Chapter 320
Chapter 320
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 320
Chapter Title: Wind Spirit King, Sylphid (3)
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Whoosh, whooooosh!
A gentle breeze blew under the warm sunlight.
'Wow.'
Wind Palace.
Jeya, who had entered Sylphid's domain, let out an inward exclamation of awe.
First off, the wind was incredible.
Sylphid's breeze, blending coolness and warmth, felt like it was cleansing every corner of her soul.
Ahh.
To think that the terrifying wind of fear could feel this good.
Next was the sheer beauty of the Wind Palace itself.
It was breathtaking.
A magnificent palace built in midair above a stunning landscape of dense foliage and sheer cliffs.
Cascading down from it were dozens of 'wind waterfalls.'
"Huuuup!"
Jeya unconsciously drew in a deep breath of that energy.
It filled her lungs with spirit affinity far beyond what she'd felt while meditating under the wind waterfalls.
A quick glance around showed her little sister Sua was just as entranced.
'No wonder.'
Any wind spiritist would be.
This place wasn't called a holy site for nothing.
Whoooosh!
True to a wind spirit, the movement was incredibly swift.
With a few flicks of Sylphid's hand, they were suddenly atop the palace roof, surrounded by breathtaking vistas on all sides.
At the center of the palace roof was a large star (☆)-shaped pattern.
The Sylestines naturally took positions at the tips of the pattern, awaiting the Spirit King's command.
Jeya and Sua moved there as well.
'What is this?'
'What in the world is going on?'
Their minds were blank.
Enemies who'd fought to the death were now on the Wind Palace roof, exchanging soft smiles and pleasant conversation with the Spirit King.
Did this even make sense?
In any case.
They'd been granted permission to stand here, so they could listen in.
Focusing all their attention, they stared at the Spirit King and the man's lips.
* * *
"Yes."
Sylphid gazed at him steadily with calm eyes.
Lips moving slowly as if piecing together what she'd heard.
"You... possess the ability to summon the soul of the deceased Yuisa? And to do so... you must resolve the 'grudge' she carried?"
"That's right."
As I answered, Sylphid's already transparent eyes grew even more so.
A serene gaze fixed on me without a single blink.
It felt like she was peering right through me, dissecting my very soul.
Like she could see straight into it.
Perhaps five seconds passed that felt like five minutes.
"It's the truth."
Sylphid blinked.
"Even beyond truth or falsehood, you are undeniably connected to her soul. You wouldn't know. How happy I am right now."
"Is that so? If you're happy, then I'm happy too."
"...You are?"
"Yes, I can feel how much you truly care for Yuisa."
Truth be told, I'd been worried at first.
I'd thought her reaction to the word 'Yuisa' stemmed from hostility toward Bonegu.
But no, that wasn't it.
The Spirit King loved Yuisa.
She genuinely delighted in her scent. She missed her.
She'd described it as sweet, cozy, and warm.
Of course, that made me view her positively.
Bonegu was my summon, my subordinate, my family.
"...Really?"
Sylphid paused at my response, staring blankly for a moment before.
"Ahahaha! Really? Is that so?"
bursting into hearty laughter.
"Do you know just how remarkable Yuisa was, by any chance?"
"Oh? How remarkable was she? Honestly, I don't know much about her."
"Ah, what a pity. To not know Yuisa... If it's not too rude, may I tell you?"
"Of course! It would be an honor."
We clicked right away.
"But please explain in detail. Not just Yuisa—I don't know much about the spirit realm either."
"I know. You have zero spirit affinity, don't you?"
"..."
Why did the sylphs' babbling voices suddenly flash through my mind?
That stings a bit!
"Don't make that face. Spirit affinity is an incredibly rare innate ability even in this universe. In any one world, there are at most ten—never more than the fingers on two hands."
"That few?"
"Yes. And of those ten, most pass their lives without ever realizing they have it. Only two or three might contract with low-grade spirits."
"Huh."
Fair enough.
Having spirit powers would be pretty overpowered.
These guys are seriously strong.
Ahem. Clearing her throat, the Spirit King continued gazing at me.
"Those who contract with top-grade spirits and enter the spirit realm are even rarer. About one in a hundred worlds?"
1%?
"Moreover, most of them only have affinity for a single attribute."
"Oof."
Meaning some have two or more?
As I nodded for her to go on, Sylphid continued enthusiastically.
"Not precisely, but about one in a hundred has two attributes, and one in a hundred of those has three. All-attribute spiritists are exceedingly rare."
"Wow, so what about our Yuisa?"
I knew it.
This was all buildup to hype Yuisa.
Knowing that made me excited too.
"Ahahat! You ask about Yuisa? She was one of a kind!"
Sylphid clapped her hands and shouted.
"Yuisa was a spiritist who mastered all four attributes!"
"Woooow! Really?"
"And not just that! Her affinity was so immense she could contract with all four Spirit Kings!"
"Kyaah!"
"Even more astonishing, among us Spirit Kings, she chose me! Do you know how jealous Salleon, Elaim, and Noas were?"
"Aigoo, our Yuisa knew how to pick 'em."
"You. You have such a way with words. As expected of one who can touch Yuisa's soul."
"You're too kind."
