Chapter 152: Frozen Soil and Spies (8000)
Chapter 152
A thick witchcraft barrier enveloped this isolated garrison castle, and a cold and murderous atmosphere permeated the air.
Lin En sat quietly on the main seat, his eyes slowly sweeping over the apprentices gathered below.
"Master Lin, all the third-level apprentices in the castle are now here. Please review them and give orders."
The one who spoke was an old apprentice with a short white beard. His face was weathered, his eyes were cautious and tired, and his tone was respectful but a little numb.
Lin En raised his eyes slightly and examined the third-level apprentices in front of him.
Their strengths vary, their talents differ, but they have one thing in common: they are discouraged.
Even when facing themselves as official wizards, their eyes were still full of negativity and despair, and there was not even much awe.
This is very abnormal.
You know, in the wizarding world, the status of a formal wizard is far higher than that of an apprentice, even on the battlefield.
What's more, as the guardian wizard, he has absolute power over life and death over them!
Not only can he assign tasks at will, but when necessary, he can even directly execute these apprentices for reasons such as "disobeying orders"! But even so, they still look so lifeless...
Of course Lynn knew why.
The disastrous defeat in that battle on the front line plunged the entire front into depression and despair!
These apprentices were abandoned people who were assigned to the "marginal land". They may have already determined that they would die in battle here sooner or later.
Lin En looked away and was not angry at their attitude.
After all, he had just arrived and was unfamiliar with everything here, so he naturally would not make rash decisions.
He waved his hand casually and said calmly: "I just got here. Please tell me about guarding the castle and our specific duties."
Hearing this, the old apprentice immediately bowed and replied respectfully: "Yes, Master Lin En."
The old apprentice spoke slowly, his voice steady and his words very logically: "Our garrison castle is located outside the war fortress stronghold. It is one of the nodes of the witchcraft formation. Our responsibility is to ensure the safety and stability of the node."
"Therefore, our first priority is to ensure the operation of the witchcraft formation."
Lin En nodded slightly. This was basically consistent with what he expected.
But then, the old apprentice changed the subject and continued:
“Besides that, we have an important task to mine and transform local resources for continued operations on the front line.”
In a state of war, wizards cannot rely solely on the logistical supplies of the wizarding world.
Instead, we should develop this world as deeply as possible while maintaining our stronghold.
"Lord Lin, the area you are stationed in has an extraordinary resource called 'frozen soil'."
frozen soil?
Lynn raised an eyebrow, hearing this term for the first time.
The old apprentice seemed to see Lin En's doubts and immediately explained in detail: "Frozen soil, as the name suggests, is a special kind of soil that is like ice."
“Its properties are not to promote plant growth or provide additional nutrients, but to freeze and extend the life of the plant.”
"For example, some 'ephemeral' species can significantly extend their flowering period if planted on frozen soil."
After listening to this, Lin En frowned slightly.
Extending plant life?
This does sound like an exotic resource, but it has no strategic value.
After all, if the permafrost is really crucial, they would not be the only ones deployed here with their insignificant combat force.
The old apprentice seemed to understand this and explained to Lin En:
“While frozen soil is amazing, it doesn’t increase crop yields or enhance the extraordinary properties of plants, so its value is limited.”
"Because of this, the strategic position of this garrison castle is not very high."
Lin En listened quietly to the old apprentice's report. He did not express his opinion immediately. He just slowly raised his fingers and tapped lightly on the table.
“Boom… boom… boom…”
The knocking sounds were not hurried, but each one had a sense of rhythm. The expressions of the apprentices below changed slightly, and their hearts unconsciously tensed up a little.
They couldn't guess what the new guardian wizard was thinking or whether he would make any decision for them.
For these apprentices who are used to being dominated by their superiors, the arrival of any new wizard may mean new rules, new troubles, or even new dangers.
However, Lynn just narrowed his eyes, thinking.
The node of the witchcraft formation ensures the safety of this place.
On this basis, the development of frozen soil resources...
He already had a clear understanding of his responsibilities.
“Boom.”
After the last knock, Lin En's fingers stopped, and then his eyes sank slightly, and he said lightly: "Unless there are special circumstances, everything here will continue to operate as usual. If you have any questions, you can come to me at any time."
