“Who knows?” The spirit body had a bloodthirsty smirk.
“The thing that really lured you out should be this book right?” Leylin waved an Alchemy diary book, which he retrieved from his robes.
“Indeed! This is something that belongs to me!” Seeing the black diary, the eyes of the spirit body seemed to be reminded of something.
“You are the corpse at the front door. During the exploration of this lab, you were killed by the Gnawing Slate. Your spirit was trapped by the spell formation, before finally turning into a vengeful spirit!”
Leylin summarized the series of events, as he already knew who the real owner of this lab was.
“An intelligent kid!” The spirit body toyed with its fingernails, “A pity that you will die here today!”
* Whoosh! *
Leylin only felt a light flashing by and tried to dodge, but he found several traces of blood on his chest.
“The smell of fresh blood!” Seeing the blood, the expression of the spirit body turned even more desirous and he placed his fingers in his mouth and licked them.
“What a quick movement! The naked eye cannot keep up with it!”
A blue light appeared from Leylin’s eyes, and the A.I. Chip calculated quickly.
“You won’t be able to escape! Surrender and become an offering of the magnificent Roman!” The vengeful spirit howled and charged forward again.
His fingernails sprung forward as if turning into a razor sharp blade.
* Dang! * A layer of light membrane appeared from Leylin’s body, shielding him from the force of the frantic attack.
Trevor’s Revolving Shield Potion!
“I’ve caught you!” Leylin sneered.
Leylin could not entirely keep up with a spirit body, which travelled as fast as the wind. Even if the A.I. Chip could calculate its trajectory and movements, with Leylin’s physical abilities, he could not follow it. Moreover, due to the illusory appearance of the spirit body, most physical attacks were of no use.
Thankfully, Leylin’s potion— the Trevor’s Revolving Shield Potion which he had concocted before— was the only defensive potion that acolytes had access to. There were even some suppression effects towards spirit bodies.
The hand, which was enveloped in light, directly grabbed hold of the right hand of the spirit body.
“Im…Impossible! How are you able to touch me?”
The spirit’s face contorted and it howled as it struggled.
“Spirit bodies may be very mysterious to the acolytes of other academies, but it’s a pity that you met me, who came from the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy! Accept the fate of a failure!” Leylin’s face was serene and he took out a black coloured crystal ball.
This was something that he had managed to obtain in the academy— a Confining Spirit Sphere, which was specifically used to capture and store spirit bodies.
* Chi! * After the black coloured crystal ball came into contact with the spirit body, glowing light radiated and a suction force appeared on its surface, which sucked the continuously howling spirit body directly into it.
Minutes later, nothing stood in front of Leylin anymore. The inside the black crystal ball had an extra-translucent figure in it; thus, the black crystal had a resemblance to amber.
(ED Note: Amber, a gemstone that may have some fossil trapped in it.)
Leylin heaved a sigh of relief. “Thankfully this old geezer is only a Level 3 Acolyte, and fortunately, I had the Trevor’s Revolving Shield Potion and Confining Spirit Sphere. If not, I would have been in trouble today….”
Concerning spirit bodies, the strength of their soul would determine their might.
As for the meditation of magicians, it is the cultivation of Spiritual Force, a type of method to strengthen their soul.
There was once an official Magus who, when he transformed into a spirit body, actually retained his spell casting abilities, finally turning into a spirit body Magus.
If today he met with a spirit body that was an official Magus, Leylin would have had no chance at all of escaping.
Once a physical body is occupied, the soul will forever be connected to it.
Looking at the black crystal ball in his hands, Leylin thought and then added several more seals on it, then placed it into a small black sack. He even tightened the mouth of the sack and hung it on his waist.
After doing so, Leylin searched the entirety of the villa. After confirming that there were no more oversights, he left the place with extreme regrets.
“What a pity!”
Leylin looked at the huge black granite boulder behind him, and without further hesitation, he rode a handsome blade steed and rapidly left the area,
* Boom! *
When he left, the huge black granite boulder exploded loudly, destroying the whole area and turning into ashes.
Half a month later, in the experiment lab, Leylin closed the black diary after reading its last page.
“I never thought that the synthesis of a Magic Artifact as depicted by Lowian Academy Teachings, or the ancient formula of the Tears of Mary, would include the aspect of souls….”
