Blossoming in the Swamp (5)
Even back when Arcana was just a game, spirits were beings of pure fantasy to players.
"No way spirits are actually real, right?"
"If anyone had seen one, it'd be all over NetTube by now."
"It's probably just bait they tossed out—hype us up with mentions, then drop a new Spirit Master class in the next update!"
It made sense to think that way. After all, even without players who had witnessed spirits firsthand or classes tied to them, their existence was confirmed. Books and NPCs chattered about them endlessly as proof.
"So when's that update supposed to hit?"
"Nothing in this week's patch notes either."
"Hold up—I haven't even job-changed, and I've been waiting months?!"
But they were way off base. As I said, spirits were rare existences visible only to a select few.
Naturally, interest in them faded over time.
And once Arcana became reality? Forget it. With rifts popping up and monsters roaming the real world, spirits—whose existence was even up for debate—sounded like pie in the sky.
"Breaking news just in: An unidentified message has appeared in the rift. We'll share it with you viewers right now!"
That was it.
In the Predator's Swamp zone, right before the message appeared to players entering the rift.
Someone has formed a contract with a spirit.
Someone had contracted with a spirit.
"What? It's already a shitshow in there just fighting—now a contract?!"
"And not just any contract—a spirit contract! That spirit they've been teasing forever!"
"Hard to believe from where we're just watching."
And that was in the Predator's Swamp, no different from a coliseum.
Who could that someone be? It wasn't hard to guess.
There was only one possibility.
The swamp zone. Endless muddy brawls.
Amid it all, like a lotus blooming pristine from the muck.
A lone player stood aloof and dignified.
It had to be Lee Hoyeol.
"See? I said something big was coming!"
Who was Lee Hoyeol? The player who returned unscathed from appropriate-level 900~1,000 rifts.
Such a man wouldn't dive into the Predator's rift just for EXP like everyone else.
The chat exploded, as expected.
Because it was Lee Hoyeol, not some random player.
The sky-high expectations peaked.
And as if it were only natural, Lee Hoyeol delivered.
"Lee Hoyeol never disappoints!"
In the Predator's Swamp rift, players who saw the message firsthand were no different. No—if anything, they were even more stunned.
"Contracted with a spirit?"
"What the hell! Swordsmanship wasn't enough—now spirits too?!"
"Quit whining. Messages keep popping up."
Messages flashing one after another.
And their contents were no joke.
The Forest Spirit King, Dryad, blesses the contract.
The Forest Spirit King, Dryad's blessing descends upon the Predator's Swamp.
EXP gained in the Predator's Swamp increases by 20%.
The value of spoils gained in the Predator's Swamp increases by 20%.
The Spirit King's blessing.
Effects: boosted EXP and spoil drop rates.
The rarest buff since Arcana's game days.
Even high-level players who knew the system inside out were floored.
"E-EXP and drop rate buffs?!"
"I've only seen that a couple times myself."
"Not 10%—20%?!"
"What insane feat did you pull this time, Lee Hoyeol!!"
No wonder they lost it.
Rocks let out a hollow chuckle, though he'd half-expected something big.
"You surpass even our expectations, as always."
Indeed. The level gap meant his perspective differed from Lee Hoyeol's.
Naturally, they saw different pictures.
"Damn. Never even thought of spirits. As expected!!"
Nam Taemin blurted pure admiration.
He prided himself on knowing more about Hoyeol than most players.
But Hoyeol's vessel seemed far grander than he'd imagined.
"……A spirit contract? Out of nowhere?"
……Hard to even snag a sip of tea now, for real.
Was it the messages? Or the berserker's frenzy?
Leoni's face brimmed with killing intent.
Everyone's ties to Hoyeol varied, so reactions differed—as expected.
But one thing was clear: That "someone" was Lee Hoyeol.
Thus, attention zeroed in on the floating stairs.
The stairs where Hoyeol would appear.
NetTubers were already salivating.
"I'll show you exactly what the spirit looks like!"
What did it matter what spirits looked like?
The first-ever title was what counted.
Yeah, that's what they'd thought.
Clack—
"!!!"
Until Hoyeol appeared.
* 『Contract with a Spirit』
Even a surface skim was up to Grandfell's rigorous standards.
I'd read a few books on spiritology, after all.
Basic knowledge? Check.
Naturally, I knew what a spirit contract meant.
So deep down, I was relieved.
'If it'd been a mid-tier spirit...'
Arcana continent info, contracts— all pie in the sky.
Because of the contract clause.
『Spirits are deeply influenced by the contractor's nature.』
Nature meaning the contractor's overall disposition.
Simply put, as a player...
'It'd be affected by my status window.'
Senior spirit mage Payan Lot. Her gluttony stemmed from her spirit contract.
—"As you see, my mana efficiency sucks."
Upper fire spirit, Fire Drake.
The Fire Drake demanded much from contractor Payan.
Rank had its privileges, basically.
Even that was mild since their bond wasn't full severance—limited to meal portions, she'd continued, cheeks puffed like a chipmunk.
—"Better than the mana exhaustion days, though."
