Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Summoned Demon Secret Technique

On the way back, Ian gave his spoils a quick look.

Saqi’s Dimension Bag contained over two hundred Magic Stones, an assortment of miscellaneous materials, and a map of the Rotting Swamp.

And... a worn Leather Scroll.

Ian’s interest was piqued. He took out the Scroll and infused it with his Spiritual Power.

Spirit Contract Manual (Fragment). Ancient characters appeared in his consciousness.

This wasn’t a complete Witchcraft, but a fragmented Secret Technique regarding the "Spiritual Contract"!

It detailed how to use powerful Spiritual Power to form a "Spirit Contract" with specific Demonic Creatures or elemental Spirit Bodies to obtain a Summoned Demon!

Under normal circumstances, the Spirit Contract Secret Technique usually required the Spiritual Control Power of a Level One Wizard to be cast safely.

Uma’Er, whom Ian had seen at the Shadow Moon Tower, was the Summoned Demon of the Level One Wizard, Luca.

But this Spirit Contract Manual (Fragment) recorded an unconventional, Cunning Method.

If someone possessed innately powerful Spiritual Power or special traits, and if they could find a sufficiently Spiritual Demonic Creature willing to form a Soul Contract, they could attempt to sign a Spirit Contract as a High Level Apprentice using their Heart Essence Blood and a Spiritual Imprint as the core, supplemented by a specific ritual!

’A Summoned Demon... It’s extremely rare for a High Level Apprentice to have one!’

The corners of Ian’s mouth curved up. This was a truly unexpected delight.

Summoned Demons had a wide range of uses: reconnaissance, combat support, guard duty, treasure hunting... After signing the contract, they could even give back to their master, slightly increasing the activity of their Spiritual Power.

’No wonder Saqi and his group were so desperate to plunder. They were probably not just gathering things to hand over to "Blood Leech," but also trying to accumulate the resources to meet the strict requirements of this Scroll.’

He carefully put away the Scroll and quickened his pace.

As the sun set, Ian returned to the vicinity of Misty Creek.

He didn’t go directly back to the gathering point. Instead, he circled around to a secluded bend upstream and carefully took stock of all his gains.

Beside the river bend, the water gurgled softly. Ian emptied everything from the Dimension Bag, sorting it all into piles.

standard Magic Stones and 2 High Level Magic Stones. Combined with his own reserves, it was enough to cover his daily expenses for a long time.

Most of the miscellaneous Demonization Materials were of average quality and reeked of blood, a clear sign of their dubious origins.

A few items among them caught his eye: three vials of fresh blood from a "Rotting Swamp Porcupinefish," a small jar containing the Poison Gland of a "Golden Arrow Frog," and a few "Weeping Blood Vine" rhizomes of a peculiar texture.

He also found some Healing Potions and Antidote Elixirs in Saqi’s bag, along with two dark-red Potions bearing the "Blood Leech" mark.

Ian carefully opened one of the vials and took a sniff. A potent, metallic smell of blood was mixed with a frenzied Life Energy.

’A "Blood Burning Potion." It greatly enhances one’s physique for a short time after consumption, but it burns away the user’s life force and has extreme side effects.’

There were also some miscellaneous items: Saqi’s jet-black Short Staff, Serra’s Poisoned Dagger, Barton’s pair of Fine Steel Gloves, the crude map of the Rotting Swamp, and the Metal Token engraved with the image of a Vampire Leech.

Ian picked up the Metal Token and examined it closely. It was cool to the touch and made of a material that was neither gold nor iron. A line of small text was carved on the back: "Under Blood Leech, Second-Rank Servant."

’Second-Rank Servant...’ Ian’s eyes turned cold.

’A High Level Apprentice like Saqi is only considered second-rank under this "Blood Leech." What kind of power would a first-rank have?’

’An Official Wizard?’

He put the Metal Token into his Ring separately. This thing was a hidden danger, but perhaps it could also be used as a bargaining chip for misdirection or a trade at some point.

Finally, there was the Leather Scroll.

Ian sat down cross-legged, spread the Scroll across his lap, and slowly permeated it with his Spiritual Power.

More details emerged.

The Spirit Contract Manual (Fragment) described three types of contracts for a Summoned Demon: an equal contract, a master-servant contract, and a symbiotic contract.

