The "Sacrifice Magic" Colma had created—or "Sacrificial Magic," or "Life Magic"—worked by sacrificing a life and converting its life force into magic power, thereby improving a Trickster's ability to cast spells.
Long, long ago, when wizards had been less concerned with morality, similarly crude sacrificial magic had existed. But after the Outer Gods were forced into the Deep Starry Sky and wizards found more effective ways to cast spells, they abandoned such bloody, cruel magic.
These days, even deep within the First University library, no one could find forbidden books on anything like it.
Perhaps only ancient beings like Sartogua still retained knowledge of the magic rituals involved in sacrifice and its rewards.
As Zheng Qing listened to Colma describe her Sacrifice Magic, he suddenly remembered how he had felt when entering Beta Town North District. No matter when he walked into that neighborhood of Tricksters, it felt as though he were stepping out of sunlight and into shadow. He always wanted to pull his cloak tighter around himself.
Even under the harshest midday sun, the neighborhood felt eerie.
Even now that its residents had a way to cast real magic, the method made his skin crawl. It was as though this corner of the world had no place for bright sunlight; anything precious or beautiful that entered the neighborhood would be twisted out of shape.
"That is a problem," Jiang Yu agreed, breaking into the young scholarship student's thoughts. He paid closer attention and caught up with the conversation in the tavern: the two witches were discussing the legal risks of using Sacrifice Magic.
Because Colma's Sacrifice Magic required the lives of innocent animals, it plainly conflicted with the animal-protection provisions of the Wizard Codex.
For example, if a North District Wizard needed to cast a spell in an