The scene unfolds as Lady Irene storms out of the room, still angry at her son's behavior. Alex turns to the uninvited guest and asks, "Alright, talk. What's the purpose of this visit and why should you become my companion?" Amidst the chaos between mother and son, Steve struggles to explain his reason for coming, but with things settling down, he begins, "In our continent, there are many schools of martial arts, but only three institutes have earned the name of 'Dragon.' The success rate there doesn't exceed twenty percent. Many youths who ventured into the world of spirits returned disappointed. With only a month left until the exam, I want to know your plan for passing the test, how you'll improve in this short time. Have you obtained the Nasik Grass?"
Alex doesn't have a problem with leveling up; he has money from Monroe's vault to buy development pills. Additionally, Steve overlooked a crucial point: evaluating magicians is different from assessing fighters. However, the question that crosses Alex's mind is, "What is Nasik Grass?"
"Nasik Grass is the best way to gather energy and manifest the spirit's form in front of the Soul Mirror... Wait, you don't know what Nascor Grass is?"
Alex shakes his head, prompting Steve to exclaim, "How can someone taking the entrance exam not know about Nasik Grass? Evaluating the spirit's form is crucial for success. Since you're still in the body realm , you need to use Nasik Grass to stand before the Mirror of Souls. It determines the spirit's type, strength, your mana power, and since the exam is close, obtaining one is challenging."
In the final stage of the body realm, before fighters enter the realm of spirits, they can discern their spirit's form through meditation. However, during the exams, the Mirror of Souls evaluates the spirit's form.
Competitors channel their energy into the mirror to display their spirit's traits and strength in its reflection. This method consumes a lot of energy, necessitating the consumption of Nasik Grass before its use.
Steve, a talkative youth by nature, assumed that since Alex didn't know about Nasik Grass, he might be unfamiliar with other aspects. So, he continued without pause, "Spirits' forms are classified according to the shapes they take and are named accordingly. Fighter spirits take forms resembling humans, while monster spirits resemble demonic creatures. Those with monster spirits possess strong bodies and high internal energy."
"There's also the weapons form, which is the most common. Those who possess it choose combat skills based on the weapon their spirit form took. They can also channel auras into these weapons. There are other forms with different shapes, usually classified as support or defense types. In the worst cases, they have no classification, known as the Unknown Form."
Alex lived as an Anka and learned their techniques and skills. Despite similarities in combat skills, the fundamentals of training and growth techniques are different. They rely on physical structures and possess the 'Spirit' attribute rather than a form.
Despite the tremendous effort he exerted since his soul seized this body, there are still things he doesn't know—things others consider common knowledge.
"If I need Nascor Grass, keep in mind that I was a captive among the Anka, so don't be surprised if I wasn't aware of it.
" Sorry, I forgot about your captivity. You're probably still in the middle of your basic training. Since we've decided to become brothers, I'll share everything I know with you."
"I'm not that ignorant."
Alex wanted to interrupt, but he thought he still needed to learn more about human techniques. Thus, he remained silent, letting Steve continue talking.
"My knowledge about magic is limited, but I can help you with the basics of fighters' realms. There are seven realms, each with seven levels:
Basic Realm: Contains seven fundamental training exercises - breathing techniques, meditation, and the five combat principles (attack, defense, maneuver, footwork, and weapons).
Body Realm: Known for the seven accelerated transformations - improving blood circulation, strengthening bones, muscle fibers, skin renewal, heightened senses, and strengthening muscles. Lastly, enhancing the senses.
Spirit Realm: Involves internal energy accumulation, forming the spirit's form, strengthening it, and training the spirit's form.
Law Realm: Involves training in using natural elements' laws while mastering the use of the spirit's form.
Fusion Realm: Involves merging the laws with the spirit's form to achieve the final form of spirit energy.
I have no ideas about the last two realms
Steve finally concluded his explanation, which prompted Alex to ask a question, "What about you? What's your spirit form?"
Steve's expression changed, as if Alex had touched a sensitive topic. The cheerful and enthusiastic youth lowered his head, looking dejected.
"When I reached the peak of the body Realm, I was excited to discover my spirit form. So, I meditated and saw it, or rather, a part of it. It's a demonic monster with black wings. So far, I can't identify its type, and without a soul crystal of a third-level monster, I can't make any progress. It's been three months, and I haven't witnessed any improvement in my strength. I'm trapped at this crucial point in my life, not due to a lack of talent, but due to poverty."
Alex's understanding of the situation deepened, realizing that Steve was stuck in a bottleneck. In this critical period of his life, he was unable to progress due to financial constraints.
"For three months, I kept my secret from everyone, and now I can't bear the patience anymore," Steve angrily exclaims. "Life isn't fair. Those with a free form or a fighter's form can venture into the forest and, with some luck, find valuable herbs. But what about me? Have you ever heard of a field where monster gems grow?"
Even elixirs and herbs are considered expensive and out of reach for the general population, so how would the situation be for high-level, rare monster gems that cost several times more than elixirs?
"No worries," Alex reassures him. "Tell me which law your strength adheres to. The energy from the same law will help you upgrade and stimulate your form's evolution."
Steve's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at his friend, "What nonsense are you talking about? We're in the body Realm, and you want to skip the Spirit Realm altogether to the Law Realm? How can you know your law of strength before pushing your form to its maximum limit? And even if you know it, what's the use without activating it?"
"The law is about integrating one of the natural elements with the spirit's form. It's an advanced stage in martial arts realms," Steve expressed his bewilderment. But Alex's confidence wasn't shaken; it intrigued Steve, just as it did Alex, as the rules applied to human forms and monster forms alike.
"It seems that humans have isolated themselves from the rest of the species and are unaware of the characteristics of monster forms. If my form turns out to be a monster, that would be a happy day for me."
Alex had lived in the Land of anka for a long time, encountering many hybrids. He understood their techniques and abilities, and he knew what a monster form could achieve.
"Indeed, as the saying goes, you might find in a river what you can't find in the sea. Those with a monster form have a great advantage. A simple experiment will help you understand the laws of your elements and enable you to activate them."
Before he could finish his explanation, Steve interrupted, realizing where Alex was heading, "You want me to try my laws of elements? But we're in the Sclerosis Realm. How can I skip to the Law Realm? Even if I know it, what's the point without activating it?"
"Creating a contract with your partner," Alex continued his explanation.
"Partner?" Steve seemed puzzled; it was the first time he heard of this.
Alex elaborated, "Spiritual entities with their own consciousness that possess a form's attributes are called partners. Didn't I tell you that the monster form has a unique feature? All of them, without exception, possess their own consciousness."
Upon hearing this, Steve's eyes widened to their limit. Ever since he found out that he possessed a rare monster form and being a poor youth without the means to cover his needs, he felt like a drowning man in the midst of turbulent waves, with no hope of survival. He had even abandoned his dreams and accepted a life as a student in a second-tier institute.