"Back then, Selena fell out with her master because of some... less-than-savory actions by Panadora."
"Gould!" A furious female voice echoed in the space: "You better keep your mouth shut!"
"Ha! Still so irritable." Gould laughed even more cheerfully, eyes gleaming with the light of a successfully pulled prank: "After thousands of years, your temper hasn’t improved a bit. No wonder Selena chose to break away in the end."
The solitary eye of the Eye of Observation rotated, seemingly expressing a kind of helplessness: "Gould, your mouth is still as unguarded as ever. Some of the darker sides of history may not be suitable for excessive exposure in front of the young."
"I’m merely stating historical facts."
Gould replied righteously, with a tone carrying the stubbornness of a scholar: "As a Record Officer, I have the duty to let future generations understand the truth, rather than those glorified legends. The value of history lies in its authenticity, doesn’t it?"
The oppressive atmosphere in the space gradually dissipated, clearly the King of Illusions chose to abandon this pointless argument.
After all, what Gould stated were indeed facts, albeit ones that were rather unsavory.
"Alright, let’s get back to business." Uther interrupted this dangerous farce, his tone carrying a distinct tension:
"Since we have decided to summon Selena’s early form, let us now begin preparing for the final stage of the ritual."
"Lance and Alexander need to use their relics as a medium."
Gould became serious once more, taking out two exquisite boxes:
"I recall there should be some of their research notes and experimental instruments preserved in the School Alliance’s treasury. These items carry their spirit imprints and are the best summoning media."
"They’re ready."
Uther carefully extracted two exquisite boxes, each containing a feather pen and a piece of clear crystal:
"As for Selena..."
Uther’s tone became even more cautious.
He took out a small box wrapped in special materials from his bosom: "This was given to me by Calix back in the day, a fragment of Selena’s Void Remains."
At the moment the box was opened, a pure and powerful energy fluctuation instantly filled the entire room.
It was an indescribable life energy, like the warmth of spring sunshine and the gentle breeze of autumn descending simultaneously, both warm and full of hope.
"Begin." The solitary eye of the Eye of Observation began to emit a more intense golden light:
"The longer the time drags on, the more difficult the summoning becomes. Moreover, maintaining the Void Remains projection will consume a substantial amount of our strength."
The three masters commenced the summoning ritual.
The first figure began to coalesce above Lance’s feather pen.
The light wove like fabric, gradually forming a gentle human silhouette.
It was a middle-aged man with a gentle appearance.
His wizard robe was neat and simple, without any luxurious decorations, not even basic protective runes were elaborate.
"Is this... the current era?" Lance surveyed the surroundings:
"I can feel the traces of time passing, this should be the distant future long after my death.
The feeling of time is truly marvelous... it’s like having a very long, long dream."
His gaze examined the room with the unique curiosity of a scholar, finally resting on Ron.
When he saw the energy characteristics on Ron, his eyes revealed surprise and gratification:
"A Primordial Wizard... someone in this era also chose the Path of Truth. It is both unexpected and delightful."
The second figure appeared above the crystal.
Alexander’s appearance looked younger than Lance, seeming only in his twenties, yet his eyes carried a depth and rationality beyond his years.
His skin had an unnaturally translucent state, with veins clearly visible, having evidently undergone partial self-modification.
"Time projection summoning... an interesting technology."
"It seems that the wizards of later generations have made considerable progress in history."
His gaze swept over everyone present, his eyes possessing an exceptionally sharp glint:
"You all summoned us here because you encountered some thorny issue, didn’t you? And moreover..."
His sight focused on Eve: "I can sense some sort of unusual fluctuation at the rule level from this young lady."
The last figure’s coalescence was the most complex.
Selena’s Void Remains emitted a strong radiance of life, the light was as gorgeous as a rainbow, yet carried a beauty of absolute purity.
When the light receded, a figure appeared that took Ron by surprise.
It was a young woman who looked to be in her twenties.
Her eyes were a deep blue, clear as a summer sky, seeming to penetrate everything.
"So, this is the world of the future?"
Selena’s voice was filled with an unmistakable excitement and curiosity, completely unlike the majestic image of the Great Wizard from the legends:
"Your summoning technique is much more advanced than in my time! I can feel the precision of the Time Array, it is simply spell casting at an artistic level!"
She excitedly spun around in the room, her steps light as if she were dancing.
"Moreover, the magic concentration here is much higher than before! Have later wizards found a way to enhance the environment’s magic? Or has the entire world’s magic system undergone evolution?"
Gould and the Eye of Observation exchanged a glance, both seeing a kind of helplessness and nostalgia in each other’s eyes.
They had forgotten that in this period, Selena indeed still retained the innocence and boundless curiosity of a young scholar.
That pure interest in everything in the world was a precious quality she gradually lost later.
"Wait a minute..."
Selena suddenly stopped her twirling motion, her nose twitching slightly like a small animal sniffing a scent.
Her gaze locked onto Eve: "The bloodline aura on this little girl... such purity and complexity..."
"The aura on you... this feeling... are you a descendant of Hector?"
"Hector?" Ron looked confusingly at Uther.
"That was the original name of the King of Absurdity." Uther explained somewhat awkwardly: "In Selena’s era, this great figure was just an emerging young genius."
"Ha!" Selena let out a laughter like silver bells:
"That child who always liked to speak in paradoxes, later became a Witch King? How fascinating!"
She quickly walked over to Eve, the light in her eyes becoming unusually bright:
"My goodness! Your bloodline structure is simply... an artwork! Such sophisticated modulation techniques, the perfect blend of multiple bloodlines..."
Then she turned to Ron: "And there’s another young person, like me, walking the Path of Truth! Let me take a closer look..."
She suddenly paused, her expression becoming more focused, even filled with confusion:
"Wait... this aura... there’s something very familiar about you... it’s as if..."
A flash of inspiration crossed her eyes:
"Traveler! You have the aura of the Traveler! This is impossible... wasn’t he long..."
Upon hearing the title, a hint of shock appeared in Lance’s eyes as well:
"Traveler? Are you referring to the creator of ’Star Eater’s Ravings’?"
At this moment, footsteps resounded from the room’s entrance.
Everyone turned their heads.
Cassandra had finally arrived.
She did not appear in the form of Void Remains but retained a human appearance, yet the terrifying majesty belonging to the Great Wizard surged into the entire room like a tide.
However, those purple vortex-like eyes remained sharp as blades, scanning everyone in the room.
"Apologies for being late."
Cassandra’s voice sounded calm, but upon careful listening, one could detect an indiscernible fatigue: "The matters of the Otherworld are more complicated than expected."
Her gaze first fell on her daughter, the majesty in her eyes instantly melted away, replaced by a mother’s intrinsic affection: "Eve, you look like you’re in good spirits."
Then she turned to the three historical projections, a polite smile resurfacing on her face:
"Distinguished elders, thank you for being willing to assist in Eve’s treatment. It is of great significance to us, mother and daughter."
"You..." Selena hesitated to speak, her silver-blue eyes showing wariness: "There’s something not quite right about the aura on you."
The atmosphere in the room instantly became tense, like a taut string ready to snap at any moment.