"Also, before the frozen soil resources are sent to the war fortress, they must be sent to me for inspection first."
"Okay, let's adjourn this meeting."
As soon as these words came out, the apprentices below all breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems that the newly appointed wizard has no intention of tormenting them, which is the best outcome for everyone.
The only thing that surprised them was that Lin En required that all frozen soil resources must pass through his hands before being sent to the war fortress.
They exchanged glances, guessing something in their hearts.
Embezzling resources?
To them, this was nothing unusual.
After all, this kind of behavior is all too common in the wizarding system.
In wartime resource allocation, even for a formal wizard, it is completely reasonable to want to gain some benefits from it.
As long as the bottom line of the wizarding world is not touched, the wizarding masters above usually will not pursue it.
Anyway, that is the business of the top management and has nothing to do with apprentices like them.
Then, these apprentices bowed their heads, saluted Lin En, and then dispersed to complete their tasks.
Lin En watched the apprentices leave, his eyes slightly narrowed, with a faint smile on the corners of his mouth.
This job of guarding the wizard seemed to be easier than he thought.
According to the old apprentice's description, the garrison castle where he was stationed, although close to the war fortress, was not on the front line.
In this way, it is almost impossible for a large army of goddesses to attack here directly.
As long as the nodes of this witchcraft formation remain stable, his work will not be too difficult.
In other words, he will not be involved in the most chaotic battlefield environment, but can develop in the rear relatively safely.
Lin En thought in his heart:
His original transfer order was to become a "maintenance worker of the alien world purification device", but now he has become a garrison wizard.
It seems that there is not much change, but in fact it is completely different.
If he was a maintenance worker of the purification device, he would probably be busy dealing with the alien purification device all day long, and might even be exposed to unknown alien pollution.
Moreover, this thing is the cornerstone of the existence of wizards in this world, and it may be subject to assassination and sabotage by the goddess's forces.
But now, he only needs to guard the castle, and he can even find time to do something he wants to do.
"This arrangement isn't a bad one."
He leaned back in his chair, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
Of course, the only hidden worry is the power of the 'Demon Net Goddess'.
If they send their elite troops to attack, this castle may not be immune...
Thinking of this, Lin En couldn't help but sigh and looked up into the distance.
"Now, I just hope that the Demon Net Goddess's forces won't come here to cause trouble..."
"However, even if they come, it should be just some small-scale tests."
…………………………
On the second day of guarding the castle, Lin En decided to go to the frozen soil resource collection area in person.
His essence is still a nature wizard, and he also owns an extraordinary plant, Ifgrid.
Although Ivgrid does not need to rely on soil on a daily basis.
As long as it exists in Lynn's spiritual realm, it can grow freely, but Lynn is still curious about this frozen land.
“Perhaps, this frozen soil will have some miraculous effect on Ifgrid?”
With this thought in mind, he asked someone to take him to the resource collection area.
"Master Lin En, it's just ahead."
Accompanying him was a middle-aged female apprentice, who stood beside Lynn and pointed forward.
What came into view was a huge deep pit.
Inside the pit, apprentices and mechanical puppets were busy digging and transporting frozen soil, and the entire operation area presented an orderly and busy scene.
In the center of the pit, a huge frozen soil collection device was constantly operating, making a low roar.
Once the collection is full, the frozen soil will be transported to the war fortress and then sent to the distant eastern war zone.
"Greetings, Master Lin!"
A man in a wizard apprentice robe walked up quickly, looking a little nervous.
Lin En glanced at him and found that he was a third-level apprentice, whom he had never seen before.
It must be because he worked in the frozen soil collection area all year round, so he missed the meeting when he first arrived at the castle.
Lin En waved his hand casually, indicating that the other party did not need to be polite, and then said:
“Show me today’s permafrost resources.”
The third-level apprentice nodded quickly, his attitude was very respectful, even a little deliberately humble, hunched over, and responded carefully: "Okay, sir, please follow me."
Lin En's eyes narrowed slightly, and he looked at the man secretly.
He has shifty eyes, a thin body, and doesn't look like an upright person.
