A mysterious being born from nature. A holy entity that is beyond reach. This is the public perception of spirits.
“That’s all nonsense.”
The situation I faced now confirmed it.
“Kya ha ha! It’s just like a bug!”
A spirit, with the voice of Riu, was laughing maniacally while indiscriminately firing magic at me. How could that be considered a holy being? It was more like an evil spirit.
“You, shouldn’t you be reflecting in the spirit world by now? Crawling out like a leech.”
“Hmph. I don’t care as long as I can punish you. And I’ve found a suitable body.”
‘Riu,’ who had been caressing her face, smiled quietly.
Adding the spirit’s arrogance to her previously haughty but defeated face made her look like she did before she was ‘re-educated.’
“This level of affinity with spirits, it’s just that I hadn’t met one until now. Her talent is extraordinary.”
Riu? This was surprising information I didn’t know from the original work, where she was quickly defeated by Luciana and expelled.
…But talent alone shouldn’t be enough for unification. That was the most puzzling part. Unification required more than just talent; it required mutual communication with the spirit, something even famous spirit conjurers struggled with.
Why then, was the spirit of the snowy mountains, who had never met Riu before, possessing and controlling her body?
But such questions didn’t last long.
-BOOM!
“Ugh.”
“And the expertise in ice magic. It’s as if this body was made for me.”
A massive icicle, large enough to skewer a person, appeared where I had been standing moments before. I had to focus on the situation at hand and stop my thoughts.
‘Stay calm. She’s the boss, but it’s still just Riu.’
With no one watching, I drew a golden-handled dagger in addition to my usual black dagger. Even if someone saw, I could deny it as a mistake without a mask on.
“A weapon I haven’t seen before.”
“A dagger that will send you straight home.”
…Too precious for a reckless person like you. I’ll bury it in this cave forever.
Her blue projectiles were blocked by the golden trail.
‘As expected, it’s specialized for counterattacks. It makes deflecting easier.’
I closed the distance between us, dodging through the hail. Neutralizing a spirit was simple: subdue the conjurer who allowed the spirit to exist in this world.
“I’ll admit, you’re good at dodging like a rat.”
“Your attacks are too slow.”
If she couldn’t hit with the spirit’s true form, there’s no way Riu’s magic could. Dodging or deflecting the projectiles wasn’t difficult.
I kicked off the wall and swung the back of my blade at her neck.
“Attacking during the gap after casting a spell. Not a bad strategy, but—”
-CLANG!
It was good until I decided to accept some damage and dive into her embrace.
The problem was on the offensive side. The end of the dagger, which was blocked beautifully, was thinly coated with an ice shell.
“Damn it, what is this now?”
“It tickles.”
Because of that, I found myself in a reversed crisis. The distance was too close. Spirit magic didn’t care about distance.
‘I have to dodge…!’
The spirit, which quickly created a huge ice sculpture shaped like an arm, swung it at me.
“Ugh!”
“Oh, what a splendid scream.”
Damn it. After losing 99 times and winning once, she acted all high and mighty, calling me useless. The pain was one thing, but her attitude made me even more furious.
‘Ugh. This is a bit of an emergency.’
I frowned at the crisis I couldn’t easily escape. Riu, a capable mage who ranked 9th in the entrance exam, was adept in ice magic, maximizing its utility with the snow spirit. Their compatibility was more than just good.
The basic compatibility of a mage and a warrior. How unreasonable was it that even my advantage in close combat didn’t work?
– Frost Mane!
– Just in case, don’t think about stepping in. You’ll be labeled a demon who touched a student in no time.
– But…
– I can endure it. Stop worrying unnecessarily.
To reassure Bathory, who was trailing off, I quickly stood up.
[Essence of the Extreme Cold (Rank: A) is activated.]
[Your stats have increased significantly.]
I added a bit of drugs, but it was still bearable.
“Oh, you stood up.”
“Don’t get too excited over landing one hit. I’ll send you back to the spirit world soon enough.”
