Chapter 128
Saying it was good luck would be an understatement.
It wasn't something received as a quest reward, but to receive this level of compensation just from traveling with them...
‘Thanks to that, I got entangled with the Dragonkin tribe, which wasn't in my fate.’
If it's a Spirit Stone, it doesn't matter.
That much is something to endure.
Callius, who had been looking at the Spirit Stone from his lodging, immediately left the village.
[Spirits are everywhere and nowhere.]
They are so elusive that seeing one even once in a lifetime is difficult; that is the spirit.
However, if one burns a Spirit Stone, the story changes. Spirits reveal themselves due to the flowing Spirit Energy and even develop familiarity.
This is because spirits that absorb the Spirit Energy from burning a Spirit Stone often approach with goodwill.
Of course, not all spirits are like that.
It depends on the spirit's personality and circumstances.
If it's a spirit with a terrible personality, it might just drain all the Spirit Energy and disappear.
That's why it's in the realm of luck.
Moreover, if no spirit responds nearby while the Spirit Stone burns completely, the opportunity disappears just like that.
Therefore, when using a Spirit Stone, one must be extremely cautious.
Because one must cater to the spirit's whims.
However.
Callius was not afraid.
‘If spirits are drawn by Spirit Energy, what if one were to harbor it instead?’
There's no need to worry about the number of times.
What would happen if one emanated Spirit Energy from their body?
The chances of contacting spirits would increase at any time, and the probability of forming a contract would also rise, so wouldn't it be an advantage?
Of course, for an ordinary person, this would be an absurd notion, but it's possible because it's Callius.
He has the trait
‘The heavens are helping.’
Callius immediately swallowed the Spirit Stone.
Gulp.
Whoosh.
The forest shakes.
When Callius opened his eyes again, violet light gathered in his eyes.
‘A power with a different concept from Dragon Power.’
It's a power closely related to nature.
Callius circulated it through his body according to the principles of Manhwabongyuk.
[The Spirit Stone penetrates into your body.]
[Digestion fails.]
[The trait Gluttony makes it possible.]
[Even with Gluttony, perfect absorption is difficult. Absorption rate drops by 37%.]
[Constitution -
[The absorption rate of the Spirit Energy in the Spirit Stone exceeds 78%.]
[Successfully absorbed.]
[Spirit Power accumulates in your body.]
[The trait Pheromone reacts.]
[Pheromone mixes with Spirit Energy.]
[Trait is recombined.]
[Pheromone and Spirit Energy mix and are reborn as
“?”
[Spirit Fragrance]
- Spirit Energy and the trait Pheromone attracted each other and mixed.
- The fragrance of Spirit Energy blooms from your body.
[Spirits are drawn to you.]
[Some spirits become intoxicated by your fragrance and do not want to leave.]
Callius, who checked the message window, thought with calm eyes.
‘...This is huge.’
As if having Spirit Power accumulate in his body wasn't enough, it even combined with the trait
Saying it's huge would be an understatement.
Moreover, this Spirit Power.
‘It's meager, but I can use it.’
A small amount of Spirit Power accumulated in the dantian.
Callius's talent.
‘Divine Arts.’
He felt that Spirit Power and Divine Arts would go quite well together.
Callius has Divine Arts.
Sullivian, who gave him a whole book when he asked for a reverse scale.
On the back pages of the book where the reverse scale was hidden, there were writings about Divine Arts.
There were the Three Reverences that she had systematically learned and established during her lifetime.
The Three Reverences, meaning to revere three things.
Revere Heaven, Revere People, Revere Objects.
It is a Divine Art with the meaning of revering heaven, people, and objects.
What was written on Callius's body when facing the Mad Dragon was Revere People, Kyukyo.
It is a Divine Art that uses people as a medium.
Revere Heaven is heaven, that is, nature.
Revere Objects means objects.
Just as he was about to unconsciously draw divine characters meaning Revere Heaven of the Three Reverences in the air according to
Whoosh!
Suddenly something flew in.
