Knight and Wand

Chapter 260: The Evil Beast Callisto
Sitting in a chair, playing with the brand new black Neti card in his hand, Leon looked at the magic platform in operation in the corner of the workshop.

The silver Neti card that was split into two halves by the Great Knight Valensis was suspended above the magic formation on the platform, rotating slowly.

In the smooth cross section, the mithril thread and the mysterious light mist connect the magic cycle between the two broken wafers.

"With the existing materials, we can only maintain the silver medal from completely losing its effectiveness." Laura followed his gaze and explained: "If we want to recast the silver medal, we still lack the 'Isua Soul Stone'."

Leon nodded and continued to weigh the issues in his head.

Without Garron, the trump card that could deal with powerful enemies head-on, and now facing an oversized enemy as difficult to deal with as the Grand Knight, not counting those rangers who were destined to leave in the future, he could only rely on the entire Knights to carry out righteous group fights in the future.

If the whole group works together, with Olivia holding them back head-on, they might be able to defeat a strong man like Arsene.

But there is no doubt that the price to be paid must be very heavy, especially considering that if such a powerful enemy is not like Yasen who sneaks into the area occupied by the Orland army alone to fight against him alone, but also brings a group of troops.
Who will beat whom?
Leon couldn't predict how many of his soldiers and companions he would have to sacrifice in exchange for the life of a great knight, let alone what would happen if the other party also brought his younger brothers with him.

He looked down at the empty cards in his hand.

There is only one black card, which may only bring back an important person.

If its power is left unused, it may lead to the sacrifice of more than one comrade in the future.

After all, insurance is not as good as proactively eliminating hidden dangers. It seems that there is no essential difference between the choices we face now and in the past. No matter how precious the Neti Card is, there is still a chance to get it in the future. However, once a living person dies, even if the spirit is summoned back, he will no longer be alive.

Do not put the cart before the horse.

After considering this, Leon decided to maximize the power of the artifact in his hand. He realized that he could only wait until he got enough Neti cards in the future to have the confidence to keep empty cards in reserve.
Looking at the person who was lost in thought.

Laura tilted her head and held her chin in her hand, her eyes wandering over the face.

She couldn't help but slowly stood up, walked behind Leon's chair, raised her hand and touched the black hair.

Her fingers combed the hair gently, even though it was not long, the girl still held up the roots of the hair at the back of her head with tenderness as if it were a treasure, and took care of it lovingly.
Leon turned the cards between his fingers while falling into deep thought. He didn't mind the little teacher's touch on his hair. He was used to Laura's inexplicable preference for his hair.

Thinking about it now, he even regretted that he was too decisive in cutting off his long hair after waking up in Usato. He should have left a little bit of it for the little teacher to play with to relieve her boredom.

Close your eyes.

Enjoying Laura's stroking of his head, Leon thought back to the magic book, the thousands of spells that could be recorded into the Neti cards.

Lorelit magic roughly divides all magic into five levels.

The lowest level is "Apprentice Magic", followed by "Basic Magic", "Advanced Magic", "High Magic", and the top-level "Great Magic".

As the name suggests, Apprentice Magic are some basic little spells that beginners need to learn.

Simple spellcasting skills such as manipulating objects, shocking, igniting, lighting, gathering water, condensing, summoning wind, electric shock, magic pattern imprinting, etc.

As for the basic magic that follows, even if all non-combat related spells are excluded, there are still tens of thousands of refined and diverse spells at this level.

For example, the [Molten Sword] he now possesses is the basic enhanced magic under "Elementology - Thermal Element".

Like the magic necklace called the Boiling Heart, before it was sealed into the Neti Card, it was roughly equivalent to the comprehensive basic strengthening magic [Magic Element Intensification] of "Elemental Science-Magic Element" and "Life Science-Animal Science".

However, after the powerful effect of the Neti card, its casting target was greatly increased from a single object to an upper limit of nearly a hundred people.

There is also the [Arrow of Isha] used by Laura, which has always helped him a lot. It is an attack magic under "Elemental Science-Magic Element".

Most of the advanced magic above that exceeds the carrying capacity of black cards.

I heard that in the distant past, an apprentice at the Lorelit Academy could only be qualified to be awarded the title of "Proper" if he or she could fully master an elective advanced magic.