Leylin had only heard of this information vaguely from Kroft back in Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, but he had never researched it on his own.
“I’m afraid that… I can only adopt the crudest method, which is to research and observe from various trial and error experiments. Also, I have to use the A.I. Chip to gather data…. In this aspect, perhaps Viscount Jackson, in his capacity as a city lord, could help me ….”
Thinking of which, Leylin took out a black crystal ball from the corner of his lab.
The crystal ball was originally placed on an altar with mysterious runes scribbled over it and there were 3 white, lit candles that surrounded it.
Leylin knocked on the surface of the crystal ball.
* Dong! *
A wave suddenly erupted, and the mist in the crystal ball dispersed, revealing a vague fuzzy figure.
This figure only had the upper half of its body, and its lower limbs were replaced by the continuously swirling white mist. As for its countenance, it was that of an old geezer.
This old geezer’s expression was extremely rapt and fright permanently lingered on his face, as if it was a small worm that was solidified within amber.
Looking at this vengeful spirit, Leylin suddenly laughed and chanted an incantation.
“Where is this? Release me quickly….” Suddenly, the solidified contents in the crystal ball turned to life again. The old geezer howled. Although his face was still filled with vehemence and craziness, it could not conceal his fear and helplessness!
“How is it, Mister Roman? How is the feeling of having your thoughts frozen?”
Leylin propped the ball in front of him.
“It’s you!” The vengeful spirit head-butted the surface of the crystal ball, but it was to no avail.
Seeing Roman, who was like a helpless mosquito, wildly charge against the interior walls of the crystal ball, Leylin chuckled and flicked his finger at the surface of the crystal ball.
* Bang! * Roman, who was inside, seemed to have been struck by a steel hammer and collapsed onto the ground, completely dispirited.
“How is it? Now, hurry up and tell me everything you know about the experiment and your life. I may consider letting you off after that!”
Leylin’s face was impassive.
“Dream on!” Roman put on a resolute expression.
“Then I have no choice!” Leylin shrugged his shoulders and placed a fiery red rock beside the crystal ball.
“Arghhh!” Flames immediately appeared on Roman’s body, as he wailed pitifully.
“In the aspect of adding suffering to a spirit body, I have some skills! Moreover, in this crystal ball, you cannot even commit suicide. This kind of torture will last for a very long time! A veerrrrry loooooongg tiiiiiime….”
Leylin dragged his last words to the extreme, which would make someone who listened to it want to sleep.
“Be… A Bewitching Charm? Dream on!” Roman, who was squeezed into the crystal ball, gritted his teeth.
“That is some unexpected mental fortitude!”
Leylin’s brows furrowed, “It seems like I have to cast it once a day in the future, to make this vengeful spirit’s life force reduce greatly….”
The life force was the foundation of vengeful spirits. When the life force of vengeful spirits is weakened, their intelligence will often lower, turning into a retard.
Under the current circumstances, adding on to the bewitching charm, there is a great chance of success.
Even if it did not drive Roman crazy, there shouldn’t be any issues at all. Leylin, as a Potions Master, had confidence in preserving Roman’s life force before it dissipated. By prolonging Roman’s life force, and repeatedly torturing him, with perseverance, Leylin would obtain the information he needed.
As for what Leylin had now, it was time. Time to toy with Roman slowly!
76 - Experiment And Precipitate
In the blink of an eye, it was already late autumn.
The arable farms were all brimming with golden yellow ear wheat. The windmills in the distance were continuously whirling and the earth seemed to be joyous from the abundance.
* Dang Dang Dang! *
Travelling on the road in the middle of the farms was a group of horse carriages and armoured Knights with the strength and robustness that far exceeded those of ordinary men. On the armour on their shoulder plates was an insignia of a crescent moon— this was the insignia belonging to the City Lord of Extreme Night City, Viscount Jackson!
Upon seeing the horse carriages, the farmers hurriedly avoided the road, taking off their caps and bowing.
In the middle of the Knights and troops, were several horse carriages that were veiled with black cloth. As these carriages advanced, sounds of clanging metal chains were produced from it which gave off an ominous feeling.
