Please Stop Summoning Me!

In the apartment.

Su Ling’s living room.

An old man with a head full of white hair, and thin body wrapped in a thick windbreaker was sitting on a sofa. Behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze remained fixed on the shimmering puddle of water resting on the coffee table. If Mr. Albert was here, he would have been instantly recognizable as the same figure he had encountered at the bus stop that very morning. 

Within the reflections dancing on the surface of the water, vivid images and echoing sounds of Su Ling and the “Chess Player”.

As Henry, covertly observing the unfolding scenes, a complex interplay of emotions surged within him. 

Though it was the target home, it was also the blind spot in the other party’s mind. Sometimes, the most dangerous place could prove to be the safest place. 

In fact, Henry has been here so long, he was just few meters away from Su Ling and hiding behind the wall, manipulating the development of events.

As soon as she left the apartment, he emerged from the wall and sat here to observe everything secretly.

Perplexed by the sudden appearance of the “chess player,” Henry couldn’t suppress his frustration at the unexpected twist in the carefully crafted narrative.

His contemplative gaze lingered on the screen, while stroking his beard he pondered, “Is he the chess player? A new ‘untouchable’ being in Beland? One who has the power to make things stand still?”

As the patriarch of the Salian family, known for his formidable wizardry skills and as a distinguished member of the Dust of No Light, he possessed an inherent understanding of what it truly meant to be considered “untouchable” in the realms of power and magic.

His mind drifted back to an intense battle from the past, where he witnessed a powerhouse deemed “untouchable” swiftly turn the tide with a display of earth-shattering might that bordered on the miraculous.

Although there was not much information about the “chess player”, the positioning given by the Nolan Anti-Magic Bureau would be mostly accurate.

The air around Henry grew heavy with a palpable sense of foreboding, his countenance clouded with a darkening storm. A palpable sense of urgency took hold, with Henry acknowledging that prioritizing escape over pursuing his quarry had become paramount in the current circumstances.

Reflecting on the inherent transience of conflicts, even those rooted in generations-old vendettas, he pondered the irreplaceable value of life above all else. The relentless truth that students could be replaced and clan members could be reborn only underscored the paramount importance of safeguarding one’s own existence.

“But I can’t just leave like this.”

A subtle gleam flickered in his narrowed gaze, his lips curling into a faint smile as a whispered incantation escaped his lips, activating an invisible technique that he had prepared for a long time. �

——

Shen Yi, who turned into mist, was very fast and swiftly reached the designated location of the magic circle in mere moments. 

Entering the women’s restroom, his gaze instinctively rose toward the ceiling above him. There, a mystical and intricate magic circle materialized, its intricate design composed of tentacle-like brown lines that seemed to pulsate with an otherworldly energy.

The sinuous lines composing the magic circle appeared to writhe subtly, creating an unsettling and eerie sight that sent shivers down for anyone, but not Shen Yi. Despite its unsettling appearance. 

Shen Yi approached the magic circle with a calm and focused demeanor. As for how to break the magic circle…it’s actually not difficult.

The authority of the Colorless City was not a simple physical means, but more like conceptual “power” and “destruction”.

The “Deep Mud” monster just now belonged to a kind of existence that was immune to physical attacks, but it still couldn’t withstand his blow.

Theoretically, it was feasible to directly dismantle intricate magic arrays through sheer brute force alone. 

Supporting his golden mask, he waved his black cane, and unleashed the power of the “Colorless City” to smash the magic circle.

“Bang”

With a hissing sound, the intricate lines in the magic array shivered violently before gradually fading away, line by line.

Meanwhile, amidst the relentless deluge of rain soaking her to the bone, Su Ling made her way to the rooftop. Her situation made more urgent by the approaching roars matched in intensity with the cold rain that pelted down on her in torrents.

The ‘hungry ghosts’ ascended rapidly, devouring all in their path as they closed in on Su Ling. Doors and windows offered no resistance as they tore through them, driven by an insatiable hunger for her essence. 

Summoning her resolve, Su Ling drew a steadying breath and ran her finger along the edge of the black knife. As blood coated the blade, the chilling blue flame in it erupted even more virgously, casting an ethereal glow in the midst of the chaos.

Her connection to the blood enchantment was undeniably powerful, but as each use not only made her weaker physically but also greatly consumed her vitality and eroded the precious tapestry of her lifespan. Each time she activated the enchantment, she could feel a piece of her essence slipping away, a stark reminder of the toll it was taking on her very being.

“I can only cut it once more.”

Su Ling’s whole demeanor trembled visibly and her already pale face drained a bit of its luster with the weight of her decisions. Despite the consuming pressure she faced, she refused to yield to despair, pushing forward every step she took towards the rooftop felt heavier than the last until she finally reached the end of the floor.

