Chapter 158
Chapter 158
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Shadows of the Great Mountain Range (7)
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A little while ago.
The moment the mana-infused voice of the Siren first touched the spirit.
The rampaging spirit was accompanied by the status window going wild as well.
Having experienced it once before, Galen immediately understood what was happening. Or, to broaden it a bit, twice.
'This happens when an existing spell evolves, not when acquiring a new one.'
Spirit Creation had evolved when he fought that pitch-black ghost-like thing over the eastern sea.
Illusory Inferno had evolved when he tracked down the black market in the northeast and clashed with Vantis.
Coincidentally, both times were against magic soldiers in prolonged battles. They said these fiends were like walking demons too, so the current situation was somewhat similar.
In any case, Galen wasn't one to let an unexpected opportunity slip by. He felt a bit sorry for Lilia, but he'd asked her to go easy and fight gently so the Siren wouldn't get scared and run away. It wasn't an unreasonable request.
'...But is this related to spirits?'
The ghost manipulating water mixed in the seawater was quite similar to a spirit, just different in color.
Vantis's magic soldier overlapped with Illusory Inferno in its fire manipulation.
But he couldn't see how controlling fiends related to spirits.
Still, doubting the status window now would be even more foolish.
While Lilia worked hard to buy time, Galen focused all his attention on the spirit. Thanks to the Siren chattering nonstop, the spirit's writhing didn't stop, allowing him ample observation.
The status window would analyze it on its own if he just waited, but he felt bad sitting idle while Lilia dashed around.
Above all, his eyes kept drifting there no matter how hard he tried to ignore it.
'The feeling is definitely different from before.'
Both evolutions had happened during his Gold rank days.
Now at Gem rank, even in the same situation, far more details came into view than before.
Perhaps because his vision for observing magic itself had expanded beyond compare to his Gold days.
As Galen intently observed the churning spirit and the gradually changing mana of Spirit Creation, his eyes suddenly lit up.
'Ah, so that's it.'
Spirits lacked a higher self or ego.
Yet calling them complete puppets without any will of their own wasn't quite right either.
They faithfully carried out Galen's commands, but handled the details on their own without micromanagement.
Call it rudimentary intelligence or a mind—it existed in some form.
And the Siren's mana had infiltrated exactly that part.
It wasn't like hypnosis mesmerizing the mind.
What was it? Like imposing a new personality on a person.
'Spirit Creation bestows personality on natural elements to birth spirits. The Siren's ability bestows a separate personality on demonic beings.'
He saw the similarity.
Not just forcing a logical fit to make them seem alike.
His mage's intuition had detected a common property between the two different manas.
They diverged in subcategories, but at the higher level... the roots of the two spells were the same. Astonishingly.
The moment Galen realized that.
"Ah."
Lightning struck in his mind.
A fundamental shift occurred in how he viewed magic.
It was a major change, like stepping into Gem rank, but in a completely different domain.
Not like the intense self-realization from Water Flow Manipulation, aiming for the pinnacle of a specific spell. More like an enhancement to his overall magic usage.
Calmly organizing his still-messy thoughts, Galen glanced at the status window.
Galen wasn't surprised by the unfamiliar status window.
The realization that had just come to him wasn't unrelated to the status window. He'd suspected some essential change had occurred.
"......"
This status window had been named 'Spirit Creation' until moments ago.
The level and progress remained the same, but the name had completely changed, and a new unfamiliar description line was added.
Just in case, he pulled up other spells' status windows, and they were unchanged. Only Spirit Creation's had transformed into this unique format.
Probably because it was the only spell that gained insight directly intertwined with the Siren's mana.
No need to be disconcerted.
He could just think of it as Spirit Creation evolving with new functions added.
The sensation of using magic hadn't changed. That was enough.
"You're working hard to protect even a halfwit companion. Try a bit harder!"
"That's for real?!"
Then came the voices of the Siren and Lilia in turn. Galen lightly shook his head and opened his mouth.
"Hold on, Lilia."
If Lilia got pissed and shredded the clueless Siren—who didn't even realize she was being spared—the chance to test the newly evolved spell would vanish.
Having received an unexpected great gift, reciprocating was only fair.
"Let's see, is this how it works?"
While soothing Lilia, he murmured lowly while eyeing the troll approaching without a clue.
"Stop."
The mana of Spirit Creation, formerly used only as fuel to move spirits.
Now, under the new name of Life mana, it moved entirely differently.
Galen's voice, naturally, didn't resonate uniquely like the Siren's or spread far and wide.
But thanks to Spirit Creation evolving and incidentally stealing some of the Siren's ability, he knew well.
The voice was merely a medium to convey mana.
Of course, the Siren's special voice could transmit mana much farther and more smoothly.
