Their original arrangent was simple… The Spirit Queen was here to recuperate, to allow her spirits to mingle with the students of the Marshall Academy, strengthening bonds between realms.
In exchange, she was granted sanctuary to heal and to stay hidden from the Demon Lords or even Demon Gods that had invaded the Spirit Realm and claid half of it already.
However, as she lingered in the Human Realm, the Spirit Queen had begun to see its potential.
The richness of its energies, the stability of its lands, and the sheer resilience of its people… All of it was far greater than she had expected. Compared to the Spirit Realm, which was now under siege by the Demon Lord's armies, this world was a paradise.
And so, she began to sche.
If Armin, Vale's first disciple, could obtain the Mystic Arts Tower with the aid of her spirits, it would create an anchor, a foothold for her kind.
To be exact, the Mystic Arts Tower itself would be more than enough to create a small Spirit Realm for themselves and use it as the starting point of their new ho…
Armin would be perfect for that since he had a solid relationship with Vale, and he also had Through him, she could slowly migrate her spirits into this realm, one by one, hidden beneath the guise of assisting Vale's students.
The Demon Lord might ravage the Spirit Realm, but here, in the Human Realm, her people could survive, thrive. Perhaps even rule a small part of it…
Her lips curled into a faint smirk, despite her weakened state.
'Armin… you are the perfect chess piece. Vale trusts you, and through you, we will secure our new ho… The Mystic Arts Tower will not only test your fate, but it will beco mine as well.
Yvaine, loyal and unquestioning, tended to her Queen's fractured aura, unaware of the full depth of her plans.
And while Armin climbed the Tower's early floors, believing he was simply proving himself, the Spirit Queen watched from afar using the Spirits within his shadow…
***
During this ti, within Vale's Immortal Tower, the atmosphere that was already so heavy suddenly lightened…
'That Immortal Vale… I wonder how many Avatars he's making."
sa, one of the Spirit Guardians, couldn't help but think of this.
Right now, nurous Spirits moved silently through its halls, bound by contracts and purpose.
sa felt bored staying here, but she couldn't just go out without the Spirit Queen's permission.
At this ti, she saw soone going down to the fourth floor… It was Hessa, one of the Spirit Guardians, like herself.
"Where are you going?" She asked.
"It's my schedule today…" Hessa replied without pausing.
Unlike the lesser spirits, Spirit Guardians like them bore a human-like form. Hessa, specifically, was tall, graceful, with pale features.
Yet beneath that guise, they were still pure spirit, born of the Spirit Realm.
Hessa had recently obtained permission to leave the Tower.
Her task was simple, to oversee the spirits that had been sent to the Marshall Academy, ensuring they were not wasted or weakened by careless students.
"Good luck! Bring so souvenirs!" sa shouted before deciding to visit Ceres, the female Arcanist she had befriended within the Tower.
In the anti, Hessa encountered two of Vale's Spirit Beasts in the grand hall.
The first was the Frostborne Vulpestra, a silver fox with nine flowing tails, each tipped with frost that glowed like shards of ice. Its eyes were calm, but it was quite terrifying, and its aura carried the chill of winter.
The second was the Nightreaver Shroudfang, a black panther whose crimson eyes were like embers in the dark.
Just like the Vulpestra, its presence was suffocating…
Both beasts regarded Hessa with curiosity.
"You are leaving the Tower?" Vulpestra's voice was soft, and it ca directly to her mind.
"Yes," Hessa replied, bowing her head respectfully. "The Spirit Queen has ordered to oversee the spirits at the Academy. Many of the lesser ones have grown weak due to the students' ignorance. They must be guided, or they will fade."
Shroudfang's tail lashed once and returned to her post.
"Master Vale has confird that Spirit Guardians may leave from ti to ti. It is your duty to gather resources and manage the spirits. We will not stop you."
Vulpestra nodded. "We will note your departure and inform Vale later. Go, Guardian. Do not fail."
Hessa inclined her head again. "I will not."
