Chapter 69

Chapter 69
Chapter 69: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Stepping through the threshold of the labyrinth, a soft breeze and lush grass greeted Rikschel.

‘Now that I have mastered Spirit Arts, I can clearly perceive the pulsing current of Nature’s Energy.’

He could finally grasp what the elves meant when they spoke of feeling suffocated elsewhere.

As Rikschel immersed himself in the boundless, revitalizing breath of nature permeating the domain, a notification appeared in his field of vision.

『By absorbing Nature’s Energy, your fatigue will be continuously restored.』

‘This must be an added perk of the Spirit Arts.’

Abilities he had never even factored in were suddenly taking effect.

Rikschel’s complexion, which had turned far paler than usual due to his endless all-night experiments, slowly regained its warmth, and the hollow exhaustion in his eyes vanished as vitality returned.

“Come to think of it, this is the first time I have ever taken a leisurely walk like this with you, Grandfather.”

“That is… I suppose so.”

They had certainly visited the labyrinth together in the past, but they had never strolled through it at such a relaxed pace.

“Perhaps I should carve out a proper walking path next time? It would be good for the family to clear their minds with a quiet stroll.”

“Indeed. The labyrinth is yours now, so do as you wish.”

Rikschel smiled inwardly at his grandfather’s casual approval.

In days gone by, Petrick would have immediately warned him against doing anything reckless or dangerous.

Of course, Rikschel had no grand or perilous schemes in mind.

He simply wanted to pave a neat pathway and pay a little attention to the surrounding landscape.

If he bordered the walkway with smooth pebbles gathered from the ground, wouldn’t that make a fine strolling route?

And as an extra touch, he could plant the evening primroses he had been given and nurture them until they bloomed.

As he mapped out his labyrinth walkway project in his head, he soon reached the very heart of the domain.

This was the deep forest clearing where he had first stumbled upon the hidden cabin.

Where the cabin once stood, sparse grass now carpeted the earth.

“Here we are. This is undoubtedly the ideal location to perform a spirit summoning.”

Petrick agreed, feeling that the spot possessed a unique aura.

Abundant mana and Nature’s Energy blended together in perfect harmony, radiating an atmosphere that was at once profoundly tranquil and auspicious.

“I will prepare the summoning circle now.”

“Very well. Take your time, center your mind, and begin.”

With those words, Petrick stepped back to observe Rikschel standing in the middle of the clearing.

“Hoo.”

Rikschel drew in a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

He had already learned the intricate procedures and necessary precautions for drawing the circle from Embrog and Tiali.

Even if he hadn’t, the knowledge was already ingrained in him.

He had executed it countless times in the game, if not in reality.

‘First, I need to steady my breathing.’

He filled his lungs with the fresh scent of the woods and let it out smoothly.

This was the fundamental difference between sorcery and Spirit Arts.

Magic was the act of forcing mana into one’s physical vessel, trapping it inside, and greedily driving it toward the mana heart for storage.

In a single word, it was about ‘conquest.’

Spirit Arts, however, operated on an entirely different principle.

It was about ‘borrowing.’

Consequently, no residual energy remained stagnant within the body. If one failed to summon a spirit, their physical capabilities remained identical to those of an ordinary human.

Yet, this meant there was zero strain placed on the physical frame.

All true transformation began within the spirit.

Therefore, the foremost requirement was clear.

‘I must maintain a mindset open to welcoming any spirit whatsoever.’

Greed had no place here.

Truthfully, Rikschel did not care which entity answered his call.

He had no intention of fighting battles, nor did he aspire to reach the absolute pinnacle of Spirit Arts.

He was no Hero.

Swish.

Rikschel scattered fairy dust across the dirt to trace out the summoning circle.

Intricate geometric patterns took shape in a perfect ring.

Dedicated spaces for the four elemental forces were marked out in each cardinal direction.

Normally, high-grade spirit stones were required to anchor those elemental spaces, but…

Rikschel possessed something far superior.

Spirit Water.

Drip!

