Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 325 The Mysterious Pale Hand

Before me was a vast expanse of white.

The wind howled, whipping up snowflakes, and visibility was less than fifty meters.

Beneath our feet lay hard frozen ground and thick snow, while in the distance, the silhouettes of dark mountains loomed indistinctly.

The temperature plummeted, and breath turned to ice. Luo Lin immediately activated his star power to resist the extreme cold, while simultaneously scanning his surroundings warily.

"Defensive formation! Baal, advance to scout!" Master Evelyn's voice remained clear despite the wind and snow.

With a low growl, Baal charged into the snowstorm like a wild bear, his figure quickly becoming blurred.

The others quickly formed a circular formation, drew their weapons, lit their staffs, and vigilantly sensed their surroundings.

Rowling stood slightly behind Master Evelyn, with Bach perched on his shoulder, his six eyes constantly scanning like the most sophisticated scanner.

His spiritual power quietly spread, and the power of [Quiet Dust Star] made him exceptionally sensitive to the energy fluctuations around him.

The air was filled with chaotic energy particles, and the ice element was extremely active, but deeper down—there seemed to be a faint, but definitely not-belonging, cold fluctuation of order, as well as a faint, unsettling remnant of death magic.

From the direction of the ruins.

"Safe!" Baal's voice came through the snowstorm like a muffled thunder. "No recent biological activity detected."

"The energy readings are abnormal in the northeast direction, and the wind and snow are getting stronger."

Master Evelyn nodded and took out a compass-like instrument from her bosom. The pointer trembled violently and finally pointed northeast.

"We're on the right track! Conceal your breathing, stay alert, and let's go."

The team struggled to move forward amidst the raging wind and snow.

The snow was knee-deep, and every step required considerable effort.

The wind and snow not only obstructed visibility but also severely impaired perception.

Apart from Baal clearing the way like a rock, the others had to focus more on maintaining formation and resisting the cold.

Luo Lin maintained the power of the [Starflow Aquatic Field] around himself, forming a weak airflow barrier, slightly pushing away the wind and snow in front of him to make his vision clearer.

Star power is being consumed continuously, but it can still be sustained.

After walking for about an hour, the wind and snow seemed to have subsided a bit.

Ahead lay a massive, black, ice-cracked canyon, as if cleaved by a giant axe.

The canyon is bottomless, with steep and smooth ice walls on both sides.

"Marcus and his men's hideout is in a natural ice cave in the middle of the canyon." Master Evelyn consulted the map and instruments. "Baal, send the signal."

Baal took a horn from his waist, brought it to his lips, and played a deep and unique melody.

The sound echoed through the canyon, weakened by the wind and snow, but still possessed a certain penetrating power.

Wait a moment.

On the opposite ice wall, in an inconspicuous depression, the thick snow was lifted, and a figure emerged, waving vigorously in this direction.

found it.

The team carefully descended along the edge of the ice wall and entered the canyon.

The wind has weakened considerably here, but the light is much dimmer.

Upon arriving at the entrance to the ice cave, Marcus and several other survey team members were already waiting there.

They looked exhausted, with frostbite and weariness on their faces, but their eyes remained sharp.

The interior of the ice cave was shrouded in a simple magical barrier, and the temperature was slightly higher. Some supplies and sleeping bags were piled up inside.

"Master Evelyn!" Marcus visibly relaxed upon seeing the visitor, but then tensed up again. "You've come in person—the situation is worse than the message described."

"Let's go inside and talk." Master Evelyn led the way into the ice cave.

The interior of the ice cave is quite spacious, enough to accommodate everyone.

Priestess Sharna immediately began examining and treating several lightly injured team members, while the others took the time to rest and replenish their fluids and energy.

Marcus, without taking a break, spread out a hand-drawn map on the ground, covered with dense markings.

"This is where we are now." He pointed to the middle of the canyon. "The ruins are about fifteen kilometers to the northeast, in a basin known as the Dead Ice Field."

"In the center of the basin is that ruin, which is a huge dark gold metal dome half-buried underground, with an estimated diameter of more than 500 meters."

He drew a circle on the map with charcoal. "We're only scouting the perimeter."

"The entrance to the ruins is on the south side of the dome, a downward-sloping, frozen metal gate."

"The gate has been violently broken open by some force, and there are traces of melting on the edges. It must have been done by the pale hand."

"The fighting near the entrance was extremely fierce," Marcus said in a low voice. "We found the bodies of twenty-four members of the Pale Hand, and their deaths were... very strange."

