To be honest, if someone asked me how much I knew about spirits, I would have no choice but to answer that I knew nothing at all.
Well, after all, Nia acted just like an ordinary cat, and the spirits I had encountered had never once revealed their forms to me.
And yet…
I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was strange about them.
Scarlet flames floating in the air, deep blue water, trembling leaves, and solid stones.
Each one had a different appearance and spoke in different ways, but despite talking like humans, they gave off an odd, unsettling feeling.
I couldn’t help but click my tongue in frustration.
[……You don’t have to worry too much. They may be strange, but they are certainly skilled.]
“Then that’s a relief.”
Fortunately, the spirits before me seemed to follow Nia’s words without resistance.
As I stared blankly at the spirits that had wordlessly signed a contract with me and now resided within my body, I shifted my gaze toward Nia.
“What about you? What happens to you?”
I had long realized that Nia had been the spirit residing within me all along.
Perhaps the elixirs I had consumed had taken effect, as Nia looked much better than before.
She was no longer scruffy, her fur now gleamed with a soft luster, and she even carried a pleasant fragrance.
Yet, despite that, she had not shown herself until now.
However, knowing that she had exhausted a significant amount of energy while healing me, I couldn’t help but be concerned.
[I’m fine. I’ve grown quite used to wandering around like this.]
“That’s a relief…”
Noticing my worry, Nia smiled softly.
Of course, since she was in the form of a cat, it might have just been my imagination—but that’s how it felt to me.
[Now that I can reveal myself in the Middle Realm, I suppose I’ll be staying by your side.]
“Got it.”
Being with Nia wasn’t so bad.
In fact, since I had spent time with her when I was younger, it didn’t feel unfamiliar to me at all.
[Now then, it’s about time you wake up.]
“Yeah.”
[Once you’re outside, it won’t be as easy to have conversations like this. But don’t worry—you’ll still be able to communicate with me through your thoughts.]
“Alright.”
Nodding, I slowly closed my eyes.
Gradually, my consciousness was floating away.
I supposed my time in this world had come to an end.
And yet, a small smile appeared on my lips.
At the very least, I wasn’t alone—I still had someone I could rely on.
Ophelia anxiously watched Luen, who had his eyes closed.
‘It’s taking too long.’
Usually, spirit contracts didn’t take this much time.
She wasn’t sure of the exact duration, but it had already been close to 30 minutes since Luen had begun the contract. If it still wasn’t finished by now…
‘Did he encounter a spirit stronger than himself?’
Spirit contracts were typically formed through mutual agreement.
If either the spirit or the spirit contractor refused, the contract would be immediately nullified.
However, in rare cases where a spirit possessed an exceptionally strong ego, complications could arise.
There were times when a spirit would try to consume the contractor.
It was something that occasionally happened when a spirit found a contractor’s talent to be particularly appealing…
‘That couldn’t be happening, right?’
Luen’s ability to resonate with spirits was exceptional.
Ophelia didn’t know the details, but if she were to exaggerate a little, she might say that Luen could be compared to Gigarious, the very first Spirit Master.
However, as a Spirit Master, Luen was far from being as accomplished.
Rather, despite his talent, he was clearly lacking in knowledge about spirits.
That was why, if he had encountered a spirit beyond his level, there was even a possibility—however slim—that he could be consumed by it.
Although the chances were low…
Ophelia’s crimson eyes settled into a calm gaze as she carefully observed Luen’s condition.
His face, illuminated by a bright light with his eyes closed, looked completely serene.
If he were engaged in a struggle against a spirit in the spiritual realm, there might have been some sign of strain on his expression—but then again, maybe not.
Still, Ophelia didn’t let her guard down.
With her arms crossed, she gathered her magical energy, preparing to respond to any unexpected situation at a moment’s notice.
As she maintained her vigilance, she gradually noticed that the light surrounding Luen was beginning to fade.
‘It’s almost over.’
That was proof that the contract was reaching its conclusion.
Sharpening her gaze, she carefully examined Luen.
Sure enough, her intuition had been correct—Luen let out a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.
The streaks of light that had surrounded him had already been absorbed into his chest.
“Phew…”
Letting out a short breath, Luen slowly looked around.
“…Did you complete the contract successfully?”
