Chapter 109
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: The World Tree (3)
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5.
Ten minutes into the negotiation.
Five drops.
Two drops.
Five drops.
...Two drops.
The Regent and Kain were locked in a standoff, neither willing to back down an inch.
I can already sense Mothers energy within your body. It seems you have already consumed the Dew of the World Tree once. As you know, a second dose of the Dew offers no significant effect.
Ah, I was planning to give it to my companions.
Then let us meet at three drops.
Yes, five drops.
Kains negotiating tactic was essentially to dare her to call his bluff.
The Regent felt a surge of anger she hadnt experienced in a very long time.
Since Mother lost her vitality, the Dew has scarcely formed. Five drops is an extremely unreasonable
Think of it as an investment, wont you? If you invest generously, I will be sure to complete the request successfully. Its not like you have any other choice ahem, anyway, you can trust me with this.
The human before her was the protagonist of the Prophecy Mother had spoken of.
She recalled the Prophecy she had heard from Mother one day.
When a deep darkness falls upon the forest, a being born of my vitality will save me, and in doing so, will finally free you all from the forest.
It was certain.
Kain Rator before her was the protagonist of that prophecy.
The Spiritual Eye she had gained upon ascending to the regency was telling her clearly that he was the one.
Therefore, the Regent managed to compose herself. She offered a faint smile and spoke.
Then how about this proposal?
Ill hear you out.
Three drops of the Dew. And in addition I will teach you Spirit Arts.
Spirit Arts?
Had his interest been piqued?
Kain, who had maintained a stubborn posture until now, had a glint in his eye. But it was fleeting. He shrugged and said.
Im not really talented in anything besides swordsmanship, you see.
It wasnt as if he hadnt tried to develop skills other than swordsmanship after his reincarnation.
He had actually asked Peil to hire a mage as a private tutor once.
But Kain had been forced to give up learning magic in less than a week.
A waste of time.
It wasnt that magic swordsmen, who learned both magic and swordsmanship, didnt exist in this world.
But rumors about magic swordsmen would eventually fade away.
Why?
Because they all die.
Most of them got a little famous, started acting rashly, and ended up dead.
Using both magic and swordsmanship at the same time sounded incredible, but the reality was different.
To begin with, the way magic and mana circulation methods used mana was fundamentally different.
While mana circulation methods focused on how to efficiently condense mana, magic focused on how to efficiently use mana.
Condensation and usage.
Making those two concepts coexist was a feat of extreme difficulty.
Moreover, to use magic with condensed mana, one had to invent an entirely new set of magic formulas, not use the existing ones.
I dont have the talent for that, nor the need to go that far.
It was an impossible task for someone with his talents, unless he were a dragon.
Therefore, it was far more efficient to focus on swordsmanship in that time.
It doesnt matter if you have no talent for magic. Spirit Arts and magic share the same root of mana, but they are entirely different powers.
The Regent continued, her expression much brighter than before.
The fundamental principle of Spirit Arts is equivalent exchange. If you offer a spirit your mana, the spirit will lend you power befitting it. It doesn't require complex formulas like magic.
Ive heard that even among humans, Spirit Users are few and far between, Your Excellency. And as for a knight who also uses Spirit Arts I dont think Ive ever heard of such a case.
Which is why you will become a special existence if you learn Spirit Arts.
It was a rather plausible offer.
So, was this proposal worth giving up two drops of the World Trees Dew?
Of course.
Through his last battle with Massacre, he had realized just how much convenience spirits could provide.
The wind spirit covered his lack of mobility and aerial combat, while the water spirit compensated for his lack of healing abilities.
The spirits of the other elements also had their own unique advantages.
What if he could use those advantages in the right place at the right time?
He would be able to lead battles in a much more diverse way than he could now.
He could create more variables, which meant he could gain a more advantageous position in a fight.
By consuming Mothers Dew, your affinity with the spirits has already increased dramatically. Of course, not everyone who consumes the Dew becomes a Spirit User, but I see abundant potential in you.
The Regent smiled as she looked into Kains eyes.
It worked.
He clearly looked interested.
She had originally planned to teach him without any conditions, but since it had come to this, it was better to use it as a bargaining chip.
Then is it possible to contract with multiple spirits?
As she expected, Kain expressed his interest enthusiastically.
Unfortunately, that seems impossible with your aptitude. You should be able to contract with a maximum of one element. The recommended element would be water
Vwooooong-!
Pardon me for a moment.
Guillotine suddenly began to resonate. Kain excused himself to the Regent and carefully placed his finger on Guillotines pommel.
What is it?
A moment later, Guillotines voice echoed in Kains ear.
-Thinking of making a contract with a spirit, Master?
She said shed let me.
-Is there really a need to contract with the four elements? Just do it with that black thing.
The black thing Guillotine was referring to was, of course.
Myaaa-!
The shadow spirit that was still rubbing its head against him.
But he still knew nothing about this shadow spirit.
It was cute, but he had no idea what kind of abilities it possessed.
So, Kain asked the Regent.
What are the abilities of a shadow spirit?
