53. Via's Path

Gavin's spirit entered Via's sea of consciousness, finding himself in a vast black void. There, for the first time, he laid eyes on the phantom of the Blood Magic Tree.

With just one look, he immediately recognized what it was.

Before he could analyze further, Via's voice echoed in the void.

"Lord Totem, why did a Blood Magic Tree appear in my sea of consciousness?"

Gavin's tone was calm but firm. "Tell me—what happened just before it appeared?"

Via hesitated for a moment before answering. "I had just transformed my fourth Blood Tree. As I meditated to recover my spirit, I decided to follow the rhythm of how a Blood Magic Tree absorbs spiritual energy from the world."

She continued, her voice tinged with confusion. "Then…I lost track of time. I don't know how, but I fell into deep meditation. Suddenly, I found myself in this black void. But…myself, I—" she paused, searching for words.

"I turned into a seed."

Gavin remained silent, listening intently.

"I don't know how long I stayed like that," Via went on. "But after some time, the seed sprouted… and it turned into a Blood Magic Tree inside my sea of consciousness."

After a brief pause, she added, "Then I woke up. I felt… different. I checked my body, but nothing seemed unusual. But when I looked inside my sea of consciousness… I found this tree."

Gavin considered her words before asking, "Did you probe it with your spirit?"

Via's reply came quickly. "No, I was afraid. As soon as I saw it, I informed the elder."

"Good. Now, enter the Blood Magic Tree with your spirit," Gavin instructed.

"Huh? O-Okay," Via responded hesitantly.

As she obeyed, Gavin watched as the Blood Magic Tree shone with golden light for a brief moment before returning to normal.

He then spoke with certainty. "You should have discovered what it is by now."

Via's voice held disbelief. "A… spell?"

"Yes, a spell."

"But how? And why is it in the form of a tree?"** Via couldn't comprehend how a spell could take such a shape.

Gavin explained patiently, "When you entered deep meditation in that black void, you were in a state of enlightenment. Your understanding of the Blood Magic Tree, combined with the guidance of the world itself, shaped this spell inside your sea of consciousness."

"But… elder and the other shamans' spells are all in the form of runes."

Gavin chuckled slightly. "Did anyone ever say that spells must only exist in rune form?"

Via was silent for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Can I… change it into a rune?"

"Yes. Enter the Blood Magic Tree again with your spirit, but this time, will it change into a spell rune."

Via followed her Totem's instructions. Once more, the Blood Magic Tree shone with golden light. When the light faded, in place of the tree, a glowing rune floated in the void.

Gavin memorized the rune at a glance. Then, as if responding to some unseen force, the rune shifted back into the form of the Blood Magic Tree.

Although he didn't fully understand the spell's effect, he recognized certain runes that aligned with the Law of Blood. He recalled that Blood Trees could absorb blood to bear fruit—a crucial hint.

His curiosity piqued, he asked, "What does the spell do?"

Via answered without hesitation. "It creates roots that absorb blood to replenish my magic energy."

Gavin nodded in understanding. Then, he gave the spell a name.

"Blood-Sucking Root."

As Gavin's spirit began fading from Via's sea of consciousness, her voice rang out in urgency.

"Lord Totem! Please wait—I have a request!"

Gavin paused. "What is it?"

Via hesitated for a moment before asking, "Lord, can you tell me how to advance to the Bronze Rank?"

Gavin's voice remained calm. "You are already on the path. Continue forming spell runes in your sea of consciousness until you can form no more. When that time comes, ask me again."

Via's voice held a mix of curiosity and doubt. "Will other spell runes form the same way this one did?"

Gavin shook his head. "No, unlikely. This was a rare occurrence. The rest of your spell runes must be formed through your effort and comprehension."

Via's tone dropped slightly, disappointment evident. "Ohh…"

Sensing her mood, Gavin chuckled playfully. "Most people in the world never experience enlightenment even once, and here you are, hoping for it to happen multiple times."

Via quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, Lord."

Gavin's thoughts shifted. He saw an opportunity to guide the other shamans as well. "Tell the other shamans that they should try to comprehend the magical power of other beasts by studying and understanding them deeply."

He knew it would be difficult, especially for those less talented than Via, but it was still a viable path.

