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Chapter 248
The Valley of the Wind was surrounded by towering green trees, their branches adorned with houses crafted from woven tree vines—a collection of tree houses that served as the abode for the Wind Elves.
Mu-Gun was led to a tree house next to Alicia’s house.
“My house is next door, so call me if you need something.”
“For starters, I’m hungry. Could you get me something to eat?” Mu-Gun requested.
“Will fruits and nuts do?”
“That’d be more than enough.”
“Wait a moment.”
Alicia went to her house and brought back a wooden basket full of fruits and nuts.
“This is a staple food for us, but I don’t know if it will suit a human’s taste buds.”
“I think it’s going to be delicious.”
Mu-Gun took out a red fruit in the wooden basket and took a bite. A sour and sweet taste of the pulp filled his mouth.
“It’s delicious. I’ve never had a fruit like this before.”
“It’s only available in the mountain range here, but even us elves find it difficult to forage for it,” Alicia said.
“That’s very precious. Thanks to you, my taste buds are in for a luxurious treat.”
“I’m glad you like it. Help yourself to it.”
“You won’t glare at me for eating it all later, right?”
“That won’t happen, so don’t worry and eat.”
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Then, I will get going.”
Mu-Gun started eating the fruits and nuts after Alicia had returned to her neighboring house. The fruits and nuts she had brought over were all delicious. After eating his fill, Mu-Gun rested comfortably in the tree house.
“It’s been almost a month since I came here.” Mu-Gun lay on a bed made of wood vines and counted the days since he crossed over to Avalon.
In the context of Central Plains time, merely an hour had elapsed. The slower passage of time in Avalon afforded Mu-Gun a more leisurely approach in his mission to confront and eliminate the Demon God.
While Mu-Gun harbored a strong desire to swiftly fulfill his duties and reunite with his loved ones in the Central Plains, the task of eradicating the Demon God demanded a meticulous and cautious approach. Rushing into this formidable challenge could lead to defeat, rendering any hope of returning to the Central Plains indefinitely futile. So, Mu-Gun recognized the necessity of patiently augmenting his power and proceeding with calculated steps to ensure the successful vanquishing of the Demon God.
A day after Mu-Gun's arrival in the Valley of the Wind, Fraus, the chief of the Wind Elves, summoned him. All the necessary arrangements for the Spirit Contract Ritual had been finalized. Accompanying Alicia, Mu-Gun ventured into the heart of the Valley of the Wind, where Fraus and six High Elves awaited.
At their designated location, a vast hexagonal magic circle adorned the ground. Positioned at each vertex of the magic circle, a staff adorned with a spirit stone was firmly embedded. Alicia explained that this intricate setup constituted a Spirit Summoning Array designed to unveil the portal to the Spirit Realm.
“How will the Spirit Contract Ritual be done?” Mu-Gun asked Fraus.
"As we open the portal to the Spirit Realm and you declare your intent to form a contract with a spirit, the spirits will examine you. If one among them chooses you, then you can forge a contract. However, if no spirit selects you, becoming a contractor will be unattainable," Alicia explained.
“If I had known this, I would have performed a purification beforehand.”
“Don’t worry. The spirits look at what’s on the inside, not outside.”
“Looking at the elves, I don’t think that’s the case. All the elves are handsome and beautiful.”
“Stop being cheeky and get ready for the ritual. If I were to give you a piece of advice, an earnest heart is most important in order to sign a contract with a spirit. So, let the spirits feel your desperation.” Fraus advised.
“I will keep that in mind.”
“If you are ready, go stand in the middle of the Spirit Summoning Array.”
Following Fraus’ instructions, Mu-Gun stood at the center of the magic circle.
“Then, we will proceed with the ritual.”
Having conveyed this to Mu-Gun, Fraus proceeded to place his hand on the staff lodged in one of the vertices of the magic circle. Simultaneously, the other five vertices saw the High Elves, venerable members of the Wind Elves, following suit and resting their hands upon the corresponding staffs.
The six High Elves channeled their spiritual energy into the staffs. As the spirit stones on the staffs emitted a radiant glow, infusing the Spirit Summoning Array with energy, intricate patterns within the array became luminous. A vibrant wave of blue light ascended into the sky. Through the activated Spirit Summoning Array, the portal to the Spirit Realm unfurled, establishing a connection between the Middle Realm and the Spirit Realm.
Sensing a powerful force emanating from the Spirit Realm's gateway, Mu-Gun extended his consciousness into that ethereal domain. There, he engaged in communication with the spirits using the Language of the Gods.
[I am the Sky God Yupir’s representative, and I am tasked with the mission to eradicate the Demon God, which has descended on this land. However, I hold too little power to do so. As such, I would like to ask for help from the supreme beings within the Spirit Realm. The Spirit God Vahara had once eradicated the Demon God with the Sky God Yupir. If you have inherited the Spirit God Vahara’s will and are willing to eradicate the Demon God with me, I dare to hope that you will manifest before me.]
Mu-Gun fervently addressed the spirits in the Spirit Realm, driven by a profound resolve. Despite his earnest efforts, there was no response.
‘As expected, is it not working?’
Just when disappointment began to settle within Mu-Gun, an immense energy surged forth from the Spirit Realm. Suddenly, a powerful whirlwind materialized before him, reaching towering heights. Within moments, the swirling vortex transformed into a colossal figure bearing a humanoid semblance.
Upon laying eyes on the colossal figure, a wind giant enveloped in a ferocious storm, Mu-Gun immediately recognized it as Nervatum, the Wind Spirit King. The divinity emanating from Nervatum far surpassed Mu-Gun's own.
Nervatum spoke in disappointment,
-I was looking forward to it because you said you are the Sky God’s representative, but you’re weaker than I thought.
