The Spirit Axis
"The innate Divine Poison that plagues the elves. Over the passage of time, it's only grown thicker and more potent."
Sennew Laren's blood spread rapidly through Adel's body. At first, it stung like a prick, but now it burrowed into his heart like a needle, stabbing relentlessly.
"Poisonous enough to steal the life of one's own kin."
Adel's eyebrow twitched faintly.
"But it won't kill me. I'm a contractor of an ancient god. Stronger than any other, and the price I pay is just as deep."
His veins bulged and writhed as he clenched his fist, as if his body itself were resisting the elf's poison.
"Back then, I had no mana. I took in the Divine Poison purely with my flesh, just like you elves."
"...And yet you survived."
"Of course. You think I'd die from something like that? After everything I've endured."
Sennew's resolve wavered at Adel's firm words.
"That sounds less like boasting of your greatness and more like admitting your past self suffered even more than you do now."
"Suffering's suffering, whether it's your body or your mind. I don't know which hurts worse."
Adel slowly closed his eyes, signaling he was done with the pointless talk.
A low hum filled the air as he circulated his mana. His blood surged faster, spreading the mana within his true blood throughout his body.
Impressive, Sennew thought, sensing the mana flowing through him. What had seemed like a struggle against the elf's Divine Poison was now overwhelming it entirely.
"Hoo..."
Adel exhaled, absorbing Sennew's blood like prey. His breath now carried the faint scent of fresh grass leaves, unlike before.
"Good. Now listen carefully from here on. You're not just summoning a spirit. You need to plant the spirit power from the elf blood in your veins into the bridge of your true blood."
Adel nodded, eyes still closed, as he kept his blood flowing.
"But for a human to build spirit mana is like implanting a spirit gate inside your body—nearly impossible."
They would bridge divine power and mana with a Spirit Axis. That axis was like a whole world in itself, no different from creating a dimension within one's flesh.
"If we compare what you're doing to divine power, it's like engraving a god into your body and releasing it to let divine power settle in your true blood."
"God's Descent and divine power release."
"You've heard of it, then. It's excruciating and grueling. Think of it as the spirit equivalent."
"Heard of it...? Yeah."
Adel chuckled dryly and nodded. If Sennew knew he'd already forced a mid-tier god of destruction to descend on him before, he'd be stunned.
"The core of spirit mana is the Wisp. Pure spirits unbound by attributes, perfect for blending with other powers. They're low-tier, but also the trickiest to handle."
A hum echoed as wisps materialized around him. From one or two at first, dozens soon swirled about, enveloping him.
"Indeed..."
Adel nodded approvingly at the sight.
"Even among Spirit Formation shamans, few can command this many wisps. From what I know, Hanna Kran can barely summon ten at most."
"Comparing humans to elves at spirit arts? They only call themselves spirit shamans because we elves vanished. To our eyes, their 'spirit arts' are just child's play."
Sennew spoke with fierce pride in spirit magic. Dead or tainted by black magic, he was still an elf at heart, unyielding in his heritage.
"Humans start with wisps because they're low-tier. But that's foolish."
Wisps belonged to no element.
[Not wrong. Any power is freest and most primal in its pure state—the ultimate essence.]
Kalderet agreed with Sennew's words.
"You've received my blood, so you'll have the highest affinity for the spirits I wield. Learn to handle them first, and you can build your Spirit Axis. Start there."
A soft whoosh rose as he lifted his palm skyward, scattering the wisps. A small air bubble hovered before him.
"A low-tier wind spirit. Focus on summoning this one first."
Peck. Peck.
The wind spirit left Sennew's hand and lightly tapped Adel's palm.
"It'll be hard to get the feel at first. But once affinity begins, you'll sense its energy."
Adel nodded, spreading his palm and closing his eyes, turning it upward.
Whoosh...!
The wind spirit landed on his palm as if waiting.
Huh?
Sennew blinked in surprise.
Not bad. Wind spirits are more playful than most—hard to tame.
They often ignored even their summoner.
"Done."
"Huh?"
Adel opened his eyes and looked at Sennew.
Sennew stared blankly.
"What's next?"
