Chapter 67

That vast, ancient will, brimming with unyielding resilience and unwavering protection, surged through the Thorn Heart like a spring flood breaking free. It did not arise from any single being, but was the collective resonance of this land—nourished by the Heart of the Earth’s veins, guarded by steel ramparts, and stubbornly rooted by countless tiny lives—awakening in its hour of crisis!

On the ramparts, the wild blue-green light flickering within the Thorn Steel armor plates was instantly tamed by this will, flowing gently along the energy channels. The crack torn open by energy conflict slowly sealed, wrapped in the tender glow of blue-green luminescence like a healing wound. The pale golden vines clinging to it rustled softly, their leaves glowing richer green, infusing the cold steel with vibrant life.

In the depression, the Heart of the Earth’s pulse grew deeper and stronger, its orange-red light spreading steadily, interweaving with the rampart’s faint glow and the emerald hue of the jade fragments into a harmonious spectrum. The furnace’s flames, as if summoned, burned purer and more stable—less erratic, more profound.

The chaos and agony churning within Lin Mo’s body, beneath the embrace of this grand will, was like a tiny boat finally finding harbor amid a storm. The orange-red core of the [Seed of Life] dimmed and solidified; the blue light of the Anchor of Order remained firm as ever; the restless dark-purple mark was crushed back into the core’s depths, lying dormant. The malicious core data fragments forcibly injected into his mind dissolved like snow under sunlight, washed clean and faded by this pure, protective intent—leaving only a faint, blurred warning.

The cautious moonlight that had gathered at Ellie’s fingertips faded quietly. She stared, stunned, at the rampart’s miraculous self-repair, then at Lin Mo, his eyes closed as he sensed the Earth’s heartbeat. The shock from that brief encounter with corruption now seemed trivial and absurd beside this vast, life-affirming protective will. A flicker of shame and deeper determination passed through her cold eyes.

“What… what the hell is this?” Wrench gaped, his wrench falling to the ground unnoticed.

“The land… is speaking…” Lingna’s face glowed with awe and closeness. She knelt, pressing her small hand against the warm, charred soil; the emerald glow of her Heart of Jade flowed joyfully outward, merging with the awakened will. She clearly “heard” the land’s whisper—the yearning of countless stubborn seeds breaking through earth, the resilience of roots digging deep into rock for water, the unyielding struggle against radiation and decay!

“It’s the Thorn Heart!” Tong Xu’s mechanical eye flashed blue, his voice filled with unprecedented excitement and solemnity. “The land’s own will! It recognizes us! It recognizes our protection!” He slammed his thick chest. “Good! Good! This is worthy of the steel I, Tong Xu, forged!”

The cracks of distrust, witnessed by the land’s will, were quietly mended—and strengthened beyond before.

Yet the wasteland’s sky never tolerated lasting peace.

Woooo—Woooo!

A wailing howl, like the cries of ghosts, erupted without warning from the withered forest! It was no natural wind—it was an energy wave steeped in thick, decaying will!

The gray horizon was utterly swallowed by churning, ink-thick withered mist! Within the mist, countless shadowy, twisted figures surged forward like a tide! Some resembled withered trees, roots as feet, swinging rotting branches; others looked like skinned beasts, bones exposed, oozing purple pus; still others were mere writhing masses of countless tiny withered creatures fused into horrific flesh-blobs!

The Foul Claw’s vanguard! It had not abandoned its assault after the failed projection—instead, it seized the moment when the Thorn Will had just awakened and the territory’s power was still adjusting, launching a fiercer, more direct attack! It meant to drown this beacon it coveted with sheer numbers and a flood of decay!

“Attack—!!” The nomads on the ramparts screamed their alarm, voices tearing through the air!

“Prepare for battle!” Lin Mo snapped open his eyes, his gaze now free of confusion or pain—cold as bedrock. “Thorn Heart—Territorial Rampart! Full power!”

Whrrrrm—!!!

The Jade Thorn Rampart rose again! But this time, swirling across its surface, alongside emerald, dark gold, orange-red, and order-blue, was a deep, heavy hue—the color of the Earth itself: the manifested essence of the newly awakened Thorn Will!

