Chapter 87

◈ Chapter 87. Blossoming in the Swamp (4)

Nymph, the spirit of the Lower Forest.

The nymph, fluttering her butterfly wings, had a serious expression.

"It's strange."

Due to the unfamiliar scenery overlaying the predator's swamp.

"But it still looks like a forest..."

The nymph frowned and tried her hardest.

Even as a lower spirit, she was a proper spirit of the forest.

Though it looked unfamiliar,

this forest must still exist on the Arcana continent.

If she could commune with the forest, she would understand the situation.

"......Huh?"

But no matter how hard she listened, no sound came.

Not only was communion impossible, but conversation was also out of the question.

A look of bewilderment appeared on the nymph's face.

"I don't understand what's going on."

Splat─

Her fluttering wings drooped.

A sigh escaped her lips involuntarily.

How did things end up like this?

Yes, it was all because of the demons.

'By now, the forest where I was born...'

The nymph had no doubt.

The forest was the strongest of all.

Even if animals broke branches and humans cut down trees,

the forest did not groan.

It had endured even more severe natural disasters.

The forests of the Arcana continent had silently endured.

But.

"I'm sorry to everyone."

The forest, as it burned at the hands of the demons, screamed.

It was a terrifying scream, as if it were being consumed by hellfire.

The nymph fled to the predator's swamp to escape the demons.

If she had stayed in the forest, she would have fallen and become no different from the demons.

Even though she knew it was inevitable, her heart could not be light.

"If it's the predator's swamp, I don't have to worry about the demons."

Forest, wind, water, fire...

Nature exists everywhere on the Arcana continent.

The spirits that dwell in nature were well-informed about the news of the Arcana continent.

They knew the direction in which the demons were expanding their influence.

The demons were cunning.

They only invaded places they could destroy.

In that sense, the predator's area.

The predator's swamp was not an easy place for the demons.

"......No matter how hard I try to adapt, I can't."

It's understandable!

The nymph's lips pouted.

In the swamp, battles raged day and night without cease.

If she had known it was like this...

She should have flown a little further.

"Even if I can't fly all the way to the Zero Mountains..."

Why, a place better than here.

A place a little quieter.

She could have found such a place.

But now, she didn't have the confidence to fly to another area.

"I don't know the news from the outside."

The demons had likely expanded their influence further.

In the process, the demons had become even stronger.

Places that were once safe were now likely under the demons' control.

"And the swamp has become strange too."

That alone was a headache.

The swamp mixed with the forest.

The unfamiliar scenery.

What had happened?

The nymph shook her head gently.

"I don't know. I need to rest now."

She needed to rest under the blue mistletoe.

Her mana had been drained from trying to commune with the forest.

She could replenish her mana with the energy of the blue mistletoe.

However.

"......?"

The nymph's deep sleep did not last long.

Tap─

The sound of unfamiliar footsteps, which should not have been heard, reached her ears.

Waking from her deep sleep, the nymph thought drowsily.

'I've never heard such footsteps in the swamp...'

No, wait a minute.

How could the footsteps be so loud?

'Here, on the treetop?!'

The question did not last long.

The owner of the footsteps soon revealed himself.

It was a man with silver hair.

The sound came from him as he ascended the floating stairs.

Though the reason was unknown,

it had been a while since she had seen a human.

'What, I was startled for nothing.'

But ordinary humans cannot see spirits.

Nor can they hear the voices of spirits.

Well, when she was a nameless, classless spirit.

She used to approach humans who came to the forest, not knowing this fact.

But she had never received a response.

'I'll get better. I'm tired.'

That was the common knowledge of spirits.

This man would not be able to see her.

Yes, he definitely wouldn't.

For some reason.

She felt his gaze.

When she opened her eyes, it was not a hallucination...

The man was clearly looking at her.

Not only that, but with a very cold gaze.

The nymph opened her mouth in disbelief.

"Can you see me...?"

*

Spiritology.

One of the schools of magic in the Magic Tower.

Its senior mage was Feyan Rot.

I remembered her.

'Not much, but she had a considerable appetite.'

After the Bangrit Tom incident.

A breakfast with twenty senior mages, all of whom were present.

Feyan, who was quietly focused on her meal amidst the chattering senior mages.

Of course, the Spiritology school also presented research at the regular academic conference.

So I knew about spiritology to some extent.

So.

'...Why can I see this?'

I couldn't help but flinch at the sight of the spirit.

Spirits were a rare 'existence' that only a select few mages could see.

I thought hard.

Having read so many magic books,

had I made a mistake in my knowledge?

No, for someone with Granfel's intellect.

Such a mistake was impossible.

Then the story was simple.

Granfel could see spirits...!

Acknowledging this fact made my mind go blank.

Yes, the conditions for seeing a spirit came to mind.

It was from the first page of the introductory book of Spiritology.

The second paragraph.

"A human who can see a spirit in an uncontracted state is extremely rare.

This is because an outstanding mana sensing ability and an exceptionally clear mind are required.

This is why most spirit contractors form contracts with spirits at a relatively young age."

An exceptionally clear mind.

And a relatively young age.

To put it bluntly.

One must be naive to see the spirits of nature.

I realized again.

Granfel's past, my school days, was a black history.

Yes, whether he became a Demon King or a great evil,

he considered all demons trivial.

Granfel's mental state could be described as a flower garden.

In any case.

'I'm not seeing things.'

The spirit, tossing and turning under the blue mistletoe.

Of course, my knowledge was superficial.

I couldn't guess its identity just by staring.

However.

"Can you see me...?"

Granfel was not one to listen to casual speech.

Moreover.

'How did he find the rare herb, the blue mistletoe?'

I, Iho Yeol, had no intention of yielding to the spirit.

So I said in a cold voice.

