Awakening: I Became a Legendary Spirit Summoner-Chapter 16 - : A Human’s Spirit Orb, Spirit Cemetery Limit

[If you tell anybody about the World of Spirits, I'll appear and kill you myself.]

Those were the reaper's exact words to Karl just before reviving him.

The threat lingered in his mind like a shadow, but Karl wasn't the type to gamble with something so ominous.

"Why take the risk?" he muttered under his breath, brushing off the memory.

His tone was calm, as if death itself hadn't just been dangling over him hours ago.

"Are you perhaps... immortal?" Celeste attempted.

"Maybe," Karl replied nonchalantly, unwilling to entertain the topic. "Maybe not."

He turned, swiftly shifting the conversation.

"By the way," he gestured toward her staff, "you should really learn how to use your mana better."

Celeste blinked, the blunt critique hitting harder than she expected.

As a level 9 mage, she wasn't a complete novice, but still, there was much to learn.

"Thanks," she replied with a stiff nod. "I'll train later."

Deep down, she knew he wasn't wrong.

Without Karl's intervention, her lack of mana efficiency would've gotten her killed in their last battle.

Her family's reputation as perfectionists weighed heavily on her shoulders, making every mistake feel monumental.

Karl, however, seemed utterly unfazed.

While Celeste's profession revolved around carefully managing mana, his was vastly different.

His skills drew from spirits rather than traditional energy sources like mana or stamina.

It made him unpredictable.

Celeste suddenly extended her fist toward him with a warm smile. "See you outside, Karl."

Karl stared at her outstretched hand for a moment, confused.

Then he realized what she wanted.

With a sigh, he met her fist with his own.

Their knuckles bumped, and Celeste grinned.

Karl gave her a small nod before walking in the opposite direction.

Splitting up was the most efficient way to gain experience in the early stages of leveling.

It was better to hunt solo until they hit level 10.

'She'll be fine on her own,' Karl thought as he walked away.

Celeste was capable, despite her flaws.

Most mages regenerated 1 mana every second, but Celeste had a natural advantage, regaining 2 mana every second.

With time, her regeneration rate could grow even faster.

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There was also the possibility of acquiring a [Specialized Class] later on too.

Just as Karl was lost in thought, Celeste's voice called out from behind him.

"Wait!"

He turned to see her pointing at her head.

"The rabbit," she said with a soft laugh.

Karl blinked, realizing his [Frenzied Rabbit] was lounging atop her head, curled up as if it owned the spot.

"Come back," Karl sighed, calling the spirit back to him.

But to his surprise, the rabbit hesitated.

It took a full three seconds before it leapt off Celeste's head and returned to him, which was an eternity, considering how his summons usually obeyed him instantly.

Celeste had time to pet it before it hopped away, and she giggled.

"It seems to like me."

Karl gave a small smile, "Looks that way."

Celeste blushed slightly, caught off guard by the rare sight of Karl's smile.

"What?" he asked, noticing her expression.

"It's just..." she hesitated, then spoke with sincerity. "It's the first time I've seen you smile. I think it looks good on you."

Karl stared at her for a moment before shrugging, "I'll think about it."

And with that, they parted ways for good.

Celeste climbed the mountain, her focus set on reaching level 10, while Karl took a different path, ready to rely on his spirits to gather the last bit of experience he needed.

But suddenly, after making sure that she was gone, Karl returned to their previous spot.

He had killed [Alexander], and noticed that a [Spirit Orb] had in fact appeared.

Approaching it, he noticed that it was extremely different from the others.

It was an average size, but inside of it was some sort of black sword that kept rotating.

It was as if Alexander's profession had been locked inside of this orb.

Regardless, Karl knew he needed to speed things up, and so he simply crouched down, touching the orb to absorb it.

[You have taken Alexander Sovereign's Spirit.]

"Alright."

He walked away.

...

It took him exactly an hour to level up.

But about 30 minutes into his hunt, a sudden, blinding beam of light erupted from the mountaintop, cutting through the dark sky like a divine signal.

[A person has completed the Novice Trial!]

The notification echoed in his mind.

"Oh, come on! Already?"

"Who's grinding this fast? I'm still stuck in the forest!"

"Man, let me rest!"

The faster you cleared the trial, the higher your ranking would be, which would unlock other possibilities later on.

If it weren't for all the time he spent in his [Spirit Cemetery] and from his death, he would surely have completed it first.

Not that it mattered to him.

He wasn't in a race.

Finally, the familiar chime of the system broke through his thoughts.

Ding!

[You have reached level 10. You have gained 2 stat points for each of your stats.]

[+3 Summons: Stonefang Ape, Shadow Golem, Rock Hound.]

For the first time, he had acquired summons he'd already unlocked before.

This confirmed a suspicion he'd had, using the same combination of spirit orbs could result in the same summons.

He quickly reviewed his updated stats:

[Strength increased by 3.]

[Mana increased by 1.]

[Stamina increased by 2.]

He nodded in satisfaction.

The gains were decent, and the new summons would serve him well.

But just as he was ready to move on, another notification appeared.

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

And then...

[Your limit has now been locked until you advance further in the World of Spirits.]

"What?" Karl muttered, rereading the message multiple times.

"Reaper?" he called out, hoping for an explanation.

[It is completely normal.]

The reaper's voice echoed in his mind.

[As I mentioned before, some of your powers have been locked. Advancing in the World of Spirits is the main way to retrieve them.]

[The World of Spirits is vast, filled with wandering spirits and trials. You will be able to explore it once you are strong enough.]

Karl exhaled deeply.

His current limit was now capped at 50 spirits and summons.

While it was frustrating to hit a ceiling, he knew it wasn't worth dwelling on.

It would take time to fill his [Summon Cemetery] anyway, given the difficulty of acquiring spirit orbs from monsters at his level or higher.

For now, his path was clear.

"Let's go," Karl murmured, feeling his spirits lift, both figuratively and literally.

His limit may have been locked, but he was closer than ever to completing the trial.

His goal lay at the top of the [Mountain of Death], where the Novice Trial's final boss awaited.