Chapter 194
[Shadow spirit? Never heard of one.]
Ignite stared at Elci with a blank expression.
[A spirit with a will that clear must be quite powerful. So, what is it you wanted to talk about? Are you saying you want to join under me?]
Elci widened her eyes, then smiled softly.
[No. I may look like this now, but I’m also a Great Spirit. I possess the authority of [Domination], so I cannot bow to another spirit.]
[Nonsense. There can’t be two Great Spirits of the same attribute in the same era.]
[You’re right. I’m a spirit of the past—one that shouldn’t exist in this world.]
[A delusional spirit, then?]
Despite the insult, Elci just kept smiling gently.
Any other Great Spirit would’ve taken offense.
Being a Great Spirit of darkness meant being the king of all spirits of that element. Their dominion was so overwhelming, it could influence spirits outside their attribute. Like Undine, the Spirit of the Deep, ruling a vast domain was well within their reach.
An insult of this magnitude would have sparked war among Great Spirits, turning the region into a wasteland.
But Elci simply smiled.
She wasn’t offended.
Elci was a remnant from the past, brought into the present by the miracle of the [Hero Record].
Anyone would react the same way as Ignite.
‘If I were in his place, I probably would’ve felt the same.’
Ignite raised an eyebrow at her reaction, intrigued.
[Let’s say, for argument’s sake, you are a Great Spirit of the past. Still, I’ve never heard of a ‘shadow spirit.’]
[Yes. I only lived in this world for a very short time.]
Elci took a step forward, still smiling.
She was the only Great Spirit to have left no name in history.
[A Great Spirit who didn’t even leave a name in history… What do you want with me?]
[Why do you hate people?]
[Because they’re despicable.]
Ignite replied coldly.
[Other Great Spirits say that spirits only have meaning when they form pacts with mortals. That we have a duty to lend our power to the worthy.]
He tilted his head slightly.
[But do we really need to form pacts with such revolting creatures?]
Darkness spirits were often deemed the gloomiest among all.
At one point, they were considered harbingers of misfortune—some even called them emissaries of Tartarus.
Forced to grow their power in the shadows rather than light, they were shunned by people.
Even when someone had the aptitude to form a contract with a darkness spirit, they often denied it.
So only those with unfortunate, desperate fates ended up contracting with them.
Ignite had existed for nearly a thousand years as a Great Spirit.
He had seen far too much of humanity’s ugliness.
[Your contractor is no different.]
Ignite looked at Leo expressionlessly.
[He may be a student at Lumene, but he must have a tragic past.]
Elci looked at Leo.
She didn’t know much about his past.
But she understood the path he had walked.
[Yes. Leo probably lived in darkness I can’t even imagine.]
And it was true.
Leo had lived through the Age of Calamity.
He had survived seeing countless horrors, and even as a member of the Erebos subjugation force, he took on the dirtiest tasks himself—so his comrades wouldn’t have to stain their hands.
While other heroes pushed through darkness toward the light—
Kyle stepped into the darkness to reach the light.
That was the difference between Kyle and other great heroes.
‘The me from the past probably felt drawn to Kyle because of that.’
[I didn’t live as long as you, nor did I go through as much misfortune.]
Elci looked at Ignite with pity.
[But as a spirit of darkness, wouldn’t you be drawn to the light?]
It was instinctual for darkness spirits to be drawn to light.
[Don’t you want to see the light, too?]
[The light, huh.]
Ignite finally understood why this so-called Great Spirit of the past was talking to him.
[You pity me, don’t you? You want to understand me?]
[Yes.]
Elci nodded gently.
Ignite curled his lips.
[Then prove it.]
[Prove what…?]
[That you truly understand my darkness.]
Darkness began seeping from around Ignite.
[If you understand my darkness, you should be able to remain sane even in this abyss.]
This was nothing like the darkness that had engulfed Leo and Lily earlier.
[If you want to speak to me, this comes first.]
Elci looked at Leo.
She was worried that her stubbornness might put her contractor in danger.
Leo chuckled softly and spoke.
“Elci. Who do you think I am?”
Elci’s eyes widened.
Then she beamed.
[‘The one who survives.’]
“Exactly. So, no need to worry about me. No matter how heavy it is, it can’t be worse than what I’ve already carried.”
Elci nodded and turned to Ignite.
[All right.]
Leo smiled bitterly to himself as he watched her.
‘She’s just too kind.’
She cared about Ignite simply out of pure compassion.
Because she understood his pain and suffering, she genuinely pitied him.
That was why—even after falling into hatred for the world—she ultimately sacrificed herself for it.
Fwoosh—!
Ignite’s abyss engulfed Leo.
He felt a sharp pain in his head.
‘Mental destruction, huh.’
An endless abyss started consuming his mind.
Ignite’s torment and anguish poured into him.
But the moment he recognized it—
Step. Step.
[What?]
Ignite’s face stiffened.
Leo walked out of the abyss with utter composure.
[How…?]
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Leo smiled.
“I’ve lived a life more miserable than yours.”
