Chapter 390 : Chapter 390

Chapter 390: The Reverse Summoning Spell

"Stand in the center of the spell ritual?"

Personally, I felt the Academy Head's suggestion was less effective than me casting the spell while standing on my head, but since it was the Academy Head's suggestion, I naturally had to try it.

What if it worked?

At the very least, I figured the Academy Head wouldn't let me get fatally hurt.

At this moment, after I made my decision, even Teacher Ji Niang stopped her work and came over to the side.

She seemed curious about the effect of this Spellbook.

She had watched me cast it several times, and the continuous "failures" truly made her wonder what was wrong with this spell, which clearly cast successfully but had no discernible effect.

"Alright, I'll give it a try."

After confirming there was no better way, I tried it according to the Academy Head's suggestion.

Maybe this Summoning Spell required the caster's cooperation during the summoning process?

But unfortunately, this Spellbook was just created by the Academy Head.

There were no notes inside, and it was still... in the testing phase, with me as the test subject.

As I once again consumed magic power and injected it into the Spellbook, the Spellbook lit up, and a spell ritual appeared on the ground, radiating outwards from me.

Seeing this sight, I pondered other possibilities.

Up to this point, this was no different from every previous failed attempt.

However, the Academy Head's suggestion to stand inside the spell ritual seemed to have some logic.

After all, the moment the spell is cast, the spell ritual rises from under my feet.

Previously, I had moved away to prevent myself from obstructing whatever was being summoned.

Was staying in the center of the spell ritual the correct procedure?

Just as I was wondering, my body suddenly shook!

It was that familiar feeling.

The released spell effect... had actually applied directly to my own body.

"Wait... Academy Head, something's strange... The spell effect of this spell is connecting with me, the caster. The connection is similar to the one the rune had with me earlier. Is this how a Summoning Spell works?"

I asked at this moment.

I remembered this was a test.

As the test subject, I naturally needed to voice all the information I was receiving so the Academy Head could understand what was happening to me.

Otherwise, onlookers might be utterly confused.

"Conventional Summoning Spells naturally don't have this situation, but you must understand that the Summoning Spell you are using is not normal. It was only categorized as a Summoning Spell. Even an Extra-dimensional Creature Summoning Spell requires the entity to be summoned first to establish a contract before a connection can be formed," the Academy Head immediately explained to me.

"Then what should I do? Should I continue to wait?"

I asked again.

"Perhaps... the thread of Destiny on your hand has given you the answer."

"Thread of Destiny?"

At this moment, I realized my attention had been entirely focused on the spell itself.

I looked at my right wrist, where the Destiny thread, tied in a bow knot, was lightly trembling, fluttering like a butterfly taking flight.

Instantly, the spell ritual under my feet shone brightly, as if something had activated it, just like the rune in the Dream State earlier.

"Is it going to recreate the scene from back then?"

I muttered softly.

This time... would it summon the girl over here?

My entire body was wrapped in the spell's power.

It was only now that I reacted to this strange situation.

An inexplicable force quickly climbed over my whole body.

The intense restraint made me almost unable to move.

"I can't move... The force generated by the spell effect is controlling my body..."

"Don't resist. Resisting the spell effect will likely cause the spell to fail, and you will suffer a Spell Backlash," the Academy Head immediately advised, seeing my state.

Then, she reached out, and another spell effect enveloped my entire body.

This was a Protective Spell.

Despite my tension, I recognized what the Academy Head's spell was—she must have added a layer of protection in case of an accident.

With the Academy Head's Protective Spell backing me up, I slightly relaxed, but I knew this was not the time to be careless.

I clearly felt a resonance between my consciousness and the spell effect, as if the consciousness was asking me for a requirement.

Just as I was thinking, a golden phantom floated past me.

It was a butterfly, a golden butterfly formed by Destiny, which untied itself from my wrist and flew erratically until it merged into the void and disappeared.

At this point... I was stunned.

I subconsciously looked at the motionless Academy Head beside me, but everything around me seemed to have frozen, until... a crisp sound rang in my ear.

