Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 220 Afterimages, Ruined Buildings

"What about the rift infiltration mission?" Blake asked.

"Infiltration missions require extremely strong defensive and offensive capabilities, as well as extensive combat experience against undead creatures." Rolin looked at Blake, Kruger, and the others.

"Captain Blake and the brothers of the Forge Guard are the most suitable."

"But we need more detailed intelligence on the inside of the rift and information on potential weaknesses. This requires support from the research department, and also—a bit of luck."

General Hossman stared at the sand table, remaining silent for a long time.

"Time is of the essence, and the ceremony could enter a critical phase at any moment." He finally made the decision.

"I agree with Vice Captain Rolin's suggestion to split into two groups."

"Team A, commanded by Captain Blake, consists of Blake, Kruger, and four of the most elite Forge Guards."

Mission Objective:

Under the cover of long-range firepower and indirect fire from the base, seek opportunities to infiltrate the area of ​​the throat of the dead, and approach the core of the ritual as closely as possible to conduct reconnaissance and sabotage.

"Carrying high-explosive anti-magic munitions and energy jamming devices."

"Team B, commanded by Vice Captain Rolin, consists of Rolin, Ella, and Liana."

Mission Objective:

Based on the energy direction indicated by the black flat box, delve into other suspicious areas of Ash Plains to search for keys or related clues, and attempt to interfere with or sabotage the Pale Hand's key-acquisition plan.

"The two teams will maintain minimal communication during the operation and may decide on their own whether to continue the mission or withdraw if necessary."

"The base will provide you with maximum support and assistance."

The order was given, and the atmosphere was solemn and resolute.

This may be the most dangerous and crucial mission the Scorching Flame Patrol Team has ever undertaken.

It concerns the safety of the fragments of the Scorching Hell, and even a much larger region.

At the base's most remote exit, the heavy alloy gate slid open silently, and an even hotter heat than usual, mixed with ashes, poured into the passage.

Outside the door lay boundless darkness and the faint glow cast by the eternally burning mountains in the distance, dyeing the sky a dark red.

The figures of the two teams briefly crossed at the doorway. There were no further farewells, only a silent determination in their exchanged glances.

-

"Take care." Blake patted Rollin on the shoulder, the heavy armor making a dull creaking sound.

Behind him, Kruger and four carefully selected Forge Guards were fully armed, carrying heavy equipment, standing like silent rocks.

"You too," Rowling nodded in response.

Immediately, Blake led his team northeast, rushing toward the area where the Throat of the Dead was located, where the energy was surging like boiling water, and their figures quickly disappeared into the shadows of the undulating hills.

Luo Lin withdrew his gaze and looked at the black metal flat box in his hand.

The distorted runes on the surface of the flat box were now emitting an extremely faint, yet steadily pointing, ghostly light.

The direction is not a straight line, but rather presents a complex trajectory that seems to meander along some invisible energy vein, eventually converging in the southwest direction.

"The Forgotten Graveyard—" Ella murmured the name of the area, her brow furrowing slightly.

"That place is even older than the Bone-Eroding Hills. It is said to bury the remains of some indescribable ancient beings or failed civilizations from the early stages of the formation of the Scorching Hell."

"The energy environment is extremely complex and chaotic, and is shrouded in a gray dust of oblivion all year round, which can interfere with perception and memory."

"Aside from reckless scavengers and certain wizards who study forbidden topics, very few people approach."

"The Pale Hand's choice to hide the key or related clues there is quite in line with their style." Liana checked the several enhanced purification amulets she carried with her, and then handed a bottle of calming potion specifically for mental interference to Rolin and Ella.

"The Dust of Oblivion there has a great effect on the mind. Stay vigilant and take it immediately if you feel anything is wrong."

Luo Lin carefully put away the potion and then adjusted the detector to a highly sensitive mode targeting soul energy and spatial anomalies.

"Let's go, follow the directions of the flat box."

"Watch your step and your surroundings. Danger often comes from unexpected corners in such places."

The three-person team, Rolin, Ella, and Liana, left the base and headed southwest, venturing into an even more desolate area with a more bizarre energy background.

The first few dozen miles were relatively peaceful, just the standard scenery of the Ash Plain.

However, as they ventured deeper into the southwest, the surrounding environment began to change significantly.

The ash on the ground gradually lightened in color, eventually turning a sickly grayish-white, and felt soft and silent when stepped on.

Extremely fine gray dust particles began to float in the air. These particles were not hot; instead, they had a cold, gloomy texture that seemed to absorb light and heat.

This is the dust of oblivion.

The detector readings became unstable, the energy background noise increased, and the accuracy of conventional scanning decreased significantly.

Rowling had to rely more on the direct perception of the Insight Ring and the guiding light of the flat box.

Ella walked at the front, her steps as light as a cat's, her sharp eyes scanning the front and both sides.

In this environment, her hunter's instincts and wilderness experience are especially important.

Liana walked in the middle, maintaining a thin, almost non-glowing purifying field around her, carefully filtering out the oblivious dust that tried to approach.

Luo Lin walked behind, sensing the direction the flat box was pointing while keeping an eye on the movements inside the dimensional bag.