Rikschel carefully dropped a small amount of spirit water into each designated elemental slot.

The liquid shimmered with the brilliance of falling stars.

Sssah!

The fairy dust flared with sudden luminescence as if reacting to the spirit water.

『Set Effect Activated: Fairy Dust』

-The spirit summoning circle will remain unbroken under any circumstances.

-Protects the summoner’s mental fortitude.

-Increases the probability of summoning a spirit perfectly attuned to the summoner.

‘Is a bonus like this truly necessary?’

Regardless, it was a summoning enhancement, which meant it could only help.

Rikschel tossed aside the empty potion vial and stepped directly into the center as the fairy dust began to glow with a steady, pulsing light.

Fine particles of radiance drifted upward into the air, autonomously weaving a three-dimensional summoning circle, while the subtle whispers and hums of nature echoed softly in his ears.

『Do you wish to summon your spirit?』

“Yes. Please proceed.”

Rikschel answered in a calm, quiet voice.

At this point, the fairy dust would tear open a passage across dimensional planes to materialize the spirit in this exact spot.

He knew well that the higher the entity’s rank, the more intense the environmental reactions would be…

“…….”

It was dead silent.

‘Nothing is happening? No…’

Something was profoundly amiss.

To be precise.

…There was no sound at all.

The rustling of the leaves, the murmur of distant streams, the gentle sigh of the wind.

Even the sounds of Rikschel’s own movements vanished completely.

It felt as though an invisible hand had clamped tightly over his ears.

‘Ah.’

Could it be that the entity had already arrived?

‘Is it a wind-type?’

He could not be certain, but it felt like the work of a mischievous entity.

Perhaps it was a mid-grade sylph.

Rikschel slowly blinked his eyes open.

At that exact instant.

『Set Effect Activated: Protects the summoner’s mental fortitude.』

『Set Effect Activated: Offsets the shockwave of the summoning circle.』

All the sound that had been abruptly cut off slammed back into Rikschel’s ears at once.

Kuaaaaaaa!!

“Ugh…!”

The wind, previously nonexistent, roared into a violent gale that lashed his hair and whipped his cape about in a furious frenzy.

A whirlpool churned instantly in the calm lake. The earth trembled violently, and tongues of flame erupted around the perimeter of the summoning circle, dancing wildly in the air.

And yet, not a single one of these forces inflicted any harm upon Rikschel’s body.

“What in the world is happening?”

Petrick, watching anxiously from a distance, raised his hand to cast a protective spell, but abruptly stopped.

A familiar sensation washed over him.

It was an energy he had not felt since the distant past.

Just as Petrick’s lips parted to utter a name.

Crack!

A sharp sound like shattering glass echoed directly from the summoning circle where Rikschel stood.

It was a delicate sound, yet every person present heard it with absolute clarity.

The fabric of the air itself cracked open.

Like a fractured mirror, or the shell of an egg yielding to new life.

Rikschel’s vision splintered, and something immense pushed its way through the fissure.

It was undeniably a colossal presence.

Overwhelmed by a sheer magnitude of power far beyond his capacity to handle, Rikschel instinctively stopped breathing.

He had never experienced such oppressive awe, not even in the presence of his grandfather.

『Set Effect Activated: Protects the summoner’s mental fortitude.』

Once again, the set effect shielded his mind from collapsing under the pressure.

‘I can withstand this.’

Though chaos raged all around him, Rikschel remained entirely untouched.

The howling wind failed to graze his skin, and while roaring flames as large as his own body flickered wildly and cast showers of sparks, not a single thread of his garments was scorched.

Instead, the phenomenon felt less like an assault and more like a fierce, overwhelming welcome.

Even so, any normal person would have been paralyzed by terror, yet Rikschel…

‘What kind of entity is about to emerge?’

He remained remarkably calm.

It unfolded precisely as he remembered from the game.

If ordinary elves had witnessed this spectacle, they would have passed out on the spot.

Meanwhile, Petrick stared in utter astonishment from afar.

