The Differences Between Magic and Dou Qi

Chapter 21: The Difference Between Magic and Battle Qi

A Tier 2 Transcendent Unit refers to an Intermediate Knight, an Intermediate Mage, or a Tier 2 magical beast.

Right here, right now, Luo Ning had an Intermediate Mage in his hands—a genuine Tier 2 Transcendent Unit.

If he killed the man with his own hands, he could immediately complete the advancement achievement for [King of Slaughter].

Luo Ning thought it over, then walked toward Macken.

"How's this mage doing? Behaving himself?"

Macken laughed heartily. "He struggled at first, but once he was tied up, he didn't have much choice but to behave."

The mage's hands and feet were now bound tight, and a guard had a sword pressed against his neck. If he twisted too sharply, he'd lose a chunk of flesh.

Luo Ning crouched a few steps away from him. "What's your name?"

The mage ignored him.

"Answer me honestly, and maybe I'll consider letting you live."

Only then did the mage look seriously at Luo Ning. "You, the brat from the Wushan Family, would really let me go?"

"Oh? You recognize me?"

"Heh. I still recognize the golden mountain range carved on your carriage. If I'm not mistaken, you should be Luo Ning, the useless eldest son of that useless Count Wiggins, right?"

"Watch your mouth!"

Macken patted the man's face with his longsword, signaling him to speak more politely.

Luo Ning, however, curled the corner of his mouth.

He didn't expect Wiggins's reputation to be this bad out here—even a random assassin dared to call him useless.

"That's right, I'm Luo Ning."

He said, "We have no grudge between us, and I enjoy conversing with mages. Now, Mister Mage, if you answer my questions properly, I'll consider letting you go."

"Hmph. How much of a noble's word can you trust?" The mage sneered.

But then his tone shifted. "Still, I'm curious what you want to ask."

"I noticed you cast magic just now without any special gestures. When mages use spells, don't they need to chant or recite incantations?"

"Chant?"

"Magic incantations?"

The mage laughed heartily, as if he'd heard something ridiculous. "They say the legitimate grandson of the Wushan Family is as stupid as his father. I didn't believe it before, but now I do."

"With all the resources from the Marquis, you don't even know what mages and spells are? Didn't your teacher teach you the difference between knights and mages?"

Luo Ning felt a bit awkward. He had no such memories in his head.

He didn't know if no one had taught him, or if his previous self hadn't learned.

"Then please, enlighten me," Luo Ning said.

"Haha, hahaha~"

The mage burst into wild laughter. "I love seeing you nobles beg like this. But unfortunately, I disdain dealing with nobles, and even more so with idiots."

With that, he shut his mouth.

Luo Ning's face darkened. He stepped forward and delivered a kick, smashing the man's nose sideways. Blood gushed out, smearing his face.

"Talk or not?"

The man still wouldn't answer.

Luo Ning couldn't be bothered to do it himself. He gave Macken a look, and Macken understood. He crouched down, gripped the man's hand hard, and with a series of cracking sounds, crushed the bones in his palm. The mage let out a heart-rending scream.

The guards around them trembled at the sight. They hadn't expected Baron Luo Ning to be so ruthless—striking on a whim, crippling on a whim.

Truth be told, Luo Ning didn't want this either. He'd have preferred to be a nice guy, but the other party wouldn't allow it.

After Macken's thorough torment, perhaps unable to bear the excruciating pain, the mage finally spoke.

The mage's name was Pedro. He had joined the Skull Society to earn a pile of gold coins and was currently a Probationary Member of the society.

A Probationary Member, so to speak, was like a non-official employee. Only after accepting and completing enough tasks could he become an Official Member.

The assassination of the Green Family's heir and young lady was a task he'd received from higher-ups.

But when Luo Ning asked about the employer's information for this task, Pedro said Probationary Members couldn't access that kind of detail.

Luo Ning suspected the man's words were a mix of truth and lies—after all, killers, everyone knows how they operate.

Of course, none of that mattered. What he cared about more was the issue of battle techniques and magic.

Under Pedro's explanation, he gained some understanding.