What kind of beings were the Mage Tower's seniors? I'd witnessed Banggrit Tom's mana reserves in our duel.
An overwhelming amount I couldn't even dream of catching.
Same seniority, so Payan's couldn't differ much.
Yes—upper spirits could drive even mana behemoths like Payan to exhaustion...!
'Even a low-tier spirit's too much for me.'
Self-awareness achieved.
Plus.
"By the Forest Spirit King, Dryad's name, I swear."
Contract sealed.
The moment the nymph finished speaking, I felt it.
……My paltry mana draining away!
Thank god I'd dumped level-up points into magic.
And boosted regen with [Six-Pointed Brooch] and [Luxury—Duke Swalin's Cherished Item]...
Spirits lived up to the hype.
No wonder spiritology was the Mage Tower's elite discipline.
But I wouldn't show this dismay.
I spoke calmly.
"Thy form hath changed."
Contractor's nature.
My influence had reshaped the nymph from her appearance onward.
Her fairy-like size remained.
Yet somehow, that tiny frame exuded newfound nobility.
"Is that so? 'Tis surely thy influence, Lord Hoyeol."
……And what was with that speech?
Formal poise that met even Grandfell's standards.
Then it hit me.
The true meaning of spirits taking after their contractor's nature.
I—Grandfell—had influenced her.
Her transformed grace made sense now.
Even in my far humbler days, Harkon had called me "milord."
Not to mention the [Aesthetics] stat in my status window.
'On looks alone, she doesn't seem low-tier.'
Like a spirit queen or something?
I swallowed a groan, eyeing the nymph.
This was mirror therapy, a cautionary tale.
'Thanks to contracting with a wretch like me.'
Her polished exterior.
I felt responsible for tainting her with my influence.
Sincerely.
The nymph elegantly surveyed her changed self with a restrained nod.
Graceful drooping butterfly wings, lush flowing hair, attire flawless even by Grandfell's aesthetic eye.
Then she addressed me.
"I am pleased with my changes. What thinks Lord Hoyeol?"
Good, good—the contractor liked it. Relief.
Though that historical drama speech was burdensome.
Couldn't voice inner thoughts, though.
"No flaws to note."
Conversation ended there.
I reached for the violet mistletoe at once.
No time to waste.
'Even chatting drains mana...'
Not drastic.
But no room for slacking either.
Plus, I'd seen the messages.
Forest Spirit King Dryad's congratulatory blessings.
'EXP and drop buffs too.'
The blessings applied to the [Predator's Swamp].
Other players would reap the same rewards.
Hesitate, and no monsters left.
No time to whine about weakness.
Yeah—if levels lacked, raise them.
If mana beyond level-ups...
Chew elixirs and force it.
I had the potential.
That's what I thought—
Flutter—
The nymph elegantly flitted toward the violet mistletoe.
"If thou needs this violet mistletoe."
"?"
"I shall bestow my blessing."
……Blessing? Out of nowhere?
My spirit knowledge was surface-level.
But no explanation needed.
Shimmer—
Just one gentle touch from the nymph.
Whoosh—
The violet mistletoe's glow intensified.
"……!"
Violet mistletoe deepens in hue with growth.
[Pure Knowledge's Five-Pointed Star].
All Arcana flora knowledge from it.
'Could this be...?'
And I witnessed it.
『Elixir Herb Cultivation』
The path forward for research with immense potential!
*
Clack—
Footsteps from above.
Waiting NetTubers gulped.
"Lee Hoyeol—no, Lord Hoyeol is descending...!"
Broadcast stations aired those streams live.
Spirits had been fantasy fodder.
Now unveiled in the flesh.
Prime ratings bait.
And who'd contracted it?
Lee Hoyeol.
"Live viewership breaks 15%...!"
Expectations manifested as numbers.
Spirit lore was well-known from books and word-of-mouth.
Some viewed realistically.
"Regardless of power, high-tier spirits rarely show themselves."
"Even for Lee Hoyeol, contracting a high-rank one's tough?"
"True. But does rank matter? The first-ever spirit contract—that's what counts!"
Of course, such talk vanished the instant Hoyeol appeared.
A fluttering spirit.
Grace emanating from every motion.
"Th-that's the spirit...?"
"What's with the halo."
"Beyond pretty—it's beautiful..."
Her poise undimmed beside Hoyeol.
The implication was simple.
Someone blurted amid the uproar.
"That spirit? At least upper-tier—no, Spirit King level!"
.
Stares from everywhere.
The nymph spoke.
"Indeed, Lord Hoyeol graces such stages."
Then continued gracefully.
"As thy contract spirit, I too shall grow accustomed to such gazes."
You've fully absorbed Grandfell, huh.
Wise words, though.
My nature wouldn't change.
Better you adapt, nymph.
'Focused stares? None of my concern.'
As I said.
I was pressed for time.
Unlike rankers, my level was pitiful.
Every second of EXP and drop buffs mattered.
So I didn't hesitate.
This was the predator zone—fights nonstop.
I drew my sword at once.
I still hunger for EXP...!