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40.02% Spirit Immortal / Chapter 277: A Fresh Start (3)

Chapter 277: A Fresh Start (3)

Himmel Empire. Imperius Academy.

Two weeks had passed since the end of the finals, and Imperius Academy was preparing to close for the year-end break. Although it was harder this year, the faculty had finally tabulated the final scores for all the students and had ranked them accordingly. The first hundred rankers of each year would be displayed on the public noticeboard, and the one who topped the ranks would be crowned the valedictorian.

As anticipated, for the freshmen year, Rank 1 firmly went to Kanari. However, the scores between the first and second place weren't as far as a gap as everyone thought. Kanari did the second best when it came to academic subjects, while her practical scores were a cut above the rest. Furthermore, with her being crowned as the freshmen champion, people thought that she would tower over her competition.

However, the gap between the valedictorian and salutatorian was only by twenty points. Shin's excellent results in the theoretical side boosted his overall score massively, and his top tier performances in the practical fields made him a real contender for the valedictorian spot. If Shin had won the year-end finals, there was no doubt that he would tower over Kanari's score.

Third place came as a surprise to everyone. Elrin Zedcris, whose academic scores was only capable of just scrapping it to the top twenty, had blown away her competition in the auxiliary department. Her practical scores were almost perfect, and all the contests that she had entered had seen her being crowned the champion. If she had performed a little better academically, even Shin's salutatorian seat would have been in serious jeopardy.

The fourth place came as no surprise. Suji Lasgeor, who went deep into the semifinals, firmly cemented his position at the top, while an auxiliary course boy by the name of Hikim Khan sealed the top five up.

Shizen, even though his practical marks were off the charts, his academic performance was rather lacklustre. However, he still managed to make it into the top twenty alongside Ella, Emma and Isadore. Danroy made it to eighth place, and Natasha Aldana was ranked eleventh. Looking at the final rankings, the twins and Isadore would most definitely make it into the Star Class next year, bringing the entire clique together.

Since the rankings were announced, it was time for the winners to reap their rewards. While the top rankers were given their own respective rewards by the faculty, Principal Erudito called for Elrin, Shin and Kanari so that he could bestow their rewards personally.

"Elrin, congratulations on achieving third place! Your father must be really proud!" Inside of the brightly lit Principal's Office, a bronze-faced man was beaming with a smile that reached both ends of his ears.

After Lady Seph saved Shin in front of the entire world, the academy had been sent into disarray. Hundreds of letters piled in from High Society, demanding to gain new information about Shin. It was only through the joint forces of the Highgarden Duchy, Zedcris Conglomerate and the Emperor himself, did the letters cease.

"Hehe, maybe~." Elrin chuckled as she stepped forward.

"As the third place, you are granted a personal cultivation chamber for three months, a few hundred medicinal pills, unlimited access to the forbidden section of the library for three months and the privilege to ask for private tutoring sessions. How would you like to proceed?"

"I relinquish the medicinal pills and my privilege for an extended stay in the cultivation chambers!" Elrin instantly replied. As the heiress of a merchant, it was in her blood to bargain the best deal for herself. Since she had virtually unlimited resources and guidance in her personal life, the only thing that interested her was the access to her own cultivation chambers.

"I knew you would say that..." Principal Erudito laughed. "I'll give you access to it for a year. Are there any requirements?"

"A spacious chamber that is dense with light elements, please! If possible, could you add a pure gemstone that contains light spiritual essence? My Spirit could really use that."

Elrin's Spirit, the Rosary of Eternity, was a treasure-type auxiliary Spirit that uses light elements. Created out of four thousand and ninety-six priceless rounded beads, Elrin's Rosary of Eternity was one of the rarest Spirits in the world. With the innate ability to boost or bind anyone that the white-haired girl prayed over, the Rosary of Eternity was perhaps the strongest auxiliary Spirit in the academy.

"Sure, but I'm not going to spend too much money on it… After all, you will remodel the place either way."

"Oops… Busted~." Elrin stuck her tongue out like the mischievous kitten that she was. With the amount of money she had, she could turn a pauper's house to a celestial palace overnight.