Of course, these magic ratings were not the power levels seen in the games that Leon recalled from his past life.

The five levels of magic rituals are evaluated solely based on their difficulty and complexity in learning, as well as their actual effects.

Although in the field of "elemental science" magic, it is indeed more similar to the division of destructive intensity in his impression of his previous life.

After all, fundamentally speaking, the more complex and sophisticated the application of elemental energy, the more obvious the difference in effect it causes compared to low-level spells.

But this is not always the case in other areas.

Even without talking about the many "advanced magic" and "high magic" in life science and astronomy that have nothing to do with combat.

Just look for it in the advanced magic related to combat, the comprehensive undead magic "Zombie Puppet" involving "Necromancer - Necromancy" and "Life Science - Animal Science". The basic effect of this spell is only to inject a dead soul into the corpse and create a zombie.

A skilled magic apprentice, using the simplest and most low-level "magic manipulation", can kill a walking corpse created by this advanced magic by throwing a large stone through the air.

Unless the caster masters and utilizes this spell more deeply to create more powerful undead puppets.

Obviously, the reason why "Zombie Puppet" is an advanced-level magic is simply because it is more difficult and complicated than most basic magic.

From this point of view, the learning progress and results of spellcasters who practice the "School of Evocation" seem to be much more difficult and slower than those who specialize in the "School of Elements".
"High Magic" and "Great Magic" which are more complex than "Advanced Magic" are no longer something that can be mastered by simply studying academic knowledge in a few fields.

For example, Lady Aphrodite's Neti card is a miracle worthy of being called great magic.

And right now, the dead zone that is spreading in the east of Kantadar can, judging from a comprehensive perspective, be considered an extraordinary great magic.

Of course, currently, powerful spells above basic magic have basically nothing to do with me.

It was just a black-level Neti card, and it couldn't contain overly powerful advanced magic.

Like the [Punishment of the Dragon] in "Elementology - Atmospheric Elements", the advanced celestial magic described in the magic book that can summon thunderbolts, Leon could only stare blankly.

There is an advanced healing magic in life science called [Flesh and Blood Regeneration]. Laura said that the black card can barely accommodate it.

It can even repair severed limbs and injuries, and at critical moments, it is no different from saving lives, so it is a good choice.

As for other basic attack magic, they might work in single-player or small-scale battles, but they are not very useful on the battlefield. He is the leader of an army, not a lone adventurer. If he cannot engrave a range-killing magic at the military level, the number of enemies that can be killed by basic spells may not be as many as that killed by a heroic spirit like Canis rushing into the battlefield alone.

Heroic cards like Cannith are much more versatile than basic spells with a single effect.

When fighting, you can let the young master of the Wolf family go out to chop people, when in crisis you can use him to block the knife, and in special circumstances you can throw him out as bait, so you don't have to feel sad if he dies.

It seems that either finding another Heroic Spirit that can be accommodated in the black card, or making the spell card "Flesh and Blood Regeneration" is the best option.

Leon pondered over the Heroic Spirit Card plan. Is there a warrior soul similar to Canis, who is famous enough to leave a mark in the world and powerful enough to be summoned?
In the just concluded Battle of Usato, no matter on the side of Kantadar or Orland, many long-established Knights of the Order of Arms must have died on the battlefield.

But now, it is not realistic to go back to Usato Territory to steal the remains and belongings of the knights from Kantadar, or to look for the famous knights who died in the battle on the side of Orland in the country.

It's really not worth it to risk exposing yourself and ruining your reputation by stealing the corpse, and there's no guarantee that you'll be able to summon it successfully.

Moreover, even if he could successfully summon the corresponding knight's soul in the Dead Sea, Leon didn't know how to sign the "Master-Servant Contract" taught by Laura with the other party.

He originally promised Canis, who had transformed into an evil ghost, to help him complete his revenge personally, which was why the young master of the Wolf family, who had died young, agreed to become his servant.

As for other ghosts, Leon felt that he could not find any bargaining chips or conditions to exchange for their loyalty.

Since the Neti card was originally just a "Horcrux" created by Ms. Aphrodite in order to resurrect Laura, it does not have the effect of forced slavery.

Just like Laura now, she is not her own Heroic Spirit Servant, but an independent Card Spirit.

