Boom!
A heavy impact exploded against the chestplate of the Flame Archangel.
The towering figure was forced back several meters, stumbling in midair before its flaming wings flared wide, stabilizing its posture.
Lyle narrowed his eyes at the angel's chest. Aside from a minor dent in the armor, the creature appeared virtually unharmed.
"Damn, that's some top-tier tanking. Outshines other summons in raw defense alone."
He grinned in admiration.
Among the three advanced summon categories—Angels, Demons, and Undead—each had a unique advantage compared to standard magical creatures of the same tier.
Angels boasted exceptional physical resistance.
Demons had stronger magical resistance.
Undead? Well, they swarmed in sheer numbers.
And at higher levels, all three could unlock special abilities that made them even more troublesome to deal with.
"Alright then," Lyle muttered, raising his iron sword with a flash of cold determination in his eyes. "Let's see what's hiding under that armor of yours."
In a blur of motion, he lunged forward.
Whoosh!
The Flame Archangel hastily swung its sword, a blade of pure flame slashing toward him.
But Lyle was faster.
Quick Slash!
A streak of silvery-blue light flashed through the air.
The archangel's chestplate screamed in protest as it was struck—sparks erupted wildly with each blow.
CRACK!
The once-imposing silver armor split open under the relentless barrage. The massive angel lost control and began to plummet.
Fortunately, Lyle was ready. He grabbed one of its wings mid-fall and yanked upward, halting its descent before it could crash into the ground.
He exhaled sharply. "Whew… That would've left a hole in the floor. Good thing 'Silence' only muffles sound, not the impact."
Peering into the sundered armor, Lyle's expression shifted.
"Nothing inside, huh?"
The hollow interior glowed faintly white—no organs, no core, just a vessel of light.
Boom—
The archangel's body began to tremble, disintegrating into shimmering motes of light.
"Solid performance, though."
He glanced at his status panel. His EXP bar hadn't budged.
"Summoned creatures don't grant experience. Bummer."
Compared to a warrior of the same level, the Flame Archangel was lacking in attack diversity and speed, but its physical resilience and aerial mobility made it a fantastic unit for stalling opponents.
Lyle turned toward the desk and the stack of white parchment resting atop it, his lips curling into a satisfied smile.
"With enough of them, even a top-ranked warrior could be worn down to death."
He recalled an episode from an anime back on Earth—the Slane Theocracy had once dispatched one of its six elite members, the Sunlight Scripture, to assassinate Warrior Captain Gazef.
If it weren't for Ainz Ooal Gown's unexpected intervention, the Flame Archangels alone might've been enough to bring Gazef down—without the captain of the Sunlight Scripture even lifting a finger.
And all it had cost them was some mana.
Lyle walked back to the table and picked up a sheet of second-tier parchment.
"I forgot to ask whether second-tier scrolls absolutely need parchment made from sheepskin."
"Guess I'll find out."
He placed both hands over the paper and silently chanted:
"Scroll Creation!"
Whirr—
The papers rustled unnaturally, even though there was no wind. Dozens of sheets glided toward the center of the table, merging together.
In the span of a single breath—
A pristine white magic scroll appeared in Lyle's palm.
"Huh? That was… easy."
He blinked in surprise.
Crafting alchemical potions or healing salves usually involved all sorts of unpredictable hiccups. But this?
Smooth as butter.
Something felt off about how effortlessly it came together.
He scrutinized the scroll's color.
"Pure white. Different from the beige scrolls the Mage Guild sells, which are mixed with sheepskin."
He glanced back at the table—he'd started with 1,400 sheets of tier-two paper. Now there were only 1,380.
"So it consumed 20 sheets."
He remembered the Mage Guild's formula: 1 sheepskin + 10 sheets of tier-two parchment per scroll.
"Then the sheepskin isn't just for stabilizing the magic—it's to cut down on the more expensive paper usage."
His brow arched.
Sheepskin was significantly cheaper than mana-infused paper.
"Next step… injecting the magic."
Lyle's eyes sharpened.
He held the scroll flat and pressed his finger to its center.
According to Master Bellory's method, this was the stage where you needed precise magical control and deep familiarity with the spell being sealed.
Of course, most native casters in this world learned and internalized magic through study, practice, and experience.
Lyle? He just spent skill points.
Which meant he had almost zero understanding of how the spells actually worked.
He was keenly aware of this shortfall.
But he'd noticed something interesting during his time studying Master Bellory's techniques—the process of infusing magic into scrolls was strikingly similar to the passive skill from his Magic Swordsman class:
"Mana Infusion."
Back in the Forest of Tob, that skill had helped him successfully craft alchemical solutions.
Now, maybe it could help him here too.
"This will either work, or blow up in my face."
He pressed his finger firmly against the scroll.
"Mana Infusion!"
Boom!
The scroll trembled violently as a blue glow surged across its surface. Mana spiraled inward, creating a powerful suction force.
Lyle flinched instinctively.
He'd seen scrolls explode before during crafting failures at the Magician's Guild. The memory stuck with him.
But this time, the scroll settled down after a single shudder. No explosion.
He exhaled in relief.
Suppressing distractions, Lyle channeled the second-tier spell "Summon Angel" into the scroll.
One second…
Two…
Five…
Ten…
If Master Bellory's craftsmanship could be described as elegant and fluid, Lyle's version was pure brute force.
Whoosh!
The scroll shimmered again. The blue aura quickly receded, and the scroll rolled itself up with a neat snap, resting quietly on the desk.
"Did it work?"
Lyle blinked, then immediately cast:
"Item Appraisal!"
[Item: Magic Tool · Crafted Scroll]
Tier: Second
Description: Contains the spell "Summon Angel"
______
"It worked!"
Lyle laughed out loud in delight, and instinctively reached down to ruffle the ears of the little Barghest curled up beside him.
Then, his eyes narrowed with anticipation.
"I thought the opportunity had passed me by… but now…"
With this success, a new possibility emerged.
He knew something most others didn't—that in E-Rantel, there existed a magic artifact of incredible value: a Level 40+ high-tier item, nearly reaching maximum classification.
It was the most powerful artifact he could realistically acquire in the early game.
Originally, Lyle planned to wait until he had unlocked the Cursed Knight class and returned from the Baharuth Empire before making a move.
But now—
With his scroll crafting capability unlocked—
The success rate had drastically improved.
The risk was still high…
But now?
It was a gamble worth considering.