South Tivian, Bishop Square.
Bishop Square on New Year's Eve was once thrown into chaos due to the sudden incident, but fortunately, thanks to the timely response of the officials on site under Adele's influence, the chaos did not further expand and was quickly controlled and suppressed.
All the ordinary citizens in Bishop Square had been evacuated, and the injured were sent to emergency medical points for treatment. The ordinary guards who were originally on the periphery rushing into Blue Weave Street No. 1 were shocked when they saw the dead Duke and the Princess receiving treatment. Everyone was stunned by the messy and bloody scene before them.
Facing these ordinary guards, Vanya, a Sister of the Church, immediately issued instructions for them to check the vital signs of all personnel on site and report the locations of the seriously injured, and these guards quickly complied.
Since almost all of the Duke's and Princess's Extraordinary attendants and high-level bodyguards around them were wiped out, Vanya, as a Black Rank Extraordinary from the Church and the person in charge of the emergency medical point, had now become the highest commander on the official level at the scene. Vanya, also under Dorothy's suggestion, coordinated all the remaining official forces on site, maintaining order and treating the injured while also urgently contacting the An Yin Bureau and the Church to report the situation. Soon, large forces from both sides would arrive here to take over this extremely serious assassination case.
The front page of Tivian's... and even the entire Prit's first newspaper of the New Year, the sight can already be foreseen.
Just as the official forces in Bishop Square were exceptionally busy under Vanya's direction, on the periphery of Bishop Square, in a small alley across the street from Lan Zhi Street, Dorothy's Corpse Puppet Brandon, Kapak, and Naifnis were gathered together, attempting to summon the recently deceased soul of Duke Barret.
Given that Duke Barret was mysteriously assassinated, Dorothy planned to use a soul summoning ritual to call Barret's soul and question him face-to-face, but due to insufficient mediums, the summoning ritual could not be implemented for the time being. In this situation, Kapak decided to consult his Teacher.
In the dark alley, Kapak took out the pipe his Teacher had given him before he left. After lighting it with a match, he took a deep puff, then exhaled a puff of smoke. The white smoke spread out in the air, then condensed into the head of a blurry-faced old man wearing an eagle feather crown. This old man, composed purely of smoke, looked around before turning to Kapak.
"Kapak, how are Sado and the others doing now?" Using the smoke form aggregated from a split soul, Uta said to Kapak in Spirit Seal Language, his tone carrying a hint of obvious anxiety. At the critical moment of persuasion on the rooftop, his smoke avatar was dispersed, so he did not know what the situation was like after that.
To wait for Kapak's result, Uta also sat alone by the tent's bonfire, waiting for Kapak's next contact, so as soon as the contact arrived, he immediately asked about the persuasion situation.
"Please rest assured, Teacher Uta, I have resolved the matter with Sado. Everyone except Sado listened to the advice and chose to put down their weapons and come back with me."
Kapak said this to Uta. Hearing Kapak's response, Uta's expression relaxed slightly. He spoke with a relieved look.
"It's good that the persuasion was successful, it's really good. Things have finally been salvaged... By the way, you said Sado didn't listen to the advice, how is he now? Is he still alive?"
"He's still alive. Since Sado was not cooperative, I took some coercive measures," Kapak continued to respond to Uta. Uta nodded understandingly after hearing this, then slowly spoke.
"Hmm... It's best if no one died, Kapak. Since the matter over there is settled, come back quickly. With so many people over there, who knows what other changes might happen over time."
"Yes, Teacher, I will bring the people back as soon as possible..." Kapak said, then he looked at Brandon and Naifnis beside him before continuing to speak to Uta.
"By the way, Teacher Uta... My actions here were thanks to the help of my friends here. It was thanks to their help that I was able to find Sado and the others so smoothly and persuade them to come back. However, my friends here have also encountered a little trouble. They want to summon a soul, but the informational medium only knows the name. In this situation, can the soul be summoned?"
Kapak continued to speak to Uta. When Uta heard the word "friends," he glanced at Brandon and Naifnis again, his expression revealing a hint of serious observation and scrutiny. He also knew that the "friends" Kapak mentioned referred to the other followers of Aka here in Tivian.
"The informational medium is only the name? Hmm... Then what about the physical medium?"
Stroking his beard, the smoke-condensed Uta asked Kapak, and Kapak immediately responded.
"In terms of the physical medium, we have the recently deceased blood of the spirit to be summoned, which is an excellent medium, Teacher," Kapak continued to respectfully say to Uta. Uta pondered for a moment after hearing Kapak's words, then slowly spoke.
