Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Possession
Chapter 15: Possession
As usual, Ain was getting ready to begin his day as the morning sun greeted his window.
Today was Saturday, and it had been exactly one week since the Spirit Awakening Ceremony. In this one week, Ain had become a Rank-1 Spirit Tamer from a regular person, or otherwise referred to as a mortal.
Today, Ain wanted to familiarize himself with Nox's skills, as well as study the new spell his mentor had gifted him.
When he was ready to leave, Ain cast a quick glance at the slumbering cat before opening the window quietly. He decided not to disturb it today.
On his way out, Ain greeted the morning security guard, Mr. Rudy, as usual, and walked into the adjacent park. He stayed on the outskirts of the park, near the building complex.
As he walked on, a sizable clearing surrounded by sparse green trees appeared. There was a gray stone path with small shrubs and colorful flowers on the side, bisecting the clearing. A water fountain stood in the middle, adding some liveliness to the surroundings. Stone benches were scattered around the fountain in an orderly fashion, making for a good rest spot.
A bed of grass next to the stone path had been Ain's training spot for the past few years.
After arriving at his destination, Ain summoned Nox. With a quick flash of light, it appeared before Ain.
Although the sun had already scattered some of the darkness of dawn, the flash of light was still very conspicuous.
'This flash of light can be disadvantageous at night,' Ain thought when he observed this phenomenon. He had never seen such a flash when his mentor's spirit pet, Flo, appeared. He wondered if there was a technique to mask it.
Ain stashed this thought away and decided to think about it later.
Instead, he brought his attention back to Nox, who was floating a few inches away from his face.
Before he began training, Ain decided to test something he had skipped last night.
"Don't move," he said as his hand pressed on Nox's body. After forming the contract, Ain could now touch Nox's gaseous body.
When he was ready, Ain used Scan once again. But unlike last night, he only focused on a single point, and that was skills.
Soon, knowledge originating from his innate talent, Wisdom Root, once again appeared in his mind.
[Innate Skills: Possession]
[Skills: None.]
'Good, I'm also able to scan for skills,' Ain's little experiment gave him a satisfactory result.
Looking at Nox's skills, he sighed internally. From what he learned yesterday, spirit pets and spirit beasts gained one innate skill after each evolution. Common quality spirit pets had no innate skills, and Noble quality had one, and so on.
Although Nox's innate skills were pitifully few and not in-line with its Ancient quality, Ain wasn't too surprised. Before Ain departed from the Atlas Base, his mentor had mentioned Nox's innate skills.
Other Ancient quality spirit pets would have three innate skills, one for each evolution - Noble, Transcendent, and Ancient.
Nox only had one for now, and it would unlock its remaining two innate skills upon reaching Rank-3. Ain was unaware of the reason as his mentor didn't mention it.
He turned his attention back to Nox's only innate skill, Possession. The innate skill's name was very descriptive. Possession could allow Nox to fuse with Ain, providing him with a comprehensive boost. He could even make use of Nox's skills in their fused state, and his own ghost spells would also be augmented.
Ain didn't wait any longer and immediately asked Nox to use its skill. "Nox, use Possession."
Nox, who had been staring at Ain this whole time, seemed excited and flew into Ain's body at an unprecedented speed.
Immediately after, Ain's demeanor changed suddenly, as he started exuding a bone-chilling aura. His already black eyes seemed to embody the true meaning of black - even devouring the light that would otherwise be reflected in his eyes.
These were only the external changes. The most significant changes were internal.
Ain felt a surge of power coursing through his body. Although his muscle definition remained the same, he could feel an explosive increase in his strength and speed.
He even had the sudden impulse to sprint across the park, bulldozing everything in his path.
Of course, Ain's rationale remained clear. He suppressed the urge and tried to sense the changes more clearly.
His mind felt refreshed and clear, as if he was sensing the world for the first time. He noted that his perception had been augmented as well. This was indeed a comprehensive boost.
Ain could still feel a connection to Nox's consciousness, which was now residing in his own sea of consciousness.
The sea of consciousness was an ethereal region in a spirit tamer's mind. One's soul and spirit core were said to reside in the sea of consciousness.
Ain was unable to directly observe his sea of consciousness; therefore, he was unable to observe his spirit core. He could only intuitively sense Nox's location near it.