However, he did not say much and followed the other party directly to the permafrost storage area.
When the huge storage machine was slowly opened, Lin En finally saw the so-called "frozen soil".
Pieces of blue and white soil appeared before our eyes.
Is this the "frozen soil"? Lynn raised an eyebrow and observed it carefully.
Frozen soil is not truly frozen soil. On the contrary, it has a fluffy texture and is soft to the touch. It is completely different from the cold and hard soil of ordinary soil.
Its color is like ice, showing a strange blue and white color, as if it contains some kind of extraordinary energy.
In addition, Lin En could vaguely sense that this frozen soil seemed to contain some active ingredients, which was completely different from ordinary soil.
He stretched out his palm, reached into the frozen soil, gently scooped up a handful, and let the fine soil slip through his fingers.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, concentrating on feeling the unique texture of the frozen soil.
It was not just ordinary soil, there seemed to be a hidden energy fluctuation in it, which made him feel a little strange.
"interesting……"
Lin En's heart moved slightly, and he decided to take some back later and study it carefully.
At this moment, the third-level apprentice standing aside turned his head slightly and gave a look to the middle-aged female apprentice.
That look carried an obvious hint.
The middle-aged female apprentice was slightly startled when she saw this, and then she reacted.
This third-level apprentice probably wants to talk to Master Lin En alone.
Although she was somewhat confused, she quickly calmed down.
After all, it is perfectly normal for a third-level apprentice to want to curry favor with a formal wizard.
As a second-level apprentice, she was not allowed to interfere in their conversation.
So she bowed silently, then quietly retreated, deliberately keeping a distance away.
Lin En calmly stroked the frozen soil in his hands, feeling the delicate and strange texture with his fingertips.
What does this guy want to say to me alone? His eyes dropped slightly, and although he looked calm on the surface, he had already begun to think in his heart.
After sending the middle-aged female apprentice away, the third-level apprentice with a shifty look immediately approached with a hunched back, his body trembling slightly, as if he was afraid of being noticed.
His voice was low and cautious, even with a hint of deliberately suppressed tension: "Lord Lin En, I recently found some strange traces in the pit, it seems... related to the forces under the command of the goddess..."
Hearing this, Lin En's eyes narrowed slightly, and a hint of coldness flashed in his deep pupils.
Goddess power? Do they want to attack the castle guards?
His voice was cold: "What did you find?"
But in the next moment, something strange happened! The third-level apprentice still lowered his head, as if brewing something, and his tone was still humble: "Master Lin En, I found that..."
Before he finished speaking, his expression suddenly changed! Those cunning eyes suddenly became ferocious and full of murderous intent! At the same time, a grim dagger suddenly slipped out of his sleeve. A strange color appeared on the blade, like a dead fog, which made people tremble! "Goddess, the blasphemer shall die!"
Swish!
The air seemed to be torn apart, and a strange divine aura burst out from his body!
This person turned out to be a hidden spy of the Goddess's forces!
The speed of his attack was so astonishing that even Lin En was unable to fully react!
The next moment, his dagger had already stabbed fiercely into Lynn's chest, the cold blade pointing straight at his heart, flashing a sinister, strange light.
"Witch Hunting Dagger!"
This is a forbidden weapon specially used to assassinate wizards. It can tear apart the wizard's protection and even shatter the spell mark!
As expected!
clang! A pale silver witchcraft mark of "Be Void and Be Quiet" appeared, but was torn to pieces in an instant! The witchcraft protection... was completely pierced!
Seeing this scene, a hideous smile suddenly appeared on the spy's face, and his eyes were full of bloodthirsty madness! "No first-level wizard can withstand the sneak attack of the 'Witch Hunting Dagger'!"
He could almost see Lin En falling to the ground, his blood staining the frozen soil red! However, things did not go as he wished! Buzz! Just as the witch hunting dagger was about to pierce Lynn's body, another bright green light suddenly appeared!
The second permanent witchcraft mark "Echo of Vitality" appears! boom! A rich natural scent permeates the air, as indestructible as a towering ancient tree! Bang! The dagger was violently shaken away and could not move forward any further! "How is that possible! Aren't you a first-level wizard?!"
