Chapter 630 - 536: Shire Reappears

Chapter 630: Chapter 536: Shire Reappears

"A safe termination?"

A calm voice interjected.

Ellis had stood up from the wooden crate at some point, his brow furrowed. His sharp gaze swept over the powder array and Vanessa.

"Miss Vanessa, forgive my bluntness, but based on the records I’ve read in the academy, any active ritual involving the soul cannot be forcibly terminated without a price once the energy exchange begins."

"Energy backlash, spiritual shock, and even secondary disturbances to the soul’s structure are all possible risks. The concept of a ’safe termination’ in the domain of soul rituals is practically a theoretical fantasy."

Hearing this, Vanessa’s cheeks instantly flushed red with urgency. She opened her mouth to argue.

"N-no, it’s not like that! The design philosophy of this ritual framework is..."

However, her words were gently cut off by Roland’s raised hand.

His gaze fell upon the Apprentice Witch’s purple eyes, which were anxious from being questioned but still strove to remain sincere. A faint, reassuring smile touched his lips.

"I trust you, Vanessa."

These simple yet utterly certain words immediately made Holland, who was standing to the side, give an ’I knew it’ look.

He nudged Ellis with his elbow and muttered in a low voice.

"See? I told you... Our boss has definitely taken a liking to the little lady..."

Roland ignored Holland’s teasing.

To others, this might have seemed like a risky leap of faith.

But for him, this trust was built on a much deeper foundation.

Although the Vanessa before him was green and clumsy, a far cry from the elegant, mysterious Witch of the future who occasionally played mischievous pranks.

But Roland knew deep down that even the "future" Vanessa always abided by two bottom lines.

Once she made a promise, she would do everything in her power to fulfill it.

And she would never easily make a guarantee that was beyond her capabilities.

This almost paranoid sense of "integrity" and "self-awareness" was the unchanging core of her complex personality.

A person’s outward personality might be polished and changed by time and experience, but certain core traits often remain as solid as a rock.

Besides, Roland’s gaze swept over the open copy of *Mason’s Travelogue: Records of Strange Lands* beside him.

While Vanessa was preparing earlier, he had quickly scanned its detailed records on the soul-mending ritual.

Examining it with his knowledge from the future and his understanding of numerous power systems, the record was indeed exhaustive, logically consistent, and quite frank in its description of the risks and precautions.

The design concept for a "controlled termination," though bold, was not some baseless fantasy.

Even if the worst were to happen and the ritual went awry, with the many Skills and Traits he currently possessed from the panel, he was confident he could suppress any potential damage to a minimum.

After weighing the options, attempting to repair this constantly depleting soul damage was far better than helplessly watching his Spiritual Attribute slowly decline.

His mind made up, Roland no longer hesitated.

Following Vanessa’s instructions, he walked to the empty spot in front of the powder array, sat down calmly, and regulated his breathing, slowly quieting his mind.

"Let’s begin, Miss Vanessa."

With that, Roland slowly closed his eyes, adjusting his breathing to a steady, prolonged rhythm.

He could clearly perceive that the pattern drawn with the special powder beneath him was emitting an extremely faint Energy Field, one that possessed a peculiar sense of order, like the inner workings of a precision clock waiting to be activated.

"Please relax, Mr. Rudolph, but keep your mind clear."

Vanessa’s voice sounded, softer than before, but carrying an undeniable concentration.

She carefully cupped the milky-white Resonating Crystal in her hands and gently placed it into the reserved indentation at the center of the array.

HUMMM!

An extremely faint tremor echoed, seeming to originate from the depths of his consciousness.

Roland felt the Energy Field beneath him begin to "flow" slowly and methodically, as if the first stream of living water had been poured into it.

The lines of powder began to glow faintly. A gentle, slightly cool sensation touched the edge of his Spiritual Perception, like a trickling stream beginning to soak a dry riverbed.

"Now, I will guide the array to establish an initial connection with your Spiritual Attribute... Please do not resist."

A tiny, extremely condensed mote of pale purple Arcane light appeared on Vanessa’s fingertip.

Her expression was grave, as if she were performing the most delicate micro-carving, as she slowly and steadily infused that point of light into the Resonating Crystal.

In an instant, Roland felt a clear but not particularly strong, probe-like power attempt to touch the surface of his soul.

He didn’t raise any defenses, allowing that gentle power, which carried Vanessa’s unique spiritual imprint, to seep in.

The moment the connection was established, Roland "saw."

It was not a sight seen with his physical eyes, but an image that appeared within his spiritual senses.

The formless, intangible outline of his soul resembled a faintly glowing, translucent humanoid figure.

And there, on the upper part of its chest, a subtle but distinct "crease" appeared.

It was dimmer than its surroundings, and its edges continuously emitted an extremely thin, almost imperceptible "dust of light," as if it were slowly dissolving.

This was the wound left by [Fate Deviation], the root cause of the continuous drain on his Spiritual Attribute.

Vanessa had apparently also "seen" this scene through the Resonating Crystal. She let out a very soft gasp, a sound mixed with awe and gravity.