Chapter 522: Right Proportions
Zero didn't have many souls to work with and every single soul was a precious resource. Wii and Lily were as nervous as Zero but they tried not to let it show it in case it affected Zero mentally.
The doctor did his best to find the right balance between qi and mana. If qi was for the soul and mana for the body, Zero would have to be very careful about maturing the body and tying the soul into it before it starts accepting other scheduled souls.
The idea was fairly simple but it was harder than it sounded. Zero borrowed the concept of soul binding spells from necromancy. That was going to be the first step. He had to maintain that connection constantly between the future vessel and the trapped soul while supplying both qi and mana to stabilise both parts.
The second step was trickier. After tearing apart the revival magic spell and breaking the concept down, Zero figured that the reason why revival magic could only be used shortly after death is due to the existing connection between vessel and soul. Once that connection is severed, revival magic wouldn't be effective and there is a very good reason for that. After reading Sylvia's soul research and alchemy discovery about suitable vessels, Zero understood how souls and bodies attached to each other.
Once a soul is assigned to a vessel or body, it starts to take root in that body by creating a unique life pulse that can be identified through mana of qi. It was similar to how DNA was completely unique to every individual. However, unlike DNA, this unique life energy signature cannot be cloned. Zero did further research into life forms that do not possess mana and qi to understand deeper how a soul can attach itself to a weaker vessel that doesn't have enough intelligence or understanding to create mana or chakra channels.
Surprisingly, Zero found that while chakra and meridian channels may not be formed in every living organism, life energy was still present somehow. It could be commonly found in blood or water. In fact, small amounts of life energy are breathed out into the atmosphere as mana of qi for those who do not train to control it. This finding explained why those who cultivated or practised magic have a longer lifespan than those who don't. It is even said that reaching a higher proficiency in cultivation or magic would make one a half-immortal. An example would be a lich. When a necromancer turns into a lich, they abandon the weak flesh of their body and start feeding off the life energy of others and their surroundings to fuel their soul in their host's body that can be regenerated with mana indefinitely.
"Are you ready?" he asked his soul operation assistants. The trick to shoving a soul into a new body was timing and control.
Wii and Lily nodded. The plan was simple. All they had to do was monitor the growth levels of both soul and vessel separately and inform Zero when they show signs of exploding. Zero was going to overcharge them with mana and qi to the point of bursting but not enough to destroy them completely. In doing so, he intends to trigger the self-preservation instincts of soul and body to hold tighter onto that artificial soul bond connection with the necromancy spell. After they grab onto each other willingly, Zero will slowly release the soul binding spell and ease up so that the soul and body can fuse without rejection.
In theory, this should work. In reality, nothing is confirmed until he tries it.
"Let's begin," he told them and started to regulate his output of mana and qi. The mana lotus plants were sturdier than the fragile souls and Zero increased his mana output drastically while keeping the qi output on the minimal side. He didn't want to shatter the souls.
"More qi needed," Wii informed him.
"Too much mana!" Lily screamed when the flower shuddered in the pot.
Zero reduced his mana output and watched the qi while the soul binding spell wavered due to his split concentration. This would be a lot easier with a clone or something. Alas, he was too busy maintaining two clones in Half Moon Village and his reserves cannot handle making more clones for labour-intensive efforts like this.
"How much more?" he asked Wii who shook her head.
"More, master. This soul won't explode with this qi, it keeps taking what you give as nourishment."
"Too much! The flower is withering!" Lily cried and tried to contain Zero's mana by diverting it out. These flowers were more fragile than she thought they would be.
Zero did his best to keep the output steady and he wasn't even close to succeeding when the soul binding spell snapped. The backlash Zero suffered from a forceful contract spell's destruction made him lose control of his mana. The mana lotus he was trying to forcefully feed exploded and the fairies screamed.
Zero didn't have time to worry about the injuries he sustained. At once he tried to get to his feet. "What about the soul?!"
Wii was the first to recover and looked over at the glowing soul in the soul containment array.
"Still here," she groaned. The exploding mana lotus caused a huge mess and also smacked right into them earlier when it burst into thousands of plant bits. Thankfully, they weren't too badly hurt.
Zero sighed in relief and examined the soul's condition. It seemed to be undergoing some sort of transformation with that pulsing glow but Zero couldn't investigate it now. He looked over to his pitiful and slightly traumatised assistants and healed them before sitting down to heal himself.
The damage from that loss of control made Zero reconsider his plan. He couldn't do this alone, it was too difficult. If only there were powerful magicians capable of feeling the tug of war effect from vessel and soul while holding onto the soul binding spell...
"I can't do this alone," Zero groaned after a few more failed attempts. The backlash of the soul binding spell had destroyed several mana lotuses and thankfully, all his souls were still around.
"Why don't you ask Jynx for help?" Wii suggested and Zero thought over it.
"Can I ask her for help? She might be a necromancer but she is a banshee. Her mana is limited."
Lily pulled out some of Zero's expensive mana potions from his inventory and Zero grinned. Perfect!
"I like how you think," he praised them and checked the time. Barely fifteen minutes passed on Earth even if they spent several hours in the mindscape. Yes, he still had a chance to make this work.
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