Chapter 16: Summoning the Future

At the same time, Charles suddenly sensed a mysterious bond forming between himself and the other party, allowing him to perceive their emotions—fear and attachment.

Relief washed over Charles; just moments ago, he’d been deeply worried that his companion would perish completely, which would have made him an ingrate repaying kindness with betrayal.

If such an adorable little creature died so carelessly, there would surely be an army of pet lovers coming after him for blood!

Before he could offer any words of comfort, a wave of fire suddenly erupted above his head, consuming his vision entirely and causing the cold temperature of the underground chamber to soar.

When the flames finally receded, chunks of brick and stone rained down from above. Yet before any could strike him, they were deflected by a faint, pale shield.

Charles stared in astonishment at the protective barrier enveloping him. It felt as if he wore an invisible second skin, perfectly fitting his body and shifting seamlessly with his every movement, yet offering no sense of constraint or oppression.

“So this is the Guardian Light?”

He reached out and touched himself—his fingers passed unobstructed to his own cheek, but the falling masonry could not breach the barrier at all.

Clearly, this shield possessed some form of judgment, blocking anything that could harm him.

The Guardian Light was a protective field granted by a totem to spiritbinders, generally equaling three times the totem’s own defensive capacity.

And as the number of totems increased, their strength could be stacked. This meant that if one possessed ten totems, the Guardian Light would offer a defense equal to three times the combined defensive power of all ten!

In other words, unless you destroyed the totems first, it was impossible to kill a spiritbinder.

Thus, in this world, totems were always the true protagonists of battle; spiritbinder magic served only as support, much like the summoners of magical realms.

Raise a powerful enough totem, and you could defeat an enemy far above your own level!

“I should get out of here, or else I might get caught in the aftermath of these two spiritbinders’ battle.”

Having made up his mind, Charles grabbed the scorching-hot bricks on the other side and began swiftly climbing upward, eager to escape the battlefield.

Back in the ruined courtyard, Bruce’s frenzied roar echoed as his crimson giant lizard seemed like a child before an adult when compared to its opponent—utterly defenseless.

With savage ferocity, the other giant lizard bit clean through Bruce’s mount’s forelimb, devouring flesh and blood in great gulps.

“Damn it, die for me!” Bruce shouted, flailing his arms desperately. The wounded giant lizard immediately blazed with a dazzling light, swelling like an inflated balloon before exploding with a thunderous blast, sending a fiery shockwave surging over more than ten meters.

All the wooden furniture and flammable items—bedding included—were instantly reduced to ash. The ground was charred black, covered in a thick layer of dust.

The searing red flames made Charles feel as if he were suffocating; even the Guardian Light could not fully shield him from the heat. The terrifying shockwave slammed him heavily into the ground.

He turned, face pale with fear, to watch the site of the explosion, muttering, “Incredible—this is as powerful as a rocket strike!”

Yet, to his despair, the mysterious newcomer emerged from the flames unscathed, mocking, “So this is the courage a mere unevolved first-tier totem gives you? Did you really think self-destruction could harm a fire drake on the verge of ultimate evolution?”

Coughing up blood, Bruce gasped. The soul of a spiritbinder was intimately linked to their totem; if the totem died, the spiritbinder would be grievously hurt as well.

Before him, a purple-winged butterfly the size of a washbasin lay sprawled on the ground. It had bravely shielded him from the blast’s aftermath—otherwise, he could not have survived.

However, Bruce’s face twisted in a grimace, his voice hoarse as he shouted, “Ha! You’ve all been fooled. What I’m holding isn’t some low-grade source artifact, but a top-tier relic that manipulates time!”

“And now, I’ve discovered its true purpose!”

Cassius frowned, his expression grave, “With your current strength, using the artifact will cost your life. Do you really want to die so badly?”

Bruce sneered, “Heh, why would I naively believe you’d ever let me go? You’ll accompany me in death!”

A handful of source crystals appeared in Bruce’s hand, instantly dissolving to powder. Behind him, Charles suddenly saw a pair of enormous crimson hands materialize, seizing both himself and the little white fox, lifting them into the air above.

Then, before the little white fox, that strange mirror materialized. Bruce’s mad laughter rang out, “Ha ha ha! My foolish junior, now behold the true power of a top source artifact!”

“Shine forth, Light of Tomorrow!”

“Manifest the Future!”

Boom!

The mysterious mirror erupted with a blinding cascade of multicolored light, enveloping everything within hundreds of meters, with Charles and the little white fox at the very forefront.

He suddenly felt his soul detach from his body, floating silently in midair as he watched the little white fox lift its head and roar in fury—yet no sound reached his ears.

“What? This is truly the legendary artifact that can summon the future!”

Cassius’s face was frozen in shock; he never expected his opponent could truly wield such a relic. Still, he did not panic, but his expression turned icy, “Arrogant fool—do you really think a mere moonlight fox could have any future worth summoning?”

Summoning the future?

What the hell, is this still the totem world I knew?

Charles was utterly bewildered, unable to predict what would happen next. Clearly, the game memories he possessed were not to be fully trusted.

Under his stunned gaze, the glow of the little white fox, Firefly, abruptly vanished. In its place appeared a blinding white light, and an unprecedented aura descended—energy surged forth like a raging river, blanketing thousands of meters around.

The terrifying force caused every resident of Goldenflash Town to fall unconscious!

“It’s… it’s…” Cassius gazed dumbfounded at the white shadow stretching across the sky, all will to resist stripped away.

“Hahahahaha!” Bruce let out a crazed, blood-choked laugh, watching the boy below as he hovered in midair, “My dear student, I never imagined you would possess such a brilliant future.”

“If I could have another chance, I would teach you well, not try to seize everything for myself.”

“Haha, fate is laughably unpredictable. My dear junior, bask in this glory—the ultimate honor of a spiritbinder!”

Boom!

Flames erupted across his body, dissolving him into pure energy that surged into the colossal white shadow.

The giant shadow lowered its head slightly, and Cassius felt as though the sky itself was collapsing, crushed by an unparalleled force of destruction.

Bang!

He didn’t last a second—his entire being shattered instantly, leaving no trace of flesh or blood, consumed completely in the pale blue flames.

Charles stared blankly at the enormous white shadow. “So this… this is Firefly’s future?”