SRS 85

It seemed the spirit wasn’t inclined to talk.

Judging by the situation, it had simply lured Yohan’s group to terrain where it could exert its strongest power. Right after it arrived here, it circled above the lake to create whirlpools, which meant it had intended to fight from the beginning.

Yohan, who had hoped for a peaceful resolution through conversation, could not hide the disappointment on his face.

According to Professor Shinbi, except for a few spirits with naturally violent temperaments, most were kind and benevolent. Yet this chaotic Fantasiademia had corrupted even the spirits, as the water spirit, famous for its gentleness, was attacking first.

To think the first spirit he met outside of class was like this.

Yohan swallowed his bitterness and expanded the range of the barrier. Perhaps angered that its attacks were not working, the spirit’s waves grew more intense.

The water streams surged, and the whirlpool covered the barrier with a biting ferocity.

Crash, crash!

The pressure felt like a tsunami crashing in, crushing the barrier. The weight transferred fully to Yohan, the caster of the barrier.

Yohan wiped away cold sweat and swallowed his shock.

Why is it so strong?

The impact on the barrier exceeded his imagination.

As he began to stagger slightly, Mikael supported his back.

“Are you alright?”

“…I can hold on for now.”

He said that, but honestly, he did not think he could last long. It seemed he needed to find a solution, so he looked at Suhyeok. The student glanced around at everyone.

“What do you all want to do? We can’t just stay like this. Should we fight after all?”

“…Mikael. How do we deal with a spirit?”

“It’s hiding its form, so we need to make it reveal itself first. When in stealth, spirits take reduced damage from attacks.”

A plan took shape.

Boom!

Yohan’s body shook from another barrage of water. The blond made up his mind.

“Then we’ll strike at an opening. Mikael and Yohan, cover us from here and tell us the spirit’s position. We’ll go and catch it.”

“Me too?”

“Would you rather Mikael, who’s casting spells, or Yohan, who’s drawing the spirit’s attention with the barrier, go instead?”

“Fine. I’ll go. Can’t even joke around.”

Suhyeok raised a white flag at his friend’s serious tone and asked for flight magic. Mikael cast the spell on the two students, and Yohan enveloped them in a divine barrier. With preparations complete, they waited for the right moment and charged out.

“Right side from there.”

In response to Mikael’s direction, Suhyeok swung his sword to the right. Kylus targeted the same spot from the opposite side, and the two students’ swords crossed.

–Wooooong.

Right after, a vibration echoed through the cave. It was not the noise from the swords colliding. Something else was trapped between them and wailing.

“What? What happened?”

“Stay like that! It’s caught in between.”

When Mikael shouted urgently, Kylus and Suhyeok nodded and held their positions.

How much time passed?

The long vibration subsided, and between the two swords, a trembling spirit appeared. From its appearance, it was definitely a water spirit.

“Stop the attack.”

Kylus tilted his sword, pressed the sharp blade against it, and whispered. The spirit hiccuped and ceased its assault. The surging water streams returned to the spring and calmed. Yohan kept his guard up until the end and only released the barrier after a while.

“Haa…”

With his nerves on edge, he was already exhausted.

“……”

A tense silence hung between Yohan’s group and the spirit. The spirit, which had been watching them warily, stopped trembling.

Tilt.

The spirit cocked its head. Its expression showed confusion about why they were holding it without attacking or talking.

Only then did Yohan attempt conversation.

“Thank you for calming down. It’s embarrassing to say now, but we didn’t come to harm you.”

When addressed, the spirit turned toward Yohan. Its round eyes, typical of water spirits, alternated between Yohan and the blade aimed at itself.

“Ah.”

Yohan let out a short exclamation and shook his head toward Kylus. Threatening it while saying they meant no harm lacked persuasiveness.

“Kylus. Let it go now.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“I can feel it’s calmed down, so it’ll be fine. Earlier, it… um. I’m not sure, but since we were following, it probably thought we were invaders in its territory or enemies coming to attack.”

The waves from the spirit were more stable than before. Now that he saw the spirit’s true form, it seemed quite docile. Yohan changed his mind: it was not that Fantasiademia had driven the spirit mad, but that they had acted recklessly and provoked it. He convinced his friends, and Kylus and Suhyeok reluctantly lowered their swords. As the two landed on the ground, Mikael canceled the flight magic. Only after all combat stances were withdrawn did the spirit seem relieved.

