Chapter 8

The Spirit King Elquines [Revised Edition] - Chapter 8 (8/608)

Chapter 8

Even in a space filled with nothing but water, there was a distinction between day and night. It was just that the phenomenon of the sun setting and the moon rising did not occur. Once it became night, the surroundings definitely grew darker.

One peculiar point was that even in such a distinct 'darkness,' my eyes could clearly see the surroundings. I could discern the flow of water and the shape of the tiny droplets within it, and if I focused, I could observe them in minute detail, as if through a microscope.

'This... is incredible.'

In the past, I had congenital poor eyesight and could hardly distinguish objects right in front of me. I always wore thick magnifying glasses, but even then, it was only slightly better than being completely blind.

At that time, my biggest goal was to save money from part-time jobs to get LASIK surgery. Since I had been earning my own money to cover tuition and pocket money since middle school, I already had enough money in my bank account.

However, as a minor, I needed a guardian's consent to undergo surgery. My parents would never have allowed it, and I didn't want to beg at the hospital, explaining my personal circumstances. So, I decided to have the surgery after graduating from school and becoming an adult. It was a lifelong wish, so to speak.

Even when I was a ghost, my eyes were always covered with glasses as if they were a part of me. To think that I would be reborn with such excellent eyesight. I almost regretted not dying sooner.

'Come to think of it, what happened to all that money? Well, since Taejin had my bank account, he probably took care of it.'

I had several close friends, but the only one who knew all my personal affairs was Hataejin, and he was the only one. He was a grateful friend who cared for me in ways others didn't know. I wouldn't have felt bad giving him all the money in the bank. Of course, Taejin is kind, so he probably gave the money to my parents or donated it to a good cause.

What's certain is that the money wasn't used for my funeral expenses. Taejin's thinking was obvious. He probably didn't want it to seem like I had anticipated my death and saved the money in advance. Even if I were in his position, I wouldn't have wanted to use that money.

'No, I shouldn't be thinking about this. I need to quickly realize that I am the Spirit King.'

I shook my head quickly to clear my thoughts and recalled the last conversation I had with the two Spirit Kings before they left.

"Hey, what happens to me now? Surely I won't just be stuck here, unable to do anything, right?"

The phrase 'it's pitch black' is used for situations like this. A Spirit King who drains one's abilities. I never imagined that a single wrong decision could lead to such a result. But Minerva quickly dismissed my concerns.

"No, that's not the case. Even if your realization is slow, the fact that you are a Spirit King doesn't change. In time, everything will be resolved."

"Really?"

"Yes, but the situation here isn't good enough for you to wait that long. Your abilities are desperately needed right now."

If there were no problems in Aquadon, my slow realization as a Spirit King wouldn't have caused much harm. But now, with all the water spirits gone, it's crucial to realize your abilities as soon as possible, Minerva explained. Nias, a lower-level spirit, can manage small streams and springs, but not vast areas like rivers and seas.

"Besides, it doesn't end with just creating spirits."

"Then what?"

"First, we need to make it rain evenly across the continent. We'll have to create a storm with Minerva to cross the continent quickly. During this time, I'll break through blocked water veins and absorb the heavy rain into the ground. This is where your help is needed to properly establish the waterways. The ground has become too weak due to the loss of plants."

What? Rain, storms, and breaking through water veins?

Trowel's explanations were all astonishing. I never knew that the Spirit King was involved in such detailed aspects. It was as shocking as learning that the moving stage props on TV were all done manually.

"Probably, we'll need to pour all our efforts for a month or two. Then, things will recover to some extent, even if not as before."

"Um... I don't know how to do that?"

"I know. You're struggling with the basic creation of spirits, so the rest would be even more difficult."

"Then what? The gods? Are the gods not doing anything?"

"Gods? The ecosystem of Aquadon is entirely under the jurisdiction of the four Spirit Kings. It's a domain directly assigned by the supreme god. They have no right to meddle or interfere with matters of the natural world."

"Really?"

"Yes. Even if we intentionally mess up the natural system of this world, they would have to accept and follow our decisions. Of course, this has made the handling of this incident much slower."

Ah, that's why the drought lasted for ten years without anyone knowing. It seemed strange that a dimension that shouldn't have been allowed to perish took so long to discover the disaster. It seems they thought it was a disaster intentionally caused by the Spirit Kings.

"Don't worry too much, Jihun. Since we're in this situation, let's take it easy. As Minerva said, you'll eventually realize everything. Just by being born, you're already enough."

"But if we don't recover soon, won't Aquadon continue to suffer from the drought?"

"That's true, but it's okay."

"Okay...?"

I was speechless at the casual answer, and Trowel smiled brightly.

"We managed to survive even when there was no rain. Compared to that, things will be much better from now on. Besides, rushing won't make us grateful."

"Trowel, saying things like that..."

Minerva, who had been listening, looked at him with a slightly scolding expression. Trowel shrugged lightly in response.

"I'm not wrong. All our efforts will ultimately go to the gods."

"The gods?"

"Humans think everything we do is done by the gods. Most of the gods who interfere in this world only cause chaos in history. But there's nothing we can do. They are too weak and want to rely on the supreme being. Sometimes, it's annoying to see our efforts praised as the gods' achievements."

