Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 296 completed, master recognition successful.

A burst of blue and white lightning suddenly shot out!

The fragments trembled violently, as if trying to break free of the clamps!

A fine layer of frost immediately condensed on the surface of the Frost-Patterned Star Silver, fiercely resisting the electric light!

Bruno let out a low growl and slammed his left hand down on a nearby mechanism.

A metal ring popped out from under the worktable, firmly securing the fragments and the Star Silver blank together.

At the same time, he picked up a tool with tiny sapphire fragments at the top, resembling an engraving pen, and stared intently at the main lines on the surface of the fragment where the energy flow was most concentrated and relatively stable.

He muttered incantations, and the tip of the engraving pen glowed faintly. At an extremely fast speed, he engraved complex and precise energy-conducting runes on the surface of the cold-patterned star silver blank, following the direction of the energy lines of the fragments!

Each stroke was accompanied by a fierce clash of energy and a subtle popping sound. Bruno's forehead was instantly covered in sweat, his single eye remained unblinking through his glasses, and his arm was as steady as a rock.

Rolin could feel the resonance from the wrist mark fluctuating in strength. He tried his best to maintain a stable output from the mark, providing Bruno with the clearest "positioning reference".

Time ticked by in the tense silence. The only sounds were the faint scratching of the brush, the hissing of energy clashing, and Bruno's heavy breathing.

It took nearly half an hour to complete the initial connection of the energy-conducting runes for the first fragment.

When the last stroke was completed, the energy conflict between the fragment and the cold-patterned star silver was significantly reduced. The blue-white lightning was bound within the rune lines, flowing orderly instead of splashing wildly.

Bruno let out a long breath, wiped the sweat from his brow, but his single eye was filled with excitement. "First step done! Damn, that was awesome!"

'

He rested briefly, drank some water, and immediately began working on the second piece of debris.

The same process, the same thrills.

With the experience from the first time, Bruno's movements became more skillful, but the energy reaction of the fragments was slightly different each time, requiring him to adjust the angle and intensity of the runes at any time.

Rowling gradually found a rhythm to maintain the resonance of the markers, neither overstimulating the fragments nor failing to provide clear guidance.

When the third fragment successfully connected with the Cold Pattern Star Silver, the three fragments were arranged in a triangle. Energy was interconnected and flowed through the etched rune network, eventually converging in the reserved space in the center. Nearly two hours had passed by then.

On the workbench, the raw material of cold-patterned star silver, which had undergone preliminary processing, had now changed its appearance.

Three stable blue-white halos are faintly visible inside, connected by a network of glowing runes. The whole thing exudes a restrained and orderly energy fluctuation, no longer violent.

"Basic energy array complete!"

Bruno's voice was a little hoarse, but he was in high spirits.

"Take a 15-minute break, then work on this crucial, standardized substrate!"

He picked up the small box containing the dark purple flakes, his expression grave.

"This thing is too sophisticated; I'll have to use my most secret skills."

Fifteen minutes later, Bruno brought out a smaller, but unusually complex and precise miniature worktable from the inner room, made of crystal, metal, and the skeleton of an unidentified organism.

He fixed the dark purple sheet to the center of the table with the softest spider silk, and then took out a set of engraving needles as thin as hair, made of mithril.

"Kid, this is the crucial part. I'm going to try etching interface runes that connect to the energy array along the edge of this substrate."

"This thing is too orderly. My engraving needle can only follow the gaps in its own patterns without the slightest deviation."

"What you need to do is make your markings resonate with this substrate in a very subtle and peaceful way, so that I can illuminate the most suitable engraving points."

Bruno's tone was more serious than ever before. "Remember, always stay calm!"

"It must not be accompanied by any coercive or aggressive intent!"

"This thing is far smarter and more sensitive than those energy fragments!"

Rowling nodded, walked to the miniature workbench, and stretched out his left hand, his wrist hovering above the thin sheet.

He took a deep breath, calming his mind completely. The power of [Quiet Dust Star] flowed slowly, soothing all distracting thoughts and emotions.

Then, he carefully channeled the gentlest and purest intention of inquiry and contact into the mark on his wrist.

