Chapter 70
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Spirit Beast (4)
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Spirits and spirit beasts are similar, yet different.
A spirits state at birth remains unchanged until its death. If a lesser wind spirit was born a sylph, it would live its entire life as a sylph until it died.
The same was true even for Spirit Kings.
The strongest spirit doesn't become the Spirit King; rather, a Spirit King is born from the very beginning with a predetermined name and absolute power.
Spirit beasts, on the other hand, are born with only their attribute and appearance decided.
When newly born, a spirit beast is weaker than even a lesser spirit. However, unlike spirits, spirit beasts can grow in two ways.
The first method is time. Spirit beasts grow stronger as they age. In other words, the time they have lived becomes their power.
The second method of growth is to absorb the spiritual energy contained within spirit stones, just as Bbaekbbaegi is doing now.
A spirit beast can absorb the energy of a spirit stone matching its attribute and make that power its own.
Bbaekbbaegi, having no attribute, was absorbing not only the energy of the spirit stone but its attribute as well.
How fascinating.
Unlike in the original story, Bbaekbbaegi was ignoring the wind spirit stone right in front of it and absorbing an ancient spirit stone I hadn't even known existed.
There was only one reason things had turned out this way.
The Guide
The Guide trait, which didn't exist in the original story, must have led it there. If this 'Guide' trait was what I thought it was, it was as good as hitting the jackpot for both Bbaekbbaegi and me.
Ting!
Water (Ancient) has been added to Veloa's attributes.
A message window popped up, indicating that Bbaekbbaegi had absorbed all the energy from the spirit stone.
It really is an ancient spirit.
Only a handful of people on this continent could wield ancient spirits, and that tiny creature had obtained such a rare power right from the start.
It was no different from a flying bundle of luck.
Bbaek.
Hoho. This little one.
Bbaekbbaegi landed on Reily's hand, holding the ancient spirit stone it had sucked dry in its feet.
Bbaek bbaek.
Well, look at this little fellow. It seems to have brought me this stone as a gift. Haha.
To those with no connection to spirits, a spirit stone was just a pretty colored rock. No one here knew what it truly was.
Haha.
Reily's face lit up as he accepted the empty spirit stone from Bbaekbbaegi.
Bbaek.
Bbaekbbaegi didn't stop at just giving him the stone; it circled around Reily, acting cute. The little one seemed to have naturally figured out who the most important person here was.
Haha! Well then. Instead of giving it to me, is there not something you would like to have?
Bbaek?
Bbaekbbaegi tilted its head slightly, as if asking, Really? At the cute sight, people stared only at Bbaekbbaegi, broad smiles on their faces.
Khahaha! Just look at this adorable creature. Yuren.
Yes, Your Majesty.
What is this creatures name?
It is called Bbaekbbaegi, Your Majesty.
Having been teased about the name recently, I answered in a less-than-confident voice.
Bbaekbbaegi? A fine name.
Everyone fell silent at Reilys approval.
It's intuitive and suits it perfectly.
Thank you, Your Majesty!
I'd been worried about what kind of teasing I'd get next, but hearing praise for the first time, I answered with a voice full of confidence.
Bbaekbbaegi.
Bbaek?
Is there not something you would like to have?
Bbaek.
The moment Reily finished speaking, as if it had been waiting, Bbaekbbaegi flew to the statue next to him. It began to absorb the spiritual energy from the wind spirit stone.
Wow, that thing is devouring two of them here.
Ting!
Wind has been added to Veloa's attributes.
As soon as Bbaekbbaegi absorbed the spiritual energy from the wind spirit stone, another message window appeared.
Veloa
One of the spirit beasts living between the Spirit and Human Realms. Spirit beasts are born with one of the four major elemental attributes, but Veloa is born with none.
Attributes: Water (Ancient Lv. 1), Wind.
Trait: Guide.
I never dreamed it would gain two attributes here.
Haha, I told you to take what you want, not give it to me.
Bbaek bbaek!
Like someone who'd eaten only the filling of a dumpling, Bbaekbbaegi brought the spirit stonenow just an empty shell after it had absorbed all the energyback to Reily.
Bbaek bbaek bbaek.
