6kv Chapter 114 Earth Leyline Nodes
Chapter 114 Earth Leyline Nodes
Chapter 114 Earth Leyline Nodes
"Check the status and confirm the location."
Flame Shield's voice came through the internal communication of his protective suit. He held a crimson tower shield in his hand, with runes flowing across its surface, emitting a stable heat shield that enveloped the three of them, slightly isolating them from the most direct burning sensation from the outside.
"The protective suit has 92% energy remaining, and the vital signs are stable."
Nightingale quickly reported. She was slender and encased in dark, close-fitting armor, blending into the shadows. She was toying with two poisoned daggers with a matte coating in her hands.
Luo Lin also quickly conducted a self-examination.
My body trembled a bit during the crossing, but I was fine.
Within the mental sea, the echo unit was operating at an unprecedented speed, frantically receiving and recording raw data from the surrounding environment:
Temperature, energy density, elemental composition bias, spatial stability coefficient, mental pollution index—a massive flow of information washes over consciousness, requiring focused attention.
"I'm fine here too."
"Initial detection indicates chaotic spatial coordinates, making precise location impossible."
"Energy direction—There seems to be a strong, unnatural energy convergence point in the northeast direction, the distance is unknown."
Luo Lin closed his eyes and sensed the surroundings, receiving a direction through the vague perception of the echo unit.
"Let's leave this open area first."
"There's a crystalline hill over there that can provide temporary cover."
The nightingale pointed to a nearby area that resembled a thorny thicket, composed of clusters of dark red crystals.
The three maintained their formation and moved quickly.
The scorched earth beneath our feet was soft and scalding hot, kicking up dust with every step.
The chaotic fire elemental energy floating in the air, like tiny needles, constantly tried to penetrate the defenses.
As soon as we entered the shadowy area of the crystal hills, a sharp hissing sound came from the side!
Several lava scorpions, their carapaces gleaming with a dark red metallic sheen, emerged from the cracks in the crystal, their venomous stingers burning with inextinguishable flames, and lunged fiercely!
"Otherworldly creatures, beware!"
With a low shout, Flame Shield thrust the tower shield forward, instantly raising a solid wall of flame that blocked the attack of a lava scorpion and its fiery poison needles.
The protective wall collided with the scorpion's flames, producing a hissing sound.
The nightingale swayed and moved to the other side like a shadow without a physical form.
A dagger flashed with a ghostly light, precisely piercing the gap between the shells of a lava scorpion, instantly injecting paralyzing and corrosive agents from the poisoned dagger.
The scorpion froze, and the flames on its body dimmed slightly.
Instead of immediately using powerful spells, Roland focused on sensing the weaknesses of these creatures.
With the aid of the echo unit, he could see the core nodes of energy flow within these lava scorpions.
An unstable core of flame located at the junction of the back of the head and the chest cavity.
He raised his hand, and several extremely refined rays of star power, imbued with the penetrating and disruptive properties of the [Myriad Stars], condensed at his fingertips.
The rays did not attack the carapace, but rather, like a scalpel, precisely targeted the two energy nodes.
Chi Chi Chi!
The lava scorpion that was hit stiffened abruptly, the flames on its body fluctuated violently and dimmed, and its movements became sluggish and uncoordinated, as if its energy supply had been temporarily cut off.
Flame Shield and Nightingale seized the opportunity and quickly dealt with it.
The battle ended quickly, and the three lava scorpions were reduced to a pile of smoking, charred carapaces and gradually cooling lava fragments.
"These bio-energy cores are exposed, so their defenses aren't high, but their attacks are fire and poisonous, and they can be troublesome if there are too many of them."
"I didn't expect your perception and pinpoint shooting skills to be so excellent, Rolin."
"That's what Flame Shield concluded."
"The environment here is favorable to them, and our mana will be depleted faster than outside."
"Conserve your energy, find a relatively safe place to land as soon as possible, and begin the reconnaissance mission."
Nightingale sheathed her dagger and cautiously surveyed her surroundings.