Since the flat box started glowing, the silver flower seedling in the pot has remained completely still, as if the previous flickering was just an illusion.

But he dared not let his guard down. This magical plant, which was deeply symbiotic with Ellie, might have characteristics that even he did not fully understand.

The deeper one goes, the higher the concentration of the Dust of Oblivion becomes. Visibility is severely limited, less than fifty meters.

The surroundings were deathly silent; even the wind, a common sound in the scorching hell, and the distant growls of monsters had vanished. Only the soft rustling of boots on the grayish-white dust could be heard.

This absolute silence, on the contrary, makes people more likely to feel uneasy and hallucinate.

The light emanating from the flat box became the only reliable landmark in the darkness.

After walking for about two hours, some blurry outlines began to appear in the grayish-white dust ahead.

Initially, they were scattered, half-buried, severely weathered stone tablets or pillars, engraved with completely unrecognizable distorted symbols.

Next, some low mounds appeared, made of irregularly piled grayish-white rocks, resembling tombs.

"We've entered the outer perimeter of the Forgotten Graveyard." Ella stopped, squatted down, picked up a speck of dust from the ground with her fingers, sniffed it, and frowned even more.

"Besides the Dust of Oblivion, there is also a very faint trace of death energy, but it feels strange, as if it has been diluted or worn down over countless years, losing most of its activity."

Roland sensed it too.

The death energy here is not as violent and fresh as that of the Bone-Eroding Barren Hills; rather, it is more like a cold, almost inert background radiation that has settled over countless years.

But this does not mean it is safe.

Often, the older and more dormant something is, the more unpredictable the danger of its eruption once it is activated.

The flat box pointed straight into the depths of the graveyard.

The three continued forward, but with even greater caution.

The number of graves around them gradually increased, varying in size, some of which had collapsed halfway, revealing darkness inside that was completely empty.

An indescribable stale smell, a mixture of dust, decaying bones, and a faint musty odor, began to fill the air.

Suddenly, Ella, who was walking at the front, raised her hand sharply, signaling to stop.

She crouched down and pointed to a relatively intact, grayish-white stone mound about two people high, about thirty meters to her left.

The entrance to the Shi family's residence is an irregular, dark hole.

At this moment, crouching at the edge of the cave entrance was a blurry humanoid silhouette, seemingly formed from grayish-white dust! The silhouette had its back to them, its head lowered, and its shoulders swaying slightly, as if it were digging or touching something.

There was no sign of life, no energy fluctuations; it was just like part of the graveyard itself.

"What is that?" Liana asked in a low voice, raising her staff slightly.

Rowling carefully sensed it with the Ring of Insight.

The interior of the outline is empty, with only a very faint "presence" that is the same as the surrounding dust.

It's like—a residual thought or fragment of memory manifesting as an image under special circumstances?

"Like an echo—or an afterimage," Rowling said uncertainly.

"There is no real threat, but it's best not to disturb them."

The three held their breath and slowly moved to the side, intending to avoid the strange humanoid silhouette.

However, the moment they moved, the crouching silhouette seemed to sense something and slowly and extremely stiffly turned its head.

There were no facial features, only a blurry face that was constantly being peeled away and then condensed again.

But a clear emotional fluctuation, mixed with confusion, pain and endless loneliness, poured over like ice water, directly penetrating physical defenses and affecting the mental level!

Luo Lin felt a slight tremor in [Quiet Dust Star], and quickly calmed and filtered out most of the negative emotions, but a trace of coldness still lingered in his heart.

Ella's body trembled slightly, and her eyes momentarily glazed over.

Liana let out a muffled groan, and her purifying field fluctuated, repelling the emotional impact.

The outline glanced at them, then slowly turned back, continuing its silent, repetitive digging or stroking motions, as if they were merely insignificant passersby, or phantoms long forgotten in the dust of time.

"Hurry up." Ella's voice was a little strained, and she quickened her pace.

The three quickly moved away from the stone mound and the eerie silhouette.

During the rest of their journey, they saw other similar "afterimages":

Some were pacing back and forth, some were kneeling, and some were just standing there blankly.

All were silent, exuding the same loneliness and deathly stillness.

These afterimages may not seem to be actively aggressive towards living people, but their emotional radiation is itself a form of mental pollution.

The light from the flat box appeared all the clearer and more resolute in this graveyard of oblivion and afterimages, pointing in one direction: the depths of the graveyard.

In a relatively high-lying area, the outlines of several larger, more complex gray-white building ruins can be vaguely seen.

As they approached, the concentration of the Dust of Oblivion decreased slightly, but the ancient, deathly feeling intensified. The ground began to reveal broken stone slabs bearing obvious signs of human carving.

The dilapidated architectural ruins are half-buried in the dust, with a strange style, neither human nor beast, like the creation of some long-extinct civilization.

The flat box eventually stopped at the edge of a relatively open square.

In the center of the square stands a relatively well-preserved, pyramid-shaped, gray-white stepped altar.

The altar is divided into seven layers, each with its edges engraved with more complex, but also more worn, strange symbols.

At the top of the altar is a flat stone platform.

The light from the flat box pointed straight at the stone platform at the top of the altar.