Chapter 390: Reverse Summoning Spell
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 390: Reverse Summoning Spell
"Stand in the center of the ritual circle?"
Regarding the Dean’s suggestion, I personally felt that I’d have better luck casting the spell while doing a handstand. Still, since it was her idea, I naturally had to give it a shot. What if it actually worked?
Besides, even in the worst-case scenario, I figured the Dean was more than capable of bailing me out.
Once I made my decision, even Teacher Ji Niang paused her own work and came over. She seemed curious about the spellbook’s effect; after all, she had watched me cast it several times already. The string of "failures"—where the spell clearly succeeded but produced no visible result—had piqued her professional curiosity.
"Alright, I'll give it a try."
Having confirmed there were no better options, I followed the Dean’s instructions. Perhaps this summoning spell required the caster’s physical cooperation during the process?
Unfortunately, this spellbook was a fresh creation of the Dean’s. There were no notes inside; in fact, it was still in the... testing phase. And the test subject was me.
As I funneled mana into the spellbook once more, it began to glow. A ritual circle ignited on the floor, manifesting outward with me as the center. Watching this, I ran through other possibilities in my mind.
So far, this was no different from every other failed attempt. However, the Dean’s instruction to stay inside the ritual circle did seem to have some logic to it.
After all, whenever I cast this spell, the ritual circle rose from beneath my feet. Previously, I had always stepped out of the way to avoid blocking whatever might be summoned.
Could it be... that staying in the center was the correct way to operate it?
Just as the doubt crossed my mind, my body suddenly jolted!
It was that familiar sensation.
The effect of the spell... was acting directly upon me.
"Wait... Dean, something’s wrong... the spell’s effect has established a link with me, the caster. The connection feels similar to the one between me and that rune from before. Is summoning supposed to be like this?" I called out.
I reminded myself that this was a test. As the test subject, I needed to report every sensation to ensure the Dean understood exactly what was happening to me. Otherwise, an observer might be left completely in the dark.
"A conventional summoning spell certainly wouldn't behave this way. But you must understand that the spell you are using is anything but normal. It is merely categorized as a summoning spell. Even with an Extra-dimensional Creature Summoning Art, the subject must be summoned first before a contract can establish a link," the Dean explained immediately.
"Then what should I do? Just keep waiting?" I asked.
"Perhaps... that thread of Luck on your wrist already holds the answer."
"The Luck Thread?"
Only then did I realize my focus had been entirely on the spell itself. I looked down at my right wrist. The strand of Luck tied in a bow was trembling slightly, fluttering like a butterfly beating its wings.
Instantly, the ritual circle beneath my feet flared with light as if it had been jump-started, mirroring the brilliance of that rune back in the dream.
"Is it going to recreate that scene?" I whispered to myself.
This time... surely it wouldn't summon the other person here, would it?
By the time I realized the situation was abnormal, my entire body was already enveloped in magical power. An inexplicable force surged through me, its powerful constraint rendering me nearly immobile.
"I can't move... the force generated by the spell is seizing control of my body..."
"Don't resist. Fighting the spell's effect will most likely cause the casting to fail, and you'll suffer a spell backlash," the Dean advised urgently, seeing my struggle. She reached out, and another spell effect wrapped around me.
It was a protective spell. Even amidst the tension, I recognized the nature of her magic—she was likely layering a shield over me in case of an accident.
With the Dean’s protection as a safety net, I relaxed slightly, though I knew it wasn't time to let my guard down. I could clearly feel a resonance between my consciousness and the spell’s effect, as if the magic itself were asking me what I required.
As I pondered this, a golden phantom drifted past my eyes. It was a butterfly, manifested from golden Luck. It detached from my wrist, its flight path erratic and drifting, until it eventually vanished into the void.
I froze, instinctively glancing at the Dean, who remained motionless. Everything around me seemed to have ground to a halt until... a crisp sound rang in my ears.
Crack!
A sound sharper and more jarring than breaking glass echoed repeatedly. The reality before my eyes shattered in an instant.