"You little brat… Anyway, I'll give it to you for a year. Next… Shin!" Principal Erudito turned his attention away from the white-haired girl and glanced at the youthful boy standing next to her. His body was void of any scratches, and it was hard to believe that he had sustained a life-threatening wound just two weeks prior.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Hmmm? Ah, yes! Master had ensured that I made a full recovery!"

"That's good… Although I admire your drive to win, the next time you fight, you shouldn't put your body through that much trauma. You may have gotten away with it once, but you won't be lucky every time." Principal Erudito gave Shin a firm warning. If the youth continued on his reckless fighting style, eventually, it would get him killed.

"I will heed your advice..." Shin bitterly smiled and replied the bronze-faced scholar.

"That's good…" Principal Erudito nodded his head and continued on with his next line of business. "As the salutatorian, you get a personal cultivation chamber for six months, access to the forbidden section of the library for four months, a few hundred medicinal pills, the right to ask any faculty member to teach you and finally, a precious treasure resource from our vault. Are you going to accept all of them?"

"Yes!"

There was no need for doubt. Shin's sole goal throughout his freshmen year was to gain the best resources that Imperius Academy has to offer. All of the rewards granted to the salutatorian were in line with everything that he sought for thus, there was no need to turn down any of them.

"Good, for your personal cultivation chambers, I'll just give you the same one that you used when you were attempting to condense your Spirit Core. Later on, I'll bring you and Kanari to the vault. There, you can take your time to choose whichever item you want."

"Thank you, Principal!" Shin couldn't help but grin. He had trained tirelessly over the past year, and now, it was finally time for him to reap the rewards.

"Lastly, Kanari..." Turning to the last person in the lineup, Principal Erudito raised his hands and smiled. Of all the students in this cohort, Kanari was undoubtedly the strongest. Whenever Principal Erudito looks at the ethereal beauty, he doesn't see a student that needs to be nurtured, but a powerhouse that had the potential to become the next Spirit Immortal.

"For one year, you will be given access to your own cultivation chambers, unlimited access to whichever forbidden zone you wish to enter, hundreds of medicinal pills, the right to invite a Spirit Venerate to mentor you, three precious treasure resources from the vault, and finally… The privilege to alter one part of the academy as you please… Do you accept all of your rewards?"

"With pleasure..." Kanari closed her eyes and bowed down in gratitude.

"Good! We can discuss the details of your alteration later! For now, let me bring you two to the vault!"

"Principal? What about me?" Feeling left out, Elrin did her best puppy eyes in hopes of moving the old man. It wasn't well-known, but the Imperius Academy vault housed tonnes of precious treasures that weren't available in the marketplace. Not even Elrin, with the influence of her father, could get hands on some of the items hidden deep inside the academy's vault.

"What about you? If you become either one of the top two next year, perhaps I would take you there myself."

"Hmph! Meanie!" Immediately pouting her lips, Elrin changed expressions faster than a professional actor, stunning the scholar. Shin and Kanari, who had gotten used to their friend's antics, just sighed and placed their palms on their foreheads.

"Haha, don't be that sad! Once you leave the room, Hirda will personally guide you to Tsucai Mountain and allow you to choose any of the free chambers available. How about that?"

"You said it! I'm going straight for the biggest one!"

"Haha, go ahead!" Bellowing out in laughter, Principal Erudito tapped on Shin and Kanari's shoulders and gestured for them to follow.

Walking shoulder to shoulder, Shin turned his attention to the black-haired beauty and whispered: "Do you know anything about what we can find in the vault?"

"Hmmm? You've been here for a year, and you don't know about the precious resources that Imperius Academy holds?" Kanari shot Shin an incredulous look. Given his history of investigating everything, it seemed weird that the boy didn't know of any resources in the vault.

"I've asked Isadore, but he didn't tell me anything!"

"Wow… I'll reprimand him later." Kanari scoffed as she thought of the silver-haired boy that always hung out with them.

