Free Web NovelChapter 629: World Suppression Force
Astrid’s innate reservoir of mental energy was relatively low compared to ordinary individuals.
This deficiency manifested in spellcasting as a severe lack of endurance. If forced into direct combat against a mage of equivalent rank, without resorting to ancient magic or relying on her exceptional ice-element affinity, the Imperial First Princess would most likely lose due to premature exhaustion of her mental energy.
The reason this disadvantage had never been exposed until now was mainly because, whether as the Third Princess, the First Princess, or the Regent, Astrid had never needed to personally engage in battle.
As for security, the head maid skilled in infiltration and assassination, along with Lyra, whose combat prowess in direct confrontation was overwhelming, were more than sufficient to protect Astrid.
On the rare occasions when magical combat was required, such as the practical exams prepared by Elizabeth Academy of Magic, the assessments focus more on the quality of mental energy and real-time application rather than sheer reserves. These exams often involved brief bursts of combat followed by rest, so they failed to expose Astrid’s weakness in prolonged engagements.
However, every disadvantage carried with it some advantages. Although having a low mental reserve poses many drawbacks, one undeniable benefit was that Astrid’s rate of improving the quality of her mental energy was exceptionally fast.
Where others might need an entire year to accumulate the refined mental energy required for a breakthrough, she could achieve it in just a few months. The reason she hadn’t broken through earlier was simply because, as Regent, her daily activities mainly involved negotiation, governance, and diplomacy, hardly allowing her the focused dedication most mages required. Thus, the crucial moment for her advancement had never presented itself.
At this very moment, on the bed within the laboratory, Charlotte sensed faint ripples pulsing across the surface of Astrid’s spirit, waves radiating from the depths of her soul, soft undulations sliding through her consciousness like warm water gently kissing her fingertips.
Having experienced a breakthrough herself, Charlotte immediately realized what was happening: the silver-haired girl in her arms was about to cross the threshold from Magnus to early tier Arcanist Mage, a true magic powerhouse.
What an incredibly timely coincidence...
It occurred exactly while Astrid was engaged in joint casting with her, allowing Charlotte to feel every sensation the First Princess experienced in real time.
No, more accurately, the very reason triggering Astrid’s absolute breakthrough might be the prolonged soul resonance with another mage who had already reached the middle tier Arcanist Mage level. The shackles that had once bound her were now, under the influence of this connected and powerful mental force, gradually loosening.
This soul fostered at its most intimate, spirit merging with spirit without any barrier.
In an instant, Charlotte, with her vast theoretical experience, understood the mechanism behind Astrid’s breakthrough. Her arms tightened around Astrid’s neck, her long, shapely legs, sheathed in sheer, translucent stockings, clamped together firmly, locking Astrid’s knees in place. Her straight calves coiled around Astrid’s legs like serpents, forming a mortise-and-tenon structure similar to the earlier fixation ritual.
This time, however, what Charlotte needed to anchor wasn’t arcane particles, but the Empire’s most exquisite beauty, cloaked in a cool, form-fitting black dress, exuding a sweet, delicate fragrance.
On the surface of consciousness, Astrid’s spirit appeared utterly still, yet beneath lies a turbulent undercurrent. All transformation occurred beneath the surface.
A smooth, silky sensation rose from below, accompanied by the constant rustling of fabric. Pressed so closely together, Charlotte could feel Astrid’s soft calf muscles lightly pressing against her.
Had she possessed an extra pair of eyes, she might have seen that alluring dark chocolate, soft as a sponge cake, gently expanding in slight stretch, only to be restrained again by the semi-transparent black stockings, revealing faint glimpses of bare flesh.
As Astrid unconsciously dropped her self-defense, Charlotte fully opened the borders of her own soul, removing all barriers between them. In this state, she witnessed the spiraling tide of mental energy accumulating within Astrid, her already perfected mental force surging once more, generating subtle reactions at its edges, undergoing profound internal changes that gradually manifested outward.
As the other half of this mental link, Charlotte attentively monitored every movement in Astrid’s mental energy, ensuring her beloved niece’s breakthrough progressed without mishap.
Throughout imperial history, the success rate of advancement from peak-tier Magnus to Arcanist Mage was not low. As long as one found that elusive, intangible moment of insight, most mages could achieve the breakthrough.
