Once the materials are ready, the next step is clearing the individual's consciousness.
The usual method involves casting numerous forgetting spells to wipe the recipient's memory.
However, notes left by horned basilisk mention a potion called the "low-energy potion," which can also be used.
Its formula is recorded, and this potion effectively reduces the user's mental energy to the point of making them almost like an empty she'll.
After the wizard's consciousness is removed, the next task is to prepare a nutrient potion as outlined in the [Trinity Incantation].
Making this potion isn't complicated; it requires the wizard's blood.
Once the nutrient potion is ready, the wizard's body is washed and soaked in it, then left for seven days.
During this time, the original wizard must cast a specific spell on the clone three times a day.
This spell is actually the true [Trinity Incantation], which works somewhat like a spiritual connection charm.
The nutrient potion strengthens the life bond between the clone and the original body, while the continuous casting of the spell reinforces their spiritual link.
After seven days of soaking and spellcasting, the original wizard should be able to sense the clone's presence and consciousness.
However, there's one final step to complete: the magic injection.
In simple terms, the magic injection involves infusing magical power into an avatar to restore a wizard's ability to cast spells.
The amount of magic needed depends largely on the original constitution of the avatar wizard, that is, the natural strength of the avatar's body.
The stronger the original body, the more lumen must be infused.
Once the infusion is complete, the physical avatar is considered fully formed.
However, it's important to note that this type of avatar maintains a strong spiritual or even physical connection to the original wizard, almost like a blood bond.
Because of this, the avatar will gradually start to resemble the main body, both in size and appearance.
Moreover, if the physical clone is destroyed, it can cause severe harm to the wizard's original body and spirit, with the main body actually feeling the pain as if it were being torn apart.
For this reason, once a clone is created, it must be protected at all costs.
Otherwise, instead of gaining strength, the wizard risks dragging the clone down as well.
"Having a physical avatar means sharing your magical reserves with your main body, right? This kind of magic seems perfect for someone like me who doesn't have a large lumen pool," Alex muttered thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
"But the idea of infusing my consciousness into someone else's body, it just feels a bit unsettling."
Although he found the magic intriguing, he wasn't in a rush to practice it.
He wanted to study its principles more thoroughly first, since having a physical avatar not only enhances a wizard's power but also introduces new vulnerabilities.
Instead of simply copying the technique, it made more sense to consider ways to overcome its drawbacks.
The magic also gave him a strange feeling; perhaps there was a better way to develop it, like creating clones of non-living bodies.
That might be a safer and more practical approach.
After finishing his research on the "Eastern Arcana," Alex carefully put the tome away.
Aside from [Trinity Incantation], [Earthglide], and [Aqua Glide Spell], none of the other secret techniques seemed very suitable for him without significant modification.
Once his quick review was complete, Alex instructed Shalltear to clear out the entire library, ready to continue his studies without distractions.
When Alex stepped into the hall outside, he noticed that the portraits, led by Beaumont, had completely changed their attitude toward him.
After hearing their opinions, they all expressed willingness to follow Alex.
After all, neither they nor their original owners had been harmed by horned basilisk.
By defeating horned basilisk, Alex had effectively shifted the balance in their favor, offering these portraits a chance to repay their debts.
Alex didn't have any strong feelings about this, after all, the portraits didn't consume any resources, so keeping them around was no trouble.
As he spent more time with them, Alex realized these portraits were no ordinary images.
Most of them were famous wizards from two centuries ago.
Despite being just portraits, they retained much of the knowledge and experience of their original selves.
For example, Beaumont, a pioneer of European herbal medicine in the 18th century, was well-versed in the properties and cultivation of various herbs, essentially serving as an expert herbal consultant.
This newfound insight made Alex appreciate the portraits far more than before.
After evacuating everyone from Horned Basilisk Manor, Alex acted without hesitation.
He took Shalltear and the others to the secret room where the black mirror was kept.
Then, transforming himself into the form of a Golden Snidget, he returned to the manor.
The Ashwinder, still stationed at headquarters, didn't notice anything unusual about Alex's behavior.
Using a few carefully chosen words to deceive the Ashwinder, Alex found the perfect moment to strike from behind.
The silver gun, who had been a puppet under horned basilisk's control for years, met his end with a look of confusion.
From reading Horned Basilisk's diary, Alex knew that Horned Basilisk had taught Ashwinder the Trinity Incantation and intended to keep him as a spare clone.
In other words, Ashwinder had always been considered disposable by Horned Basilisk.
Before acting, Alex
had thought about whether to keep Ashwinder as his own clone. But he found the clone-making method described in the Trinity Incantation somewhat unsettling.
He wasn't comfortable with the idea of infusing his consciousness into another's body, fearing it might have negative effects on him. So in the end, he chose to end Ashwinder's life instead.
On the other hand, because the Ashwinder had taken the elixir, keeping him alive meant he needed a constant supply of it. But after understanding how the elixir worked, Alex became very interested.
He found it quite wasteful to just discard the Ashwinder like an old shoe and didn't want to raise some strange undead creature. However, there was still a chance to use the Ashwinder's body to study the effects of the [Trinity Incantation].
Alex recalled that horned basilisk had taught him the [Trinity Incantation] about 20 years ago. After some tests, he found that the Ashwinder's total lumen was around 3,000 points.
Interestingly, the Ashwinder was from the same era as thunderbird. This meant that over the past 20 years, the Ashwinder had increased its magical power by about 1,000 points through using the trinity incantation, averaging about 50 points per year.
While that might not seem like a huge number, it was definitely significant. Besides boosting his magic, the trinity incantation had also strengthened his body.
When Alex struck the Ashwinder from behind, he could feel the resistance from its Voltbrand effect. After fully dealing with the Ashwinder, the core of the entire Silver Wand force was essentially wiped out.