the giant skeleton!

"Something cultivated or summoned using the remnants of corrupted source energy, death energy, and visitor order energy." Rolin's voice was deep.

"It could be a new experiment of the Pale Hand, or—some kind of summoning medium."

Just then, in the distance, the massive skeleton silhouette in the mist seemed to sense something and let out a low, long roar, as if countless bones were grinding together!

Then, its body, made of huge bones, slowly turned toward the outpost!

As the giant skeleton turned, the fog in that area dissipated slightly, and everyone could vaguely see that a complex, constantly rotating metal device emitting a pale blue light was embedded in the scapula of the giant skeleton!

The energy fluctuations of that device were exactly the same as the orderly energy of the visitor!

How did the visitor's device end up on the giant skeleton controlled by the pale hand?!

Before anyone could think it through, the rotting tumor in the center of the outpost seemed to be stimulated by the roar of the giant skeleton and began to throb violently!

The surface vein patterns shone brightly, and a mental wave mixed with madness, hunger and destructive desire spread out like a shockwave!

At the same time, the roaming undead tide around them turned around as if they had received a command, their empty eye sockets "looking" at the outpost where the squad was hiding!

And the giant skeleton began to take heavy steps, one step at a time, toward the outpost!

The earth trembled beneath its feet!

They've been discovered!

Or rather, they triggered an alarm!

"Withdraw! Withdraw immediately!" Blake ordered decisively.

But just as the squad was about to turn and retreat, the rotten tumor in the center of the outpost suddenly exploded!

Thick, dark purple slurry and countless tiny, wriggling granules scattered and splashed everywhere!

A denser, more corrosive mist instantly spread out, enveloping the entire outpost area!

Wherever the fog passed, the corpses, scattered debris, and even damaged buildings on the ground began to hiss, and their surfaces were quickly covered with a layer of dark purple, constantly wriggling, fungal-like substance!

At the center of the exploded tumor, there was a roughly three-meter-high structure hastily pieced together from decaying flesh and bones.

The twisted monster, whose form was extremely unstable and exuded a terrifying aura, stood up unsteadily!

It has no fixed form; its body constantly wriggles and changes, extending several tentacles that end in mouthparts, and emitting a sharp, piercing, inhuman hiss!

Ahead lay a horde of undead and giant skeletons, behind them spawned corrupted monsters, and all around was a rapidly spreading, corrosive mist.