“Can we talk?”

When asked cautiously, the spirit, which had been hesitantly backing away, bumped into the wall with nowhere to go and wandered aimlessly.

“I’m sorry for trying to attack. But we had no choice to protect ourselves. Sorry for following you carelessly.”

-……

The gentle apology stopped the erratic movements. The spirit came down to a rock near the spring, hid behind it, and stared intently at Yohan’s group from behind the rock. Yohan smiled gently at the timid-looking spirit.

-……!

Startled, the spirit jumped in surprise and nodded after a while.

Success.

After much effort, they had succeeded in conversing with the spirit. Pleased, Yohan took a step closer to the spirit.

Splash. The lake water soaked the soles of his shoes at that moment.

-Uh…!

Along with the spirit’s surprised voice, the spring water surged and swallowed Yohan.

“Yohan!”

His friends rushed over urgently, but by then, Yohan had already been pulled into the lake’s depths.

“…cough!”

Yohan faced his friends through the swirling water and coughed up bubbles.

What is happening…!

He felt betrayed, thinking it was the spirit’s doing, but seeing the spirit panicking anxiously beside his friends, it doesn’t seem to be the case.

Then this was purely the lake’s issue. The lake had attacked him on its own accord.

…The Phantom Sword Master!

Yohan inwardly cursed the professor who had trapped him and struggled to escape.

Paat!

Divine power burst out. The next moment, the lake water churned and dragged Yohan deeper. When it felt like something invisible had grabbed his ankle, a familiar sensation enveloped him.

The feeling of crossing an unseen transparent line, where the world’s energy changed, the air shifted, and the temperature altered.

This is…

Dimensional shift?

It was the same sensation he felt when he entered the Spirit Realm. As soon as he realized this, his body, which had been sinking, suddenly rose upward.

“Puha!”

Thanks to that, Yohan barely managed to poke his head above water and scrambled to his feet. Only after standing did he notice something odd. The lake, which had been deep enough to drown him before, was now a shallow spring reaching only to his calves.

“…What is this…”

Yohan muttered in a dazed voice as he looked around at the incomprehensible phenomenon. He stood in an unidentified forest, inside a spring.

“…Water God?”

A young-sounding voice came from behind then. Yohan turned in surprise and saw a child with long gray hair down to the waist staring at him. The face looked early to mid-teens, full of innocence. As Yohan met the sparkling eyes, as if seeing something wondrous, and opened his mouth to ask the name of the place.

Chaaaa!

The spring water surged again and swept over Yohan. His body was carried away by the current. He felt the sensation of crossing dimensions once more, and suddenly, he could breathe freely.

“Kuh…! Cough, cough!”

Yohan, who had coughed and vomited water, clutched his throat, and breathed through the pain. His hands, feet, and even his pelvis were wet. Now he saw he had returned to the cave lake, sitting in shallow water.

“Yohan! Are you alright?”

Suhyeok, Kylus, and Mikael ran over immediately.

Yohan frowned in confusion at the environment that had flipped in an instant.

From the way the three had just reached him, it seemed only seconds had passed since he was pulled into the lake.

Then what was that place he had visited in those few seconds?

Was it just an illusion from Fantasiademia?

Could an illusion fabricate the sensation of dimensional shift?

If not…

If not, where was that place?

Yohan spat out water again, leaned on Mikael for support, and stood up.

He knew nothing yet, but fortunately, a being who might know was right in front of him.

Yohan leaned against Mikael as he exited the lake and stared at the spirit, which looked dejected and was watching him cautiously.

“…I think I need some explanation.”

At that, the spirit turned pale. Its blue body literally became stark white.

Despite the frightened demeanor, Yohan did not back down. If the strange phenomenon he had just experienced was not an illusion but real, he needed to inform the professors.

It was lucky he could return immediately this time, but what if he couldn’t?

If it was actual dimensional travel, this place was too dangerous.

“I’d like you to explain about this lake.”

Yohan whispered as he unleashed divine power. The intense divine power coiled around the spirit like a wrap, and the water spirit hurriedly nodded.

Yohan sighed in satisfaction at the submissive attitude.

Fortunately, it seemed like he had succeeded in persuading it before any mishaps arose that required the use of force.