Quite fast. Callius unconsciously smacked it with his palm! Smack!
-Kyaa!
Kyaa?
He hit something like a mosquito, but the sound he heard was that of a small girl.
Only then did Callius realize his mistake and picked up the spirit he had swatted like a mosquito in his palm.
-Heeeeh....
About the size of two palms.
But the weight is almost non-existent, and its presence is also faint.
The semi-transparent flesh, as if passing through empty space, made it hard to tell whether this was alive or not.
A distinct form didn't appear, but the semi-transparent beautiful wings were clearly visible to Callius's eyes.
It was a spirit.
‘A low-rank one.’
Size and energy.
And even the unestablished form, these were characteristics of a low-rank spirit.
Is it because he has Spirit Power in his body?
Spirit energies that he hadn't felt before started being detected by Callius's senses.
‘Five, no... dozens?’
The number of Spirit Energies felt according to his expanding senses was increasing exponentially. Why are there so many spirits?
He was a bit wary, but soon stopped.
‘Goodwill born from curiosity.’
Dozens of spirits began to flock.
The dark forest brightened as if fireflies had gathered.
* * *
The first time Serena's golden eyes widened wasn't because of his actions.
‘For a human, quite...’
Beauty that could rival even the Elves, called the crystallization of beauty.
At first glance, Callius's face, which seemed beautiful and noble, was surprising even to Serena!
She never expected a human's appearance to reach this level.
Serena unknowingly thought that she could at least acknowledge his looks, if nothing else.
To think he was hiding such beauty under that pure white robe.
Serena's cheeks were dyed with a blush.
But that was only for a moment.
The reason her mouth dropped open was for another reason.
‘The Spirit Stone...’
She reacted after seeing the use of the Spirit Stone Callius had.
Honestly, at first she thought she had seen it wrong.
But her eyes couldn't have seen wrong. She's an Elf who can shoot arrows that split a fly's body even from a distance.
When it came to eyesight alone, she was confident comparing herself to any race. Even in a dark forest like this, that was the same.
That's why she couldn't believe it.
‘Is he crazy?’
Swallowing a Spirit Stone!
Rather than being digested, it would clearly come out as feces, and he swallowed that? Moreover, if he's not careful, he could be consumed by Spirit Power and become half-crippled, and he still did that?
Serena suddenly felt the Spirit Stone she had given him was such a waste.
If she had known he would do such a thing, she wouldn't have given it. Just as she thought she should go and confront him immediately.
Flinch.
Her pupils dilated at the Spirit Power blooming from him at that moment.
Her mouth dropped wide open.
"Hic!"
She was so surprised she even got hiccups.
But anyone else would understand her state.
He was absorbing Spirit Power.
A person, not a spirit, absorbing the Spirit Power of a Spirit Stone? That's obviously impossible.
Only spirits can use Spirit Power. There is no other opinion.
That's common sense and would be a rule set by the gods.
Yet he's going against that!
A situation Serena's mind simply couldn't understand.
‘Could he not be human?’
If he's not human, it makes sense.
Could he be a spirit? That's also possible. If he was a half-human half-spirit born between a human and a spirit, it's a somewhat possible story.
The probability is like shooting a fly passing through a needle hole with an arrow, but that would be a higher probability than a human having Spirit Power.
‘Wait. Come to think of it.’
Serena recalled the energy hidden within his killing intent she had felt earlier.
Faintly, the identity of the heterogeneous and ferocious energy comes to mind.
‘Dragon...’
A true Dragon, not something like a Dragonkin.
Could a true Dragon have come out to play?
Taking on a human form?
If so, it makes sense.
‘Both the appearance that a human couldn't have, and taking Spirit Power...’
If he's a Dragon, it's plausible.
A Dragon itself doesn't have such power, but if it stole a spirit's power and transformed into a human, it's understandable.
To think he was a Dragon!
‘The insolence...’
Serena's face turned pale.
Unlike Aldu, who was somewhat friendly, Serena's attitude was clearly hostile to anyone.
Truly an enormous insolence.
