Focus Crystal Ore Seedlings, Crystal-Cluster Mountain Demons

Having clarified what he needed for the road ahead, Luo Lin's pace of life accelerated once more, and his goals became even more focused.

No longer satisfied with routine patrols and resource gathering, he began actively seeking opportunities for breakthroughs.

Luo Lin first turned his attention to the interior of the outpost.

Using the contribution points and reputation he had accumulated, he frequently visited the logistics office and mission hall, carefully reviewing dusty mission files involving exploration of high-risk areas or the collection of rare materials.

He paid particular attention to information related to keywords such as "Mind-Calming Crystal" and "Elemental Essence," refusing to overlook even the slightest clue.

At the same time, through Captain Holm and other patrolmen he knew well, Luo Lin inquired about the experiences of colleagues who had made discoveries or encountered unusual incidents deep within the Black Forest.

Once pieced together, these fragments of information often outlined the general conditions of certain dangerous areas.

Baha became his most important assistant.

Whenever they accepted scouting or exploration missions, Baha's three pairs of eyes proved enormously useful.

The Obsidian Eye could detect areas with abnormal energy in advance, the Dark Silver Eye could see through simple environmental disguises and traps, while the Dark Gold Eye's warnings of danger repeatedly allowed their squad to avoid powerful lurking monsters.

Luo Lin and Baha worked together with increasing tacit understanding. Often, a glance or a thread of mental fluctuation was enough for both of them to understand each other's intentions.

During an exploration mission into an abandoned underground cavern said to bear traces of ancient wizard activity, Baha's Dark Silver Eye discovered a side chamber concealed by an illusion.

There was no direct spell inheritance inside, but they found several incomplete experimental notes.

Written in archaic grammar, the notes recorded a material called Glimmer Dust and described its ability to stabilize mental frequencies.

Luo Lin's heart stirred as he linked this information to Spatial Dust.

Although Glimmer Dust sounded like a lower-grade material, perhaps their underlying principles were similar, providing him with a reference for understanding the properties of materials used in innate spells.

Besides making use of the outpost's channels, Luo Lin also began cautiously reaching out to more secretive information networks.

Through a special contact method Mason had left behind, he spent a considerable number of contribution points to purchase information on the approximate locations and entry requirements of several known black-market outposts within the Black Forest.

These outposts were generally controlled by powerful wandering wizards or organizations with complicated backgrounds. They were highly mobile and dangerous, but rare items that were difficult to find elsewhere did occasionally surface there.

Luo Lin also made a special visit to the senior apprentice named Old Jack.

With no hope of advancing, Old Jack had instead become much more at peace.

Luo Lin did not directly ask how to obtain meditation methods. Instead, he discussed the properties of various materials and the places where they might be found, trading his own potions and a small number of contribution points for Old Jack's accumulated years of experience and knowledge.

From Old Jack, Luo Lin learned that Soulflame Flowers usually grew in unusual regions where negative energy and life energy intertwined.

Pure Elemental Essence, meanwhile, could often only be born in extreme environments where elemental energy was either exceptionally active or exceptionally stable.

Although this information could not directly solve his problems, it gave Luo Lin a more concrete understanding of the traits of the resources he needed and the environments where they might exist, preventing him from searching blindly.

As for his own cultivation, supported by his perfect-grade meditation method, Luo Lin continuously refined his mental power, which had already reached its limit.

He could sense that while its total amount could not increase, its density and activity seemed to be slowly improving, making it much easier to control.

Luo Lin devoted more energy to delving deeply into the ancient scrolls and his existing spells.

The ancient scroll concerning improvements to Rock Skin gave him new inspiration.

No longer content merely to optimize Weak Force-Field Armor, he began attempting to combine the concept of structural stability with the microscopic particle control taught by Wizard Stone, exploring the possibility of constructing more efficient defenses.

The process was filled with failures, but every attempt deepened his understanding of energy structures.

He also formed an initial concept for his future innate spell.

Based on his profound understanding of acid-corrosion spells and the feedback from Baha's Dark Insight attribute, he leaned toward a spell that combined corrosion, penetration, and perhaps a hint of interference.

