I was in a cave-like place. The maid who had brought me here said, if I couldn't get inside, there was nothing to do. but surprisingly, I went inside without a hitch like walking past a thin membrane.
The maid nodded at me to go forward and I left her at the entrance.
[Hey, how are you gonna woo the spirit?]
Hmm well they are straight forward thinkers so I think I will just go with the flow.
[That's all…? When I was awake last time, I remember someone saying that the spirit's a hard ass. She never gave anyone her protection you know.]
hmm ….. Do you know anything else about it…
[Well I also heard she never showed herself. no one saw her till this day.]
No, not those things, I wanted to know why she was in this cavern. weren't spirits supposed to live freely? even earth spirits like to be free spirited.
[What? Don't know, I always thought they were weird to not kill anybody with so much power]
Hmm how'd you know spirits were powerful?
[Me? I had fought against one you know. I gotta say that's the first time It was a draw.]
You did some quirky things back in the day didn't you…..
I was chatting with Amanori when I felt the presence of a spirit. I felt this type of presence... no, I actually felt a much higher and overwhelming presence from the angels and gods before.
But unlike those higher beings whose presence couldn't be fully perceived, I could gauge the full presence of the spirit, they must be on the top of this world's chain of life.
[they are just lazy bums!]
anyway, for whatever reason, Amanori seems to not like spirits that much.
I walked more, the cavern changed from narrow to wider and it also looked more majestic like it had a natural beauty to it and somehow the cavern was dimly lit. the spirit energy seemed to be thriving here.
"Who are you?" came a voice. It sounded emotionless like a robot said it.
"I am Rekka, am I speaking to the earth spirit residing here?" I asked just to be sure and also I worked to be polite. until now, I only heard how hard it was to even make the first contact with this spirit, but somehow, it seems I had been able to contact her quite easily, well, she was the one who talked to me first after all, maybe my luck with girls really was something!
"You recognize me?" The voice was still emotionless but I could feel a tinge of emotion at the end. no, not really emotion, it was as if a dying wish.
"Umm, Yes I can see spirits so I am sure, if you want to speak to me I can see you and we can have a chat."
"Really…. Can you?" as time passed she was waking up and regaining her emotions which were buried so deep it was almost gone…. Her speech started to shift to a much more emotional form. don't know if spirits breathed or not, but I felt the spirit energy move around me and wondered if this presented the spirit waking up from sleep, or something
"Yes I can. so do you want to talk to me..?" I said as I had found out that she must be dying to communicate, her thougths ushered to my head directly, hmm... it seems it is already working.... I had heard from God that spirits were extremely friendly beings and they could be said to be the most socially active beings in the world, it wouldn't be wrong to assume that every spirit knows the other spirits that reside in the world, that was just how close they were to each other, so if one of them had become like this, they must be hoping to get out and live again, but there was something else that could be said the reason for the spirits sudden change...
"But can you.. Handle my pressure? I have never seen a human resist it...if you run out or die…..?" her voice had tension and worry mixed in. This was the first time I was meeting with a spirit, even counting my 2nd life. but I was sure I could handle it.
"Just come out, will you? I walked really long, you know, to get here." I said changing my voice to be more friendlier. Then I saw a small ball of light start gathering in one place near me.
Slowly the light was getting stronger, the silent and windless cave seemed as if it had come to life and the light started becoming brighter and brighter. The air seemed heavier now like gravity had multiplied but this much wasn't able to faze me even a bit.
"Hello ! I… I am …..Ridge..a ..#### ..spirit!!" The light faded while I heard this self introduction. The earth spirit seemed to be struggling to talk. I thought spirits were immune to time.
When the light faded, a mature looking woman was in front of me floating and wearing what looked to be just normal robes but it had a strange mystical look to them. The lady herself looked extraordinarily beautiful. She looked just like the cool beauty with a kind look, her wavy hair was brown presenting her closeness to earth, it swayed itself as if from the surrounding spirit energy.. Her hair flowed with a charming spring to it and her slender body made an impression of youth and maturity mixed in.
"Nice to meet you, let me introduce myself again. I am Rekka."
"Why, hello..! I thought someone who could resist my pressure would be more intimidating but you seem rather cute…" She said with a soft smile, she looked so innocent and cute... as if all malice in the world would vanish with just her presence, I could say that being a child makes a lot of things go easier. Like people don't tend to suspect me too much, guess that goes for spirits too, and this thought made me feel even more like a thief, here I was thinking how I had cleanly deceived her with my looks.
