Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

A few days later, Lynn made another move, and the tree successfully advanced.

[Target: Corrupt Ancient Tree Guardians]

[Rank]: Level 5 Beginner (Catastrophe Level)

[Core Components]: Fragment of the Tree of Life (preserves some vitality), Condensed Essence of Death (strengthens death energy), Crystallized Earth Vein Essence (enhances rooting ability), Corrupted Ancient Tree Trunk (deep transformation).

[Skills and Traits]:

1. Twisted Vitality: The balance between life and death is more refined, possessing both plant-based self-healing abilities and necromancy-based energy resistance. During battle, you can actively switch between two focuses: [Vitality Mode] greatly increases self-healing speed, and [Death Mode] greatly increases attack power.

2. Rooted in the Earth: The rooting range expands to a radius of 100 meters, connecting to deeper layers of the earth's veins. During rooting, defense is increased by 200%, health regeneration speed is increased by 300%, and energy can be drawn from the earth to maintain its operation. After being rooted for a certain period of time, [Earth Vein Protection] will be activated, forming a protective barrier centered on the user.

3. Corruption Spreads: Once established, a corruption field automatically unfolds, gradually eroding the ground within a 200-meter radius. Enemy units continuously suffer negative effects such as life loss, sluggish energy flow, and worsening wounds. The longer the field exists, the stronger its effects become.

4. Life Drain Roots: Can extend up to fifty roots, simultaneously draining the life force of multiple targets. The draining speed is greatly increased, and those drained are left in a weakened state. The drained energy can be used to repair oneself or accelerate skill cooldown.

5. Rotten Spore Cloud: Releases a dense spore cloud covering a radius of 100 meters. Enemies within the spore cloud suffer poison damage every breath, have impaired vision, reduced mental awareness, and an increased chance of spellcasting failure. Spores can attach to enemies, continuously dealing damage and marking their location.

6. Poisonous Whip: The branches can transform into a poisonous whip up to thirty meters long, attacking up to ten targets simultaneously. Those hit suffer physical damage plus poison damage and have a chance to be paralyzed.

7. Cycle of Life and Death: Can be triggered when near death, transforming oneself into the "Seed of Reincarnation," immune to all damage and rapidly absorbing surrounding energy to reshape the body. During the reshaping process, one cannot move or attack, but can regenerate on the same spot after one day and night.

[Potential]: High. If a more complete Tree of Life Heart or a higher-level Death Essence can be obtained, there is a chance to evolve into lv6 [Ancient Tree of Life and Death - Guardian of Reincarnation].

...

After the corrupted ancient tree guardian was promoted, its appearance did not change much; it still had that twisted and ferocious look. However, Lynn could sense that its life essence had undergone a subtle change.

The most obvious one is the new ability—[Reincarnation].

When near death, it can transform into the "Seed of Reincarnation," becoming immune to all damage and reborn after one day and night.

Lynn stared at this ability for a long time.

This is an extremely terrifying ability.

What does this mean?

This means that as long as it isn't reduced to ashes, as long as it's left with a breath, it can be fully revived after one day.

Combined with its own [Earth Roots] and [Life Drain] abilities, this thing is practically indestructible.

One is tough enough, the other can rise from the dead; together, they're enough to instill despair in the enemy...

The Stone Golem is a "terrain monster," suitable for creating chaos, drawing fire, and clearing areas in legion battles.

The giant tree is an "undying monster," suitable for long-term garrisoning, attrition warfare, and protection of core areas.

With the two undead having completed their advancement, Lynn could be considered to have established himself as a second-circle wizard.

Next, before ending the garrison mission, I will do my best to analyze the "Scar of Truth," upgrade the undead legion, and strive to advance to the third ring, so as to accumulate more power for the future interdimensional war.

...

The following morning, a group of uninvited guests quietly approached the valley outside the Shadow Mine.

The leader was a middle-aged man dressed in a gray robe, surrounded by somewhat chaotic but still powerful energy fluctuations.

This person was actually a first-ring full-fledged wizard.

Hmm... he's also a "wild wizard".

He was followed by more than twenty people of mixed backgrounds.

There were young men and women wearing tattered apprentice robes, warriors dressed as mercenaries in leather armor, archers wielding bows and arrows, and several clearly inhuman figures.

An orc carrying a large axe, a centaur carrying a longbow, and a massive troll that reeked of a foul stench.

The group crouched low, taking advantage of the deathly fog that permeated the valley, and slowly made their way towards the mine.

When they were about three miles from the mine, the gray-robed wizard stopped and turned to look at a thin man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face in the group.

Those were their spies, specifically tasked with gathering intelligence.

The wizard asked in a low voice.

"Skinny Monkey, are you sure that official wizard who was stationed there really left?"

The scout nodded repeatedly, his face beaming with obsequious pride: "Boss, it's absolutely true!"

"I saw it with my own eyes in Beiming City. That little wizard left through the teleportation array. Several brothers in the city said he's been gone for several days and hasn't returned!"

A greedy glint flashed in the wizard's eyes.

A middle-aged man with a fierce face next to him frowned and spoke cautiously:

"Brother, the wizards of the Bone Spire always bring a lot of undead servants with them when they go out. Even if the garrison wizard is not here, there are probably undead of formal wizard level guarding this mine."

"If we really get bogged down, reinforcements from the Soul-Sinking Outpost will probably arrive very soon."

"How about...we reconsider?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" the wizard scoffed.

"The undead are the undead, and wizards are wizards. Those stupid things don't have the adaptability of the living. No matter how strong they are, they're just moving targets."

"Besides, how old is that little wizard? Even if he manages to become a full-fledged wizard, he probably won't have enough resources to nurture the undead."

"Me, a fully-fledged wizard, unable to suppress a few unclaimed spirits?"

The second-in-command opened his mouth, wanting to persuade him further, but seeing the determination in his elder brother's eyes, he swallowed his words.

"Besides," the wizard continued, "we're not going to take over this place, we're just going to storm in and loot the warehouse! We'll grab it and leave, those undead won't be able to catch us! Let's do it!"

With a wave of his hand, he led his team to accelerate their approach to the mine.

Fifteen minutes later, the bandits had quietly crept up to the rock wall outside the mine.

Through the thin mist, one could vaguely see the towering lava skeleton at the entrance of the mine, as well as several low-ranking undead wandering nearby.

"See, what did I tell you?" the wizard said in a low voice, his tone smug.

"Of these few, the strongest is probably only at the Calamity level. I'll hold it off, you guys rush in and take all the ore from the warehouse!"

Although the second-in-command still felt uneasy, seeing that his elder brother had made up his mind, he could only nod and begin to quietly assign tasks to the people behind him.

However, just as they were about to take action—

Deep within the mine, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted!

The aura was violent and scorching, like a dormant volcano suddenly awakening, carrying the instinctive oppression of the superior over the inferior, and instantly engulfing the entire valley!

The entire bandit gang stood frozen in place.

The wizard's smug expression froze, and his pupils shrank to pinpoints.

He sensed the intensity of that aura—a catastrophe-level force!

Moreover, it's not just an ordinary natural disaster; it's a terrifying existence that stands at the top of its class!