A Tier 2 Transcendent Unit referred to an Intermediate Knight, an Intermediate Mage, or a Level 2 demon beast.
At this moment, Luo Ning happened to have an Intermediate Mage in his hands—a genuine Tier 2 Transcendent Unit.
If he personally killed him, he could immediately complete this King of Slaughter advancement achievement.
After thinking for a moment, Luo Ning walked toward Macken.
"How is this mage? Has he been behaving himself?"
Macken chuckled. "He struggled at first, but once he was tied up, he couldn't misbehave even if he wanted to."
The mage's hands and feet were bound securely, and a guard beside him held a sword to his neck. If he twisted too hard, he might 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 perhaps I'll consider sparing your life."
Only then did the mage look seriously at Luo Ning. "You brat from the Wushan Family, would you really let me go?"
"Oh? You recognized me?"
"Heh, I recognize the Golden Mountain Range carved onto the carriage. If I'm not mistaken, you must be Luo Ning, the useless eldest son of that useless Count Wiggins."
"Watch your mouth!"
Macken slapped the man's face with the flat of his sword, telling him to speak more politely.
But Luo Ning merely curled his lips into a smile.
He had not expected Wiggins's reputation to be so terrible outside. Even a random assassin dared to call him useless.
"That's right. I'm Luo Ning."
He said, "We have no grudge against each other, and I enjoy talking with mages. Now then, Mr. Mage, if you answer my questions properly, I can consider letting you go."
"Hmph. How much of a noble's word can be trusted?" the mage said disdainfully.
Then he changed his tone. "Still, I'd like to hear what you want to ask."
"When you cast magic just now, I didn't see you make any special movements. Don't mages need to chant or recite magic incantations when using spells?"
"Chanting?"
"Magic incantations?"
As though he had heard something hilarious, the mage laughed heartily. "They say the Wushan Family's Legitimate Grandson is as stupid as his father. I didn't believe it before, but now I do."
"With all the Marquis's resources behind you, 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 somewhat embarrassed. He truly had no memories of such things.
He did not know whether no one had taught him, or whether his previous self had simply never learned.
"Then please tell me," Luo Ning said.
"Ha, hahaha!"
The mage suddenly burst into wild laughter. "I love seeing you nobles lower your heads and beg, but unfortunately, I disdain communicating with nobles. I disdain communicating with fools even more."
After saying that, he shut his mouth.
Luo Ning's expression darkened. He stepped forward and gave him one kick, knocking his nose crooked. Blood poured out and smeared across his face.
"Are you going to talk or not?"
The man still did not answer.
Luo Ning could not be bothered to act himself anymore. He gave Macken a look, and Macken understood. Squatting down, he gripped the man's hand viciously. With a series of crunching sounds, he crushed the bones in his palm, making the mage scream in agonizing pain.
The guards around them trembled at the sight. They had not expected Baron Luo Ning to be so ruthless, striking whenever he wished and crippling people without hesitation.
In truth, Luo Ning had not wanted this either. He wanted to be a good person, but the other man simply would not allow it.
After Macken had worked him over for a while, perhaps unable to endure the piercing pain any longer, the mage finally spoke.
The mage's name was Pedro. He had joined the Skull Society to earn a large amount of gold coins and was currently a Probationary Member of the Skull Society.
A Probationary Member could be understood as an unofficial employee. Only after accepting and completing enough missions could one become an official member.
For example, assassinating the Green Family's heir and young lady this time had been a mission assigned from above.
However, when Luo Ning asked about the employer behind this mission, Pedro said that Probationary Members could not access such information.
Luo Ning suspected that some of Pedro's words were true and some false. Assassins were assassins, after all.
Of course, none of that was important. What concerned him more was Battle Skills and magic.
With Pedro's explanation, he gained a basic understanding.
Simply put, Battle Skills used a knight's own energy—namely, Battle Qi;
while magic used one's own Mental Power and magic power as a foundation to mobilize the Elemental Power of the World Elements.