Leo, who had survived the brink of the world’s collapse, was hardly someone who lived a peaceful life.
Even after a thousand years in the dark, the depth of experience was different.
“And.”
Leo glanced at the mass of abyss.
A massive shadow formed around it.
The shadow swallowed the abyss whole.
The abyss struggled violently.
But soon, it calmed within the embrace of the shadow.
Ignite’s face filled with shock.
[My darkness was… subdued?]
[I didn’t dominate it. I simply embraced it.]
As the shadow receded, a beautiful woman appeared.
Leo’s eyes widened.
Elci’s appearance had changed.
From a young girl, she now looked like a mature woman.
Just like the Elci Kyle had first met.
And her power had grown stronger.
‘Did she absorb the [Spirit of the Abyss]’s power?’
Elci was a Great Spirit, but not currently whole.
She could only exist through her contract with Leo.
In other words, her power depended on Leo’s capacity.
Yet now she was radiating powerful energy.
Though it was still less than what Leo remembered from the past—
Elci had successfully made the abyss her own.
‘She didn’t just absorb the power—she even took in its nature?’
Leo noticed one of Elci’s eyes had dimmed with shadow, shimmering like obsidian.
It was a black eye, but different from her usual ones.
[Are you truly… a Great Spirit?]
Ignite’s voice trembled.
There were differences in strength even among Great Spirits.
And Elci’s authority of [Domination] far exceeded Ignite’s.
[Yes. I told you—I’m your ancient senior.]
Elci smiled as she stepped forward.
And with every step, Ignite’s darkness was absorbed into her.
She was reclaiming the dignity of a true Great Spirit.
In contrast, Ignite’s body grew smaller.
He looked up at her, face contorted.
[What do you want? Are you going to erase me and take my place as the new Great Spirit?]
Elci blinked, then giggled.
[Why would I do that?]
She reached out and gently patted Ignite’s head.
[I just wanted to tell you—don’t hate people.]
She took a step back.
And her power began flowing back into Ignite.
[You live in such a beautiful world. I just felt sad seeing you burden yourself with sorrow.]
Elci would never forget the day she first saw the night sky.
Realizing something so beautiful existed made her feel like she had everything.
To live in a world like that, yet be lonely without a contractor…
Elci’s body began shrinking back into a girl’s form.
Eventually, she looked about the same age as Ignite.
[Enjoy life more. There’s surely a brilliant contractor out there meant for you. My life may have been shorter than yours, but I’m still your senior, so don’t ignore my advice.]
As Elci beamed at him, Ignite murmured,
[You… shine brighter than even the spirits of light.]
[Hehe—thank you.]
Now palm-sized again, Elci fluttered onto Leo’s shoulder.
At that moment—
Fwoosh—!
“Pwah!”
Lily burst out of the darkness.
“Leo! I’m here to sa—”
She trailed off, seeing Leo standing perfectly fine.
“…You got out before me.”
“Just lucky.”
“Ugh… I really wanted to show some senior dignity this time.”
Watching her sulk, Ignite made a face like he’d had enough.
[What is she? A monster?]
“Monster?! I have a perfectly respectable nickname—the Gale Spirit Arts User! Don’t call me something weird like that!”
Lily, who hated being teased as a ‘monster girl,’ snapped.
Elci muttered softly as she watched.
[At this point, I think she really is a monster.]
In Leo’s case, Ignite’s darkness hadn’t even affected him.
There was no need to escape—he was never trapped to begin with.
But Lily was different.
She’d been pulled into the darkness.
And yet, she overcame it and got out on her own.
A former Great Spirit, a current Great Spirit—
And even a great hero recognized how amazing that was.
“I get it now. That’s why Elena and Hark call you a monster girl.”
“Leo! Not you too!”
As Lily made a tearful face—
Boom—!
“Heyyy! Juniors! Your awesome senior is here to—!”
Jean smashed through the ceiling with a triumphant shout, only to find the two of them standing unharmed.
“…You got out by yourselves? Are you really just first and second-years?”
Jean knew the abyss could destroy the mind.
He’d rushed through the spirit army to reach the core as fast as he could.
Shaking his head in disbelief, he stood before Ignite.
“It’s been a while, Ignite.”
[Indeed, Knight of Undine.]
“No matter how much you hate humans, you crossed the line this time.”
As Jean radiated killing intent, Ignite spoke.
[I’ll accept the invitation, so withdraw your hostility.]
He dispelled the darkness and looked at Leo and Lily.
[I’ll also consider forming a contract with Lumene’s students.]
Lily and Jean looked shocked.
Ignite had avoided contracts for centuries due to his hatred for people.
Now he was reconsidering?
“Is this… because of Leo?”
Lily asked in awe.
She’d seen Leo talking with Ignite even before she escaped, so she thought he must’ve persuaded him.
Ignite responded in his usual flat tone.
[I have no interest in playboys.]
‘Playboy? Is it because Leo’s contracted to the Phoenix?’
Lily tilted her head, confused.