Simply put, battle techniques used the knight's own energy—that is, battle qi.

Magic, on the other hand, used one's own mental power and mana as a foundation to mobilize the elemental power of heaven and earth.

Comparing the two professions, becoming a knight was relatively simpler. But in terms of the power of battle techniques versus magic, the latter was greater in force, wider in range, and stronger in effect.

As for combat strength, it's hard to compare at the same level—either side could kill the other, it mainly comes down to experience.

After Pedro's thorough explanation, Luo Ning gained a basic understanding of how mages cast spells.

To cast a spell, a mage must use their Mental Power and Magic Power as a guide to inscribe the "Spell Pattern" corresponding to each spell.

Once the Spell Pattern is fully inscribed, the World Elements accept the mage's "Transfer Order," and the mage can then use their Mental Power to control these elements, forming the spell and ultimately releasing it.

The chanting and magic incantations Luo Ning had imagined didn't exist.

When a mage has sufficient Magic Power, they only need to be familiar with the correct nodes and lines, using their Mental Power and Magic Power to inscribe the Spell Pattern, and they can basically cast that spell.

Luo Ning finally understood—the patterns on the parchment represented the Spell Patterns for each spell.

"And what about this?"

Luo Ning pulled out the half-finished parchment. "What's this incomplete thing?"

"This is a Spell Scroll..."

Pedro's voice was weak. "A mage with stable Mental Power can replicate a Spell Pattern onto a magical beast's hide. When needed, they only need to channel Magic Power or Dou Qi to activate the scroll and cast the spell quickly."

Magic Scrolls were rare items. A Level 2 Wind Blade Spell scroll could probably sell for over a dozen gold coins.

The scroll in the Spatial Ring for signing a contract with a magical beast was also a type of Spell Scroll, and its value was even more exorbitant.

Suddenly, an idea struck Luo Ning—

Once his strength was sufficient, could he use the Contract Scroll in his hand as a reference to create more Contract Scrolls?

And so, his interest in making Spell Scrolls grew even stronger.

"Do you know how to make Spell Scrolls?"

He wondered if he could take Pedro back to his territory, have him make the scrolls, and then sell them himself.

But Pedro shook his head. "My Mental Power output isn't stable enough. I often make mistakes when inscribing Spell Patterns. I can't do it."

"Oh."

Luo Ning looked at the half-finished item in his hand, guessing it was a failed product Pedro had Left Behind.

He flipped the piece of hide over and realized it probably wasn't sheepskin.

"What materials are used to make Spell Scrolls?"

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

No sooner had he spoken than Macken gave his broken hand a squeeze, making the mage cry out in pain.

"Macken, go easy on him," Luo Ning reminded.

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

After a long pause to recover, Pedro spoke weakly:

"Whatever level the scroll is, you use the hide of a magical beast of the same level. To inscribe the Spell Pattern, mix the beast's heart's blood with Magic Core Powder or Magic Crystal Powder."

"But... but making Spell Scrolls requires extremely high skill from the mage. The mage's Mental Power and Magic Power output must be very stable and balanced, and they must have... absolute focus!"

After saying this, Pedro was Breathing Heavily.

Mages weren't physically strong to begin with, and after Macken's torture, Pedro had long since had enough of this piercing pain.

"Just... just give me a quick death!"

He knew the noble before him most likely wouldn't let him go.

"Alright."

Luo Ning Stood Up and Drew His Longsword.

He had never considered letting the man go. After all, this was an assassin who would kill for money. Luo Ning couldn't guarantee that if he let him go, the man wouldn't come back to kill him.

In Addition, letting him go would be hard to explain to the Green Family—he wouldn't be able to clear things up.

That said, for a moment, Luo Ning had indeed considered whether he could recruit someone with such talent for his own use.

But after thinking it over, he dropped the idea. Luo Ning didn't think he had some kind of kingly aura that, with just a hint of it, would make others pledge their loyalty.

A Killer like Pedro... was too hard to control.

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Pedro. Perhaps one day I'll become an Archmage, and even then, I'll still thank you for enlightening me."

Shlick!

The longsword swept across, ending the mage's life.