One word to describe Sylphid: total pushover parent.
Her gleefully bragging about her 'child' looked so pure.
I couldn't help but smile.
Whoooosh!
The breeze felt even cooler and fresher than before.
And the five Sylestines watching their Spirit King.
- Lord Spirit King...
- ....
They stared at her in rapt awe.
* * *
'How long has it been since the Spirit King made that face?'
'...I'd forgotten. She could smile so brightly.'
Truth be told.
The Sylestines were overcome with emotion.
Ever since Yuisa's disappearance.
The wind sector hadn't had a single peaceful day.
Whenever someone uttered 'Yuisa,' the entire sector trembled, and all spirits drowned in sorrow, shedding tears.
Spirits shared emotions, after all.
Sylphid's first contractor.
The one she'd first opened her heart to.
Yuisa Stormtree.
Even wind spirits contracting only with women was for their Spirit King, who sought Yuisa's scent in others.
"Do you know why Yuisa chose me first among the Spirit Kings? Because I resembled her most. Personality and appearance. She was my spitting image. Ahahat!"
Laughing uproariously, as if nothing could make her happier.
'The Spirit King is delighted.'
'That's enough to make me happy too.'
'Thank goodness, thank goodness. This must be part of overcoming the grief.'
Now the Sylestines turned their gaze to the man before the Spirit King.
The man who carried Yuisa's scent.
"Whoa? If she resembled you, Spirit King, Yuisa must've been a beauty too, huh?"
"Kyahahat! You're a clever one, aren't you?"
"Hahaha!"
And.
"..."
Watching this scene with bewildered expressions.
Were Jeya and Sua.
Truth be told, they were uneasy.
They'd nearly killed someone the Spirit King adored so much.
The atmosphere felt awkwardly tense.
Especially Sua's face, which had been paling for a while now.
Then.
Jeya noticed it.
The man, Joo Dong-hoon's gaze landing on Sua.
Flinch!
Her sister shuddered slightly.
At the same time.
The man's lips curled up ever so slightly.
'Ah.'
He remembered.
The man definitely remembered.
She could tell from his eyes alone.
Like [We still have unfinished business, right? Let's talk later?]
Whoooosh!
The two high rankers from the 'Sephus' world.
Jeya Sylphrion and Sua Sylphrion felt the gentle breeze piercingly cold.
* * *
"So, then."
The Spirit King, having shared a warm conversation, redirected the mood.
"Now we should discuss Yuisa's 'grudge,' shouldn't we? I too desperately wish to connect with her soul."
The jovial atmosphere plummeted instantly.
Sorrow clouded Sylphid's expression.
I'd always thought spirits were remarkably pure and clean compared to their power.
The way emotions overtook them so easily.
"Honestly, it saddens me... Bearing a 'grudge' means she's tormented even in death."
"So, we must resolve that grudge now."
Yuisa's grudge.
The quest for my medium dungeon, the key to Bonegu's awakening.
"Please tell me. What is our Yuisa's grudge?"
But.
The Spirit King's response was not what I'd expected.
"I don't know."
"...Pardon?"
As I faltered, Sylphid gave a faint smile.
A subtly bitter one.
"If I knew her grudge, I'd have resolved it myself. I have the power..."
Ruuuumble...
An overwhelming aura briefly emanated from the blowing wind.
A truly terrifying presence.
"..."
Right.
With power that could crush even the superdragon Destruction Dragon, she likely would have handled the 'grudge' before I even asked.
"But I have a guess."
"A guess?"
"Yuisa was the first spiritist in spirit realm history to stand on the verge of contracting with all Spirit Kings. But her spirit affinity fell just short."
"..."
Thump thump!
Even hearing it again made my heart race.
Contracting with all four Spirit Kings.
That was Yuisa.
How could my chest not swell with grandeur?
"So she set off on a journey to the central sector of the spirit realm."
"The central sector?"
"The shared domain of spirits unbound by wind, earth, fire, or water. At its deepest center lies the metal that sustains this spirit realm."
"..."
"It's called the Core Crystal. Legend says touching it grants immense spirit affinity."
Core... Crystal?
A familiar-sounding metal...
Ah!
My eyes flashed.
- Master, do you recognize it? It's a blueprint I've never seen before either. So I asked the girl Arin.
- She said it's a metal from deep in the spirit realm. Leaving aside whether we can get it, how are we supposed to go to the spirit realm? It's a whole other world.
What Demir had said.
The final material for my subordinates' weapon set, the 'Destruction Dragon Set.'
'Core Crystal' (SSS Grade)!
Ahh.
So that's where it was!
"That central depths can only be entered by spiritists. Spirits cannot go. There's only one way for a spirit: to be summoned by the spiritist who entered. Since it's not the spirit realm proper, they can only exert 10% of their power... but even so, I entered there with Yuisa..."
Groooar...
At that moment.
Sylphid's emotions began to surge.
Screeeeech!
The once-gentle wind grew increasingly fierce.
"That time, against that monster... That damned monster—if she hadn't pushed herself...!"
"Whoa whoa, Spirit King!"
I quickly intervened.
"Calm down! Please calm down!"
"..."
First things first, soothe Sylphid.
This dungeon.
I think I've got the gist of it now.