After he was done examining these changes, it was time for some experiments.
Ain turned his gaze to the surroundings, searching for a good target. But other than the sparse trees, there was nothing noteworthy. With no other choice, Ain walked up to the nearest tree, ready to test his strength first.
He assumed a standard martial arts stance, ready to strike the thick tree trunk. But before he could release his strike, a soft cry disrupted him from behind. "Meow!"
Ain turned around to see the cat seated on the grass not far away as it stared at him. Their gazes locked for a few seconds before Ain turned back, ready to strike again.
Once again, as he was about to throw his punch, the cat's cry sounded again. "Meow!"
Ain stopped again and turned to look at the cat, trying to decipher its meaning. He walked up to the cat and crouched in front of it, "What is it?"
The cat's reply was the same and replied with a soft cry, with no other movements. Ain stared into the cat's eyes, filled with confusion.
In the midst of his pondering, Nox sent a thought to Ain through their connection, resolving his puzzlement.
"You don't want your playground to be destroyed?" Ain asked the cat, as if to confirm Nox's words.
"Meow." The cat's reply sounded. Although he still couldn't understand it, Ain felt that its voice had a tone of affirmation. Glancing at the nearby trees, Ain sighed slightly.
"I guess I'll test my strength at the spirit academy. I'll try practicing martial arts in this state first."
He remembered that this clearing was where he had met the cat. Ain redacted his previous intentions and decided to postpone the strength test.
For the next few minutes, Ain sprinted across the clearing, while making sharper twists and turns at times. His footsteps were replaced by hazy shadows as he practiced some basic movement techniques.
All the martial arts techniques Ain had learned were unnamed and simple. He had realized that their sole purpose was to build a foundation for the future.
Afterwards, he continued with some fist techniques, leg techniques, and so on.
After about twenty minutes of practice, Ain started to feel some exhaustion. Nox conveyed a thought, expressing that its spirit energy was about to be depleted.
Hearing this, Ain quickly told Nox to cancel the Possession skill. It followed Ain's instructions and appeared next to Ain again.
Ain's eyes returned to normal, and so did his chilly demeanor. The exhaustion he just felt disappeared as well, but he noted that Nox appeared more lethargic.
'Possession seems to be limited by Nox's spirit energy, as well as my own physique.'
'Nox's spirit energy can be improved with further training, and it will receive another boost after reaching Rank-1.'
'My physique is adequate for now, but I can't be sure about the future. Most spirit pets and spirit beasts have better physiques than humans. I'll have to train my body more as to not limit Nox's Possession.'
Ain quickly summarized all the information he had gathered about Possession.
Possession would be the heart of his combat system for some time.
The skill synergized well with his martial arts foundation as well. Ain already had a few ideas on what type of spells to choose for the free spell the academy would provide him.
It was crucial for him to improve around Possession.
Thinking up to here, Ain returned Nox to the spirit ring. Although spirit pets could absorb spirit energy themselves to recover, the spirit ring could accelerate this process.
It was still early in the morning, so Ain continued his physical training for another two hours before returning home.
After a quick shower, he took a seat on his bed and brought out the spell book his mentor gifted him.
Introspect was a Rank-1 core spell. It could allow one to directly observe their sea of consciousness and the inside of their body. After learning of its effects, Ain agreed with his mentor's word. This spell could greatly improve training efficiency in the early ranks.
Ain first glanced through the spell book before beginning a thorough study. This time, Ain didn't wait to use Analysis.
Using Analysis was not detrimental to Ain's own analytical abilities. Rather, it could lead to further improvements.
About ten minutes later, Ain set the spell book aside and closed his eyes.
Similar to Illumination, the target of visualization was still a spell rune. But it was more complicated than the Rank-0 Illumination.
'Illumination was difficult due to my unfamiliarity with spirit energy. As time passes, that won't be an issue,' Ain thought.
After practicing the spell for over an hour, Ain finally succeeded. His consciousness slowly sank into his mind, entering his sea of consciousness.
This was also Ain's first time observing his own sea of consciousness. After a glance, he was stunned by the mystical scene.
Chapter 16: Chapter 16: New Spells
Chapter 16: New Spells
Upon successfully casting Introspect, Ain's consciousness appeared in a vast open space.
