Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 238 Firefight!

"Rolin," her voice was softer than it had been at the meeting, but still serious.

"You've seen the situation on the committee."

"The interior of the Holy Tower is not a monolithic structure."

"Some people see the observer's legacy as a taboo and a threat, while others see it as an opportunity and a stepping stone."

Regarding the Purifiers, some advocate making contact with them at all costs, while others advocate being on full alert and even preparing to fight them.

"And the crisis in the Scorching Hell has become the stage for these disagreements and power struggles."

She looked at Luo Lin with a deep gaze: "You have great potential and have also come into contact with core secrets."

"But remember, in the Holy Tower, strength is important, but understanding the situation and choosing the right path and allies are equally crucial."

"Sometimes, a large organization is not as stable as it appears on the surface."

"Internal strife and shortsightedness can be more destructive than external enemies."

This was a reminder to him, and also a hint at the potential hidden dangers and future turmoil within the Santa Maria delle Grazie.

Luo Lin felt a slight chill run down his spine, and solemnly replied, "I understand, Master."

Master Veronica waved her hand: "Go, go and assist the research department. We'll let you know when we need you."

After leaving the conference room, Rowling returned to the temporary research room assigned to him.

The moonflower was placed in a specially made cultivation tank filled with natural energy and spiritual nurturing array, and it was in good condition.

Baha squatted on the shelf next to him, preening his feathers.

Rowling sat at the table, took out paper and pen, and began to organize his thoughts, recording the various pieces of information revealed during the committee meeting.

Disagreements and a reminder from Master Veranika.

The Shadow Raven Tower, the behemoth he currently resides in and relies on, seems to be revealing its internal structural problems and potential contradictions when faced with a crisis that truly transcends the norm.

Resource allocation, ideological conflicts, and power struggles—these can all influence decision-making and may even become fatal weaknesses at some point in the future.

He suddenly recalled the pure struggle and sacrifice of the soldiers and low-level wizards on the front lines of the Scorching Hell, which stood in stark contrast to the complex thoughts and calculations of the higher-ups in the committee.

Perhaps Master Veranica's reminder was not only about his personal safety, but also an indication that the Santa Maria Tower might not be the only or best destination for his future pursuit of knowledge and power.

But the thought only flashed through my mind.

Now, he needs to focus on the task at hand:

Study Moonflower to enhance your strength and prepare for potential crises from the Purifiers or other unknown entities.

As for the future of Santa Maria—time will tell.

As for Rowling himself, he will continue to grow and make choices amidst this series of increasingly dangerous and complex vortexes, eventually finding his own path.

A few days later, just as Rowling was immersed in a comparative study of the symbiotic rules of the Moonflower and the imprints of ancient experiments, Researcher Duden rushed into his laboratory, his face unusually grim: "Rolling! Something's happened!"

"The committee has just received urgent intelligence from the front lines in the Scorching Hell: Purifier units have reappeared, and—"

A direct firefight occurred on the outskirts of the Throat of the Dead with an Imperial reconnaissance squad!

"The Empire suffered heavy losses! Moreover, the Purifiers did not leave after the battle, but instead deployed some kind of large-scale energy scanning and containment device in the area!"

"They—seem to be preparing to take substantial action against the aberrations, or rather, against the entire Throat of the Dead region!"

"Master Veranika has ordered an immediate emergency meeting; your attendance is required!"

Duden's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, instantly pulling Rowling out of his focused research.

"The Purifiers have made their move? They're clashing with the Empire?" Roland put down his rune pen, his brow furrowed.

This happened much faster than he had anticipated.

The arbitrator's communication did not seem to completely prevent or delay the purifier's judgment.

"The specifics are not entirely clear yet," Duden said quickly, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"The intelligence from the front is fragmented. It says that an elite Imperial reconnaissance team was ambushed by at least four Purifier units while conducting routine surveillance on the outskirts of the Dead's Throat."

"A brief but intense firefight broke out between the two sides. The Imperial squad was almost completely wiped out, with only one person escaping with serious injuries and bringing back limited information."

"It has been confirmed that the Purifiers did not pursue after the firefight, but instead began deploying a large-scale device that releases high-intensity rule-based scanning waves and energy-sealing fields about five kilometers outside the Throat of the Dead Rift."

Duden took a breath and continued, "Master Veranica and the other members of the committee have already assembled in the emergency meeting room."

""

"The master specifically requests your immediate presence."

Without delay, Luo Lin quickly gathered the research materials on the table and glanced at the Moon Silver Flower seedlings in the cultivation tank, which seemed to sense the tense atmosphere and were shimmering with silver light.

Without being told, Baha had already flown down onto his shoulder, its six eyes darting around warily.

The two quickly left the research lab, passed through a quieter and more heavily guarded passageway deep within the Santa headquarters, and arrived at an emergency council chamber located underground, with walls covered in sound-absorbing and energy-shielding runes.