The marker glowed faintly, with a soft light.

The dark purple sheet below seemed to have slightly faster flow of its surface texture, but the overall movement remained stable.

"Yes! That's it! Keep it up!"

Bruno held his breath, his single eye almost touching the thin sheet. The mithril engraving needle in his hand shone with an extremely refined silver light. He aimed at a tiny gap where the patterns intersected on the edge of the thin sheet and slowly pierced it.

The moment the needle tip touched the thin sheet, Rolin felt a strange tremor emanating from the wrist mark, as if it had been "watched" by some extremely ancient and precise being.

But that sense of being watched was fleeting, devoid of malice, only a pure, cold scrutiny.

Bruno's engraving needle steadily traced the gaps in the pattern, carving a silver line several times thinner than a strand of hair.

The thin slice did not react violently; the texture continued to flow.

The first step was a success!

Bruno was greatly encouraged, and his movements became more steady and precise.

Rowling maintained that peaceful resonance, like the most patient lighthouse, guiding the way.

Tiny interface runes were gradually etched out along the edge of the thin sheet, subtly connecting with the complex patterns in the center without interfering with its operation.

This process is more mentally and physically demanding than dealing with energy fragments.

When the last interface rune was completed, Rolin felt that most of his mental energy had been consumed, and fine sweat had appeared on his forehead.

Bruno slumped into a chair next to him, panting heavily, but his face was full of a sense of accomplishment.

"Interface complete — Now, the final step: connecting the energy array to the rule substrate, and — your mental energy trigger."

Bruno rested for a few minutes, then stood up again, his eyes filled with a resolute determination to go all out.

"Kid, bring over that half-finished energy array and align it with the interface groove under the substrate."

Luo Lin picked up the now-stable Cold Pattern Star Silver Energy Array, and sure enough, there were three tiny raised interfaces on the bottom.

He carefully aligned the array with the three corresponding grooves etched beneath the dark purple sheet.

"Put it down slowly—yes—keep it steady—" Bruno instructed anxiously.

As the interfaces are fully aligned, the array slowly descends, making contact with the thin sheet at the instant.

hum! ! !

An invisible ripple of energy suddenly spread out from the thin sheet and array!

The tools on the workbench vibrated slightly!

The mark on Rowling's wrist shone brightly!

The milky white pebbles in my arms also resonated with a warm, gentle sound!

The patterns on the dark purple sheet lit up instantly, like an activated star map!

The blue-white energy provided by the three energy fragments surged into the thin sheet along the rune network. After being adjusted and transformed by those complex patterns, it output a more condensed, more orderly, and dark golden energy flow with a special rhythm, which in turn poured back into the energy array, forming a perfect cycle!

The entire composite, based on Frost-Patterned Star Silver, with energy fragments as its source and a regular substrate as its core, began to emit a stable...

A restrained yet complex fluctuation of power!

"Now! Kid! Use your mental power to gently touch the core substrate! Establish an initial connection!" Bruno roared.

Without hesitation, Luo Lin concentrated his remaining mental energy, transforming it into a gentle tentacle, and softly reached out towards the dark purple sheet that was in operation.

The moment they made contact, a flood of cold, orderly fragments of information surged into his consciousness like a tidal wave!

It's not an attack, but rather a process of authentication and protocol interaction!

This information is disorganized and complex, mostly consisting of incomplete instruction codes, status reports, and coordinate data—among which several specific high-frequency terms repeatedly appear: "purification protocol," "recovery instruction," "benign mutant," and "observer log—entry number 7422"—

At the same time, the mark on his wrist flashed intensely, resonating strongly with the core of the thin slice and—to some extent—synchronizing with it!

Luo Lin felt as if his mind had been pulled into a cold space composed of countless geometric shapes and data streams, where a vague, inhuman voice was repeatedly asking: "Authentication — Command Permission Confirmation — Request Final Command —"

He suppressed the dizziness brought on by the information overload, concentrated all his will, and transmitted the simplest and clearest thought: "Establish a temporary protocol connection. Mark the carrier, Rolin."

"Instruction: Hide your own marking signals and disguise yourself as a harmless target."

