"Ομεγλορχοντατηκλαση,οβασιλιτωνδαιμνων..."
As he murmured the incantation, beginning with "Hell Summoning," the candlelight in the dim room flared up and formed an indistinct shadow.
Blazing flames enveloped the shadow, and as they flickered, countless souls seemed to wail within them.
While the bound apprentice slept, utterly oblivious, a claw pierced his body and dragged out a translucent human figure.
Piero watched expressionlessly, spreading his hands and tilting his head slightly upward.
The claw pulled the figure back and thrust it into his body. Dark red flames then ignited around him as well, lending him a mysterious, sinister air.
"Your source of magic is growing stronger. A few more souls like this will be enough to bring you up to the level of a Middle-Tier Mage."
An eerie voice sounded behind him. A mass of fire shaped like a ghostly green skull exclaimed in astonished admiration.
"I truly don't know whether this Soul-Stealing Art is effective, or whether both your body and soul are suited to the spell. Your efficiency in exploiting souls practically rivals that of us devils!
Boy, you were born to descend into Hell and become one of us!
It seems that projecting my will into the material plane this time really did hook me a big fish. Heh heh heh heh..."
Piero said coldly, "It means my latest improvements to the Soul-Stealing Art succeeded. The devil knowledge you gave me worked. Rational knowledge is the greatest power in this world."
"It doesn't matter if you refuse to admit it. In my eyes, your heart is full of darkness. Otherwise, you couldn't have put this spell to such use...
Rational knowledge? Tch. Do you think your teacher and the others in this Mage Tower lack the knowledge and ability to improve it? Do you think they lack the means