Luo Lin began consciously gathering information on materials related to these attributes. Using Baha's abilities, he also tried to analyze the energy characteristics contained within different materials, preparing for the future production of Origin Ink and his search for an Elemental Heart.

But opportunities were often accompanied by risks.

While scouting a remote valley suspected to contain a Mind-Calming Crystal vein, based on a lead provided by Old Jack, Luo Lin's squad encountered an unprecedented crisis.

An eerie mist filled the valley, slowly eroding mental power, and Baha's Dark Gold Eye issued continuous, intense warnings.

They had just discovered several exposed Mind-Calming Crystal Ore Seedlings of seemingly decent quality when they were surrounded by a group of Crystal-Cluster Mountain Demons that had undergone violent mutations after being eroded by the valley's environment for a long time.

Not only were these mountain demons immensely strong, but their skin was covered in hard energy crystal clusters that gave them strong resistance to spells. Worse still, they seemed capable of short-range blinking movement through the valley mist.

From the very start, the battle fell into an extremely disadvantageous position.

The squad formation was instantly scattered. Captain Holm was entangled by two mountain demons and placed in grave danger.

Another squad member had his shield torn apart by a mountain demon's crystal claws and was severely injured.

Luo Lin made his decision in an instant.

He ordered Baha into the air, using his field of vision to direct the scattered squad members toward him.

At the same time, he sent Corrosive Orb without hesitation at the strongest of the two mountain demons attacking Holm.

Boom!!!

The dark green energy orb exploded against the mountain demon's chest. Its intensely corrosive energy instantly melted away a large section of its crystal-cluster armor, exposing charred flesh beneath.

The mountain demon let out a pained howl, its movements faltering.

Seizing the opportunity, Holm roared as he broke free from the other mountain demon's entanglement and joined Luo Lin.

"This won't work!"

"There are too many of them, and this damned mist is draining our mental power!"

Holm shouted between heavy breaths. His stone shield was already covered in cracks.

Luo Lin's gaze swept over the growing number of scarlet eyes flickering in and out of the mist around them. Then he looked at the few Mind-Calming Crystal Ore Seedlings on the ground, faintly glowing blue, as thoughts raced through his mind.

"Captain, cover me for ten breaths! I have an idea, but I need time!"

Luo Lin spoke quickly as he began mobilizing all the mana in his body, his mental power operating at an unprecedented speed.

Seeing the resolve flash through Luo Lin's eyes, Holm gritted his teeth.

"Fine. I'll trust you this once!"

With a roar, earthy yellow light surged from his body. He fiercely drove his stone shield into the ground, forming a temporary barrier that briefly held back the mountain demons' assault.

Luo Lin closed his eyes, driving his perfect-grade meditation method to its limit. His sea of consciousness seemed to boil.

He did not construct any known spell model. Instead, based on his research into the energy structures in the ancient scroll and his own understanding of acidic energy, he attempted to forcibly combine certain properties of Corrosive Orb with the energy-guidance method of Breeze Dust-Cleansing.

Luo Lin was going to create a temporary, large-scale Acidic Interference Field!

It was an extremely risky move. Forcibly merging two spell models of different natures could trigger an energy backlash with the slightest mistake.

But at this moment, there was no other choice.

He pressed both hands into the ground. Vast mana mixed with highly condensed mental power poured into the earth like a burst dam, rapidly spreading outward along a specific frequency.

In an instant, the ground within dozens of meters of Luo Lin trembled faintly. The eerie mist filling the air seemed to be stirred by an invisible force, taking on a faint, ominous dark-green hue.

A powerful energy field laden with corrosion and disorder abruptly formed.

The Crystal-Cluster Mountain Demons within its range immediately let out chaotic roars. The energy crystal clusters on their bodies flickered erratically, their blinking ability was severely disrupted, and their movements became sluggish.

Though this temporarily created Acidic Interference Field possessed no direct offensive power, it greatly weakened the mountain demons' advantages.

"Now! Break out!"

Luo Lin shouted, his face pale. That attack had nearly drained all his mana and more than half his mental power.

Holm and the other squad members were greatly invigorated. Seizing the chance while the mountain demons were in disarray, they concentrated their strength and charged fiercely in one direction, finally tearing open a gap!