There was a faint golden radiance occupying this space, akin to the abode of some deity. This radiance didn't emanate from a single source; rather, the entire space seemed to exude this soft golden glow.
Beneath him, a tranquil sea of golden liquid stretched beyond his perception, as if the sun's rays had been forever trapped within each droplet.
Slightly above this ocean of golden liquid floated a glimmering sphere. It resembled a marble with amber liquid flowing inside. Revolving around this sphere was a ghastly purple band, with its flat side parallel to the sphere's surface.
As soon as this sight entered Ain's vision, he instinctively understood what he was witnessing. "That's my spirit core and spirit ring…"
"The sea below is my spirit energy, and this entire space is my sea of consciousness."
Directly observing them was a vastly different experience than indirectly sensing them. After identifying everything in sight, Ain continued to explore his surroundings.
Without any new discoveries, Ain didn't linger and soon exited his sea of consciousness.
Just like Illumination, Introspect would also consume his spirit energy. Since he still needed to complete his spirit tamer training, Ain chose to conserve his spirit energy.
Having the ability to observe his spirit core and spirit rings would indeed assist his training. He decided to keep it in mind for later, especially when he started branding his spirit core.
Like that, the weekend passed amidst the training.
…
It was Monday morning. Ain arrived at Red Oak Spirit Academy a little early, with another purpose in mind.
His destination was the academy's spell repository. He intended to claim his two free spells today.
Although it was called a repository, what greeted Ain was an unadorned room with only a reception desk blocking another passageway. An old man was seated behind the desk, fiddling with his hololink while letting out occasional chuckles.
As he noticed Ain approaching him, he glanced up and asked, "What brings you here, student?"
"Good morning. I've reached Rank-1. I'm here to claim the two spells provided by the academy."
Upon Ain's reply, the old man was stunned, which soon turned to doubt, then he said, "Show me."
Ain didn't take offense and simply nodded. With a flash of light, Nox appeared and floated atop Ain's head as its haunting voice sounded, "Wooo…"
Staring at the spirit pet, the old man was surprised, "You've really contracted a pet after only one week!"
Ain nodded again. "Can I receive my spells?"
"Haha, of course. Take a look at this catalog, and then you can let me know what you selected. I should remind you, after you receive your two free spells, you'll have to purchase any subsequent spells with star coins. Of course, we have discounted prices for our students."
As if he had regained his youth, the old man was suddenly invigorated after confirming Ain's rank. He passed a catalog device to Ain and patiently advised him.
Ain received the catalog and moved aside after thanking the old man.
The catalog was divided into core spells and ring spells, which were further categorized by ranks. Ring spells were also categorized by their attributes.
Ain decided to explore the core spells first.
In the Rank-0 section, only a single core spell was listed, and Ain was already familiar with it. It was Illumination.
Ain selected it, after which a basic description of the spell appeared, along with its price of 7,000 star coins.
'Illumination costs 7,000 star coins?' Ain was stunned by this revelation. Every student had received a free copy of this spell on the second day. This spell alone was worth more than Ain's current net worth. Attending spirit academy was indeed the correct decision, even though it was mandatory.
Ain quickly recovered and moved on to Rank-1 core spells. There were more Rank-1 spells available than Rank-0, so more selections appeared on the list.
He glanced over all the spells, 'Shield, Spirit Impact, Invigoration, …'
After that, Ain selected them one at a time and read through their descriptions.
Rank-1 core spells had an average price of 75,000 star coins, making him even more astonished at the thought, 'Spells are expensive!'
Ain hurriedly suppressed his astonishment before deciding to explore the ring spells. He would make his choice after that.
Combing through the categories, Ain found the ghost-attribute ring spells with only three spells listed.
Ain read through them one by one.
'Ghastly Scream - Release a scream imbued with ghastly energy to stun and disrupt the target's mind.'
'Haunt - Gain a burst of speed, while assuming some properties of a ghost.'
'Spectral Ball - Condense and release a ghost-attribute spirit energy ball to attack the target.'
After glancing over the three names several times, Ain finally made his choice. But before he informed the old man, Ain decided to take this opportunity to broaden his horizons.
