Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 297 The Parliament's Ship Has Arrived

Rowling slept very soundly.

Excessive mental exertion caused consciousness to sink into the dark seabed, completely blocking perception and leaving only the most instinctive physiological rhythms.

It wasn't until a familiar, warm, and peaceful rhythm, like a warm current rising from the deep sea, slowly enveloped his weary consciousness, that he was gradually pulled back to the edge of clarity.

It was that small, milky-white pebble.

When stored close to the body, it continuously emits a gentle and stable energy, nourishing depleted mental energy.

My eyelids were heavily lifted open, leaving only a small gap.

The room was still bathed in the dim, constant light of night, and it was impossible to tell how much time had passed.

Ellie was asleep, her head resting on the small table beside the bed, her breathing even.

Duan Yu and Lan Yu huddled together on the cattail mat on the windowsill, their eyes closed.

Baha remained crouched in the shadows above the doorway, his six eyes half-open and half-closed.

Luo Lin took a deep breath and felt that the throbbing pain in his brain had subsided by more than half. Although he was still somewhat weak, he had at least regained his basic thinking and perception abilities.

He quietly checked his physical condition.

The external wound has scabbed over, and the internal pain has almost disappeared.

The star power has recovered to about 80%, and it is flowing slowly and steadily through the body.

Most importantly, the newly acquired protocol interference amulet was quietly placed against his chest.

Even through the clothes, you can feel its slightly cool temperature and its unique, restrained, orderly fluctuations.

The mark on his wrist had completely disappeared, without any further movement.

Successful.

At least the first step was successful.

He carefully sat up without disturbing Ellie, walked to the table, poured himself a glass of water, and slowly drank it.

The cool water slid down my throat, taking away the lingering dryness.

Bruno's craftsmanship and the value of that dark purple, regular-shaped substrate exceeded expectations.

The fragmented streams of information that flooded in when the amulet was being made are now resurfacing in my mind. Although they are still chaotic, certain keywords and fragments are exceptionally clear.

"Purification Protocol," "Retrieval Instruction," "Benevolent Mutant," "Observer Log"—and that cold, impersonal "Permission Verification Passed"—.

These terms point to a vast, ancient, and purposeful system.

The Observer civilization appears to be carrying out some kind of purification protocol, and the benign mutants likely refer to life forms like the Moonflower that survived ancient experiments and underwent benign rule fusion, and are now targeted for retrieval.

Because of his deep connection with the Moon Silver Flower, he was also marked as a carrier.

As for the 7,422nd log entry, its contents are unknown, but the number itself indicates that the observer civilization left behind a great many records and interventions.

Temporary access permissions — this term is the most intriguing.

Why would that rule-based substrate grant itself temporary permissions?

Was it because I used tags to input instructions in the protocol format?

Or is it because during the creation of the talisman, one's spiritual power and the core of the substrate produced some kind of special interaction that was considered legitimate by default?

In any case, this temporary permission is key to the successful creation and binding of the amulet.

This also means that one's use and resistance to the observer's legacy are not without rules; there seems to be some loophole in the rules that can be exploited.

My thoughts are gradually becoming clearer.

The next steps also need to be adjusted.

The Whispering Council and Dustwind Plains remain the destinations, but before that, we must make the most of our time in the sunken town to gather more information about the Observer Civilization, the Purification Protocol, and the deeper secrets of this world.

The arrival of the supply ship presented an opportunity.

And Morpheus.

The administrator of this sunken town seems to know quite a lot.

I must see him today, partly to inform him that the amulet has been successfully made, and partly to test whether he possesses any more valuable information.

Some unusual noises could be faintly heard outside the window, seemingly more noisy than usual voices and the dull thuds of heavy objects being moved, coming from the direction of the dock further away.

The supply ship may have arrived ahead of schedule, or it may be approaching.

Luo Lin put down his water glass, walked to the window, and looked out through the sealed ventilation hole in the rock wall.

The streets seemed more crowded than usual, with many people walking briskly toward the dock, their faces showing either anticipation or calculation.

"Mr. Rowling? You're awake?"

Ellie was awakened by the slight noise. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. Seeing Rowling standing by the window, she quickly walked over.

"How are you feeling? Have you recovered your energy?"

"Much better." Rowling turned around. "It seems quite lively outside."

