Chapter 482

Chapter 369: Summoning the Soul

South Tivyán, Bishop Square.

On New Year’s Eve, Bishop Square fell into chaos due to an unexpected incident. However, thanks to the timely intervention of the officials under Adèle’s influence, this chaos was quickly contained and controlled.

All ordinary citizens in Bishop Square have been evacuated. The injured were sent to emergency medical points for treatment. Those ordinary guards originally on duty outside had rushed into Blue Weave Street No. 1 in panic. Upon seeing the dead Duke Barret and the princess receiving treatment, they were all shocked and petrified by the bloody scene before them.

In response to these ordinary guards, Sister Vania from the church immediately ordered them to check the vital signs of all present individuals and report the location of those severely injured. These guards promptly followed her instructions.

Since the extraordinary bodyguards around the duke and princess were almost entirely wiped out, Sister Vania, as a black-tier extraordinary being and the head of the emergency medical point, became the highest-ranking official on-site. Under Dorothy’s suggestion, she coordinated all remaining official forces to maintain order and treat the wounded while urgently contacting the An Yin Bureau and the church to report the situation. Soon, both parties’ large forces would arrive here to take over the investigation of this extremely serious assassination case.

The front page of the first newspaper of the new year in Tivyán, and even throughout Prit, could already be foreseen.

While the official forces in Bishop Square were exceptionally busy under Sister Vania’s leadership, outside the square, in a small alley across Blue Weave Street, Dorothy’s zombie puppet Brandon was gathered with Kapak and Nephnis. They intended to summon the recently deceased Duke Barret’s soul.

Given that Duke Barret was mysteriously assassinated, Dorothy planned to use a summoning ritual to call forth Barret’s soul and question him directly. However, due to insufficient media, this summoning ritual couldn’t be carried out at the moment. In this situation, Kapak decided to consult his teacher.

In the dim alley, Kapak took out the pipe his teacher had given him before he left. After lighting it with a match, he took a deep breath and exhaled a cloud of smoke. The white smoke spread and then condensed into the shape of an elderly man’s head wearing an eagle feather crown, with an indistinct face. This elder, composed purely of smoke, surveyed his surroundings before looking at Kapak beside him.

“Kapak, how are Sado and the others?” Using the form of a soul fragment condensed into smoke, Uta spoke to Kapak in the language of spiritual seals, his voice tinged with obvious anxiety. When he was dispersing the smoke form on the rooftop, he failed to persuade Sado, so he didn’t know what happened afterward.

To wait for Kapak’s results, Uta sat alone by the fire in the tent, waiting for Kapak’s next contact. As soon as the connection arrived, he immediately asked about the persuasion.

“Please rest assured, Teacher Uta. I have resolved Sado’s situation. Everyone except Sado has complied with our advice and chosen to lay down their weapons and return with me.”

Kapak said to Uta, listening to which, Uta’s expression relaxed. He spoke with a relieved tone.

“It’s good that you succeeded. At least things are turning around… By the way, what about Sado? Is he still alive?”

“He’s still alive. Since Sado did not cooperate, I had to resort to some coercive measures,” Kapak continued to respond to Uta. Uta nodded understandingly and slowly spoke.

“Well… It’s good that no one died. Kapak, since your task there is done, come back as soon as possible. With so many people there, who knows what might happen if you stay too long.”

“Yes, Teacher. I will bring everyone back as soon as possible…” Kapak said, then looked at Brandon and Nephnis beside him before continuing to speak to Uta.

“By the way, Teacher Uta… My actions were greatly aided by my friends here. Thanks to them, I was able to find Sado and convince him to return so smoothly. But now, my friends are encountering some trouble. They want to summon a soul, but they only know the name as the medium. Can they still summon the soul under these circumstances?”

Kapak continued to tell Uta, who, upon hearing the word “friends,” glanced again at Brandon and Nephnis, revealing a serious look of observation. He knew that Kapak referred to the other followers of Akka in Tivyán.

“Do they only know the name? Hmm… What about the material medium?”

Rubbing his beard, the smoke-formed Uta asked Kapak, who responded immediately.

“We have the bl**d of the newly deceased spirit, which is an excellent medium, Teacher.” Kapak continued to respectfully tell Uta. After hearing Kapak’s words, Uta pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.

“The bl**d of the newly deceased is a good material medium, but relying solely on a name as the immaterial medium is still too thin. However, it’s not impossible. As long as the quality of the ritual performer is high enough, it can be done.”

Uta said this, and after hearing his words, Kapak’s eyes lit up.

“If the ritual performer’s quality is high enough, can they summon a soul even with just a name as the immaterial medium? Then, Teacher Uta, how is my quality?”

Kapak patted his chest and asked Uta, to which Uta replied with a roll of his eyes.

“You’re just an apprentice shaman who isn’t officially initiated. How could you possibly have such quality? Even if you were an official shaman, this kind of summoning without a medium wouldn’t be possible. If it were me, I might give it a try.

“Shamans are naturally the most focused on communicating with spirits. For us shamans, summoning souls and communicating with spirits aren’t just rituals; they are the very power bestowed upon us by the journey itself. Our innate ability to communicate with various spirits is stronger than that of other spirit controllers. As a Great Shaman, my status can compensate for the lack of a medium.

Uta said this, and by hearing his words, Dorothy could roughly judge that an apprentice like Brandon or a black-tier extraordinary being like “Silence” would likely not be able to perform this summoning ritual without a medium. At least a white chalk tier or higher would be required. And Uta, Kapak’s teacher, was at least a white chalk tier extraordinary being.

“It would take someone like you, Uta, to do this… Is it really that difficult?” Hearing Uta’s words, Kapak said in surprise. If summoning without a medium required someone like Uta, it was completely impossible for them now.

“Lord Uta, is there any other method for performing a summoning without a medium? We may not be able to find a Great Shaman like you anytime soon.”

Frowning, Dorothy controlled Brandon to speak to Uta in the language of spiritual seals. Upon hearing Brandon’s fluent spiritual seal language, Uta and Kapak were initially stunned, then Uta looked at Brandon twice more before continuing to speak.

“I’m sorry, Kapak’s friend. Without a powerful medium, a complete and intact material and immaterial medium is essential. You once helped Wood Hoof break free from its bonds and helped the tribe persuade a lost one to return. As a reward, I also want to help you with the summoning, but unfortunately, my true self is separated from you by a vast ocean. Even if I wanted to help, I would be powerless.”