He tried to view the Rank-2 spells, only to be denied access. It seemed that the old man had somehow locked the access before handing him the catalog.
Therefore, Ain moved on to the ring spells for the other attributes. Although he couldn't use them right now, who knew about the future?
Moreover, Ain was sure to interact with other spirit tamers as time went on. It would be wise to study these spells, or at least have a basic understanding of their effects.
In the next few minutes, Ain made use of Analysis to quickly glance through the spell descriptions. Analysis could help him process the information rapidly, allowing him to move on to the next spell more swiftly.
The old man only occasionally glanced at Ain, not finding anything amiss. Of course, there was nothing wrong with Ain's actions in the first place.
Students would always take extra time to deliberate, or even overthink their choices.
Only after about fifteen minutes had passed did Ain lower the catalog before approaching the old man and saying, "Sir, I've decided."
Since the old man was in the spirit academy, he was definitely a spirit tamer, so Ain decided to call him "Sir." After all, the old man hadn't introduced himself, and neither did Ain know if he was a teacher or staff.
"Okay, what did you choose?" The old man looked away from his hololink and asked Ain.
"I want to redeem the Rank-1 core spell, Spirit Impact, and the Rank-1 ghost spell, Haunt." Ain immediately replied with his choices.
"Hmm, Spirit Impact and Haunt? Alright, give me a moment." After receiving Ain's request, the old man got up and entered the door behind him.
About a minute later, he emerged again with two spell books in his hands. Before handing the spell books over, the old man said, "Report your name and class."
Ain did as he was told and said, "Ain Weisman, Class B."
After Ain's reply, the old man fiddled with a screen on his desk before handing over the spell books.
"Here you go. These spell books are only for your eyes, I'm sure you understand.
Ain nodded and kept it in mind before returning to his classroom.
On his way, he thought of his new spells.
"Spirit Impact can increase my damage output through martial arts by releasing a spirit energy impact upon contact, whereas Haunt can boost my agility. Although I can't learn Haunt until I've branded my spirit core, Spirit Impact should be enough for a trip outside the city."
Ain had taken into consideration his plan to accept some missions from the Spirit Tamer Association this coming weekend.
With Nox's possession, Ain's physique could receive a considerable boost. Paired with his martial arts and Spirit Impact, he could handle some weaker Rank-1 Spirit Beasts with relative ease. After he finished branding, he would gain the ability to use ghost spells. At that time, he could learn Haunt, enhancing his arsenal of spells.
Haunt could enhance Ain's movement and agility, allowing him to approach his targets or dodge incoming attacks. He could even use it to disengage and find an opportunity to flee if the need ever arose.
With these thoughts, Ain arrived at the classroom just before Teacher Turner.
Hugo, who was already seated, cast an inquisitive look at Ain, who had arrived later than usual. Ain nodded as a greeting before taking his own seat.
By this time, Teacher Turner had taken his usual place and observed the class for a moment. He glanced at Ain briefly as well.
After a few seconds, he finally spoke, "Good, it looks like none of you slacked off during this weekend. I hope you'll continue with this same determination for the rest of the year."
Ain glanced around at his classmates and noted that the students who had been hesitant a few days ago now held their heads high.
'Looks like everyone is working hard.' Ain mused before turning his attention back to Teacher Turner.
"Now, I would usually announce this later, but I see the need to do so today."
"I've said this before: one of your greatest advantages in attending a spirit academy is training under our guidance."
"Not only can I guide your training as a spirit tamer, but I can also provide guidance on nurturing your spirit pets."
"That is because every teacher in charge of a class is a Grade-1 Spirit Master!"
As soon as Teacher Turner's voice fell, the room went silent before a commotion broke out.
"A Grade-1 Spirit Master?!"
"Our teacher is a Grade-1 Spirit Master? Am I dreaming?"
"Haha, look at your surprised faces. I already knew this!"
The students stared at their teacher in shock.
To these budding spirit tamers, spirit masters were like famous celebrities. And the practical value of getting to know one was even greater than getting to know a regular celebrity.
With a spirit master as their teacher, the benefits they could receive were unimaginable.
Although Ain controlled his expression, he was still shocked at the revelation. He finally found a way to resolve his inexperience in nurturing Nox.
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