Lightning Spirit

What’s with this reaction?

Han Jin-seong: I have to enter a gate soon
Han Jin-seong: I don’t have time
Han Jin-seong: Sorry ㅠㅠ

Me: You’re not lying, are you?
Han Jin-seong: I’m really not
Me: ok

…It’s not like I’m desperate for Essense anyway.

I may have poured about 500,000 mana into that sea of fire that wiped out the Snow Spider’s main nest, but I still have around 10,000 Essense left.

Yoo Yi-jun: What have you been up to?
Kim Hee-an: When can we see you again? The three of us, let’s do it again.
Park Eun-su: Thank you, Guild Master. Please keep meeting with them and buying us more time.
S.H.Na: When are you free?

….

I guess I should stop by the guild and see how the team leader business is going.

*

“Oh, you wrapped up the clear nicely.”

“But we ended both clears early. Is that really okay?”

“It’s better for everyone to pull out safely than to push to the very end and suffer casualties. Results are results, but in the end, people have to live, don’t they? One of the most important things for a team leader is knowing when to pull out.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. And now that you’ve been officially promoted to A-rank by the government—oh, right, your guild rank will be updated soon. Anyway, since you’re an A-rank… maybe one or two more times? That should be more than enough to be recognized as a team leader, don’t you think?”

“One or two more times?”

“Yes. You haven’t overexerted yourself, and you’re quite powerful, aren’t you? According to the records here… you attacked the Snow Spider’s main nest and obtained the queen’s magic stone. That’s more than enough for recognition.”

“Ah, I see….”

“But you’re truly amazing. You’re becoming a team leader in just five? Six weeks.”

“I was lucky.”

“There are so many people who have that luck but don’t put in the effort. Also, your application for housing support was accepted.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Would you like to go see it?”

*

On the outskirts of Seoul.

A housing complex with several houses scattered about.

I picked one, opened the main gate, and walked in to see a two-story house with a rather spacious yard.

Extremely… spacious.

“It’s a bit big, isn’t it? First, let me explain the house—”

Summary: It’s nice. But it seems way too big for one person.

“That’s everything for the house, so now we should get to the main event. Follow me.”

He opened a door, revealing a staircase leading down.

Following the stairs all the way down led to a training room the size of the yard. Since the yard was already quite large, the training room was enormous.

Personal Training Room (200 pyeong).

“It hasn’t been fireproofed or insulated yet, but the air circulation system is already installed. And if you come over here—”

There was a door in the distance.

“You can go straight outside through this door.”

Opening the door led directly outside. The house was originally built on a hill, so even though the door was in the basement, it opened to ground level on the other side. The direction was the complete opposite of the main gate.

“As you can see, there’s an additional entrance here. The illusion artifact isn’t active right now, so the door is visible, but once you register as the owner, the artifact will activate and only the owner will be able to see this entrance properly.”

“So to other people—”

“It will look just like the wall next to it.”

To be honest, this was why I chose this place.

Lee Han-gyeol would use the main gate, and Seo A-gyeol would use the side door. I could enter the house as Lee Han-gyeol and leave as Seo A-gyeol, or enter as Seo A-gyeol and leave as Lee Han-gyeol.

“It’s great.”

“Right? Then let’s head back to the guild. I have some related documents for you to confirm.”

*

“Alright, I’ll process it like this. You should be able to move in within… a week.”

“Thank you. But I didn’t expect… you to do so much for me.”

“Hey, it’s nothing. We’re Elemental, after all. And you need to get used to this kind of treatment now. A government-certified A-rank is the top tier, you know? Of course, you’ll have to fulfill your duties accordingly.”

I left the consultation room and went to the lobby.

“Oh? Han-yul!”

“Han-gyeol? I heard you’re about to become a team leader.”

“How do rumors spread so fast?”

“You’re famous. Separately, I don’t get why people are so interested in others.”

My gaze drifted to his ear.

An earring, only on his right ear. Nothing on the left.

The reason was probably….

