Episode 483

Long ears and a slender build.

And the unmistakable aura of an elf.

Zeke had clearly transformed into an elf.

Yellin stared at Zeke, her expression a mix of disbelief and astonishment.

“How… how is this possible?”

Zeke, now in his elven form, responded calmly, “It’s the power of the Fairy King.”

Whenever an explanation was too complicated, the Fairy King was the go-to excuse, and this time was no different.

Yellin looked puzzled, struggling to comprehend how even the Fairy King’s power could turn a human into an elf. But no matter how much she pondered, the fact remained that Zeke had already transformed, rendering further contemplation pointless.

Zeke, noticing Yellin’s bewilderment, shifted the conversation. “Now that I’m an elf, I should be able to learn spirit magic, don’t you think?”

“Well, yes, I suppose so,” Yellin replied, still uncertain. This was uncharted territory for her, and she realized she’d have to see it to believe it.

Zeke thought about the system. His interest in learning spirit magic from Yellin was driven by his new dragon skill, “Spirit Magic,” which he wanted to master.

Initially, he had tried to use spirit magic as he would any other dragon skill, but a message had appeared:

[No contract with a spirit has been established.]

[To use spirit magic, you must first complete a contract with a spirit.]

The message indicated that a contract with a spirit was a prerequisite for using the skill.

Zeke had attempted to research spirit magic through the Akashic Code and tried to form a contract on his own, but all his efforts had failed.

Despite reaching the level of a Grand Master, it seemed that connecting with spirits required something different.

That’s why he had turned to Yellin, a high elf skilled in dealing with spirits, for help.

Yellin looked at Zeke and slowly began to speak. “How much do you know about spirits, Sir Zeke?”

“Only what’s commonly known. That they are energies that have taken form over time, imbued with names by the Fairy King to become the spirits we know today.”

Yellin nodded at Zeke’s response. “That’s correct. Spirits are entities formed from the forces of nature. To contract with them, you must be able to sense the energy of nature and feel their presence.”

Zeke tilted his head, puzzled. “Is this energy different from mana?”

Yellin nodded. “Mana is the fundamental force of everything, so it’s a bit different. Sir Zeke, please follow me.”

Zeke followed Yellin to a large tree in the garden.

“Place your hand on the tree,” she instructed.

Zeke did as he was told, placing his hand on the tree. Yellin held his hand there and asked, “Can you feel the tree’s breath?”

”…I can feel your breath, Yellin,” Zeke replied, causing Yellin to jump back in surprise.

“Not mine! You need to feel the tree’s breath and its life force. Trees connect us to nature and life. They’re one of the easiest ways to sense life energy.”

Taking Yellin’s words to heart, Zeke focused on the tree, trying to sense its life force.

In his elven form, his senses were indeed different from when he was human. The range of energy he could perceive was much broader, making it difficult to pinpoint what Yellin meant by life force.

As he struggled to focus, something suddenly caught his attention.

He could feel the tree breathing.

‘Is this what life force is?’

Zeke tried to synchronize his breathing with the tree, attempting to feel the life force within it.

The more he breathed, the more he felt himself merging with the tree.

It was as if he had become the tree itself.

Cautious of losing himself in this sensation, Zeke slowly opened his eyes.

To his surprise, Yellin was staring at him with a look of disbelief.

“What’s wrong, Yellin?”

Yellin slowly raised a finger, pointing above them.

‘Huh?’

Looking up, Zeke saw countless tiny beings perched on the branches, all gazing at him.

Yellin, flustered, explained, “I’ve never seen so many tree spirits gather like this before.”

“Are those the tree spirits?”

Yellin nodded. “Yes, they are. It’s rare to see such vivid tree spirits outside of a forest rich with natural energy… Sir Zeke, you truly are remarkable.”

The tree spirits, once perched on the branches, now descended and began to circle around Zeke.

They seemed to feel a kinship with him, playfully dancing and swaying nearby.

‘Come to think of it, I do have the titles of Divine Beast’s Grace, Forest’s Companion, and Earth’s Guardian.’

Having saved the gods of the forest and earth, and received their blessings, it was only natural for Zeke to be beloved by the spirits.

Watching the tree spirits around him, Zeke turned to Yellin and asked, “So, should I make a contract with these tree spirits?”

Yellin shook her head. “Tree spirits are primitive spirits that maintain their natural form. They haven’t been given names by the Fairy King, so you can’t contract with them.”

“So, I can only contract with spirits that have been named by the Fairy King?”

“That’s right. The Fairy King has only named the spirits of the four elements: water, fire, wind, and earth.”

“The four elemental spirits, then. I suppose I should summon them and form a contract.”

“Summoning the four elemental spirits isn’t easy, but given your affinity with spirits, as evidenced by the tree spirits’ appearance, it might be possible.”

“That’s a relief. Can I contract with all four elemental spirits?”

Yellin shook her head again. “It’s impossible to encompass all different elemental spirits. Typically, one can only contract with a spirit of a single element, and even those with exceptional talent can only manage two related elements.”

With that, Yellin extended her hand toward the ground.

Rumble!

A small earth spirit, a gnome, emerged from the soil.

“This is one of the earth spirits I’ve contracted with. And now…”

She reached toward the sky.

A strong wind blew, and a translucent young girl appeared, swirling around Yellin.