"I am Iho Yeol, the Chief Joint Researcher of the Magic Tower."

"...Magic Tower?"

"State your affiliation and status. Unknown spirit."

He was still half-asleep.

The spirit seemed to be struggling to understand the situation.

But that couldn't be an excuse for silence.

The knowledge from the introductory book of Spiritology came to mind again.

The second chapter.

The first paragraph.

The first sentence.

-There are ranks among spirits.

Lower, middle, upper.

And the Spirit King.

There is a strict hierarchy among spirits.

Knowing this, I had something to say.

"I will ask again."

Just like the spirits,

the Magic Tower also had ranks.

'Feyan Rot.'

The reason she held a senior position?

It was because the spirit she contracted with was an upper spirit.

Its exact name was the Upper Fire Spirit, Fire Drake.

So I said without any embellishment.

"I am the contractor of the Upper Fire Spirit, Fire Drake."

"...!"

Indeed, a hierarchical society is good.

As soon as I mentioned the name of a high-ranking person, his eyes widened.

Of course, one must listen to the end in Korean.

"Senior Mage, Feyan Rot."

"You are... Senior Mage Feyan Rot!"

"I am a Chief Joint Researcher, one rank higher than her."

"...Yes, yes?!"

"State your affiliation and status. Lesser spirit."

Iho Yeol and the nymph.

Strictly speaking, we were strangers.

But there is a way to connect between hierarchical societies.

'It's not for nothing that they mention the chief in movies.'

I, who was so adept at hierarchical societies.

I, who was marveling at my social skills.

At that moment, the spirit responded.

"I am a Lower Forest Spirit, Nymph."

The effect was tremendous.

She even bowed her head in respect.

However, Nymph's expression was not normal.

She continued speaking with her head bowed.

"Can I, a Lower Forest Spirit, make a request to Iho Yeol, the Chief Joint Researcher, one rank higher than Senior Mage Feyan Rot, the contractor of the Upper Fire Spirit, Fire Drake, without being disrespectful?"

...Wait, why are the honorifics longer than the main point?

This is the downside of a hierarchical society.

But I was satisfied.

I couldn't reveal my embarrassing inner thoughts.

I answered boldly.

"I will listen."

Why is the Forest Spirit in the predator's swamp?

This fundamental curiosity was resolved through our conversation.

In fact, I could guess to some extent.

Considering the current situation of the Arcana continent, the culprit behind all incidents was mostly the demons.

"Amidst all this."

"?"

"Suddenly, the scenery of the swamp changed. The swamp overlapped with a forest, so I tried to commune with it... But was it my incompetence? It was in vain. I, Nymph, could not hear any voice."

It was a story about the rift.

Nymph blamed herself for her incompetence, but it was inevitable.

Asking the forests of Europe's Scandinavia about the situation of the Arcana continent would not yield any response.

"I was so disheartened... I was taking a rest."

Even as we conversed,

the blue mistletoe was emitting a faint mana. The area near the blue mistletoe was a suitable place for a spirit to rest.

"By any chance. Iho Yeol, the Chief Joint Researcher, one rank higher than Senior Mage Feyan Rot, the contractor of the Upper Fire Spirit, Fire Drake... Do you know anything about this forest? Or this situation?"

If I knew.

But.

'Can't you do something about those titles first?'

Of course, I couldn't reveal my true feelings.

I replied with a bold face.

The explanation about the rift was simple.

Nymph must have known to some extent.

"Disappeared villages or forests. The Magic Tower is also like this...?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean... I will be in the same world as the Chief Joint Researcher?!"

"No, that won't happen."

That was the case when a new area was added.

Or when the rift collapsed.

Considering the strength of the players gathered in the predator's swamp, the probability of the rift not being cleared was low.

However, a possibility came to mind.

If the predator's swamp is cleared.

The space of [『Eerie』], the rift, will disappear.

The predator's swamp will return to the Arcana continent.

I glanced at Nymph, who looked relieved.

"Phew. That's a relief."

I harbored a thought that would make her relief meaningless.

'Information about the Arcana continent.'

The information I had about the Arcana continent was extremely limited.

The desolate scenery I witnessed at the [Quirnberg Mechanical Tower].

And the fact that I could interfere with the Arcana continent through the space of [『Eerie』], the rift.

That was all I knew.

Still, I was in a relatively better position.

Other players relied solely on the new update information.

However.

'If there is a being in the Arcana continent that can communicate...'

It means I can obtain specific information about the Arcana continent.

Depending on what that information is,

I can make various plans.

I can prepare thoroughly depending on the situation.

But there was a practical problem.

Even if there is a being in the Arcana continent that can communicate,

'One must consider the probability of meeting again.'

The Arcana continent.

How can one predict which place will be caught in the rift and plan for the next meeting?

The probability of relying on chance is lower than winning the lottery.

'But if that being is a spirit, the story changes.'

The probability can be overcome.

Yes, if I form a 『contract』 with the spirit.

I remembered the top priority of the Spiritology school.

『Overcoming the severed connection』

Reality and the Arcana continent.

Two completely different and disconnected worlds.

Even if I formed a contract with a spirit,

I couldn't summon a spirit from the Arcana continent in reality.

But I knew.

Because I saw the possibility.

I had arrogantly said at the regular academic conference.

- "Verification is needed, but it has research value."

That's right.

In the space of [『Eerie』], the rift,

I might be able to summon a spirit.

Granfel's intellect told me.

'The possibility is sufficient.'

If I form a contract with Nymph,

I can summon Nymph in the rift.

In other words, I can obtain information about the Arcana continent.

So I said confidently.

"Lower Forest Spirit, Nymph."

"Yes, I'm listening."

"I want to form a contract with you."

I realize anew.

I really have a thick