Holding Captive
“A spirit body!”
Leylin’s pupils contracted.
The Magi were clueless as to the appearance of spirit bodies but most of them assumed that a spirit body was the external embodiment of a soul.
Also, many Magi were in the dark with regards to the formation of a spirit body.
It seemed that the creation of a spirit body required many coincidental encounters. Sometimes, even a regular human could turn into an evil spirit after death, yet even official Magi never had such things happen to them.
Moreover, spirit bodies were extremely rare. With regards to their research, even if the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy had a large number of observations, they only slightly understood the behavior of spirit bodies.
As the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy only sought knowledge, Leylin managed to learn a little about spirit bodies through a few words mentioned by professors, so he wouldn’t be like others who might be frightened.
“Who are you?” Leylin asked warily as he retreated back by several steps.
“Name?” The translucent spirit body shook its head, “I’ve forgotten that long ago!”
“Countless years have passed and I have been wandering here always, up to this day! I felt that an interesting fellow had trespassed into my lab, so I came out to have a look at you!”
Leylin’s eyes flashed, “So you are the owner of this lab! Accept my apologies, for interrupting you so presumptuously!”
Saying so, he gave a polite bow used between Magi and his gesture had no flaws.
The spirit body’s faint lips curled upwards, “I like little fellows with manners!”
He reached out his translucent hand, and a layer of light appeared in his hands, “You can obtain a great present from this magnificent wizard!”
“Really? Honestly, this is too good!”
Leylin seemed to be ‘ecstatic’ as he stepped several steps forward. Suddenly, a gob of green ball appeared and was shot out from Leylin’s hands, which passed the spirit body, directly landing on the experiment table behind.
* Sssii! * A large hole corroded through the experiment table.
“A physical attack has no effect?” Leylin’s turned solemn.
“Little fellow, what are you doing?” The spirit body smiled but it seemed to be more sinister from before.
“This is the magnificent Magus Roman’s inheritance, which can allow you to successfully advance into an official Magus!”
“Are you kidding me? You are just a spirit with a grievance that impersonated your owner!”
Leylin retreated several more steps and a purple potion appeared in his hands.
“I reckon that light in your hands is not anything good!”
* Bang! * The potion flew from his hands and let off an intense combustion. The purple smoke rose continuously, and under the engulfment of the purple mist, the layer of light in the spirit body’s hands dispersed, revealing a sinister looking visage that howled with unwillingness. It looked rather similar to the spirit body.
“A malicious, vengeful spirit who loves to invade the physical bodies of living humans!”
Leylin thought of some distant narration and exclaimed, “Vengeful spirit! You are a vengeful spirit!”
“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 amber1.
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!
1. Amber, a gemstone that may have some fossil trapped in it.