The spy's face changed drastically, his pupils shrank sharply, and he revealed a look of disbelief!
How could a first-level wizard possess two permanent witchcraft marks? ! But everything before his eyes completely overturned his cognition! bite! Lynn's mind trembled slightly, and he keenly felt the echo of Ivgrid's vitality, like a resonating pulse vibrating in the spiritual realm.
The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!
With just this one strike, the power released by the strange dagger almost penetrated two first-level defensive spells.
It even caused Ivgrid's vitality to drop by more than 70%! Such a horrific attack!
Lynn's face suddenly turned gloomy.
If Ivgrid hadn't provided a second permanent witchcraft mark, this blow would have been enough to kill him instantly! The murderous intent condensed into substance in an instant! "court death!"
He let out a low roar, and his mental power suddenly surged, and his connection with Ifgrid was closely integrated in an instant! boom! A majestic wave of life spread out, and Ifgrid's roots quickly moved down along Lynn's body, penetrating the earth! Snap! Snap! The rubble crumbled, the soil surged, and under the spy's feet, the ground suddenly collapsed, and a dark deep pit appeared instantly!
Crash!
The next moment, countless twisted and coiled tree roots swept out like ferocious beasts, like a group of ferocious pythons lurking underground, violently wrapping around the spy!
"ah!!"
The spy's pupils suddenly shrank, and the fanaticism and hideous smile on his face froze in an instant, and were then replaced by endless fear.
He struggled frantically, but Ifgrid's roots seemed to have life.
It precisely wrapped around his limbs, waist and abdomen, and even bound his neck tightly, making him unable to move at all!
Phew!
Phew!
The tree roots squirmed and contracted madly, as if a giant evil snake was squeezing and strangling its prey with all its might!
Even steel armor would be crushed in an instant under this terrifying strangling force! “Ugh!!”
The spy's face turned red, veins bulged, and he let out a shrill scream, his body struggling wildly in severe pain and suffocation.
However, Lynn did not let Ifgrid kill him directly, but deliberately left him a glimmer of hope.
He wants to be alive! "The strength level... is about the peak of the first-ring mage, and has not yet reached the second ring."
Lin En had an indifferent expression, his mind moved slightly, and the Grey Eagle Armor on his body quickly scanned and accurately detected the energy fluctuations of this person.
Level three apprenticeship!
Before being sent to this thirteenth world, he and all the first-level wizards received systematic training and had long been familiar with the strength levels and power divisions of the Goddess' forces.
There are four major forces under the command of the Goddess of Demon Net, one large and three small.
The church of the goddess of the magic net is the core, supplemented by three major pillar organizations:
The Mystic Fire Knights, known for their tyrannical physical strength, are the most loyal armed force of the Demonic Web Goddess.
The Star Hunters are responsible for reconnaissance, espionage and assassination, and are venomous snakes hiding in the dark.
The Star Feather Sons Poets Association is mainly responsible for information dissemination, brainwashing and public opinion guidance.
The power levels of wizards and gods' civilizations correspond one to one:
Level 2 and 3 apprentices correspond to the zero-ring and first-ring mages of the Gods Civilization.
The three stages of a first-level wizard correspond to the second-ring, third-ring, and fourth-ring wizards respectively.
The three stages of a second-level wizard correspond to the fifth-ring, sixth-ring, and seventh-ring wizards respectively.
The three stages of the third-level great wizard correspond to the eighth-ring, ninth-ring, and sanctuary wizards respectively.
The spy in front of me... must be from the "Star Hunter Society"! "Since you are willing to come to my door..."
Lin En's eyes were indifferent, with a faint sneer on the corner of his mouth. His voice was calm, but it was chilling.
"Then... let's have a good chat."
boom! As his voice fell, a strong mental pressure swept around like a tide and permeated the air.
Even though Lin En is only at the early stage of a first-level wizard now, when converted into the system of the Gods' Civilization, he is only at the level of a second-ring wizard.
But at this moment, the sense of oppression he exuded far exceeded that of wizards of the same level. He was like a ferocious beast hiding in the dark night, ready to pounce on its prey at any time!
The Star Hunter spy's expression suddenly changed drastically, and his eyes, which had seemed firm due to his fanatical belief, now showed a barely perceptible tremor.