The blue-green energy veins within the rampart’s Thorn Steel armor plates blazed brightly, perfectly fused with the rampart’s energy field!

“Hive! Spray the bastards into dust!” Wrench yelled, sprinting to the control console (now replaced with a Thorn Steel energy core), slamming down the button!

Hssssss—!

The “Hive” devices mounted at key battlements instantly spat out dense networks of deep blue pulses! Though weaker than when powered by Order Crystals, their coverage remained immense! The foremost withered tree-monsters struck by the pulses instantly crumbled into holes, their movements slowing and stiffening. The fused flesh-blobs shrieked, their surfaces scorched with large charred patches!

“Iron Thorn! Spin!” Tong Xu roared, yanking a massive lever. A huge, spiked steel wheel installed beneath the rampart’s repair zone, powered by the furnace’s waste heat, groaned and began to slowly accelerate!

Ellie appeared atop the rampart. Facing the tidal wave of withered monsters, her eyes were as cold as blades. Her fingertips no longer gathered light threads—instead, she tapped the air! Thin, solid silver moonlight rays, like death’s inspection list, pierced the skulls of the foremost, most threatening withered beasts. Where struck, wounds did not bleed—they instantly froze over with ice crystals, then the entire bodies shattered like brittle glass. The moonlight’s purifying power was lethal to decay!

Yet the withered tide was too vast! Fearless, endless! The “Hive” needed recharge; the “Iron Thorn” had not yet reached peak speed; Ellie’s precise strikes could not cover the entire front. Soon, countless withered monsters reached the rampart’s base, clawing and corroding the Thorn Steel armor with rotting limbs and viscous pus!

Hssss—!

The armor plates emitted a grating, teeth-on-edge corrosion sound; the blue-green glow dimmed rapidly under the pus’s assault! Though Thorn Steel resisted decay, under such concentrated attack, fine damage began to appear!

“Hold!” Lin Mo sank his will into the Earth, communing with the newly awakened Thorn Will. He no longer relied solely on his own strength—he sought to guide and amplify the land’s own fury and protection!

As if answering his call, the entire Thorn Heart territory trembled violently!

Beneath the rampart, the charred soil boiled like a cauldron! Dozens of thickened, armored roots, sheathed in rocky plates and sharp wooden spines, erupted like slumbering ancient serpents! These were no longer pure energy—they were semi-solid entities forged from Earth’s stone and Thorn’s essence! With the force of ten thousand tons, they lashed out at the monsters clinging to the rampart!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The roots, woven of rock and thorn, struck like battering rams! Withered trees were crushed in half; rotting beasts were smashed into pulp; fused flesh-blobs were pierced and torn apart! The deep yellow aura flowing over the roots prevented the withered pus from clinging or corroding!

Meanwhile, inside the rampart, the pale golden vines cultivated by Lingna, as if summoned, exploded in growth! They climbed the rampart, their fine tendrils like living ropes, coiling around climbing monsters; their tough leaf edges secreted faint purifying mucus, causing the creatures to shriek in agony. Some vines plunged directly into battle, wrapping limbs of the monsters to create openings for the rampart’s roots and attacks!

Under the Thorn Will’s empowerment, the root domain revealed unprecedented ferocity and vitality! It was no longer merely a defensive wall—it had become a thorn-choked jungle devouring the withered tide!

On the Doctor’s main screen, footage showed the Thorn roots lashing and shattering withered monsters, and close-ups of the Thorn Steel armor resisting corrosion from pus.

【High-activity Earth Will detected (Thorn Heart origin)!】

【Target defense system (Thorn Domain) combat efficiency exceeds expectations by 37%!】

【Thorn Steel (Gen-1) resistance to decay erosion assessment: B+ (Good)!】

【Foul Claw vanguard loss rate: 62%... Offensive stalled.】

【Execute: Activate ‘Withered Crystal’ projector unit (lurking behind withered horde). Target: Test Thorn Steel resistance to concentrated decay energy beam attack.】

Deep within the withered mist, several monstrously large, bloated creatures, bearing massive clusters of purple crystals on their backs, slowly raised their rotting limbs like cannons. The crystal clusters began gathering ominous purple-black light.