"I was born in a harsh place so you could say I grew immune to some things, still even as a spirit you look really beautiful Lady Ridge." of course I couldn't stop myself from complementing her, unlike Leila, Ridge had this beauty that had a fine balance between being cute and sensual.
"Hmm, well I thank you for your words ohhh! It's been so long since I've talked with someone." but clearly, unlike Leila who controlled all her thoughts extensively from coming out, Ridge here seemed to be someone who didn't care to hide any thoughts to herself at all, it clearly gave an impression of an innocent child if nothing else.
"But why are you here, Lady Ridge?"
"Hmm to tell you the truth, I forgot the reason... but I can't leave this place, I used to travel around the world. I remember that at least but nothing else. But what about you, why are you here, do you want something?"
She reminded me of my original business.
"Ohh yeah, I wanted to ask you something."
"Alright let me hear it." She said, clearly she was happy that someone had come to meet her, but even as troubled as she was off her surroundings, she didn't budge even when I said I wanted something from her. really she migth actually be really pure....
[Hmph!]
"Will you be my partner?" I asked but she seemed to be looking straight at me and replied.
"You are a human but I can see you have control over your spirit energy, can humans do that now?" She has already analyzed me. As expected of a spirit.
"Not really, I am [Irregular] you can say… so will you be my partner?" That was what you needed to ask the spirits to be able to bond with them. They will never grant you anything if someone lower than them demands from them. I was told all this by some angels in my 2nd life at leisure pace.
Apart from that, I could have made a request by making myself lower, but if that happened, the contract would have a down side. It will be that I would only be able to use her spirit powers to some extent. But if I propose to be in an equal relationship, that downside would easily vanish.
"You want to partner with me? But you are just a child. Even if you were an adult, you are still a human, will your body be able to handle my spirit energy? to make a connection, you will have to at least take over half the aura and power I possess.`` That was true, no human could be able to harness a spirit's power but I had the system with me. It can do the calculations that would never be possible, so syncing me and a high spirit shouldn't be a problem. Not to mention with my high luck that I even got to find grandparents that were overpowered. I even got a mansion full of maids to play, relying on my luck should bring out the best of results! at the very least, My body hadn't exploded even from Amanori stuffing in all her Miasma... I can't think of it exploding with just a spirits mana either.
"Try me.. Even if it doesn't succeed, at worst my body would burst and the cavern would probably be destroyed, in the end, you could leave this place. It should be a win-win for both of us."
"Boy, you really say some scary things, as a mortal you should be more scared of death."
"Eh? Okay? Well isn't it fine? I am sure I won't die!" as I said carefreely, she took a sharp breath and shouted at me.
"Aren't you just a kid! Think more about yourself! Now go back, this spirit is fine here." as she said that, she turned back with a huff.
Did I do something wrong?
[it's probably scared of us..]
"Are you scared of me? Don't worry, I would only touch your hand! Nothing would happen!" as I said that, the spirit turned around to look at me with a look of disdain.
"I am not scared of you! I just don't want the first person I see in a long time to blow up okay! Geez Rekka, you really act reckless!" as she said, she crossed her hands making her chest bounce slightly. Her words gave a pleasant feeling and her gesture were quite something. She was kind and sexy.
"I am thankful for your kind gesture, but I wouldn't be able to let you stay trapped here any longer too, I was alone for a long time and I don't want anyone to feel the same. At any point, I am sure nothing like me bursting open would happen." of course it would happen if things went wrong, but hell, I sure would be happy if I took her as my partner too, even though this doesn't mean she would be in a relationship with me, but there is a chance for the future. I am sure granny would be happy if she saw me getting a spirit too, for now I will just focus on getting her in my side, in the first place, Leila was my eternal target!
I showed her my hand in a handshake. She hesitates for a bit but eventually she gets her hand nearer and nearer to mine, as I got a bit restless I took her hand holding it firmly, I could sense a sudden shake from her body.
"Don't you dare die! I won't forgive you, okay!"
{Higher spirit wave detected, system has started Analyzing... body optimization of host will start after completion of analyzing.
>Analyze complete. found a way to reach the next level of spirit energy base.
>Optimization is in order, spirit base restructure...completed.
