Soul Retrieval 2

Translator: Cinder Translations

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Soul Retrieval!

The young mage Andy stared solemnly at the magic circle and the Master Odanel within it. Even as a practitioner of mental magic, he had only heard of this technique before. Today, he would finally witness it firsthand.

Beside him, Derson Plant continued to explain:

"In the various legends of the mortal world and among other mage factions, our type of spellcasters is often seen as mysterious. However, what they do not know is that soul-related spells are extremely dangerous; this is true for both the recipient and the caster."

"Some may think that we can directly shatter the target's mental barriers and invade their sea of consciousness to easily pry into their thoughts and will, even modifying their consciousness to make them submissive slaves. Hmph!"

Derson Plant said with a hint of self-mockery, "But what they do not realize is that it works both ways. When the target's mental barriers fall before you, your own mental barriers fall before them as well. When the target's sea of consciousness is exposed before you, your own sea of consciousness is also revealed to them."

Derson Plant tilted his head slightly towards the young boy beside him. "Andy!"

"Yes, Mr. Plant."

The boy turned his gaze from the magic circle to Derson Plant.

Derson said, "The reason I'm telling you this in such a seemingly self-deprecating way is that I hope we can work together to promote mental magic and set aside factional differences, especially not to let the conflict between our two mentors…"

Hearing this, the boy's pale face flushed with excitement.

"I will definitely abide by your teachings."

Andy knew that his mentor and Derson's mentor, Odanel, did not get along well. They had disagreements on who was the foremost practitioner of mental magic, whether using brainworms or directly casting spells on targets was the superior technique, among other topics.

Especially the title of the foremost mental spellcaster determined whether one could secure a place in the highest organization, the Ten Men Group, of the Arcane Order.

Ultimately… or rather, up to this point, Master Odanel held this title, and he himself had become a member of the Ten Men Group.

"All the masters—even my mentor—hold you in high regard. You should make good use of this advantage and absorb the strengths of various factions… Huh? Someone is coming."

Derson Plant stopped his lecture and looked towards the stairs leading to the ground.

The "priest" was carrying the now limp Somolet down the stairs.

Derson jokingly remarked, "Looks like you didn't manage to pry open his mouth."

The "priest" said nothing, simply throwing Somolet beside the magic circle before turning to leave.

Derson gestured to Andy, "Come on, help me out."

The two lifted Somolet and placed him in the circular area opposite Odanel.

"Although he remains tight-lipped, he has already suffered greatly psychologically. This is good; it can reduce the difficulty of the soul retrieval."

Master Odanel, who had been squatting on the ground, opened his eyes and fixed a sharp gaze on the target placed in the magic circle.

"Mentor," Derson asked, "Is there no problem? A killer who has served the D'Arshi family for many years might know many astonishing secrets."

Odanel shook his head, his pupils glimmering with determination, and replied, "No need. I am confident."

A thought flashed through Derson Plant's mind—arrogant old fool, I hope you don't end up as a fool lost in someone else's sea of consciousness.

He maintained a stoic expression, skillfully concealing his previous thoughts, and then bowed slightly in front of his mentor, pulling Andy back to the spot they had stood in outside the magic circle.

As they moved away from the magic circle, Master Odanel began his actions.

He whispered incomprehensible words, his hands continuously shifting through various gestures.

Derson said, "Next is a dual card game."

Andy looked puzzled. "A card game?"

"Yes, a card game. It's not a perfect analogy, but certain elements from card games can indeed explain the soul-related contest."

Derson explained, "The memories in each party's soul are like their respective hands of cards. The outcome depends on two factors: the number of cards and the size of the cards."

"The number of cards is easy to understand—it refers to the amount of information in their memories. If you're facing a creature that has lived for hundreds of years—if such a creature exists—the flood of information that will burst forth from their sea of consciousness will be terrifying and vast. Without proper preparation, your mental barriers could be overwhelmed in an instant."

"However, while living means constantly absorbing information, the amount of information does not solely depend on age. This leads to another factor—the size of the cards, which involves various aspects, such as how… let's say… impactful a memory is for the person experiencing it."

"Uh… Mr. Plant," Andy interjected, "Are you referring to the breadth and depth of a person's experiences?"

Derson Plant remained silent for a moment before slowly responding, "Andy, you've grasped the essence of the matter. Please forgive me if my earlier analogy caused any confusion."

"No, Mr. Plant," Andy replied. "Your analogy helped my understanding."

"Alright, let's continue with breadth and depth of experience."

"Both breadth and depth are relative, depending on the gap between the caster and the recipient. The following examples are based on you and me as benchmarks."

"A regular farmer may never leave their village throughout their life. They face the monotonous cycle of three meals a day and repetitive labor. The longest journey they undertake might be a mere back-and-forth between their doorstep and the field. The other people they know are just as ignorant and isolated, discussing trivial village matters. So even if they live for decades, their perspective is limited; their mind and soul are impoverished. Their so-called sea of consciousness is merely a small puddle, insignificant."

"A regular noble might oversee several villages, occasionally dealing with territorial affairs and disputes, holding gatherings or hunts with other nobles from nearby lands. They have channels to learn about distant wars and changes in national leadership, perhaps having a few opportunities to meet their king or fight alongside him. Their understanding far surpasses that of the farmers under their jurisdiction, but is limited to that; their consciousness sea resembles a tranquil lake, calm yet rippling gently."

"An experienced adventurer has spent their life in perilous quests, witnessing breathtaking landscapes, discovering heart-stopping treasures, experiencing bizarre stories, and facing life-and-death dangers, perhaps even carrying profound enmities. Their understanding is broader and deeper than the previous two; their sea of consciousness is a winding, turbulent river, wide and rushing."

At this point, Derson Plant's previously expressionless face turned serious.

"Now, regarding the three individuals above, although their experiences vary in depth, I assume they cannot compare to the benchmarks of you and me. As long as we prepare well, we should be able to cope. However, the next two tiers of individuals—their seas of consciousness will be lethal to us."

(End of the Chapter)

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