—If you want to see me, wear an earring on only one side.

That’s what I told him to do when I was in my succubus form. To be precise, I told him to wear it like that when he wanted to have sex with the succubus.

“Hey, Han-yul, why are you only wearing one earring?”

“Huh? Oh, this? This is… uh, yeah. It’s a trend.”

Who’s going to believe you when you say it so flusteredly, man….

“By the way, have you been to the Spirit World?”

“The Spirit World? Ah, I got a mark. They told me to work hard. Have you been back since then?”

“Nope. Seeing you just reminded me, so I was about to get in touch.”

“Wow, some people tremble in fear even after passing the internal standards, while someone else just forgets about it and goes, ‘Oh, right,’ before heading in.”

“Hey, I have to get permission too, you know.”

Permission was granted immediately. For tomorrow.

*

“It’s been a while.”

“You too.”

This time, only the secretary was there to greet me.

“The Guild Master is currently unreachable… but she should be in the Spirit World. However, since you have a mark, the spirit who left it will come to find you.”

“Okay.”

“Then I will open the gate. I wish you good luck.”

I stepped into a storm of magic, on a completely different level from other gates.

Pop. A flame spirit emerged.

Wow! Home! Are you here to make a contract with another one?

“Yeah. But I don’t know if it’ll work out. Want to go look around for a bit?”

A massive cloud hung on the distant horizon.

I could feel a great storm approaching. The tingling sensation where my right horn would be was also pointing in that direction. The mark must be reacting.

I’m gonna go play! Good luck!

“Alright.”

The flame spirit dashed off toward a volcanic region, and I began walking toward the storm.

How long did I walk? Gradually, the sound of thunder grew louder, and as the storm’s shadow blanketed the surroundings in darkness…

Far away, within the storm, a single glimmer—

“Ugh!”

A blow tens of times stronger than the one that had given me the ‘mark’ slammed into me.

But it was fine. My ‘Lightning Immunity’ was also much stronger than before.

As I unfurled my horns and magic wings, I felt it through the passive skill ‘Attunement’—

The countless emotions of countless spirits.

Curiosity, joy, indifference, tension, interest, satisfaction, competitiveness—

Competitiveness?

At the same time, I felt an intense pulse of magic.

A single star was embedded in the center of the pulse.

I instinctively used ‘Call of the Elements,’ converting all my Essense into mana, then condensed all of it to the tip of my finger.

770,000 mana, gathered in an instant.

One and a half times the mana used to incinerate all the Snow Spiders in a single moment, now at a single point on my fingertip.

I fired it toward the distant divinity.

‘!’

The divinity brightened for a moment, and at the same time, its competitiveness soared to its peak—

‘!!!’

My vision flared white.

Only a high-pitched ringing filled my ears—

*

Splash!

“Cough, keugh.”

Water went up my nose.

“Are you alright?”

“Cough, G-Guild Master?”

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes, you too….”

“Congratulations.”

“Pardon?”

The Guild Master of Elemental, Jin Harin, gestured with her eyes to my side.

I turned my head to look.

A fluffy, fist-sized storm cloud was floating there.

Then, it crackled with fine sparks, lightning that illuminated the entire cloud.

“Is this—”

‘This thing’?! How dare you refer to this great one, Nashan!

“Nashan?”

Yes!

For someone speaking so arrogantly, I couldn’t feel much power from it.

Insolent one!

“Ouch.”

A bolt of lightning shot out from the storm cloud and poked me.

…Was that just static electricity?

I used up all my power earlier.

“What?”

That thing from before? The one sparkling like a star?

Yes! Hmm, that was truly satisfying.

I could feel the spirit’s satisfaction in my chest.

“So… your power right now is?”

Gone! But it is fine. It is a place I have reached once before. With that overflowing life force of yours, I can return there anytime.

“Ah, I see….”

“I felt a clash of power and came to see what it was. It was you. Congratulations. On your second.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“How is being a team leader?”