Oblivious to the shock he was causing, Rikschel simply waited patiently for the turbulence to subside, or rather, for the newly arrived entity to settle down.

When the storm finally blew itself out, the water grew still, the flames died away, and the trembling earth came to rest…

『An ancient entity welcomes your presence.』

A small figure stepped out from the residual crack and dropped lightly onto Rikschel’s outstretched hand.

“Hmm? You are…”

By sheer coincidence, Rikschel recognized the creature immediately.

This being was none other than…

“Nature?”

She was the indispensable partner of the ‘Druid,’ one of Rikschel’s favorite auxiliary characters.

She was a unique entity unlocked only after reaching maximum level and completing grueling skill trials, offering immense tactical utility.

Normally, a ‘Druid’ character had to summon separate spirits for each individual elemental type.

For instance, harnessing water energy required summoning a dedicated water sprite.

Furthermore, until the player reached specific milestones, they were restricted to using only one or two elements at a time.

Consequently, the early-game progression for that class was notoriously difficult.

However.

Her true brilliance shone at high levels and late-game specs.

And the reason was simple.

Instead of the tedious hassle of calling forth different spirits repeatedly, summoning Nature granted instant access to the combined power of all elements simultaneously.

Moreover, because the elemental properties stacked fourfold, devastating burst damage became possible.

Realistically, if one possessed Nature alongside infinite affinity and mana reserves, they could trigger a volcanic eruption straight out of barren soil!

『Awakened an ancient spirit.』

Indeed.

She was classified as an ancient spirit.

A transcendent being possessing versatility and capabilities bordering on the miraculous.

‘That is precisely why people often referred to her as the true Spirit King.’

In addition, her visual design was striking, making Rikschel deeply fond of Nature back when he was grinding levels with his Druid.

She possessed a humanoid form adorned with majestic phoenix wings.

During combat, she could transform entirely into a magnificent phoenix…

‘Her sheer dignity and aura were so extraordinary that no one could ever mistake her for a common elemental.’

He had assumed he would never see her again, so encountering her in this reality filled him with quiet emotion.

She must have been the one who shielded his ears from that deafening roar just moments prior.

However…

‘She is tiny right now.’

She had certainly been large back then—no, vastly larger.

Presently… she was diminutive and adorable, roughly the size of the palm of his hand.

One might argue she could simply be a lesser descendant of that ancient spirit, but…

Rikschel knew the truth instinctively.

This was without a doubt the exact same ancient spirit utilized by the Druid class.

‘And she responded directly to the name I gave her.’

Ancient spirits possessed no innate names of their own.

Thus, Rikschel had assigned her one.

Nature.

It might have sounded a bit simplistic, but he had always believed no other title could suit her better.

Fortunately…

“Do you remember me?”

She smiled wryly, as if she recognized Rikschel as well.

Regardless, she was undeniably cute.

『Please provide a name for the ancient spirit.』

“I will call you Nature.”

Since he would be the only one summoning and commanding her, that single name was more than enough.

Besides, she was an old acquaintance; he had no desire to invent a new moniker.

『Nature has returned to her master’s embrace.』

『You may now summon the ancient spirit ‘Nature’ from any location at will.』

『Thanks to the Spirit Rank effect, she will not be lost under any circumstances, even if dismissed.』

『Your current aptitude as a Spirit Master remains weak, preventing her true form from manifesting fully. Grow together to help her recover her lost power!』

At any rate, knowing he did not have to fret about losing her was a massive relief.

Furthermore…

『’Long-Awaited Spirit’ Achievement Unlocked.』

『Acquired 20,000 Shillings.』

『This achievement surpasses your current progression tier!』

『Bonus reward granted: An additional 20,000 Shillings!』

『Spirit Arts Proficiency has advanced to Apprentice Lv. 4.』

He had achieved an explosive leap in progression.

The rewarding influx of Shillings was a delightful bonus.

Just as he attempted to bask in the triumph of the moment.

Drip.

A thin stream of blood welled from Rikschel’s nose and dripped onto the stone floor.