Chapter 57：World of Spirits (1/2)

With the Illusory Spirit hanging at her back, Yumiko's demeanor also took the form of the spirit. Her somehow bashful and timid nature was completely replaced by an aggressive stance.

But when I heard her voice, it's still her.

”W-what do you think, Daisuke-kun?”

Her voice contained a hint of worry, that force she exhibited almost blew me away after all.

”Amazing! Just how strong are you right now?”

Showing her how amazed I was. Her face lit up before answering.

”Ah. I think I can defeat you now.”

Eh? I know she's strong even without that ability, am I wrong?

”You can defeat me even without that, right?”

I wonder what path does her Otherworld have? If she also utilized it, like Yuko and Raiden, she should have higher stats than me.

”Uh no. This Spirit can gauge a target's strength. You're a lot stronger than you look. It's like you're hiding a trump card.”

Ah. She must be talking about the Dispelling Arrow. But for that Spirit to even sense that...

It might really negate the effect of her Spirit Channeling if an arrow made of Psyche Energy hit her. Just like how it can dispel the Halo of that Corrupted Saint Realm using Brute Energy Arrow.

”I did have a trump card of some sort. What's the name of that Spirit? Is he someone known to us?”

If I could only Dispel her Spirit Channeling, she could then fight me using that Otherworld's cultivation path.

”He introduced himself as the Paragon of Truth. As to where they came from, none of the Spirits will divulge it.”

Paragon of Truth? So are they really existence from somewhere? A higher world like the Invading Forces? Right now there's no way to know about it but since she could borrow their power wherever she is then that's fine. That's reassuring at least.

We'll be attacking a fortress in her Otherworld to close the breach. For what will be my role there, that's still uncertain.

”I guess that's fine. It really put me in awe. I've seen Yuko and Raiden's ability but yours is the most awe-inspiring.”

This is my honest evaluation. The unpredictability of her ability could save us from a situation where we are put into grave danger. Well, there's also the downside because of that. But she thought it's random when in fact, the Spirits competed among themselves and it's always the strongest or the craftiest who emerged victorious.

”Eh… But it's random. It's not always like this.”

See? She's dead set on the idea that it's random.

”It's not random. I saw it. It's the strongest or maybe the one you need the most who will establish a connection with you.”

They must have different forms of competition to determine who will let her borrow their power. Such great Spirits. So it's really a cheat as well. I wonder what kind of cheat will the others have?

After showcasing her ability, she then introduced the world she was summoned into.

She called it the World of Spirits. But she insisted that it's different from the Spirits she could call through her ability.