The interior of the Crystal Hills is complex, with twisted crystal pillars refracting a dark red light, creating countless bizarre shadows that are easy to hide in, but may also harbor more dangers.
The three proceeded cautiously, trying to choose paths with relatively stable energy fluctuations.
As Luo Lin walked, he continuously recorded environmental data and compared it with the scorch boundary information pre-stored in the response unit for verification.
Most of the data matched, but the intensity of the energy surge and the sense of oppression on the soul felt in person were much stronger than described in the data.
This fragmented world seems to be filled with some kind of active malice.
At the same time, he was also keeping an eye on the unnatural energy convergence point he had sensed earlier.
As they approached the depths of the crystalline hills, the sensations became clearer.
It was a more ordered and concentrated energy, different from the raging flames of the natural environment, much like the fluctuations emitted by a wizard's magic circle or building.
"The direction is correct; the energy point is still in the northeast, but the distance seems to have decreased somewhat."
Luo Lin informed his teammates via internal messaging.
"It could be a base established by the advance team of the Ash Ring, or it could be a remnant of ancient ruins."
Approach cautiously, observe first.
Flame Shield analyzed.
After traveling through the crystalline hills for about two hours, during which they encountered several waves of small otherworldly creatures and a sudden burst of scorching air carrying a mental shock, all three of them were somewhat exhausted.
The protective suit's energy dropped to 78%, and my personal mana was also depleted by nearly 20%.
Finally, after crossing a ridge made of huge black crystals, the view ahead suddenly opened up.
It was a relatively flat, scorched basin, and in the center of the basin stood a building!
The architectural style is rugged and bizarre, constructed from dark red rocks that appear to have been melted and then solidified, shaped like a truncated cone with a wide base.
The building's surface is covered with twisted, burning flame runes, which are now emitting a stable dark red light, forming an energy shield that envelops the building itself.
Outside the protective shield, some figures could be seen moving about, wearing dark red robes, which were the standard uniform of the Ash Ring!
Outside the building, there are scattered temporary bunkers and fortifications, and even a few simple energy towers, clearly indicating that it is an outpost that has been operating for some time.
"As expected, it's a stronghold of the Ash Ring."
The nightingale lay hidden behind the crystal ridge, observing through a far-seeing spell.
"It's not a large-scale operation, with an estimated 15 to 20 people stationed there. The energy shield is of average strength, but there may be more complex magic arrays inside."
"Their efficiency is quite high."
"Look over there." Flame Shield pointed to the other side of the basin, about a mile away from the Ash Ring stronghold.
"There is an energy reaction there, but it is weaker and more scattered, unlike man-made structures."
Roland sensed it too.
Those were several cracks in the ground, continuously spewing out thick, dark red gas with a sulfurous smell and sporadic sparks. The chaotic fire elemental energy in the air was particularly active there, even forming small energy vortexes.
"A natural energy vent, or rather, a geothermal vein node in this fragmented world."
"That's what Rowling judged," he concluded.
"The energy is extremely violent, making it unsuitable to approach, but perhaps it can be utilized—"
A plan quickly took shape in the minds of the three.
"Our mission includes disrupting and sabotaging the Ash Ring's operations."
"Flame Shield said in a low voice."
"This outpost is their foothold; it must be eliminated."
"But we can't fight head-on, we don't have enough manpower."
"Those energy nozzles can be utilized."
A cold glint flashed in the nightingale's eyes.
"Create an unexpected energy burst to impact their shield and camp."
Even if they cannot be completely destroyed, they can still cause chaos and destruction, weakening their power.
"Someone needs to activate the energy vents, while someone else needs to create a commotion around them to attract their attention and create an opportunity for detonation."
Rowling added.
"My adaptive field might provide temporary protection in such extreme energy environments, and the task of placing guidance or detonation devices near the nozzle can be assigned to me."
"Flame Shield, your defensive capabilities are strong. You can create a large-scale feint attack from the outside."
"Nightingale, you'll be in charge of infiltrating and assassinating key targets when chaos erupts, and searching for any possible mission items or intelligence."
The plan is clear, and the risks are shared.
The three had no objections and began to plan the steps and retreat route in detail.