Hope

"Undead Summoning's spell formula is divided into three parts: 'model import,' 'material matching,' and 'construction and assembly.'" White Bone colored in the corresponding parts of the formula. "This is the most important spell in the undead branch. From something as simple as Skeleton Summoning to a forbidden-spell-level Undead Scourge, they're all variations of the standard form. In actual combat, you also have to use control techniques alongside it."

Another book floated over and landed on the table. It was Introduction to Undead Control.

Su Ming opened it to the table of contents, which was packed with chapters such as "Automated Control of Humanoid Forms," "Automated Control of Beast Forms," "A Detailed Guide to Going AFK on the Battlefield: An Introduction to Jump-Jumping," and "An Initial Exploration of Swarm Intelligence."

"'Model import' requires you to create a model first, so we have to prepare one before using the spell. There are generally five methods..." Teacher White Bone continued.

"Wait!" Seeing the undead scholar toss him another book, Model Analysis: Undead, Su Ming hurriedly interrupted. "I don't have time to study everything right now. Sorry for the trouble, but please give me the simplest system-the kind I can learn and use on the spot!"

"...People from other worlds really have no academic spirit." White Bone was deeply disappointed. "All right, the simplest form. Prepare your casting materials. Bones or corpses will do." She summoned a pile of bones, tossed them in front of Su Ming, and erased her own spiritual imprint. "I've prepared them for you."

Then she constructed a round ball of bone. "Take this and use it as the model-now you can cast the spell!"

Holding the bone ball in one hand, Su Ming connected the rune's power to the casting materials with the other and began directing the flow of mana.

"Simplest Form: Undead Summoning!"

The first stage of the formula, "model import," was complete.

The second stage, "material matching," was complete.

The third stage, "construction and assembly," ended. A small portion was missing from the pile of bones used as material, and an identical bone ball appeared in the middle.

On Earth, Little Spiky Head had already crawled out of her hiding place. With Spirit Vision, Su Ming soon found a long-dead mouse in the storage room.

"Miss White Bone, could you make me a smaller model?" Su Ming indicated the size with his fingers. "My material is only this big."

White Bone made him a bone bead.

Su Ming repeated the process. He held the bead and activated the formula, but this time he designated the mouse's corpse on Earth, intending to turn it into a bone bead.

Bang! The rune dissipated, and the formula collapsed outright.

"It seems that even an undead spell powered by the Space Element can't be cast into another plane," White Bone said.

Su Ming continued testing other spells and found that Undead Enhancement couldn't be used on Little Spiky Head on Earth either.

Damage Transfer, on the other hand, worked. After Su Ming cast it on himself, White Bone lightly attacked him, and a piece of Little Spiky Head's shoulder blade broke off.

"Spells can't be cast across worlds, but their effects can ignore spatial distance?" The undead scholar watched with keen interest. "That's quite interesting."

Su Ming, however, was bitterly disappointed. This property was far too useless. He stopped experimenting and went back to the truck for some instant noodles.

"Sorry, I don't have any food here," White Bone said.

"It's fine. A box of instant noodles will be enough. I only have a few days left anyway," Su Ming said. He had never given up looking for hope, but running into one obstacle after another had been discouraging.

"Could you do me a favor? I'd like to try an Undead Summoning experiment."

A white, rectangular object rose from the ground and landed in Su Ming's hand. It was his power bank.

"Sorry for the trouble, but please cast Undead Summoning using this alchemical creation as the model."

Undead Summoning was called "Undead Summoning" precisely because it could only use remains as material. Since the raw materials were remains, the things it constructed naturally looked grim and grisly, which seriously hurt the image of undead mages.

The current academic view was that Undead Summoning magic was restricted by the Law of Life: only structures in which life had once existed could be affected by the spell. Conventional elements couldn't overcome this restriction.

Su Ming understood White Bone's intention. After thinking for a moment, he walked over to a car that had been smashed out of shape. Two cars had crossed over in total, and now Su Ming could see clearly that this was an expensive model of new-energy vehicle.

The formula unfolded. First, model mapping; second, material matching; third, construction and assembly!

Fragments flew out from all over the new-energy vehicle and came together. An identical power bank appeared above the car!

"As expected, Professor Beckmann's theory was correct." White Bone didn't sound excited. Beckmann was a famous scholar who had tried to apply Undead Summoning to all things. In his later years, he had proposed that only a Concept Element could overcome the restrictions imposed by a Concept Element.

"I can rename my spell Creation Technique now!" Su Ming, on the other hand, was delighted. He wondered why White Bone was so indifferent. Wasn't this supposed to be a major achievement?

"Look at the one you used as the model."

Su Ming looked back, only to find that the old power bank had crumbled into a pile of debris where it stood.

A bone ball and a bone bead flew over and landed in front of him. Only then did Su Ming notice that the enhanced bone, which should have been smooth as jade, had turned pale and pitted.

White Bone dispelled Levitation. They both fell to the floor and shattered into fragments.

"These are what you used as models before," the undead scholar explained. "A Concept Element can indeed overcome the restrictions of the Law of Life, but breaking a law brings punishment-Master Beckmann's predictions were all correct."

"Create one, destroy one, and waste mana on top of it," Su Ming sighed. "The Space Element sounds so impressive, so why is it so useless?!"

Su Ming walked toward the instant noodles. On the way, he glanced at the fragments of the power bank on the ground, then at the new one on the car. Suddenly, he realized there was something else that had changed!

He went back to the car and connected with Little Spiky Head. In the warehouse, the skeleton picked up a bolt from the ground.

Stage one, model loading, complete.

Stage two, material matching, passed!

Su Ming calmed himself and pressed his palms together.

Assemble!

On Earth, the bolt in Little Spiky Head's hand crumbled to pieces. Here, a rusty high-strength bolt appeared in Su Ming's hand. The stamped model designation, "M16 8.8," was barely recognizable: a metric thread diameter of 16 mm and a shear stress rating of 8.8 GPa.

Looking at the familiar object, Su Ming cursed, "Fuck!" Tears burst from his eyes. Clutching the bolt, he dropped to his knees on the floor of the Tower of White Bone.

At nine o'clock the next day, Earth time, in the eighth hour after crossing over, Su Ming found hope of surviving in the other world for the first time.

By the time Su Ming was woken up, it was already afternoon on Earth. He had slept for five hours straight.

Time in the other world wasn't synchronized with Earth's. It was still noon here.

He went to the first-floor hall, where the truck and the two cars had already been dismantled and sorted neatly into piles by material and equipment type. He had asked White Bone to do all of it.

"That was efficient," Su Ming praised her.