“Ha ha, wipe the blood from your mouth before boasting so arrogantly. But not bad! Rather than ending in futility, it’s better to enjoy this time of revenge for as long as possible!”
With a fierce voice and sparkling amethyst eyes, ‘Riu’ gestured toward me again.
‘Tsk, no more chanting now.’
Even though she had great potential as a mage, she was a rookie who always chanted spells. With the high-level spirit controlling her, even that process was skipped. Naturally, this made her much more troublesome. The speed of her spellcasting was incomparable to our last duel. It was almost like a spear appeared the moment I blinked.
“…Tsk. Still, it’s not impossible to dodge.”
A basic feature and flaw of ice magic. Its power decreased while also being slow, which was fortunate.
“How long are you going to keep dodging? Nothing will change except that your stamina will be depleted.”
“Unnecessary advice. I don’t want to hear it from a high-level spirit clinging to a human as a medium and leftover.”
A blood vessel bulged on the forehead exposed through her fluttering purple hair.
“Who are you calling a leftover?!”
It was a very satisfying reaction. She never expected to hear a derogatory term for those spirits clinging to conjurers from the spirit world here.
‘But nothing changes except for annoying her.’
Winning a verbal battle is useless if I die. But there was no way out. My attacks kept getting blocked by that ice shell.
Unlike before, I didn’t have Luciana, who could easily cut through the shell, nor René, who could increase my endurance with blessings and healing.
On the other hand, here I was, using a stimpack due to the recent injury.
The longer this dragged on, the worse it would be for me.
Moreover, the problem wasn’t just me.
“However, it seems you’re still just human. You can’t even endure this.”
Riu’s neck had turned red and was noticeably swollen.
Her spiteful voice grumbled irritably.
She had wrapped ice magic right above her skin, which inevitably led to frostbite.
[Riu Caspera and the Snow Spirit’s synchronization rate has slightly decreased.]
‘…Synchronization rate?’
The message in the status window brought a scene from the original work to mind.
– Humans conquering and exploiting the World Tree! All of you die!
A berserk spirit conjurer.
Attacking not only the enemies but also indiscriminately firing magic at their allies, the spirit conjurer elves.
Now that I see it, the only difference between them and Riu was their rank.
Their appearances were strikingly similar.
“Isn’t that too harsh on the benefactor who brought you out of the spirit world?”
The Snow Spirit, with Riu’s face, lifted the corners of her mouth in response to my probing words.
“Ha ha, this woman wants it too. The hatred and desire for revenge in this forced situation you created! Just like me!”
With Riu’s face and voice, the Snow Spirit confidently represented her emotions.
Additionally.
[Riu Caspera and the Snow Spirit’s synchronization rate has slightly increased.]
The message, agreeing with this sentiment, floated up.
…Now I understood.
The commonality between those berserk elves and Riu now.
“Ha, interesting.”
“What’s so funny?”
“That’s my line. Manipulating Riu’s emotions with a few words, you call yourself a high-level spirit.”
The conditions for a spirit to possess a conjurer.
The realm of empathy is not merely built on intimacy.
Anger.
Extreme anger.
Just as the elves and the earth spirits did against the humans who seized the World Tree.
Riu Caspera and the Snow Spirit had also united in their hatred against me.
‘…I don’t like this.’
Therefore, it was unpleasant.
That she harbored vengeance against me? That could be.
I had trampled on her, and a worm could squirm.
Even though it was a test, I had pushed her quite hard.
But this anger was fake.
Specifically.
“Don’t arbitrarily judge human emotions, you old geezer from the spirit world.”
“…What?”
“If it were really Riu herself, she would have prepared a plan to deal with me while seeking revenge.”
The Riu Caspera I knew wasn’t someone who would be swept away by her immediate emotions.
She was clever, hiding them, plotting, and planning for the future.
Such a person wouldn’t neglect her precious family, her sister, and her faction, which could be called her alter ego.
It was impossible.
She was someone who sacrificed herself for her sister and family.
