Chapter 86 Shadow Summoning
Curse casting is divided into two types: one is Ritual Wizardry cast through a medium, and the other is a short-term negative status applied with spells.
Although Curses cast with spells are not as dangerous as Ritual Wizardry, they have the advantage of a short preparation period, and can be quickly cast just through some enticing conversations or scents.
However, this type of Witchcraft requires the caster to maintain a state of high emotion throughout; once the emotion is interrupted, the Curse effect will be quickly dispelled.
As a top student in the Basic Spells class, Jia Na naturally knew how to break Curses. Coincidentally, besides Witchcraft that required spellcasting, Jia Na also possessed Soul Lash, which could be completed with just gesture casting.
Even though Jia Na's original intention for learning this Witchcraft was just to tame rebellious Spirit World creatures during Contract Summoning.
Unexpectedly, compared to lashing those contracted creatures, this Witchcraft was more suitable for forcefully interrupting casting.
Accompanied by a flash of milky white light, the Celestial Sparrow, flapping its snowy white wings, immediately flew onto Jia Na's shoulder.
"Buzz—"
There was no need for Jia Na to say more; seeing the situation on the field, the Celestial Sparrow, while quickly condensing a barrier, also generously cast the newly comprehended Holy Blessing onto Jia Na, afraid its blessing wouldn't be enough and would let the opposite "dark-skinned half-elf apprentice" exploit a weakness.
"Master, she disappeared again."
Seeing Jia Na break the Mute Curse, Bell-Moonshadow, knowing she had lost the initiative, once again concealed herself in the shadows. Immediately after, mist gathered, and the same tactic as last time was repeated in their battle.
"Afu, block your hearing."
The Celestial Sparrow, knowing Jia Na's next move, immediately used magic power to block its non-existent ears.
"Lala—lalala—"
The sound was like a celestial melody, a whispered murmur. With Siren's Chant's indiscriminate mental attack, caught off guard, even the apprentices watching from outside the field were unconsciously charmed by the Witchcraft.
"A bit interesting."
Seeing more and more apprentices affected, Grace-Eva, who had been observing the dynamics on the field, pointed slightly forward, and instantly, a layer of Blood Red barrier enveloped the Combat Training Ground.
"What was that just now? Why do I suddenly feel so dizzy?
:
As the Blood Red barrier isolated Siren's Chant's mental offensive, several apprentices who had clearly just advanced to first-level apprentices and had relatively low mental strength, shook their heads and looked at the two figures shrouded in mist on the stage with confused expressions.
"No need to make a fuss, you were just affected by Miss Jia Na's Witchcraft."
"Witchcraft? You mean I was affected by Witchcraft?"
Shaking his gradually clearing head again, after hearing the explanation from a capable apprentice beside him, George, a newly advanced first-level apprentice whose mental strength was not yet high, couldn't help but feel a bit lost.
"Even though we're so far away, can her Witchcraft still affect us?
"Isn't that obvious? Sound-type Witchcraft isn't targeted Witchcraft; if you don't block your hearing in time, you'll definitely be affected. What's more—that's Miss Jia Na."
Just as that apprentice said, precisely because the person on the Combat Training Ground was Jia Na, even an inconspicuous Sound-type Witchcraft would possess such great power.
"We're both first-level apprentices, so why is there such a big gap in strength—"
Looking at the blurry slender figure in the mist, George couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated in his heart.
"Found you!"
As Siren's Chant continued to be cast, the mist that had filled the training ground suddenly dispersed. At the same time, Bell-Moonshadow, hidden in the shadows, also exposed her whereabouts due to magic power leakage caused by mental confusion.
"Vine Entanglement—
With a wave of her hand, seeds scattered. The moment the seeds landed, emerald green vines, like green pythons choosing their prey, rapidly slithered towards the mass of shadow on the ground.
Just as the vines were about to completely surround Bell-Moonshadow, suddenly, a pitch-black wolf-like creature, carrying a foul stench, silently attacked from behind Jia Na.
"Crack—"
The wolf claws pierced through, and cracks proliferated.
Looking at the protective barrier rapidly cracking like an eggshell before her, Jia Na almost instantly unfurled emerald green butterfly wings from her back, lightly tapped her toes, and swiftly flew into the air the second before the wolf-like creature was about to pounce.
"It's actually a Shadow Creature?"
Failing to hit, the Shadow Creature quickly retreated into the ground. And Bell-Moonshadow, surrounded by vines, also disappeared again while Jia Na was distracted resisting the Shadow Creature.
"To be able to communicate with the shadows and summon a Shadow Creature for help in such a short time... No wonder she's so confident."
Unlike Contract Summoning Witchcraft, Shadow Summoning is an alternative summoning Witchcraft belonging to shadow apprentices.
Although summoned Shadow Creatures won't be driven by the summoner like Contract Summoning creatures, the magic power of the same shadow attribute causes shadow apprentices to be seen as kin by the summoned Shadow Creatures.
If there were anyone else on the field, the bloodthirsty Shadow Creature would first choose to eliminate the outsiders before turning back to hunt its "kin."
Therefore, as long as Jia Na, this "outsider," hasn't been dealt with, this Shadow Creature won't actively attack Bell-Moonshadow.
"Lola, hide your position, don't let that Shadow Creature find you."
"Hiss—"
Besides the Celestial Sparrow summoned into the open, the Thorn Flower Fairy had also been summoned by Jia Na long ago. However, one was in the open, and one was hidden. The moment the Thorn Flower Fairy was summoned, she had always hidden underground in bud form, waiting for Jia Na's command at any time.
"Afu, can you find the location of that Shadow Creature?"
"Yes, I can find it based on its smell—but it's hard to pinpoint because it's constantly moving."
"Keep an eye on it."
Lala—lalala—an ethereal chant sounded from Jia Na's mouth again, sound waves flowed, her body descended, and while maintaining the casting of Siren's Chant, a large number of vine seeds were also scattered by Jia Na in different corners of the Combat Training Ground.
"It stopped! It's at the ten o'clock direction!"
Under the continuous attack of Siren's Chant, the Shadow Creature, which had been constantly moving through the dense mist and shadows, gradually slowed down under the mental charm.
In just an instant, after the Celestial Sparrow clearly locked onto the Shadow Creature's position, a large number of nearly one-meter-long Thorn Impalements pierced out from the ground pointed to by Afu.
Accompanied by it was a mournful wolf howl.
"Well done, Lola!"