Adam Returns
"Thi... Thisss is EXACTLY WHY I SAID YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT, MINERVAAAA!!"
Priscilla's furious voice echoed through the distorted space as she hovered midair, her bat-like wings fully spread, spanning nearly two meters. She flapped them with ease, defying gravity with the sheer control that came naturally to a Shinso Vampire-like great self.
Minerva, on the other hand, merely stood there, arms crossed, unfazed. Well, she wasn't exactly standing.
She was perched atop a floating black hand, a construct of pure miasma. Normally invisible to the naked eye, however, the energy had been condensed to the point of tangibility, allowing her to rest upon it as if it were solid ground.
Meanwhile, Roland had been summoned by Echidna, and Adam... well, today was his training day. Not that it mattered now, considering the absolute mess unfolding before them.
On that note as well, the spatial void was being heavily distorted as a result of the combined power of so many spirits.
The once-white expanse around them had begun to distort, writhing as if in agony.
It was a large space, currently the size of a large continent, and only getting bigger by the second, this space itself was an endless domain where every step extended the distance further, an ever-expanding prison.
No matter how fast one moved, the space would stretch faster. If you traveled at the speed of sound, it would extend at the speed of light. If you moved at the speed of light, it would outpace you fivefold.
And the mere presence of the spirits was affecting this very space.
From a gaping tear in the sky, created by the spirit crystal.
The gate to the spirit world yawned open. Suspended in the air was Adam's unconscious body, surrounded by dozens of floating, miniature elemental spirits, that look a lot alike to mini celestial bodies i.e. stars.
There were 67 in total.
Each one pulsed with vibrant energy, glowing in a variety of hues:
Green for Nature.
Milk-white for Heat.
Purple for Space.
Gold for Time.
Black for Darkness.
A rainbow-colored one for Energy.
Brown for Earth.
Blue for Water.
Emerald for Wind.
Yellow for Light.
Silver for Air.
They were beautiful, celestial, and yet... unsettling.
However, their appearance here was not even the worst part.
Four higher spirits loomed over them, their presence suffocating.
She said, her hand folded.
The first was Synthec, a massive, floating golden eye with a deep purple sclera, shards of broken glass orbiting its body like a shattered mirror reflecting different realities, planes, dimensions, and dreams.
The second, Mordred, was an armored woman whose very aura screamed war. Her form-fitting black and gold armor accentuated her imposing and voluptuous figure. Crimson hair flowed from beneath her helmet, and her glowing red eyes burned with an untamed fire. She was seated atop a monstrous warhorse clad in dark, plated barding, she gripped a jagged lance that radiated an ominous energy.
The third, Estherian, was a towering figure, to say the least, he had a build like a war god. And he wore a high-fantasy theme plague doctor's outfit, his form wreathed in a terrifying black and red aura. He also had six powerful arms that he flexed at his sides, and a long, bony tail, ending in a deadly stinger that swayed behind him.
But the final spirit... was different.
It wasn't humanoid in form.
It wasn't even a beast.
But rather it was a structure.
It was a literal library, a towering and old-looking gothic-style building, which was standing ominously in the distance, its closed doors hiding something truly unfathomable. Yet, from its depths, a singular tome, massive as a human, floated forward, representing its will.
This was of course none other than Alethia: The Great Spirit of Rumors.
And at this very moment in time.
All of these spirits clung to Adam, drawn to him like moths to a flame.
Minerva and Priscilla could only watch as the chaos unfolded.
Till Minerva breaks the silence.
"To think... the brat actually summoned three unique spirits and one Great Spirit... And what the hell is up with all those elementals?"
She muttered, arms still folded, but this time with clear incredulity.
In response, however, Priscilla scowled.
"I told you, didn't I?"
She said in an annoyed tone, trying to make her point vividly clear here.
"This is why people don't just go around forming contracts willy-nilly! Spirits aren't toys, Minerva! Their demands can be anything from beyond extremely reasonable to outright insane, and the stronger the spirit, the often more ridiculous the price!"
At these words, however, Minerva just shrugged.
"Meh... why waste the brat's talent? You know what they say... if you got it, you got it."
To this, Priscilla replied back saying, while holding her head.
"You're insufferable."
Minerva grinned, clearly amused by the entire situation.
"I know."
She said as her gaze returned to Adam, still unconscious body, as she mused aloud right after.
"He is quite the interesting little thing after all. Me personally I've never seen this many spirits swarming someone before... not only does he has an Infinite Astrum space, but also a dormant affinity so damn strong that he pulled in every element type... and other spirit types as well. The more I look at this brat, the more I wonder, where the hell did he even come from? I mean, really, how did a human child end up in the monster realm to begin with."
It was a question no one could answer. Adam's origins were shrouded in mystery. Even before Priscilla turned him into a Shinso Human using probability magic, he had been... different.
But before Minerva could dive any deeper into her thoughts, the spirits suddenly began to glow. Their forms melted into waves of shifting particles, that soon began to flow seamlessly into Adam's Astrum Sea.
The moment the last one disappeared, the balance of the space was restored.
The spirit crystal dimmed, its purpose fulfilled, and Adam's body began to descend gently. However!! Before he could touch the ground, Minerva conjured another massive miasma hand beneath him catching him effortlessly.
While the hand she was standing on strolled toward him casually, while Priscilla flapped her wings and followed.
But as the two of them made their way to Adam.
Minerva soon began to speak as she said.
"Priscilla...
Minerva called, her usual playful tone carrying an undercurrent of thoughtfulness.
"Yeah, I know."
Priscilla sighed, as she already guessed what Minerva wanted to ask, as a result of her intuition. As a result, she replied back to Minerva's call as she said.
"We'll need Echidna's help with this. She's contracted over 10,000 spirits in her lifetime, this is her field of expertise... given how many spirits Adam has called all at once."
Minerva hummed as she went along, and replied back as such.
"You don't sound too confident, of our lil bro's situation."
Priscilla folded her arms, as she floated alongside Minerva.
"Because I've been alive for a very long time, and in all my years I have never seen someone successfully contract this many spirits in one go, what he did is something you would see in the long run rather than the short term. Like I said before it's usually advised to limit the number of contracts, yet Adam not only has an affinity for all spirit types, but they also seem to love him. Like mosquitoes to blood."
Minerva chuckled a bit at her response, as she said.
"A bit ironic, coming from a vampire."
Priscilla glared at Minerva when she said these words, clear annoyance present in her facial expression, as she lashed out at Minerva, and told her as such.
"Shut your trap!!"
She shouted but continued to elaborate on the more important topic at hand.
"Either way, I am the best when it comes to construction, conditional, and original magic. But when it comes to pure magical theory... tch, I hate to admit it, but Echidna surpasses even me. Problem is, getting her out of that damn room."
But when these words were said.
Minerva smirked.
"Fufufu~ Don't worry, I have my ways. There's a reason Echidna fears me more than she respects me. But that's for later, first, let's check on the brat."
With that said they continued to move towards Adam.
And when they reached, Minerva was to make a move.
She crouched in a delinquent squat beside Adam's unconscious form, and without an ounce of hesitation, she began poking him with a black rod she casually made from miasma.
"Oii, wake up, sleepyhead."
Poke!
Poke!
Poke!
Poke!
Poke!
Adam groaned, eyes fluttering open as he rubbed at them groggily.
Minerva grinned while rubbing his head.
She had a very proud expression on her face, as she said while smiling at him.
"Welcome back, lil' bro! Congrats! You had those spirits all riled up ya know, talk about being a badass brat."