>Adjusting overall body. host will go in hibernation for 2 hours in 3..2..1}
That's the last thing I heard just after I had grasped Ridge's hand. The system had started its process as directed but I forgot that, I may have to go into a sleep mode like before. well its better than exploding I guess.
...….
After Rekka had grasped Ridge's hand, he had taken hold of it firmly so that she wouldn't take her hand back even if something happened to Rekka. Because of that even when Rekka had started glowing in spiritual energy, she couldn't get away. Ridge had thought the boy would die with an overload of energy but something else entirely started happening.
Instead of overloading energy, Rekka had started sucking in her extra spirit powers, compressing it and finally the pressure she was exuding like a void, as if he had burst out of a cocoon. he took in an overload of energy, his body had adjusted and started to be able to comply with the power of a Pillar spirit. After the metamorphosis of 2 years his body was made to steadily improve at every moment, so it could be said, the more he experienced power, the more he would grow. Responding to higher power was the main purpose of his body. Had any god saw a human doing this, they would have told him that making that kind of a body was a cheat that even the gods might get complex seeing.
Seeing all this, Ridge gasped in shock that even a dragon born couldn't do this. Spirits like Ridge were considered as Demigods as per people liked to say. but it wasn't a hollow claim. For someone to be able to hold a spirit in hand and move forward is unthinkable. Normally a human would die with the simple burst of power from a spirit. That was the reason they liked to avoid human contact. Only the spirits who could control their overflowing power would risk meeting humans and other creatures. of course since Ridge was in a complicated state, her power was going berserk, thus why the whole cavern was blocked for any and all visitor, only those who could stay alive while coming near her could come inside the whole way, and right about now in all the time she had been trapped here, only Rekka had been able to come this near to her, which means.... he wasn't a normal human.
At that time in Ridge's mind, only one Question arose. "Who is this incredible boy..?"
She made a big decision at that time when Rekka had gone into hibernation. It was to be with Rekka and see how he will develop. As a spirit, she had let go of all her normal common sense. She looked at the boy as someone equal to her, her partner. and as her savior who didn't even flinch at notion of his own destruction. so selfless, Ridge was sure, he might be the next savior for human kind as a whole.
but still there was a type of curiosity present in all types of spirits in this world, which was why they were socially active. Also even if selfless, to Ridge, it looked more like Rekka had unnecessarily put his life at risk to get her out of here. Ridge couldn't deny how strong willed the boy was in the face of death. Although since the death would probably have been in Ridge's favor, unusually enough, Ridge found the little boy's selflessness a charming point to be with him, sure he could just be doing this since he didn't have a single though how bad things could have become... but still, Ridge believed he still would have done it either way.
"It's good that you didn't die… idiot… and here I thought this place was a dreadful one… to think it will let me meet someone like this…" someone who looked at her with clear eyes. Someone who gave her an experience to remember forever. A growing feeling that never appeared among immortals and mortals started to blossom on this day.
......…..
Something unthinkable has happened again with Rekka but he was an unprecedented existence from the start of his journey which was called life. As a jolly old man looked at this view from very far away, he had a content smile on his face, still, a small hint of worry was in that smile too.
"And here I thought he would barely be able to get strong… is this all because of his luck? But really such a high jump in power… just what did he make the world handler do? but I guess this is better… giving him strength shouldn't pose a problem now of all time… still though… he has an unusual talent to get power... even as damaged as he was... sigh... " As he sipped his tea, it was as if he had a resolution to look out for someone very dear to him. The old man saw a mortal growing out of his shell and coming to make the unprecedented happen for sure.
On the Other hand, who was literally breaking the commonsense of his new world was sleeping on a beauties lap unhindered by any disturbing thoughts of the world.
Lady luck seems to always be on Rekka's side, as he even gets to have a spirits favor on him now. He was still a boy though, could anyone imagine just what he would get up to when he grew older? Anyway, after wooing the Treastein's first princess, it seemed that even a spirit was going to fall for his irregularities.
As some girls start to see him in a good light, the 2nd princess on the other hand was fuming with rage as she uncovers the new rival that got in her way.
"I will surely kill that bastard!" As her fuming rage spilled over and made a mess of wherever she went, the heroes could only hope and see as to how Rekka could come and handle the feisty princess known for prodigy level growth and a battle prowess known for its ferocity and destruction.
Before long, the two would clash, only time would tell if the result would give out something expected or irregular. For now though, he was reserving the lap of a spirit as hot as any goddess of beauty can be.