Spirit Beasts (2)
The distance from Mistrail Territory, where the Lord's Castle stood, to Cheongam Fortress—the domain of the Jin Gang Regiment—was practically equivalent to traveling from one nation to another.
It was a considerable distance, and with the territories of other regiment leaders scattered along the way, going on foot would have been impossible.
So I was riding in a carriage, heading toward an intermediate city rumored to hold fateful opportunities.
At first, my body, accustomed to modern cars and asphalt roads, struggled to adapt to the jolting dirt path beneath the carriage.
But humans truly are creatures of adaptation, aren't they?
Now, the poor ride was still an issue, but it had become tolerable.
The real problem came after I adjusted to the ride: boredom became the greater torment.
With no one to talk to during the journey, I passed the time blankly watching the scenery or reviewing my future plans.
Rowen, who was driving the carriage, hadn't spoken since our initial greeting. True to his knightly nature, he silently focused on his duty.
The view outside the window was nothing but endless fields and occasional forests. Thinking of how much longer this monotonous journey would last brought a sigh unbidden.
If only we'd run into bandits or something...
But that was impossible too.
Even the bandits from fantasy novels had brains—they weren't bold or foolish enough to touch a carriage bearing the Jin Gang Regiment leader's crest on Haven's soil.
To understand the Jin Gang Regiment's mark, one first needed to know Haven's national flag.
Haven's flag featured a deep indigo background embroidered with the image of a dragon whose head appeared severed.
Beneath it sat a single black star, supported by eight golden stars arranged in a semicircle.
At the very bottom, among those stars, was the shield shape symbolizing the Jin Gang Regiment, and the golden star engraved within it was the leader's emblem.
Each of Haven's regiments bore a crest suited to their primary mission: the Jin Gang Regiment's shield for defense, Kaiser's Zhen Hong Regiment a sword for battle, Ellis's Qingyuan Regiment a ship for naval warfare.
That was when it happened.
A commotion erupted outside the carriage.
No way... Bandits stupid enough to attack even after seeing the Jin Gang Regiment leader's mark?
It was absurd.
But apparently, such an idiot existed in reality.
The carriage jolted to a halt, and with a cautious knock, Rowen opened the door.
"Bandits?"
"No, not bandits. But there's a suspicious man leading spirit beasts, so I stopped the carriage."
"Spirit beasts?"
Animals that had evolved through mana infusion—truly rare creatures. And according to Rowen, there were multiple. Leading several spirit beasts? That piqued my interest.
Spirit beasts have near-human intelligence, so one might be manageable, but several would be hard to control.
Impossible without a special supernatural ability.
Which meant the man ahead possessed one.
I rose from my seat and stepped out of the carriage.
"Lord Astra needn't concern yourself. I will—"
"I'm curious about this man leading spirit beasts."
Rowen's face paled at the idea of the regiment leader stepping out personally, his shock evident.
But I paid it no mind.
Without an escort knight, I wouldn't have ventured out no matter how curious, but whether bandits or suspicious figures, Rowen's skill level should suffice.
And above all... someone who could handle spirit beasts wasn't likely dangerous.
Spirit beasts instinctively reject those with malice.
Due to their nature, infused with pure mana, they never accept black-hearted individuals, ability or not.
For multiple spirit beasts to follow him meant his heart was, at minimum, pure.
Stepping outside revealed an astonishing sight.
Around a bushy-haired man with a dazed expression gathered three spirit beasts.
The pig had a red mane wrapping its nape, faint energy emanating from its muscular frame.
The horse flaunted translucent, crystal-like mane, its sturdy legs and solid body exuding spirit beast dignity.
The eagle bore steel-hard feathers, its sharp beak and talons radiating extraordinary aura.
They seemed newly evolved—mana faint, sizes modest.
But more shocking than the spirit beasts was the dazed man leading them. The moment I saw him, shock overwhelmed me.
How is that guy here...?
As I stood speechless in shock, Rowen approached the man.
The moment Rowen took a step toward the bushy-haired man, the spirit beasts growled in unison, on guard.
"Grrr!"
"Hiiing!"
