Chapter 31: Growth

In the alien-like forest found on the fringes of the territory where the city of Anfang dwelled, the golden sun had revealed itself entirely over the world. Its massive body left the boundless horizon and was now entering the heavens. With its sunlight in full display, the day had reached its new stage.

The dawn had ended.

The ocean-blue skies gleamed in their full radiance under the golden sunlight. The fluffy white clouds passed through, creating massive shadows over the lands below them. The tempest swayed the branches and rustled the tall slick grass protruding from the earth. It was highly satisfying and relaxing.

The animals of the realm of Spectrum have begun revealing themselves. They were magnificent alien-like creatures that, even to the inhabitants, were considered unique and special. Some were as giant as the mountains, while others were smaller than an ant. The creatures of this realm were the signature of Spectrum's beauty.

Back again at the alien-like forest on the fringes of the border, a young girl was silently standing as the tempest swayed her silver-white hair. She had light magenta irises with a slit pupil, followed by her crow-like wings behind her waist. The young girl was also a unique spirit. After all, she was none other than the First Krieger.

Alastair Hecate.

Alastair Hecate closed her eyelids as she calmed herself. A book was levitating beside her and slowly orbiting itself around Alastair. The book was her grimoire, and this was her second time making it emerge. It would typically require the grimoire to activate her skills.

But since the activation sequence of the miasma was normal. Alastair didn't use such a time to activate her grimoire. But at the moment, Alastair needed the grimoire to do something meaningful. It was related to her growth as a Krieger. A shift of her power and her shield.

'According to the information given by Shai, I can only use the souls for two things. First, to get more skills or to get my body stronger.' With this simple thought, Alastair began planning within herself regarding her next step into the future. It was a hard choice for Alastair.

She could get her body stronger, making it easy for her to maybe contain more souls, but for now, the number of souls in her body or the power of her body wasn't her main problem. Instead, the main thing she wanted to change was the fact that she only had the miasma.

The miasma was extremely useful for handling a large number of enemies, but it was also a double-edged sword, not for Alastair but for her allies. In the soul deals, Alastair would have to be careful not to kill the allies around her. That would be bad and would give her problems.

"I need to get a new skill," Alastair uttered with a calm voice as she opened her eyelids. She had finally reached a conclusion within her mind and was determined to step into the next stage of her plan. What skill she would get was entirely dependent on her luck.

It might be useful, or it might be useless. But even then, it was better than only having miasma as a skill. The making her body stronger plan would be used in the next soul deal. For now, Alastair's skills were her main priority. Without any hesitation, Alastair uttered such words to the grimoire orbiting around her gorgeous body.

"Allocate all souls or astral energy to get a new skill."

Her words echoed throughout the forest as Alastair stood in silence. Calm and peace enveloped everything around her, but after a while, the grimoire opened itself. The earth then began shaking as cracks formed around Alastair. The tempest in the heavens then became wilder than ever before.

A storm was about to emerge.

Alastair turned her head upwards with a serious expression plastered on her face. She didn't know what happened, but it appeared that the grimoire was doing something that affected the entire area around her. Seeing the effect of the strong winds, cracked ground, and uprooted trees.

Alastair thanked herself for trusting her instincts not to use the grimoire in the city of Anfang. She couldn't imagine the damage it would bring if she activated the grimoire in the city. Such was a good save for her plan for the future. It also made her understand the danger of her abilities and the things around her.

"Though, what is with this reaction."

Alastair uttered while looking at the heavens. The storm got stronger and stronger than ever before. The storm she made in the first soul deal was like a speck compared to the one right in front of her. But... Now that she had thought about it. The scene in front of her was similar to the first soul deal.

With this in mind, a realization struck Alastair almost immediately. Alastair quickly shook her head and denied such thoughts within her mind. It shouldn't be possible. But, wait, why wouldn't it? Another question plagued her mind since she could do it, Why not others?

Alastair didn't know why but she had a feeling that she had brought upon a problem with the expectation of growth. Besides, why didn't Shai give all the information she needed before activating the grimoire and doing such a thing? "Damn you, Shai!" Alastair gritted her teeth as the storm got stronger and stronger.

Back in the realm of Divum, the place where all divine beings inhabit, Shai was sipping tea while looking through a thing that highly resembled a television. She was currently watching a civilization destroy itself, which was intriguing to her.

She continued to sip through her tea before stopping. Shai raised an eyebrow as she thought about her meeting with Soteria. A smile then emerged from her face as she uttered. "Oh, I forgot about one thing." The smile turned into a smirk as Shai continued.

"To get the skill, one must summon him."

Back to the realm of Spectrum, the storm was now felt all over the spirit empire. It went beyond the city of Anfang and was directly affecting the international borders beyond the country. For Alastair, who wanted a slightly more helpful skill, this was the most dangerous thing that had ever happened to her.