The "master-servant contract" that now binds Canis and Garron was even designed by Laura to help herself join the casting process without destroying the ritual magic of the Neti card.

What if, at the risk of becoming infamous, he stole the remains and relics of a famous knight, only to find that the knight didn't want to live anymore after jumping into the Dead Sea?

Or don't want your soul to be controlled by others.

Wouldn't that mean I'm just wasting my time and energy?

Leon sighed and put down the Neti card that he was spinning in his hand.

If I can't make a Heroic Spirit Card, I can only make a Spell Card, or light up the Holy Spirit Lamp and let Laura help me carve a Noble Phantasm Card?

Ok.

Heroic Spirit Cards, Noble Phantasm Cards, Spell Cards.
As Leon thought about the magic artifacts that he classified more and more like the board game cards in his previous life, his eyes suddenly widened and an idea popped into his mind.

How about making another "Monster Card"!
"Lola, can the Neti card summon non-human dead souls from the 'Dead Sea'?"

The white-haired girl stopped what she was doing after hearing that.

She put her hands on Leon's shoulders and patted him: "It is possible. Even if you want to summon the souls of beasts and monsters, the conditions required are no different from those for summoning human souls.

But how do you negotiate with the beast spirit? Its intelligence cannot communicate complex information, and I can't do anything to help you with the contract witnessed by Yin Nie. If you can't make the dead soul voluntarily sign the contract, all you get is an uncontrollable beast spirit."

"Don't worry about that. I might actually have a way to try it." Leon stood up with a plan in mind.

Laura understood his idea immediately: "Oh~, you want to summon the Dread Mountain Bear you killed?"

"Yes."

Leon turned around and shook the card in his hand at the little teacher: "It just so happens that the mountain bear ate so many people, it would be easy for it to die. Now this land is in trouble, why not let it return to the world of the living to help us fight the disaster, which can be regarded as continuing to atone for its sins after death."

Laura crossed her arms and said in a daze, “So, you plan to use the three cubs it gave birth to to threaten it into submission?

Although the beast has no complex consciousness, its maternal instinct may indeed make it succumb, especially since it died shortly after giving birth to its cub. Its soul must be filled with resentment and worry about the safety of its cub. "

Hearing the girl speak so bluntly, Leon couldn't help but feel embarrassed and said, "How can you call it a threat? It's just a negotiation. I help it raise its cubs until they are weaned and then release them into the wilderness. It works for me to fight the undead. Isn't that fair?"

"Weren't you planning to release the cub into the wilderness?"

"Well, I didn't tell the mother bear my original plan. The mountain bear definitely won't believe that I was so kind." Leon said proudly.

Laura spread her hands and sighed in amusement: "You are smart, but you should really try it. This secondary Neti card can fully bear the original and pure beast soul.

Once successful, an adult Dinosaurus will be far more useful than an ordinary warrior or basic magic with a single effect. The only question now is whether we can find its soul in the Dead Sea."

Leon stroked his chin, thought for a moment and speculated: "Logically speaking, before we killed the Terror Bear, it had been wreaking havoc in the Redingburg area of ​​Mamor for several months. I'm afraid it has already been notorious. It's probably much more famous than Canis, who made great achievements on the battlefield and became famous in the noble circle of Greyshank Valley.

Moreover, the rangers who participated in hunting it are all famous heroes in all parts of Orland. When the news of this behemoth crusade spreads, according to the principles of Neti magic you mentioned, it should be easier to retrieve the souls in the Dead Sea through the traces of the River of Time."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

"Let's not talk about it now. I have to go back to Reddingburg and try it out without delay."

Nine days had passed since the bear's corpse was handed over to the Gunnar family for disposal after the crusade. Leon just hoped that Henkel's men would be slower and not have already disposed of the bear monster's corpse.

"Wait." Laura hurriedly grabbed his hand.

"?" Leon stopped and looked back in confusion.

"Remember to give the Terror Mountain Bear a name before the summoning ceremony."

The wizard lady reminded him seriously, "In magic, a true name has real and extraordinary power. It has a binding magic power. The mountain bear you mentioned must have never been named before. Giving it a precise name can help the magic target better."

Leon understood and nodded gratefully.

Name
Callisto.

They are all female bears anyway.

(End of this chapter)