“Team leader? For now… I’m practicing elsewhere. I can’t help my lack of experience.”

“Is that so? Experience is…. Hmmm… I see. I’m sorry for not being able to pay more attention to you.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing. Since we’ve met like this, is there anything you’d like to ask?”

“A question… you mean?”

“Yes. I’ll answer to the best of my knowledge.”

“Then… how can I achieve ‘Property Change’ for an element? Is there anything that helps, or is there a certain level I need to reach before I can do it?”

“Level…?”

Jin Harin tilted her head. Then, with a small ‘Ah,’ she smiled.

“Property change ultimately depends on you…. Anything I say might actually hinder you. However, the one thing I can say for certain is… you call it a status window? Don’t rely on it too much.”

“…What?”

“When the first Awakeners like myself first awakened, we didn’t have such things.”

“What?”

Rumble— A powerful vibration echoed from the distance, and Jin Harin turned her head toward it.

“Hmm, I suppose this is as far as I can go…. It’s time for us to part again. I’m sorry I couldn’t answer more of your questions. But the answer to climbing higher… just remember that it ultimately lies within you.”

She gave a slight wave of her hand, and a gust of wind—whoosh—blew in and flung me out of the gate.

*

Alone in my studio apartment.

How long has it been since it was this quiet?

You disrespectful thing!

I made the contract first, so doesn’t that make me the senior?

So much for quiet….

[Lee Han-gyeol

Trait: Elemental Mage
-Skill(P): Call of the Elements (Unavailable) (Lv.1)
Sub-trait: Element – Flame
-Skill(A): Element Generation (Lv.10+5)
-Skill(A): Element Control (Lv.9+5)
-Skill(P): Flame Immunity (Lv.10+5)
Sub-trait: Element – Lightning
-Skill(A): Element Generation (Lv.7+5)
-Skill(A): Element Control (Lv.7+5)
-Skill(P): Lightning Immunity (Lv.7+5)

Trait: Transformation – Succubus
-Skill(A): Transformation (Lv.3+2)
-Skill(A): Essense Conversion (Lv.9+7)
-Skill(A): Innate Vital Energy Conversion (Lv.3+4)
Sub-trait: Demonic Horns
-Skill(P): Demonic Horns – Otherworldly Power (Lv.8+2)
-Skill(A): Demonic Horns – Manifestation (Lv.8+2)
Sub-trait: Demonic Wings
-Skill(A): Demonic Wings – Enhancement ▶
-Skill(A): Demonic Wings – Deployment (Lv.1+2)

Trait: Spirit Summoner
-Skill(P): Spirit’s Protection (Lv.1)
-Skill(A): Spirit Arts (Lv.1)

Trait: One Soul, Two Minds, Two Bodies
Sub-trait: Optimal Physique
-Skill(A): Body Enhancement (Lv.1)
Sub-trait: Manifestation of Will
-Skill(A): Word of Power (Lv.1)
Sub-trait: Ma-mun
-Skill(A): Ma-mun – Enhancement ▶
-Skill(A): Ma-mun – Activation (-) (Lv.1)

Strength: 91
Magic Power: 984+639
Mana: 0/162360
Essense: 0/162360
Innate Vital Energy: 1000+543/1000]

‘Don’t rely on the status window….’

They didn’t have this originally?

How did they even operate as Awakeners?

[Essense Absorption: You can absorb the semen of others that has entered your body and use it as ‘Essense.’ The amount of Essense absorbed is determined by the target’s magic sensitivity and magic power, the intensity of their emotions, and the proficiency of ‘Skill(P): Essense Absorption.’]

How would you know what skills you have, and what effects they had….

Then again, most of the Awakeners from the same generation as the Elemental Guild Master are S-rank or higher now.

Suddenly, I can really feel the gap.

Someday, I’ll also reach that position—

[Mana: 0/162360]
[Essense: 0/162360]

…First, I’d better take care of this.

Seo A-gyeol: To our Narak guild
Seo A-gyeol: Shall we go clear a gate?