Ancestral Artifact Invocation

After relentlessly bombarding Kalikasan with questions, Ariase finally wore down the spirit's patience.

With a long sigh of defeat, she eventually gave in and answered some of his inquiries—if only to make him shut up.

Through this, Ariase learned that this place was something humans were never meant to remember—nor were they ever meant to step foot in.

It existed only to bestow power upon the descendants of Bathala—the Filipinos. The reason?

To give them the strength to protect their homeland, a land created by Bathala himself, from the invasion of Space Fragments and Outer Beings.

However, before he could pry further, Kalikasan had reached her limit.

With no more patience to spare, she forcefully guided Ariase to the portal, her face deadpan and completely ignoring his remaining questions.

The moment he stepped through, he found himself back at the Grand Altar of Endless Stars.

...

Seeing that the young human left, Kalikasan stood frozen for a moment.

Then…

She grinned.

Then she giggled.

And finally, she celebrated.

"YES! I FINALLY GOT RID OF HIM!!!"

The Elder Spirit of Nature practically danced in joy, basking in the absolute bliss of silence now that the pesty human was gone.

However… before she could fully enjoy her triumph, a wave of distressed cries echoed through her mind.

"Mistress! Mistress! That kid molested us!"

Kalikasan halted mid-step, her face twitching as she clicked her tongue in irritation, "Now what?!"

The voices continued their telepathic outcry.

"Mistress! He stole our leaves and even broke some of our branches!"

Kalikasan's eyebrow twitched harder.

She turned to the complaining trees and waved a dismissive hand.

"Ugh, just forget it. It was only four leaves and a couple of branches he used for training."

But then, the trees screamed louder.

"NO! YOU'RE WRONG, MISTRESS!"

"THAT KID STOLE 83 LEAVES FROM VARIOUS TREES!"

The Elder Spirit of Nature froze, her smile vanished.

She slowly turned her head, her expression darkening.

Her voice dropped to a chilling whisper, "What did you just say…?"

The trees trembled before answering, "T-That... kid now possesses 83 of our leaves..."

Silence.

Crack!

Then, the ground cracked beneath Kalikasan's feet.

Her expression twisted into pure, seething fury, "THAT BRAT!!!"

...

Ariase let out a deep sigh of relief, feeling the weight of the successful escape.

He had gained so much from the Replica of the Garden of Eden—from insights about his talents to precious resources that would aid his growth.

As he walked forward, he couldn't help but smirk.

"I'm still alive… thankfully. But… why do my ears suddenly itch?"

He instinctively rubbed them, but the feeling persisted.

"Whatever. Who cares? The important thing is that I accomplished my goals in that replica… and even managed to obtain 83 leaves. Hehe~"

However, as he observed his surroundings, he realized something odd.

The students who were still awakening were unaffected by his return.

His feet stood firm on the familiar Grand Altar of Endless Stars, yet he knew, this wasn't just the same altar.

This was the Monochrome World, a realm governed by the Blood Spirit.

The realization sent a chill down his spine.

Unlike before, when he had entered this place in soul form, this time—he was here physically.

A sudden voice snapped him out of his thoughts, "Ha! This is really absurd!"

Ariase turned, locking eyes with the Elder Spirit of Blood, whose voice carried a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

"To think you actually managed to retain your memories. Did that tree-loving nature spirit grant you a leeway?"

Ariase opened his mouth to answer but the Blood Spirit simply raised a hand, cutting him off.

"Nah, don't speak. It would ruin the excitement. I'll just ask her later."

Before Ariase could process the cryptic remark, the Blood Spirit tossed something toward him.

An orb—deep gold, pulsating faintly with energy.

Ariase caught it instinctively, feeling a surge of powerful energy swirl within.

The Blood Spirit smirked, "Since you're still awake... Here, take this—your Invocation Orb."

Ariase's eyes narrowed, "Invocation Orb?"

