Chapter 799: Incarnation Spellcraft (1)

“The Ghost Dragon’s Incarnation Spellcraft…”

The Spirit-Ghost’s message stated that the Ghost Dragon Yao Xun’s true core spellcraft, and the power that constructed the fortress’s environment, was Incarnation Spellcraft.

Upon hearing those words, Lennok processed the series of explanations and situations that flooded his mind, then nodded.

If Oris’s words were true, then it meant the reason the Ghost Dragon became a Military Spirit was based on Incarnation Spellcraft.

Furthermore, Incarnation Spellcraft was one of the three goals Lennok had set for Yorta.

Just as he hesitated, realizing that something he had put aside due to the Court of Soul Pacification’s affairs would be intertwined in this way,

“Just as I suspected, it was the correct answer.”

The Spirit-Ghost, understanding Lennok’s reaction with half-certainty, sneered.

“The fact that you knew about the Court of Soul Pacification’s secrets to an incomprehensible degree… that must also be because you were colluding with Yao Xun, wasn’t it?”

“…”

The Spirit-Ghosts, already assuming Lennok was allied with the Ghost Dragon, began drawing their weapons.

An eerie killing intent poured down Lennok’s shoulders, instantly filling the surroundings with sinister spiritual energy.

Tzzztzzztzzzt!!

“Using force within the fortress would complicate our relationship with the Ghost Dragon… but letting you leave this place would lead to irreversible damage.”

They already knew what Lennok had done in the Memorial Tower.

If they knew he had teamed up with Grand Arbitrator Oris and virtually overturned the Memorial Tower, they would never let Lennok go.

“Your words aren’t entirely wrong, but there’s a fallacy.”

However, Lennok merely chuckled at that, extending a hand towards the Spirit-Ghosts.

“Isn’t that something you should worry about only after you’re capable of facing me?”

Slice!!

At that instant, the pale-skinned Spirit-Ghost hanging under the tent was cleaved in half on the spot.

A chilling cutting power cleanly bisected it vertically from head to abdomen.

A thread-like line, extended from Lennok’s hand, flickered like a sharp blade, instantly killing the Spirit-Ghost.

Pffft!!

The Spirit-Ghost, unable to utter a word, exploded into faint spiritual energy and vanished on the spot.

As soon as they saw this, the other Spirit-Ghosts surrounding them began to move in perfect coordination.

“Dayvon is down! Engage!!”

“It’s a Manipulation Wizard. Maintain distance as discussed beforehand!”

“Keep your formation strictly and move!!”

Booooom!!

At that moment, dozens of fruit crates piled up in the night market exploded, sending fruit flying everywhere.

Hundreds of fruit chunks, dripping pulp and juice, rained down from all directions.

“Is the goal to obstruct my vision? A crude trick.”

Amidst it all, Lennok coiled Mana Threads around his fingers.

Just as his will-thought, piercing through the rain of fruit, was about to become a tangible force and penetrate a spirit body.

Lennok sharply turned his gaze, grabbing a fruit mid-air.

A bomb, painted a similar color and mixed among the fruits, detonated.

A colossal pillar of flame erupted in the middle of the night market.

Bwooooom!!!

A bluish spiritual energy wave, burning the surrounding objects with its impact.

Lennok realized the wave was destabilizing the nearby mana and frowned.

Was this a disruption device that compressed and detonated degenerated Military Spirits to artificially distort the surrounding mana?

A spiritual distortion targeting the surrounding objects and environment rather than Lennok himself.

They knew that such disruption was fatal to a Manipulation Wizard, who required precise control.

Clang-clang-clang!!

“As expected, he has no deep understanding of Military Spirit Spellcraft. If we disrupt his senses, an offense-defense can be established!!”

“He’s a Manipulation Wizard, extremely sensitive to his condition. Kill him before he adapts!”

The Spirit-Ghosts, biting down on bright yellow talismans, charged towards the spiritual energy storm.

They detonated bombs hidden among the fruit piles, constantly harassing Lennok’s nerves.

Thud-thud-thud!!

Kwoooom!!

Amidst the roar of collapsing commercial buildings and boxes, bomb-like shapes sprang up from all directions.

Mixed with the raining fruit piles, their forms were difficult to discern.

Just as the Spirit-Ghosts desperately tried to close the distance, swinging spiritual energy storms one after another, Lennok accelerated and vanished between the tents, evading their blurred charges.

Kagagak!!

His thick robe flapped, painting deep shadows across the daytime night market courtyard.

As he accelerated by wrapping himself in Mana Threads, Spirit-Ghosts’ slashes flickered from all directions.

Scythes and curved swords, shrouded in hazy mist, clashed with the Mana Threads, scattering desolate sparks.

