The torrent of knowledge continues to flow in, constructing a complete and grand necromancy framework in his mind.
The names of those skills shimmer in his consciousness like stars, each exuding a tempting allure that quickens the heartbeat.
Barnabas portrays the might that these skills can achieve with elegant prose:
[Death Perception] — able to sense signs of a life’s demise, predict the time of death, even hear the footsteps of the Grim Reaper;
[Corpse Preservation Technique] — through special embalming techniques and energy infusion, maintain the deceased’s body in a lifelike state for decades without decay;
[Memory Residual Extraction] — extract the last memory fragments from the deceased’s brain, recreating the moments before death;
[Soul Anchoring] — forcibly fix a dissipating soul onto a material vessel, achieving limited "resurrection";
[Negative Energy Conversion] — transform negative emotions such as death, fear, despair into a usable source of magic power;
[Spiritual Communication] — communicate with targets whose souls have not completely dissipated;
[Life Ferrying] — under specific conditions, transfer the remaining lifespan of one creature to another;
[Dead Zone Construction] — create a temporary "zone of death," greatly enhancing the power of necromantic magic within...
Each skill is accompanied by detailed theoretical explanations and application prospects.
However, when Ron tries to delve into the specifics of any skill’s implementation method, the flow of knowledge abruptly stops.
Those enticing theoretical explanations vanish like mirages, leaving only a blank hunger.
It’s as if someone presented you with a cart full of sumptuous food.
Letting you smell each dish’s aroma, but suddenly pushing the cart away when you’re about to enjoy them.
This feeling is more unbearable than complete ignorance.
Ron immediately understood Sheena’s exquisite calculation.
"This woman’s cunning is deeper than I imagined."
He calmly analyzed the ingenious aspects of this setup in his mind:
"She didn’t choose direct coercion or inducement, nor did she use a crude form of spiritual control, but rather aroused a target’s inner desire through the allure of knowledge."
"This isn’t a gift, but an irresistible ’bait’. She shows me the endless charm and broad prospects of necromancy, yet hides the key to the treasury, forcing me to actively take the hook and engage in deeper ’cooperation’ with her."
This strategy is indeed clever, as it exploits a wizard’s fundamental weakness—the infinite quest for knowledge.
Any true seeker, upon witnessing such a profound theoretical system, would find it hard to suppress the impulse to explore.
Especially in the field of necromancy, which is officially banned, its rarity exponentially increases its allure.
Sheena clearly has a keen insight into human nature, knowing precisely how to target a person’s psychological weaknesses.
But she calculated everything, except that Ron possesses the "Extraordinary Comprehensive Guide".
"These knowledges, though tempting, are not irreplaceable."
Ron sneers with a touch of mockery on his face:
"When I am strong enough, or meet certain reading conditions, I can naturally find a safer and more complete version in the "Extraordinary Comprehensive Guide". There’s no need for me to collude with a mad organization for this."
The Chapters on necromancy in the "Extraordinary Comprehensive Guide" are sealed only because his current authority is insufficient.
In contrast, Sheena’s "bait" is not only incomplete but may hide various traps and backdoors.
The superiority between the two is clear.
.........
Just as Ron thought the harvest from this encounter was limited to "broadening his horizons", the silver pocket watch suddenly sent a gentle energy feedback.
This feeling is akin to a hungry stomach digesting nutrient-rich food, sending signals of satisfaction to the brain.
The pocket watch, after deeply "digesting" the essence of the book, began to feed back the purest knowledge crystallization to its host.
[Ding—high-value knowledge carrier digestion complete]
[Skill acquired: Spirit Realm Perception (Entry-level)]
[Description:
This is the most basic and core entry-level skill in the necromancy system.
This skill is a necessary prerequisite for all necromantic arts.]
A detailed segment of information automatically unfolded in Ron’s mind, as if a knowledgeable master was giving a patient lecture:
"The Spirit Realm is not a specific geographical place, but a spiritual dimension coexisting and overlapping with the Main Material Realm.
It’s composed of pure spiritual energy, soul resonances, memory fragments, and emotional fluctuations, a strange domain governed by laws entirely different from the physical world."
"If the Material Realm is like a vivid painting, then the Spirit Realm is a distorted mirror reflecting that painting.
It mirrors everything in the material world but presents them in an abstract and symbolic manner."
Ron’s consciousness began to visualize the Spirit Realm’s specific image:
It’s a world filled with flowing light, where all objects have lost their fixed shapes, turning into abstract patterns composed of light and colors.
Buildings became geometric energy structures, creatures transformed into pulsating light clusters, while emotions and memories floated in the air in various peculiar colors.
Everywhere in the Spirit Realm were semi-transparent "echoes".
These were soul seals left by the deceased and energy residuals from intense emotional events.
Some echoes are vivid and clear, representing recent events;
while others are dim and blurred, indicating that they have existed for a long time.