"Blasphemer..."
He gritted his teeth and laughed ferociously. Although he was imprisoned, he was still crazy and excited, with a sarcastic arc at the corner of his mouth.
"I failed to kill you...but don't even think about learning anything from me!"
His breathing was rapid, but his tone was full of determination and the fanaticism of a fanatic.
"Even if death comes, I will never betray my gods! The glory of the gods will bless me with eternal life in the kingdom of God, and you... you heretic, will eventually fall! Your soul will be immersed in the abyss and endure eternal suffering!"
"Hahaha!"
His laughter was shrill and mad, as if he had no fear of life or death at all.
"madness."
Lynn's eyes were cold and he just snapped his fingers lightly.
“Pah.”
In an instant, Ivgrid's roots suddenly contracted, as tight as steel, and directly wrapped around the spy's throat!
“Hmm!”
The spy's laughter stopped abruptly, his pupils shrank suddenly, and the suffocating feeling of his throat being strangled made it impossible for him to utter any insults.
Lynn did not expect the members of these churches to speak up easily.
They are complete fanatics, and under the shackles of faith, verbal interrogation is meaningless.
So, he didn't need them to "speak" at all.
He has a more direct approach.
Lin En's eyes were cold and he slowly extended a finger.
The spy from the Star Hunter Society watched in horror as Lin En's index finger underwent strange changes: it was slowly moving, splitting, and extending...
Extremely thin strands of wood grew out from the fingertips, just like hair, but countless times thinner than hair.
It reflects a subtle luster in the dim light, and trembles slightly like a tentacle.
“What…what is this?!”
The spy's pupils shrank sharply. He had never seen such a strange ability!
"We live and die together."
Lynn spoke calmly.
At this moment, his mental power poured into his index finger, and those extremely thin tree fibers suddenly stretched forward and instantly sank into the spy's forehead!
“Hmm!”
The spy's pupils contracted violently and his whole body stiffened, as if he was imprisoned and unable to move.
However, what was horrifying was that there was not even a single wound on his forehead!
These tree strands left no trace, as if they did not belong to reality at all, but...
Directly penetrated the material world and entered his spiritual world! Soul search!
This is Lin En’s first-level witchcraft: live and die together!
After a third-level apprentice officially enters the ranks of natural wizards, he can use this kind of witchcraft to establish a deeper connection with his own extraordinary plants.
When Lynn first met her teacher Rosalind, her pink little hands transformed into a huge tree disk, which she achieved through living and dying together with her natural plants.
Moreover, "Live and Die Together" not only allows the natural wizard to transform part of his body into extraordinary plants, but also...
Use extraordinary plants to replace your own spiritual power and invade the spiritual realm of others! This is a soul-searching method that is far more covert and efficient than ordinary soul-searching techniques.
Not only can it detect the state of the person whose soul is being searched to the greatest extent, it can also directly extract the most important key information in his memory, and even... erase his will! This witchcraft technique is exactly what Lin En learned from the memory of "Maple Tree Will"! Thanks to a transaction that the Golden Scale had once made, Lin En's training as a first-level wizard went smoothly, which was equivalent to growing up directly by standing on the shoulders of the maple tree! Now, this witchcraft finally comes in handy.
The Star Hunters' spies opened their eyes wide, and the expressions on their faces quickly changed from fanatical ridicule to fear and horror! If it was an ordinary soul-searching technique, no matter how powerful it was, the power of faith in the gods in his soul would firmly lock his spiritual realm.
Even if his soul is broken, the enemy will never be able to get any information from him! But at this moment, it is completely different!
His consciousness began to collapse! “Ugh…ah…!”
He wanted to resist, wanted to resist the invasion, but the mysterious "chain of faith" deep in his soul was shaking wildly, as if it was being stripped away and deconstructed by some force! He could feel that his memories were being uncovered!
Your own secrets are being taken away!
My loyalty to the gods is being shaken! “Uhhhhhh!!!”
The shrill screams continued to echo in the spiritual realm, the wails were full of pain and despair.
However, in the real world, it is dead silent! Not a sound was heard.