With that, she departed the Tower… Soon, her form started dissolving into mist before reforming outside its gates.
The journey to the Marshall Academy was swift.
Spirits traveled differently than mortals, slipping through shadows and currents of energy.
After an hour or so, Hessa stood at the edge of the Academy grounds, her human-like form was still there and she was already wearing clothes similar to many citizens.
The Academy was bustling as always.
Students hurried between classes, practicing spells in the courtyards, or gathering in study halls.
Among them, so Mystic Arts Practitioners could be seen being close to several lesser spirits.
Indeed, they were just drifting near their bonded students, so strong and vibrant, but the others were dim and fading.
Hessa's eyes narrowed.
'So it is true… many of them are weakening.'
They knew that letting the students get bonded with Spirits this early could be dangerous. However, because of the Contract with Vale, they had no choice but to take the risk.
After all, they couldn't let the safety of the queen get jeopardized because they were thinking of their own safety.
Soon, Hessa walked through the Academy grounds, unnoticed at first.
Her presence was subtle, cloaked in the aura of a spirit guardian. But wherever she passed, the lesser spirits stirred, recognizing her authority.
So drifted closer, whispering faintly in voices only she could hear.
One student struggled in the courtyard, his spirit was barely showing its presence beside him.
Hessa paused, watching as he attempted a spell, but his energy was unstable. The spirit was also weak, nearly dissipating.
"Careless," Hessa murmured. She extended her hand, and the spirit steadied, its glow started strengthening as she infused it with more Spirit Energy.
The student gasped, sensing the sudden surge, but when he turned, Hessa was already gone.
She continued her inspection, moving from hall to hall. So spirits were thriving, nurtured by diligent students.
Others were neglected, fading from misuse. Each ti, Hessa intervened subtly…
She couldn't help but give a whisper of guidance, a touch of energy, a reminder to the spirit that it was not alone.
By the ti evening fell, the Academy was buzzing with rumors. Students whispered of a mysterious figure who had appeared, strengthening their spirits, guiding them unseen.
So claid it was Vale himself, others thought it was a test.
But only the spirits knew the truth.
Hessa, the Spirit Guardian, had co to watch over them.
And as she stood at the edge of the Academy, gazing at the towering buildings, she thought quietly to herself…
'This place… it may yet beco the anchor the Queen desires. If Armin succeeds, the path will open for all of us.'
Her lips curved into a faint smile, and with that, she vanished into the shadows once more, her work for the day complete.
They weren't just aiming for the Mystic Arts Tower but sothing even more!
***
In the anti, Armin drew a deep breath as he entered the tower…
The first floor was simple. It was a vast hall filled with traps that required basic knowledge about Mystic Arts…
The test was designed for beginners, ant to asure focus and clarity. Young Arcanists often stumbled here, distracted by various Spells that could co up and end up getting trapped.
At this point, however, Armin was already too strong. He didn't even need to use Mystic Arts. He had already sharpened his mind against deception.
Within minutes, he reached the true exit.
The second floor tested control.
Dozens of floating orbs of energy drifted through the chamber, and all of them were unstable.
The task was to stabilize them without letting them explode. It requires precise control over Arcane Energy…
"This should be easy…"
Armin extended his hand, channeling his energy. As he unconsciously tried using his Dark Energy, the spirits within him suddenly stirred and transford it, and one by one, the orbs cald as they glowed softly before fading away.
"Ahhh…" Armin realized that the test was completed by the Spirits already!
"Well… This should also be considered a part of my strength." He muttered to himself.
The third floor was a trial of endurance.
A storm of arcane winds battered him, illusions of blades and fire coming right at him…
Even young Arcanists could pass this with persistence, but the Tower asured how long one could endure without weakening…
Armin braced himself, but the spirits reinforced his defenses. He endured until the storm subsided!
Just like that, it was done!
The fourth floor was the last of the basic trials.
Here, he faced a very common test among all the Arcane Arts Towers… It was the battle against a mirror image of himself. To be exact, it was an illusion wielding his own Dark Arts!
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