"Anyway, the Imperius Academy vault houses some of the world's most precious materials. From hereditary opuscules from Spirit Venerates to divine consumables that enhance a cultivator's foundation. Some of the most valuable items in the vault include a ruby ground down from a phoenix feather and a mythic-grade herb that increases a cultivator's perception level for twenty-four hours." Kanari patiently explained.

"Of course, even though they are rare, they aren't as useful to those above the Spirit Spectre realm. Otherwise, even the Imperial Family would wreak havoc in the academy just to get to the vault."

"I see..." Shin started to fantasise about the numerous treasures that he was about to encounter. "I wonder what treasures are best for me?"

"Well, if nothing catches your eye, you could always join the Highgarden Duchy! I promise you, I will ensure that you get all the resources that you could possibly imagine!"

"Give me a break, Kanari..." Shin let out a dry chuckle as the pair were led further underground.

The Imperius Academy vault wasn't safeguarded by any guards or Spirit Beasts, and the path towards it was quite straightforward. However, even though there seemed like there was a lack of security if anyone other than Principal Erudito walked through the pathway, thousands, if not millions of traps would be set off, instantly decimating any trespasser.

Staying as close to Principal Erudito as possible, Shin and Kanari kept their backs straightened and heightened their senses to observe the nearby walls. After all, neither of them wished to get mauled by the traps that plagued the area.

"We're here."

It wasn't long until a pure white door, that stretched from the base of the corridor to the high ceilings above, came into view. The gate resembled a portal to the heavens above, and the golden carvings on it brought out a sense of majesty that forced the two Spirit Core cultivators to go weak in their knees.

"Don't be afraid, as long as you don't forcibly attack it, the gate won't harm you." Principal Erudito assured the duo that it was absolutely safe. Naturally, that didn't help in curbing their fear at all. "Hold still, let me open it."

The bronze-faced man took out a golden key and injected a tremendous amount of mana into the spiritual tool. Carefully, Principal Erudito inserted the key into the sole opening the door had. All of a sudden, metallic echoes of mechanisms clicking reverberated through the hallway, as the ground started to quake. Before the two students had the chance to back away, Principal Erudito cautioned them authoritatively.

"Don't retreat! The vault might think that you're a threat and incinerate you!"

Instantly staying rooted to the ground, Shin and Kanari unconsciously gulped down a mouthful of saliva before watching the gigantic door creak open. White mist escaped from the interior of the vault as a brush of cold air gushed on their faces. Removing the golden key from its keyhole, Principal Erudito beamed and allowed the doors to swing inwards, revealing the ostentatious items within.

"Wow..." Shin gaped in awe. Even Kanari, who had ample experiences dealing with precious materials, had been struck speechless at the sheer quantity of luxuries that was sealed behind those doors.

Towers upon towers of encased artefacts, brightly shining hereditary opuscules, precious herbs sealed in a vacuum container to prevent decay. To call it an overkill was an understatement. No academic institution in the entire Empire could even hope to match ten per cent of the opulence shown in the Imperius Academy's vault.

"Take your time to browse through the area! There are basic introductions to most of the items here, but feel free to ask me anything!"

Once the two had stepped foot into the vault, Principal Erudito tapped the huge doors and allowed them to close. Some of the precious resources in the room were susceptible to contamination. Hence it was essential to ensure that the vault stayed as clean as possible.

"Are we allowed to summon out our Spirits here?" Shin questioned.

"Summon your Spirits? Hmmm, that's fine, but don't use any spiritual abilities! Also, don't allow your Spirits to go within a metre of any item!" As much as he didn't like the notion of using Spirits to sniff around the precious vault, Principal Erudito acquiesced to the youth's request.

"Thank you!"

Shin congregated his mana into his right hand and summoned out the adorable cerulean Koi. The instant The Sovereign Koi made its entrance, its eyes widened with extreme joy, and it twirled around like a dog chasing its tail. Being surrounded by that much elemental energy and such dense mana made the Spirit giddy, and it couldn't wait to start exploring.

Likewise, Kanari smiled and brought out her Spirit, the Kumiho. Just like The Sovereign Koi, the Kumiho was as small as a rat, but it still retained all of its most prominent features. Its nine tails moved erratically as it tilted its head in wonder at the fish in Shin's hands. Dropping its lower jaw, a string of saliva dripped out from the Kumiho's mouth and its eyes flashed with a predatory light.