To think he was a Dragon! While Serena's misunderstanding deepened.
All kinds of spirits gathered around Callius, going wild.
Violet Spirit Energy surges.
Serena forgot her worries and was mesmerized by the spirits' dance.
The sight of spirits flying around Callius and shining violet light was as beautiful as embroidering the darkness.
And the man standing at the center as well.
It was as beautiful as if painted on a canvas, making Serena's heart pound.
Right at that moment.
The spirits flying around Callius and emitting violet light suddenly began to seep into his body.
Nearly dozens of spirits disappeared as if being sucked in all at once.
"Gasp!"
That many spirits?
Even if they're low-rank, it's an impossible thing. Serena unconsciously made a sound.
"Who is it?"
Callius, who sensed a presence, shouted toward where Serena was hiding.
Serena covered her mouth with both hands, then as if having no choice, decided to reveal herself from behind the tree.
But at that moment.
"Revere Heaven of the Three Reverences."
"...!"
"Togyo (Earth Reverence)."
Violet characters are inscribed in the air.
As it disappeared, two violet energies from under Callius's feet rushed toward Serena along the ground.
"Divine Arts?"
Serena, who recognized the Divine Arts at a glance, snorted and took out her bow.
No matter how much of a Dragon, it wouldn't be able to transcend the limits of sorcery.
‘At best, Divine Arts.’
It wouldn't be able to withstand her arrows.
She instantly nocked two arrows on the bowstring and shot them.
Flash!
The arrows containing divine power struck the violet Divine Arts.
Serena tried to immediately apologize to him after breaking the Divine Arts.
However.
Crack!
What broke was Serena's arrows.
"What...!"
Whirl! Flash!
The violet Divine Arts attacked Serena from under her feet.
However, she wasn't the type to be taken down easily either.
She used her bow to deflect Callius's Divine Arts and leaped up into the tree.
But that was a fatal mistake.
Callius was already executing another Divine Arts' seal.
"Revere Heaven of the Three Reverences, Mokgyo (Wood Reverence)."
"Ugh!"
His Divine Arts, which he had already prepared, sprang from the tree and bound her.
The tree trunks tightly suppressed her so she couldn't move at all.
‘How can Divine Arts manipulate trees...!’
She didn't know what was going on, but Serena first needed to undo this.
She didn't know how the power of the gods could modify natural trees, but she didn't have time to think about it now.
"Uuuugh!"
No matter how much force she applied, it wouldn't loosen.
Serena, bound in an instant, felt pain from the strong pressure.
It was tightening more and more.
‘This is ridiculous...’
Divine Arts are simply forms made to exert physical force with divine power.
Its power is, at best, enough to suppress ordinary soldiers or knights.
Yet it deflected even her arrows, which stood out among the Elf tribe, and showed such strong power.
‘Divine Arts made of Spirit Power. It's no different from Spirit Arts rather than Divine Arts.’
Originally, Divine Arts shouldn't be able to wield this level of power.
Light with a faint violet hue.
Divine power mixed with Spirit Power.
Therefore, it must be able to borrow the power of trees, which is no different from nature.
Serena bit her lip hard.
"Iki."
-Yeah!
A voice came from her bow.
And suddenly it blazed with fire.
Intense flames enveloped her.
The trees burned, and Serena, who escaped from the fire, aimed her bow at the bowstring with a slightly exhausted look.
"!"
But the target had already disappeared.
Serena's nape grew cold.
When she felt an inexplicable chill and the hair all over her body stood on end.
Swoosh.
A sharp blade glistened in the moonlight against her neck.
‘My back was caught.’
Perfect defeat.
But she didn't feel unjust.
Serena knows his identity.
She even learned his secret.
Dying might be a natural consequence.
"Why would someone like you..."
"Do you know me?"
"I know you are a noble one."
"Hmm..."
Serena thought.
A way she could survive.
A reason not to be killed by a Dragon.
There was only one.
"I will become your subordinate."
Becoming his slave.
There would be no other way to survive.