"Now I can travel through time..." Karl muttered to himself.
But he didn't click immediately; instead, he quickly ran through different options in his head.
With the evil god Dagon about to fight, this was definitely not the time to attempt travel.
The biggest uncertainty is whether the flow of time between different worlds is consistent.
If he traveled to another world, even if he only stayed a few days or weeks,
when they returned, the magical world would have passed ten, eight years, or even longer... That would be truly disastrous.
At least before facing the immediate threat and trying to understand the temporal significance of the travel mechanism, he couldn't rush.
"Phew..." Karl exhaled softly, and the system panel in his eyes silently disappeared.
He looked again at the secret room; the magical artifacts were nearly depleted, but not destroyed.
With a wave of his hand, all the open lids closed tightly, forming a perfect seal.
The magical radiance in the secret room also faded, leaving only the steady glow of the gemstones on the walls.
There was enough energy, but for safety, additional preparation was needed.
.........
The next day, at noon, the atmosphere on the training ground was different than usual.
Roche and the other boys, who usually sweated and underwent harsh training here,
and the adult knights, were temporarily told to rest for the day and not approach the training ground.
The entire spacious area was cleared, leaving only a few people at the edges.
Karl stood in the center of the field, slightly tilting his head back and looking at the sun hanging high in the sky.
The midday sunlight was bright and intense, shining on him without bringing the slightest warmth.
Instead, a faint golden glow spread around him, almost invisible to the naked eye.
On the sidelines, people gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves.
Their gazes occasionally slid to Karl in the center, then quickly looked away, full of curiosity about what they were about to hear.
Triss, Yennefer, and Keira stood together, surrounding Ciri in the middle.
Today, the girl was unusually quiet. Unlike usual, she wasn't playing or running around, but pouting, looking annoyed, yet trying to suppress her curiosity.
She wanted to ask what was happening, but she felt the seriousness of the situation and didn't dare to speak rashly.
Geralt stood a little further away, leaning against a weapon rack, crossing his arms, his white hair fluttering in the wind.
His cat-like eyes narrowed slightly as he observed everyone present, focusing mainly on Karl.
As a Witcher who had survived countless life-and-death battles, he felt the tense atmosphere in the air, as if a "great battle was imminent."
Dalton and Phillip stood on the left and right, not far behind Karl.
But Iris was absent; Karl had not allowed her to participate in the meeting.
On one hand, she lacked combat skills and couldn't provide substantial help on the battlefield against Dagon.
On the other hand, Karl didn't want her to be drawn into such danger and pressure, and he worried that everyone shouldn't have to bear this burden.
In this somewhat oppressive atmosphere of anticipation, Geralt walked up to Karl.
Following Karl's gaze, he glanced at the sun, then at Karl's profile.
"Karl, is the enemy very cunning?" Geralt spoke, his voice low but clear enough.
Karl didn't answer immediately; his gaze remained fixed on the sky, looking at the magical array covering the planet.
After a few seconds, he nodded slightly and briefly said through his nose: "Mm."
Geralt frowned slightly, about to ask for details: enemy types, possible weaknesses, and the expected scale of the battle.
But the Witcher's medallion on his chest suddenly began to tremble slightly,
Almost simultaneously, Karl turned his head, his gaze sliding to the open space slightly left of the center of the training ground.
Geralt immediately followed his gaze.
The next moment: BOOM!! An unusually muffled rumble sounded.
That empty air suddenly twisted and tore open.
A portal with an orange-red tint, swirling inside, was forcibly ripped from the void.
Strong magical turbulence swept through, causing the robes of the crowd on the bench to flutter.
Then three beams of light flickered, transitioning from illusion to reality, clearly appearing in sequence.
The first to appear was Hen, who today changed into a dark gray travel robe, more convenient for movement.
Close behind was a sorceress who looked to be in her forties.
Her black hair was neatly gathered, neatly pinned up in an elegant bun at the back of her head.
Her features may not be striking, but she possesses wisdom and resilience honed over time.
She wore a well-tailored, neatly sewn, but conservatively cut, deep blue long dress.
It radiated a scholarly calm and a unique authority of a high-ranking figure, inspiring respect without anger.
The last to appear was another sorceress, sharply contrasting with the first.
She looks much younger, with sunny, wavy blonde hair, loosely cascading down.
Her appearance was no less than Yennefer's – fair skin, a silhouette beautiful as a marble statue.
She wore a boldly designed dark green dress with a deep neckline, the skirt hugging her curves, with only two thin straps supporting the final covering.
Her broad, fair skin and alluring cleavage were exposed to the air, yet never seemed vulgar.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile played at the corners of her lips, her eyes lively as she surveyed the surroundings, as if full of interest in everything.
Karl's figure teleported before Hen the moment the three fully appeared.
"Teacher," he called quietly.
Hen nodded in response, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
He stepped aside and gestured to the two sorceresses behind him: "Karl, let me introduce you."
His gaze first moved to the black-haired sorceress, his tone clearly respectful: "This is Tissaia, my old friend, one of the two surviving founders of the Magic Society."
"Her knowledge in theory, magic arrays, and spells is not much inferior to mine."
Tissaia stepped forward and nodded to Karl, a flicker of barely perceptible attention and curiosity in her eyes.
She carefully examined the student before her, whom Hen had so highly praised in his magical letter.
Hen then turned his gaze to the blonde sorceress: "And behind her is Margarita, the current dean of Aretuza, and one of Tissaia's best students."
"She specializes in energy shaping, transformation, illusions, and protective spells... Ranking slightly below me and Tissaia."
The moment Margarita clearly saw Karl's face, her eyes noticeably lit up, and a clear interest appeared in her eyes.
With an expression of great interest, she continued to appraise Karl.