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C101 - Adorable

[ *Ping* ]

Leonel stood in confusion. Usually, the dictionary would respond right away, and even if it didn't, it would tell him that the information was omitted. So, what was going on?

A moment later, the hologram of his father gained life to it once more, causing Leonel's eyes to light up. It seemed his father had left more than one recording behind. Since this one activated now, it must mean that this was quite important.

"You finally activated this, little cry baby?" Leonel's father shook his head. "It's about time."

Leonel bit his teeth and remained silent, he refused to fall for the same trick twice. His father had gotten him once, but if he got him a second time, he would never live this down. So, he only silently watched as his father picked at his ears.

Luckily, it seemed that his father was already satisfied after tricking him once.

"I'm not certain which Familiar you've managed to get your hands on, but if it's a Metal Spirit, good. If it's not, it's still good. Regardless of how useful a Familiar is to you, remember to treat it like a partner and a friend. If I find out one day that you've treated it as a tool, I'll peel a layer off your ass with my palm."

'… So vulgar…' Leonel almost couldn't refrain from rolling his eyes.

"If you're smart, you've probably understood from my words that the most important part of a relationship between a Familiar and a Force Crafter is friendship and intimacy. The more in sync your hearts are, the better the results will be.

"If you've managed to find a Metal Spirit, just say 'Yes' and the dictionary will direct you to that recording."

"Yes." Leonel replied

Leonel's father smiled, pushing up his glasses.

"Lucky, lucky. Metal Spirits are fairly weak in the infancy stages. In fact, before our Morales Clan took them to be our favorites, they were quite looked down upon by the Force Crafter world. Most other Force Crafters prefer Flame Spirits.

"Before one even gets to the Metal Spirit, there are a whole host of Familiars one might think of first. Wind Spirits are especially beloved by those who focus on the Force Art aspect of Force Crafting. Natural Intelligence Spirits have calculative minds far beyond that of us humanoid creatures. The list goes on and on…

"However, a Metal Spirit, especially when combined with our Metal Synergy Lineage Factor, has been widely recognized as one of the best. Those with Metal Spirits are the best at crafting small and intricate parts. This may sound like a meaningless thing, but everything starts with a foundation.

"Nothing large and complex can be created without the small and simple. Thanks to this, our Morales Clan has a reputation in craftsmanship that puts dwarves to shame. One day, when you're confident, take a look at the mechanisms of that dictionary I left you. That day, you'll be able to see the prowess of our Morales Clan."

Leonel's father laughed heartily.

"Anyway, I will get to the point. The simple answer to your question is that you can't. Making a Familiar your official companion is a long process. There's no such thing as making it submit. Well… there is, but I would never allow you to do such a thing. In fact, if you ever come across someone who has, you should directly kill them."

The coldness in his father's voice made Leonel shiver. His father had never said something even remotely close to this. In fact, much of the reason Leonel's moral code was like it was, was due to his father's guidance. It was his old man that taught him his kindness. To abruptly say such a thing was too… jarring.

Leonel's father shook his head as though feeling he had said something he shouldn't have. He hesitated for a moment. Leonel felt like his father was trying to decide whether or not to delete the recording and start again. But, in the end, he decided to press forward and leave things as is.

"… All you can do to make a Familiar accept you is treat them well. There will come a time where you two become inseparable. Take it to nice environments, treat it to nice food, and don't keep it imprisoned for too long. Let it roam free, it won't easily leave the side of a person it's familiar with. After all, in the beginning stages of its evolution, it's not much more than a child."

Leonel nodded in understanding.

"The last thing to do is to give it a name and train by its side. Metal Spirits, in comparison to other spirits, have a very high demand on the dexterity of their partner. I've left a step by step training plan for you in the dictionary to be used alongside blueprints that were in my office.

"Remember, the most important thing is your personal strength. Do not spend too long on Force Crafting. Your old man has made this mistake before. If I wasn't so fascinated with it in my youth, I would be ten times more powerful than I am now. But, I had to give others a chance, if I really was any more powerful, the universe might not be able to accept my existence anymore, HAHA!"

Leoenl smiled and shook his head. If he knew that his old man really wasn't joking, then maybe his reaction would have been a bit different.

After the message ended, Leonel took a deep breath and walked to the Metal Spirit. It was still bouncing around crazily.

When it noticed Leonel had appeared above it, it plopped down and formed a little puddle as though pouting. Leonel really couldn't help but think that it was quite adorable.

"Well… Be free little guy."

As soon as Leonel opened the lid of the transparent cube, the Metal Spirit shot up like a spring and hit the ceiling. Then, without a pause, it rebounded across the room.

Leonel smiled as he watched it. He thought the little guy might have some resentment toward him for keeping him locked up for so long, but it really was like a child. Its memory was short and the only feelings it seemed to have for Leonel were those of gratitude for setting it free. It didn't seem to remember that it was only locked up to begin with because of Leonel.

After a long while, the Metal Spirit grew tired of its new environment and settled down onto the table. Force began to whizz around it, disappearing into its little body like a typhoon.

Leonel watched on silently and allowed it to do as it pleased.

'It seems that the Force the lab can sterilize at once is limited. I can already faintly feel it dissipating. That probably means that I'll need to wait for the lab to replenish itself every time I finish using [Dimensional Cleanse]… That's fine, it's still better than not being able to practice at all.'

"Alright, what's the first lesson that old man left behind for me?"

Leonel decided not to bother the Metal Spirit for now. Since Leonel himself couldn't use the Force in his current state, he might as well leave it to the little guy.

[ *Ping* ]

[ Book One: The Basics ]

[ Lesson One: Hazards ]

Leonel nodded. At least his old man was serious when it came to this sort of stuff. The dangers should be the first things he learns about, lest he almost kill himself again like the time he foolishly modified a Force technique.

[ 1. Metal Spirits ]

Leonel frowned. 'Metal Spirits are dangerous? Then why did dad say to let it free. Don't tell me this old man is trying to get me killed…'

[ Metal Spirits are highly corrosive lifeforms. Their instinct is to devour. In order to evolve, they need to consume large amounts of Force and high level minerals. Unfortunately, Evolvers happen to have high concentrations of both. It is advised to never allow skin to skin contact with a Metal Spirit. Even veterans who have been by their partner's side for many years can still suffer at the hands of their Metal Spirit Familiars. ]

[ Whenever you are handling a Metal Spirit, be sure to wear the proper defensive gear. The minimum requirement is a pair of Force Skin Gloves. However, for a beginner, a full Force Skin Suit is more appropriate. ]

Leonel looked up at the ceiling above his head, the grief evident in his eyes. His old man really was trying to get him killed.

The good news was that he now knew what those gloves Montez gave him were.

The bad news was that those gloves were a mere minimum requirement, yet they were all he had. To make things worse, he had set them on the table when he brought the Metal Spirit out. And now… The Metal Spirit was swallowing Force from right on top of them.

Leonel suddenly felt that the little guy had become much less adorable

To be continued