Wizard + System

CH177

Carl appeared as if he'd just survived a fierce battle, barely escaping with his life, his aura unstable.

He was running directly toward Helag's location.

Though Helag wasn't afraid of him, he didn't want to reveal his current form to other wizards too soon.

Outside the Death Swamp Ruins, he was still just a weak gaseous wizard.

Even the slightest chance of exposure had to be avoided.

Helag didn't plan to confront Carl in this form.

If Carl recognized him, Helag would have to silence him.

But as a crystallized wizard, Carl had many tricks, and Helag wasn't confident he could kill him.

Carl's innate space magic was particularly troublesome for Helag.

With such a spell, Carl should at least be able to protect himself.

Yet, here he was, fleeing in panic, facing some unknown threat.

Helag glanced at the wraith, saying, "A human is approaching. Take care of him."

The wraith turned, not yet sensing Carl's presence.

But Helag's words were trustworthy.

The wraith bowed, "Yes, my lord."

It floated toward Carl, its form an inky black shadow.

Carl ran, frequently glancing back.

Breathless, he slowed, leaning against a tree to rest.

The temperature plummeted, and Carl's eyes widened as he saw the wraith hovering above.

"A wraith!" Carl felt a chill of despair.

Wraiths were powerful abyssal creatures, difficult to handle even at full strength, let alone now.

The wraith wasted no time, unleashing a cloud of black mist to engulf Carl.

Carl reacted swiftly, blinking several meters away, evading the mist.

But the wraith was faster, spreading the mist wide.

The mist enveloped Carl, with tendrils appearing from afar.

Carl's magic couldn't protect his entire body.

He could only warp space around one area, helpless against the all-encompassing attack.

With little magic left, his shield quickly shattered.

The wraith's mist was corrosive, devouring even magic.

Carl blinked again, but the clinging mist continued to corrode his flesh.

His magic surged, resisting the mist's invasion.

"Death's Withering (Abyssal)," the wraith intoned ominously.

Vegetation withered instantly, frost forming on the ground.

Carl's body frosted over, his face shriveling as if drained.

His hair withered, losing its luster.

Then it began to fall, blown away in clumps.

His scalp was left bare, grotesque.

Worse, his flesh desiccated, resembling dried wood.

His skin shriveled, like old bark.

Carl curled into a fetal position, soon silent.

Death's Withering drained life force, reducing plants to dry husks.

At full strength, Carl might have escaped.

But injured, he couldn't flee.

Fighting the mist consumed all his energy.

With Death's Withering, he watched helplessly as his life drained away.

Old and weak, his life force quickly depleted.

After Carl died, the wraith enveloped his body in mist.

Minutes later, the mist cleared, leaving only bones.

The wraith returned to Helag, mission complete.

"Well done," Helag praised lightly.

The wraith bowed, "Serving you is my honor."

Helag surveyed the area, "Continue leading the way, let's explore."

With only three days in the Death Swamp, Helag avoided further risks.

The wraith's domain was resource-rich and safe.

This area was under the wraith's control, with no stronger creatures.

Venturing elsewhere risked encountering other wizards.

He'd be automatically transported out when time was up, so Helag planned to stay put.

While gathering resources, the wraith and Human-Faced Monkey followed like loyal servants.

Helag's space ring filled with potion and spell materials, his profits abundant.

At night, Helag rested beneath the wraith's giant tree.

The dense branches formed a roof.

Lying beneath, Helag meditated as usual.

The wraith and Human-Faced Monkey acted as guards, patrolling the area.

Moonlight illuminated the surroundings, not too dark.

"Do you wish to return?" Helag asked after meditating.

The Human-Faced Monkey scratched its head, unable to speak or communicate mentally.

The wraith replied, "My lord, I long to return, but the rift is sealed."

It wondered how Helag arrived but dared not ask.

Matters of the higher beings were not its concern.

Near dawn, two hours before sunrise.

A red beam shot skyward from the Black Forest's western depths, lighting the night.

The entire Death Swamp Ruins saw the beam, looking up.

Helag opened his eyes, sensing the powerful magic wave.

He looked at the beam, feeling it was familiar.

"This is…"

The red beam resembled the one Carl used to seize control of the Kent Valley array, nearly identical.

