Chapter 293: Soul Inheritance
"Of course, I am very willing!!"
I didn't hide my desire for power, and replied excitedly in a loud voice, believing that no one would hesitate in the face of such an opportunity, unless they were an idiot.
"Good, good, good." Tal Rasha also seemed very excited, saying "good" three times in a row, but then suddenly sighed.
"It's a pity your profession isn't a Wizard, but oh well, a Druid is also half a mage, still better than a Barbarian. Child, before I teach you, let me ask a few questions. Have you heard of Soul Magic?"
"I've heard of it. It is said to be magic created by the Horadrim. Unfortunately, after the Horadrim disappeared, the information on Soul Magic also vanished. Fara, the Guild Master of the Magic Guild in Rogue Encampment, once researched this magic, and I learned about it from him."
"Mmm, you are right, Soul Magic was indeed pioneered by my Horadrim. So, can you tell me your understanding of Soul Magic?"
"It should be magic that affects the soul, for example, soothing, interfering with, striking, or even controlling, annihilating, etc., the soul."
I answered hesitantly. Undoubtedly, if that were the case, Soul Magic would definitely be a terrifying existence, bypassing physical defense, ignoring Magic Resistance, and directly attacking the most fragile soul. Just imagining this sent a chill down my spine.
"Wrong, that's not it, at least the Soul Magic of the Horadrim isn't like that." Unexpectedly, Tal Rasha shook his head and denied it outright.
"It seems the world has a great misunderstanding about our Soul Magic, but it's understandable, because our Soul Magic has never been displayed in front of outsiders, or perhaps, it should be said that it cannot be displayed to outsiders."
I stared at Tal Rasha with wide eyes, waiting for his answer.
"Because our clan's Soul Magic is not as terrifying as you described. It has no attack ability at all, it acts on oneself rather than outsiders. Therefore, rather than calling it a type of magic, it would be more appropriate to call it an ability—the ability to explore one's own soul."
"I still don't quite understand." I scratched my head and said sheepishly.
"Eh! It seems magic has truly declined."
Seeing my puzzled and embarrassed look, Tal Rasha sighed deeply. Even with my thick skin, I couldn't help but blush—it wasn't that magic had declined, it was that my foundation was weak.
"This has to start from analyzing the soul. Why is it that when we adventurers reach a certain level, we can learn magic? Where does magic come from, and what is its principle? For a long time, those great mages were contemplating these questions. In the end, they finally understood that all of this was actually God's method.
God created rules and directly imprinted the magic array into people's souls. The so-called profession change ritual is actually in part a ritual to engrave the magic array into the soul. When adventurers reach a certain level, the corresponding magic array will be activated. As long as mana is consumed, the magic array in the soul can operate, and then create the corresponding magic. Speaking of which, the creator of the Horadric Cube was actually inspired by this principle and finally created the Horadric Cube—engraving alchemy formulas into the cube. As long as the corresponding materials are added, the cube can combine them into the corresponding items. In principle, the two are the same."
I suddenly understood. That is to say, if the human body is compared to a computer, then the soul is the operating system, the engraved magic array is the running software, and mana is the power source. As long as there is power, various commands can be used to make the software achieve corresponding functions. The principle is that simple.
Seeing that I showed a look of realization, a trace of satisfaction flashed in Tal Rasha's eyes.
"So, the Soul Magic of our Horadrim is actually the exploration of one's own soul. Through this exploration, we can more genuinely understand the principle and formation process of magic, making it easier to optimize and modify it, or even create completely new magic. Soul Magic is a shortcut for mages to become stronger, it is the secret of our Horadrim's power. As for the Soul Magic you mentioned..."
Tal Rasha shook his head and looked at me seriously: "It's better for that Magic Guild Master to give up researching it. The soul is God's forbidden zone. Allowing us to explore on our own is already the maximum limit. If he wants to research further into soul magic directed at others, it's not impossible, if he considers himself to have the power to rival God."
My heart tightened. It seems that next time I return to Rogue Encampment, I must have a good talk with Fara and convince him to abandon the idea. The power to rival God? Even if we take a step back, even if he could truly attain that power, Soul Magic would then become insignificant.
"Lord Tal Rasha, are you planning to teach me Soul Magic?"
"That's right. Originally, Soul Magic was a secret of our Horadrim, never taught to outsiders, but now there's no other way."
"Why isn't it taught to outsiders? It's understandable during peacetime, but at this time, wouldn't it be better to have more strength?" I muttered discontentedly, feeling puzzled by the Horadrim's behavior of being unwilling to share.
