Old Nick's blunt remark left John bewildered for a moment, unsure how he had managed to offend the irascible dwarf.
"Do you think we're waiting for you to go and fetch those fragments?"
They surely would have already combined them if they knew where they were.
Wayne, standing by, looked like he wanted to say something, glanced at Old Nick, then at John, and ultimately decided to keep quiet.
Better not to speak, he thought, lest he end up on his uncle's bad side.
"Even if you knew where they are, you couldn't retrieve them," Abby said lightly, effectively cutting off what Old Nick was about to say next.
Old Nick paused, then pursed his lips.
She was right; even if they knew the locations of the remaining fragments, could they actually go and get them?
After all, they were trapped here, unable to leave unless, perhaps one day, the fragments fully merged and they had a chance to explore other places.
Though John was still unclear about the specifics, he was beginning to understand the situation.
It seemed that because he had previously wielded the power of control, this fragment of the secret realm had automatically chosen him as its master and performed a soul binding.
"Alright, you've been here long enough, and people outside are going to worry. If you feel alright, you should head back on your own," Old Nick said, touching his nose and speaking so loudly that the entire cabin seemed to tremble.
The green vines nearby shrank and moved slightly towards Abby.
Abby looked at Old Nick with some displeasure but ultimately didn't say anything more.
"How will I know where these fragments are?" John asked, puzzled.
"Now that you're bound to this piece of the secret realm, you'll naturally have other reactions," Abby's voice was as gentle as the warm sun in early spring.
"Moreover, I've placed a fragment of the Tree of Life within you. If you sense other fragments of the Tree of Life, it will tell you."
A fragment of the Tree of Life? The small mark on his hand?
John, curious, poked the little sprout totem on his hand.
The sprout burst into a dazzling light after being poked, as if it was showing off something.
The two small leaves seemed to sway left and right, but John could distinctly feel the sprout emitting a very joyful aura.
The Tree of Life?
John fell into deep thought, feeling like his mind was still a jumble.
But Old Nick was already growing impatient.
"Alright, alright, stop hanging around here. People outside are probably worried sick. Just go out already."
John, prompted by Old Nick for the second time, felt somewhat bemused.
"I don't even know how to get out," he replied.
They had been transported in, and when others were eliminated, they were taken away by a white light.
How was he supposed to get out now?
Old Nick looked at John as if he were looking at a fool.
"Now that you're the master of this secret realm, isn't moving in and out easy for you?"
Hm...
A trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.
She discreetly covered her abdomen.
She had sustained severe injuries this time, nearly falling from the semigod-tier!
If she didn't recuperate soon, it would only become a lingering issue.
The Dusk Sect has truly committed a heinous act this time!
First, they used a teacher to set up a sacrificial magic array within the campus, then turned all the students into sacrifices for this ritual!
In the end, they even used the power of the dark god to bind themselves in place, severing her connection with the secret realm.
If it weren't for John's exceptional abilities, all would have become sacrificial victims.
With so many talented students sacrificed, the dark god would surely descend, bringing disaster to the entire continent!
"Principal, are you alright?"
Geoffrey had been keeping an eye on Principal Sophia and noticed something was off right away.
He approached with concern, but saw Principal Sophia slightly shake her head.
He instantly understood the situation; there had been an incident, but they could not make it public now!
The Dusk Sect had infiltrated their ranks so deeply, it was hard to ensure if any of their people were present at the scene.
If word got out that the Principal was seriously injured, their academy would lose its protective shield.
Anyone might strike at them then.
Without the Principal, they were nothing!
Seraphina had been closely monitoring John's situation.
Seeing that John had been taken to the hospital, she felt hesitant.
Theodore noticed his daughter's concern and chuckled softly, "If you're worried, go and see him."
Seraphina bit her lower lip slightly, awkwardly turning her head away.
"I'm not worried."
The fact that he had come out alive meant that it probably wasn't anything serious.
But still...
Seraphina hesitantly glanced in the direction John had gone.
Why was he still unconscious? Why hadn't he woken up yet?
Theodore patted his daughter's shoulder, "I'm quite concerned about that young man. Come with me to check on him."
Seeing the smile on her father's face, Seraphina immediately understood what he was thinking and shyly lowered her head.
"I don't want to go, but since Father wishes to, I'll accompany you."
Theodore laughed heartily, not calling out his daughter's little pretense but instead briskly walking towards the direction where John had been taken.