“This is Sylph, a wind spirit. I’ve managed to contract with both earth and wind spirits.”

Zeke watched the gnome and Sylph with fascination.

“I’ve seen a water spirit before, but this is my first time seeing earth and wind spirits.”

He recalled the water spirit summoned by Nerissa, the leader of the deep-sea tribe, using ancient spirit magic.

After observing them for a moment, Zeke asked Yellin, “Which spirit should I try to summon first?”

“While it depends on your spirit affinity, the fire spirit is generally the easiest to sense.”

Zeke raised an eyebrow, surprised. “I wouldn’t have thought fire suited elves, but that’s unexpected.”

“Fire is an important element for elves too. It hardens the earth and provides necessary resources by burning wood. However, fire spirits are powerful and difficult to control.”

Zeke nodded, taking in Yellin’s explanation. “I see. Please show me how, and I’ll give it a try.”

Following Yellin’s instructions, he prepared to perform a ritual to summon a fire spirit by lighting a fire in a corner of the garden.

‘Light a fire, huh.’

Without much thought, Zeke used elemental power to create a pure flame.

As a white flame flickered in the air, Yellin asked in surprise, “Sir Zeke, can you use magic as well?”

“No, it’s just… the Fairy King’s power again.”

Having used the Fairy King as an excuse so often, Yellin now looked at him with a hint of skepticism.

Avoiding her gaze, Zeke extended his hand toward the pure flame.

He tried to breathe with the fire, just as he had with the tree, to sense its presence.

Woooom!

Suddenly, the white flame began to surge.

Focused on breathing with the fire, Zeke didn’t notice the change.

But Yellin, standing beside him, was taken aback by the intense energy emanating from Zeke.

‘This isn’t normal.’

Usually, the flames would only flicker slightly, but the energy from Zeke was overwhelming, unlike anything Yellin had ever known.

Then it happened.

Fwoooosh!

The white flame surged, and something massive emerged from within.

Boom!

Yellin’s jaw dropped as she watched the enormous blaze threaten to engulf the entire garden.

The flames coalesced into a single form.

【Who has summoned me?】

The spirit’s voice echoed directly in their minds.

‘Oh my…’

Yellin was stunned.

Ordinary spirits couldn’t communicate so directly.

Yet here was a massive, flame-armored ape, clearly conveying its thoughts.

Yellin immediately recognized its identity.

‘The higher fire spirit, Ignis?’

Ignis, known for its combative nature and immense power, was a high-ranking spirit rarely seen in the physical realm.

Zeke, having opened his eyes, looked at the summoned Ignis with curiosity.

“Yellin, is this how it’s supposed to be?”

Yellin, flustered, replied, “Well, yes, but…”

Yellin was taken aback, unable to find her words, as she hadn’t expected a high-level spirit to be summoned so effortlessly.

While Yellin hesitated, Zeke turned to the newly summoned Ignis and spoke without preamble.

“Spirit of fire, I wish to form a contract with you.”

Ignis, wreathed in flames, looked down at Zeke and replied.

【It’s been a long time since anyone has asked to contract with me so directly. Not since Kaisir.】

The legendary hero king, Kaisir. It seemed he, too, had once formed a contract with Ignis.

Zeke met Ignis’s gaze and said, “Then it’s perfect. I am the successor to Kaisir’s legacy. Let’s make a contract, spirit of fire.”

【…A disciple of Kaisir, are you? Like master, like student, it seems.】

Ignis glanced at Zeke with a hint of incredulity before turning to Yellin beside him.

【It’s been ages since I’ve seen a high elf. Did you assist in summoning me?】

Caught off guard by Ignis’s attention, Yellin stammered, “N-no, noble spirit. It was entirely Sir Zeke’s power that brought you forth.”

Ignis listened to Yellin, then regarded Zeke with newfound curiosity.

【For an elf, you have a warrior’s spirit, and I sense the mysterious power of a dragon within you. Truly a fascinating being.】

Only after a thorough appraisal did Ignis show genuine interest in Zeke, nodding in approval.

【Since Kaisir, I’ve not encountered such a unique presence. You’ve piqued my interest. I will contract with you. State your name.】

Without hesitation, Zeke replied, “Zeke Draker.”

【Zeke Draker, through the ancient pact with the Fairy King, I hereby form a contract with you. We shall be allies of the soul, lending strength to one another.】

A resonant hum filled the air as flames from Ignis enveloped Zeke, seeping into his arm.

A fiery pattern etched itself onto Zeke’s skin, fading soon after.

As Ignis’s form began to dissipate, he spoke once more.

【Zeke Draker, I shall await your call.】

With those words, Ignis transformed into a great blaze and vanished.

As Ignis disappeared, Yellin finally exhaled the breath she’d been holding.

“My goodness… A high-level spirit appearing just like that. It’s hard to believe, even seeing it with my own eyes, Sir Zeke.”

“It’s all thanks to you, Lady Yellin.”

Despite having summoned and contracted with the powerful Ignis, Zeke seemed unfazed.

Exhausted from the encounter, Yellin sank to the garden floor.

Then Zeke turned to her and said, “Shall we move on to the next?”

“What? What do you mean?”

Yellin nearly fainted at his next words.

“We’ve summoned fire, so why not try for another spirit? How about wind next?”

Yellin’s mouth hung open, unable to close.