Chapter 23: The Path of Beast Spirits

Leylin's POV

"Where are we going?" Willow asks, following me at full speed.

"We're going to get something very important for your training. Without it, it would take too long," I answer frankly.

It's getting late. As a precaution, I've sent abominations to the Mystery Shack.

I know Stan won't run away. He desperately wants to help Ford and back out of guilt, and the twins will never leave without Stan Pines. As for Soos and Wendy, I don't know what they'll do, but it'll probably be useless efforts.

I've already confiscated Dipper's Magic lamp. I don't see anything dangerous in their possession right now.

"We're here," I say, stopping our tree-to-tree jumping. I could have used Oracle magic for telekinesis to make Willow and me fly, but I rejected the idea.

I don't want to waste my energy now. I'll need a lot of magic soon, and the tiny amount consumed by telekinesis could cause me trouble later.

"This museum looks like the ones we have in the Boiling Isles," Willow states, walking behind me.

"Stuff from the human world randomly ends up in the Boiling Isles. That's why our two societies are similar," I explained my theory while walking.

I was still wary about the similarity between witch society and human society, but I'd investigate both worlds later.

"Willow, I want you to observe and find the secret passage in this place," I calmly order, stepping aside.

I'm going to give advice and watch Willow deal with the Blind Eye Society. It should be easy, and if she's about to be hit by the memory gun, I'll intervene.

After a few minutes of observation, Willow found the room's hidden mechanism, and we finally entered the Blind Eye Society's hideout.

"Congratulations. Now, you must neutralize everyone here," I congratulate her before giving her the next task.

"Okay," she says, observing the Blind Eye Society members who are about to erase someone's memory.

Willow wanted to attack when the ceremony was about to begin, but I held her back.

"Wait a bit longer," I whisper to her.

When the Blind Eye Society leader put down the memory gun, I just told Willow: "Now."

*BAM* The sound of a person being thrown across the room.

"Who are you?" declares the group leader.

Willow didn't answer. She simply charged at them and delivered punches and kicks of rare violence for ordinary humans.

I can see she's holding back since she's not using the life energy that the knight possesses, but unfortunately for the Blind Eye Society members, Willow already has an inhuman physique right now.

"Please, stop!" says the former leader on the ground, holding his arm. It seems his arm is done for.

"That's enough, Willow," I say, approaching the memory gun. This is the assurance of my victory over Bill Cipher and will play an important role in the continuation of my adventures.

This object that McGucket created has so much potential and possibilities. If I can study and understand it, then my Oracle magic will have an unexpected gain.

"How can this object help me become stronger?" Willow asks in a slightly skeptical tone.

"You'll understand very soon, but be patient for now," I say while erasing the memory of the Blind Eye Society members.

"Why am I here?" asks the confused man, looking around before focusing his attention on me and Willow.

"You had an incident with your friends here. You should go to the hospital," I calmly explain.

"Ouch, yes, you seem to be right. My arm hurts," he says, getting up before waking the others who were knocked out.

"We can leave. And Willow, put this on for a minute, it's crucial for what's next," I say, giving her a Potara.

"What are you going to teach me?" she says, putting on the jewelry with a small crystal ball.

"You're going to learn the path of a 'beast spirit master,'" I answer, leaving with her into the forest towards Gravity Falls lake.

The world of Purgatory is the world from where the knowledge of the path of offerings that Beast learns comes from, but also the one that Willow is going to learn now.

This world is home to various races, with many fierce beasts and high-energy entities occupying it.

At some point in their history, some intellectual beings invented the concept of hunting these fierce beasts and extracting their souls.

The soul would be sealed in the user's body in the form of a tattoo. Only then can these "spirit beasts" be summoned during battles using magical beast spirit summoning techniques.

Beast spirit masters were divided into ranks, from rank 1 to legendary rank 9. However, in the world of Purgatory now, masters of rank 6, 7, and above had been relegated to legend.

To advance to the rank of beast spirit master rank 7, it was necessary to subdue the soul of a rank 7 beast with laws and seal it in one's body.

It was a truly simple path to power since beast spirit masters just had to hunt "beasts" and absorb their souls in a cycle of hunting and sealing to increase their strength.

Unfortunately, like any path to power, this one also had flaws.

To increase one's beast spirit master rank, one had to hunt a creature of a higher level than oneself and have a body strong enough to contain the other soul. But most importantly, one had to succeed in taming the "beast soul" before sealing it.

The inhabitants of the world of Purgatory didn't possess a lot of knowledge about the soul, so it took them months, even years to tame a soul.

The other reason is not only their lack of knowledge about the soul but also the hatred that the captured creature bears for being sealed.

Another factor that led to the death of many beast spirit masters is simply a weak body that couldn't contain the higher-ranking creature.

Currently, Willow is almost at the top of rank 3 acolyte, and she is a Grand Knight . She just needs a little boost to reach rank 1 Magus.

So a beast spirit will do. It needs to be Magus rank 1 at most or at the same level as Willow.

"Here's where you'll find your first partner," I say, looking at the deserted lake due to the late hour.

On the way, Willow had already received knowledge about the path of a beast spirit master.

"Is it strong?" she asks seriously.

In truth, there aren't really any purely powerful creatures in Gravity Falls apart from the lake monster.

Of course, I didn't count Bill, his friends, and Time Baby.

"I'd place it at acolyte rank 3 level," I honestly estimate the creature's strength.

"Can't we just find a rank 1 Magus creature?" she asks, confused.

I'd like to find that, but I don't know of any in Gravity Falls currently. The Minotaurs are at best acolyte rank 2.

Anyway, the goal is just the increase in spiritual strength that Willow will receive after absorbing the lake monster's soul.

It will surely be enough to force a breakthrough to rank 1 Magus with minimal risk and no impurity in her spiritual strength.

"I'm going to lure it. Be ready, Willow," I say, creating a flute with an abomination. It's a shame Suu isn't here since the sound is strangely better with her as a musical instrument.

I started slowly but surely playing attractive music to lure the monster.

By studying with Rain, I've spent a lot of time with the bard coven, so my music level is currently decent with various instruments.

"Leylin's music is still as beautiful, but this time it's strange," Willow mumbles. She didn't know she had empty eyes.

She's right. This music is the opposite of Orpheus's Lyre music.

If Orpheus's Lyre music can soothe the heart, then Sorrento of Siren's music seduces it. I use my magic so that the sounds propagate only towards the lake, but Willow still seems affected.

*BAM* Explosion sound.