"The Death Swamp Ruins' array… could it be…"

Helag realized the array in the ruins must be the one sealing the planar rift.

CH178

What does it mean if someone is trying to seize control of this array?

Helag felt a chill run down his spine.

If someone gains control and unseals the planar rift…

Countless powerful abyssal creatures and beings from other planes could flood through.

This rift is a vulnerability in the wizard plane, allowing entry from other planes.

Helag felt uneasy; he was still too weak.

If the rift opened and a creature like the toad emerged, it could devastate the Barrens.

The strongest in the Barrens are second-level wizards, powerless against fourth or fifth-level creatures.

Even with the wizard plane's world will suppressing them, such power is beyond what low-level wizards can handle.

By the time the Land of Dawn responds, it might be too late.

Helag wouldn't be spared either.

He wanted to know what was happening at the beam, but couldn't go himself.

Such a commotion would attract many wizards and creatures; he didn't want to join the chaos.

Helag thought for a moment, eyeing a distant bird's nest.

He quietly approached and caught a bird.

The white bird looked at Helag in terror, struggling, confused about its sudden capture.

"All Things Have Spirits."

This elven spell allowed Helag to communicate with animals and plants.

The bird soon calmed, and Helag released it to perch on his hand.

"Go, see what's happening there."

At Helag's command, the bird flew off.

He stood still, eyes closed, seeing through the bird's eyes.

The bird soared over the canopy, the jungle rushing by below.

Through the bird's vision, Helag saw many creatures heading toward the red beam.

He also saw a few wizards cautiously avoiding creatures, moving toward the beam.

The bird flew swiftly, soon reaching the beam's location.

Helag quickly took in the scene.

The ground was covered in red patterns, runes of the array.

A familiar figure appeared, and Helag recognized him: Fegar!

It was Fegar, who had traveled with Helag to the Karag Continent.

Fegar looked more mature, no longer the child he once was, now tall and lean.

His eyes were colder, indifferent to everything.

"Why is he here?"

Helag was surprised to see Fegar.

The last he'd heard, Fegar had become a formal wizard and severely injured Malcolm, then vanished.

Even Malcolm couldn't find Fegar, suggesting many secrets.

Fegar had been Malcolm's test subject, unlikely to access ancient or Amanda potions.

Yet he became a formal wizard.

More astonishingly, as a gaseous wizard, he severely injured Malcolm.

Even if it was a sneak attack, Malcolm, a crystallized wizard, shouldn't have been so easily injured by a newly advanced gaseous wizard.

Malcolm didn't reveal details, leaving others in the dark about Fegar's methods.

"Fegar? What are you doing?" a Green Cottage wizard recognized him.

Fegar was well-known in Green Cottage, having only five points of aptitude.

He'd been chosen by Malcolm as a test subject shortly after joining, leading to infamous events.

Most in Green Cottage knew of him.

This wizard had seen Fegar before, recognizing him instantly.

Fegar turned, unperturbed, saying coldly, "I'm saving this hopeless world."

The Green Cottage wizard feared Fegar, not daring to approach.

They didn't understand Fegar's actions, unaware of the array sealing the rift.

Before Fegar was a red crystal, identical to the one Carl had used.

Helag thought, "Did Fegar injure Carl?"

It seemed likely.

Carl had fled in this direction, and the crystals matched.

Suddenly, the red crystal shattered, and the beam faded.

"Not enough? No matter, just a small gap is enough."

Fegar muttered, his powerful aura deterring those around him.

"Hmm?"

Helag's vision flickered, the bird flying erratically.

He soon lost contact with the bird.

Helag understood why: he sensed a strong abyssal aura spreading.

"The array sealing the rift has a crack…"

Helag knew the implications; though small now, the crack could grow if not repaired, potentially breaking the seal.

That would spell disaster for the Barrens and the wizard plane.

Though Helag had abyssal power, he knew it wasn't a good thing.

He was weak and knew how strong abyssal beings were.

No one is safe if the nest is overturned, a truth Helag understood.

The problem was, Helag knew but could do nothing.

Most entering the Death Swamp were unaware of the array sealing the rift.

They believed the rift was repaired.

Unaware of the array or its need for blood and souls every decade to function.

They had only three days, meaning once they left, no one would know about the crack.

The next opening was in ten years.

By then, who knows how large the crack would be?