Chapter 239: Chapter239-Soul Binding
Principal Sophia had never anticipated such events unfolding.
She looked at the pitch-black silver mirror and couldn't help but furrow her brow slightly.
What exactly was going on?
Logically speaking, now that the magic array was broken, everyone should have been transported out.
Why couldn't John come out?
He hadn't died in the secret realm.
Principal Sophia was also unclear why the silver mirror remained pitch black.
Until just moments ago, it had been displaying everything perfectly, but now it had suddenly malfunctioned.
"Could it be a problem with the power of control?"
Geoffrey quickly sensed that something was amiss.
After all, previously only John and Alastair had possessed the power of control.
But now, with Alastair having vanished completely, only John was left.
It was difficult to ensure whether Alastair had done something to John before disappearing...
If that were the case, then perhaps...
Everyone was deeply concerned, and even the students who had come out couldn't help but stare at the now darkened silver mirror.
Initially, some people had indeed been displeased with John, but at this moment, everyone was worried about him.
They were not ungrateful; they knew well that without John, they couldn't have made it out.
To them, John was their savior!
Some parents had thought about taking their children and leaving, but the children were adamant about staying.
They wanted to wait for John to come out before leaving.
Their lifesaver was still inside; how could they simply leave without him?
Although some parents indeed felt uncomfortable, they still respected their children's wishes and stayed with them.
They felt that now was the time to take their children home for a good rest.
As for John...
if he could come back alive, they would certainly go and thank him properly, but if not, they believed it was his fate.
Their children being alive and out was enough for them; they couldn't concern themselves with much else and didn't want to.
John was unaware that outside, everyone was in an uproar because of him.
He only felt his body becoming extraordinarily heavy.
He felt as if he had turned into a block of ice, his limbs and blood slowly starting to chill.
He tried hard to keep himself awake, but found it impossible; his entire body seemed very weary, and there seemed to be an unknown force churning within him.
He felt his consciousness begin to sink along with his body, as if descending to the bottom of the sea.
The world around him turned pitch black, and everything became exceptionally quiet, as if he was alone.
He didn't know how long this state lasted, but the next second, he felt as if something was pulling him upwards, making him float.
John suddenly felt his body start to warm up and, with effort, he opened his eyes to find himself in a cozy cabin.
The room's fireplace burned brightly, filling the space with warmth.
Wayne sat nearby, quietly tinkering with something that tinkled pleasantly.
Around them were green plants, all of which seemed to shy away from the fireplace as if they despised the heat.
"Ah, you're finally awake, you rascal. I thought you wouldn't come around," Old Nick said, stroking his beard and taking a sip of his drink, smacking his lips with a satisfied expression.
Abby sat by the window, watching the snowflakes dance outside.
Vines beside her waved milky white little yellow flowers, filling the air with a subtle fragrance.
Initially, John felt as though his mind power had been completely drained, but the faint scent invigorated his spirits.
Abby merely glanced briefly at John, then turned her attention back to the snow outside the window.
It was as if she was completely uninterested in John's condition, seemingly more captivated by the world outside than anything else.
"Did you save me?"
John struggled to sit up, but he felt the green vine markings on his arm starting to warm up.
He stretched out his arm and noticed that what had been a mere sprouting seed mark had now developed into a couple of small tender leaves.
They were flickering with green light, looking exceptionally fresh, yet he felt a sense of unfamiliarity with the mark.
What was going on?
"It wasn't us who saved you, we just moved you here, afraid you'd freeze into an ice statue before waking up," Old Nick replied, taking another sip of his drink before reluctantly sealing the bottle with a stopper and carefully tucking it into his coat.
"Those damn monkeys aren't easy to bargain with, and getting such good booze again will be tough, so better save it for later."
Old Nick wiped his mouth and then looked at John with a resonant voice.
"You're lucky to be alive; we were thinking we'd be coming to collect your corpse, but turns out you still had some breath left in you."
John looked around bewilderedly; he was indeed in a small cabin, a place he was sure he had never visited before.
He reached out his hand, feeling that the power of control within him seemed to have completely disappeared.
"No need to check; the power of control in your body has already completely disappeared, but it seems like this secret realm has somehow bonded with you."
Bonded?
John felt perplexed.
He carefully sensed within himself and indeed felt a new kind of power he had never had before—a mysterious force that seemed to reside in the small sprout-like totem.
"Isn't this what you gave me before?"
John involuntarily looked at Abby, his eyes filled with confusion.
If this is the so-called secret realm, then what does this totem represent?
Abby lightly touched the milky yellow flower, which seemed to shy away a bit.
"I didn't give this to you; it chose you on its own."
Abby's words only deepened John's confusion.
What exactly was going on?
"How did this piece of the secret realm, which previously belonged to Principal Sophia, suddenly become bound to me?"
Old Nick stroked his beard and laughed heartily.
"I don't know who this Principal Sophia you're speaking of is, but this piece of the secret realm has never been bound to anyone else before; you're the first."
Never been bound to anyone else!
But they had known when they entered that this piece of the secret realm was a personal item of Principal Sophia!
And it had been used for trials before, for many years already.
How could it suddenly not be hers now?
"You know we come from another continent, or in your terms, a parallel dimension. Our continent was invaded and turned into a secret realm, which then shattered into several fragments. The strongest members of our major races were sealed within these secret realm fragments."
"I, unfortunately, ended up in the same fragment as this fellow. I figured life would just go on this way, considering we only really become active when you folks come over."
But now that there's hope of returning, who would want to live aimlessly for a lifetime?
"So, if you combine the other fragments, can you return to your original world?"
John quickly grasped why Old Nick and Abby were helping him.
They wanted to go home!
"I knew you had some brains, lad, and you guessed right," Old Nick laughed heartily, giving John a hearty slap on the shoulder.
The force was so great that John nearly toppled over, but he managed to steady himself.
"Where are the other fragments?"
John couldn't help but ask, to which Old Nick rolled his eyes.
"I just praised you for being smart, and now your brain's gone empty again?"