Then, my body fell into a state of weightlessness. It felt like plunging into the deep sea. The faint protective spell on my skin resisted the pressure of space, but I was powerless to do anything else.
Everything before me seemed to be receding; the shards of broken reality drifted away.
I was like a victim falling into an ice hole, watching the surface of the water and the jagged ice grow distant as the light dimmed. My five senses were slowly losing all external stimuli...
Until a golden butterfly appeared before me once more. It radiated a golden glow, forming the only guidepost in this vast, empty void.
With every beat of its wings, it shed flecks of light. With every forward movement, it grew dimmer, as if it were using its very life to light the path ahead.
But rather than merely guiding me...
In this void where I was at the mercy of the currents, unable to act, the butterfly was like a guardian, carving a path through the unknown and leading me toward my destination.
* * *
Back in the laboratory.
Seeing the figure suddenly vanish from the testing grounds, a flash of panic crossed Ji Niang’s eyes. However, seeing that the Dean didn't look the least bit surprised, she managed to calm herself.
"Where did she go?"
Ji Niang’s voice carried a hint of suppressed emotion, but she forced herself to remain composed as she asked.
"Most likely... to that small world the Abyssal Demons pushed toward us," the Dean replied.
"You knew what the effect of this spell was from the very beginning, didn't you! What kind of bizarre summoning spell is this? What summoning spell makes the caster disappear!" Seeing the Dean’s nonchalance, Ji Niang’s voice turned sharp with urgency.
"Calm down, Xi Lan. You are losing the rationality expected of a Witch Scholar. Besides... weren't you curious about what this was? I call this spell—which I derived from your [Transcendent Knowledge] and manufactured myself—a Reverse Summoning Spell."
"Reverse Summoning Spell? Then what about Xiao Han? You're sending her to her death! Do you realize that?" Upon hearing that Xiao Han had been sent to an unknown small world delivered by Abyssal Demons, Ji Niang began to interrogate her on the spot.
"A Reverse Summoning Spell requires a prerequisite: a Summoning Guide. This spell is still composed of two parts—the summoner and the summoned—but the difference is that the initiative of the summons is held by the one being summoned." The Dean remained calm, showing no sign of worry.
"As for your concerns about Xiao Han’s safety, I actually care more than you do. I placed a specially derived protective spell on her. If that protection breaks, I will sense it immediately. Only then will it be proven that she is in danger."
"What good is sensing it? Isn't Xiao Han’s safety what matters?"
"Don't be impatient. I understand the principles of that Reverse Summoning Spell better than anyone; don't forget that I was the one who perfected it. Furthermore, I left a Summoning Guide behind. As long as that guide is activated, Xiao Han will be able to feel it. If she wishes, she can be summoned back to me at any time." As she spoke, Mei Lind displayed a rune—the very Summoning Guide marker left behind from the previous spell.
"But that’s still not safe enough! That’s an unknown world! That small world has already been invaded by Abyssal Demons; it’s become a demon hatchery!"
"Can't you try to learn to trust others? Xiao Han is much stronger than you think. Her performance in the face of the unknown has consistently exceeded my expectations—by a wide margin. Whether it was the confrontation matches, the exchange competitions, or the Ninglan New City incident, I have watched her grow bit by bit."
"..." Ji Niang was silenced by the Dean’s words. "Then, what now..."
"We wait, naturally. This is our only opportunity in the near future. That strand of Luck was only enough for a one-time, one-way guide. Xiao Han needs to figure out the function and general principles of the spell there. Before she encounters a danger she cannot handle, she must leave behind a guide rune for the Reverse Summoning Spell."
"You should have told her all of this directly instead of playing riddles," Teacher Ji Niang nitpicked from the side. It was clear she was still dissatisfied with the Dean’s behavior, and even if the other party was the Dean, she would express it plainly.