After all, such a thing wouldn't give anything other than the attention of those stronger than herself. Alastair was unprepared and was still not used to her life in Spectrum. She needed time, and the storm itself was beginning to diminish that time. She could already imagine other spirits trying to find the one that brought upon the storm.

"I hope that it won't be someone violent." Alastair sighed in defeat as there was no use in losing her mind over it. Getting worried wouldn't do anything other than worsening the problem itself. The only thing Alastair had hoped for was that the one she was calling upon wasn't some piece of ass.

Alastair continued looking upon the heavens, now covered under the thunder clouds. The earth kept shaking, and the cracks on the ground became deeper and deeper. The trees around her were being uprooted as she stood directly below the eye of the storm.

It didn't take a while as flashing lights began to emerge from the eye of the storm. Alastair furrowed her eyebrows and wondered within herself. "What was that?" Then, without any warning, the flashing lights got stronger and enveloped her body in its entirety.

Alastair instinctively closed her eyelids which were immediately opened a second later. She found herself surrounded by velvet magma and the crimson flames. Screams and shouts echoed one after another as the cries for help sounded in the distance. A creepy laugh escaped right after the sound, which made everything more horrifying.

"Where am I? What is this place?"

Alastair questioned as she looked at herself and sighed in relief. It appears that nothing on her body has changed. She was worried that she might have lost something while being enveloped by the flashing light. After a while, a distorted reply sounded right after her question.

*You are in the Realm of Eternal Damnation, Inferno.*

Alastair turned her head once in every direction as it was tough to pinpoint the sound. But from the words she could pick up from the sound, it appears that she entered the worst realm possible. Alastair wondered if this was the way destiny wanted to curse her.

"Why am I in the Inferno? And who the hell are you?" Alastair questioned with a calm voice as she continued looking around. The only thing she could see was none other than the crimson wasteland. A warm place enveloped by suffering and pain. She wouldn't want to continue staying here.

Alastair would have been able to investigate better if she could leave her current situation. But, she didn't want to leave her spot as her instincts were shouting at her to stay in place. So, as Alastair trusted her instincts, she didn't take another step.

The reply of the distorted sound once again echoed through her ears.

*Because you have called me. The Wrathful Lord of Inferno, Santanas.*

*I have heard a lot of things about you, Alastair Hecate. The progenitor of the most recently created spectral race, The Krieger. A unique race that has similarities with the spirits, angels, and devils. The ones that would be able to accept deals, enter the spirit realm, and are natural disasters.*

The distorted voice knew a lot about Alastair and the race Krieger. Alastair couldn't help but increase her guard. After all, she wouldn't want to deal with whatever was behind that voice. Alastair was extremely weak compared to the being before her. She was like a speck of dust or maybe something below it.

*I have been given a new job by the three beings of judgment to oversee the abilities given to you. In exchange for the souls you gained through soul deals, I can grant you skills with the covenant of the three beings of judgment. That is the reason why you are here.*

The words of the distorted voice made Alastair realize the reason why she called upon the voice. She then calmed herself and questioned with a calm voice. "What skills can I gain from the current astral energy or souls I have in my body?" She wanted to know the things she could get.

*Hmm... With the cost of the skills, it appears that you can only have one. It costs ten souls, and the name of the skill should be Poltergeist. The name should give you enough information regarding the skill. After all, I am sure you are a smart one.*

'Poltergeist?' Alastair thought to herself as it was better than what she had expected. It was beyond her expectation, and she really didn't expect it. A smile formed on Alastair's face as she had finally gained something useful from her entire new life. She was extremely satisfied with it.

*It appears that you are delighted. Shall we enact the purchase?*

The distorted voice questioned as Alastair nodded without any hesitation. After Alastair nodded, she felt a warm light within her body. It felt like something was being taken from her, but an exchange replaced it. It was none other than her new skill.

*The purchase has been completed.*

*I expected you to bring more souls into the deal.*

Without any hesitation, Alastair's perception changed, and she was now back in the alien-like forest. The storm above her had immediately dissipated on its own while Alastair was left standing in a chaotic and leveled forest. The chaos the storm had brought upon the empire was not that damaging to Alastair anymore.

After all, she got something out of it which was extremely good. Poltergeist, with it, a lot of her plans in the future would have no problems being enacted. With this in mind, Alastair wondered if she could get many things like the Poltergeist.

If she did, then there was only one way for her growth. That was to enter a soul deal and become stronger once again. Her journey from now on would become a lot more interesting. Alastair couldn't help but want to go back to the hotel room and tell Soteria about her newly gained skill.

"I guess it's time to go back."

Alastair then walked back to the entrance gate while whistling with a satisfied expression plastered on her face.

Meanwhile, all over the realm of Spectrum, the strongest or those who stand on the zenith of the entire realm, had heard the call.

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