And it didn't forget to chirp away, putting on a cute little show for Reily.
Such a selfless creature.
Th-thank you.
Not only Reily, but the people around him also looked at Bbaekbbaegi with expressions that said, How could such an adorable creature exist?
Hah
But watching all of this, I got goosebumps. That little thing was a step ahead of me.
Khaha.
Reily couldn't stop laughing as he watched Bbaekbbaegi. He seemed completely smitten with it.
They say an animal takes after its owner's personality. It seems Bbaekbbaegi has followed your personality exactly. Hoho.
You praise me too highly.
To say that thing is like me... not a chance. It's even more cunning.
Bbaek.
Bbaekbbaegi, having finished its business and its playtime, returned to me. Reily looked disappointed, smacking his lips as he watched Bbaekbbaegi settle on my shoulder.
It's a creature that really lifts one's spirits. I haven't laughed this much in a long time.
Thank you very much for looking upon it so kindly.
Now that we've had our fun, it's my turn to repay you. As a token of my gratitude for your help, I have prepared a small gift.
A gift? No, Your Majesty. Bbaekbbaegi acted rashly and took a jewel, causing a disturbance. To receive a gift on top of that
The jewels and stones on this statue and pillars were merely a hobby of my predecessor. I left them because they weren't bad to look at, but they are of no concern to me.
Reily looked at Bbaekbbaegi and me with eyes full of favor.
First, as thanks for your help, I will send an envoy to the Krasis Kingdom.
There is no need to go that far
No, such things must be handled properly. It is only polite to express gratitude after receiving great help from a noble of another nation. It's not as if we have a bad relationship with the Krasis Kingdom.
I am eternally grateful for your grace.
Though I wore a flustered expression, I felt a sense of relief inside. The moment news of me reached the Krasis Kingdom, Beil's attention would shift completely from the dwarven village and focus solely on me.
I heard you fight by throwing daggers. Is that correct?
Yes, that is correct.
I searched for a gift for you, but no matter how I looked, I couldn't find any decent daggers. So I prepared something else. Bring it.
At Reily's command, a royal guard from behind brought a box and handed it to me.
Open it.
Yes.
When I opened the fragrant wooden box, I found a bundle of thread, thinner and more transparent than a strand of hair.
It's thread drawn from a Skymir, also known as a sky silkworm. For some reason, I thought it would suit a dagger user like you. What do you think?
Ah
Skymir's Thread
Thread drawn from the Skymir, the sky silkworm. A single strand can withstand most aura or magic, and it possesses strong resistance to fire and water. Once set, the thread blends in with its surroundings.
It was an incredible gift I never could have imagined. I wanted to scream right then and there. Its description, abilities, and form were all similar to the Celestial Silkworm Thread found in martial arts novels.
What do you think? Do you like it?
Of course, Your Majesty. Thank you so much.
As I expressed my gratitude with a sincere voice and expression, Reily smiled with deep satisfaction.
I was a little worried, but I'm glad you like it.
I truly love it.
Seeing the recipient of a gift so happy makes me happy as well. It seems both you and Bbaekbbaegi have a talent for making others feel good.
Reily smiled as he watched Bbaekbbaegi preening its feathers on my shoulder.
Hmm.
Reily's gaze shifted to my side.
Arin.
Yes, Your Majesty!
Startled by the sudden call of her name, Arin still managed to kneel and bow her head.
Rise. One greeting is sufficient.
I am eternally grateful for your grace.
I heard that thanks to you, the priests' lives were saved when everyone else was caught off guard.
I only did what I had to do.
You all say the same thing. Is this some kind of training you receive at the Lox House?
Though his words were teasing, Reily's tone and expression were filled with warmth.
As a reward for saving the lives of our priests, I have prepared a gift for you as well. I originally intended to prepare a sword, but I heard you already have a good one that suits you, so I changed it to a gauntlet.
I am eternally grateful for your grace.
Without raising her head, Arin accepted the gauntlet Reily handed over.
The small stone embedded in the center of the gauntlet is a holy stone. The gauntlet protects the wearer's mind and hastens the recovery of wounds and stamina. Lastly, it allows the use of a healing spell once a day.