But for influencing the troll right in front of him, Galen's low murmur was more than sufficient.
Kuwoook!
The troll's club, poised to smash down on Galen, lost its target. The troll's body had suddenly twisted grotesquely.
"Huh?"
Lilia, who had paused her assault at Galen's command, tilted her head.
"Wh-what?!"
The Siren, watching leisurely, let out a sharp scream.
"Y-you! What did you do?!"
"What did you do this time, sir?"
Though one was shock and the other curiosity, the question was the same.
Galen shrugged. He answered only Lilia, though the Siren would eavesdrop anyway.
"In simple terms, the Siren's ability temporarily overlays a new personality."
"Personality?"
"Similar to the mind splitting into two briefly. One body, two heads, so to speak."
"Aha."
"That's why the spirit acted up. It had both a head following me and one following the Siren, so it flailed in confusion."
"Then this troll is the same?"
"Even more confused, I'd say?"
Galen glanced back as he replied. A light wave of mana flew toward the charging fiend, turning it the same as the troll.
Watching the fiends creak like broken robots, Galen added,
"They're beast-like, but fiends have their original minds. Mix in the personality from the Siren and the one I impose, and it's like three heads now."
"No wonder it's glitching!"
"How did you copy that?!"
Galen and Lilia neatly ignored the Siren's wail.
"Honestly, though, it doesn't seem super useful. Isn't killing them outright easier and faster?"
"Against regular fiends, yes. But against unusual ones, worth testing..."
Above all, the original Spirit Creation abilities hadn't vanished from the evolved spell—just gained new ones.
And even those originals were enhanced.
"Not sure if it'll work perfectly, but it shouldn't fail outright."
Galen casually extended his right hand, palm up.
Whiiing!
Drawing on Spiral Eddy mana, wind gathered in his palm. A small vortex spun there.
Now, draw out Spirit Creation—no, Life mana once more.
Like changing clothes without changing the person, alter it without harming the fundamental nature.
[Life: Mind: Bestowal][Spirit Creation]
[Familiar mana akin to pre-evolution Spirit Creation]
He said 'akin' instead of 'identical' because of a crucial difference.
Spirit Creation mana was originally fuel for moving spirits—passive use only.
But Life mana could now be actively mixed into his voice, like Demonic Sound Domain.
If he could actively use the ability to bestow personality on natural elements?
Whiiiii—
The wind roiling in his palm calmed.
Not that Spiral Eddy's power weakened.
The rotating wind's form had fixed.
"Wow!"
Lilia's eyes sparkled like a child's in awe.
The newborn wind spirit fluttered its transparent body lightly before them.
"Hm, half-successful, maybe..."
"Huh? Didn't it work?"
"Unfortunately, it feels lacking somehow. Compared to this one."
Galen lifted his now-docile left wrist bracelet and smacked his lips.
"Unlike this one that persists without effort, it seems to vanish when mana runs out. Temporary, I guess."
"More like an exotic spell than a true spirit if it's temporary?"
"Well, still plenty useful as combat support. It has abilities, just mana-hungry. Could assist you, Lilia."
"That sounds exciting!"
"First, let's clean up here. Mind grabbing that one for me?"
"Yes!"
"I'll handle the front now."
Business done. No more mercy.
Shiiiiiing!
Spiral Eddy storm raged centered on Galen and Lilia. Fiends still out of it scattered like leaves swept by a broom.
Having lightly cleared the surroundings, Galen drew Illusory Inferno mana next.
Kwaaaaaang!
Explosion and flames obliterated the front entirely. Fiend corpses that left no traces shattered into fragments.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwaaaang!
A bit guilty for leaving the magic research to Lilia, Galen poured mana generously.
Illusory Inferno boasted top pure destructive power among his spells. No fiends tough enough to withstand near-Gold pinnacle magic were here.
And neither was the Siren.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
Tauros ran for dear life. The Siren on its shoulder bit her lip until it bled.
In this short time, over a hundred magical beasts swept away. The technique's power was absurdly overwhelming.
"What... what the hell is he...!"
A halfwit strutting around calling his half-baked technique 'magic.'
Seemed to have a water spirit, then handled wind and fire too, and even copied her power on the spot.
Impossible to fathom his identity. Only one thing clear: dangerously so.
"Must tell Master—"
Her panting mutter didn't finish.
The world tilted.
Tauros's waist was sliced in half.
Falling with the upper half, the Siren saw platinum light from a minion's weapon.
"Euphu!"
She blacked out, waking to a water splash.
The halfwit and minion loomed over her fallen form. Captured before she knew it.
"Wonder if this'll work. Hope so."
Galen grinned at the dazed Siren.
A wave of mana struck the Siren.
"Will it work on the original owner too?"