Via responded obediently. "Yes, Lord."

After a brief pause, she asked, "But how can I form spell runes in my sea of consciousness? Magic plants don't naturally have spell runes like magical beasts do."

Gavin answered patiently, "First, comprehend a magic plant as deeply as you did with the Blood Tree. Then, create a seed within your sea of consciousness using your spirit. Feed that seed with your knowledge and understanding of the magic plant. If your comprehension is sufficient, the magic plant will grow to its full potential, and a spell rune will form."

Via's voice was filled with newfound determination. "Thank you, Lord!"

Gavin, recognizing her as the most talented member of his tribe, decided to offer her further guidance.

"What magic plants do you plan to study or transform first?"

Via thoughtfully considered his question before responding.

"The first will be the Ice Lotus from Lord Lycan's territory, up in the mountains. The second is the Iron Vine. For the third…I want to try an ordinary plant—the White Rose."

Gavin was slightly surprised. "Why the White Rose?"

Via's voice carried a hint of fondness. "It's my favorite plant. I want to see what kind of transformation takes place when it becomes a magic plant."

Gavin silently approved.

Everyone should have their desires.

Without desire, how could anyone endure years—sometimes decades or even lifetimes—of meditation, comprehension, and cultivation, often with little to no progress in their strength?

Most people grew disheartened and gave up. But rare individuals, driven by dreams of reaching higher realms, the pursuit of strength, revenge, love, or curiosity, continued forward.

These were the people who never stopped practicing—not for days, not for years, and not for centuries.

Desire and curiosity were crucial for continuous practice, but they had to be guided wisely.

Regarding the Ice Lotus, Gavin cautioned Via, "You should not attempt to comprehend the Ice Lotus. And if you do, do not form it in your sea of consciousness."

Via, confused, tilted her head. "Why, Lord?"

Gavin explained, "Ice magic is difficult to merge with blood and wood magic. One of the steps to advancing to the Bronze Rank requires you to merge your spell runes to form an anchor. Ice will only create unnecessary complications in that process for you."

Via nodded, absorbing the information. "Then what kind of magic plants should I comprehend?"

Gavin listed them out, "Focus on Pure Wood, Earth-Wood, Water-Wood, Metal-Wood, Dark-Wood, or Spirit-Wood attributes."

Via repeated the names, committing them to memory.

Gavin then added another caution, "And stop transforming the Blood Tree into a magic plant. You should have noticed that the feedback you're receiving from each transformation is becoming weaker. Continuing further will yield little benefit."

Via thought back and realized he was right. The initial transformations had strengthened her greatly, but each subsequent one had given diminishing returns.

Finally, Gavin gave his last instruction, "If you need to communicate with me, inform the elder."

And with that, his presence vanished from her sea of consciousness.

Via's eyes snapped open.

The cold air stung her skin, and she quickly realized she was surrounded by the Elder and the shamans.

Cass, sitting beside her in the snow, had a look of worry in her eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked.

The Elder leaned in. "What did the Totem say?"

Via reassured them, "Everything is alright." She then proceeded to explain the key points of her conversation with the Totem.

Hearing this, Kais's eyes lit up with excitement. "That means I can try to comprehend a Spirit-Wood magic plant or transform one into a Spirit-Wood attribute!"

Cass grinned, "Then that means I can comprehend the Ice Lotus!"

Several other shamans voiced similar thoughts, eager to begin their paths of comprehension.

Via nodded to all of them, acknowledging their enthusiasm.

Cass then turned thoughtful. "I'll have to request Lord Lycan to take me to his territory to study the Ice Lotus."

Just then, Jion stiffened, his eyes unfocused as he received a message from the Totem.

Gavin's voice carried urgency. "Begin preparing for war immediately. Scout around the Three-Horn Rhino Tribe."

Jion's expression hardened. He immediately turned to the Elder and the warriors, relaying the order. The peaceful discussions about magic comprehension gave way to a more pressing reality—war was coming.

Meanwhile, deep within his spiritual space, Gavin fell into deep thought as he scanned the books that the clone had brought back.

The knowledge within them could prove valuable, but his mind remained focused on the greater picture—the war, the tribe's survival, and the path to immortality.

There was much to do.

And very little time.