The Third Spirit (Part 2)
Thud. Thud. With the gnomes' marching footsteps as background noise, Terra approached me. Standing before me, she looked up with those stoic eyes faintly glimmering with anticipation.
I smiled and crouched down for her.
"Terra. Come here."
Terra slowly wrapped her arms around my neck. Her eyes, heading toward an unknown world, began to sparkle bit by bit.
Uluru watched Terra's back with a complicated expression as she left her embrace.
'Take good care of her.'
That's what Uluru's gaze conveyed to me. I nodded slightly in response.
[Hee hee hee!]
Aqua, already perched on my right arm, laughed and welcomed Terra. Terra settled into my left arm, squirming a few times before leaning back comfortably.
[Sisit!]
Mandu hopped from my right shoulder to the left and licked Terra's cheek with his short tongue.
Terra looked up at me. An irrepressible excitement welled up on her face, so like Aqua's.
I pulled Terra close to my chest. She leaned into me comfortably.
A ticklish sensation, like a thin thread, connected through my chest to Terra.
[This is the contract...]
Terra pressed even closer to me. The contract thread thickened little by little.
Aqua and Mandu, already contracted to me, could feel it too. We leaned into each other, quietly celebrating the birth of our new family member.
[Warm.]
Once the contract thread had grown thick enough, Terra hugged my neck tightly. Unlike Aqua's fluid body, Terra's was firm yet soft—like marble wrapped in silk. And from deep within her emanated a gentle warmth, as kind and soft as the spirit power of the Spirit Realm itself. It was the warmth of the earth.
The moment the contract thread connects is always so moving.
How to describe this feeling? My chest tightened as if tears might fall, yet a ticklish joy kept a smile glued to my lips. I wasn't religious, but this was nothing short of rapture.
Overwhelmed by the thrill and joy of gaining a new family member, I shared a long embrace with the spirits.
* * *
By the time the contract was complete, night had fallen. Terra sat on a rock at the cave entrance with Uluru, bathed in bright moonlight. It seemed Uluru had some final words for her successor. She hugged and stroked Terra with nearly every sentence, making it clear just how much she cherished her.
The bond between a Spirit King and their heir is like that of parent and child.
Niagara was the only one who'd outright called his successor his 'daughter,' but to me, they all seemed like family. Pompeii and the Wind Spirit King must have been the same.
As I watched the pair get along so well, Aqua and I turned to the Spirit Shop window.
Spirit Realm Tour
🎁 Reward: Spirit user's growth
Would you like to claim your reward?
The quest had completed without me noticing, lost in the moment.
[You were so caught up playing that you didn't even notice the quest finish!]
"It's all thanks to you showing me around the Spirit Realm so well."
[Hee hee hee! Our spirit user really knows how to say the prettiest things!]
We shared the joy of completing the quest with a hug.
[Sisit?]
Mandu asked if we should claim the reward now.
"Of course. Otherwise, Niagara might worry himself sick."
Niagara was nestled in Sia's arms not far away, his eyes glued to Aqua without blinking. 'Don't go,' his gaze pleaded. But having decided to trust Aqua, he couldn't stop her—it must have been torture. Claiming the reward now and getting stronger would at least ease his mind.
I stared at the reward claim window.
'Spirit user's growth.'
Previous 'spirit user growth' rewards had been Spirit Realm's Blessing and Spirit Magic Random Package. What I wanted was definitely the Spirit Realm's Blessing to raise my Spirit Affinity rank.
'Against Pompeii, I need power, not skill.'
I fervently hoped for what I wanted, glancing down at Aqua and Mandu.
"Shall we claim the reward?"
[Mm! Let's!]
[Sisit!]
We all looked at the Spirit Shop window together. As if reading our intent, it changed.
The moment the reward was granted, I instinctively closed my eyes. Then slowly opened them.
"...As expected."
The Spirit Shop never disappointed.
Spirit Realm's Blessing has been granted.
I clenched my fist inwardly. At that moment, a thick beam of light descended from the sky—a sacred ray filled with spirit power.
[What is that?]
[Look over there!]
[Whoaaa!]
The sudden burst of spirit power lit up the darkness, drawing gazes from nearby spirits. Uluru, Terra, Niagara—even Sia looked up at the beam.