Hearing Ophelia’s voice, he gave a small nod.
“That’s a relief.”
Letting out a quiet sigh of relief, Ophelia dispelled the mana she had been holding.
Luen slowly got to his feet—his seat had grown uncomfortable.
As he stood up, he began to examine the state of the spirits residing within him.
‘They’re fine.’
The contract appeared to have been completed successfully.
Observing the four elemental spirits now settled within his heart, Luen smiled in satisfaction and nodded.
“So, what kind of spirits did you contract with?”
“Uh…”
At Ophelia’s question, Luen blinked for a moment, gathering his thoughts.
How should he explain this?
Seeing his hesitation, Ophelia tilted her head slightly.
If it was water, he could just say water; if it was fire, he could just say fire.
It shouldn’t have been difficult.
“Water? Fire? Wood? Earth?”
Anyone else would have sensed that there was something unusual going on.
However, Ophelia was in no state to consider such things.
Not only was this the first time she had witnessed a spirit contract in person, but she also needed to know what spirits Luen had contracted with in order to determine the proper training regimen for him.
Driven by urgency, Ophelia pressed for an answer.
Luen, calming his thoughts, finally responded.
“All four.”
“…What?”
If it was water, training would take place in a water-rich environment.
If it was fire, training would occur in a place abundant with flames.
This was a simple principle recorded in Gigarious’s writings.
Even setting training aside, it was common knowledge that an ordinary Spirit Master would only contract with one elemental spirit at a time.
Even the legendary Gigarious had only contracted with two elemental spirits in his first and second contracts.
That was why Ophelia couldn’t help but be taken aback by Luen’s unexpected response.
“…All four?”
“Yes. That’s how it turned out. Is there a problem?”
From Luen’s perspective, he had merely signed the contract because all four spirits had expressed their willingness to do so.
And since he was largely ignorant about spirit magic, he had simply answered in the most straightforward way possible.
For Ophelia, who was well-versed in spirit magic, this was nothing short of shocking.
“Th-Then, what about their ranks? Low-tier? Mid-tier? They’re not bottom-tier, are they?”
“Uh… I’m not really sure about that. Should I ask?”
Come to think of it, I forgot to ask about their ranks.
Realizing his oversight after hearing Ophelia’s question, Luen answered nonchalantly.
She swallowed dryly, nodding her head vigorously with tense eyes.
‘If they can communicate, then at the very least, they must be low-tier or higher! This is… an incredible discovery.’
Contracting four elemental spirits, and not just any spirits, but ones that were at least low-tier or above, was proof that Luen’s spirit affinity far exceeded Ophelia’s expectations.
“Would you like to come out?”
Ophelia had already resolved to help Luen because he reminded her of Luana, and she intended to follow through with that decision.
But right now, as a magician, she couldn’t help but feel pure excitement.
His talent was overwhelming.
That meant he could absorb far more knowledge than she had initially hoped.
The mere thought of it made her heart race with excitement.
As soon as Luen murmured his request, a brilliant white light burst forth from his chest.
Fire, water, earth, and wood—
The four elements surrounded him, and Ophelia watched with a quiet smile.
Summoning even one elemental spirit was remarkable, but summoning four different elements at once? That was extraordinary.
“Do you know what your ranks are?”
Normally, summoning multiple spirits at once could put a heavy strain on a Spirit Master’s body and mind, but Luen’s expression remained completely calm.
In fact, he was so at ease that Ophelia momentarily wondered if the records in Gigarious’s texts were incorrect.
However, the response she received wasn’t just surprising—it was enough to leave her utterly speechless.
[Affirmative! Spirit Unit No. 179! Rank: Supreme-Tier Spirit!]
“…S-Supreme-tier?”
A supreme-tier spirit.
Not just one, but four supreme-tier spirits from different elements, contracted simultaneously?
“H-Ha… Haha…”
Ophelia couldn’t suppress the laughter that bubbled up in disbelief as she turned her gaze toward Luen.
“How… is this even possible?”
Spirits couldn’t lie.
Deceiving their Spirit Master about their rank was an act of betrayal.
If they were to do so, their very existence would vanish.
That meant…
Luen, standing right before her, possessed talent that surpassed even Gigarious—the first and greatest Spirit Master, who had never been rivaled in ability.