"Kiiik!"
"It's okay, kids. No need to worry."
The bushy-haired man calmly stroked them, prompting Rowen to speak with a puzzled look.
"I clearly told you to clear the path. Why haven't you? Don't you know who's riding in the carriage you've blocked?"
At Rowen's words, spotting the crest on the carriage side, the bushy-haired man gaped—then immediately dropped to his knees.
"Forgive me!!"
But even seeing that, I couldn't shake off the shock.
The scene unfolding before me was utterly incomprehensible.
Why is Hanji in this world...?
Hanji was a character I'd created in the early days of playing Age of Legend.
A mere game data bundle, now standing alive before me.
He possessed the Soul Companion ability—a character I'd raised extensively in the early game, though later sidelined for others...
Wait... If Hanji exists for real, does that mean all the other characters I created do too?
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
There were pure souls like Hanji, but I'd made plenty of villains too.
Especially those five... the so-called Balance Breakers worried me most.
Jin, Cross, Mage, Sera. Recalling their names flashed memories of the overwhelming battles that once thrilled me.
Jin's world tree wooden sword mocking even gods' weapons, Cross's mad dash swimming bare through a lava dungeon, Mage's radiant hammer overturning laws of magic, Sera's blinding blessing purifying hell's legions...
But the true terror lurked behind them.
Necromancer Neras.
Lord of the Dead, manipulator of death.
Commanding thousands of elite skeletons like chess pieces, treating the realm of death as a toy.
Fun to play in-game since it was my creation—a powerhouse character, nothing more.
But facing it in reality? The mere thought sent chills racing up my spine.
If Neras exists with all the power I gave him, the final boss isn't the issue...
This world was harsh enough already; my creations had cranked the difficulty to nightmare levels.
I looked at Hanji once more.
In the three low-grade spirit beasts he led, I glimpsed faint hope.
If they were still in early stages too...
Perhaps I could avert disaster preemptively.
"What is your command, Lord Astra?"
I pondered, gazing at Hanji kneeling with his head bowed low.
Not just those five—even all my created characters are ability-wielding powerhouses. Recruiting them would yield immense forces...
"You're forgiven. But what were you doing here?"
His odd behavior surely tied to the spirit beasts.
His ability wasn't mere affinity-boosting.
Soul Companion
Rank: Purple
• Instinctively senses locations of spirit beasts.
• Knows instinctive ways to befriend spirit beasts upon encounter.
• Alignment fixed to good.
"W-Well..."
As Hanji stammered, Rowen sharply drew his sword from his waist.
Shing—
"You, Lord Astra is asking! Speak quickly!"
"Eek! I-I'll talk! P-Please spare me!"
Trembling all over, Hanji held his position, head still bowed.
"Well... I heard if you're here, you can befriend spirit beasts..."
Rowen's face flushed red in an instant.
His blade hovered near Hanji's nape, poised to strike at my command.
"Daring to mock Lord Astra with such nonsense?"
"A supernatural ability..."
Rowen turned in surprise at my words, his face skeptical: Such a guy...?
"An ordinary man commanding three spirit beasts? More plausible it's an ability controlling them."
Hanji's face betrayed shock: How did he know?
"And... clinging to this spot despite begging forgiveness is intriguing. If it were me, I'd value my life and retreat immediately—unless ignorant of a Haven regiment leader's authority..."
I slowly lowered my gaze to his knees, pinned to the ground.
"You know it, don't you? Your immediate apology proves it. All signs point to it: you're an ability user, and your words are true. That you can befriend spirit beasts here... that's true too."
Rowen sheathed his sword and bowed.
"Awaiting Lord Astra's command."
With Rowen's blade gone from his throat, Hanji sighed in relief and spoke in a trembling voice.
"Y-Yes... I should have said sooner. I-I'm Hanji, bearer of the Soul Companion ability. A-As you see..."
Before he finished, the three spirit beasts circled him protectively.
"Ugh... There's a mid-grade wolf spirit beast I'm trying to befriend right now..."
Hanji winced, trembling from the pain in his knees.
"I was too greedy. Please... spare me..."