Chapter 31: Spirit Awakening Ritual

I felt uncomfortable with the way everybody looked at me. I forced a smile and tensely said, “Nn...now, now this isn’t the time to discuss everything that has happened. We have more important things to take care of." I pointed around to show them how the environment has been ruined; trees were destroyed, the ground was burned down, and debris were scattered everywhere. Topher chuckled and said, “Don’t worry about it. Son can clean up. Plus, we have non-combat ability users that can heal the land.” He further explained that while most people had awakened as combat users, there are some people like Jolly who awakened with non-combat abilities. These abilities include planting, cooking, and of course, there are also blacksmiths, engineers, and designers who build weapons and equipment to help the combatants protect themselves. That actually makes a lot a sense, just like how I used the Library to cook. There are definitely other ways to use mana that doesn’t revolve around fighting. I replied, “Anyways, why don’t we all head to the hospital? Stephanie is there attending to my newly found ally who was involved with the organization who kidnapped her." Everyone looked shocked that I picked up an ally inside the portal. I then shared with them the story of how I built an alliance with the wisp which includes the details about the activities of the organization regarding the purification chamber and the reason why Stephanie was kidnapped. Upon hearing these, Topher and Joyce got visibly angry.

We all headed to the hospital where Topher, Joyce, and Stephanie had a tearful reunion together. After some catching up, Joyce led us, everyone except Stephanie, to the hospital’s board room, so we could discuss what happened. The place was like a corporate boardroom with clear glass windows opposite the door and a huge wooden table surrounded by executive chairs. When we all sat around the table, scattered blue runic light gleamed on the floor of the boardroom and enveloped us in a bubble of blue light. Apparently, it is a type of secrecy powered by magic that involves covering ourselves in a bubble of mana which ensures that no outsiders or electronics could listen to our conversation. I told them what happened inside the portal and the church, glossing over the fact of the existence of the Library and only telling them about the Bestowal of the Teacher.

After telling them all that there is to tell (except for the Library), I then asked, “In the novel where I got my powers, the bestowal only happens if you are acknowledged by the heavens. Do you believe that the world actually has a spiritual side?" Son answered, “Well, we don’t yet have definitive proof, but contemplating the idea that the world has a soul and tasked someone to protect it, strengthens the possibility that the "Heavens” do exist. I pondered long and hard about this. I think it's strange that I gained otherworldly knowledge when I activated the mana in my body.” Son further explained that he did his research regarding the origin of his knowledge. He found out that like the early representatives of the world, his mana signature is connected with that of someone in the more developed worlds which enables both of them to share their pool knowledge but not to the extent where they can talk to each other.

Roel changed the subject and said, “Putting that aside for now, what did you do during the fight earlier? How were you able to analyze everything?” I gulped in nervousness since I don’t want to tell them about the library. I’m not even sure I can protect them from the consequences of knowing about it. I then made up an answer and replied, “Ever since the bestowal happened, I get bouts of knowledge regarding random things in the vicinity. It just so happens that I carried it out that time when I was watching the fight with you, guys.” They all looked doubtful but thankfully, they did not press on maybe because they came to understand that we all have our secrets. I answered a few more of their questions regarding the world behind the portal. From their previous knowledge and the knowledge that I was able to acquire, they were able to deduce that the Church of the Holy Light holds a major power in the world and it was not as small as it looks on the surface. Before I could ask further questions regarding this idea, Son gave me another candy which, if ingested, will provide me the knowledge that they have collected over the years ever since Anne left with the certainty that I will come back.

After wrapping up the meeting, we headed to the wisp's room. Stephanie greeted me with a sitting bow and said, "Master, the wisp told me about the Spirit Awakening ritual that you almost did to me. I wish to undergo the ceremony." I'm surprised that the wisp knows about the Spirit Awakening ritual. Well, the franchise where I got the book about the ritual is pretty popular, so I guess that explains it. I explained to Stephanie the drawbacks of performing the ritual. I explained to her that once the ritual is finished, we can no longer undo it. This means that unlike in the usual techniques of soul cultivation, once the ritual is performed and she undergoes soul cultivation using the Perfected Spirit Awakening Ceremony, there would be no chance to split up her body and soul which is a certain possibility once her strength grows enough. This is such a huge feat so I told her that she should think clearly before we push through with the ritual. Stephanie shook her head in disagreement and said with certainty that she had made up her mind. She’ll fuse her body with her soul. Since her soul is much more powerful than her body. My disciple has decided to go down that path, so it is my duty to make her trip as safe as possible.

We performed the Spirit Awakening ritual which started with me pumping a bit of mana into Stephanie followed by the fusing process which was quick and painless. When I instructed Stephanie to show the true form of her soul, it turns out that she has a “Supreme” soul form. Once awakened, the person who has the power of that of a Rank-4 Beast Soul-type Seraphim Spirit, the highest rank of an angel who has eight wings. When one undergoes the Spirit Awakening ritual, every two rank upgrades, the practitioner needs an impetus of a large amount of mana energy to form a spirit circle that would augment and evolve the spirit even further. Since Stephanie has no spirit circles, she is stuck at the half step into the 2nd rank. She does not have the same power as a Rank-2 Primary and cannot even be considered the same as a Rank-1 Pinnacle.

Just when I thought that there was nothing more that could be done, will-o'-the-wisp nodded his head and took out the bottle of his brother’s soul seed. Stephanie greedily absorbed it as I instructed. As the energy traveled through her body, she reached the 2nd rank and her strength climbed up to half a step into the 4th rank where her cultivation hit a bottleneck. I told her about how the seraphim are born with a 4th rank strength capacity which needs to be filled. This means that we have to find a huge mana reserve to form her second spirit circle which would bring her strength up to that of a Rank-4. The wisp said to me, “This explains why the Church of the Holy Light badly wanted her soul. Understandably, she has this kind of soul form." After the wisp finished his sentence, his energy started to disappear. Even though Stephanie was fighting to stop her absorption, she still absorbed the wisp’s energy, nonetheless. The wisp’s voice one last time echoed in a fading tone, "Don’t worry about me. I can finally be together with my brother. This is the least that I could do to the people who set me free." Stephanie started weeping once she finished absorbing the energy of the wisp. She finally reached the 4th rank with two spirit circles beside her— a gray-colored circle on her right and a yellow-colored circle on her left.