Chapter 38: Spirit Arts of Metal

“Because holy power, mana, and demonic energy conflict with each other.

You’d be lucky if your body doesn’t explode…….”

“That’s enough, then.”

The anticipation that had swelled in an instant deflated just as quickly.

I was the one who devoured demonic power and used it as an energy source.

‘If I were to learn magic instead……. No, no.

Am I crazy?

Get a grip.’

I shook off the wicked thought that suddenly came to mind with a start.

If I did that, I wouldn’t be able to live in this kingdom.

No, honestly, not being able to live in the kingdom wasn't the problem, but I didn't want to be abandoned by my family.

Besides, the premise for learning magic was the problem from the start.

- To learn magic, you have to make a contract with a demon.

The demon that had lived inside my head for over ten years.

Its voice, whispering for me to give up my body, was still vivid, so what…

“……Um, Sir Muno?”

“Yes?”

“Surely you’re not learning magic……?”

“Hey! Are you crazy!?”

At Rasmia’s question, I yelled back without even realizing it.

I flinched for a moment.

But it was Rasmia who apologized first.

“Ah. I’m sorry.

For me to say such a ridiculous and insulting thing…….”

Come to think of it, being horrified at the mention of magic seemed like a normal reaction for a citizen of the Iron Kingdom.

“Ahem. I apologize for shouting as well.”

“No, no. Still, how about you try learning Spirit Arts?

There’s no harm in trying.”

You just said I’d die, lady?!

I couldn't bring myself to spit out the words that had risen up to my throat.

If I showed too much of a negative reaction, I might arouse suspicion again.

“Ah. Yes.

Then. I’ll just give it a try. Just a try.”

I had no choice but to clench my fists secretly and force myself to nod.

…I just have to pretend to do it.

I must.

* * *

“Now, please step inside this circle.

I’ve placed all the elements I commune with—water, earth, wind, and fire—into the core, so be careful not to step on the line.”

Rasmia gestured for me from within a large circle that glowed with four colors.

It seemed to be the spirit formation I had only heard about, and seeing its brilliant colors made a cold sweat run down my spine.

‘This is excessively elaborate…….’

What if I accidentally awakened my mana without realizing it?

Mana awakening → Conflict with the demonic energy inside my body → Kaboom!

The process imagined itself naturally.

“Ha. Ha……. Weren’t we just checking if I had any talent?”

The question came out as I unknowingly took a step back.

To which, Rasmia smiled and gestured.

“It’s alright.

‘Planting the seed’ of Spirit Arts isn’t as dangerous as the awakening of Corporeal Arts.”

…Planting what?

That sounds extremely dangerous for me.

I had no choice but to once again swallow the words I couldn’t say out loud.

As I rolled my eyes, searching for a way to refuse, a suitable excuse came to mind.

“Come to think of it.

To use Spirit Arts, don’t you have to be good at calculations and be smart?

I’m not very confident in that area…….”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

…Guess not.

I saw it in some story in my past life.

Ah, was that magic?

It was a bit different from the magic here…….

When the excuse I had painstakingly come up with proved useless, I tried to escape reality by thinking of other things, but Rasmia wouldn't allow it.

“Come in. Quickly.”

Her urging figure felt like the beckoning of a grim reaper to me.

Gulp.

“Uh. On second thought, shouldn’t important matters be handled when one is in good condition?”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve gone through repeated battles and sleeping outdoors, and I just went through a big ordeal a while ago, so I’m honestly very tired.

I think I could sleep for a day without moving if I lie down right now.”

I thought if I could postpone it just once, I could somehow make up an excuse later to refuse.

“Ah! That’s even better.

It is said that communion with a spirit is easiest when all your strength is gone and your mind is empty.”

……Shit.

Should I just be honest?

I’ve built up some merit, so maybe she’ll understand?

No. I promised my father to keep it a secret as much as possible.

No, but still, this feels like a life-threatening situation…….

All sorts of idle thoughts began to mix complicatedly in my head.

And at that moment.

“You’re more of a coward than you look, Sir Muno.”

“Hup!?”

Whoooosh.

A sudden gust of wind pulled his body inside the spirit formation.

‘Damn it!’

It was a perilous moment, but I couldn't fight Rasmia just to get out of this situation.

My opponent was not a 4-class mage, but a 4-Class Spirit Master.

‘It’d be a different story if she were a magician.’

Not only could I not do anything against a superhuman on par with a 4-Star knight with my strength.

‘If I did that, I’d be branded a servant of a demon.

Damn it.’

In the end, I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth, desperately controlling the demonic power in my body in preparation for the worst-case scenario.

However.

Wooooong.

“Oh! As I thought!”

Along with Rasmia’s admiring voice, the warm and cozy energies seeping in felt like they were washing away the fatigue from my weary body, contrary to my expectations.

‘This is what’s supposed to explode when mixed with demonic energy?’

Far from repelling the demonic power inside my body, it felt very similar to demonic energy… no, it felt ‘exactly the same’.

‘Why?’

That foreign naturalness soon led to another question.

The demonic energy inside my body is the same as mana?

‘No, wait a minute…….’

A fundamental question that hadn't occurred to me until now.

‘Is the energy I’m using, really demonic energy?’

Since it was an energy I had accumulated by devouring demonic energy, I had naturally thought it would be demonic energy.

