Chapter 21: The Differences Between Magic and Battle Qi

Level 2 Extraordinary Unit refers to an Intermediate Knight, Intermediate Mage, or Level 2 Magical Beast.

At this very moment in this very place, Luoning happened to have an Intermediate Mage in his hands; this was a genuine Level 2 Extraordinary Unit.

If he were to kill the other party with his own hands, he could immediately complete this advanced achievement of the 【King of Slaughter】.

Luoning thought for a moment, then walked over toward Maiken.

"How is this magician? Is he still being obedient?"

Maiken gave a hehe laugh, "He struggled at first, but after being tied up, he has no choice but to be obedient."

At this moment, the magician's hands and feet were already bound tightly, and there were Guards nearby holding swords against his neck; if his body twisted even a little too violently, he might lose a chunk of flesh.

Luoning squatted a few steps in front of him, "What is your name?"

The magician ignored Luoning's words.

"Answer me honestly, and perhaps I can consider sparing your life."

Only after hearing this did the magician look seriously at Luoning: "Little brat of the Wushan Family, will you really let me go?"

"Oh? You recognize me?"

"Hehe, I can still recognize the golden mountains carved on the carriage. If I haven't guessed wrong, you must be Luoning, the useless eldest son of that useless Count Weijinsi, right?"

"Behave yourself!"

Maiken tapped the other party's face with his long sword, signaling him to be more polite in his speech.

Luoning, however, curled the corners of his mouth.

He hadn't expected Weijinsi's reputation outside to be so poor; even a random assassin dared to call him useless.

"That's right, I am Luoning."

He said: "You and I have no grudge, and I also enjoy communicating with magicians. Now, Mr. Magician, you only need to answer my questions well, and I can consider letting you go."

"Hmph, how much of a noble's word can be trusted?" The magician said with disdain.

His tone shifted again, "However, I would very much like to hear what you want to ask?"

"I noticed that when you cast magic just now, there didn't seem to be any special movements. When magicians use spells, is it not necessary to chant and recite magic incantations?"

"Chanting?"

"Magic incantations?"

The magician laughed out loud as if he had heard something ridiculous, "They all say the eldest grandson of the Wushan Family is as stupid as his father. I didn't believe it at first, but now I believe it."

"Relying on so many resources from the Marquis, you actually don't even know what a magician and a spell are? Did your teacher not teach you the difference between a Knight and a Magician?"

Luoning felt a bit awkward; he truly didn't have these memories in his brain.

He didn't know if no one had taught him, or if his predecessor hadn't learned.

"Then please tell me," Luoning said.

"Haha, hahaha~"

The magician suddenly laughed wildly, "I just love watching you nobles beg in low voices, but unfortunately, I disdain communicating with nobles, and even more so with stupid people."

After saying this, he clamped his mouth shut and said nothing more.

Luoning's expression darkened; he went up and kicked the other party, directly kicking his nose crooked, and blood flowed out, covering his face.

"Are you going to talk or not?"

The other party still didn't reply.

Luoning couldn't be bothered to do it himself, so he gave Maiken a look. The latter understood, squatted down, and gripped the other party's palm fiercely. Accompanied by a crunching sound, the metacarpal bones were crushed, and the magician let out a heart-rending scream.

This scene made the surrounding Guards tremble; they hadn't expected the Baron to be such a ruthless person—he hit when he said he would, and crippled when he said he would.

Actually, Luoning didn't want to either; he also wanted to be a nice guy, but the other party wouldn't allow it.

After a round of torment by Maiken, perhaps unable to bear the heart-rending pain, the magician finally spoke.

The magician's name was Pedro, and he had joined the Skull Society only to earn a large amount of gold coins; he was currently a probationary member of the Skull Society.

A so-called probationary member could be understood as an unofficial employee; only after accepting and completing a sufficient number of missions could one become an official member.

Just like this assassination of the Gelin Family's heir and young lady, it was a mission received from above.

However, when Luoning asked about the employer's information for this mission, Pedro said that probationary members could not access such information.

Luoning suspected that what the other party said was a mix of truth and lies; after all, he was a killer, and those who know, know.

Of course, these things were not important; he was more concerned about the questions regarding Battle Techniques and Magic.

Under Pedro's introduction, he gained a certain understanding.

