Elsa and Lioro turned their attention to the two groups that had just emerged.
One side was led by General Mattias, a soldier from Arendelle who had served during Elsa's grandfather's time.
The other side was led by Yelena, the leader of the Northuldra tribe.
Tension was evident on both their faces as they looked at each other with a mix of wariness and reproach while also casting curious glances at Elsa and Lioro.
Before anyone could speak, Lioro stepped forward and said, "I believe everyone here must be feeling confused, so how about we start with an explanation?"
"And just who are you?" General Mattias asked, narrowing his eyes.
Instead of replying, Lioro raised his hand and cast a spell.
"5th Tier Magic: Inferno Sphere."
A blazing spear of fire shot from Lioro's palm, streaking into the sky. Both groups recoiled in shock, their expressions filled with horror.
"I am the one who can turn you all to ash," Lioro said calmly. "So settle down and listen."
He clapped his hands, drawing their attention back to him.
"You used magic… without the spirits' aid?" Yelena said, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Lioro turned to her. "You must be from the Northuldra tribe?"
"Yes." Yelena nodded.
Then he shifted his gaze to General Mattias. "And you must be from Arendelle? General Mattias, right? There's a poster of you on the castle wall."
Mattias frowned. "I am indeed General Mattias… but a poster?"
Elsa suddenly stepped forward, her eyes widening in realization. "It really is General Mattias… but you're supposed to be…" She trailed off.
General Mattias had served during her grandfather's time. He should have been dead decades ago—lost in the war within the Enchanted Forest.
"They were stuck in time," Lioro explained.
"Stuck in time…" Elsa muttered.
"What?" Mattias and Yelena both looked at him in confusion.
"You've been trapped here for decades," Lioro continued. "And this—" he gestured to Elsa "—is Queen Elsa of Arendelle, daughter of the late King Agnarr."
Mattias's eyes widened. "No way… Prince Agnarr? Had a daughter?"
Yelena's expression darkened. "The spirits must have sealed this space from the outside."
Lioro sighed. "Alright, everyone, let's stay calm and talk this out."
Under his lead, the two groups began a more civilized discussion.
As they talked, it became clear that neither side actually knew why they had been fighting in the first place. After some persuasion, Lioro and Elsa explained that they were following the spirits' call in search of answers.
"For now, stay put," Lioro told them. "Elsa and I will handle this."
Mattias and Yelena were hesitant at first but quickly relented when Lioro casually picked up a stone and crushed it into fine powder with his bare hands.
Elsa chuckled at their dumbfounded expressions. She had seen Lioro's power plenty of times, but watching others react to it never got old.
However, her amusement was short-lived. The situation in the Enchanted Forest was far more complicated than she had anticipated.
Just then, a sudden flare of light caught their attention.
"F-Fire!" someone shouted.
A small fireball darted through the forest, its movements quick and erratic, igniting patches of trees and flinging fireballs in every direction.
The Arendelle soldiers instinctively stepped back in fear.
Lioro narrowed his eyes, immediately recognizing the small creature. A lizard-like being wreathed in flames, it was the spirit of fire.
Elsa quickly used her ice magic to suppress the spreading fire.
"Help!" someone cried.
Lioro shot forward, his figure blurring as he moved at an astonishing speed. Before the fire spirit could react, his hand closed around it.
The spirit thrashed wildly, unleashing a flurry of flames in a panic.
Yet, no matter how much fire it spewed, Lioro's hand remained unharmed.
The fire spirit paused, tilting its head in confusion.
Lioro loosened his grip slightly, revealing the tiny lizard-like creature nestled in his palm. It had a vibrant blue body with a white underbelly, its large black eyes staring up at him in surprise.
Then, to his amusement, the fire spirit blinked at him before suddenly licking his hand.
Lioro raised an eyebrow. "Huh."
The little creature wrapped itself around his thumb, rubbing against his skin and occasionally releasing small bursts of purple fire.
'Is it because of my fire immunity?' Lioro mused.
The spirit must have been delighted to touch someone without accidentally burning them to ashes.
Elsa and the others approached.
