Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 294 Returning to the Town

He adjusted his breathing, and the star power within his body surged wildly, pouring into his limbs.

Then, like the most resilient gecko, it began to move upwards little by little on the nearly vertical, constantly falling, soft, collapsed surface!

Every single step was incredibly difficult.

The soft soil and gravel could not provide a stable foothold. One could only rely on the short blade and fingers to penetrate deep into the relatively solid rock layers, as well as the subtle manipulation of the surrounding air by the [Starflow Aquatic Field] to help maintain balance and reduce the burden.

Sweat mixed with dust rolled down his forehead, blurring his vision.

The cuts on my back from the rubble stung terribly.

But the movement was not slowed down at all.

One meter — half a meter —

Finally, my finger touched the relatively intact protruding rock at the edge of the cave entrance!

Luo Lin let out a low roar, unleashing his full power as he pulled his arms up sharply and simultaneously pushed off the cave wall with his legs!

His body shot out like an arrow, darting through the narrow gap that could only accommodate one person at a time!

Just as his upper body emerged from the cave entrance, Boom!

A deafening roar like thunder came from below, and the ground suddenly sank!

The pit was completely buried by the collapsed soil and rocks, leaving only a shallow, still steaming depression.

Luo Lin collapsed onto the rocky slope, panting heavily, his mouth and nose filled with the smell of dust and burnt food.

I felt a sharp pain in my back, but after a physical examination, I found that apart from some abrasions and minor bruises, I was fine.

Baha cried anxiously, swooped down from the air, and landed beside him, gently pecking at his shoulder with its beak.

Luo Lin waved his hand, indicating that he was fine.

He struggled to sit up, looked at the now-vanished crater, and touched the two containment boxes in his arms.

The box is intact, and the contents should be fine too.

This adventure was worth it.

Not only did they obtain far more homologous fragments with higher activity than expected, but they may even have obtained something more core.

Moreover, completely destroying this unstable energy node also eliminates a potential hidden danger.

He rested for a moment until his breathing calmed down, then quickly got up, cleaned up the obvious marks on his body, and then determined his direction, preparing to return to the sunken town.

I had only taken a few steps when the mark on my wrist suddenly sent a very faint but incredibly clear pulse!

It wasn't a burning pain, nor a resonance, but a kind of—a cold touch, as if I had been "scanned" by something!

Direction — from the northwest!

Luo Lin suddenly stopped and turned his head sharply, looking in the direction of the gray fog depression.

Is it just my imagination?

Or perhaps it was something in that direction that sensed the complete disappearance of the energy node here, or perhaps it sensed the newly acquired core fragment within itself?

A chill crept up my spine.

It seems that what lies deep within the gray fog depression is more "sensitive" and more—dangerous—than expected.

We must return to the town as soon as possible, deal with these fragments, and improve our strength.

The gray fog depression should absolutely not be provoked again in the short term.

He didn't linger, quickened his pace, and his figure quickly disappeared into the scorched, desolate, rocky slopes of the wrecked land, heading swiftly towards the sunken town.

The gloom of the swamp seemed to remain forever unchanged.

It took more than two hours to get there, but on the way back, because I was familiar with the route and eager to get home, it only took about an hour and a half. The faint lights and voices at the entrance of the cave to the sunken town were already in sight.

Rowling did not go back directly through that drainage hole.

It's too secluded there; it's easy for someone to target us.

He took a detour and entered the town through another, relatively common entrance, one that was occasionally patrolled by members of the Shadow Hands.

The town remained as bustling as ever, as if the few hours he had been gone were just an illusion.

The humid air, the mixed smells, the muddy streets, the diverse pedestrians—everything was exactly the same as when I left.

Rowling relaxed slightly, but his vigilance remained.

He lowered his head, wrapped his cloak tighter around himself, and strode quickly down the alleyway toward the old mole's dwelling.

Back at the room door, I gently knocked on the door in the agreed-upon rhythm.

Ellie's alert voice immediately came from inside: "Who's there?"

"It's me," Rowling said in a low voice.

The door opened a crack, and Ellie's face appeared behind it. Seeing it was Rowling, her eyes lit up with surprise and joy, and she quickly pulled the door open: "Mr. Rowling! You're back!"

She quickly stepped aside, and after Rolin and Baha went inside, she immediately closed the door, locked it, and checked the windows again.

Rowling removed the cloth covering his face, let out a long sigh, and took off his cloak, which was covered in dust and sweat.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Ellie looked Rolin up and down anxiously, and her expression changed when she saw the tear and bloodstains on his back.

"It's just a superficial wound, nothing serious."

Luo Lin waved his hand, walked to the table and sat down. He first drank a large glass of water, and only then did he feel that the dryness in his throat and the taste of dust were relieved.

"During my absence, has anything unusual happened in the town?"

Seeing that he didn't seem seriously injured, Ellie was slightly relieved. While getting a clean cloth and water to treat his wounds, she quickly said, "It wasn't anything serious."

"The old mole came by once in the evening and asked where you had been. I told him you had gone to collect some rare swamp moss nearby."

He muttered a few words and then left.

"Over at the market, I heard that this afternoon people got into another fight over a piece of junk that was dug up from the ruins, and two of them were captured by the Hand of Shadows."

"Also, the Secret Language Council's supply ship may have arrived ahead of schedule and will enter the dock no later than the day after tomorrow."

"The day after tomorrow?" Luo Lin raised an eyebrow. It was faster than he had expected.

"Yes, some people in the tavern are talking about seeing the lights of a fleet upstream in the swamp's underground river." Ellie handed a damp cloth to Rolin. "Once the supply ships arrive, the town will definitely be bustling with activity, and there will be a lot of goods and news from outside."

Luo Lin took the cloth, wiped the dust off his face, and quickly made a mental calculation.

The arrival of the supply ship means more trading opportunities, but it may also bring new variables.

He had to settle his affairs and confirm the next steps with Morpheus before the ship arrived.

"I understand." Roland nodded, took the two containment boxes out of his pocket, and placed them on the table.

"I gained something from this trip."

"The contents of this lead box are highly reactive and should meet Bruno's requirements."

"The purpose of this small box is not yet clear, but it may be a more core component."

Ellie looked at the two boxes with curiosity, especially the lead box that was still slightly warm and had runes shimmering on it.

"Inside here—"

"A core fragment of an ancient construct's energy node," Rowling explained briefly. "I need to make a trip to Rust and Spark immediately."

"You stay here and keep an eye on the news, especially specific information about the supply ship and its crew."

"Go now?" Ellie looked out the window. "Oh my god—uh, it seems even darker outside."

The sunken town has no real day and night, but the brightness of the luminous objects will periodically adjust to simulate the alternation of day and night.

The light has clearly switched to nighttime mode.

"The sooner we deal with it, the better." Roland covered his face again and put away the lead box and the small box. "This stuff is unstable; the longer it stays with us, the more trouble we'll cause."

"I will come back as soon as possible."

After instructing Ellie to lock the door, Rowling left the dwelling again.