To become a strong Spirit Conduit, one must develop two main abilities.
The first is Spirit Affinity.
This grows through the bond formed by communing with Spirits. Through this process, Spirits can have a greater impact on this world.
When one’s affinity reaches its peak, the Spirits feel just as comfortable in this world as they do in the Spirit Realm.
Ariin has also only recently reached that level, making it a rather challenging process.
The green flame Spirit seemed quite at peace, as she described, sleeping on a lawn with an eye mask.
“So, are Spirits in the Spirit Realm stronger?”
“Yes. To put it precisely, the power they display there is their true strength.”
Indeed. If I had to compare, it feels similar to a deity descending in a fantasy novel.
While their original power is immense, there are limitations to their interference in the world.
Nodding in understanding, Ariin moved on to the next topic.
The second ability is Control.
This determines how skillfully a Contractor can wield the power of Spirits.
This aspect is purely about instinct, making it hard for others to assist.
Ariin also mentioned she went through many trials and errors in this area.
Especially since she became a Spirit Conduit without a mentor or teacher like I did, it must have been even tougher for her.
“No matter how high one’s Spirit affinity is, if this ability is lacking, they are bound to be weak in combat.”
To put it simply, no matter how much water is in a tank, if the pipes are narrow, the water won’t flow properly.
It’s about increasing the total amount of power that can be released at once and developing the instinct to wield that power.
Thus, Spirit Conduits are unique beings who need to train in both Spirit Affinity and Control to become stronger.
Ariin pointed at the Control ability she had written on the board and spoke.
“What we will train is the second ability, Control.”
[Isn’t this too intense from the start? Usually, you begin with communing with Spirits.]
Shilfi’s question made Ariin shake her head.
“Miss Adele and Shilfi’s affinity is already at a commendable level.”
[Is that so?]
Shilfi frowned, seemingly unable to comprehend. Seeing that expression on Abel’s face felt oddly unfamiliar.
He rarely frowned like that.
As I drifted in thought, Ariin approached Shilfi and carefully examined her form.
“When Spirits first transform, it’s rare for them to take on a form as clear as Shilfi’s.”
After explaining, she opened her palm.
“Pi?”
[…Huh?]
When Ariin called, Pi removed her eye mask and got out of her bedding. She cautiously perched on Ariin’s palm before transforming her shape.
Pi’s appearance had become quite crude compared to before.
Earlier, she looked like a figure, but now she resembled a clay doll. She had the limbs and face, but her nose and mouth were barely visible.
Seeing that, I finally understood the meaning behind her words.
“This was the first form of my Pi.”
[How long do we have to do this?]
“Oh, you can return now.”
With that, Pi made a popping sound and transformed back to her original appearance. Compared to before, the change was night and day.
Looking back at Shilfi, it was evident.
[I’m the odd case here.]
As she said that, floating in the air, Shilfi examined her body. With Abel’s appearance while doing that, it somehow felt a bit cute.
[..Sigh.]
Letting out a sigh, Shilfi took a step away from me. She must have read my thoughts from just now.
Ariin, seemingly accustomed to it, continued explaining without a care.
“In other words, you already possess the minimum Spirit Affinity to train your Control ability.”
“How do we develop Control?”
At my question, Ariin brought over a wheeled cart stacked with a considerable amount of wooden blocks.
She carefully took one from the cart and placed it on a stump.
“While training methods vary by attribute, for the wind attribute, I think this is the best.”
[It’s just an ordinary wooden block.]
Nodding to Shilfi’s mutter, Ariin replied.
“That’s right. Now, try splitting it into two equal halves.”
Ariin emphasized that it had to be exactly half.
But I wondered if I could do it since I hadn’t even fully grasped the sensation of using power yet.
Reading my expression, she spoke confidently.
“Don’t worry. You’ll pick it up soon.”
[It’s easier said than done…]
Grumbling, Shilfi approached me again. With Abel’s form, it felt incongruous. His usual image wasn’t one to get annoyed over such minor things. Well, this look is kinda cute, so it’s not all bad.