Sensing danger, The Sovereign Koi immediately hid behind Shin to prevent the Kumiho from finding it, forcing the fox to throw a hissy fit. Kanari laughed and stroked on her Spirits adorable head, before leaving in the opposite direction.

"Hahaha, come out! She's already gone!" Shin couldn't believe how The Sovereign Koi behaved after meeting the Kumiho for the first time. "Come! Help me find something good!"

"..."

The whole reason why Shin asked if he could summon out his Spirit was due to the high amounts of perception The Sovereign Koi possessed. If it found something it favoured, it was definitely an item that would benefit Shin.

Five minutes passed… There was no reaction.

Fifteen minutes passed… Shin decided to change his approach and allowed The Sovereign Koi to roam a little more freely. Still no reaction.

An hour had gone by… Kanari had chosen two of the three items that she was entitled to, but Shin has yet to even single out one item.

Soon, the black-haired youth started to get restless. Even though Principal Erudito didn't set a time limit, there was still an invisible pressure hanging at the top of his head. However, no matter how hard he looked and how close he let The Sovereign Koi roam to the luxurious items in the vault, there was still no reaction.

"Whatever, if you can't find anything within the next five minutes, I'll just get that herb which strengthens my sensitivity to water elements." Shin chided the fish that was swimming about in the air. As if threatened by its master's words, The Sovereign Koi let out a tiny amount of mana into the atmosphere, stunning Shin and Principal Erudito in the process.

"Hey, Shin! I told you no spiritual abilities!" The bronze-faced man hollered out.

"I'm sorry! I just lost control for a bi-..." However, just as Shin was about to apologise for his actions, a primal attraction enveloped his entire being as he suddenly felt a connection to something within the vault.

"W-What?" Shin's heart palpitated, and cold sweat flowed out from his forehead. Without knowing, his feet propelled him forward, as the attraction grew ever stronger.

"Shin? Hey, Shin!" Confused as to why the youth was behaving so strangely, Principal Erudito got off his feet and followed Shin closely.

It only took a minute for the youth to find the object that caused his soul to tremble. In his hands, The Sovereign Koi let out a triumphant look as it wiggled about in pure excitement. Shin, on the other hand, was still trying to hold back his overflowing emotions as he stared into the glass case that secured the item that lay within.

A charred thorn, akin to that of a mammoth's tusk, remained dormant, void of any spiritual fluctuations or mana signatures. Compared to the grandeur of the other artefacts in the room, the thorn was rather lacklustre in stature, but deep down, Shin knew that this unassuming thorn was perhaps the most valuable object in the entire vault.

