Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Great Spirit Sylph
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Even Awakened couldn't see materialized Yin Energy.
Oh Yeonseo couldn't possibly have seen the Yin Energy orb, and yet she suspected me.
"Why do you think it was me?"
"When the snake came flying at me, something surged from behind. Hard to explain, but it felt like heat... Anyway, it wasn't ordinary energy."
She'd sensed the aura of the Yin Energy orb hurtling from behind.
Her senses were sharp, that was for sure.
Na Young hadn't sensed a thing when I'd formed the Yin Energy arrow.
"The instant I felt it, the snake veered off and exploded. You were the only one behind me, Woojin. Of course I'd think that."
Her senses weren't just sharp—her mind worked fast too.
Seeing me stay silent, she pressed on. "Looks like you did something. I thought you were just a Semi-Awakened, but are you actually a mage, Woojin?"
"......"
"If so, you must've launched something chantless. My casting speed is pretty quick, but it wouldn't even compare. How many catalysts do you have?"
Catalysts were the mediums required to manifest magic.
An Awakened mage started with one, known as 1-circle.
Rarely, as their level and rank rose, the number of catalysts would increase.
Most mages tackling gates were 1- or 2-circle; 3-circle and above marked an advanced mage.
As far as anyone knew, there weren't any 5-circle mages yet.
"No, wait. I've never heard of catalystless magic... Just how did you pull it off?"
I didn't answer, so she spun her own theories.
I had to satisfy her curiosity before she got lost in her own world.
"Like you said, Yeonseo, I'm no ordinary Semi-Awakened. And I'm not a mage either. There's no such thing as invisible catalyst magic."
"Then what are you? If you're not a regular Semi-Awakened... a Hunter?"
"Figure it out yourself. I'll stick right by your side until we reach the boss area."
She shot me a glare, but her lips curved into a smile.
"Sounds good. That'll be fun."
Right on cue, two monsters burst from the forest.
I formed a Yin Energy orb in each hand and hurled them at the beasts.
Kwaaaang—!!
She turned to me, staring at the monsters that had vanished without a trace.
I grinned, taking in the stunned expression on her beautiful face.
"Yeah. It'll be fun."
Available Points: 1,704pt
"When you summon the Tree Giant, aren't you a bit too defenseless against surprise attacks?"
The thought hit me as we trekked through the forest.
Snakes could slither past the Tree Giant to strike her.
"Wind spirits have been circling me since we entered the gate. A boss might be different, but trash mobs can't pierce them."
She had a defensive barrier guarding her body.
Oh Yeonseo hadn't been standing there unprepared after all.
I jumped in for nothing.
"Thanks to that, I got to see your abilities, but it cost me big. I borrowed ten familiars from the wood spirit, and they all got wiped out."
"Does that hurt you?"
"The spirits hate it when familiars get abused. I can smooth that over, but every time a familiar falls, my Yin Energy gets chipped away."
She did look more worn out than when we'd first entered the forest.
"Want me to top you up now?"
"Save it for the boss fight. My Yin drains slowly, but it takes in a lot more when I refill."
She wouldn't drain me as bad as Gnome, surely.
"If it gets tough, just say the word. I can spare plenty."
"You're something else, Woojin. Everyone knows S-Ranks work their managers to death. Summoners especially—they suck Yin like vampires. But you're totally fine with it? You haven't tried it yet?"
It was such a famous issue that even non-Awakened knew about it.
That was why A-Ranks and above got managers with stamina and experience.
It made sense that she was worried about a newbie like me.
'I'll show her an unfailing spring in the boss area.'
As we walked, we took turns handling monsters whenever they appeared.
Later, she even left a few alive for me to finish off.
"Aside from Hunter Agency artifacts, I've never seen invisible attacks like this. A guy pulling it off is wild. If you're not a Hunter, then what?"
"The Hunter Agency has artifacts like that?"
"Yeah. They got it after grinding down raid teams to claim it. Damn thieves."
"You really hate the Hunter Agency, huh."
"Not just me. No raid team likes them. They pile on weird obligations and leech off us like parasites, pocketing all the gains. Total trash."
Her teeth ground together—she clearly had a lot pent up.
The canopy overhead was thinning; bits of sky peeked through.