Dudududuk!!

Lennok’s figure seemed to be frantically fleeing. The Mana Threads moved as if being pulled and swung haphazardly.

But each time, silver lines pushed, pulled, and caressed the blades of the scythes and curved swords.

Each time he waved his hand as if striking the air, bundles of Mana Threads spun like dancers, deflecting every trajectory of the sword strikes.

“What kind of manipulation precision is that…!!”

“Is he completely unaffected by the surrounding environment?!”

At his absurd Mana Thread manipulation, the Spirit-Ghosts, who had been darting across the night market walls and tents, gritted their teeth.

“Your level of thought is obvious. It’s not like that.”

Kiiing!!

Lennok tied Mana Threads to his inverted wrist, twisting a Spirit-Ghost’s neck with the other end.

Lennok, who had instantly slain and obliterated the Spirit-Ghost that misjudged its distance, then chuckled, using mana to further burst the Spirit-Ghost’s spirit body.

“I’m deploying the spellcraft while accounting for even the changing environment.”

…!!!

“Perhaps because the explosions use Military Spirits as material, the mana pattern disruption is quite alien.”

Lennok descended amidst the scattering fruit piles, raising a hand towards the charging Spirit-Ghosts.

“It’s getting annoying, I can’t stand it anymore, so let’s stop here… Hm?”

At that moment, Lennok’s masked gaze lifted straight upwards.

“What in the world is going on here!!”

Immediately after, with a resounding voice, someone dropped down, unleashing a brilliant yellow spiritual light.

Paaaaang!!

The spiritual energy storm that had been exploding everywhere subsided, and the Spirit-Ghosts recoiled a step.

What appeared to block Lennok’s path was a blindfolded monk, his hands clasped as if in prayer.

Gathering the spiritual light in both hands, he unleashed a barrier to protect Lennok and himself, then bellowed.

“Spirit-Ghosts of the Court of Soul Pacification attempting to persecute a living being, have you no shame!!”

“…”

“Committing such an unruly act in Yao Xun’s fortress is an affront to those participating in the ritual! Retreat at once!”

After shouting at the Spirit-Ghosts, the monk turned his gaze to Lennok and nodded.

“It’s the first time since the inspection. Now that I’m here, rest assured.”

“I have no idea what nonsense you’re spouting. You’re…”

Lennok rummaged through his memories, then recalled the face and nodded.

“You’re the monk who spoke to me at the dock. Why are you here?”

It was the blind monk who had first approached Lennok when he crossed the Headrain River by constructing a boat using the corpse of an Apostle.

Now, he had abruptly stepped forward to help Lennok in the night market street.

The Spirit-Ghosts, too, quickly exchanged information with the monk before them.

“…Who is it?”

“He’s a monk from Stania. Recorded as having come to Yorta for the Spirit Transformation Ritual.”

“An outsider? Then it wouldn’t matter if we dragged him along too.”

“Go on, try it if you dare.”

The monk stood before Lennok with a resolute expression, raising his spiritual power to its full extent.

“Though I possess little talent, against spirits who defy the ways of life and death, I shall show no mercy—!!”

Creeaak!!

At that moment, the monk discovered a vast shadow cast over his head and swallowed his words.

A shadow so immense it covered not only the monk but also the positions of other Spirit-Ghosts standing in the night market.

The monk and the Spirit-Ghosts, who had inadvertently looked up, fell silent as if on cue.

[Kikikikik.]

Because a colossal old man with a grotesque hooked nose was grinning down at them.

His hunched back. Eight emaciated arms and dozens of long, dangling fingers.

Bundles of Mana Threads, tied to his withered fingers, hung like a veil, swaying slowly.

Beyond the fingers, which caressed as smoothly as if embroidering, an alien mana of unknown origin continuously flowed out.

“W-what in the world is this…”

“I understand your intention, but it’s not very helpful.”

As if responding to the monk’s dazed mumble, Lennok spoke from behind him.

Lennok, who had already summoned his familiar with both hands clasped together, slowly tilted his head.

“You’re in the way, so move aside.”

“A-A familiar!!”

Kii-iiing…!!

Intense eye-light glowed beyond the obsidian mask, and the Spirit-Ghosts recoiled in terror as they realized its identity.

The Seamster’s fingertips slowly began to tap the air.

Manipulation-Type Unique Magic

Mana Projection Dispersion Resonance

[Will-Thought Liberation (意念解隷)]

Kiii-iiii-eek…!!

At that moment, the swaying of the Mana Threads stretched everywhere began to slow down as if time had stopped.

It wasn’t time, but the space itself, suspended by the Mana Threads, stretched, creating an illusion that filled the gaps.

In the infinitely slowing perceived time, everyone stared, as if mesmerized, at the trajectories of the thin lines.