Level One Wizards usually signed master-servant contracts, but the "Cunning Method" recorded in the Scroll only allowed for the signing of the simplest equal contract... The contract’s strength was average, and its binding force over the Summoned Demon was limited.

But it had its advantages. If the Summoned Demon died, the backlash would be minimal.

’The conditions for signing...’ Ian read carefully.

The contractor’s Spiritual Power Vaporization must be over 50%, and they must possess a trait like "High Purity Spiritual Power."

After multiple rounds of Limit-Breaking, the Vaporization of Ian’s Sea of Spirit was still less than 30%, so he didn’t meet the requirement yet.

The ritual materials required three drops of the contractor’s Heart Essence Blood, at least ten high-quality Demon Cores of a matching attribute, a rare powder called ’Spirit Contract Dust’ (to stabilize the spiritual connection), and a location rich in Energy of the corresponding attribute.

The risk was that if the Summoned Demon’s intelligence was insufficient or its origin was impure, it was very easy to suffer a backlash during the signing. A light case would result in spiritual damage, while a severe case would lead to Soul contamination.

If the contractor’s Spiritual Power was insufficient, they could be eroded by the Summoned Demon’s instincts and devolve into a half-human, half-beast monster.

Ian took a deep breath. These conditions were quite harsh, especially the ’Spirit Contract Dust’ and finding a ’highly Spiritual and willing’ creature. Such things were matters of chance, not things one could actively seek out.

"A Summoned Demon..." he muttered to himself.

If he could really succeed, it would be like gaining an all-weather scout, a combat support partner, and even a decoy or substitute in a critical moment.

For a lone Wizard Apprentice, the value was immeasurable.

He was increasingly feeling that his [Eye of Vigilance] couldn’t keep up with him. If he hadn’t already broken its limit once, it would be even less useful.

This was also why very few Apprentices used this Witchcraft; it had too many weaknesses.

He committed the contents of the Scroll to memory before carefully putting it away.

As the sky grew dim, Ian organized all his spoils, got up, and headed back to the gathering point.

As he neared the tent area, he deliberately took a detour, approaching from the other side.

His tent was as he had left it, and the Warning Rune at the entrance had not been triggered.

However, he keenly noticed that the flap of Talia’s nearby tent was lifted slightly before being quickly dropped.

’She’s watching...’ Ian understood. He hadn’t shown his face all day, so it was only natural that someone observant would take notice.

He paid it no mind and went straight back to his tent.

The continuous fighting and travel had kept his mind stretched taut, and even with his current Physique, he felt a bit strained.

Ian drank a [Secondary Healing Potion] and then meditated for half an hour, recovering most of his strength.

He took out the three vials of Ancient Tree of Life Extract. The pale-gold liquid shimmered with a soft glow in the dim light, and its fresh fragrance filled the tent.

Just one small spoonful was enough to be one of the main ingredients for a [Concentration Potion].

’Starlight Vine Marrow Crystal, Moon Soul Essence, Silver Soul Grass Pollen, Calm Heart Spring Water, and Ancient Tree of Life Extract... They’re all here.’

A flicker of anticipation crossed Ian’s eyes. All five main and Auxiliary Materials were gathered. Next, he could proceed with Refining the [Concentration Potion].

In his future Cultivation, his Meditation efficiency would increase tenfold, and his progress in the High Level Apprentice Realm would speed up dramatically.

’Level One Wizard...’ Ian tapped his fingers lightly on his knee.

With his current strength, he could crush any High Level Apprentice.

But against a Level One Wizard, even the weakest one, he would be no match.

Those were beings whose Spiritual Power had completely undergone Vaporization. They had already condensed a Lifebound Witchcraft and could instantly cast Tier One Witchcraft. Their power was on a completely different level from an Apprentice’s.

’I should focus on my Cultivation first. As long as I’m strong enough, it doesn’t matter what Level One Wizard comes my way.’

He took out his Alchemy Tools and began to process the ingredients.

He used a small silver knife to slice the Starlight Vine Marrow Crystal into thin wafers. He slowly stirred the Moon Soul Essence with a Crystal Rod until it was completely clear. The Silver Soul Grass Pollen had to be sifted three times to remove impurities... Every step required extreme precision.

The night deepened. The only sounds in the tent were the soft SHUSH of the grinding mortar and the occasional drip of liquid.

Ian was completely focused, and all the sounds of the outside world gradually faded away.