The room was brightly lit yet coldly lit.

The huge circular conference table was already full of people.

Besides familiar faces like Master Veranica, Master Aldrich, and Ms. Serena, there were also several figures I hadn't seen before, dressed in the uniforms of high-ranking Imperial officers or the dark robes of the Holy Tower's combat department. Each of them had a somber aura and an unpleasant expression.

The air was thick with a sense of oppression and tension.

After undergoing rigorous identity verification and energy scans at the entrance, Rowling and Duden were allowed to enter and sit down in a seat near the end of the table.

"—Therefore, the Empire's stance is very clear!"

An Imperial lieutenant general with a resolute face and golden flames and a furnace emblem on his shoulder insignia spoke in a voice filled with suppressed anger.

"This is a blatant act of aggression! The Purifier units attacked our personnel directly without any warning or negotiation and deployed military forces on our territory!"

"The Empire demands that the Holy Tower immediately adopt a strong countermeasure and requests the activation of the highest-level joint defense agreement!"

"General Brand, please calm down." Master Veranica's voice remained steady, but carried an undeniable authority.

"We understand the Empire's anger and loss. But what's more important now is to figure out the Purifiers' true intentions and their next move."

"Taking an overreaction rashly could lead to more serious consequences."

"Consequences? What could be more serious than them opening fire directly?" Another head of the Santa's combat department, an old wizard with gray hair but sharp, eagle-like eyes, said coldly.

"It's obvious that these so-called purifiers don't take us seriously at all."

"They follow a different set of logic, a logic that may see us as an obstacle or even something to be cleaned up."

"We must prepare for the worst and be ready for armed confrontation!"

"Forceful confrontation? What can we use to confront them?" Master Aldrich's voice was low and tinged with bitterness.

Have you seen the reports from the front lines?

"Even with early warning, the Empire's most elite reconnaissance squad couldn't even delay the enemy's deployment and was almost instantly defeated."

"Those were just four Purifier units! The rule-annihilating weapons and energy defenses they displayed are completely beyond the scope of our current spells and equipment."

"A direct confrontation will only increase casualties."

A brief silence fell over the council chamber.

The Imperial general and the head of the combat department looked even more grim, but they couldn't refute it.

Master Aldrich is stating a harsh truth.

"Any new information from the arbitrator?" Ms. Serena broke the silence, looking at the technical team representative responsible for maintaining contact with the maintainer's outpost, a young witch wearing thick glasses.

The witch adjusted her glasses and quickly flipped through the record crystal in her hand: "After the firefight, we immediately contacted Border Patrol Outpost 7 through the reserved emergency channel."

"The arbitrator responded that he had received signals of activity from the Purifier unit in the relevant area, but the other party had not communicated its intention to take action."

"The arbitrator stated that, based on his logical judgment, the Purifier's deployment this time was likely a preliminary preparation for a standard purification procedure in response to the continued increase in the activity of the aberrant and the spread of the surrounding death and corruption energy."

"The arbitrator expressed regret over the attack on Imperial personnel, but emphasized that he had no right to interfere with the independent action logic of the Purifier units."

What are the preparations for a standard purification procedure?

In other words, the Purifiers are really planning to take action against the Throat of the Dead!

Moreover, they seem completely unconcerned about attacking Imperial personnel, or perhaps they consider it part of clearing obstacles.

"How do they plan to purify it?" Roland couldn't help but ask.

As the only person who had close contact with the Purifier, he was qualified to speak on this occasion.

All eyes turned to him.

"Based on the limited records in the Arbitrator's database and the energy characteristics analysis of the devices currently deployed by the Purifiers," the tech wizard replied.

Possible purification methods include:

First, a high-energy-level rule resonance attack attempts to directly erase or reset the core structure of the aberration at the rule level.

Second, regional spatial isolation and energy extraction temporarily or permanently cut the entire Throat of the Dead area out of the scorching hell fragments and banish it to an unstable space or energy void.

Third, deploy rule-neutralizing agents or spiritual purification fields to attempt to slowly decompose and purify the aberrations and surrounding contamination. The specific type or combination of these methods used depends on the purifier's assessment of the target's threat level and purification efficiency.

Either way, it would be devastating for the Throat of the Dead area.

It could even affect a larger surrounding area!

If the Purifiers determine that the entire fragment of the Scorching Hell is contaminated and needs to be cleaned—the consequences would be unimaginable!

"How long will it take for the devices they deploy to be completed?" Master Veranika asked.

"Based on remote observations from the front lines and energy model projections, preliminary estimates suggest that at the current pace, it will take approximately three to five days to complete the basic deployment and energy recharging," the technology wizard replied.

"The purification process may be activated at any time afterward."

Three to five days!

Time is of the essence!