There aren’t many instances in the original work where spirits are utilized. There were plenty of other ways to become stronger aside from spirits.
Even in those few cases, there wasn’t a single one that primarily focused on spirit magic.
In the first run, I just dabbled here and there, using spirit magic as a supplementary tool. From the get-go, the first run was an awkward character that didn’t excel much in martial arts or magic.
5th Run: “Reverse Magic Path”
I rewired the circuits in my body with magical formulas and turned the backlash into output. It was a rather mediocre wizard route, and since it needed a lot of magic, I swapped spirits to replenish it constantly.
Even then, mana was still extremely insufficient, and eventually, I couldn’t control the backlash and ended up exploding like in the 3rd run.
6th Run: “Dark Grave Slave”
This was your typical necromancer route. I mainly used dark magic and necromancy to command a massive army.
Given the peculiar perception of my abilities, my reputation was in the gutter, but unlike the later runs, I fought on the side of humanity somehow without going off the rails.
In that process, I did mess around with dark spirits, but didn’t dig too deep. It didn’t yield any results, and my affinity with them didn’t improve much either.
In that case, it was way more efficient to simply raise the human and monster corpses scattered on the roadside and operate them with their souls.
The 6th run, which was holding its own against the armies pouring from the Tower of Necromancy, was eventually torn apart and killed by an intruder from the Tower of Purgatory.
Aside from that, the only other run handling spirits was the 12th hybrid summoner run… but even that barely scratched the surface.
In that case, it was just used as materials or hastily employed as projectiles in emergencies.
In short, no run ever primarily focused on spirit magic, nor was it ever deeply explored.
But in every route, I fought against spirit magicians, so I had some basic knowledge.
To handle spirits, a connection through contracts is necessary.
In order to communicate the caster’s intentions and to operate according to those intentions, both the caster and the spirit must be connected.
Thus, the procedure of a ‘contract’ between the caster and the spirit is essential. Without a contract, operating a spirit is impossible.
That’s how the knowledge from the original work was, and that’s also what I learned in this world.
I had thought that way until just a moment ago.
[What?]
That common knowledge faltered a bit.
I couldn’t quite grasp the situation right now.
I used my observational powers to perceive my surroundings.
Right next to me sat Professor Riana, looking stiffly seated.
Usually, she has a graceful and gentle demeanor, but right now, she was making a dazed expression I had never seen before.
I was almost worried her hair might get caught in her gaping mouth.
I observed further around me.
The cadets, each holding crystal orbs, were also sporting blank expressions.
There was Hong Yeon-hwa, looking as if she had lost her mind, and Baek Ahrin and Elia with their eyes wide open in shock.
Their gazes were steadily locking onto me.
Where their sights were directed, a swirling mass of colorful light was dancing around.
It was spirits glowing in various colors, orbiting around me.
They had just emerged from the space Professor Riana had opened moments ago.
The colorful spirits created an incredibly mystical atmosphere by blending with the environment, but I didn’t have the luxury to get lost in such musings.
My already chaotic mind became even messier.
Steadying myself, I raised my right hand. It was the same as before—a mere murmured thought without a voice or necklace aiding me.
– Whoosh!
At that moment, as if sensing my thought, one of the lights darted towards me and landed on my palm.
A glowing ball of red light. I could tell it was the fire spirit from the heat radiating within it.
[Warm.]
[Firefly.]
[Comforting.]
Although labeled as fire energy, the warmth felt on my palm was incredibly soothing.
I didn’t sense any hostility, not even a hint. I didn’t think I’d come to harm.
This was instinctual.
I couldn’t be harmed by this. If I wished to be offended, then maybe, but if I didn’t want that, they wouldn’t harm me.
Conversely, if I desired something, they would oblige me. If I asked, they would move according to my request.
‘Huh…’
While I pondered, the luminous spirits gathered closer to me.
The aura of the spirits enveloped me, making everything feel familiar.
– Thump.
My heart resonated. The beat spread throughout my body. It collided against the walls of my being, reverberating back inside.
The focus of my perception shifted from the outside to the inside.
External awareness faded. The surrounding scenery blurred and became indistinct.
In contrast, I could distinctly feel what was inside.
It wasn’t just an unfamiliar sensation. Although some time had passed, it was undeniably a sensation I had experienced before.
When I was battered by monsters, teetering on the brink of death.
It was similar to the feelings of myself slowly fading away as I neared death.
Though I wasn’t straddling the line of death now, I could perceive my entity even more clearly, just as I did back then.
I could distinctly feel two massive elements that composed me.
Jack of All Trades and Mana Affinity.
Nearby, two more elements that I couldn’t quite recognize emerged.
External powers that weren’t mine—Spatial and Observational abilities.
These four were the most prominent.
But they weren’t the only four.
Beneath them, there were unquantifiable numbers of unique traits. Countless small, unique attributes that couldn’t be properly interpreted lay beneath.
– Wrrr…
Among those innumerable small uniquenesses, one was felt.
The essence expanding gradually. The share of the unique trait within me grew.
I still couldn’t interpret it perfectly.
But it had surely changed in volume enough to differentiate it from the surrounding uniquenesses.
Someday, it would grow to a point where I could interpret it.
The moment I realized this, my perception returned to normal.