"Some parts are instantly vaporized or cut by high temperatures, which is a typical attack method for observer units."

"But the other part, the corpses were intact, but lifeless, as if their souls had been ripped out, and their bodies were covered with a strong death magic, as if they had been devoured by their own people, or by something else."

"What about the remains of those observer units?" Master Evelyn asked.

"Three of them. The model is unlike anything I've ever seen before. They're larger than the Lesser Arbiters, with thicker armor and more complex weapon systems."

"But it was severely damaged; the armor was torn apart, the energy core was hollowed out, and there was a high concentration of death magic pollution inside."

"It's like it's being eroded and destroyed from the inside by something." Marcus's face showed a hint of unease. "We dare not approach to investigate. That death magic is highly corrupting, and even the protective barrier is being slowly eroded."

"What about the spatial passage?"

"Inside the broken gate, in the center of the ruins hall."

"It is a dark silver vortex, about three meters in diameter, suspended in mid-air, constantly twisting and rotating."

"The energy readings are extremely high and the fluctuations are extremely unstable, with tiny spatial cracks occasionally bursting out."

"The energy signature at the other end of the passage—it's terrifying, cold, orderly, and carries an absolute, unquestionable sense of authority." Marcus looked at Master Evelyn. "It's very similar to the aura of the purification protocol you described earlier, but—it's purer and more ancient."

Master Evelyn remained silent, her fingers lightly tapping on the circle representing the ruins on the map.

"The main force of the Pale Hand—has entered the passage?" she asked.

"Not sure." Marcus shook his head. "There were no signs of large-scale entry at the scene, but there are some faint footprints covered by snow pointing to a passage."

"We dare not get too close; we cannot confirm."

"But there's something strange—"

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts: "The distribution of the bodies of those Pale Hand members, and the location of the Observer unit's remains, doesn't look like an encounter."

"It's more like one side is trying to force their way in, and the other side is desperately trying to stop them."

"Furthermore, the remains of the observer units were all lying near the entrance to the passage, as if—guarding the passage."

Guarding the passage?

How to prevent the pale hand from entering?

This speculation made everyone frown.

"Any other discoveries?" Barr asked in a muffled voice.

Marcus thought for a moment: "We found some scattered metal fragments and rune remnants in the style of a non-observer civilization on the periphery of the ruins, with faint spatial guidance marks on them."

"It is suspected to be the remains of a tool used by the Pale Hand to locate or stabilize the passage."

"In addition, several concealed spell traps and warning arrays were found on the edge of the basin. The method was very sophisticated. They should be a backup plan left by the Pale Hand to prevent being followed or disturbed."

There's a lot of information, but it's also very confusing.

The Pale Hand found an observer's remnant and attempted to enter the spatial passage within it.

The observer units guarding the ruins engaged them in fierce combat, resulting in heavy losses on both sides.

The other end of the channel may be connected to an observer facility or master node that is still in operation.

So, what is the purpose of the Pale Hand?

Force your way into that node?

How dare they?

And on what basis do you think you can deal with the defenses and protocols that nodes may have?

Master Evelyn stood up, walked to the entrance of the ice cave, and looked at the howling wind and snow outside. Her gaze seemed to pierce through the distance and land on the ruins hidden beneath the desolate ice plain.

"Get ready. We'll depart in an hour for the ruins." She didn't turn around, her voice decisive. "Baal, you take two people and are responsible for clearing any Pale Hand traps and warning arrays along the way."

"Marcus, you know the terrain well, lead the way."

"Everyone else, remain on high alert."

Our task is: First, to confirm the condition of the passage and the risks at the other end;

Second, search for any surviving members of the Pale Hand or any intelligence.

Third, assess the heritage value and threat level;

Fourth, if conditions permit—try to close or seal that spatial passage.

She turned around, her gaze sweeping over everyone: "Remember, any anomalies related to the Observer Agreement, do not act rashly, report them immediately."

"Do not come into direct contact with anything contaminated by the magic of death."

"Our goal is to explore and contain, not to conquer."

"Preservation of oneself is the first priority."

"yes!"

The crowd agreed, and the atmosphere inside the ice cave became tense and oppressive.

Luo Lin leaned against the ice wall, silently checking his equipment and adjusting his state.

The interference amulet in his arms was slightly warm, while the mark on his wrist remained silent.

The ruins ahead, the unstable passage, and the unknown existence at the other end of the passage—

Everything will be revealed soon.

All he could do was grip the knife tightly, maintain absolute mental composure, and face what lay beneath the ice—

A battlefield where ancient order and death intertwine.