Chapter 57: The Principle of Lich (Part 2)
"The spirit wood is a magical plant. After a specific magical ritual is performed, it can connect the [Netherworld Plane] and the [World Plane], transforming offerings from the [World Plane] into energy from the [Netherworld Plane]... Yes, you heard me right, I'm talking about offerings.
"Ancient priests used this spiritual wood to present offerings to the spirits and gods they worshipped." Polina handed the piece of spiritual wood to Jiang You. "The soul trapped within the lich's body is actually the same being as the spirits and gods that wander the [Netherworld]... Of course, in terms of the strength of your power, you are indeed very different from the spirits and gods, but in essence, you are indeed the same kind of... spirit-like inanimate object."
When Jiangyou took the piece of wood, she immediately felt that the wood was unusual - as a skeleton with extremely dull sense of touch and unable to feel hot or cold, she actually felt that the wood felt icy cold.
"The energy that the spiritual wood can transform is proportional to its size." Polina said, "You can divide such a large piece of spiritual wood into two parts: one part can be cut into small pieces and made into necklaces or something to wear on your body, and the other large piece can be used at home.
"This way, the smaller portion will allow you to savor the food while you cook it. But don't forget, the offerings will have their energy absorbed by the Spiritual Wood. While the offering's appearance won't change, the flavor and nutrients inside will disappear."
As a Cantonese, Jiangyou found this saying particularly familiar. She recalled the scenes of ancestor worship during festivals and suddenly understood: "Oh! The taste of offerings eaten by ghosts will change! I understand!"
"That's right! When you're tasting food, you must serve it separately, otherwise the whole pot will be ruined!" Polina's focus was clearly different from hers. "If you're cooking at home, it doesn't matter. Using a large piece of spiritual wood, you can easily transform a table full of dishes into soul energy that can be consumed by failed liches. That way, even if you don't have the souls of others to replenish you, you can still draw energy from ordinary food."
"Wow! This is so convenient!" But why does she feel like she has become a domesticated ghost~!
"Although we still have to deal with the leftovers, overall, this method is more cost-effective." Polina thought for a moment and suggested, "If you have a backyard, you could raise chickens, ducks, pigs, or something. Although sacrifices with their energy drained away may not taste good, they're perfectly suitable for feeding chickens, ducks, and pigs!"
Jiang You's eyes lit up again. "Good idea!" She then asked, "You just said that besides the spiritual wood, there are other ways?"
"Yes, but it's quite expensive," Polina said. "The best way is to reshape your body. But magic requires equal exchange, and the loss that occurs during the ritual must be deducted. For example, if you sacrifice your own body, there's a 20% chance of obtaining a finished lich body and an 80% chance of obtaining a skeleton like this. But if you sacrifice a skeleton, the most likely outcome is a broken skeleton.
"Furthermore, aside from the Alchemist using his or her own body in exchange for a magical body while still alive, all other uses of human bodies to create liches are strictly prohibited by Huntington Duchy law. If you don't want to be attacked by an entire army of knights, it's best to cross this option off your list.
"In this case, your only option is artificial prosthesis. Good news, the neighboring nation of scholars, the Rusman Federation, has made remarkable achievements in alchemy and mechanical prosthesis. They have already achieved basic perceptions of vision, smell, taste, and touch, and have complete artificial nerve bundles and heart supply systems...
"Bad news! An artificial body like that is incredibly expensive. I heard before..." Polina rested her right index finger on her chin and searched her memory for a moment. "Oh right! Now I remember, one costs about nine million gold coins!"
"How much?" Jiang You picked at the ear holes in her skull. "By the way, I'm not sure if my auditory bones are still there. Just now, I seemed to hear a strange astronomical number."
"Nine million gold coins." Polina decisively shattered Jiang You's last hope. "Honestly, I don't think you can afford such a high price... But if you really have that much money, I can also connect you with my mentor."
"Hehehe... let's talk about it later." Jiang You hugged the spiritual wood in her hand tightly, "I quite like my skeleton look! The spiritual wood is enough to solve my taste problem!"
Nine million gold coins! Are you kidding me? Is this the kind of offer a bankrupt skeleton like her, with only three silver coins and twelve copper coins on her body and still owing Holly money for her plums and the witches' advance on beer, would even consider?!
Polina had an "I knew that already" expression on her face, and she quickly let go of the topic that had damaged the poor man's self-confidence. "Then let's continue discussing the ritual of using the Spirit Wood... Actually, the ritual is very simple. You just need to leave a mark on the Spirit Wood that represents you... It's like the 'true name' and 'ritual prayer' commonly used in magic... You know these, right?"
"I know! It's a 'name' or description that has a unique direction and can be locked one-on-one with a specific target." Jiang You replied. This is the content of the first lesson in magic in this world, which is equivalent to kindergarten-level common sense. She has learned it by reading the magic book left by the owner of the house.
——In fact, after the owner of the house wrote the soul's true name incorrectly and caused 'that' magical accident, it was difficult for Takumi Yu to forget this important piece of knowledge.
"That's good," Polina nodded with satisfaction. "The ritual is simple. You need to leave your 'real name' or a 'ritual prayer' that can target you on the spirit tree. Either way, it must be directed directly at you, and only at you! Believe me, you don't want some entity floating in the [Netherworld] to inexplicably accept your offerings and feed you...
"Of course, I personally don't recommend leaving your True Soul Name on the Spiritual Wood... It's a symbol that needs to be carefully protected. If it's lost or falls into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, they could do anything to you," Polina emphasized. "Very horrible, bloody, evil things... So, I think using the 'Ritual Prayer' is more appropriate."
"I understand." Jiang You said, "I need to think of a 'ritual prayer' that is only directed at me."
"That's right."
It was like creating a phone number out of thin air that would only call Jiang You... Jiang You scratched his skull, looked at the thick, heavy, black piece of spiritual wood, and suddenly had an idea.
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