Feeling it enhance my power, I couldn't help tracing its origin with my eyes. Astonishingly, the Spirit Realm's Blessing stretched from the Sacred Mountain.
[The mountain is granting you its power!]
Even Aqua seemed shocked. I tore my eyes from the mountain and clenched my fist. The power surging through me was incomparable to my C-rank self just moments ago.
[Mm! Mm!]
[Sisit!]
Aqua and Mandu nodded, sensing my growth through our contract threads.
[Oh...]
Terra, drawn by the light from the Sacred Mountain, approached and marveled at her own hands. My rank-up must have boosted her power too.
I proudly reviewed my trait window when Sia asked with wide eyes.
"No way... Did your Spirit Affinity rank go up?"
I grinned.
"I told you I'd get stronger."
"Whoa... It took me five years..."
Sia looked a bit downcast.
"You're S-rank. Can't compare that to my old C-rank self."
"True... Anyway, congrats."
Sia smiled brightly. She didn't seem to have more questions.
There are all sorts of unique traits out there.
For an S-rank spirit user and former top U.S. hunter like her, this was probably routine.
Uluru and Niagara looked surprised too, but more at the beam from the Sacred Mountain than my rank-up.
[...The predecessors must be blessing you all.]
Uluru smiled warmly, relieved.
[The Spirit Realm wishes for your victory, so you'll return safely.]
"Of course. I won't let a single finger on my spirits get hurt."
I said, looking at Aqua, Terra, and Mandu.
[Of course!]
[Mm.]
[Sisit!]
The three nodded along with me.
* * *
After fully savoring my new B-rank awakener status, I opened the Spirit Shop's Item Storage.
"Now it's time to open this."
Inside was the Spirit Magic Random Box from last week's 'Season of Fattening Salamanders' quest.
[Opening it now!]
Aqua clung excitedly to my arm. Terra blinked and asked.
[Random box? What's that?]
[It spits out random spirit magic from here!]
[Oh... So that's why it's random.]
Terra peered into the Spirit Shop with wide, curious eyes.
"Random box, huh... Another fun trait."
Sia chuckled at us all huddled together. To others, we'd look like we were chattering at thin air.
"It's a real gamble."
I smiled faintly and pulled the Spirit Magic Random Box from Item Storage. I'd used one during my spar with Jeong Ri-on too.
'Got Water Shield back then.'
That upgraded it to intermediate and was a huge help against Jeong Ri-on.
I trusted my luck. This time, it'd surely give something useful against Pompeii.
The spirits' eyes sparkled, urging me on. Watching them, I changed my mind.
"How about we open it together?"
[Together?]
[Oh?]
Aqua and Terra's eyes widened in unison—the sisters' identical round stares made me burst out laughing. I believed in my luck.
'And with spirits who are the greatest gifts in my life, it'll be even better.'
Aqua glanced at Terra, then beamed.
[Great! Let's do it!]
"Okay, everyone put your fingers on it."
Two chubby little fingers and one lizard claw shot up over the Spirit Shop window. I added mine.
"On three, we press together. One..."
[Two...!]
"Three!"
We pressed down in unison.
[Dehumidification?]
Aqua whipped around to me.
[Is it a good spirit magic?]
"Hm..."
I tilted my head. Dehumidification literally removed moisture. Useful for cleaning or makeup for low-rank spirit users, but not much in combat.
'Dehumidification against the Fire Spirit King Pompeii...'
I pondered. Aqua and Mandu, waiting for my answer, looked crestfallen—taking my silence as negative.
"It's great."
[...Huh?]
Aqua perked up. I stroked her head with a smile.
"The absolute best skill we could've gotten."
[Really?]
"Have you ever seen me lie?"
Aqua's face gradually lit up.
[It really is us!]
She crossed her arms and lifted her chin proudly, then scooped up Mandu and Terra for a spinning hug.
[Hee hee hee!]
Terra kept her stoic face, but her lips curved ever so slightly.
As the spirits played, I checked the skill window.
'Dehumidification...'
I hadn't lied to Aqua. It was a skill even low-rank spirit users ignored for combat utility.
'But skills matter who uses them.'
Water Cannon from an S-rank like Sia became a 'Water Surface-to-Air Missile.' That was spirit magic.
'Dehumidification from the Water Spirit King and a B-rank spirit user.'
This might just become something tremendous.