Wizard + System

CH175

If Helag's secrets were discovered, he wouldn't survive in the wizard plane.

Though not an abyssal creature, no one would believe him.

He couldn't explain, and the Land of Dawn's wizard organizations wouldn't listen.

He'd be executed as a "traitor."

After activating the bloodline mark, Helag's speed surged, quickly catching up to the Human-Faced Monkey.

Sensing Helag's aura, the monkey looked back, terrified, and tried to flee faster.

But it couldn't match Helag's speed.

In seconds, Helag was upon it, whispering, "Dark Imprisonment!"

The monkey slowed, freezing on a tree.

Helag approached, ready to punch, but hesitated, seeing his own face.

"Run, and you die, understand?" Helag threatened.

The monkey seemed confused, still scared.

Helag recalled learning an abyssal language from the toad, hoping it might work.

He repeated in the abyssal tongue, "Run, and you die, understand?"

The monkey understood, nodding quickly.

Seeing communication was possible, Helag said, "Change your face back. You dare use mine?"

Obediently, the monkey reverted to its original face.

Helag released the Dark Imprisonment, and the monkey, free, knelt before him.

"It thinks I'm a powerful abyssal being," Helag thought, observing the monkey.

Inspired, Helag asked in the abyssal language, "Have you been here long?"

The monkey nodded, unable to speak.

To the monkey, Helag was an ultimate abyssal presence, his bloodline aura supreme, beyond its lowly status.

Though puzzled by such a being's presence, the monkey knew to kneel and hope for forgiveness.

Hearing Helag's question, it was eager to please, despite its silence.

Helag continued, "Since you've been here long, know of any treasures?"

The monkey looked puzzled, then nodded.

"Far from here?" Helag pressed, seeing potential.

The monkey shook its head, pointing north.

Cautious, Helag asked, "Is it dangerous?"

The monkey nodded, then shook its head at Helag.

Helag pondered, "Dangerous for you, but not for me?"

The monkey nodded, confirming.

"Lead the way," Helag commanded.

Originally, Helag planned to stick close to Brack in the ruins.

But discovering his bloodline mark's power here changed his plans.

To these creatures, he was a superior being, opening new possibilities.

There were risks, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The monkey, honored to lead, grinned grotesquely, bowing as it guided Helag.

Amused by the monkey's servility, Helag followed north.

No longer needing Brack's protection, Helag's Phase One power surpassed the crystallized wizards.

Sadly, this power couldn't be used elsewhere in the wizard plane.

The monkey led Helag north, the temperature dropping, the light dimming.

An hour later.

A colossal tree appeared, 500 meters tall, its trunk massive.

Most striking were the glittering objects hanging from its branches.

"Are those… Magic Energy Crystals?" Helag recognized them.

Magic Energy Crystals are highly concentrated magic stones, each worth thousands of magic stones.

Rare in the Barrens, Helag had never seen one, only heard of them.

They aren't currency but power sources for large arrays and wizard towers.

Their unique structure stores vast energy, making them versatile.

A single crystal's value far exceeds a thousand magic stones.

The monkey stopped, wary of danger, staring ahead.

A black shadow drifted from the tree, chilling the air.

"A wraith?" Helag identified it.

A common abyssal creature, wraiths are powerful, challenging even for crystallized wizards.

Helag prepared to act.

The wraith floated before Helag, bowing its head in respect.

A message entered Helag's mind.

"Baramog greets the great presence!" the wraith, named Baramog, greeted.

The abyss is a bloodline-centric world, and Helag's Thunder God Ancestor bloodline was top-tier.

Abyssal creatures like wraiths were lowly, unable to challenge Helag, despite his lesser power.

Moreover, Helag's aura was strong, possibly matching the wraith's.

"Anything valuable here?" Helag asked coldly.

Baramog replied, "Noble one, I have no treasures, only cultivated Magic Energy Crystals. If you desire, take some."

"You cultivated these crystals?" Helag inquired.

CH176

The wraith replied, "Yes, my lord. I cultivate these Magic Energy Crystals, growing stronger by absorbing them."

With a wave, the giant tree behind the wraith trembled, releasing the crystals from its branches.