Crack—!

A shattering sound, even more grating than glass, was incessant.

The reality in front of me instantly fragmented.

Then, my body once again fell into a state of weightlessness, as if plunging into the deep sea.

The faint Protective Spell on my body resisted the spatial pressure, but there was nothing I could do.

Everything in front of me seemed to be receding, and the fragments of the shattered reality were also moving away.

I was like a victim falling into an ice pit, watching the receding water surface and the shattered ice pit.

The light gradually dimmed, and my five senses slowly lost external stimulation...

Until a golden butterfly reappeared in front of me.

It glowed with golden radiance, becoming the only guide in this empty space.

With every flutter of its wings, it shed a few specks of light.

With every step forward, it became dimmer, as if using its life to illuminate the path ahead for me.

But rather than guiding my path.

I was helpless in this void, unable to do anything, yet it seemed to act as a guardian, pioneering the unknown ahead and guiding me to my destination.

Meanwhile.

In the laboratory.

Looking at the figure that had suddenly disappeared from the testing area, a flicker of panic crossed Ji Niang's eyes, but seeing the Academy Head beside her completely unfazed, she calmed down.

"Where did she go?"

Ji Niang's tone held a hint of suppression, but she still managed to ask, feigning calmness.

"Likely... most probably to the Small World that the Abyssal Demons are pushing over," the Academy Head said.

"You knew the effect of this spell from the beginning, didn't you! What kind of bizarre Summoning Spell is this? What Summoning Spell makes the caster disappear!"

Seeing the Academy Head's calm tone, Ji Niang spoke with a hint of urgency.

"Calm down, Xi Lan. You are losing the rationality a witch-scholar should have. Also... aren't you curious what this is? I call the spell derived from your [Transcendent Knowledge] and constructed by me... the Reverse Summoning Spell."

"Reverse Summoning Spell? What about Little Han? You sent her to her death! Do you understand?"

Hearing that Little Han was sent to the unknown Small World delivered by the Abyssal Demons, she immediately questioned the Academy Head.

"The Reverse Summoning Spell requires a prerequisite: a summoning guide. This Summoning Spell is still composed of the summoning entity and the summoned party, but the difference is that the primary control of the summoning is in the hands of the summoned party."

The Academy Head was composed, showing no sign of worry.

"As for your concern for Little Han's safety, I am more concerned than you are. But I applied a specially derived Protective Spell to her. I can sense it if this Protective Spell is broken, which would indicate Little Han is in danger."

"What good is sensing it? Isn't Little Han's safety what matters?"

"Don't worry. I understand the principle of the Reverse Summoning Spell better than all of you. Don't forget, I completed it. Also, I left a summoning guide. Once this guide is activated, Little Han will be able to sense it. That way, if Little Han wants to, I can summon her back again."

Mei Linde said, displaying a rune.

This rune was the summoning guide mark left in the spell structure earlier.

"But that's still not safe! That's an unknown world! And that Small World is already invaded by the Abyssal Demons, becoming an incubation ground for Little Devils!"

"Can't you try to learn to trust others? Little Han is much stronger than you think. In the face of unknown events, her performance has consistently been better than I expected, much better. Whether it was the competition, the exchange matches, or the Ninglan New City incident, I've watched her grow step by step."

"..."

Ji Niang was silenced by the Academy Head's words.

"Then what now..."

"Now, we wait. This is the only opportunity we have in the near future. That thread of Destiny is only enough for a single, one-way guide. Little Han needs to explore the function and general principle of this spell there, and leave a guide rune for the Reverse Summoning Spell before encountering danger she cannot handle."

"You should have told her all this directly instead of talking in riddles," Teacher Ji Niang criticized.

Clearly, she was still somewhat unhappy with the Academy Head's behavior.

Even though the other party was the Academy Head, she still expressed her dissatisfaction directly.