At the ends of the Mana Threads, spinning in all directions, hung the fruit fragments that had been falling from above.

Kilirik!!

The Mana Threads, which had been contracting infinitely slowly within the distorted perception, began to rotate explosively.

Kwaduk!!

The fruit dangling from the Mana Threads instantly shattered its pulp, leaving only twisted cores.

The fruit cores, transformed into sharp bullets, simultaneously pierced the Spirit-Ghosts’ heads on the spot.

Thwack!!

The Spirit-Ghosts’ bodies, engulfed in bluish flames, crumpled and fell on the spot.

The monk watched Lennok emerge from amidst the dissipating Spirit-Ghost corpses with a conflicted expression.

“Is there anything more regrettable than perishing in a foreign land due to a moment’s misjudgment? What foolishness.”

“…First the dock, now this. You’re needlessly meddlesome.”

Lennok, walking past the monk, let out a small laugh.

“For someone so meddlesome, you seem to have lived quite long. Your talent must be rather good, wouldn’t you say?”

“Haha, that’s what I should be saying.”

The monk smiled faintly at Lennok.

“Compared to the skill you just displayed, any talent I possess is utterly meaningless.”

“…”

As Lennok did not reply, the monk’s smile deepened beneath his blindfold.

“You are in that place, yet you are no longer standing in that time. Where are you looking now?”

A vague yet sharp question that pierced to the essence.

The precise manipulation and acute tactical battles that were inevitably involved in using manipulation spellcraft.

But the moment he combined the Mystic Eye of Possibility with the Revelation Ability, he could ascertain the unseen winning odds immediately and act upon them.

The monk had recognized that Lennok’s recent battle against the Spirit-Ghosts was the result of a power akin to precognition.

‘If I combine the left Mystic Eye, which confirms the domain of possibilities, and follow the knack, I can predict offense and defense much further ahead.’

Lennok gazed at the monk, lost in thought.

‘If I can use Revelation even without the Priestess’s help, it would greatly assist in supporting manipulation spellcraft.’

The Revelation Ability was not the Priestess’s; it was merely a fragment of omniscience based on the Pontiff’s existence.

Therefore, if he adequately mastered the knack, Lennok might also be able to replicate it.

Lennok had realized this fact in prison and had been repeatedly practicing using Revelation without the Priestess’s help.

“Stania Monk, you said? I’ve heard the name.”

However, without betraying any such impressions, Lennok looked at the monk through his mask and asked.

“For someone supposedly holed up in the snowy mountains, devoted to training, I heard you’re quite active in worldly affairs. What business brings you here?”

Stania Monastery.

Though he had only heard about it occasionally in passing, Lennok knew what kind of organization they were.

A philosophical religious group dedicated to internal cultivation rather than faith or belief.

The elixirs they produced were so renowned that they even had partnerships and operated pharmaceutical companies under that name.

Lennok himself had even taken ‘Stemonia,’ an elixir they made, back when he was a freelancer.

But what Lennok knew best about the monastery was that the former Chairman of the Cartel, Pardun McQueen, hailed from Stania Monastery.

A powerful individual who wielded Liberation Spellcraft and Talismanic Sorcery, and whose Domain, ‘White Rakshasa Cloth Weaver,’ was a materialized landscape of the monastery.

Even though he had reached the pinnacle of his hierarchy and stagnated, his unique spellcraft still remained vivid in Lennok’s memory.

Perhaps not expecting to hear such specific details from Lennok, the monk looked astonished and bowed his head.

“Hoh, you are a person of deeper insight than I imagined. Please excuse my impropriety. I thought a den of devils would have no interest in people like me.”

“I have no interest in the monastery itself, but I am curious about the spellcraft derived from it.”

Lennok replied dispassionately.

“I understand there are unique spellcrafts passed down in the monastery, including Liberation Spellcraft.”

“…”

The apostate monk, Pardun McQueen, had wielded a unique familiar named Arjumarta, combining Liberation Spellcraft and Talismanic Sorcery.

The existence of such an artificial familiar, which greatly boosted and supported spellcraft output, had also provided no small inspiration for Lennok when he created the Seamster of the Imaginary Dimension.

The monk, unable to reply, looked at Lennok with a subdued expression.

“Very well. If you know about the monastery’s affairs, then a long explanation won’t be necessary.”

The monk quietly clasped his hands and began to introduce himself.

“My name is Kraya Nirjuma. I have come to Yorta on the monastery’s command to seek knowledge.”

“Knowledge?”

“If it pleases you, would you not participate in the Spirit Transformation Ritual held at the Ghost Dragon’s fortress?”

The monk, who introduced himself as Kraya, asked Lennok.

