Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World
Chapter 471: Soul Search 2

Chapter 471: Soul Search 2

Soul Search!

The young mage, Andy, looked solemnly at the magical formation and Master Ordennel within it.

Even as a practitioner of mental magic, he had only heard about such practices. Was he finally going to witness it today?

Beside him, Denson Plante continued to explain:

“In the world of mortals, filled with bizarre tales, and in the eyes of spellcasters from other magical factions, practitioners like us often seem mysterious. What they don’t know is that spells related to the soul are extremely dangerous, both for the recipient and the caster.”

“Some might think we can easily shatter the mental barriers of our targets, invade their minds, and effortlessly discern their thoughts and will. They even believe we can alter someone’s consciousness, turning them into subservient slaves. Hmph!”

Denson Plante said with a hint of self-mockery, “But what they don’t realize is that it’s a two-way process. When the mental barrier of the target dissipates before you, your own barrier also vanishes before them. As the sea of consciousness of the target is exposed to you, yours is equally laid bare before them.”

Denson Plante slightly tilted his head towards the youth beside him: “Andy!”

“Mr. Plante.”

Andy shifted his gaze from the magical formation back to Denson Plante.

Denson continued, “I’m sharing this with you in a way that almost seems like exposing my own weaknesses because I hope we can jointly enhance the practice of mental magic. We should not be divided by factions, especially not due to the conflicts between our mentors…”

Hearing this, a flush of excitement tinged Andy’s pale face.

“I will definitely heed your teachings.”

Andy knew that his mentor and Denson’s mentor, Master Ordennel, often clashed, particularly over who was the foremost practitioner of mental magic. Their disagreements over whether to use brain worms as a medium for casting spells or applying spells directly to a target, among other issues, were quite bitter.

Especially the title of the premier practitioner of mental magic, which directly determined a spot in the Arcane Society’s top ten-member group.

So far, or rather until now, Master Ordennel held that title and was a member of the ten-person group.

“Masters—even my mentor—hold you in high regard. You must use this advantage well and learn from the strengths of all factions… Hm? Someone’s coming.”

Denson Plante ceased his lecture and looked towards the staircase leading to the ground.

“The Priest” was carrying the limp form of Somolette down the stairs.

Denson joked with a smile, “Looks like you couldn’t pry his mouth open.”

Without a word, “The Priest” placed Somolette next to the magical formation and then left.

Denson gestured to Andy, “Come, help me.”

The two lifted Somolette and placed him in the circular area in the center of the rectangle opposite Master Ordennel.

“Though he’s still tight-lipped, he’s been mentally tormented, which is good. It’ll reduce the difficulty of the soul retrieval.”

Master Ordennel, still sitting on the ground, opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as he looked at the target placed in the formation.

“Master,” Denson asked, “are you sure about this? A killer who has served the Dias family for many years might know many shocking secrets.”

Master Ordennel shook his head, his eyes sparkling, and said calmly, “No need to worry, I am confident.”

A thought flashed through the deepest part of Denson Plante’s mind—’Arrogant old man, I hope you don’t end up a fool, swept away by his sea of consciousness.’

His face remained impassive, skillfully masking his recent thoughts. He then bowed slightly before his mentor and led Andy back to where they had been standing outside the formation.

As he and Andy stepped away from the formation, Master Ordennel commenced his actions. He quietly recited complex and arcane words, his hands continuously shifting through various gestures.

Once resettled, Denson spoke, “What comes next is akin to a two-player card game.”

Andy, puzzled, asked, “A card game?”

“Yes, a card game. It’s not a perfect analogy, but it can explain the soul-based contest using certain elements from a card game.”

Denson explained to him, “The strands of memory in each soul are like their hand of cards, with victory depending on two factors: the number of cards and the value of each card.”

“The number of cards, which represents the volume of memory information, is easy to understand. If facing an ancient being who has lived for centuries—if such a being exists—the torrent of information gushing from their sea of consciousness would be terrifyingly vast. Faced with such a torrent, if one is not well-prepared, their mental barriers will be instantly overwhelmed.”

“However, while living beings constantly receive information, the volume of information doesn’t solely depend on the accumulation of years. This brings us to the second factor—the value of each card, which relates to various aspects, like the… let’s say, ‘explosiveness’ of certain memories to the person seeing them.”

“Uh… Mr. Plante,” Andy interjected, “are you referring to the breadth and depth of a person’s experiences?”

Denson Plante fell silent for a moment, then slowly said, “Andy, you’ve grasped the essence of it. Please forgive my imperfect analogy if it caused you any confusion.”

“No, Mr. Plante,” Andy responded, “your analogy is still helpful for my understanding.”

“Alright, let’s continue with the idea of breadth and depth of experiences.”

“Breadth and depth are relative, depending on the disparity between the caster and the recipient. What follows is based on our level of experience as the benchmark.”

“A common peasant, who might never leave his village his whole life, faces the monotony of daily meals and repetitive labor. His longest journey is likely between his home and the fields. The people he knows are similarly ignorant and isolated villagers, discussing only trivial village matters. Thus, even if he lives for decades, his experiences are shallow; his spirit and soul are impoverished. His so-called sea of consciousness is but a small puddle, hardly worth mentioning.”

“A common noble, whose domain may include several villages, occasionally deals with the governance and finances of his lands, adjudicates disputes for his people, and partakes in gatherings and hunts with nearby nobles. He has channels to learn about distant wars and shifts in the higher echelons of the state. He might have a few opportunities in his life to meet his king or join the king in battle. His experiences are broader than those of his peasants, but they are limited to this extent. His sea of consciousness is like a lake—calm, with only slight ripples.”

“An experienced adventurer, who has spent his life in adventure, seen wondrous and beautiful landscapes, found heart-racing treasures, experienced bizarre tales, faced life-threatening dangers, and perhaps carried irreconcilable hatreds. His experiences are far wider and deeper than the previous two. His sea of consciousness is like a wide, winding river—broad and turbulent.”

At this point, Denson Plante’s expressionless face turned serious.

“Alright, of the three examples above, although their experiences vary in depth, I assume they fall short of our benchmark. With careful preparation, we can still handle them. But the next two levels of individuals I’m going to discuss, their seas of consciousness would be fatal for you and me.”