"It's not important, Xi Lan. It's not important. This is merely a test and a form of tempering for Little Han. This is a rare opportunity. Even if Little Han wastes this opportunity, our Witch Academy advance exploration team can still find this world in about a month's time. Time means nothing to us. All we have to do is wait."

"Are you so sure that the world Little Han connected to by accident is that specific Small World?"

"Of course," the Academy Head replied confidently.

"Don't forget, dear Xi Lan, we are in the Main World. Even though it has become a ruin, it still flourishes on the mainstream of the Earth Vein River. Both in theory and as confirmed by the Void exploration teams formed by a few other Academy Heads and me, it's impossible for a world other than the Main World to exist on the mainstream of the Earth Vein. Large Worlds cannot exist there either, because they are not qualified."

"Only the Main World is qualified to stand upon the mainstream of the Earth Vein River."

"That's why I'm very curious how the Abyssal Demons managed to get that Small World nearby. Perhaps they brought it from somewhere else, but clearly, unless it was a manual operation, there can't be any other worlds in that area. Since that wisp of Destiny could reach the Main World, it means that Small World has already entered the Main World's radiation range in the Void, which is the surrounding Void area we have already explored. And in this range, we've only observed the world that those demons sent over. So, there's only one answer left."

"To add to that, even if Little Han did discover another Small World, I would be very amused. The trace of my Protective Spell that Little Han carried over, even if it took me decades or a century, would allow me to pinpoint that world's Void coordinates. A world capable of hiding right under our noses is also worthy of our attention."

The Academy Head's words stunned Ji Niang.

She hadn't thought that far.

She didn't care about the Main World itself.

In this Main World, she only cared about the portion of [Transcendent Knowledge] in front of her.

The Main World provided her with a haven that the Void could not guarantee, and that was all.

One shouldn't underestimate Ji Niang, who seemed like just an ordinary Transcendent Witch in Witch Academy.

One must remember that entry into the Main World also requires a qualification.

Apart from those who used connections, any witch who entered the Main World based on sheer strength was a genius in the Void, wasn't she?

...

"What... what is going on..."

After a period of calm analysis, I began to assess the situation.

Was I trapped in a Teleportation Channel?

Besides the Protective Spell the Academy Head temporarily placed on me, I could also feel the spell power of the so-called Summoning Spell.

So... my experience must be the fault of this spell!

And I didn't dare to interrupt this spell.

What if, halfway through, without the spell's power, I fell into a spatial current or something?

I couldn't be sure!

I wouldn't gamble with my life.

Even with the Resurrection Spell, I couldn't afford to be reckless like this.

And... where was the Academy Head?

Academy Head, help!

This was the first time I had seen a caster of a Summoning Spell get summoned away.

What kind of cosmic anomaly was this?

The Academy Head couldn't have calculated this, could she?

The Spellbook came from her hand.

The Academy Head must know something, and combined with her suggestion for me to stand inside the spell ritual... I was likely being manipulated by the Academy Head again...

My poor, miserable life... I can't resist... and she's being a riddle speaker.

Is my life this hard?

Objectively, although I had thought of many things in that instant, not much real time had passed.

Soon, I saw a sliver of light at the end of this empty spatial channel.

At this moment, the faint silhouette of the Destiny Butterfly completely dissolved into golden specks of light in front of me.

Perhaps it felt its mission was complete?

Then, I felt my body regain its freedom.

For the final stretch of the journey, I exerted all my strength to move toward that "exit."

I didn't know what was there, but it was safer than staying in the spatial channel.

"This should be the girl's world," I muttered to myself.

Recalling the conversation with the Academy Head and Teacher Ji Niang, it was another world, and the girl was very likely a Child of Destiny of that world.

Facing an unfamiliar world, I naturally needed to be prepared.

Relying solely on the Academy Head's temporary protection might not be enough, as I didn't even know what sudden situation I might encounter now.

As one of my hands reached out from the end and touched the solid ground on the edge, my entire body felt like it had a support point.

I didn't even need to use force; the spell effect squeezed me, pushing me out of the spatial channel.