“Look at this direction! It seems to be headed to the villa! This should be the third group in this month!” A farmer with a brown beard muttered to himself.
“Old Johan! What are you looking at?” A farmer at the other side called out.
“Those horse carriages! I keep having the feeling that something is amiss. Previously when the wind blew, I saw the figures inside the horse carriage….” Old John’s brows furrowed.
“So what? It might be that the lord of our manor has started to purchase female slaves on a whim! You know what, our kind-hearted yet lazy manor lord, is still in his teens!”
The farmer beside Old John supported him and grumbled, “It’s better for us not to bother with the matters of these people. Let’s go! Rose Pub recently has new rum….”
Both farmers’ silhouette disappeared gradually in the distance.
As for the other side, the procession of horse carriages stopped outside of Leylin’s manor. Greem and Fraser have long since been waiting for them.
“According to the City Lord’s orders, the ‘goods’ have arrived!” The leader of the Knights peeled his cloak open, revealing a hideous face littered with scars.
“Open the prisoners’ carriage!” With the leader’s command, the subordinates hurriedly opened the carriages carrying the prisoners, revealing the chained prisoners within.
These prisoners only wore coarse armour and these had holes and were covered in grime. They were all of different stature. Short, tall, thin and fat. However, the common similarity is the killing aura masked in their expressionless eyes.
Knights such as Greem and Fraser were extremely sensitive to killing intent. Only people who have truly committed homicide would have this aura.
“There are 5 men. They are all heinous criminals. Every legal case regarding them is enough to execute the capital punishments a dozen times…. Of course, the City Lord has long since approved of their death sentence. In the eyes of the law, they are already ‘dead’….”
The Knight leader smirked, and his face which was littered with scars turned even more grotesque. “For whatever reason, even for the sake of those innocent victims, never let them go easily….”
“Their fate is all in the hands of Young Master!” After receiving the criminals, Greem said, “However, we can guarantee that not one of them will walk out of this manor….”
After getting a satisfactory response the Knight leader brought his troops and the empty prison carriages out of the villa.
As for Greem, he forcefully brought the 5 criminals under the basement of the manor.
The torch in the darkness, the tightly locked door, and the dry stifling underground passage gave all these criminals an eerie feeling. However, with the two Knights, Greem and Fraser, they had no chance to resist.
Greem led the way familiarly, bringing the 5 criminals each into different prison. Afterwards, he came to a newly tunneled experiment lab and waited by the side.
Although there were thick walls, and the surroundings had torches which were scorching bright, Greem still felt his hairs stand on end, and cold sweat trickled down his body.
As a slave Knight, he knew part of Leylin’s identity. He knew even more about the darkness and the terror behind those walls!
“That place is practically a hell!” The first time Greem was summoned inside by Leylin, he had blurted his thoughts. Afterwards, this fearless Knight had puked for an entire night.
Half an hour passed. For Greem, time seemed to have crawled like half a year long. Especially when the indistinct screams that occasionally seeped through the sturdy walls with the impression of piercing his ear drum!
May the heavens have pity! Although Greem was no good person, and his hands too were covered with blood, the moaning and wails behind the stone walls were something that a human was incapable of producing anymore.
* Creak! * The sturdy steel door swung open and Leylin strode out from it. On his body were traces of blood stains.
“A pity that the experimental body was not strong enough and was unable to endure the effects of the spell! I hope the next few experimental bodies will be more durable….”
To research on souls, Leylin did not have any readily available ingredients. So he could only adopt the crudest method which was to continuously gather data through experiments.
“Young Master!” Greem hurriedly bowed. “Today the City Lord’s Castle has sent another 5 people over and they are all inside their cells….”
“Very well!” Leylin nodded his head.
Although he was a Level 3 Acolyte, before advancing into an official Magus, Leylin did not have enough assurance for challenging those self-proclaimed “Light” Magi, so some things still had to be concealed.
Only Greem and Fraser were handling the reception of goods. Apart from them, Anna, too, knew a little about it. Other than them, even Fayern and Old Welker, the housekeeper, knew nothing of Leylin’s deeds.
Although they had some faint surmises, but Leylin always disposed of those useless ‘ingredients’ by cremating them with medicinal powder. Under no evidence, even if anyone had suspicions, they could not do anything towards him.
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