But thinking about it again, it was strange.

‘It’s not like I know how to hide demonic energy like those guys, so it doesn't make sense that other people can't feel it.’

But if that was the case, if the power seeping in now and the power inside my body were the same ‘mana ’.

Then I, the Demon Devourer, had produced mana by devouring demonic energy.

‘Doesn’t that make even less sense?’

That demonic energy disrupts the order of the world and pollutes nature is the common assertion of the Tower of Spirits and the Temple.

That is why kingdoms other than the mage Empire completely ostracize magicians, and even if they accept them, they impose many restrictions.

Demonic energy definitely pollutes mana.

But I had never heard of the opposite case…….

‘……Is it not, impossible?’

The moment that thought crossed my mind.

- Kukuku.

The Demon Devourer’s laughter seemed to spread through my mind and chest.

A feeling of agreement, as if saying that was the correct answer.

‘Hah……. I got nervous for nothing.’

From that moment on, I relaxed and tried to actively accept the energy penetrating my body.

I didn't know the exact method, so I just sent a welcoming intention towards the seeping energy.

“You’re doing well.

A little more!”

Judging by Rasmia’s reaction, it didn’t seem like the wrong choice.

And soon.

Woooooong.

The four colored energies that had penetrated my body were all dyed with the brown energy that resonated best with me among them.

“Hoh.

Talent in the earth element……!?”

Before Rasmia could even finish her words.

The brown energy underwent another change and turned gray.

“Ack!?”

Her surprised voice made my heart drop for no reason.

But as I focused and examined it carefully, the hard, cold energy felt nothing but reassuring to me.

“A subdivided element from the seed planting? Does something like this really happen……?”

As Rasmia’s bewildered voice continued.

The hard, gray energy soon turned into an intangible seed and settled near my heart.

The moment I naturally opened my eyes, my gaze met Rasmia’s, who was staring intently at me.

“A single element seed has truly taken root.

My goodness.”

I didn’t understand what she meant, but.

“Young Master, no, Sir Muno, you really surprise me.”

Separate from her smile, I was now feeling a newfound sense of reassurance.

I could already guess what I could do with this.

“You can just call me Young Master.

Or just Muno is fine too. Please speak comfortably.”

“No, but still, to a formal knight…….”

“You are someone who has bestowed a great grace upon me.

I even call Sir Klarm ‘uncle’, so what. It’s fine.”

“Ah……. Haha. Right.

Then I’ll speak comfortably.

To be honest, this is more comfortable for me too.

Oof, trying to use honorifics with a kid gave me goosebumps……. Puhahaha.”

Rasmia, with her slender frame, laughed heartily, and somehow, that side of her seemed to suit her better.

“Anyway, that’s great. Right now, a seed specializing in the metal element, among the earth attributes, has been planted in you.

I’ve only heard of cases starting like this.”

“Is it bad?”

I blurted out the question without realizing it at the sight of Rasmia’s eyes looking at me with wonder.

However.

“Hmm. Well, I can’t say it’s bad.

But I can’t say it’s good either.”

An ambiguous answer came back.

“What do you mean?”

“Generally, Spirit Arts is a supernatural ability learned by those who are familiar with nature and are well-versed in its power.

So a typical Spirit Master, like me, chooses one of the four major elements of water, fire, wind, and earth to determine their Class, and then either increases their affinity with other elements or delves into sub-elements to raise their level. But…….”

“But?”

“I’ve heard that in rare cases like yours, a seed focused on a single sub-attribute, not one of the four major attributes, is created from the start.”

“Then what happens?”

“If you grow properly, you’ll become the strongest Spirit Master, unparalleled by anyone in the dominance of that single element……”

“Oh!?”

“But it also means you become a half-baked Spirit Master with zero dominance over other elements.”

“……Huh?”

It was an ambiguous evaluation, but thinking about it, it didn't seem necessarily bad.

Besides, if it’s metal.

‘It’s perfect for my ability too.’

The chains and armor connected to my body. And the ability to move metal with will alone.

On top of that, the ability to dominate the metal element with mana was now added.

“Now, you just have to start by making the intangible seed engraved in your heart sprout, or take root.

If you succeed in either one, you’ll immediately become a 1-Class Spirit Master from that moment.”

“Yes?”

“Of course, you’ll have to accumulate mana for quite a long time to do that, but as long as the seed is planted, mana will slowly gather as long as you focus your mind.

Shall I teach you how to meditate if you need it?”

“Ah, no, it’s fine. I think I can just do it.”

“……What?”

Rasmia tilted her head, but.

In truth, from the moment I heard her explanation, I immediately knew how to manifest the seed.

Because there was already quite a lot of mana residing within it.

‘Awaken!’

The moment my metal control ability stimulated the seed of metal according to my will.

Kwajijik.

With a cracking sound that only I could hear in my mind.

The mana-infused seed germinated and began to take root in my heart.

The intangible gray roots, starting from the heart, ignored or enveloped all the bones, blood vessels, and muscles, eventually reaching the very extremities of the body, the tips of my two feet.

And from that moment, I could vividly feel all the metal that existed around me.

A feeling of the ability I already had being amplified several times over in an instant.

“No!? How did you already……?!”

While hearing Rasmia’s astonished voice.

‘I think I can do this well…….’

I began to instinctively gather the metals I could feel.

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