This idea borrows from certain existing protocol frameworks and instruction formats in the incoming information.

The cold, inhuman voice remained silent for a moment, while the data stream flickered wildly.

"Command received — Protocol frame symbol — Authorization verification — Pass — Execute command: Generate protocol interference charm — Bind target: Rolin —"

boom!

All the information flow and the cold, impersonal space vanished instantly!

Luo Lin swayed, took a half step back, and steadied himself by holding onto the worktable.

My brain was throbbing with pain, and my mental energy was almost completely depleted.

On the workbench, the composite had already taken full shape.

A palm-sized, irregularly polygonal piece, primarily dark silver in color, with three stable blue-white halos embedded within.

At its core, a metal amulet with slowly flowing dark purple patterns lay quietly.

The amulet's surface naturally formed intricate and beautiful patterns, radiating a gentle and restrained dark golden luster, subtly connected to the mark on Rolin's wrist that had completely calmed down.

Bruno stared wide-eyed at the amulet, then at the pale-faced Rolin, and murmured, "It...it succeeded? And...it even bound itself to a one-time agreement?"

Luo Lin took a few breaths and picked up the amulet. It felt slightly cool and heavy to the touch.

He could clearly feel that as long as he had a thought and activated the talisman, he could create a temporary interference field around himself that was designed to target specific protocol signals.

It's unclear how long the effects will last, but at least it's a guarantee.

More importantly, the fragments of information that flooded in during the production process, though incomplete, revealed a chilling truth: purification protocol, recycling instructions, benign mutants—these terms undoubtedly point to the true purpose behind the observer's legacy, as well as the situation of Yue Yinhua and herself!

"How long can this thing last?" Rowling asked.

"It depends on the intensity of use." Bruno also came to his senses and leaned closer to examine the amulet. "Judging from the fluctuations just now, if it's activated at full power, it might only last for a few minutes to a dozen minutes."

"But if you wear it normally, maintaining only the minimum passive interference and camouflage, the consumption will be much less, and it may last for several months or even longer."

"Moreover, the core of this thing is that regular substrate, which should be able to be recharged as long as there is a suitable energy source."

"Of course, we need to do actual testing to find out."

He paused, looking at Luo Lin with a mixture of amazement and lingering fear in his single eye: "Kid, what exactly did you see just now?"

"When this thing was finished, the smell of an agreement it exuded was even more authentic than those lumps of iron!"

Roland carefully put the amulet away, not answering Bruno's question, but simply saying, "The reward. What do you need?"

Bruno waved his hand, pointing to the remaining scraps on the workbench and the nearly disassembled metal arm: "I can study the scraps of those energy fragments and the rest of this arm."

"This was an eye-opening experience; it was worth the ticket price."

"However—" he stroked his red beard, "if you ever come across any interesting ancient junk in the future, remember to bring it to me first."

"Definitely." Roland nodded, feeling his mental energy recover somewhat, and prepared to take his leave. "Thank you."

"Get out of here, I need to pack up and study these scraps."

Bruno waved his hand impatiently, but a smile played on his lips.

Luo Lin said no more and turned to leave the blacksmith shop.

The night outside seemed even deeper, and there were hardly any pedestrians on the streets, except for the occasional heavy footsteps of the Shadow Hand patrol in the distance.

Rowling hurried back to his dwelling.

When Ellie knocked on the door and saw that he had returned safely, she visibly breathed a sigh of relief, but then she became nervous again when she saw the undisguised exhaustion on his face.

"It's ready." Roland took out the protocol interference amulet and showed it to her, then carefully placed it close to his body. "I need to rest for a bit."

"We'll go see Morpheus first thing tomorrow morning."

"Then, prepare to receive the supply ship."

He lay down on the bed and almost immediately fell into a deep sleep.

Mental exhaustion is harder to recover from than physical fatigue.

Ellie gently covered him with a blanket, then sat by the bed, watching over him, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

There was a sense of relief, a sense of worry, and also a sense of admiration as I watched Luo Lin move forward step by step through the crisis and grow stronger.

She knew that getting this amulet only solved an immediate problem.

The real threats hidden behind ancient agreements and cold creations have probably only just begun to surface.