Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 269 Travels

Late at night.

Lorin told Ellie to rest first, while he kept watch and slowly circulated his star power to nourish his slightly damaged body, while also digesting the insights brought by the [Star Power Tide].

The first day in the wilderness passed quietly amidst such tension, danger, training, and harvest.

Under the starlight, the road ahead is still long.

But at least, they took their first step steadily on this cruel and vast land.

The next morning, as the first rays of real sunlight pierced through the leaden clouds and illuminated the camp, Rowling had already finished his routine light meditation.

The tingling sensation in my body has mostly disappeared, and my mental state is even clearer and more stable than yesterday.

Ellie woke up early, and after a quick wash, she couldn't wait to try the morning energy cycle of the "Azure Wood Spiritual Art".

Although it was still slow and awkward, it was noticeably smoother than last night, and I could feel the energy seed in my abdomen growing a little stronger.

After a quick breakfast, the two packed up their campsite and continued heading northwest.

As the altitude increases, the air becomes colder and thinner, and the wind howls through the cracks in the rocks, carrying a hint of lament.

The vegetation on the ground is becoming increasingly sparse, leaving only some moss clinging to the ground and shrubs with extremely cold-resistant leaves that resemble fine needles.

Huge black rocks are everywhere, in various shapes, some of them looking as if they were casually thrown here by an invisible giant hand.

The terrain also became rugged.

They need to climb steep slopes, traverse rock ridges, or squeeze through narrow rock crevices from time to time.

Rowling walked steadily, always finding relatively easy routes, while constantly instructing Ellie on how to conserve energy and maintain balance in this terrain.

Ellie learned quickly; her initial clumsiness and panting were gradually replaced by a steady focus on each step she took.

She discovered that by focusing on the act of walking itself, she could more clearly feel the subtle flow of natural energy within her body with each breath and step.

After walking for about an hour, a rather steep stone slope appeared ahead.

The slope was covered with weathered gravel, making it easy to slip and fall.

Rowling observed the slope and the texture of the rocks, then turned to Ellie and said, "This path is not easy to walk on. Stay close to my footing and make sure you take each step firmly."

"If you feel yourself about to slip, immediately grab onto the rocks next to you to steady yourself, don't panic."

"Mmm!" Ellie took a deep breath and nodded.

Luo Lin was the first to step onto the stone slope.

His steps seemed casual, but each step landed precisely on a relatively stable protrusion or depression, and his center of gravity was maintained extremely well, like that of a nimble goat.

Ellie followed carefully behind him, mimicking his movements with complete concentration.

Halfway up the mountain, a rock under Ellie's feet suddenly came loose!

"Ah!" she cried out, her body instantly losing its balance and sliding downwards to the side!

In that split second, Ellie instinctively reached out and grabbed a protruding, moss-covered rock ridge next to her!

The sharp edges of the rocks hurt her palms, but she held on tightly, and with her other hand she haphazardly clung to the rock face, barely managing to stop her slide.

My heart was pounding wildly, and I broke out in a cold sweat.

Luo Lin, who was walking ahead, noticed the abnormality almost the instant the stone loosened.

He didn't turn around, his voice came calmly: "Don't panic, hold on tight."

"Adjust your breathing, move your left foot half a foot to the lower left, there's a small pit there."

Ellie did as she was told and found a small indentation in the lower left corner that she could barely step into.

After regaining her balance, she adjusted her posture little by little and found her equilibrium again.

"Keep going, don't stop." Luo Lin's voice came again, still steady, as if the previous thrill was just a minor incident.

Ellie gritted her teeth, enduring the pain in her palms, and continued climbing upwards.

This time she was more careful, testing each step carefully before exerting force.

Finally, the two of them climbed to the top of the rocky slope.

Ellie plopped down on the ground, panting heavily. She opened her palms, revealing several deep red marks from the sharp edges of the rocks, some of which were broken and bleeding.

Luo Lin walked over, glanced at her hand, and took out a small bottle of pale green ointment from his package.

"Apply it yourself. Next time you encounter a similar situation, use the base of your palm and your fingertips to grip the object. This will help distribute the pressure better and reduce chafing."

Ellie took the ointment, thanked her softly, and carefully applied it to the wound.

The ointment was cooling and quickly relieved the burning pain.