A grassy plain with a faint mist resting upon it. A clear lake without a ripple.
The external scenery returned to me.
The spirits dancing around me had vanished.
It seemed that Professor Riana had successfully retrieved them.
I absent-mindedly nodded my hand. The warmth that had just been there was gone, leaving an emptiness behind.
“What was that just now?”
As I sat there in stunned silence, Professor Riana, looking just as bewildered, asked.
I paused for a moment then shook my head.
[I don’t know.]
I had nothing to say.
…
The first hour of the course “Understanding Spirits” ended rather uneventfully.
Thanks to my extravagant display of aggro.
Even though Professor Riana regained her composure and we tried brainstorming over the lecture, we couldn’t come up with anything meaningful.
Was the fact that I managed to handle a spirit without a contract the best we could get?
Of course, if Professor Riana exercised her control properly, it would easily shake off.
But I managed to deal with a spirit without going through a contract.
That was still a remarkable feat. I figured that after some time, more rumors about me would spread.
“This incident… let’s uncover it step by step.”
I knew nothing about spirits, and even the expert Professor Riana wasn’t aware of such cases.
In the end, the answers would be unearthed gradually through her lectures.
Professor Riana seemed to have an inkling of what was going on, but for some reason, she didn’t share it with me.
I found it odd, but I thought there must be a reason, so I nodded obediently.
Despite that, I couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy.
After uncovering some of my secrets, such as the existence and origin of my unique abilities… now something completely unintelligible had popped up.
Would there ever come a day when all my questions would be answered?
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
Regardless of the outcome, the lecture had concluded.
I intended to have lunch with Hong Yeon-hwa, but for some reason, she blushed the moment she saw me and dashed away.
I was struck with the monumental shock of being abandoned by Hong Yeon-hwa.
I had to spend lunch alone, solemnly nibbling on a nutritional bar…
‘Hmm…’
Thus began my specialized lecture time.
Arriving at the destination with a shuffle, I felt a strange sensation.
A resistance transmitted when I tapped the dirt with my toes.
Dust mixed with sand puffed up as I scratched the ground.
This was a rare old training ground, something typically hard to find in Shio-ram, which was equipped with all sorts of cutting-edge technology.
Just yesterday, I had memories of getting pummeled by Professor Atra on this very ground, but in terms of days, it had probably been over a month, if I were to exaggerate.
That strange sensation… I had been feeling it since morning.
I had expected to die there, but here I was alive and well, attending lectures, so I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
‘Phew…’
Fortunately, Professor Atra arrived just before the weekend came to a close at Shio-ram.
This meant there was no issue with proceeding with the specialized lecture.
‘What will today be like?’
Throughout the duel, there were instances where I fainted several times from being beaten.
Now, oddly enough, I hoped for it.
As evident from the deep shadows under my eyes, my current state was a total mess.
I hadn’t been able to sleep during the weekend.
There were various reasons for that… some were embarrassing, and the new nightmares added to the mix when I fell asleep didn’t help either.
So, I planned to use Atra’s harsh dueling to faint.
Thinking back, I might not have been able to sleep during the weekend due to not exhausting myself physically.
If I pushed my body to its limits and got beaten up, I might just fall asleep naturally.
In a short while, Professor Atra arrived, thoroughly checking my body before starting warm-ups and the duel.
My skills had improved immensely. Having experienced proper combat and brushed against the edge of death made me grow in ways I couldn’t compare to before.
However, I still didn’t stand a chance against Professor Atra.
My gradually rising level couldn’t keep up with my body, and ultimately, Atra’s fist slipped past my defenses.
‘!’
The golden energy-hued fist flew towards me.
There was no dodging it now.
I was already in a defensive position, twisting my body to barely avoid previous strikes.
Thus, I couldn’t avoid this single blow.
I clenched my teeth and braced for impact. I inflated my energy to prepare for the attack.
And then…
‘?’
Professor Atra’s fist halted right before my face.
WHAM! A gust of wind that struck slower than the punch slammed against my face.
My hair flew in the air.
Standing firm, my body bracing for the blow, I fully expected to get hit and roll away, but that didn’t happen.
Curiosity settled in as I stood still; Atra’s fist trembled in front of my face.
“Ugh…”
She bit her lip. Whispers of agony and hesitation seeped through the gap between her lips.
Her gaze couldn’t keep still either. Her pupils dilated, fixated on my face.
In the end, she shut her eyes tightly, seemingly unable to go through with it, and took a few steps back, pulling her fist away.
‘?’
What was going on?
*
[Player Correction System: Measurement]
SDVIMVFoanVzY1YwSVhjamMzUkt1WHI2UUFyOVpudXd1UCtIRU1uTU1Jak93NnNBOXVTWWhoNncyNU4yb1RTZQ
▶Abilities
…
▶ Unique Abilities
…
▶ Mental State
…
｢Mi?｣ : ?
｢? Restoration｣ : ?
…
｢Incomplete｣ : Shattered and not whole.
｢Vitality Deficiency｣ : Vitality has been drained and is empty.
｢Affection Deficiency｣ : Starving for affection. The degree is extreme.
｢Fatigue｣ : Mind or body is weary and pained.
｢Loneliness｣ : Feeling solitary and desolate.
…
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
