47 - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

### Chapter 47: Why Are You Doing This? "Let's begin..." Lynn took a deep breath as he looked at the large bag of items on the floor. The bag contained an assortment of ritual materials he had acquired from Mrs. Milani. She hadn’t asked for any explanations and simply approved his request. The food chain hierarchy within the manor had taken on a peculiar trend. At the top was naturally Ivette, followed by the Baron Augusta who hadn’t made an appearance yet, along with the original entourage of the princess. Rhine was once part of this hierarchy, but due to recent events, he had been reduced to sharing a table with his brother, Grey. As for Lynn, under usual circumstances, he should have had the least seniority. Yet after the completion of the Creation School incident, it seemed Ivette issued some kind of decree, elevating his status within the manor to one of special reverence. Everyone who saw him would address him as 'young master.' This made it quite easy for Lynn to gather all sorts of strange ritual materials. He wasn’t worried about being discovered by Ivette. After all, to others, he was merely a normal person without extraordinary capabilities, someone who wouldn't settle for mediocrity his entire life. Even if word got out about the ritual he was about to perform, people would only see it as a desperate measure, a last resort. Returning to the matter at hand. Lynn opened the bag and took out the contents, arranging them neatly on the floor. The spacious area quickly filled with a variety of items: scattered stacks of paper, bottles and jars of liquids, remnants of unknown creatures, and shimmering magical stones. After taking everything out, Lynn wiped the sweat off his forehead and glanced at his reflection in a full-length mirror nearby. The boy in the mirror was tall and slender, his expression solemn, cloaked in a dark robe that hid his figure—not for any particular reason, but because it suited the aura of mysticism. Lynn respected the persona he had crafted for himself. It was the transitional time between afternoon and evening, sunset casting dark golden rays over the land, projecting shadows across the carpet, infusing the room with an ominous and eerie atmosphere. For a witch of the end, dusk was the time when her powers were at their peak. Holding the ritual during this time would significantly increase its chances of success. However, Lynn was skeptical about the outcome of the ritual and wasn’t expecting it to succeed on the first try. With this in mind, he took out a small vial containing grayish-white powder, pouring it into his hand as if holding sand. The powder slipped through his fingers and slowly fell to the ground. Without hesitation, he began tracing the ritual pattern from the diagrams with the grey powder. This powder, the ashes of a deep-sea whale, was among the best materials for creating magical matrices due to its excellent magical conductivity and lingering spirituality. Even though it was his first attempt, with a template to guide him, Lynn managed to roughly replicate the diagram from the paper. The diagram was chaotic, resembling a cluster of sharp, bloody thorns encircling a vivid heart. Twelve empty nodes surrounded the diagram. Lynn methodically positioned the rest of the items from the bottles and jars in sequence. The main materials were rare organs from three different exotic creatures. Each node featured moon-white crystals, blood-red stones, essence from the breath of night, scales from abyssal serpents, skeletal remains of void demons, and four other rare supernatural materials. These were the sacrificial offerings favored by Ivette in the original work, giving the setup an eerie vibe, as if trying to communicate with some malevolent deity. But perhaps the most striking item was the pair of black stockings encased in a crystal box, which was essential for the ritual's success. Lynn understood clearly. Because relics maintained a subtle connection with their original owners, they often served as a kind of GPS in the ritual. Navigating the tumultuous river of time filled with countless variables, even deities could get lost without a proper anchor. And relics served as anchors. For example, the protagonist in the original work used such methods to successfully communicate with an ancient god who only existed in past timelines. However, even if communication succeeded, the god's influence on reality would be severely limited by universal laws, to the point of being negligible. Otherwise, the timeline of this world would have already been thrown into chaos. This understanding emboldened Lynn to conduct the ritual. Even if something went awry, he could sever the connection at any time to halt any adverse entities. With the preparations complete, Lynn took out one last item: a blood-red candle. When lit, it emitted faint sounds of weeping and wails, sending chills down one's spine. Everything was set. Oops. Almost forgot the final step. "From this moment, I am the most faithful servant of the Witch of the End, Ivette!" Lynn activated the Swallower, implanting a psychological suggestion within himself. Instantly, his previously tense mood transformed into one of solemn reverence. He felt like a pilgrim, his very soul trembling slightly. In the next moment, Lynn prostrated himself, bowing solemnly towards the heart of thorns at the center of the ritual diagram. Holding the candle in his hands, he recited the prayer words matching those from the original novel. "O shadow of despair wandering at the end of the river of death, supreme presence that hunts the gods, bringer of destruction and ruin to the world, the Witch of the End..." "You are the ultimate, the conclusion, a will greater than all existence, a symbol of calamity and chaos..." "I beseech you, I beseech you..." "Pour your power into this ritual, let your will fill my mind..." Instantly, the crystal box holding the relic sounded, marking a clear division where the ritual materials began to quiver one after another. "Buzz—!!!" Various magical stones and extraordinary materials emitted beautiful light, mingling brilliantly. In the once silent room, an inexplicable chill arose. Lynn was unaware of any distinct change, yet he could vaguely sense an unseen presence focusing its gaze upon him. His hairs stood on end, paralyzed as if locked in place, yet his prayers continued unabated. The eerie sensation persisted for what seemed an eternity until, suddenly, Lynn felt an inexplicable draw from the void. This force acted not upon the physical realm but upon consciousness, as if trying to extract his soul from its vessel. Not good! He had no idea what had transpired; similar events were not described in the original work. Lynn attempted to extinguish the candle on his palm to interrupt the ritual. Expecting the chilling wind to cease with it, to his dismay, the void's pull remained unabated, even seemingly gaining strength. Under its influence, Lynn's consciousness was slowly being lifted from his body. The sensation was akin to an astral projection, an out-of-body experience, but Lynn had no time to ponder. Swallower, release me! He tried to detach himself from the persona of a devout follower, hoping to disrupt the ritual. At that moment, the mysterious force briefly hesitated, seemingly interrupted by some invisible rule. Lynn was about to breathe a sigh of relief. Yet the next second, the pull previously restrained suddenly amplified tenfold, forcibly seizing his soul in an unstoppable wave! The act was akin to mocking his audacity, a demonstration of such domineering power that even universal laws were disregarded, forcefully extracting his awareness. Besides that woman, who else could achieve such a feat? At that moment, Lynn found himself gripped tightly by an invisible hand, feeling as if he were rapidly ascending from the deep sea, his entire being engulfed by a sensation of weightlessness. Moreover, the scenery before him and the dimensions transformed into streams of light, speeding backwards at a pace beyond imagination. He appeared to be crossing through time, traveling toward some unknown destination. It was impossible to tell how much time had passed. Perhaps a year, maybe a decade. Or it might have been just a fleeting second. When Lynn regained his senses, he found himself in an utterly unfamiliar place.