Compared to these two professions, becoming a knight was relatively easier. However, in terms of the power of Battle Skills and magic, the latter was more powerful, had a wider range, and produced stronger effects.
As for combat strength, it was difficult to compare those of the same level. Either could be killed by the other; it mainly depended on experience.
After Pedro's explanation, Luo Ning gained a preliminary understanding of how mages cast spells.
To cast magic, a mage needed to use Mental Power and magic power as a guide to draw the Spell Pattern corresponding to each spell.
Once the Spell Pattern was completed, the World Elements would accept the mage's Transfer Order. The mage could then use Mental Power to control those World Elements, forming a spell before finally releasing it.
The chanting and magic incantations Luo Ning had imagined did not exist.
As long as a mage had sufficient magic power, was familiar with the spell, and could use Mental Power and magic power to draw its Spell Pattern according to the correct nodes and lines, they could basically cast it.
Luo Ning finally understood that the pattern on that Parchment represented the Spell Pattern of a spell.
"Then what about this?"
Luo Ning took out the half-finished Parchment. "What is this half-finished product?"
"This is a Spell Scroll..."
Pedro's voice was weak. "A mage with stable Mental Power can replicate Spell Patterns onto demon beast hide. When needed, they only need to use magic power or Battle Qi to activate it, allowing them to use the scroll and quickly cast magic."
Magic Scrolls were extremely rare. A Tier 2 Wind Blade Spell scroll could probably sell for more than ten gold coins.
The scroll in his Spatial Ring, the one used to form a contract with a demon beast, was also a type of Spell Scroll. Its value was even more astonishing.
Suddenly, Luo Ning had an idea—
Once he was strong enough, could he use the Contract Scroll in his hand as a reference to make more Contract Scrolls?
Thus, he became even more interested in how Spell Scrolls were made.
"Can you make Spell Scrolls?"
He wondered whether he could take Pedro back to his territory, have him make scrolls, and sell them himself.
Who would have thought Pedro shook his head? "My Mental Power output is too unstable. I often make mistakes when drawing Spell Patterns, so I can't do it."
"Oh."
Luo Ning looked at the half-finished product in his hand and guessed that it was discarded material left behind after Pedro had failed to make it.
He turned the piece of hide over in his hands and discovered that it was probably not sheepskin.
"What materials are used to make Spell Scrolls?"
"You have too many questions... Ah!"
Before he could finish speaking, Macken struck his fractured hand, making the mage scream.
"Macken, be gentler," Luo Ning reminded him.
"Yes, my lord. I'll be careful."
After recovering for a long while, Pedro finally spoke weakly:
"The hide of whatever level of demon beast is used for scrolls of that level. To draw Spell Patterns, use a demon beast's heartblood mixed with Magic Core Powder or Magic Crystal Powder."
"B-but making Spell Scrolls places extremely high demands on mages. Their Mental Power and magic power output must be extremely stable and balanced, and they must have—must have absolute concentration!"
After saying this, Pedro panted heavily.
Mages were not physically strong to begin with. After Macken's torment, Pedro had long since had enough of this piercing pain.
"G-give me a quick death!"
He knew that the noble before him would most likely not spare him.
"Alright."
Luo Ning stood and drew his longsword.
He had never intended to let the man go. After all, Pedro was an assassin who dared to kill for money. Luo Ning had no way to guarantee that, after being spared, Pedro would not turn around and try to kill him instead.
Besides, letting him leave would be difficult to explain to the Green Family.
That said, for a moment, Luo Ning had indeed considered whether he could bring such a talented person under his command.
But after thinking it over, he gave up on the idea. Luo Ning did not believe he possessed some tyrannical aura that could make others offer him their loyalty just by revealing a little of it.
An assassin like Pedro... would be difficult to control.
"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Pedro. Perhaps one day, I will become an Archmage. Even then, I will remain grateful for your instruction."
Slash!
The longsword swept across, ending the mage's life.
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