Chapter 21: 21 Differences Between Magic and Battle Qi

Chapter 21. Differences Between Magic and Battle Qi

A Level 2 superhuman unit refers to a middle-rank knight, middle-rank magician, or a Level 2 magical beast.

At this very moment, in this very place, Ronin had in his hands a middle-rank magician—an authentic Level 2 superhuman unit.

If he killed him personally, he could immediately complete the advancement achievement of [King of Slaughter].

Ronin thought it over and then walked toward Macken.

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

Macken chuckled. "At first he struggled, but after being tied up, he couldn't disobey even if he wanted."

The magician’s hands and feet were securely bound, and nearby guards held swords against his neck; any significant movement might cause him to lose a chunk of flesh.

Ronin crouched a few steps away from him. "What is your name?"

The magician ignored Ronin’s question.

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

Only then did the magician look seriously at Ronin: "Youngster of the Ushan family, would you really let me go?"

"Oh? You recognized me?"

"Haha, I do recognize the golden mountain carved on the carriage. If I guess correctly, you should be Ronin, the useless eldest son of that useless Earl Wiggins, right?"

"Be polite!"

Macken tapped the man’s face with his sword, signaling him to speak respectfully.

Ronin, however, curled his lips.

He hadn’t expected Wiggins’ reputation to be so poor outside that even a random assassin dared to call him useless.

"That’s right, I am Ronin."

He said: "There is no enmity between us, and I also enjoy communicating with magicians. Now, Mr. Magician, if you just answer my questions properly, I can consider letting you go."

"Hmph, how much can one trust the words of nobles?" The magician sneered.

Then he changed his tone: "But I would like to hear what you want to ask."

"I noticed that when you cast magic earlier, there seemed no special movements. Do magicians need to chant or recite magical spells to use magic?"

"Chanting?"

"Magical spells?"

The magician laughed as if hearing something ridiculous. "They all say the eldest grandson of the Ushan family is as foolish as his father. I didn’t believe it before, but now I do."

"With so many resources from the Marquis, you actually don’t even know what a magician and magic are? Didn’t your teacher teach you the difference between knights and magicians?"

Ronin felt somewhat awkward; his mind truly lacked these memories.

It might be that no one taught him, or perhaps his former self never learned.

"Then please tell me," Ronin said.

"Ha, haha—"

The magician suddenly laughed wildly. "I love seeing nobles like you humbly requesting, but unfortunately, I disdain communicating with nobles, and even more with fools."

After saying this, he remained silent.

Ronin’s face darkened. He stepped forward and kicked the man, directly breaking his nose. Blood flowed out, covering his face.

"Will you speak?"

The man still refused to reply.

Ronin didn’t bother to exert force himself. He gave Macken a glance, who understood and crouched down, fiercely gripping the magician’s hand. With a cracking sound, the palm bones were crushed, and the magician screamed heart-wrenchingly.

This scene made the surrounding guards tremble; they hadn’t expected Baron Ronin to be such a ruthless person, acting decisively and mercilessly.

Actually, Ronin didn’t want this either. He wished to be a gentleman, but the other party didn’t allow it.

After Macken’s rough handling—perhaps unable to bear the excruciating pain—the magician finally spoke.

The magician’s name was Pedro. To earn large amounts of gold coins, he joined the Skull Society and was currently an observer for the society.

An observer could be understood as a non-official member; only after completing a sufficient number of tasks would he become an official member.

For example, assassinating the heir and daughter of the Green family was a task received from above.

But when Ronin inquired about the employer’s information for this task, Pedro said observers couldn’ access such information.

Ronin suspected the man’s words were partly true and partly false—after all, as a killer, it was understandable.

Of course, these weren’t important; he cared more about the issues of battle techniques and magic.

Under Pedro’s explanation, he gained some understanding.

Simply put, battle techniques utilized the knight’s own energy—that is, battle qi;

while magic used one’s own spiritual power and magical power as a foundation to mobilize the elemental forces in the world.

Compared to these two professions, becoming a knight was relatively easier, but regarding the power of battle techniques and magic, the latter was more powerful, wider in range, and stronger in effect.

As for combat capability, it was hard to compare at the same level; either could kill the other, mainly depending on experience.

Through Pedro’s explanation, Ronin gained a preliminary understanding of how magicians cast spells.

To cast a spell, a magician needed to use his spiritual power and magical power as a guide to outline the "spell pattern" corresponding to each spell.

When the spell pattern was completed, the world’s elements would accept the magician’s "command." Then the magician could manipulate these world elements through spiritual power to form the spell and eventually release it.

There was no chanting or magical spells as Ronin had imagined.

When magical power was sufficient, a magician only needed to be familiar with and correctly outline the spell pattern using spiritual power and magical power at the right nodes and lines, essentially enabling him to release that spell.

Ronin also understood that the patterns on the parchment represented the spell patterns for each spell.

"And this one?"

Ronin took out that unfinished parchment. "What is this unfinished product?"

"This is a spell scroll…"

Pedro’s voice was weak. "Magicians with stable spiritual power can copy spell patterns onto magical beast hides. When needed, one only needs to use magical power or battle qi to activate it, enabling rapid spellcasting through the scroll."

Magic scrolls were rare items. A Level 2 Wind Blade scroll could probably sell for over ten gold coins.

The scroll in the spatial ring for contracting with magical beasts was also a type of spell scroll, its value exceedingly high.

Suddenly, Ronin had an idea—

When his strength was sufficient, could he refer to the contract scroll in his possession to create more contract scrolls?

Thus, he became increasingly interested in how to make spell scrolls.

"Can you make spell scrolls?"

He considered whether he could capture Pedro back to his territory, with Pedro responsible for making scrolls and Ronin responsible for selling them.

But who would have thought Pedro shook his head. "My spiritual power output is unstable; I often make errors when outlining spell patterns, so I cannot do it."

"Oh."

Ruo Ning looked at the half-finished product in his hand, estimating that this was likely a discarded piece left behind by the opponent during a failed creation.

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

"What materials are used to make spell scrolls?"

"You ask too many questions... ah!"

Just after he spoke, McKen dealt a blow to his fractured palm, causing the magician to scream in agony.

"McKen, be gentler," Ruo Ning reminded.

"Yes, sir, I'll be careful."

After a long pause, Pedro weakly said:

"Scrolls of different levels require skins from beasts of corresponding levels. For etching the spell patterns, the beast's blood mixed with powdered core or powdered crystal stones is used."

"But, but making spell scrolls demands very high requirements for magicians. Their mental power and magic output must be extremely stable and balanced, and they must possess absolute concentration!"

After speaking these words, Pedro gasped heavily.

The physique of magicians was inherently weak, and after McKen's torment, Pedro had long endured this piercing pain.

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

He knew that the noble before him was unlikely to spare him.

"Alright."

Ruo Ning stood up and drew his long sword.

He hadn't considered letting the man go, since he was an assassin who dared to kill for money. He couldn't guarantee that if spared, the man wouldn't turn around and kill him.

Moreover, letting him go would be difficult to explain to the Green family, with no clear justification.

Though on reflection, at one moment, Ruo Ning indeed pondered whether such talent could be recruited for his own use.

But thinking further, he dismissed it. Ruo Ning didn't believe he possessed such imperial charisma that, with a slight display, would compel others to offer loyalty.

Assassins like Pedro... were hard to control.

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Pedro. Perhaps someday I will become a grand magister, and I will still remember your enlightenment."

Slice!

The long sword swept through, ending the magician's life.

(End of chapter)