B3 - Chapter 33: Injuries (Part 1)

The Spirit's formless body hovered just above the forest floor, drifting like charcoal smoke in the dim light. Seth looked at it for a heartbeat, then glanced toward the sky, where the exact copy of the creature still lingered against the bruised colors of the setting sun.

"What was that spell you used?" the Spirit asked. Its voice carried a low, rasping hum, but there was a sharp intent behind it. "The one that shattered that assassin's Umbral Sphere and devoured the aether of his Instant-Spell scroll."

Seth frowned. He'd assumed the Spirit was there to lecture him or warn him about Lumi. Unlike Nightmare and Colossus, she wasn't a contracted beast, and he had half expected her participation to be against the rules. Yet the Spirit didn't seem interested in her in the slightest. Instead, it had come to question him about a spell. Seth hadn't expected the creature to be this nosy—or this blunt.

He remained silent for a moment, then lowered his gaze to his hand and cast Intermediate Identify on himself.

The shock of gaining three Ranks—and breaking past the soft cap of Rank 50—paled in comparison to the one that came with the new entry in his spell list.

Spell quality was supposed to follow a clear scale with Crude, Decent, Standard, Refined, Exceptional, and Flawless. Yet now a different word stared back at him.

Unique.

Seth recalled what Marcus had told him about those in Asethka—some prodigies created spells so rare that Identify couldn't find anything comparable within the vast records of the Oracle Guild and was forced to invent a name.

Back then, the Alchemist had said Seth's father had shattered the records of Shenlong's Tower as a prodigy, wielding multiple Legendary spells and a single Unique Mythical one.

Stolen story; please report.

So why don't I see a Tier or a grade? Seth wondered.

"What was it?" the Spirit repeated, drifting closer until its smoke-like form nearly brushed Seth's shoulder. It stared at him with an intensity that made the air feel heavy.

"Why should I tell you?" Seth answered, meeting the creature's gaze.

To his surprise, he saw the entity smirk, its features shifting like fumes in a wind. "Be careful. That powerful friend of yours isn't here to protect you right now."

Seth clenched his jaw. The Spirit wasn't wrong. If it were to kill him, people would believe Morsh had succeeded... not that Seth had offended the ally of the NEVAK.

"Aura of Insatiable Hunger," he answered at last. "That's the spell name."

The Spirit's gaze narrowed, as if not believing him.

Then its hollow eyes widened, a flicker of eerie light dancing within the gaps with a dawning realization. "You somehow gave some of that stolen aether to your beasts," it hissed.

Seth maintained a stoic composure, forcing his face into a mask of indifference, but his heart began to race. Transferring aether to Nightmare and Colossus was a fundamental function of Link: something deeply entwined with Kreytorus' Legacy. Holding the creature's stare, Seth remained silent and didn't offer a confirmation that could compromise him even more.

The Spirit leaned forward, its form chilling the air. "Once this war concludes, you must seek out an outpost of the Oracle Guild and register that spell."

"Why?" The word had come out before Seth even thought about it.

"It is the law." The Spirit's tone left no place to argue. "All Unique spells must be registered."

Seth pressed his lips together, thoughts racing. The creature had correctly guessed the spell's quality, but the "law" it mentioned was not one Seth was familiar with. It's definitely not one of Kastal's, he thought. Maybe something tied to the NEVAK?

The Spirit turned away and began to glide away. "You are truly an interesting creature, Primalist."

With those final words, the smoke-like entity unraveled into the shadows of the trees' canopy and vanished. Seth remained still for a moment, staring at the empty space.

At Trogan Academy, he'd learned that Spirits were devotees of the Gods—observers bound to a strict neutrality, intervening only in their role as overseers in wars.

And yet… that exchange hadn't given such a feeling of detachment to Seth.

Why would that thing care so much about the registration of a Unique spell?

'What a strange interaction,' Nightmare rumbled through their mental connection.

'Yeah,' Seth replied, his gaze darting to the Spirit's body in the sky.

The more time passed, the more increasingly complex the world felt. The reach of the Oracle Guild and NEVAK extended well past what Seth would have imagined—and it wasn't something he was pleased about.

With a shake of his head, he pushed the lingering unease aside, then tightened the cloth supporting his arm to resume his run toward the stronghold.

Now was not the right moment to think about all that.

After another fifteen minutes of running, Seth spotted the first stronghold of Kastal, half-concealed within the verdant depths of the forest. A few members of his own squad noticed him, smiling and waving, before they all froze as their gazes landed on Seth's arm, currently tucked against his stomach.

Seth moved closer and stepped between the makeshift barricades of sharpened wooden stakes.

Before anyone else could say something, Henry's voice cut through the place. "Seth!" he called, striding forward, concern etched across his face. "What happened?"

Seth grimaced and looked up at him. The squad leader was flanked by Eddin on one side and a handful of Rogues on the other. Selena stood still among them, her gaze locked on Seth's injuries.

"I was just about to send the Rogues group your way," the squad leader added.

Right, Seth thought. The last thing I said to him through the communication orb was that I'd be here in thirty minutes.

"I got ambushed," he answered Henry. "By Morsh."

The name caused every face in the stronghold to lose its color, and the silence that followed was so profound Seth could hear the faint chirping of insects in the brush nearby.

"At least you came out of it alive." Henry's mouth twisted to the side. "You'll be able to get your revenge with us."

A brief smile spread across Seth's lips. "That won't be necessary."

He reached for the Endless Pouch at his belt—from which he had already removed the Seed Extractor, the Distortion Rod, the Seed container, and Morsh's gear, all of which were now safe inside his own velvet bag—and threw it at Henry. "He kept using Instant-Spell scrolls, but it didn't matter."

The entire stronghold seemed to freeze. Movement stalled mid-task, noise died out, and heads turned as the meaning behind Seth's words settled in. Disbelief rippled through the gathered soldiers, spreading from one to the next.

Henry didn't answer right away. He lowered his gaze to the Endless Pouch, seemingly peering at its contents with his consciousness. His expression shifted from shock to something close to awe.

"Holy shit," he breathed out. "You've got to be kidding me… you actually killed him?"

Silence held for another few tense seconds, then it broke.

The stronghold erupted. Laughter and shouts burst out at once, hands slamming against shoulders, backs, armor. Some of the soldiers let out sharp, disbelieving curses, while others grinned as they'd just been handed victory itself. Seth caught fragments of excited whispers "...our monster… stronger than anything the Empire has… they don't stand a chance."

The energy spread fast, lifting the tension that had likely been suffocating the camp for the past hour.

Through it all, Selena pushed forward, a faint smile tugging at her lips. She stopped in front of Seth, her gaze dropping to his neck.

"How's Colossus?" she asked.

"I'm all right!" Colossus answered aloud from within the teardrop necklace before Seth could even open his mouth. "But that person was really strong."

"Not as strong as us, though," Nightmare added from the other teardrop, his voice echoing out of the jewelry.

"Head to the back of the fort," Eddin said, his gaze landing on Seth's bound arm. "Let's get a Priest to examine that injury and see how bad it is."

Seth gave a short nod and followed Eddin and Henry toward the rear of the stronghold.

As he passed Selena, Seth slowed.

"Come see me after this. I've got something for you."

"A gift?" she repeated, brows lifting in surprise.

"You'll see."

He didn't wait for a reply.