"It doesn't matter, Xi Lan. It really doesn't. This is merely a trial, a tempering for Xiao Han. It is a rare and valuable experience. Even if she wastes this opportunity, the Witch Academy’s vanguard exploration squad will be able to find that world in about a month or so anyway. Time means nothing to us; we can just wait."
"Are you so certain that the world Xiao Han accidentally connected to is that specific small world?"
"Of course," the Dean responded confidently.
"Don't forget, dear Xi Lan, that we are in the Main World. Even if it has become a ruin, it is still a world blooming upon the mainstream of the River of Ley Lines. Whether theoretically or through the findings of the Void Exploration Squad composed of Deans like myself, it has been proven that no world other than the Main World can exist on the mainstream of the Ley Lines. Large-scale worlds cannot exist there either; they simply aren't qualified."
"On the mainstream of the River of Ley Lines, only the Main World has the right to stand."
"That is why I am so curious about how those Abyssal Demon fellows managed to get a small world nearby. Perhaps they brought it from elsewhere, but clearly, unless there was manual intervention, no other world should be there. Since that wisp of Luck was able to reach the Main World, it means that small world has entered the Main World’s radiation range within the void—the area around the Main World we have already charted. Within that range, we have only observed that one world sent by the demons. Therefore, there is only one answer."
"To add to that, even if Xiao Han actually discovered a different small world, I’d be delighted. The traces of my protective spell that she carried with her would allow me to locate that world’s void coordinates, even if it took me decades or centuries. A world that can hide right under our noses is a world worth our attention."
The Dean’s explanation left Ji Niang stunned.
She hadn't thought that far ahead. After all, she didn't care much about the state of the Main World. In this place, her only concern was the [Transcendent Knowledge] before her eyes. The Main World provided her with a sanctuary that the void outside could not guarantee; that was all.
One shouldn't be fooled by Ji Niang’s seemingly ordinary status as a Transcendent Witch at the academy. One had to understand that entering the Main World required qualifications. Aside from a few who used personal connections, any witch who relied on raw strength to enter the Main World was undoubtedly a genius back in the void.
* * *
"What... what is going on..."
After taking a moment to calm down and think, I began to analyze my current situation. Was I stuck in a spatial tunnel?
Besides the temporary protective blessing the Dean had given me, I could still feel the magical power of that so-called summoning spell.
So... the reason I was going through this was entirely because of that spell!
And I didn't dare interrupt it. If the spell’s power vanished midway, there was no telling if I’d be dumped into a spatial turbulence or something equally nasty.
I wasn't about to gamble with my life. Even if I had a Resurrection Spell, I couldn't afford to be this reckless.
And... where was the Dean?
Dean, save me!
This was the first time I’d ever seen a summoner get summoned away. What kind of complete role reversal was this?
The Dean must have planned this. Since the spellbook came from her hands, she must have understood at least something. Add to that her suggestion that I stand on the ritual circle... I was eighty percent sure I’d been played by the Dean again.
What a hard life... I don't dare resist... and she keeps speaking in riddles. Do I have it easy?
In truth, although I had thought a great deal in that instant, not much time had passed objectively.
Soon, I saw a sliver of light at the end of the void-like spatial tunnel.
At that moment, the butterfly of Luck—now nothing more than a faint outline—shattered into golden specks of light and vanished. Perhaps it felt its mission was complete?
I felt my body regain its freedom. During the final stretch of the journey, I put all my effort into moving toward that "exit." I didn't know what lay there, but it had to be safer than staying in a spatial tunnel.
"This should be that girl’s world," I murmured to myself.
Recalling my conversation with the Dean and Teacher Ji Niang, this was another world, and that girl was very likely a Child of Destiny within it.
Facing an alien world, I naturally had to be on guard. Relying solely on the Dean’s blessing probably wasn't enough, as even I didn't know what emergencies I might encounter.
As one of my hands reached out from the end of the tunnel and felt solid ground at the edge, I found a point of leverage. I didn't even need to exert force; the spell’s effect squeezed me, pushing me out of the spatial tunnel.