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Chapter 70 Gate to Higher Realm

Chapter 70 Gate to Higher Realm

After the girls left I activated my [spiritai] soul skill and began to follow the floating orbs. Most didn't really have a set path, but they all seemed to travel in a certain direction. I figured that the spiritai would travel towards a more abundant source of suitable soul energy, and this land is supposed to be full of soul energy, which is why Mythril and pre-behemoths form here more often. I followed the spiritai to where a lot of them were gathering and memorized the details of the site so I can use [portal] or even [warp gate] to get back here. Then I start drawing the magic circle I recently created in order to try to make a realm gate directly in the ground. I found this 'ritual' magic in the archives, and that it was used to support magic that took a lot of mana and soul energy. It allows the magic circle to draw the surrounding soul energy, and it was how multiple mages could come together to cast a single spell. Originally all black level spells and many gold level spells needed this kind of ritual magic to work. Apparently even [portal] used to be one of those ritual magic, which explains why my fiancees were so surprised when I cast it by myself that first time.

It is tedious work, drawing different formations into the ground, pouring mana into each formation in order to connect such a large-scale magic circle into a single unit. I work tirelessly into the night in order to form the ritual magic circle around the spot where so many spiritai have gathered. I plan to use the spiritai energy as well as my mana to open a gate to another realm. However, I don't know what could happen and don't have a plan B. The main reason I wanted to come out to the tri-lands close to Sylph and Dracas was to be able to tap into the abundance of soul energy to open the {realm gate}.

A stray thought just crosses my mind as I am working on the ritual circle. A thought about the two girls that started me on this journey, the two I couldn't protect. Reminding me of being alone, being helpless, and losing those I care about. After all these years, I wonder why I begin to think of them now. I had sent the girls off because I don't want those I care about to be in danger, so I must be strong, strong enough to protect them. Strong enough to make them smile. Strong enough to stand by them, then the faces of my fiancees seem to appear. Anne, Cara, Lilin, Gabrielle, Iris, Colna, Circe, Beph and Lena, are all smiling and I realize that I am not alone. I am no longer the helpless little kid from back then, and my fiancees aren't weak either. I have been able to do so much because we were together, with them I have already made what was thought to be impossible possible. That's also when I realized so many of the spiritai gathered have gathered around me. All the types of spiritai gathered around, and their flashing brilliance of different colors surrounded me. I remember something that the nature theory professor spoke about. The different spiritai affect phenomena based on their types, but can also affect people based on their category. When a lot of light or dark spiritai are gathered people have clearer memories and emotions like their happiness and sorrows, when there is a large gathering of life spiritai there is liveliness and energy and a large gathering of death spiritai people tend to get sickly. When there is a large amount of sky spiritai people get more emotional, and when there is a large amount of earth spiritai they often get more grounded, and their perspectives shift. I begin to cough and move slowly but I still feel full of energy. It is like all the surrounding spiritai are getting excited, waiting for me to open the gate to their realm. I realize that I don't have to open the gate alone and that I can ask for help from my comrades, the women I love, and that love me.

Suddenly my stomach rumbles and I feel really drained. Well, I had used a lot of mana to prepare the ritual circle. I decided to hunt for some food. Using some search magic as well as animal-type spiritai I find that I am surrounded by quite a few savage magic beasts as well as a couple of monsters. Savage magic beasts can use soul energy to manifest in certain ways similar to soul skills, but monsters can only consume soul energy without being able to use it to manifest abilities. They are both different from plain animals that contain soul energy but can neither use nor directly consume it. I feel that it would worry the girls less if I hunted a plain animal rather than a savage magic beast or monster since it is getting kind of late, but I can't seem to find any suitable options. I settle for a fatty shadow cow nearby and cast a [space isolation] barrier so that the ritual formation doesn't get messed up. I draw my [blood sacrifice] dagger and [warp] to the location of the fatty shadow cow, killing and draining it of blood in a few seconds. Then I focus on the image of the command tent of Dracas and cast [warp gate] back.