"Lioro, what is it?" Elsa asked, her voice tinged with curiosity. She leaned closer, her eyes lighting up at the fire spirit's adorable appearance.
"It's the fire spirit," Yelena said, her tone unreadable.
The fact that the fire spirit had warmed up to Lioro so quickly was nothing short of astonishing.
Lioro absentmindedly rubbed Bruni's head. The texture was unexpectedly smooth.
Suddenly, a notification appeared before his eyes.
[Ding!]
[Conditions met… A spirit-initiated contract detected… Error! No previous job recorded!]
[Acquisition failed!]
[Genius has taken effect… Conditions met!]
Lioro's breath hitched.
[High-Class Job 'Spirit Master' unlocked.]
[Would you like to take the job?]
'Yes.'
[The High-Class profession 'Spirit Master' has been successfully employed.]
A new set of information flooded his vision.
----
Occupation: "Spirit Master"
Level: High
Professional Abilities:
Passive Ability:
"Spirit's Favor" – Spirits are naturally drawn to the user, increasing the chances of forming contracts. Contracted spirits are more loyal.
"Spirit Bond Mastery" - Allows the user to form contracts with one spirit per level, up to a maximum of five spirits at the maximum level. Spirits under contract gain 20% of the user's stats.
Active Abilities:
"Spirit Command" – Allows the user to forcefully form a one-sided contract with a spirit after making it immobile. (Cooldown: 24 hours)
Career Skills:
Level 5 - "Spirit Transfer" (5/Day) – Allows the user to summon their spirits to their side directly, regardless of distance.
Growth Bonus:
For each level increased, the magic attack and MP by 15 points.
Introduction:
Masters of the ethereal, High-Class Spirit Masters wield the power of spirits as their own, forging unbreakable bonds with entities from beyond. They do not fight alone but call upon their spectral allies to battle alongside them. Those who challenge them often find themselves facing an army of formidable spirits, each more terrifying than the last.
----
As Lioro was checking out the high class, another notification popped up on his screen.
[Medium class Fire Spirit 'Bruni' has shown intent to form a contract, would you like to accept it? Spirits contracts can be broken at any time.]
Lioro looked at the small lizard giving him an expectant look.
'Yes'
[Forming spirit contract.....]
Suddenly an illusory chain appeared from the void and connected Lioro's heart with the fire spirit 'Bruni'.
The onlookers looked at the scene in surprise.
In no time the contact was established.
It was a fairly simple one, without any restrictions.
Fire spirit will help Lioro and Lioro will help the fire spirit.
That's it.
Of course, if Lioro didn't want to help the fire spirit then he could simply break the contract, but the fire spirit could not.
This was his privilege as a spirit master.
The screen flickered before a new status window appeared before Lioro.
----
Name: Bruni.
Type: Fire Spirit.
Level: 25/50. (Experience 0/60,000)
Grade: Medium.
Introduction:
Bruni, the fire spirit, is a mischievous yet powerful elemental being representing the fire. Born from the ancient flames that once shaped the world, she embodies both the playful nature of flickering embers and the devastating fury of an unbridled inferno.
Her form is that of a salamander. Though she is naturally curious and affectionate, provoking her wrath means facing a blaze.
Personal Traits:-
Adaptive Ember Eater.
Fire Spirit Traits:-
Flame Manipulation, Ignition Dash, Heat Resistance III, Water Vulnerability III, Ice Vulnerability III, Earth Vulnerability I.
----
'I can upgrade her level by spending experience?'
Lioro looked at the screen in curiosity.
'She's a medium-grade spirit, meaning her maximum level is 50...'
Creatures/Spirits grades went like this: Low(Max Lv 30), Medium(Max Lv 50), High(Max Lv70), Special(Max Lv90).....
Unlike summons, spirits were alive and didn't need mana to summon.
While Lioro was curiously looking at the new screen, a white hand touched his shoulder.
"Lioro… are you okay?" Elsa asked, frowning slightly.
Lioro fell silent, his focus fixed on the screen before him.
[DIng... High-Grade Spirit detected...]