Chapter 81 - Wind

ARCANE stat."You must have that maxed out by now," Van asked as they walked; nearing toward Alicia's castle."Nah, I haven't the slightest idea how to level it up, or exactly what it does. It's written as [INACCESSIBLE] to me." Magus replied casually.I haven't thought about it that much when I looked at my status window, and saw a 0 instead of [INACCESSIBLE], since I couldn't allot stat points to it and it wouldn't increase with my level at all.It was an enigma to the two of us. Even when asked about the ancient powers of this world, no one exactly could give us a good answer, except that it's somewhat related to Spirits and the Gods; as Magus could sense them the more it leveled up... And that everyone shared the same sentiment.No one had any idea how it worked, what it did, or how to raise it.[Guardian of Wind]: [You cur...! How...] She asked, her chest heaving.'Hm...' Van hummed to himself as he opened his status window:Name: Van HellixAge: 17 (42)Sex: MaleRace: UnknownLevel: 337STATS:[AVAILABLE STAT POINTS: 447]VIG (Vigor): 999 (+54,005)STR (Strength): 999 (+34,156)RES (Resilience): 999 (+48,072)DEX (Dexterity): 998PER (Perception): 660MANA: 10 (+200) [Seed of Darkness Bonus!]INT (Intelligence): 10 (+50) [Seed of Darkness Bonus!]HOLY: [INACCESSIBLE]ARCANE: 0 (+25) [Seed of Darkness Bonus!]'901... Magus had told the girls his main stat, Intelligence, was at 901... Well, it made sense. Intelligence was his primary focus, but being an all-rounder, he'd put effort into other magic-related stats whenever he could, making him a versatile mage. As for me, I only had to concentrate on Dexterity to control my Strength, which kept rising with each death... My stats have climbed quite a bit since fighting the boy... But that's not what I wanted to check.'Van focused on the lower section of his stats: Mana, INT, and Arcane.The first two dictated anything magic-related, with Dexterity and Perception somewhat complementing them. Mana represented the size of your mana pool, or in simple terms, how much magic you could cast before burning out. Summoners, for instance, needed massive Mana reserves to sustain spirits, while spellcasters needed high INT to increase the power of their spells.Intelligence determined the strength and efficiency of your magic. If two spellcasters cast the same spell, the one with higher INT would produce a stronger result without using more Mana.Dexterity, as it did for physical fighters, governed spellcasting speed, accuracy, and reaction time—critical for spellcasters and runemasters who needed to write runes mid-battle.Perception sharpened one's senses, crucial for intercepting spells or detecting runes. With high Perception, Dexterity, and INT, you could create a powerful anti-magic intercept system—at least, that was the basic concept.Only summoned heroes could view this stat window and allocate stat points. Regular people in this world could only access this window with significant risk and magic consumption, making it rarely worth the effort; as stated.Then there was ARCANE.The 'useless' stat.Both Van and Magus could allocate points across stats in addition to the natural increases they experienced as they leveled up.Van's natural increases came in Vigor, Resistance, Strength, Dexterity, and Perception—reflecting his use of physical attributes. Magus, by contrast, leveled up in Dexterity, Perception, Mana, and Intelligence.Additionally, they received free stat points to allocate as they chose. Van, without magical affinity, avoided Mana and INT, while Magus, an all-rounder, distributed points across all stats, including HOLY, which enhanced skills and spells related to the Goddess.Van scrolled through his stats.'Seed of Darkness bonus, huh...? Where'd that come from?' He thought. 'And... my race is now marked as unknown? Just what the hell is—'A voice, harsh and grating, broke into his mind.[YOU CUR! I ASKED, HOW CAN YOU SEE ME!?]He tore his gaze from the status window and looked down flatly at the dying spirit."I'm not in the mood. Can you be silent for a—"[NO! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DIE! HOW ARE YOU STILL BREATHING!? AND ON TOP OF THAT, YOU CAN SEE ME... And dare to tell me, a Spirit, as a mere human, to be silen—]His fist crashed into the floor beside her, splintering wood with a resounding crack. A shard shot through the floor, plunging down into the tavern below, missing a server's head by inches.The spirit froze, her words dying in her throat as she stared at him, wide-eyed."I said," he repeated, voice low and lethal, "shut the fuck up. I'm not in the mood for you howling like some whore.""Ah... W-what...?" The server below, shaken, looked up through the hole. Her eyes met Van's cold, detached glare.Van broke his stare, glancing away from the spirit to the server. "Ah," he muttered, forcing a nod. "Sorry. There was a bug, and I, uh, curse at them when I kill them.""O-oh... Right..." She murmured, still looking up at him in confusion. "You're the new tenant, right...? W-welcome..."He barely acknowledged her, turning back to the spirit and gripping her by the throat as she lay next to the shattered floorboards. With a casual nod to the server below, he moved away from the hole.'Gah... Wh-what...? This cur can grab me, too! ME, AN A-RANKED SPIRIT, and without using magic?!' Her thoughts scrambled as she clawed at his hand, panic clawing through her."I've had a bad evening," he muttered, voice ice-cold, tightening his grip as he lifted her from the ground.[Gah... Agh...] She strained against his hand, her breath a strangled rasp."So don't shout, don't complain. And as for your whole 'mere human, how dare you' routine—let's get one thing straight." His gaze narrowed. "There's only one woman who gets away with that attitude, and you're not her. So cut it. Understood?"Her lip trembled as she looked down, biting it in frustration. She shut her eyes, gasping for air, then nodded."Good." He released her grip, letting her fall back to the ground, leaving her to choke on her own silence.