Therefore.
“Her anger and revenge are mine to bear. It’s not for the likes of you to interfere.”
The spirit before me was extremely annoying.
Even if she endured.
Or even if she attempted revenge, she would have handled it quietly and without any backlash within predictable boundaries.
‘Specifically, she might threaten using Laura, or induce the downfall of the noble faction within.’
All those plans.
The testbed meticulously built up for her.
Haven’t they all been disrupted because of that variable, the spirit?
“Hmph. Now that you’re cornered, you’re spouting incomprehensible nonsense. I’ve lost interest. Die now.”
With Riu’s surging magical power, the cave responded accordingly.
Spikes reminiscent of stalagmites shot up from below.
Icicles frozen solid dropped from above like stalactites.
The fragments of ice falling from above and below gradually narrowed the ground I could stand on.
“Now, you have nowhere to retreat! Surrender your life quietly.”
At the moment the Snow Spirit, having finally cornered me to one side of the cave, raised its hand once more.
Crack.
The pain as if my whole body was being torn apart.
The biting cold that made my flesh ache.
The icy spear that pierced through my arm mercilessly scattered those fragments.
“Ugh.”
“Kahaha! That distorted face is truly a sight! Come on, scream more!”
A fatal blow incomparable to the previous injury.
Although it missed a vital point, it was hard to even stand properly.
That’s because.
I neither defended nor dodged.
– Frost Mane!
– Bathory, stay calm. This is all within expectations.
I could see it clearly.
[Riu Caspera and the Snow Spirit’s synchronization rate has drastically decreased!]
[Riu Caspera and the Snow Spirit’s synchronization rate has drastically decreased!]
[Riu Caspera and the Snow Spirit’s…]
In those lines of text was Riu’s rebellion.
“What, what is this?! What’s happening…?”
“How could a spirit like you understand human emotions… How foolish.”
Even though I approached with blood dripping from one arm.
The spirit could not cast magic at me.
To be precise, it couldn’t draw out Riu’s magic.
“Why, why! Why do you hesitate? He’s the one who humiliated you! Leave the revenge to me!”
“Haha… Just as I expected.”
Riu Caspera resisted the possession.
To stop herself from killing me with her own hands.
I smirked at the flustered ‘Riu’.
“Do you even understand what happens when a noble kills another noble without justification?”
The ethics, proprieties, and the ecosystem of nobles.
Beyond that, the strict laws formed from the universal psychology of humans.
How could a spirit, a being beyond nature, know the rules made by human hands?
“She has more precious relationships than simple one-dimensional feelings towards me.”
There’s no way she would stand by and let a spirit ruin that.
“Next time, don’t toy with me by tying my limbs first. Aim straight for my neck. Though I’m not sure if you’ll have another chance.”
While spirit conjurers and spirits originally have a symbiotic relationship.
Why are spirits borrowing the power of conjurers called ‘leftovers’ and given derogatory terms?
Because they gain power easily and lose it just as easily.
If she is abandoned by Riu, it might be difficult to maintain her status as a high-level spirit.
“No, no…!”
“Farewell, you foolish spirit who will be treated as obsolete even in the spirit world.”
I gently struck the back of Riu Caspera’s neck with the edge of my hand.
The spirit, perhaps in a last desperate effort, created an ice shell just like before.
However, it did not exhibit the same formidable strength as it did previously.
With a bit of frostbite to bear, I wasn’t going to be stopped by a shield that would soon shatter.
-Thwack!
As the edge of my hand, imbued with aura, struck the back of Riu’s neck,
And as her body collapsed,
-Screeeaam! Aaaah……!
With a terrible scream, the spirit returned to where it rightfully belonged.
[You have successfully conquered the dungeon, ‘Sanctuary of the Spirits’.]
[Rewards are being calculated.]
The message from the status window was indeed a welcome sight.
And then,
“Well, this is quite the situation. What should I do now?”
I was left with the dilemma of assessing the results of this ‘test’.
Cliche Novel 