"Yes. This will help you invoke the artifact that suits you best," the Elder Spirit's voice turned slightly more serious.

"Just crush the orb, and the essence inside will transform into your Soul Artifact. It will also act as your teleportation ticket—once the process is complete, you'll be transported out of here."

Ariase glanced down at the orb in his hands, its surface almost hypnotic as it pulsed with an unknown power.

'So this is the last test for today… the Ancestral Artifact Invocation—the one that determines our Soul Treasures.'

A surge of excitement welled up within him.

'Now, I wonder… what kind of artifact will I get? I just hope it won't be useless.'

Then, with steady hands, he gently pressed his fingers into the orb's surface.

A faint crack spread across it.

Crack!

The orb shattered.

A blinding light erupted, engulfing Ariase's vision completely.

...

As Ariase opened his eyes, he immediately noticed something off.

He had returned—but not in the way he expected.

His surroundings were familiar, yet something felt incomplete.

"Where… Where is my artifact?"

His Soul Artifact was nowhere to be seen unlike what he had expected.

A wave of realization hit him—his artifact might have already been stored within his soul, simply waiting to be called forth.

But before he could utter the command to summon his artifact, his attention was drawn to the other students.

They were already experimenting with their newly awakened powers.

One conjured flames in their palm, another wielded a sword made of water, while another touched the ground and seamlessly blended into it.

Ariase noticed the variety of hair colors and enhanced facial features among the students—clear signs of a successful awakening.

Each individual's new elemental affinity had altered their physical features, marking their evolution.

Alongside this, each of them bore a distinct Ancestral Spirit Mark, a visible symbol of their newfound connection to the mystic arts.

Amidst the activity, a familiar voice called out to him, "Kiddo!"

Ariase turned, spotting Mr. Gonzales approaching him with a broad smile.

The old man let out a hearty laugh before speaking, "It seems I owe you an apology. You really managed to awaken, just like you said!"

His eyes gleamed with genuine excitement.

"This is great—really great! Now, tell me, what element did you awaken? Can you show us your halo?"

Ariase tensed as this was problematic.

His situation was far from normal, and revealing his halo would only raise unwanted questions.

But his gaze shifted to the side, and he noticed something that made his stomach drop.

Beside his teacher stood a man wearing an official badge.

A recorder from the National Association of Mystic Practitioners.

His presence meant that Ariase's awakening would be officially documented.

'I guess… I have no choice.'

Suppressing a deep sigh, Ariase nodded in reluctant agreement.

He slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath—

And then softly uttered a single word:

[Ancestria]

In an instant, a halo materialized on his back—but it was nothing like a normal mystic halo.

The crowd fell silent as their gazes settled on Ariase, whose appearance was akin to that of a divine being.

His long hair, a blend of white and green, cascaded elegantly, complementing his flawless, porcelain-like skin.

His eyes, gleaming like polished emeralds, radiated an otherworldly aura, leaving the onlookers in awe.

Upon seeing his halo, almost everyone's eyes widened in shock, and murmurs spread like wildfire through the crowd.

"What the… Five colors?!"

"Is that even possible?"

"I've never seen a halo like that before… What kind of awakening is this?"

The hushed whispers quickly escalated into a commotion as more students and instructors took notice.

Even the National Association of Mystic Practitioners' recorder subtly adjusted his glasses, his expression shifting from indifference to deep intrigue.

Unlike the usual single-colored halos that reflected one's elemental affinity, Ariase's halo was entirely unique.

It was divided into five distinct sections, each radiating a different color:

At the center of the halo, a deep emerald green pulsed with life.

To the north, a cool azure blue shimmered like flowing water.

To the south, a radiant golden yellow glowed with warmth.

To the east, a soft, rosy pink flickered gently.

To the west, a rich, burnt orange hummed with energy.

Ariase felt the weight of countless stares pressing down on him as he closed his eyes and accepted his fate.

Though he wanted some attention, this wasn't the way he intended to get it.