Th-thank you so much.
Arins voice trembled at the unexpectedly grand gift.
Thank you for risking your lives to help, even though it was not your affair.
Not at all. Thank you so much for this incomparably great gift.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
I hope to see you all again.
Of course. We will visit again.
Bbaek.
Finally, Bbaekbbaegi let out a cry as if to say it would do just that.
I actually did need to come back here, and looking at Bbaekbbaegi, it seemed to know that too.
After the audience, we left the royal castle and returned to Huraken's estate.
How was it? His Majesty the Holy King is more easygoing than you'd think, isn't he?
He is. He treated us so kindly, I didn't know what to do with myself.
He's in a good mood because there were no casualties, thanks to you all. Are you heading back to the Krasis Kingdom now?
Yes. I plan to go to Pimera Mountain to pick up my blacksmith and then return. I've finished everything I needed to do here.
I see.
Haa
Huraken smiled wistfully, while Irea let out a deep sigh, looking conflicted.
Ah, I had it ready but almost forgot.
Pardon?
Huraken took a book out of his magic pouch and handed it to me.
Take this. I know you don't use a sword, but it's something I always give to special guests.
Wondering what he meant, I looked at the cover of the book he handed me.
The Standard of Swordsmanship Huraken Zenberg
This
This was the book Marquis Lox mentioned when I was looking for Kabol's books. It was famous for being the best-selling and easiest-to-read swordsmanship manual.
You've probably heard of it, right? The best-selling swordsmanship manual on the continent. And this one is a limited edition with my seal. You can't get it no matter how much money you have.
Thank you.
I had already received so much from Huraken.
The Center of Gravity trait, the Lightning Blade Body Technique, even sparring with ArinI had gained things that money couldn't buy, so I was grateful for anything he gave me.
Flip.
After thanking him, I opened the book. The illustrations were clean, and the text was easy to read. It was as well-made as Kabol's swordsmanship manuals.
Even I, who knows little about swords, find it easy to understand.
Haha, of course. I made it, after all. When you're done with it, show it to Arin.
I will.
As I flipped through the book, I saw a section titled 'References'.
You even listed your references.
When I was first asked to write the book, I didn't know what to do, so I looked through other books. I just listed the ones I read.
That's admirable.
In a world without copyrights, for him to list the books he'd read... he truly was an honest man. As I thought this and casually skimmed the pages, my eyes froze on one spot as if struck by lightning.
Iocal Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship Kabol.
Delian Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship Kabol.
Kabol's books were listed in Huraken's references.
Y-Your Grace the Duke.
What is it?
These books
Ah! Kabol's books.
Huraken grinned when he saw the titles of Kabol's books my finger was pointing at.
They were good books. In fact, if they hadn't dealt with the swordsmanship of just one kingdom, they would have been even better manuals than my own.
Do you happen to have these books?
Of course I do.
I'm sorry to ask, but may I take a look at them?
Are you interested in swordsmanship?
Not really, but I needed them for the future.
After giving Huraken a vague answer about being interested, we moved to his study.
Here they are.
Thank you.
When I received the books from Huraken, the sturdy cover and perfect grip felt identical to Kabol's previous manuals.
Hiding my trembling heart, I opened to the first chapter right where I stood. As expected, I saw an illustration that seemed to be alive and moving.
The Celestial Eye, subordinate to the Creator's Eye, now imprints Chapter 1 of Iocal Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship, Oks.
Due to the trait Heavenly Martial Body, you can immediately reproduce Oks.
A message popped up after I finished reading the illustration and description in the first chapter. This was definitely a genuine Kabol book.
Your Grace. I apologize, but may I read the book here?
Between us, you don't need to ask such things. Of course you can.
Thank you.
I sat in a nearby chair and began to read immediately. With every page I finished, an imprinting message continued to appear.
Flip.
As I turned the last page of Iocal Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship, a series of messages appeared one after another.
You have fully mastered Iocal Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship.
Iocal Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship is now subordinated to the trait Sword Seal.
Forgotten King's Sword 318
The experience of the trait Sword Seal has increased by 15.
As an effect of gathering three basic swordsmanship styles in Sword Seal, all physical abilities increase by 1.