“However, my determination to eradicate the Demon God is stronger than anyone else.”
-That, I admit. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have appeared in front of me like this.
“Then, would you sign a contract with me?”
-There is no one among the Wind Elves who can handle my power, so I have no choice but to sign a contract with you.
“But the foundation of my energy is thunder qi, so is it possible for us to sign a contract?”
Nervatum spoke pridefully,
-There is nothing freer than the wind in this world. The wind can go anywhere, and it can get along with anyone. It is no different with thunder qi.
Mu-Gun's primary concern lay in the foundation of his energy – thunder qi. The four energies associated with the Spirit Kings, created by the Spirit God, were confined to fire, ice, earth, and wind.
Mu-Gun was worried about the possibility of signing a contract with a Spirit King whose energy differed from the thunder. As such, he was relieved when he heard Nervatum’s answer.
“How do we sign a contract?”
Nervatum offered a contract without explaining it,
-I, Nervatum, want to sign a contract with the human, Baek Mu-Gun, according to the ancient pledge. Does the human, Baek Mu-Gun, want a contract with me, Nervatum?
“I do,” Mu-Gun answered without hesitation.
-Both parties desire the contract, so the old pledge has been established. The ancient pledge will remain in effect until its existence is extinguished.
“Is this all?”
-That’s all. If you need me, call me with your will. As long as you exist, I will show myself wherever you are.
“I have a question.”
-What is it?
“I don’t have any spiritual powers, unlike the elves. So, is it possible for me to summon a Spirit King?”
-You brought up something crucial in a hurry. Anyway, to answer your question, it doesn’t matter whether you have spiritual power or not. Your energy contains the divinity of the Sky God Yupir. Your energy is much more effective than spiritual power.
“I see, I understand. Then, please go back for now. I will call you if I need your help, Nervatum.”
-Alright.
Just as it materialized, Nervatum transformed back into a whirlwind, vanishing into the Spirit Realm. Shortly thereafter, the gateway to the Spirit Realm sealed shut, and the radiant blue light emitted by the Spirit Summoning Array faded away.
“How...?”
“How could a human sign a contract with the great Nervatum...?”
The High Elves, who had activated the Spirit Summoning Array, gazed at Mu-Gun in disbelief. They had witnessed Mu-Gun becoming the contractor for the Wind Spirit King Nervatum. This was the very Nervatum who had eluded them for centuries, despite the desperate pleas of the elves.
Nevertheless, Nervatum not only responded to a human's summons but also entered into a contract with that human. Fraus and the High Elves found it hard to digest the present circumstances. Regardless of their acceptance, the undeniable truth stood – Mu-Gun had forged an unalterable contract with the Wind Spirit King.
At the same time, Mu-Gun, positioned at the heart of the magic circle, noticed the High Elves casting a complex gaze in his direction. He understood how they felt. From their perspective, witnessing a human enter into a contract with the Wind Spirit King was both exasperating and seemingly unjust.
Yet, this was a result of Nervatum's own decisions. If blame needed a target, it rested solely on them for falling short of satisfying Nervatum. Nevertheless, Mu-Gun harbored gratitude toward them.
Expressing his gratitude, Mu-Gun thanked the High Elves for activating the Spirit Summoning Array, saying,
"I appreciate it. Thanks to all of you, I managed to forge a contract with the formidable Wind Spirit King, Nervatum."
“I would like to acknowledge it, but there must be a good reason why the great Nervatum chose you.” Fraus, the chief of the Wind Elves, said with a bitter smile.
"The mighty Nervatum selected me because it desires to join forces in vanquishing the Demon God. As you're aware, the Spirit God Vahara once expended their utmost efforts alongside the Sky God Yupir to eliminate the Demon God. It stands to reason that the illustrious Nervatum, born of the Spirit God Vahara, shares a similar determination to confront and defeat the Demon God. How does this resonate with the Wind Elves, devout worshippers of the Wind Spirit King Nervatum?"
“We, the Wind Elves, will also do our best to defeat the Demon God.”
In response to Fraus’ reply, Mu-Gun respectfully requested,
“Then, can I dare ask you all to fight the Demon God with me?”
“We will gladly do so.” Fraus accepted Mu-Gun’s request without a moment of hesitation.
The other High Elves didn’t object to Fraus’ answer, indicating that they were on the same page. It was only natural for the Wind Elves to follow the Wind Spirit King Nervatum.
“Thank you. The great Nervatum will be pleased with the decision of the Wind Elves.”
“What should we do now?” Fraus asked.
“First of all, would you please wipe out the monsters in the Patagon Mountain Range with me?”
“We shall. Instead, only the High Elves, who can summon the highest-ranked spirits, will participate. The elves who can only use spirits ranking lower than that will not be of much help anyway.”
“That’s what I wanted. Well then, please join up with my party as soon as you are ready.”
“I will get the High Elves to prepare right away,” Fraus said firmly.
Fraus took charge, rallying the High Elves with the prowess to summon the highest-ranked spirits. An hour elapsed, and thirteen High Elves, the mightiest among the Wind Elves, departed from the Valley of the Wind, accompanying Mu-Gun. Among them was Alicia, walking side by side with Mu-Gun.
Her eyes gleamed with admiration as they rested on Mu-Gun. She had developed a certain fondness for him, especially after he rescued her from danger. However, this fondness escalated when Mu-Gun became the contractor for the Wind Spirit King, Nervatum. In Alicia's eyes, Mu-Gun now appeared even more impressive than any other elf. Alongside this admiration, a fervent desire emerged within her to claim Mu-Gun as her own.
Originally, elves were creatures devoid of intense emotions and possessive desires, and Alicia was no exception. However, a transformative shift unfolded when she crossed paths with the near-perfect being known as Baek Mu-Gun.