“The Spirit Transformation Ritual is a regular trial held by the Ghost Dragon Yao Xun, and those who pass it can be taught Incarnation Spellcraft.”

“…”

“The ritual is held within the fortress, and besides a minimal qualification check, participants can receive rewards based on their capabilities.”

Kraya continued to explain to Lennok, who remained silent.

“Your martial prowess is incongruously alien and powerful, so you should be able to pass the ritual without difficulty.”

“I understand that the Ghost Dragon wishes to impart Incarnation Spellcraft to humans.”

Lennok replied indifferently.

“But I see no particular reason for you to specifically recommend it to me. What are you thinking?”

“It is said that the Ghost Dragon, who presides over the ritual, is a fastidious power within Yorta, extremely meticulous about procedures and customs.”

Kraya spoke immediately, as if expecting such a question.

“However, conversely, there is also a rumor that each time the ritual is held, one participant is designated as a pre-selected candidate, and the spellcraft is imparted, bypassing the procedures.”

“…”

Was this what the Court of Soul Pacification’s pursuit squad was referring to when they mentioned a pre-selected candidate?

If the Spirit-Ghosts themselves spoke of it, then Kraya’s rumor was probably not an empty lie.

Kraya, clasping his hands politely towards Lennok, said,

“And from this humble monk’s perspective, it seems you have the highest likelihood of being that rumored pre-selected candidate.”

“In short, you’re saying you don’t have the confidence to pass the ritual alone.”

Lennok sneered.

“Regardless of the Ghost Dragon’s temperament, if one’s skill is sufficient, there’s no need to be bound by such rumors, is there?”

“…The Liberation Spellcraft you mentioned is a long-standing shame and an enduring regret for the monastery.”

“What?”

Kraya replied calmly.

“Due to the loss and damage of its secret incantations long ago, its transmission is on the verge of being severed once the high-ranking monks pass away.”

The monk’s shoulders slumped, a self-deprecating air about him.

“We’ve even traced the actions of the apostate monk who betrayed the monastery in an attempt to restore it, so how can I explain our desperation?”

“…”

“Incarnation Spellcraft is one of the very few powers that could help restore the monastery’s Liberation Spellcraft.”

Kraya’s blindfolded gaze seemed to pierce through Lennok’s mask.

“If you possess both the qualification and aptitude, merely participating in the ritual alongside you would offer something to learn.”

“…”

Did he mean that he was so certain Lennok possessed both the qualifications and aptitude of a pre-selected candidate that he wanted to undergo the ritual alongside him, even if only to learn?

Seeing Lennok’s lack of reaction, Kraya, clearly eager to join forces, pulled out various proposals.

“In return, I will handle the complex procedures of the Spirit Transformation Ritual for you. And if you need any elixirs made by the monastery—”

“You keep talking about the qualifications and aptitude of a pre-selected candidate. Let’s start by hearing what those are.”

Lennok asked, looking around at the chaotic night market scene.

“Can those conditions be enough to cover this commotion, and then some?”

“Hmm. This humble monk has heard that spellcasters who handle something as a medium are more likely to pass the ritual.”

Kraya explained, recalling his memories.

“There were also rumors that rarer and more uncommon lineages are better suited to catch Yao Xun’s eye.”

“…”

Lennok immediately understood why Kraya wanted to help him participate in the ritual.

Someone who handles something as a medium and belongs to a rare lineage. Was that not the perfect description for a Manipulation Wizard of a specialized system?

While there were several rare lineage spellcrafts that required mediums, such as Spell-Word Spellcraft or Sound-Wave Spellcraft, among them, Manipulation Spellcraft held an even more unique status and position.

“Hmm…”

[Your Excellency. Are you considering participating in Yao Xun’s Spirit Transformation Ritual?]

“It might be the fastest way to directly contact Yao Xun.”

Lennok replied, his arms crossed, out of the monk’s sight, to the whispering spirit of the Priestess.

“If he chooses a pre-selected candidate based on aptitude for Incarnation Spellcraft, as he says, wouldn’t things become easier than expected?”

[However…]

“Ah, and there’s one more thing. This is just something this humble monk overheard, but…”

Kraya glanced at Lennok, then spoke.

“There’s a rumor that those with twisted dispositions find it easier to master the spellcraft—”

“…Why are you babbling that to me?”

[Hmm.]

In contrast to Lennok’s displeased retort, the Priestess’s spirit suddenly nodded as if in understanding.

[Now that I think about it, it seems quite suitable. It might even be an unparalleled opportunity for Your Excellency.]

“…”

While Lennok contemplated throwing the Priestess’s spirit into the river right then and there, Kraya immediately turned around.

“The ritual is just about to begin. If you’re interested, how about we go together now?”