Because Ivgrid's roots had already wrapped around the spy's nose and mouth, pressing his mouth tightly, preventing him from making even the faintest moan.
His eyes were wide open, his eyeballs were bloodshot, tears, snot and cold sweat mixed together, he struggled frantically, but all his struggles were in vain.
Lin En stood quietly by the side, his eyes as cold as the abyss.
He doesn't need this person to "say" anything... he will "explain" everything himself! Lin En's mental power was like an invisible blade, mercilessly cutting through the core of consciousness of the Star Hunter spy.
He saw the man's memory: a crazy belief filled with fanatical praise for the Goddess of the Demon Net.
Even during the practice, this person was constantly praying, kneeling, and offering sacrifices. His entire spiritual realm was like a temple, shrouded in the glory of the Goddess of the Demon Net.
Unfortunately, this glory is meaningless to Lin En! What he wants is information! Lin En's mind moved, and he forcibly eliminated the messy religious fanaticism and focused on finding important information related to the war! "The great goddess of the magic web will soon wake up and spread her glory to the world..."
"The Star Hunters' spies have infiltrated every castle, with as few as one or two and as many as four or five... They are waiting for the goddess of the magic net to come..."
"The witch-hunting dagger of the Star Hunter Society contains the power of the gods and can easily tear apart the permanent witchcraft mark that wizards rely on to survive..."
"Even a top-level wizard would die on the spot if he were attacked!"
"This thing is extremely valuable. There are no activation conditions. Anyone can use it, but there are only three chances. After three times, it will be completely broken..."
"Finally, the secret code among the Star Hunters is: dark clouds cover the sun, and the seven stars are shining..."
Lynn's eyes narrowed slightly.
This witch-hunting dagger can actually directly destroy permanent witchcraft marks? !
This means that the permanent gains that wizards rely on for defense are almost useless in front of this kind of weapon. Even the top first-level wizards cannot withstand the sudden attack! The Star Hunter Society is indeed not to be underestimated...
However, just as Lynn continued to dig deeper, a flash of black light suddenly exploded from the depths of the spiritual realm! boom! Lin En's soul trembled instantly, and he suddenly realized that there were actually restrictions hidden in the spiritual realm of this spy!
not good!
boom! !
Next moment!
Bang! ! ! The spy's head...suddenly exploded! All kinds of sticky liquids splashed out, and scarlet blood beads drew strange arcs in the air! The permanent witchcraft mark on Lin En's body was passively activated in an instant.
A thin protective barrier instantly opened up, isolating all the splashing filth outside without getting contaminated in the slightest.
But even so, his eyes still frowned slightly, revealing a bit of disgust.
“Tsk.”
He shook his hands lightly, casually wiping away the mental aftermath of the shock wave, and then released Ifgrid's control over the corpse.
“Pah.”
The spy's body fell limply to the ground, completely becoming a headless corpse.
Lin En gave his corpse a quick death by casting a fireball, which burned the body into pieces, leaving only a witch-hunting dagger that was shining with an eerie luster.
"It can be used twice... For wizards, this is a powerful weapon..."
Lynn controlled Ifgrid and put it away.
He was worried that this thing might have some back-up plan from the gods' civilization, so he simply isolated it with a space ring.
If Lin En needs it in the future, he will use the dagger wrapped in Ifgrid to launch a sneak attack on the enemy.
It can be imagined that a first-level wizard would not expect that the branches coming out of the ground would be wrapped with a dagger that could easily tear through his magical protection.
The second day that Lin En arrived at the castle was destined to be an extraordinary day.
The death of a third-level apprentice is a big trouble, especially in Lynn's garrison castle, where there are not many third-level apprentices.
The sudden death of one of them would naturally cause some ripples.
But as a great wizard, Lin En has enough power to suppress all these disturbances.
Even though those third-level apprentices had some complaints about this, they did not dare to say anything openly.
And Lin En did not explain to the apprentices. Firstly, there was no need because he was the boss here.
Secondly, he had already learned from the other party's memory that in a few days, the goddess's forces would come to contact the spy...
Instead of Lin En bringing up the spy as an excuse and muddying the waters of the entire castle, it would be better to wait for the contact person to arrive, and then...
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com