A Degenerate's Tale

"Well? Can you see them?"

Saryll's voice echoed around Earl.

He tried to speak but no voice came out. He was in a dark world where countless orbs of light floated around him. This was the Spirit World.

"This is the Spirit World, where Spirits reside. They live in a completely different world from us."

"It is only when certain conditions are met that they are able to come to the Middle World."

The voice of the Elven Queen continued to echo around him as he acclimated to the strange feeling of the Spirit World.

The orbs of light that surrounded him were all Spirits. They vary in size and colour, not all were the same.

He felt like a fish in water, swimming in a sea of Spirits. When he approached the larger Spirits, he could hear faint laughter but none approached him.

The next thing he knew, he was back in the Elven Forest.

"It's not so easy to interact with Spirits." The smiling face of the Elven Queen greeted him. Her blonde hair looked divine with the sunlight seeping through from behind.

Earl was still dazed from having his mind transported to the Spirit World. He looked down at his small palm and asked, "How can I interact with them?"

Saryll lifted a finger up and presented a question. "It's about knowing yourself and the quality of your person. Do you know why elves are so loved by the Spirits?"

"Because elves are born in nature and stay in nature?"

"That's only part of the reason." She shook her head and began to explain.

"The main reason is the quality of our person. We elves live for a long time. Within our lifetime, we have a lot of time to develop ourselves as a person. Picking up new hobbies, learning about ourselves, and so on. These are qualities that Spirits value so it's only natural that they would flock to elves, the race that spends the most time on themself."

Earl fell silent and thought about himself. As someone who has lived an entire lifetime, he was more than qualified to be liked by the Spirits.

"Are you uncertain about yourself because you haven't accumulated enough experience?" Saryll placed her hand on his shoulder. "Remember. In the end, it's about the quality of the person. You were able to reach the Advanced rank in Magecraft at such an early age so I believe your "quality" must be very high. I wouldn't have asked to teach you otherwise."

Earl looked deeply into the Queen's bright emerald eyes. "Thank you for believing in me. I'll give a try at the Spirits of the Forest."

"That's the spirit! I'll be waiting here."

And so, Earl took off to communicate with the trees. In this large, ancient forest, he felt like an ant. The sheer size of the trees was a constant reminder that he was now in the Elven Kingdom.

The ground suddenly shook and a silhouette of a giant deer emerged from afar. It was almost half the height of the trees. To give some reference, it was about the size of a 2 storey house.

Earl discreetly hid behind a tree and waited for the giant animal to pass.

He encountered a few more animals and monsters unique to the Elven Forest until he found a tree he liked. An ancient, old tree. Certainly fitting for an old soul like himself.

His hand made contact with the tree as he closed his eyes and recalled the feeling of entering the Spirit World.

Whoosh!

His surroundings suddenly changed. He was now standing in a prairie.

Long, green grass that grew up to his waist surrounded him. A wave of wind crashed into his body, blasting his senses with a refreshing coolness.

An old elven man stood in front of him. He had long, green hair which was a distinguishing feature of a Forest Spirit.

"What do you want, brat?"

"Ahem. I am looking for ripen fruits, sir."

"What!? You want my fruits? Get out of here!"

Bonk!

Earl was shaken awake by an object falling on his head. He checked what it was that hit him while rubbing his head... a fruit.

"..."

Could it be that the old Forest Spirit liked young boys? Earl shook his head. The search for fruits must go on.

He approached the next tree with an open mind.

Several trees later...

He was finally getting the hang of the nature of these Spirits. They were pure, free-spirited people. It made sense why they liked elves so much.

There were few Spirit Magic users among humans for a reason. Most humans were too invested in their political climate. As a result, they become scheming, deceptive people which was not ideal for Spirit Magic where pureness and quality of the heart were of importance.

However, that did not mean there was no room for deceptive people in Spirit Magic.

Earl touched a tree and communicated with the Spirit.

Charm Magic, Shadow Influence!

The tree began to shake and Earl took a step back with a faint smile on his face.

Ripen fruits fell continuously like hail.

This was the first training task assigned by the Elven Queen. Effectively communicate with Spirits of the Forest to identify edible fruits.

By being able to do this, it meant that he was able to fulfil the very basic requirements of learning Spirit Magic.

The requirements for learning Spirit Magic was the following: The ability to communicate with Spirits and the charm to be liked by Spirits.

Earl grabbed a fruit from the newly formed pile and took a bite. Crunchy sweetness filled his mouth.

Yes, this was the taste of success. He could bring it back home for the girls to try too.