Still, it was never a guaranteed success. Failures did exist, and the consequences were dire: one might spend an entire lifetime unable to progress further.
She didn’t want her niece to face such a fate.
Charlotte closed her eyes and gently enveloped the upper layers of Astrid’s soul like warm seawater. The mental energy Astrid had quietly gathered began to simmer, bubbling up and pressing against her.
This process was normal. Next, the mental energy Astrid had accumulated would attempt to shatter its former restraints, transforming a mere stream of mental reserves into an ocean.
At that moment, the long-standing issue of Astrid’s insufficient mental reserves would finally be resolved, Arcanist Mage-level mental energy resembled a vast river. At this stage, the total amount became practically irrelevant, as complete depletion was nearly impossible.
After patiently waiting for over ten minutes and confirming that Astrid’s first phase of ascension was completed, Charlotte sensed the retraction of Astrid’s consciousness within the mental realm. Thanks to their soul resonance, she heard Astrid’s faint mental query asking what to do next.
The general process resembled advancing through minor ranks, instinctual procedures ingrained in the bones also guided Astrid. But given the presence of an experienced elder, Astrid had no reason to recklessly blunder forward. She chose instead to seek professional guidance.
"Just like knights focus their mental energy onto the tip of their blade, releasing sword aura outward..."
Charlotte whispered softly in response, she used mental energy shielding Astrid while nourishing her soul, which was in an activated state.
"Gather your mental energy and unleash it explosively at a single point."
Based on the aura Astrid was currently emitting, this breakthrough opportunity was highly favorable. Barring any unforeseen incident, the Valeria Empire will soon welcome another Arcanist Mage.
Receiving Charlotte’s guidance, Astrid resumed her attempt. The gentle, woody fragrance surrounding her, combined with the elegant yet deeply comforting hue of her soul, calmed her restless surges, like a tranquilizer injected into her heart.
Mental energy materialization, something Astrid had achieved before. She already understood the principles.
Feeling Astrid’s mental energy suddenly sharpened, as if the consciousness that once enveloped her soul now pressed against cactus spines, causing even a prickling pain, Charlotte still refused to let go, continuing to closely observe Astrid’s every movement.
One second, two seconds, three seconds... a half-minute of sustained preparation...
In a fraction of a second, Astrid’s spirit, sharpened into a piercing arrow, slammed into the barrier. That single strike sent both souls trembling simultaneously. A soft, muffled moan echoed through the chamber.
In the mental realm, a ringing buzz reverberated through the minds of both Astrid and Charlotte. The soul tremor seemed evenly distributed between the two linked beings, yet the discomfort didn’t fade, instead, it amplified through their connection, creating resonance.
Fortunately, Charlotte was not Astrid’s primary target. With her greater soul strength, she quickly stabilized her consciousness and sent a clear signal to Astrid: I can endure. Press forward, now is the time. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
Charlotte had already sensed a crack forming. The wind of freedom was now blowing through the gap, embracing Astrid Calliste.
Just one step remained.
Receiving her aunt’s signal, Astrid quickly assessed her condition. Confirming she could continue, she once again sharpened her mental energy and thrust toward the intangible yet clearly visible transparent barrier.
This time, under the force of materialized mental energy, the once unyielding shell shattered like an egg. The next instant, a cool rush from outside flooded Astrid’s spirit.
The narrow stream had transformed into a vast sea. Her soul sank into it, unable to perceive any boundaries. Wherever her spirit reached, freedom reigned, rising, it could touch the heavens; descending, it could pierce the earth.
Never before had the world felt so clear. In Astrid’s mental vision, every piece of furniture in the laboratory, every wood chip, even the texture of the silk fabric wrapped around the woman in her arms, she could perceive each detail with exquisite precision.
This was... Arcanist Mage-level mental energy...
As she pondered, Astrid attempted to calm the still-turbulent ocean of mental energy within her. Suddenly, a vague, ethereal sensation washed over her.
It felt as though her entire being had broken free from gravity, like wind element particles dispersing into the air, slowly dissolving, melting away.
Her classes theoretically had never mentioned such a reaction upon reaching Arcanist Mage status, nor had Lyra ever spoken of it.
Just as this thought formed, Astrid felt a chilling numbness spread through her limbs, her breathing became faint and labored, as if she had suddenly plunged from solid ground into deep water.