Sennew faltered, blinking at him before letting out an incredulous laugh.
"Even with my blood in you, a spirit wouldn't bond that fast. It took me—an elf—three days to contract a wind spirit..."
"Neya."
Sennew's words cut off.
"It can't speak, being low-tier, but that's what it wants to be called."
"...Impossible."
Adel taking the Divine Poison without flinching made sense as an ancient god contractor. Sennew thought nothing more could surprise him.
Yet here was something even more astonishing.
"So, next?"
It was a chain of shocks.
"R-Right. Um, yeah! Once that's done, absorb the spirit power from my blood into your true blood's mana."
Sennew gaped as Adel toyed with the wind spirit on his finger like a curiosity.
How? Not just sensing it—he's conversing? With a low-tier spirit?
Gulp.
Sennew swallowed dryly. Even he, an elf, had rarely spoken with low gods.
Elves struggle with initial affinity... What is this guy?
His eyes trembled as he watched a breeze rise from Adel's feet.
No lie. Affinity complete—the spirit power flowed into his mana-laden true blood.
Unbelievable, even seeing it.
Sennew's gaze shook. He felt his blood circulating stronger in Adel's veins.
"Hoo..."
With each exhale, the scent of spirits thickened.
He handles it like he's done this before.
As if answering, Adel began gathering the settling spirit power in his true blood.
"Listen closely now."
Sennew realized spirit magic transmission—what should take weeks or months—might end in hours, not days.
"Soon, your mana and spirit power will merge, forming the axis. That's when the real test begins."
But he couldn't just gawk.
"Keep exhaling without pause. Breathing alone will accelerate your circulation."
He admitted his mistake: judging Adel by normal standards.
"That axis will filter your mana like a sieve, leaving only the purest essence."
Adel didn't reply. He'd instinctively formed the Spirit Axis between his two true bloods before the words even left Sennew's mouth.
With each breath, spirit energy accumulated, spreading through his body in a profound wave.
"...Good."
The gentle breeze at his feet whipped into a fierce vortex. Sennew knew his guidance was obsolete.
Whoosh—!
"Kuh?"
Sennew squinted against the wind battering him. The spirits seemed to follow Adel, not him.
Good felt embarrassing even to him.
A spirit core below the navel... A full Spirit Axis in less than a day.
Even after centuries watching elves, this was unprecedented. Monster was an understatement.
"Harder than I thought."
The vortex calmed as Adel opened his eyes. Vitality bloomed on his face. Divine and mana power flowed smoothly through his veins, linked by the Spirit Axis.
"...Hard? Don't say that in front of others. It's civilian slaughter."
Sennew waved his hands in surrender, shaking his head.
"Nothing amazing. Not because I'm special. First time, but I had a feel for it."
"How?"
"Felt something similar before."
"...Hm?"
Sennew tilted his head, puzzled.
"When I contracted Driehl. Having the experience made it easy."
Sennew's eyes widened.
"You mean... Driehl, the high god of purification our elves followed?"
"Yeah. Also called the god of purification."
"Insane..."
Sennew gawked.
"A human contracting Driehl... Explains why spirits are easy for you. Though I'm too numb to be shocked anymore."
He chuckled wryly.
"Building the Spirit Axis is half the battle. You've created a direct channel to spirits in your body."
Whoosh.
"No need for mediums like other humans. You can contract spirits directly."
Wind spirits gathered around Adel, proving Sennew right.
"Even in my past life, I never used spirits despite the Driehl contract?"
"Nope."
"Yet you have an innate affinity. With effort, mid-tier spirits should be no problem."
"Really?"
"Artifacts could push you to high-tier. Better than the Spirit Formation's head. Heh."
Sennew wondered what the Spirit Formation—one of the three great magic councils—would think.
"By the way, I heard a voice when building the Spirit Axis."
"...A voice?"
"Maybe a brief link to the spirit realm, like you said."
"Hmm, intriguing. Spirits rarely initiate. What'd it say?"
"Alakhar."
"...What?!"
Just four syllables, but Sennew jolted more than ever before.
Alakhar.
The name of the wind spirit king.