Ancient Ruins.

The flames of war in the Ancient Ruins have never ceased. The ancient alliance of wizard families, led by Starshine Castle, and the emerging Freemasonry Church, which believes in the "only truth," are engaged in a long, fate-deciding tug-of-war on this weathered land.

At the beginning of the war, the Freemasonry Church, with the momentum of overturning the old order, launched an unstoppable offensive with fervent faith and excellent organization. Many long-established wizard powers fell in succession under the iron hooves of the Church Knights and the Demon-breaking Divine Skills of the priests, forcing the pureblood wizards to abandon the homes and territories they had managed for countless generations and retreat southward.

The final turning point occurred on the southern coastline in that vast Demonic Realm known as the "Ancient Forest." At the brink of life and death, Starshine Castle and its allies finally activated the long-sealed defense system within this forest, left behind since the Acadia Era.

When the giant magic array covering the entire forest was activated, the brilliant light of runes shot into the sky, and the power of the rules reappeared with its majesty, everyone realized what terrifying heights the magic achievements of that long-lost ancient civilization had reached.

Even after the passage of ten thousand years, this set of defenses still unleashed a fearsome power that made even Domain powerhouses wary. The first wave of church elite recklessly pursuing into the forest, including a Second Order Priest, was instantly reduced to dust amidst ancient magic traps and energy storms.

This battle became the first important turning point in the war.

The frustrated Freemasonry Church did not give up; they quickly adjusted their strategy, abandoning the idea of achieving success in one fell swoop, and instead began to solidify their position.

They realized that to completely eliminate the wizard powers entrenched in the forest, they must first dismantle this invincible turtle shell. Thus, the focus of the war shifted from large-scale legion confrontations to fierce contests over countless magic nodes on the perimeter of the Ancient Forest.

Every day at the forest's edge, bloody tug-of-wars unfold. Church Knights, priests, purebloods of the wizard families, their vassal armies, and alchemy golems engage in repeated battles around the critical nodes of the magic arrays. Outside the forest, the Church established continuous fortifications, and the light of Holy Light Barriers and Prayer Arrays shone day and night, contrasting sharply with the magical aura within the forest.

Within the forest, the wizard families who retreated to this place did not sit idly by. They reorganized their forces with Starshine Castle at the core, using the complex environment of the Ancient Forest and the still-intact parts of the fortifications to construct a deep defense. Meanwhile, they continued to study and attempt to master the mysteries of more ancient magic arrays, hoping to wield even greater power.

The war entered a prolonged stalemate.

Mutual victories and losses became the norm. Occasionally, the Church could rely on excellent tactical coordination and the miraculous effects of their divine arts to remove a couple of outer nodes, but any attempt to penetrate deeper would meet with fierce resistance from the magic arrays and the wizards, at a heavy cost.

Meanwhile, counterattacks organized by the wizard families often struggled to achieve decisive results against the Church's tight defenses and powerful group divine arts.

Time passed, and years went by. Stretching from east to west, the Ancient Forest effectively divided the Ancient Ruins into a north-south split.

In the North, the vast plains, hills, and most cities have fallen under the control of the Freemasonry Church. They have implemented their new faith there, established churches, spread doctrine, and constructed a new ruling order centered around the Church.

In the South, relying on the natural barrier of the Ancient Forest and the legacy of Acadia, the wizard families barely held onto their last stronghold. They still maintain a governance model bound by bloodlines and ancient traditions, and although there are deep internal conflicts, under external survival pressure, they temporarily formed a loose alliance led by the "Starlight Council."

A land of witchcraft, two orders, separated by an ancient forest, gazing distantly at each other. Peace is elusive, but large-scale warfare has temporarily subsided, with both sides accumulating strength, waiting for the next opportunity to break the balance to arise.

...

Ancient Ruins, Ancient Forest.

The once lush and magical glow-overwhelmed Ancient Forest now inevitably shows signs of chaos and decay. The elemental disturbance that swept the world left its mark here like a rough giant.

Some towering ancient trees were uprooted or broken in half, revealing a ghastly white wood; the ground is riddled with cracks of varying depths, and some places still have eerie crystals formed after elemental clashes. The once stable magic power flowing through the air now carries an imperceptible restlessness and disarray.

More critically, the barrier that the forest relied on for survival—

The giant defense magic array inherited from Acadia was severely struck in this disaster. Many critical nodes dimmed, runes damaged, or even completely failed, leaving quite a few defensive gaps in this last sanctuary.

At this moment, Avery is leading a sharp team through the somewhat disordered forest paths.

She is dressed in a fitting dark green wizard robe embroidered with the Tavendish family crest and protective runes, with her Radiant Magic Wand hanging at her waist, her steps steady and swift.

The youthful awkwardness has long faded, replaced by a calm and competence distilled through hardship, a persistent heaviness lingering between her brows, yet her eyes are as sharp as an eagle's, constantly scanning the surroundings.

"Notify the garrison in the Seventh District to send someone immediately to reinforce the protective runes on the east side of the 'Red Rock' node. The energy fluctuations there are extremely unstable; I suspect an inner structure may have cracked."

"Also, tell logistics to speed up the allocation of 'Moon Dust Sand' and 'Solidifying Ink'—at least three nodes on the front line are waiting for repair materials, tell them that they cannot afford the consequences of delay."

"And how about those knights who were injured yesterday? I want a detailed recovery report by sunset today."

As Avery moved swiftly, she issued clear and organized commands to her assistant by her side.

Her voice was not high, but it carried indisputable authority, with each order hitting the key points. The accompanying personnel, whether wizards or the Transformed Knights responsible for protection, listened attentively, swiftly taking notes or sending the instructions via Communication Crystal.

Through the dual trials of war and catastrophe, Avery was no longer the heir who needed family protection.

Through her efforts, wisdom, and outstanding performance in several key battles, she gradually earned recognition and respect, growing into an indispensable pillar within the wizard family camp.

And the solid aura of energy she exuded unequivocally announced her ascension to the level of secret skill.

"The 'Heart of the Giant Tree' node we are going to check is one of the three core nodes maintaining the stability of the Southern Barrier."

Avery explained to a slightly younger wizard beside her, her tone softening with a hint of guidance: "Its previous energy readings dropped by thirty percent. We must personally verify whether the runes are damaged or if the energy veins have been blocked by unusual geological activity. This concerns the safety of the entire southern defense zone."

"Yes, Miss Avery," the young wizard responded respectfully, eyes full of admiration.

Avery nodded, refraining from further speech, her gaze once again directed into the depths of the forest.

Her tasks were heavy, time was short, and she needed to repair these damaged "shields" as much as possible before the Freemasonry Church noticed the vulnerability of the defense system and launched a new offensive. Every step impacts the life and death of countless people behind her.

"Flap, flap!"

At this moment, the sound of wings flapping arose, and a jet-black crow flew over, spiraling down to land near Avery.

As it approached the ground, the crow twisted and quickly transformed into a middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man addressed Avery, "Avery, put aside the matter of the Heart of the Giant Tree for now, or assign it to someone else."

Avery frowned, immediately objecting, "Are you joking with me? This is a critical node concerning the life and death of our stronghold; I must go personally."

The middle-aged man said, "People from the Jade Land have arrived."

Avery was stunned.

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