"What… What is that?"

~~~

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Chapter 278: A Fresh Start (4)

"What… What is that?" Shin's question didn't go unheard. Principal Erudito, who was just about to reprimand Shin for using his spiritual abilities in the vault, halted his steps and carefully examined the object.

Even though he was the highest authority in the academy, the institution had been constructed long before he was born and there were many items in the vault that he barely knew about. Of course, if it were the most valuable items, Principal Erudito would instantly be able to recognise them, but evidently, the charred thorn that Shin was interested in wasn't in that category.

"Hmmm, I've seen it multiple times in the vault, but no one actually found anything interesting about it… From the description, it says that it was taken from a claw of an ancient beast. Nothing else is written on it though?"

"A claw? You mean this was a fingernail of a beast? What tier was it? Tier 8 or 9? Or perhaps it was a Primordial Beast?" Shin rapidly asked.

"Unsure..." Unfortunately, Principal Erudito didn't know the answer. Over the years, the vault had accumulated hundreds of thousands of precious materials and eventually, it was hard to keep track of every single item in it. "However, even if it was from a high levelled beast, its age must have eroded any benefits that one could get from it, you should find something else."

'Time has eroded it? Then why does my heart beat so fast when I get near it?' Shin didn't believe the Principal's words.

There was no spiritual or elemental energy coming out from the charred thorn, but Shin felt an overwhelming mental connection with the nail that was almost half a metre long. Biting down his lower lip, the black-haired youth considered turning away to get one of the other precious resources that guaranteed an improvement. However, his gut feeling was screaming at him to claim the charred thorn as his own.

"I'll take it."

"You'll take what?" Not willing to believe his ears, Principal Erudito raised his eyebrows and stared incredulously at the youth. Only a few each year got to enter the Imperius Academy vaults, and yet, Shin was squandering his chance by claiming a useless item that had been sitting in the vault for decades?

"I'll take the thorn."

"... Fine, I'll get it out for you." As much as he wished to dissuade Shin, the moment Principal Erudito glanced into the passionate eyes of the youth that wouldn't take no for an answer, the bronze-faced man knew that Shin wouldn't change his mind.

"Here, I hope you would find some good use for it." Unlocking the glass case, Principal Erudito held the charred thorn with both of his hands and passed it over to Shin.

"Thank you!" Shin received his reward with open arms. Although there the charred thorn lacked any mana or elemental energy, the black-haired youth somehow felt a primal connection to the thorn.

On the other side of the vault, Kanari had long chosen her three rewards. A rare mind-elemental gem that boosts the cultivator's connection to the mind elements around her. A tail feather of a Tier 7 Firebird that had been made into a consumable pill, and finally, the beak of a Tier 7 Hippogryph, which could significantly boost a cultivators control over wind elements. Compared to the dull thorn that Shin had picked, Kanari seemed to have the better windfall.

"What's so special about that thorn?" Confused as to why the black-haired youth chose the charred thorn instead of any of the thousand items inside the vault, Kanari questioned Shin.

"I don't know!"

"You don't know? Then why did you choose it?"

"It's hard to explain… I have to bring it back to examine it thoroughly first."

"I see…" Although she wasn't wholly convinced, Kanari had complete faith that Shin knew what was best for himself. After all, during the year, the boy had proved time and time again that he wasn't one to ignorantly do something.

The moment Principal Erudito sealed the vault doors, he led the pair towards Tsucai mountain, so that he could show them to their personal cultivation chambers and hand over the keys. While on the mountain, they saw Elrin ordering a heap of black-robed men to carry valuable mana-rich items into the chambers, must to the dismay of Vice-Principal Hirda. Watching as Elrin continued to fluster the Spirit Emperor, Shin and Kanari let out a playful giggle and begun to decorate their chambers as well.

~~~

"Mnnnn..." A low humming sound bounced from wall to wall as a deep blue, cerulean light enveloped the stone cultivation chambers.

For Shin, it didn't take him too long to fix up his own cultivation chambers. Since he had access to the same exact room many months ago, Shin was extremely familiar with the chamber's layout. Fortunately, after he finished using the chamber, there had been no other occupants, and the only thing he needed to clean up was the residue dust.

Immediately after cleaning, Shin sat down on the stone bed and lifted up the charred thorn he received from Principal Erudito. Enveloping it in a dense water sphere, Shin sent a significant amount of mana towards the charred thorn, hoping to unravel the mysteries within. Every so often, The Sovereign Koi would do a twirl in the air and would send another surge of spiritual energy at the charred thorn.

"Nothing is happening?"

After five minutes of constant mana supply, the charred thorn remained intact, and there were no signs of any change. Shin felt like he was scrubbing a diamond that had been purified thousands of times over, and there was nothing else he could do.

"That can't be… So what was the feeling that I experienced?" Shin was confused. Of all the precious items in the vault, he chose the unsuspecting blackened thorn that no one thought was valuable. However, based on The Sovereign Koi's reaction as well the mysterious connection he felt, Shin, knew that the charred thorn was definitely something that benefited him.

"Maybe I'm doing it wrong?"

Shin changed his approach. Instead of using his created water to 'clean' the thorn, he partially cast his spiritual body enhancement and allowed his right hand to be filled with deep cerulean scale. Grabbing onto the thorn, Shin attempted to scrub the blackened parts of the nail, in hopes of revealing the treasure within. Unfortunately, the charred coating was too durable.