Simply put, Battle Techniques utilize the Knight's own energy, which is Battle Qi;

While magic is based on one's own Mental Power and Magic Power to mobilize the Elemental Power between heaven and earth.

Comparing these two professions, becoming a Knight is relatively simple, but in terms of the power of Battle Techniques and magic, the latter has greater power, a wider range, and stronger effects.

As for combat strength, it is not easy to compare at the same level; both sides have the possibility of being killed by the other, mainly depending on experience.

After Pedro's introduction, Luoning had a preliminary understanding of how magicians cast spells.

To cast a spell, one needs to use the magician's Mental Power and Magic Power as a guide to carve out the "Spell Pattern" corresponding to each spell.

When the Spell Pattern is finished being carved, the elemental forces of heaven and earth will accept the magician's "command," and at this time, the magician can use Mental Power to control these elemental forces to form the spell and finally cast it out.

The chanting and magic incantations that Luoning had imagined did not exist.

When a magician has sufficient Magic Power, they only need to be familiar with and able to carve out the Spell Pattern using Mental Power and Magic Power according to the correct nodes and lines, and they can basically cast that spell.

Luoning finally understood that the patterns on that parchment represented the Spell Pattern for each spell.

"Then what about this?"

Luoning took out that semi-finished parchment, "What is this semi-finished product?"

"This is a Spell Scroll..."

Pedro's voice was very weak, "A magician with stable Mental Power can replicate Spell Patterns onto the hide of a Magical Beast. When needed, one only needs to use Magic Power or Battle Qi to trigger it, and one can use the scroll to quickly cast the spell."

Magic Scrolls are quite rare; a level two Wind Blade Scroll could likely sell for over a dozen gold coins.

The scroll in the Space Ring used for signing contracts with Magic Beasts is also a type of Spell Scroll, and its value is even more incomparably expensive.

Suddenly, Luoning had an idea—

Once his strength was sufficient, could he refer to the Contract Scroll in his hand to produce more Contract Scrolls?

Consequently, he became increasingly interested in how to produce Spell Scrolls.

"Can you produce Spell Scrolls?"

He wondered if he could capture Pedro and take him back to his territory, with the other party responsible for producing scrolls and him responsible for taking them out to sell.

Who would have thought that Pedro would shake his head, "My Mental Power output is not very stable, and I often make mistakes when carving Spell Patterns, so I cannot make them."

"Oh."

Luoning looked at the semi-finished product in his hand, estimating that this was a piece of scrap left behind when the other party failed to produce one.

He flipped through the piece of hide in his hand and realized it probably wasn't sheepskin.

"What are the materials used to produce Spell Scrolls?"

"You have too many questions... Ah!"

As soon as the words were finished, Maiken struck his fractured palm, causing the Magician to let out a miserable scream.

"Maiken, be gentle," Luoning reminded him.

"Understood, my lord, I will be careful."

After catching his breath for Along time, Pedro said weakly:

"The level of the scroll determines the level of the Magic Beast hide used; to carve the Spell Patterns, one simply needs to mix the heart blood of a Magic Beast with Magic Core Powder or Magic Crystal Powder."

"But, but producing Spell Scrolls has very high requirements for a Magician; it requires the Magician's Mental Power and mana output to be very stable and balanced, and at the same time, one must have, must have absolute concentration!"

After saying this, Pedro gasped for air.

A Magician's physique is not strong to begin with, and after being tortured like this by Maiken, Pedro had long since had enough of this piercing pain.

"Give... give me a quick death!"

He knew that the noble before him was highly unlikely to let him go.

"Very well."

Luoning stood up and drew his longsword.

He had never thought of letting the other party leave; after all, the other party was an assassin who would kill for money, and he had no way to guarantee that if he let the other party go, the other party wouldn't turn around and kill him instead.

Furthermore, letting the other party go would be difficult to explain to the Green Family; it would be impossible to clarify.

However, having said that, there was a moment when Luoning did indeed consider whether such a talent could be recruited for his own use.

But after thinking about it, he decided against it; Luoning did not believe he possessed that kind of kingly aura where he could just radiate it slightly and have others offer their loyalty.

An assassin like Pedro... is very difficult to control.

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Pedro; perhaps one day I will become a Great Magus, and at that time, I will still thank you for your enlightenment."

Swish!

The longsword slashed across, ending the life of this Magician.

(End of this chapter)