"Recently deceased blood, this physical medium is not bad, but if the informational medium is only the name, it's still a bit too thin. However, it's not impossible to summon. As long as the quality of the ritual host itself is high enough, it's not impossible to summon."
Uta said this, and after hearing his words, Kapak's eyes lit up.
"If the ritual host's quality is high enough, can the soul be summoned even if the informational medium is only the name? Then, Teacher Uta, how is my quality?"
Kapak patted his chest and asked Uta, while Uta rolled his eyes and spoke.
"You are just an Apprentice who is not yet a formal Shaman, how could you have such quality? This kind of soul summoning with missing mediums, let alone you, even a formal Shaman cannot do it. If it were me, I could try."
"Shamans are naturally the most focused on the path of communicating with spirits. Soul summoning and mediumship are not just rituals for us Shamans, but also the power granted by the path itself. Our ability to communicate with the spirits is inherently stronger than other spirit controllers. My status as a Great Shaman can compensate for the deficiencies in the mediums."
Uta said this. Listening to his words through Brandon, Dorothy could roughly judge that this kind of soul summoning with missing mediums probably couldn't be done by Apprentices or Black Earth's "Silence" Extraordinaries; it would require at least Chalk or above. And Kapak's Teacher Uta was at least a Chalk Rank Extraordinary.
"It requires a Shaman like Teacher Uta... Is it really that difficult?" Hearing Uta's words, Kapak said in astonishment. If summoning a soul with missing mediums required a Shaman of Uta's level, then it was completely impossible for them at the moment.
"Mr. Uta, may I ask if there is any other way to perform a soul summoning with missing mediums? We probably won't be able to find a Great Shaman like you anytime soon."
Frowning, Dorothy controlled Brandon and also spoke to Uta in Spirit Seal Language. Uta and Kapak were first surprised after hearing Brandon's fluent Spirit Seal Language, then Uta looked at Brandon again before continuing to speak.
"I'm afraid not, Kapak's friend. Without a powerful medium, the complete integrity of the physical and informational mediums is essential. You helped Wooden Hoof break free from his bonds, and now you have helped the tribe persuade the lost ones to return. In return, I would also like to help you with soul summoning, but unfortunately, my main body is separated from you by a vast ocean, and I am willing but unable to help."
"If you truly want to summon that soul, you can have Kapak bring the physical medium when he returns, and I will try to hold the ritual to summon the soul for you."
Looking at Brandon, the smoke-constructed Uta said quite solemnly. After hearing Uta's words, Dorothy couldn't help but feel a sense of difficulty.
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'Bringing the medium over to perform the soul summoning... it's at least a ten-day voyage for Tivian to go to the New World by ship. It would take Kapak three to five days to return to his tribe from the port. That adds up to almost half a month. Barret probably has already returned to the great soul by then.'
Dorothy thought this in her heart. The An Yin Bureau would definitely use soul summoning when investigating Barret's case later. They have richer information on Barret's various mediums than she does, so they will definitely be able to summon him. If they succeed, she doesn't know if she will be able to summon him.
Sitting on the street side in the dark night, Dorothy stroked her chin and pondered, thinking about how to quickly summon Barret's soul before the An Yin Bureau.
While thinking, Dorothy also had Brandon scan the scene in the alley. After a while, she had an idea, and then controlled Brandon to continue asking Uta.
"By the way, Captain Uta, I want to ask what state you are currently in before me? I seem to have heard you say before that you, who are using smoke mimicry now, are a wisp of split soul? Is this pipe the repository for a part of your soul?"
"Hehe, you are right. What is before you is a split soul connected to my main body. My identity is special, and I cannot follow Kapak to your side casually. In order to persuade Sado and them to return, I gave Kapak the spiritual object I made before, which is this pipe."
"This kind of spiritual object is made using the Shaman's secret method. This secret method transforms my most familiar personal item into a part of my body. Then, a wisp of split soul is separated and transformed into a departed soul, and then it is lodged inside. After that, I can have a departed soul clone that I can command. The Great Shaman often sends such split souls when communicating at gatherings. I gave the spiritual object to Kapak so that I could talk to Sado and them personally, otherwise Kapak alone would not be able to persuade them back."
Uta, in the form of smoke, said to Brandon. After hearing that Uta's current state was indeed a wisp of split soul connected to his main body, Dorothy couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement in her heart, and then continued to speak through Brandon.