No air. No light. Sinking endlessly, this intense sensation of suffocation, which should belong to the body, was now irrationally manifesting at the soul level.
Meanwhile, Charlotte also felt something was wrong. Just after completing a qualitative leap, Astrid’s individual consciousness, supposedly growing in alignment with her soul, was now rapidly dispersing.
Why... was this happening?
The sudden anomaly darkened Charlotte’s expression. A sense of foreboding clouded her mind.
Could it be... the breakthrough to Arcanist Mage had failed?
But that didn’t make sense. Astrid’s aura had clearly reached that rank, perhaps with slightly unstable foundations, but certainly not to the point of disintegration.
Charlotte intensified her soul’s intrusion, sensing the cold, delicate rose fragrance swirling around her, and pressed deeper, unilaterally strengthening her connection with Astrid.
Deep sea. Suffocation. Darkness... more and more negative sensations filled Astrid’s soul...
Her fingers seemed immovable. Her dazed soul felt compressed by some unknown force. This pressure brought no pain, only a strange blend of emptiness and dullness, as if drifting, about to fall out of existence.
The faint scent of her aunt’s perfume still lingered at her nose, the undeniable connection point of their joint casting. Like a drowning woman, Astrid desperately tried to grasp it, but that sweet fragrance remained neither strong nor faint, hovering just beyond reach.
Her thoughts were fragmenting, unraveling. The moment she strayed even slightly from focus, her drowsy mind would instantly reclaim control.
At the critical point where subjective will be suppressed, a sharp smell of disinfectant suddenly assaulted Astrid’s feelings. Long-buried memories surged forth, restoring her rational composure.
She began to understand what was happening. During her ascension to Magnus Mage, she had encountered an unforeseen event but that was just small suppression but now this world seemed to be removing her away, rejecting her.
Chaotic memories scattered through her mind, some belonging to her past life, others to her current self, Astrid Calliste. The differences between a single soul in two different existences rapidly magnified, creating an intense sense of dissonance in Astrid.
Who was she, really?
But in the very next moment, Astrid, whose identity had long been unified, gave her answer: she was her past self, and she was the Third Princess Astrid. They were merely the same individual before and after memory awakening, originally inseparable as one.
At the same time, Charlotte, having completely dissolved her own boundaries and diving deep into Astrid’s mental world in an attempt to pull her back, felt an even clearer discomfort than Astrid had.
The world was compressing Astrid. Or rather, the Suppressing Force they had once discussed only in theory was now affecting the other’s soul.
The connection was weakening. The sensation of Astrid’s presence slowly fading felt to Charlotte like watching someone’s body slide step by step toward the edge of a cliff.
An instinctive premonition whispered to Charlotte: if she broke free from this soul resonance now, Astrid would be in grave danger, perhaps never waking again.
A phantom touch reached out, desperately trying to grasp the silver-haired girl before her. The pale hand feels unusually smooth between her fingers, as if it would slip away at any moment.
"Astrid..."
A soft call echoed through the resonant consciousness, but it sank like a stone into the void, receiving no reply.
As the soul link continued to disengage, the emotion of worry expanded in Charlotte’s mind.
She had never encountered such a situation in all her years of magical research, nor did any ancient texts or records tell her what to do now.
The turbulent, agitated soul was rapidly cooling. The ripples spreading to Charlotte were weakening, as if the raindrops falling into the heart’s lake were about to cease.
At that point, Astrid might truly never respond again.
Driven by instinct and fragmented magical knowledge, Charlotte wrapped her entire mental energy around Astrid’s soul, maintaining the connection while inducing a gentle vibration.
Through this, she created resonance with Astrid’s nearly dormant consciousness, doing everything possible to awaken her.
Then...
Within the laboratory, the dark-haired beauty cradling Astrid gently brushed her hair, lowered her delicate face, and pressed her soft lips close.
A warm, supple tongue slipped in, slowly stirring the tide, exchanging and mingling their breaths.
The next moment, Charlotte let out a muffled groan, feeling the same drowsiness that had gripped Astrid.
What’s happening... Astrid...
Within her mental sea, the silver-haired girl, feeling a trace of coolness infused her spirit, struggled to gather her consciousness, attempting to reshape her translucent soul.