Unfazed by the hurdle, Shin continued experimenting on the charred thorn. He tried to drill through the coating using his created water, he tried casting heal on the thorn, he had even attempted scrubbing The Sovereign Koi on it, forcing it to wiggle about in protest. However, no matter what he tried, the charred thorn remained unchanged.

"Hmmm… Maybe my cultivation level is still too weak to break through the coating… I'll bring it to Master later in the week to investigate." Since Shin wasn't able to crack the code, the youth decided not to overthink about it. "Still, I'm constantly amazed by the dense water elements in this chamber."

The Himmel Empire wasn't the dominant force when it came to water-elemental Spirits. Yet, they managed to create an optimal cultivation chamber for Shin slowly train in. If Shin trained in the cultivation chamber, he would reap twice the rewards with half the effort. Closing his eyes, Shin felt the water elements seep deep into his pores, and he began to chant the Celestial Water Mantra.

From the start of his cultivation journey, the Celestial Water Mantra had been his trusted ally, and he used it religiously. Even though it was cryptic and hard to understand, Shin had used it time and time again to increase his understandings of water and the power of his Spirit. Memorising the manual from cover to cover, Shin could recite any part of the mantra at the snap of a finger, and he chose a chapter that best suited his current cultivation needs.

"..."

Unbeknownst to Shin, the moment he started to chant, the dense water elements in his cultivation chamber begun to tremble violently and the lights emitted out from The Sovereign Koi was twice as bright as usual.

The stagnant charred thorn that remained on the table, finally showed signs of change as it shook slightly. Suddenly, the thorn flew forward as if it was an electromagnet being switched on and hit Shin straight in the face, forcing him to abruptly open his eyes.

"What the?!" Pulling the charred thorn off his body, Shin rubbed his nose and took some time to regain his bearings. Sensing that something was off, he held the half a metre long thorn up high and carefully examined it once more.

"You didn't move just now, what changed?" Shin reflected on his past actions. Initially, no matter what means he tried, Shin just wasn't capable of triggering a response from the charred thorn. "Was it the Celestial Water Mantra?"

Allowing The Sovereign Koi to hover over the charred thorn, Shin injected his mana into the nail of the ancient beast and chanted his trusted mantra once more. As if in response to his mana, the charred thorn began to throb in excitement. All of a sudden, Shin felt as if a live, beating heart had been placed onto his palms.

"It's working!" Thrilled that he finally got a response, Shin continued pumping mana into the charred thorn, all while reciting the Celestial Water Mantra. Bit by bit, the thorn pulsated harder and harder, until eventually…

"*Kkkkrrrrttt!!!*."

A small crack broke through the thick charred thorn releasing a torrent of dense spiritual energy that blinded Shin almost instantly. The black-haired youth immediately retracted his mana and sought to escape from the terrorising light that seemed capable of vanquishing him in a millisecond. However, as fast as he may be, there was no way that Shin could outrun the speed of light. Failing to escape the dense spiritual light, Shin braced himself for impact. Like a mother's touch, the compact light embraced the young boy, and then...