...It doesn't seem to be just sometimes.

Despite his smiling face, Trowel gave off a strangely prickly feeling. It might just be my imagination, but he doesn't seem to have a favorable opinion of the gods or humans.

At that moment, Minerva, who had been lost in thought, lifted her head with a determined expression.

"Jihun, I have a proposal for you."

"Hmm? A proposal?"

"A way to awaken your abilities as soon as possible. It's unprecedented, but it seems to be the only way now."

"Really? There's a way?"

"What is it, Minerva?"

I, of course, and Trowel, were both interested and asked. But the moment I heard her next words, I froze, still tense.

"You'll learn how to handle power from us for a while."

"...Huh?"

Wait a minute. Is that all you could say with such a serious face? You're telling me to learn how to handle power? Of course, I need to learn, being a complete novice. Did you not plan to teach me?

I looked at Minerva with a sense of absurdity. I thought she was joking, but her expression remained serious. If so, her proposal was genuine...

'How could it take several minutes to reach such an obvious conclusion?'

No matter how I think about it, I can't understand. Could it be that her mature and intelligent appearance is all a facade? But that's not the only thing that's confusing.

"Teaching Jihun? Isn't that too extreme, Minerva?"

I found it natural, but Trowel showed reluctance. Minerva, looking guilty, replied.

"I said it's unavoidable. If Jihun is okay with it, I want to do it..."

"But even so, it seems a bit too much."

"Is it really too much?"

"Of course, Minerva. Think about Jihun's position. Is it possible?"

"Well..."

Is teaching me something so difficult?

With Trowel and Minerva reacting this way, I felt like I was the strange one.

Is there a rule in the spirit world that you can't teach someone? It sounds absurd, but given the circumstances, it seems the most plausible.

In the end, to alleviate their inexplicable guilt, I decided to go along with their conversation.

"Well, I don't know what the problem is... but I'm fine with it. It seems like a good idea, Minerva."

"...What?"

"Jihun! Do you really think so?"

The reaction from the two Spirit Kings was even stronger than I expected. Minerva's shocked expression and Trowel's astonished exclamation echoed simultaneously. I nodded awkwardly, seeing their stiff faces.

"Yeah, really. Actually, I was going to ask you to teach me first. If you're okay with it, I'm definitely in favor."

"Hee, Jihun. You're a good guy?"

"Ahaha... really? Not that much."

"No, it's a difficult decision, and I'm really grateful. I admire your understanding. Right, Minerva?"

"Right."

Minerva nodded with a gentle smile in response to Trowel's request. Their gazes, directed at me, were filled with even more warmth than before.

But I couldn't understand this entire situation. To hear such words of gratitude and appreciation for something so trivial. Shouldn't I be the one grateful? They are the ones who will have to take precious time to teach me, a complete novice. I couldn't stop thinking that the roles were reversed.

Later, I found out that my guess was somewhat accurate. Spirit Kings are 'perfect' beings, so they can't imagine being taught by someone else. Therefore, even in an unavoidable situation like this, such a proposal is considered quite impolite. Especially, the Water Spirit King has a long tradition of strong pride, reacting extremely negatively to any interference.

For example, in the case of the previous Elquines, when the previous Ifrit (not the current one) gave a stern warning, Elquines invaded his territory and devastated it on the spot. Apparently, they used to point out and correct each other's mistakes, but after that, they stopped giving advice or suggestions.

Ultimately, all these unwritten rules originated from the previous Elquines. And I, the current Elquines, broke them.

'Well, anyway, we decided to start studying from tomorrow. I can play to my heart's content today.'

It was already quite dark, but there was no problem looking around, so it didn't matter. Besides, as a Spirit King, like a ghost, I am a kind of spiritual entity, so I don't need to eat, sleep, or feel tired, and I am not affected by life.

In other words, staying up all night to play won't affect my studies tomorrow at all. I started to familiarize myself with my new living space, feeling extremely satisfied as I looked around.

Contrary to my initial expectation that the space was filled with nothing but water, I found various items for daily life as I went deeper underwater. Unlike the usual wooden furniture, all the furniture here was made of stone and rock.

Tables, chairs, beds, and even drawers were all made of stone. They weren't artificially carved but naturally formed, with a smooth surface. Seaweed and shells were embedded in various places, as if to emphasize that this was underwater.

I opened the drawer out of curiosity. Inside were stacks of paper (strangely, they weren't wet), pens, and small accessories. Among them, I found a small hand mirror buried in a corner. The surface of the mirror was covered with black moss, indicating it had been left untouched for a long time.

'The previous one didn't seem to care much about his appearance.'

Just as I was about to put it down, I suddenly picked it up again. I realized I had never seen my own face.

Come to think of it, what do I look like? At first, I still had some attachment to my past appearance. But after seeing the other Spirit Kings, who were particularly flamboyant, my thoughts inevitably changed.

No matter how positive I am, I know my past appearance wasn't particularly good-looking. If there was a significant difference in appearance, it would be quite miserable. I remember Ifrit being described as looking like a woman. From the shape of my hands and skin color, it didn't seem bad, but I wanted to confirm it for sure.

It's fine to be ordinary! Please, just don't be ugly! I held my pounding heart and carefully removed the moss from the mirror. And the moment the surface was revealed...