"Yes!" Ellie nodded, a hint of excitement on her face. "When I went out to fetch water this morning, I heard people say that the Secret Language Council's supply ship docked before dawn!"

"Unloading is underway now!"

"Many people went to the pier to see what was going on, or to see if they could buy some good stuff in advance!"

We arrived just as expected.

It was faster than expected.

"Get ready, we'll go see the Morpheus administrator first," Rowling said, "and then we'll go check out the docks."

The two quickly tidied themselves up.

Rolin changed into a relatively clean gray robe, still covering his mouth and nose, and wore the protocol interference amulet close to his body, with the adamantite dagger tucked into his waistband.

Ellie dressed similarly, leaving the two rainbow finches in the room and only taking Baha with her.

Leaving my dwelling, the hustle and bustle of the streets became even more pronounced.

The flow of people almost all rushed in the same direction to the simple dock on the west side of the town that connects to the underground river.

In addition to the usual stench of decay, the air carried a hint of fresh moisture from the river and earth, as well as subtle scents of food, spices, and metal.

Instead of going to the docks, Rowling led Ellie towards the stone building where the manager, Morpheus, was located.

At the entrance of the stone building, two members of the Shadow Hand still stood like statues.

Seeing Luo Lin approach, one of them nodded slightly, as if he had already been instructed, and stepped aside to make way.

Pushing open the door to enter the hall, Morpheus was sitting behind his large wooden table, with a new roll of parchment spread out in front of him, and a quill pen in his hand, writing something.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Rolling, Ellie, you've come at the right time." He put down his pen, gestured to the chair opposite him, and said, "Sit down. I heard you went out to gather materials yesterday? How was it?"

Rowling sat down opposite him, and Ellie stood quietly beside him.

"Some gains have been made, and some troubles have been resolved," Rowling said calmly, without going into details, but he raised his left hand, and there were no unusual markings on his wrist at the moment.

Morpheus's gaze lingered on his wrist for a moment, a hint of understanding and approval flashing in his eyes: "It seems that old dwarf Bruno hasn't lost his skills. Very efficient."

He clearly knew that Rowling had gone to Bruno, and he probably guessed part of it.

As the administrator of the sunken town, his intelligence network is not to be underestimated.

"I also want to thank the administrators for the convenience and information they provided," Rowling said. "I heard the supply ship has arrived?"

"We've arrived, and they're unloading now." Morpheus nodded, leaning back slightly in his chair. "This time, the team is led by Hawke, the Shield of the Secret Language Council, a fourth-ring defense-specialized wizard. He's fairly upright, but not easily fooled."

"In addition to the usual supplies, the ship is said to be carrying a shipment of sensitive goods acquired from the Dustwind Plains and further north, as well as — a few special passengers."

He paused, then looked at Rolin: "How much do you know about the Secret Language Council?"

"I've only heard of it by name, and I know it's a relatively free and practical wizarding organization," Rowling answered truthfully.

Morpheus smiled, took a thin booklet wrapped in waterproof oil paper from the drawer, and pushed it in front of Rowling.

"This is some basic information about the Secret Council, including their organizational structure, main research areas, sphere of influence in the Dustwind Plains, and information on several key members."

"You can take a look."

Roland took the booklet but didn't open it immediately. "The administrators want me to join the Secret Council?"

"It's a good choice," Morpheus said slowly. "Internal strife within the Shadow Raven Tower is intensifying, with the rise of the isolationist and radical factions, putting Master Veranica and her research group in a difficult position."

"If you stay within the Santa system, especially with that sensitive information, you're likely to get caught up in the maelstrom and even become a target."

"Although the Secret Language Council is not as large as the Holy Tower, its internal atmosphere is more relaxed and more accepting of unconventional research and knowledge."

"With your abilities and experience, it will be easier for you to find a foothold and room for growth there."

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "Moreover, the Secret Language Council has always been interested in studying ancient heritage and rule anomalies."

"Your presence with information about the Observer Civilization and the Purification Protocol is itself a valuable pledge of allegiance."

"Of course, how to disclose and how much to disclose requires skill."

37

Rowling listened quietly.

Morpheus's analysis was largely consistent with his own judgment.

The Secret Council is indeed a relatively ideal place at this stage.