The world went black…

~~~

"This is..." Opening his eyes, Shin tried his best to identify where he was. Unfortunately, the only thing that existed around him was a patch of eternal darkness.

"This is like the spiritual awakening ceremony all over again!" Shin got goosebumps as he flashbacked to the first time he interacted with his Spirit Body. Similar to this instant, Shin was thrown into a world of darkness, and he was forced to find the elusive Sovereign Koi, who was playing hard to get at the time.

"Maybe I have to do the same to get out of this place?"

There were a thousand questions that plagued Shin's mind. What was the true identity of the charred thorn? Why was he sent to yet another spiritual realm? However, the most pressing question he had was how to get out. Fortunately, unlike the spirit awakening ceremony, he wasn't alone in this world.

The Sovereign Koi swam around Shin, jubilantly pointing at the youth's left side, prompting him to follow it. With nowhere to go, the youth opted to follow the wishes of his Spirit. Since he wasn't wandering about aimlessly, it didn't take long to find his objective.

"It really was here..." Shin muttered out in amazement.

Inside of the dark, barren universe that Shin was sent to, he found a brightly shining puddle, which was a metre in diameter. With each step that he took, the puddle rippled out in joy as if it had been waiting for this moment its entire life. However, the moment Shin right before it, the puddle immediately calmed, revealing the scene that lay within it.

"This is… A memory?" Shin hypothesised.

The movie that was being played in the first-person perspective of a flying creature as it rapidly zipped through the heavens. Crossing mountain ranges within a blink of an eye, Shin estimated that the creature had the capability of traversing continents as it wished, making it a true sovereign of the skies.

"*BOOOOOMMMMM!!!*."

It didn't take long for the flying creature to reach its destination. The five-kilometre high volcano violently erupted, sending thick billowing ash clouds into the firmament above. From the ashes, a fiery god descended.

Covered in molten lava, the humanoid Spirit Beast towered over any mountain that stood before it and each step it took sent tornadoes flying all over the continent. Opening its smelting red mouth, the Ifrit-like being spat out a river of flames, forcing the flying creature to ascend high up into the skies.

Raising up its claw, the creature defied the god by congregating its mana to create a solid beam of light that pierced through the head of the flaming giant. Unfortunately, the God of Fire was capable of regenerating its body instantly. Attacking the flying creature with the heat of a billion suns, the volcanic giant created an ocean of flames, capable of incinerating the entire Capital within seconds.

In response, the flying creature roared heavenwards and summoned a torrential downpour in hopes of quelling the flames below it. Once more, it raised its claw, allowing the sharp nails on it to glow in a radiant brilliance. Beams of spectre light rapidly shot down at the flaming God, each one capable of inflicting a thousand kilometres of damage.

However, it was all for nought as the Ifrit reached out and grabbed the claw in the flying creatures hand. Almost instantly, the nail that was responsible for damaging the Fire God had been charred, and it fell off the creature's body, ending the memory altogether.

"T-That… Was the memory of the charred thorn?!"

Before Shin had a chance to react, the puddle forcibly sucked the youth in and brought him back to the material realm. Panting out while his robes were soaked to the bone with sweat, Shin attempted to quell his mental state. What level were the two Spirit Beasts in that memory? Tier 9? Primordial Beasts? Or perhaps even higher? Shin didn't know.

However, what he did know is the fact that any one of them was capable of decimating the entire Himmel Empire if it wished to.

"This charred thorn actually contains the memory of an ancient mighty beast's attack!" Shin felt his heart beating wildly as he contemplated on the uses of the charred thorn.

"What I lacked during the year-end competition was a powerful ability that could finish my enemies… Natasha has her Starfall attack, Suji has the Heavenly Punishment, and Kanari has Lunar Beam… If I could even release a fraction of the power shown in the memory, I will be able to reign supreme over anyone!!!" Figuring out the route that he had to take, Shin held on to the charred thorn as if it were his baby.

"I will become stronger!!!"

~~~

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

To all you lovebirds with a date on this day, I wish you all the best, but for the other loners like me, I have written a short story starring Shin and Ariel. I have posted it on my website, so if you are interested, do check it out. The link is right here!

https://linodofictions.com/2019/02/13/a-valentines-story/

I hope that this story would add some flavour to this otherwise mundane day. Do tell me what you think of the SS, and perhaps, leave some suggestions on what I should write on next time!

~~~

Support me on Patreon to read advanced chapters!!! :p

https://www.patreon.com/Linodo

Visit my site for additional content!!!

https://linodofictions.com/

Special thanks to my Patrons: Ace, Felix Schöntag, Fullmoon, gerbil, Innos, James Nagy, Jordan Gaslonde, Jorge, Keith Kindall, Marwin33, Max Strand, Michael Garfein, Neal Ohara, Philip Wasserman, Raphael Chantigny, Phill barr, Sam, Sohil Dave, Story Seeker, Taylor Fontenot, ZeoLuca, Dawson Bauman, Fredrik Andersson, john bardsley, M.G. Porombka, Magic Wafflez, G Bowz, Jonathan Harper, Travis Lauda, Henry Ajum, Ziko Rodgers


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Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.

Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.

GOT IT