"You reacted well just now. Staying calm under pressure is an important quality for wilderness survival," Luo Lin commented, his tone tinged with approval. "Remember that feeling. When danger strikes, fear is useless; only calm judgment and decisive action can save your life."

Ellie nodded vigorously, making sure she remembered those words. Although she had suffered a minor injury, successfully handling the unexpected situation gave her more confidence.

After resting for a while, the two continued on their way.

After crossing this rocky slope, the view ahead suddenly opens up.

They stood on a relatively gentle ridge, with a wide valley surrounded by mountains in front of them.

The valley is not completely barren; there are large areas of withered yellow grass that still show traces of what was once meadows, and even a few scattered springs and streams that have long since dried up.

In the center of the valley, near the foot of the mountain on the north side, stand some building ruins that are clearly not naturally formed and have mostly collapsed!

The ruins were built of grayish-white boulders in a simple and rugged style, with most of them consisting of only half a wall or a toppled pillar, covered with thick moss and vines.

Judging from its size and layout, it resembles the ruins of a small outpost, temple, or ancient settlement.

"Remains—" Ellie murmured, gazing at the ruins.

Rowling's gaze also fell on the ruins, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

Master Veranica's notebook mentions that the Sighing Mountains, as an ancient region, are indeed scattered with many ancient relics. Some are border outposts or mining camps left by ancient human kingdoms, while others may involve even older and more mysterious civilizations.

Such places often mean danger.

There may be ancient traps, remnants of magic circles, or monsters attracted to and entrenched by the ruins.

But it may also hide opportunities, such as undiscovered ancient artifacts, energy nodes, or valuable documentary clues.

"Let's go take a look," Rowling decided. "Stay alert, and stay ten steps behind me."

"Pay attention to any unusual patterns or energy fluctuations on the ground and walls."

The two descended along the ridge into the valley and cautiously approached the ruins.

The closer you get, the more you can feel the ruins' decay and the erosion of time.

Most of the stones are covered with traces of weathering and water erosion, and some walls have completely collapsed, leaving piles of rubble.

The air was filled with the smell of damp moss and stale dust.

Rowling stopped about two kilometers away from the nearest half-collapsed stone house and gestured for Ellie to stop as well.

He did not rush in, but instead slowly moved around the perimeter of the ruins, carefully observing them.

The power of [Quiet Dust Star] spread out, sensing the flow of energy in the air.

The energy background within the ruins is more chaotic than outside, carrying an ancient inertia of sedimentation, but without obvious aggressive or polluting fluctuations.

A glance swept across the ruins, but no signs of life were found, nor were any flashing runes or suspicious halos of energy.

However, in some crevices and corners, I saw some animal droppings and paw prints, indicating that ordinary creatures had used this place as their habitat.

Initial assessments suggest there is no immediate or apparent threat.

Rowling walked toward the half-collapsed stone house.

The stone house had only two walls and a sloping roof remaining. The interior space was small, with pebbles and withered leaves piled on the floor. He carefully stepped over the threshold, his gaze sweeping across the interior.

In the corner, a half-buried metal object, rusted beyond recognition, caught his attention.

He walked over and carefully brushed away the soil with his short blade.

It was a flat metal box about the size of a palm, its surface covered with reddish-brown rust, and its edges were somewhat deformed, but it was generally intact.

On the box lid, one can vaguely see a mark resembling a bird with outstretched wings.

Rowling picked up the metal box; it was heavy in his hand. He tried to open it, but the lid seemed to be rusted shut.

He didn't force it open and put the box away. Perhaps this kind of clearly marked ancient item could be appraised later, or its origin could be deduced from the engravings on it.

After leaving the stone house, Rolin inspected several other nearby buildings that had collapsed even more severely. Apart from some broken pottery shards and completely rotten wood, he found nothing of value.

It seems that this site has been explored by countless people, or perhaps nothing was ever left behind.

Just as Rowling was about to call Ellie away to check the structure on the other side, which looked a little better preserved and resembled the base of a small tower, Baha, who had been quietly perched on his shoulder, suddenly let out a short, sharp cry!

Six eyes turned in unison towards the depths of the ruins, towards a particularly tall pile of rubble further behind the tower's base—almost simultaneously, Roland also sensed it!