In RML, one could not truly call a spirit their own until they gave it a name. This was the first time Izroth ever heard of a spirit having a name beforehand. However, when Izroth saw the spirit's name, he uncovered a shocking revelation.
"Selene? Are you the little one from the dreamworld?" Izroth did not believe that it was a coincidence that this spirit shared the same name as the young child he ran into back in the dreamworld. When he met her, that child was nameless, and so, Izroth decided to give the young girl the name Selene.
Suddenly, Izroth remembered the words of Aurie, who was Venare at the time. Back at the Blue Hearts Inn, she mentioned that the lives of those in the dreamworld were complicated. But, they could bring certain benefits to one's growth outside the dreamworld. As for what these benefits were, the Commander did not go into any details, but Izroth never expected this kind of outcome.
"Coo~" The spirit happily cooed as if confirming Izroth's statement.
Though with Soul Link active, Izroth no longer had to guess the spirit's words, and he could understand her as though she were speaking clearly.
With the assistance of Soul Link, Izroth was able to get the general idea of what led Selene to him after she perished in the dreamworld.
According to the knowledge he obtained, Selene did not know how she came to be a part of the dreamworld, but her only memories were of her time in that place. However, some parts did not add up.
Aurie stated that her Dream Domain created a unique story every time it was activated. So, what happened to the other spirits of that dreamworld? Were they sent off to some other place? Did they ever exist in the Mortal Realm or another realm? Were new spirits pulled into the Dream Domain every time a new story began? Loss of memories? There were too many questions.
However, one thing was for sure—the young spirit before Izroth at the moment was, indeed, the same Selene he came across in the dreamworld.
Apparently, when he left the wooden moon carving on Selene's grave in the forest, it unknowingly acted as a medium for her spirit to reside in.
Usually, something like this would never occur; however, Selene felt a strong emotional bond to the carving, and it reached the point where it manifested into the real world!
'The spirit race's Dream Domain seems to have numerous mysteries. If I get the chance, I would like to explore its limits further.'
Izroth thoroughly checked over Selene's status provided by the system and was blown away by the results.
Name: Selene(Mythical Beast)
Summoner: Izroth
Species: Yin Yang Caladrius of Rebirth
Compatibility: 100%
Bonding Type: Soul Link
Growth Potential: Supreme
Rating: ★★★(3/12)
Skill(s):
-Black Flames of Destruction
-White Flames of Restoration
-Rebirth
-[New skill(s) unlock at a higher rating]
'I knew that Second Awakenings were useful, but even that should not be enough to produce a spirit like this. To end up this powerful… The Second Awakening definitely played its part, but the overall potential was already present.'
Having 100% compatibility and a Soul Link with a spirit was impressive as is; however, what caught Izroth's eye more than anything was Selene's Supreme growth potential.
From lowest to highest growth potential, it went, None, Low, Normal, Great, High, Exceptional, Peak, and Supreme.
By now, it was common knowledge in RML that growth potential was the single most crucial factor to consider when obtaining a spirit.
Typically, one could only see a spirit's growth potential after performing a contract with them. Other than that, one would have to purchase a special item that allowed them to view the information about a spirit beforehand. Of course, such an item did not come cheap and was not something casual players could afford to get their hands on.
Since growth potential determined how powerful your spirit could become in the future, it was a summoner's goal to acquire one with Great or higher growth potential. And, as far as Izroth knew, Selene may be one of the first, if not the first Supreme spirit that bonded with a player!
But, seeing as how the system did not grant him a special reward for his accomplishment, Izroth believed it was the former.
'To think there would be a summoner with a Supreme growth spirit. It would be interesting to meet them and compare spirits. Though it's a shame, I wouldn't know where to begin looking.'
It only took Izroth a few moments to finish scanning over Selene's stats. Her current rating was not exactly high, but neither was it low. In order for it to increase, Selene would have to naturally gain experience in combat. What she needed was not necessarily experience points, but exposure and participation in the battle itself.
'She won't be able to gain much experience safely where I'm going. In that case…'
Selene happily perched on Izroth's shoulder as he stood to his feet and walked out of the tent.
A few moments later, a silver streak descended from the sky above and landed a couple of meters away from Izroth.
"Another task…?" Empyrean asked quietly.
"Two this time," Izroth replied as he accessed his inventory and removed the Blood Moon he "permanently borrowed" from the Skounae.
He relinquished the Blood Moon to Empyrean and continued, "First, I need you to take this magic item to the Mystical Realm Palace and activate it within my private room. I already set the production method and list order—all you have to do is activate it once you arrive."
Izroth felt that the Blood Moon sitting inactively in his inventory was a waste when it could be producing magic cores.
Empyrean gave a small nod as he accepted the Blood Moon, stored it away inside his inventory, and said, "Understood… The other task..?"
"Look after this little one. While you're gathering materials, help her gain some experience in the process. But, no matter what, you are to keep her safe—this takes priority over any of your other tasks." Izroth stated.
Selene looked at Izroth, then at Empyrean, and back at Izroth again.
"Coo… Coo." Selene's head seemed to be spinning as she tried to piece something together.
"There's no need to be confused. We are one and the same. But, you can think of him as your elder sibling." Izroth explained.
Selene was confused when Empyrean appeared as she felt the presence of two "Izroth's". Not to mention, she also shared a Soul Link with Empyrean, which only added to the confusion.
Since Empyrean was Izroth's Soul Avatar, they technically shared the same soul, so to speak; therefore, it was natural for Selene, who remembered Izroth by his soul, to be thrown off.
At first, Selene was reluctant to leave Izroth's side; however, after a few words of convincing, she flapped her wings and went over to Empyrean's shoulder.
"Coo~" It did not take long for Selene to warm up to Empyrean, who shared Izroth's "scent". She rested her head on top of Empyrean's as he stood motionless and unbothered.
"Now, we never got the chance to finish our conversation from earlier on the battlefield. At that time, I could sense with Mind Link that it was somewhere within the Demilitarization Belt; however, I need the exact location. So, tell me—where is the Headhunter Syndicate's main force?" One of the tasks Izroth gave to Empyrean was to locate the Headhunter Syndicate's primary area of operation during the event.
Since there were a limited number of times one could die before their participation status was revoked in this event, Izroth planned to take full advantage of it.
Before the dreamworld, he was merely going to break an arm or two of the Headhunter Syndicate. But, now, his vision was not so narrow.
Izroth did not want to just cripple the Headhunter Syndicate—he wanted to knock them out of the event altogether!
It would have been troublesome if they decided to join Amaharpe's side during this war; however, it was no secret that they joined Tempest's side.
'Wendell, Vault—whatever you want to call yourself. I will start by crushing you in this world. Then, as everything you've ever obtained crumbles around you, I will end your miserable life with my own two hands.'
Soon after receiving his instructions and telling Izroth what he wanted to know, Empyrean departed with Selene towards the Mystical Realm Palace.
As for Izroth, he began his journey to the Demilitarization Belt.
The Headhunter Syndicate had no idea the kind of storm that was making its way to them!