"Then, Captain Uta, may I ask if this split soul of yours can possess others?"
"Possess? Hmm... What I am attached to on this pipe is just a small wisp of split soul. As a split soul, it is impossible to possess and manipulate others like a complete soul. This soul clone is not meant to possess and manipulate others."
Uta thought for a moment before responding to Brandon, and Dorothy had Brandon continue to speak.
"No, you don't need to actively manipulate anyone. All I need is for you to be able to possess a person."
"Just being able to possess a person... Hmm... As long as it's not for too long, this can be done. But what is the meaning of just possessing someone? This split soul of mine possessing someone else cannot give them the ability to summon souls."
Uta said to Brandon with a confused expression, while Brandon, under Dorothy's control, smiled and spoke.
"Of course there is meaning. You may not know yet, but on our side, there is a type of Extraordinary called a Soul Appender." Brandon said this, and while speaking, he turned his head to look at Naifnis, who was full of confusion.
...
At this moment, in Naifnis's heart, there was nothing but confusion. In her eyes, ever since Kapak summoned that strange old man's soul with the pipe, she had been in a state of inexplicable confusion. The reason was simple: she couldn't understand a single word of the conversation between Kapak and that old man's soul.
In Naifnis's eyes, Kapak and the old man's soul, who appeared through the smoke, had been jabbering about something from the beginning, and as they talked, Brandon suddenly joined in. The foreign languages flying out of the mouths of the three of them made it impossible for Naifnis to interject. She could only stand awkwardly to the side, watching the three people in front of her constantly speaking foreign languages, completely unable to speak herself.
And at some point, while the three people in front of her were constantly speaking foreign languages, they would occasionally look at her. As they looked, they would also point at her with their hands. Brandon seemed to be introducing her to the old man's soul, and the old man's soul also cast curious glances at her.
This scene made Naifnis feel a little unnerved. If it weren't for her trust in Dorothy, she would definitely think that these three people who were speaking foreign languages and observing her were discussing whether to sell her off.
But thankfully, this didn't happen. Naifnis saw that after the three of them talked a few more sentences in a language she didn't understand, the old man's soul, which was shaped like smoke, nodded and then dispersed. Then Brandon took the pipe from Kapak and walked towards her.
"Thief Miss, please let the split soul residing in this split soul possess you next, and then use your body to exert his ability and perform the soul summoning ritual."
Saying this, Brandon handed the pipe in his hand to Naifnis, and Naifnis looked at the pipe in front of her, her mouth agape in astonishment.
"Huh..."
...
Finally, after the preparatory work was completed, the trial soul summoning ritual was about to begin.
In the alley opposite Lan Zhi Street, under the dim light, a "Silence" magic circle drawn with black coal ash was floating on the ground. In the center of the magic circle were a broken steel pen and a blood-stained cloth. Naifnis, wearing a black coat, was sitting cross-legged in front of the magic circle with her eyes closed, resting. In her hand, she held a small pipe.
Brandon and Kapak stood not far away, watching Naifnis in front of the magic circle. After waiting for a while, Naifnis slowly opened her eyes.
The moment she opened her eyes, Naifnis's entire demeanor underwent a huge change. Her pupils became cloudy, her complexion became calm and undisturbed, and she looked world-weary. The look in her eyes as she looked into the distance suddenly carried a hint of weariness and wisdom. She looked much older all of a sudden.
The moment he met Naifnis's gaze, Kapak couldn't help but take two steps back in fright. He felt that when Naifnis looked at him, it was like Uta was looking at him.
'Soul Appender... An Extraordinary of'Silence' who can accommodate spirits within themselves and perfectly match with spirits to exert stronger power? As expected, there are also people in this world who are adapting to the power of spirits in different ways...'
Kapak sighed like this in his heart. And at this moment, Naifnis, who had been possessed by Uta's split soul, had already begun the soul summoning ritual. She raised her hands and began to call out in Spirit Seal Language, which she had never learned.
"Barret Despenser, O spirit wandering on the nether path, I call upon you here..."
In front of the magic circle, Neff opened her mouth and began to call out in an ethereal voice, chanting ancient incantations, beginning to summon Barret's soul. But the call did not last long before she suddenly furrowed her brows slightly and stopped the soul summoning incantation.
Seeing this, Dorothy prepared to control Brandon to ask, but Naifnis spoke first in a serious tone.
"I am already sensing that soul, but he is being pulled by other forces besides me. Now... it seems I'm not the only one performing a soul summoning on this spirit."