With the knife gripped tightly in her hand, Su Ling stood at the precipice of a decision that could alter the course forever.

Staring at the blade in her hand, knowing that a single slash could unleash the pale blue flames that would eradicate the “hungry ghosts” haunting the rooftop, she hesitated, because they can be saved. 

All these years, she had been atoning for her father’s actions, but now all her efforts be rendered moot in this moment.

In that fleeting moment of indecision, where time seemed to stretch infinitely, Su Ling’s internal conflict mirrored the external chaos that surrounded her.

As she was hesitating the “hungry ghosts” had rushed to the front, just as she had made up her mind. The first “hungry ghost” which was meters away from her fell down, followed by the second, the third, and one after another all fell down instantly.

Their defeat was swift and decisive, akin to frail straw beings cast aside by an invisible force.

The fiery hues of their skin mellowed into normalcy, and the unsettling bloating in their abdomens began to rapidly dwindle.

“He succeeded.”

Su Ling froze for a long time before finally loosened the grip of black blade in her hand.

——

“The entire school was searched throughly, but he’s not here.”

Shen Yi closed his eyes and thought deeply about all the possiblities.

The information provided by Su Ling should be accurate, and it was highly likely that the other party was somewhere nearby.

“Is he still staying in the apartment?”

As a lingering question escaped his lips, his eyes wandered over the remnants of the shattered spell formation, while his hand retrieved the Book of Ten Travelers, and focused his attention on Su Ling’s room.

“Um?”

Although he had such a supposition in his mind, the swift unfolding of events took him by surprise. His sharp perception honed in on a conspicuous figure – a frail old man with white hair, wrapped in a black trench coat and wearing a pair of gold wire glasses sitting on Su Ling’s sofa.

Of course Shen Yi didn’t know this old man was Henry, even if he walked up to him under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t recognize him.

However, at a time like now, besides the culprit of everything, who would stay in that apartment?

Expressing a measured tone laced with intrigue, Shen Yi acknowledged the serendipitous encounter. His words, laden with a mix of certainty and curiosity, formed a precise declaration: “What a coincidence, I found you.”

Henry, who was chanting the spell and performing a powerful invisible technique, while staring at the puddle of water was taken aback by what unfolded before him.

He felt an overwhelming sense of astonishment creeping over him as his gaze fixated on Shen Yi’s yellowed notebook. In an inexplicable unfolding of events, the pages of the notebook vividly depicting his own reflection staring back at him. 

Perhaps even more unsettling was the distinct impression that the enigmatic “chess player” was peering directly at him. 

The surreal and perplexing sight took Henry’s heart.

With a sudden surge of clarity, Henry pieced together a chilling revelation — the “chess player” had appeared seemingly out of thin air to the school. Raising the disturbing possibility that ‘since the “chess player” could find my location, he might be able to come here in an instant.’

This sobering realization was abruptly interrupted by a disembodied voice emanating from the calm surface of the water. 

“Travel.” The voice intoned, its resonance sending tremors through Henry’s consciousness. 

Caught in a state of suspended disbelief, Henry watched in bewilderment as the image of ‘chess player’ vanished into the water, leaving no trace behind. 

Then, with eerie calmness, the voice spoke once more, “Surprise.” The words echoed ominously, devoid of emotion, as if spoken by a meticulous predator poised for the hunt. 

Henry’s disbelieving gaze slowly rose to meet the sight of a cold and imperious golden mask, its vacant yet chillingly cold gaze seeming to penetrate deep into his very soul.

The “chess player” was standing a few meters in front of Henry. 

As if trapped in a surreal nightmare, Henry found himself fixated on the “chess player.” who stood just a few meters away, an enigmatic figure cloaked in mystery and power.

Shen Yi made a bold move, the black spiral cane he wielded slicing through the air with a menacing swiftness that bespoke his prowess as a formidable opponent.

The strong breath of an Extraterrestrial god exuded from him made Henry shudder immediately, as if in the presence of a force beyond comprehension. The overwhelming aura of death that surrounded him was suffocating, painting vivid and horrifying scenes in his mind that surpassed even the most brutal of battlefields he had ever encountered.

“Colorless City! God from Otherworldly World!” The terrifying aura stunned Henry, as he grappled with the overwhelming power. 

In a desperate attempt to defend himself, he reached into his pocket and retrieved an ancient, rusty bronze ring, its surface corroded and emanating an eerie energy. The moment his fingers made contact with the relic, his hand hands began to be corroded, as if it were being dissolved in acidic fluid. The flesh and blood on his hands blurred and contorted, a horrifying sight to behold.

Despite the agony that gripped him, Henry maintained a steely resolve, refusing to succumb to the torment inflicted by the mysterious artifact.

Yet, Henry remained resolute, a grim determination etched on his face. 

“Lies …… I will be hit by the cane.”

Disaster relics.

Unleashed!