[You’re seriously a case.]
As if reading my mind, Shilfi clicked her tongue before reaching out toward me.
Realizing what she was about to do, I reached out in return. Our tiny hands touched, and I slowly inhaled.
[Contractor, visualize the image.]
Closing my eyes, I began to imagine.
[Compress the wind into a blade and release it.]
I visualized the image as Shilfi instructed. I recalled the blue aura slash Evan had shown.
Starting to exert power, I felt like a new sense was opening up, and the wind began to gather from all sides.
[A bit rougher; ordinary wind won’t cut it.]
Evan’s slashes had a similar feel.
At first glance, they appeared refined, but the moment they made contact with the enemy, they went wild.
“Shilfi.”
[Ready?]
“Yes.”
Imagining the image of drawing my sword.
I followed the strong silhouette Evan had shown.
‘Go.’
I swung the imaginary sword in my mind.
Trying to emulate the cutting path he had shown.
Whoooooosh!
With a sound that tore through the air, the wind blade flew forth.
Overwhelming power took me by surprise, and before I could react, the wind sliced through the wooden block.
“Uh.”
[Wow.]
But the issue was…
I never expected it would cut through the stump too. Watching from the side, Ariin was in awe.
She approached me and seized both my hands, shaking them excitedly.
“That’s amazing! I knew you had good affinity, but I didn’t expect it to be this strong!”
“R-Really?”
I felt a bit flustered. Is this what being talented feels like? Somehow, I felt a bit deflated.
“But there’s a deduction for your Control ability.”
“Ah…”
Right.
She instructed me to split the wooden block, not to obliterate the stump.
“But you’ll get used to it soon enough.”
Nodding at Ariin’s reassuring words, she retrieved a new wooden block from the cart and placed it on the grass. Pi, who had approached her, neatly burned the grass around it.
Without Ariin needing to direct Pi, she could incinerate the grass while leaving the wooden block untouched. Does this mean that as the Control ability strengthens, the Spirit can manage such feats independently?
Defending herself, Pi muttered in response to my gaze.
[Weeds hinder training…]
“Got it. It’s okay.”
Was she afraid of what I might say?
This was just an open space in the backyard, not even a garden. Burning a few weeds wouldn’t make much difference.
Ariin’s Spirit is smart enough to discern that.
“Now, try splitting this wooden block into four pieces.”
“Four pieces?”
The wooden block stood vertically.
This wouldn’t be as simple as just sending it in one direction like before. This must be what Ariin described as Control training.
It’s not just controlling the power, but also figuring out how to use it based on the situation.
This training must be foundational.
‘So, what should I do?’
There’s the option to send wind blades from different directions like before. However, I wasn’t sure I could easily visualize that.
If I could imagine it, would I still be able to do it?
“Wait a minute. Is there even a need to do that?”
“I just need to keep my hands off the wooden block, right?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
Ariin replied with a smile. Shilfi approached me and asked.
[Have you thought of something?]
“Yes. Want to try it together?”
I extended my hand, and Shilfi smiled, placing her hand against mine once more. Understanding my plan through our communion, she nodded slightly.
“Alright…”
I imagined the spatial magic Evan had shown. Observing him lift objects freely by raising his hand for reference.
Whooosh…
With the sound of the wind, the wooden block floated into the air. It shifted from a vertical position to a horizontal one.
‘The slash should be in an X shape.’
Not much different from before.
I simply needed to tilt the angle a bit and slash twice in a row. However, I also had to continuously stabilize the wooden block with the wind, making it slightly complex.
I wasn’t used to multitasking, but I managed to keep it up.
“Here we go.”
[Okay.]
Whooosh.
The wind blade flew forth, slicing the wooden block neatly into an X shape. As it broke into four pieces, I released the gathered power.
“That was amazing!”
Ariin applauded, clapping her hands.
It felt like being praised as a baby who successfully walked for the first time. Yet, I still felt a sense of accomplishment, which made me happy.
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