Water sounds drifted in from afar.
The closer we got, the more a moist breeze tickled my cheeks.
The forest exit was blocked by vines.
Through the tangled mess, a cliff and waterfall came into view.
"Vines blocking the way. Not the wood spirit's doing, I bet."
The wood spirit wouldn't block us if it was friendly enough to lend power.
Come to think of it, these vines were unusually damp.
They weren't wooden vines—they were more like waterlogged seaweed.
Oh Yeonseo traced a small magic circle, and the wind shifted.
Invisible to the eye, the air began gathering at a point in the sky.
It started with my hair fluttering, then leaves fell, thick branches swayed, and finally a small tornado took shape.
It bore down on the blocking vines, shoving the sticky stems outward.
The stubborn tendrils gave way one by one, opening a gap big enough for one person.
As I watched the tornado push back the vines, the fine hairs on my arm prickled and stood on end.
What the...?
Something wrapped around my arm and released, sending a ticklish shiver through me.
It felt like a fluffy little dog rubbing against me.
"Delicious. Nice scent too. How does a human have such Yin Energy?"
A voice rang in my head, just like when Gnome had spoken.
Who are you?
"Sylph, ruler of the winds. Ariel over there is my kin, under that girl's command—I drop by now and then to check on her. If I'd known Yin Energy this tasty was around, I'd have come more often."
The Great Spirit of wind and air, Sylph.
Lately, I'd been running into Great Spirits left and right, Gnome included.
Were they really this easy to encounter?
"I sense that mud-caked geezer's aura. Let me see... Hmm, you even contracted with him?"
"Who's mud-caked?!"
A gravelly voice boomed through my mind.
The Gnome sigil on the back of my hand gave a faint glow.
"What brings you to a soggy spot like this? Don't you hate water, old man?"
"I only hate it 'cause you keep churning up the mud. Looks like Undine whipped up this waterfall and lake."
The Great Spirit of water, Undine, had joined the chat.
Were we going to meet her once we got over there?
"Followed him all this way? You must really crave this kid's Yin Energy."
"That's why I contracted. You get how potent it is if it dragged me out."
"So good. Melts right on the tongue. Should I contract too? Hate sharing with the geezer, though."
"I hate it too, so quit drooling and beat it. Who asked you to butt in?"
"Hmm, now I wanna even more since you say that. What do you think?"
Sylph addressed me directly.
Can I contract with two Great Spirits?
"Nothing stopping you. Great Spirits are prideful—they just avoid contracting with someone who's already taken."
My Yin Energy must taste good enough to make a Great Spirit swallow its pride.
It was amusing that the seven hormones enhancing pleasure senses hooked even them.
What use is human pleasure sensitivity to Great Spirits? This is purely because Master's Yin Energy suits the Great Spirits' palate.
Gates treated Yin Energy like gourmet cuisine, and Great Spirits were no different.
If we contract, will you lend me power like a summoner?
"Naturally. With me stepping in personally, it'll dwarf anything my kin could do."
Gnome's power on top of Sylph's would make me utterly indispensable in any gate.
I set a condition with Gnome's contract, so let's do the same here.
Contract conditions had to be fair.
"A condition? Like what?"
You said this terrain disadvantages Gnome. Help me out in the boss fight—that's the deal.
"Disadvantaged?! I just don't like it!"
"Quit making excuses, geezer—take a break. Damp spots like this are my specialty."
Sylph promised to handle whatever came.
This should be solid prep for the boss fight.
"What are you doing? Hurry up and come out."
Oh Yeonseo called from beyond the vines.
I rushed through the gap.
Below the cliff and waterfall lay a lake.
A massive door, like something out of a grand castle, stood on the opposite cliffside.
"That looks like the boss area, right?"
"Yeah."
We had to cross the lake, but there was nothing—no bridge, no boat.
Oh Yeonseo sketched a magic circle in the air and tilted her head.
"What's up?"
"I asked Undine for help, but no response. Guess she's not in the mood."
Undine was notoriously fickle among Great Spirits—tricky to deal with.
"Should I ask the wood spirit?"
Maybe craft a raft or something.
As I pondered better options, Gnome spoke up.
"I'll help you."