"My lord, these are the fully cultivated Magic Energy Crystals," the wraith offered them to Helag.

Helag counted roughly a hundred crystals.

He coldly acknowledged, storing them in his space ring.

A hundred Magic Energy Crystals equated to at least a hundred thousand magic stones.

But Helag wouldn't sell them; they were too risky.

Selling one or two could be explained as found in the Death Swamp, but a hundred would be a death sentence.

Helag planned to keep most for personal use, knowing they'd be invaluable later.

After securing the crystals, he asked, "Is there anything here with rule power?"

This was his main interest, never forgotten.

Though just a gaseous wizard, preparing for the future was wise.

Most wizards entered the Death Swamp seeking such items.

Possessing rule power was key to advancing to a second-level wizard.

Initially, Helag had low expectations, just hoping to gain some benefits.

As a gaseous wizard, he couldn't keep such items even if found.

But now, with changed circumstances, he could consider acquiring them.

The wraith shook its head, "Those items disappeared over a hundred years ago, taken by wizards."

"Already taken?" Helag was puzzled; rumors said the items were continually produced here.

The wraith continued, "You know, we were originally abyssal creatures. After the planar rift was sealed, we couldn't return."

"But the rift can't be suppressed indefinitely. The sealing array requires periodic blood and soul sacrifices."

"Every so often, wizards enter, many dying. Their deaths sustain the array."

Helag realized the Death Swamp had no rule power items.

It was a ruse by the Land of Dawn, luring Barrens wizards every decade for nonexistent items.

Wizards died, their blood and powerful souls feeding the array.

Sealing a planar rift required extraordinary sacrifices, beyond ordinary blood and souls.

Wizard souls, strong enough, perfectly met the array's needs.

If the Land of Dawn revealed the truth, no one would enter.

But with bait, wizards flocked in.

Many entrants were crystallized wizards, desperate for advancement.

The Land of Dawn used rule power as bait, drawing Barrens wizards into the Death Swamp.

Limited slots and time made it seem a grand opportunity, despite the risk.

Who'd suspect it was a trap, willingly sending Barrens wizards to die as sacrifices?

Helag exhaled, quickly piecing it together.

"Seems most are unaware of the truth."

All Barrens wizard organizations and families sent people, often important figures.

This indicated few knew the truth, likely only Augustus Academy insiders.

The Death Swamp, rich in resources, had once yielded rule power items over a century ago.

A century was brief for wizards, so no one doubted it.

Those who took the items were likely Land of Dawn wizards.

Helag felt trapped in a cage crafted by the Land of Dawn.

The entire Barrens was a cage, with resources, information, and knowledge controlled by the Land of Dawn.

Without his strong abyssal aura and Thunder God Ancestor bloodline, Helag couldn't have learned this from the wraith.

Wraiths typically attacked humans on sight.

But Helag, in his monstrous form, appeared as a humanoid creature.

"Anything else valuable nearby? Show me," Helag said, abandoning the search for rule power.

He was here, so he might as well gain as much as possible.

With the wraith and Human-Faced Monkey as guides, exploration was unnecessary.

They knew where treasures and dangers lay.

The wraith had given Helag its mature crystals, the rest still growing.

Helag wouldn't demand immature ones, not wanting to push the wraith.

"Nothing noteworthy nearby, my lord," the wraith said, fearing Helag's dissatisfaction.

Helag waved it off, "Don't worry, just lead the way."

What the wraith dismissed might be valuable to Helag, especially potion materials.

Even if unused, they could be sold for profit.

The wraith, reassured, led the way.

Helag followed, the Human-Faced Monkey trailing behind.

Soon, he found many high-grade potion materials, centuries old.

No signs of other creatures; animals and wizards avoided the area, creating a perfect growth environment.

This was the Black Forest's depths, where even Brack wouldn't venture.

Helag eagerly collected all valuable potion and spell materials.

As he joyfully gathered, Deep Blue's scan revealed a familiar figure.

Not far left, in the Black Forest, Carl wielded a silver sword, running desperately.

He was injured, blood at his mouth and chest.

His two Moss family companions were missing, likely dead.