Swimming Against The Current

## Chapter 31: Swimming Against the Current

Hearing Antinoa's tone, Zhao Xu slowly realized that what had just happened might not have been as simple as he thought.

He quickly recounted all the scenes he had witnessed, starting with the succubus who had transformed into a female mage to seduce him, all the way to how he had steadfastly recited his incantations.

"Pfft."

Zhao Xu was interrupted by Antinoa's suppressed laughter.

"Let me give you a piece of advice, you'd best never speak of today's events to anyone for the rest of your life. Otherwise, even after you become a Legendary Mage, you'll never forget this embarrassing past history, haha..." Antinoa couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.

"Hey, hey, self-esteem is a player's human right, isn't it?" Zhao Xu quipped.

"First point, without spell slots, reciting incantations is useless. If you really encounter a succubus in the future, the best thing you could have done is run for your life, not sit there chanting useless spells."

Zhao Xu felt incredibly embarrassed. It turned out those incantations were just him trying to impress himself.

"However, you haven't acquired any relevant knowledge about demons these past few days, yet your instinctive reaction was to avoid the succubus's kiss. Your intuition is quite sharp."

Zhao Xu could only take that as a compliment, trying to save some face.

"But, in the place you saw at the time, was there a giant circular disk on the ceiling, like a mechanical pocket watch?"

Hearing Antinoa's question, Zhao Xu fell into deep thought. At that time, his entire attention had been focused on the female mage.

Under the strong impact of that first encounter, a scene flashed through Zhao Xu's mind. The pupils of his eyes immediately narrowed.

"That's right, it wasn't like the open starry sky, but a disk. The outer layer seemed to have markings like a clock face. I can't remember anything else."

Upon hearing this, Antinoa almost touched her forehead.

She directly waved her arm, struck a pose, and at the same time, chanted a spell.

Zhao Xu's eyes widened as he stared intently at her.

This was the first time Antinoa had cast a spell so obviously in front of him.

Last time, when she used the ninth-level spell "Wish Spell," it was silent, and he couldn't tell anything.

Now that she was casting a spell with such solemn preparation, it must be a legendary spell!

It wasn't until Zhao Xu silently counted past six seconds that a mysterious orb of light emerged from Antinoa's fingertips.

The orb gently fell to the ground and turned into dust.

The entire ground of the obelisk scattered like kicked building blocks. Zhao Xu was shocked. He hadn't learned the first-level "Feather Fall" spell because he thought he would never be unlucky enough to fall from a great height.

And "Fly" was a third-level arcane spell, which was beyond his reach at the moment.

What was more serious was that Antinoa was currently holding hand seals to maintain the spell, with no intention of coming to his aid.

However, after this moment of crisis.

Zhao Xu realized he was still standing in the same spot, as if supported by invisible glass.

It was just that the ground continued to evolve, cracking and then re-fusing, along with the surrounding space, which broke and tore before reassembling.

After half a month of immersion, Zhao Xu had already realized that this was an illusion cast by Antinoa.

It wasn't that she had directly blown up the land.

The illusion evolved rapidly and slowly took shape.

Zhao Xu's mouth fell open. Before his eyes were the countless books piled up to the sky that he had seen before, layers of intersecting bookshelves reaching up to the ceiling, and stairs winding their way up in tiers.

And the giant wheel above. This time, looking closely, Zhao Xu finally understood that this was the map of the twenty-seven major planes of the Arthurian world.

From the Heroic Realm of Elysium, to the Grey Wastes of Hades, and then to the Howling Abyss of Xuanxuan Sky Tunnel, all were situated upon it.

It signified how this world operated.

Suddenly, like a dream shattering, the surrounding illusory veil ceased to hold, and was torn away bit by bit.

Like a sky full of dust, but washed away completely by the heavy summer rain.

The illusion stopped. Antinoa stood in the position of the original female mage, looking at him.

At this moment, Zhao Xu also understood that what had just happened was definitely not a trial for him.

That female mage was also not a succubus in disguise.

Zhao Xu's expression revealed a deep sense of solemnity.

"A fifth-level arcane spell, Mirage. It seems the restoration effect is quite good, matching what you saw earlier."

Zhao Xu nodded, indicating correctness.

"Who was that lady?" Zhao Xu's tone became much more polite at this point.

He already had a faint worry that a divine lightning strike might suddenly descend.

"Lady Sisylvina, a Legendary Mage."

Zhao Xu was stunned. It was indeed true.

Sisylvina, the God of Magic and Knowledge.

However, at this time, her title was merely Legendary Mage?

"Didn't we agree on a trinity?"

"That throne is the Archmage Throne, built with countless resources from the ancient Arcane Empire. The seat you saw is only a part of it. More than eighty percent of its volume is buried beneath the platform. That's also the core of the Magic Lock spell."

"Therefore, the Mithril you saw on the platform is just its least valuable external material. Those who are suitable to be Mages will activate their Arcane circuits by sitting on it, thereby condensing Spell Slots."

"However, those with special talents will display extraordinary powers when they sit on it. We arrange future studies and advancement directions based on this."

Antinoa paused at this point, gazing deeply at Zhao Xu, trying to discern something from his expression.

"You have Potential Points, so you will be different from the mortals below."

"When I, who also have Potential Points, sat on it, all the Mages present automatically recovered a Spell Slot, including the apprentices."

"Today, I'm letting you sit on it because I want you to replicate that experience, so that this batch of Mage apprentices will submit to you and become your direct subordinates."

Zhao Xu hadn't expected this to be the reason.

He didn't even have time to exclaim that Antinoa herself possessed Potential Points.

"It's just that, do you know what happened when you sat on it?"

"Huh?"

"You disappeared."

Zhao Xu froze for a moment, then pinched his thigh hard, regaining his composure.

"You're saying I vanished? But I didn't feel any sensation of teleportation."

"It wasn't teleportation. You traversed the river of time. You went back to before the third generation Sisylvina became a god, and saw her in the True Temple of the Final Scroll."

"She walked over naturally, curious about someone like you who traveled back against the flow of time. It wasn't a Succubus trying to kiss you. You'd best forget that idea, otherwise, you'll never be able to become a Level 1 Priest in your life."

"So I'm very curious. If even Potential Points aren't your greatest characteristic, then what is your greatest trait?"

Antinoa looked at him, her words full of amusement.

Zhao Xu met her gaze with a look of composure.

The reason was simple: he was a reincarnator.

Thank you for the recommendation tickets from Mo Shang Ren Yu, Xue Lao Fei, Tian Zhen Yu Pian Cha, Wang, Duskofdawn, HYTU, Shuai De Jing Dong Dang Zu Zhi, He Bi Pei He, Ya Li Shan Da Kai Sa, Ling Yun 789, ld You Ling, Xing Ye Xia De Zhan Wang, Xie Ge, Na Er Xin, Xian Ji, Qin Ling Mu Xi, Zhao Yang Ming Yue, Zhu Lin Cha Hui, Da Da De Yi Tou, Mo Shang ~~, Meng Meng Ning Meng, Yue Ting Shu Shang, Xue Xiao Lin, Can Xiao Xi Xi, khvarenah, Book Friend 20190621195616014, Book Friend 161118122711098, Book Friend 20180510211319189, Book Friend 20190701153336626, Book Friend 20200117110520427, Book Friend 20190621195616014, Book Friend 20180503215222539, Book Friend 20190623222308937, and others. Thank you all for your encouragement.