"Alas, it's not entirely as you imagine. Because the way of teaching Soul Magic is somewhat special. It must undergo a method of soul transmission, where the teacher directly infuses the student's soul. Each transmission causes great damage to the soul of the one who transmits. Generally speaking, each person can only transmit once, and even outstanding individuals no more than two or three times. Therefore, even clan members who are a bit less talented cannot receive the transmission, much less outsiders."
Tal Rasha's explanation immediately dispelled the doubts and dissatisfaction in my heart. It seems I was judging others by my own narrow-mindedness.
After explaining some related matters, Tal Rasha's face became serious.
"Child, are you ready?"
"Yes, I'm ready to start anytime."
I sat down as Tal Rasha instructed, closed my eyes, and slowly relaxed my mind.
Thin streams of warm energy began to drill in from all parts of my body, then slowly converged into the depths of my consciousness. Containing a vast amount of information, they flooded into my brain all at once. Unable to withstand such a surge of energy, my mind went blank with a loud bang. Everything went black, and I passed out.
"Uh...!!"
The first reaction after waking up was to hold my splitting head. Damn, what the hell kind of ritual is this? If I had been a little weaker, I would have been finished, wouldn't I?
When I looked up and saw Tal Rasha, I was shocked. Tal Rasha, who had just looked exactly like a human, now only a faint outline remained. His body was like thin mist that could be dispersed with a single breath. Presumably, it was because the transmission ritual consumed most of his energy. My belly full of complaints instantly turned into guilt.
"Child, don't worry, this is just a wisp of my consciousness." Seeing that I revealed a look of guilt on my face, Tal Rasha said with a smile. Not only his body, but even his voice had an ethereal feel.
"Quiet your mind and thoroughly experience the effects of Soul Magic."
As he said this, Tal Rasha breathed a light sigh of relief in his heart. This transmission ritual was incredibly risky. Even he didn't expect that transmitting to non-wizard professions would actually be much more difficult (it's actually because a certain person is quite special). The energy was almost insufficient, but fortunately, it was finally completed at the last moment.
At the same time that Tal Rasha breathed a sigh of relief, I, who had entered a state of meditation, was feeling tremendous changes.
Within the space of my consciousness, I was situated in a void. In front was a swirling ball of light. This ball of light seemed to be connected in some way to me. I could even feel this giant ball of light was pulsating in sync with my heart. With a thought, before I figured out what was going on, I was inexplicably sucked into this ball of light, filled with inexplicable horror, and merged into it. In an instant, I saw something unbelievable—a ball of light made up of countless points of light. Each point of light represented a piece of information, or a sentence, or an image. Each piece of information was so familiar, even unforgettable.
At this moment, I suddenly understood in my heart. This ball of light was probably my soul.
After who knows how long, I opened my eyes and slowly exhaled. I saw with my own eyes many memories that were buried deep within my heart. Some things I had thought were already blurred and forgotten were also recalled. At this moment, I was deeply moved, and my heart was restless.
"It's amazing..."
I truly didn't know how to describe that feeling, I could only exclaim from the bottom of my heart.
"When I just received the transmission, it was about the same as you. The ancestor who invented Soul Magic was truly the greatest mage." At this time, Tal Rasha, an existence as powerful as a god in the eyes of many people, his eyes were also filled with longing.
"Child, I have already transmitted Soul Magic to you. I hope you can make good use of it to cultivate yourself, and don't disappoint my expectations of you."
"Thank you, Lord Tal Rasha, I will definitely strive and will absolutely not disappoint you."
I gave a deep bow to Tal Rasha. Having accepted Tal Rasha's transmission, I can probably be considered his half-disciple. The value of Soul Magic is not inferior at all to a bugged amulet.
"Good, very good." Tal Rasha's beard was trembling with excitement, and his old eyes couldn't help but be clouded with a film of tears. His body became more and more faint, and even the outline became blurry.
"Soul Magic is the only key to unlock the Horadric Cube. With it, you will be able to operate the cube. Alright, child, My remaining time is not much. These are some magic insights I've gained from research throughout these years. Take them." As he said this, several thick scrolls flew out from the stone coffin and floated into my hand.
"Without my power supporting it, this chamber will soon collapse. Take these scrolls with you, child. I'll be waiting for your arrival in the Third World." Having finished speaking, without waiting for me to express anything, he smiled slightly, and his figure suddenly turned into countless points of light, gradually dissipated into the air, only I was left, stunned, holding a large pile of scrolls.
The instant Tal Rasha disappeared, the chamber started shaking violently. A large amount of dust fell from the ceiling, and the hard stone floor also began to crack open with cracks. I jolted and came to my senses. Remembering the words he had just spoken, I hurriedly put away the precious scrolls I held and rushed out before the chamber collapsed.