The Regent replied with a troubled expression.
As I mentioned earlier, the shadow spirit is a type of primal spirit. As of now, not only its abilities but even the method of contracting with it is unclear
But just then.
-Method, my ass. Just eat it.
Vwooooooong-!
The mana flowing from Guillotine instantly swallowed the shadow spirit.
Seeing this, Kain hastily grabbed Guillotine.
You crazy bastard!
He quickly tried to control Guillotines mana, but.
Sssshhh.
The mana had already devoured every part of the spirit.
...The beheading sword, Guillotine. It is as ferocious as Mother said.
The demonic sword must have finally shown its true colors, Your Excellency. Please wait just a moment
Kain was flustered by the sudden turn of events, but only for a moment.
Myaaaaaa-!
About five seconds passed.
The spirit that had suddenly vanished reappeared from within Guillotines mana.
The fur color of the reappeared spirit had changed subtly.
From a black that evoked the deepest darkness to a dark blue that resembled Guillotines blade.
And at that moment.
Hk.
Kain clutched his left chest and let out a groan.
A pain, as if someone were churning his mana core, spread throughout his body.
-Contract complete. How about that? I did good, right?
You can get ready to be thrown into a furnace later.
-No, Master! Just listen. Youre only saying that because you dont know this things true nature
Shut up.
While Kain was grinding his teeth and glaring at Guillotine, the Regent offered him her congratulations with a slightly dazed expression.
...Congratulations on becoming a Spirit User, Kain Rator.
But her congratulations were short-lived.
Ssshhh-!
The darkness flowing from Kains body instantly enveloped their surroundings.
6.
This is
The Regent let out a small gasp of admiration as she looked around.
Night had suddenly fallen upon this place that had been filled with warm sunlight.
A darkness so deep you couldnt see an inch in front of you.
Yet, that darkness gently embraced her body.
Instead of fear of the unknown, she felt an inexplicable sense of comfort.
Ah.
It wasnt difficult to realize where this darkness had originated.
Fwoosh-!
The Regent lit a flame at her fingertip, illuminating the darkness.
Soon, Kains bewildered face came into view.
When their eyes met, Kain gave her an awkward smile and said.
It wasnt intentional, Your Excellency. This thing just acted on its own
Myaaa-.
The shadow spirit, still in the form of a cat, was perched on Kains shoulder.
A power so absurd it could turn midday into night.
Of course, this change was likely limited to the immediate area, but this alone was enough to tell how powerful the shadow spirit was.
She silently observed the spirit for a moment. Then, she spoke in a low voice.
Pluto. That is the spirits true name.
Among the vast knowledge passed down from the World Tree was, of course, the true name of this spirit.
At the Regents words, Kain replied with a surprised expression.
The King of the Underworld a fine name. Well, it seems to fit, I suppose.
Kain frowned slightly and let out a dry laugh.
He understood in an instant just how absurd this creature was.
To completely dye a certain radius in utter darkness.
This wasnt some special technique.
As if giving a demonstration, the creature had merely spread its energy around.
This is dizzying.
The problem was that this energy originated entirely from Kain, from his core.
Nearly half his mana had drained from his core in an instant.
It was enough to make him feel severely dizzy.
The worst efficiency imaginable.
And the bigger problem was.
I cant control it.
Myaaaaaa-!
He couldnt figure out how to handle Plutos power at all.
But the Regent nodded as if she had expected it.
This is a common phenomenon for those who have just contracted with a spirit. It occurs when the souls of the Spirit User and the spirit first bind together. We call this excessive resonance.
She looked around once more at the darkness that had descended upon the area.
We judge the capacity of a Spirit User through this excessive resonance.
In your opinion, Your Excellency, how is my capacity?
At Kains direct question, the Regent smiled wryly and nodded.
Its absurd.
Thank you for the compliment.
It was then.
Your Excellencyyyyy!
Kainnnnn!
Kain!
Familiar voices echoed from the distance.
They were the voices of his companions and Orion.
Hearing the voices from not too far away, Kain turned his gaze to the edge of the darkness.
Kain!
His companions were wandering through the darkness with panicked expressions.
It seemed they thought an enemy had attacked.
Im fine!
Kain shouted loudly toward them.
But his companions didnt seem to hear him, restlessly looking around instead.
And that wasnt all.
Even though their companions were right beside them.
Where did everyone go? Leo! Utulla!
Dammit! Is this black magic? Dont tell me there was a traitor inside the city Sister Rionnnnn! Kainnnnn!
They were desperately calling each others names.
From this, Kain was able to deduce one of the abilities the darkness possessed.
It blocks the senses.
It was powerful enough to fluster even Rion, who had reached the 6-Star level.
Although it came with the condition that the opponent had to enter the darkness, this was just the spirits basic ability.
And considering that this ability was merely the tip of the iceberg
...This is just broken, isnt it?
It was clear that an unbelievably powerful force had fallen into his hands.
This is what makes reincarnation worthwhile.
Kain grinned as he watched his confused companions.
It seemed his bad luck from his past life was being repaid like this.