Chapter 5: Reaching Level 2, The Living Forest

After summoning the level 1 Wild Boar in his [Spirit Cemetery], Karl immediately went back to the real world.

"Spirit Summoning," he mumbled, raising his arm.

The [Wild Boar Spirit] appeared beside the [Frenzied Rabbit Spirit], their glowing red eyes locking briefly. 

After a silent exchange, they nodded at each other, an unspoken understanding passing between them.

"Spirit Flames!"

[You have slain a level 1 Wild Rabbit.]

[Your proficiency with "Spirit Flames" has increased by 2%]

Ding!

While his two spirits were distracted, he managed to kill the last monster before leveling up.

[You have reached level 2. You have gained 2 stat points for each of your stats.]

"Nice."

But that wasn't the only notification he got.

Ding!

[Your "Spirit Cemetery" and "Summon Cemetery" limit has increased by 5.]

"Oh."

It seemed like leveling up was one of the ways to allow more spirits to be absorbed/linked.

[You have taken the Wild Rabbit's Spirit.]

And so with that, he was now officially a level 2 awakener.

[You should be able to head to the next zone now.]

"Yeah."

The [Novice Trial] was divided into three zones:

[The Beginning Prairie]

[The Living Forest]

[The Mountain of Death]

You could use any of these to level up, and it would be fine as long as you reached level 10, thus climbing to the [First Floor].

Based on what Karl knew, you unlocked your first skill once reaching level 3, and from there you could only get another one after clearing the trial.

But that wasn't all.

Because once Karl turned toward his summons, he noticed that they were glowing too.

As if... they had leveled up as well?!

[Level 2 Frenzied Rabbit]

[Level 2 Wild Boar]

"Wow."

His summons actually leveled up with him.

He didn't know if they could gain skills, but regardless, Karl quickly moved forward, wanting to see what was inside the [Living Forest].

On the way, he encountered a few level 1 monsters, which he easily killed.

But that's when he noticed something else: the monsters didn't drop any [Spirit Orbs] when slain.

[You can only acquire Spirit Orbs from monsters at the same level as you or above.]

"Damn."

Karl quickly recovered though, deciding to head deeper as he needed to be able to secure [Spirit Orbs].

Plus, the level 1 monsters wouldn't give much experience.

And so, with a final look at the prairie, Karl entered the [Living Forest.]

Ding!

[You have entered the Living Forest.]

[You are now able to see other awakeners, be careful.]

"Oh."

That's right, that's why there wasn't anybody.

To allow someone to fully focus on their new profession, you couldn't interact with other people as long as you stayed in the [Beginning Prairie].

But from there on, the real [Novice Trial] would start.

Karl stepped into the [Living Forest], the air immediately thicker and the surroundings far more ominous.

He kept his senses sharp, scanning for any sign of danger.

Soon a hulking form emerged from the shadows, a [Level 3 Giant Bear].

"Damn," Karl muttered, eyes narrowing.

The bear's massive frame towered over his spirits, its claws glinting as it let out a guttural roar. 

But fear didn't grip Karl.

Instead, he felt a rush of anticipation.

"Let's do this," he said, his voice steady.

Spirit Flames!

A burst of fiery energy surged from his hand, engulfing the bear in flames.

The beast bellowed, its thick fur smoldering, but it didn't falter. 

Instead, it charged, its powerful strides shaking the ground.

Karl braced himself, his slightly enhanced stats giving him just enough confidence to stand his ground.

"Now!" he shouted.

Fwish! Fwish!

The [Wild Boar Spirit] shot forward, ramming into the bear's side. 

The impact was enough to stagger the beast, forcing it to sway slightly. 

Seizing the moment, the [Frenzied Rabbit Spirit] leaped high, its sharp claws slashing cleanly across the bear's neck.

The massive creature let out one final growl before collapsing with a heavy thud.

Ding!

[You have slain a Level 3 Giant Bear.]

[Your proficiency with "Spirit Flames" has increased by 3%]

Karl stepped closer, his eyes drawn to the faintly glowing orb hovering above the bear's body. 

It pulsed with a stronger, more vibrant energy than the ones from lower-level monsters.

"Interesting," he muttered, reaching out to touch it.

The orb dissolved into a wisp of light, flowing into his [Spirit Cemetery].

Ding!

[Spirit Cemetery: 2/10]

Karl smirked, the thrill of progress surging through him. 

This forest held real challenges, and he was just getting started.

"Alright, break's over," he pat his two spirits before getting up, "Let's deal with these things."

Following that, Karl and his two spirits killed every monster they encountered, whether it was a level 2 Demonized Boar or level 3 Giant Bears.

Until eventually...

[Spirit Cemetery: 10/10]

But also...

Ding!

[Your proficiency with "Spirit Flames" has reached 100%]

[It has now evolved to E-Rank.]

This made the skill more powerful, and once testing it out, even the level 3 Giant Bears couldn't endure it anymore.

Before moving on, Karl sat down beneath a tree and closed his eyes.

"Spirit Cemetery," he whispered.

In his mind's eye, ten new tombstones emerged, representing the spirits of the monsters he had slain.

[Reminder: Each time you level up, the threshold to use "Link" and "Absorb" will increase.]

At level 1, he could activate those abilities after collecting five spirits. 

But now, with his recent level-up, five wouldn't suffice: he needed a full [Spirit Cemetery] of ten spirits to trigger the effect.

"Link," he said calmly.

The tombstones shimmered, and the spirits began to merge.

Ding!

[Level 2 Demonized Bear]

Before him stood a hulking brown bear with jagged horns protruding from its head, a hybrid of the [Demonized Boars] and [Giant Bears].

[Summon Cemetery: 3/10]

Karl's army was steadily growing, and that progress would pay off in the long run.

"Alright, let's go back," he mumbled.

Fwish!

But as he returned to the real world, he froze: a staff was pointed directly at his head, its tip bursting with magic.

"Huh?"

"If I was a monster or enemy, you would be dead."

He immediately recognized that voice.

The staff lowered, revealing Celeste Frost, her playful smile lighting up her face.

Karl let out a breath, shaking his head.

"Lucky for you, I'm a good person!" she added, clearly proud of her sneak attack.

"Thanks...?"