[Haa... Haa...] She coughed, propping herself up with trembling arms."Now. Who are you, exactly? I'm guessing you're tied to this whirlwind around me," Van demanded, towering over her.[I... Haa...] She took a moment to gather her thoughts, steadying her breath before looking up at him. Van remained silent, letting her compose herself.[... I am the Guardian of Wind. A celestial spirit. A human knight summoned me and sustained my presence in this world. Until you killed him.] Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion.Van sighed, walking over to a nearby chair. He sat, crossing his legs, watching her with an almost bored expression."So, then... why are you still here? Just go back to the spirit world."She narrowed her eyes, settling herself on the floor. [... Do you truly not understand how spirits work? Are you seriously asking me to explain something so—]"Didn't I fucking tell you to drop the superiority complex?" Van growled, his voice cutting through her words like a blade. "I've heard enough bitches talk like they're some know-it-all around me. Get to the point."He gripped the arm of the chair, the wood splintering under his tightening fist.The crack startled her, and she softened her gaze, looking down, biting her lip in frustration.A heavy silence lingered between them before Van let out a quiet sigh."...I've never been with a spirit summoner. I know jack about how spirits work, besides the fact that you have to form a contract and that it has to be mutually agreed upon." His voice softened, the edge from before fading.The spirit's gaze snapped to Van, startled by his unexpectedly calm tone, before she looked away, unsettled by the shift.[I'm a boundless spirit. I cannot go back,] she began, her tone losing its sharpness.[If you had killed that human while I was still in the spirit realm, I would've been fine. If you had somehow killed me instead, I'd have returned to the spirit world to recover. But you killed him while I was out. My link to him is severed. Only he could summon me, in or out of this world.] Her eyes dropped to the floor.[My fate now is to wither and die. Completely. I won't go back to the spirit world, either.] She clenched her fists, her fingers digging into the wood beneath her.[And so, the least I could do in my dying moments... with the mana I have left to sustain myself...] Her gaze burned as she looked up at him, fierce and defiant. [Is kill you. The one who gave me this fate.] Her voice seethed with bitterness, but Van met her eyes, expression unreadable, silently absorbing her words.[...Or so I thought.] She exhaled, releasing her hold on him. The air around Van relaxed as her hostility faded. [But now that I am calm... I realize it's futile.] She glanced away, resigned. [I'd rather use my remaining strength to experience this world as much as I can.]"How come you're surprised I can see you?" Van asked, eyebrow raised.[A spirit has to actively use mana to make themselves seen... I'm not doing it at all right now.] Her voice was laced with confusion. [You seeing me is... irregular. An anomaly.]'Due to the ARCANE stat, maybe?' Van mused silently.He tapped his fingers lightly on the arm of the chair. "One last thing." Van said."All those knights I killed were sleazebag scum who'd done nothing worthwhile in their lives." She looked up, her eyes narrowing slightly as he continued, "And to top it all off, they were human. Exactly what you say you despise."He leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "So why did you form a contract with him?"[... I formed a contract with him when he was just a child; I had been in a contract with his father before him. When his father retired, he asked me to look after his son, and I agreed. As a child, he was kind, a little mischievous... he made me believe in humans again.] Her voice softened, her gaze drifting somberly away.[But as he grew older... the uglier he became.] She pressed her lips together, the memories twisting her expression.[But I was bound by the contract...] Her voice dropped as she pulled her white gown around her, hiding her chest. [I had to do what he asked... even when he turned ugly.]Van's eyes narrowed slightly. "... And what was that?"She flinched, her eyes widening with a flicker of anger as she met his gaze. The way he looked at her—was he really that dense? Or was he just mocking her? Taking a steady breath, she looked away, her voice a barely audible murmur. [... He used my body.]The words hung in the air between them for a moment before Van replied, his tone flat."Sorry to hear."She looked up, confused. His words felt hollow, empty of any real empathy. Did he truly not grasp the weight of what she'd just said? Could he not read the pain in her expression, the stiffness in her posture?Then again... he didn't have to say he was sorry at all. She realized that, and the thought stirred something deep within her.A long, tense silence passed between them. Finally, something broke within her.[... Form a contract with me.] The words slipped out impulsively, part challenge, part plea—she wasn't even sure which.Van raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"[Form a contract with me. Please. I wish to live.] Her voice softened, the desperation barely masked.Van looked at the spirit, intrigued, though too mentally worn out to process much beyond that."Fine. But only if I can tear it down the moment I've had enough of you," he replied with a weary sigh.[... That is acceptable.] She nodded, slightly begrudgingly, and extended her arm to him.[I shall lend you my strength in battle for as long as you wish me to.]Van stood, approaching her outstretched arm, his hand closing around her forearm."Thanks." The word was barely more than a murmur as she then dissolved into thin air, leaving only a faint glimmer of light in her wake.Without a second thought, Van turned to his ruined, torn bed and collapsed onto it, the interaction already fading from his mind as he closed his eyes, surrendering to sleep.