427 With how big the Spirit Worlds are, I’d like to go visit them (1/2)

Abilities weren't simply weapons, they were also part of who a person was.

Even a simple weapon, however, when used over a long period of time, would have the ability to influence the wielder, especially all the more so when the weapon in question was a person's own Spiritual Ability.

To state it in more extreme terms, it was that power had the ability to change people.

Perhaps some might find that statement ludicrous, but this statement was in fact indisputable.

Perhaps weapons and abilities were bad analogies, but if concepts such as wealth or authority were considered ”powers” as well, it was quite normal that such ”powers” would change people's personalities. In fact, it would be quite common.

Seiji had many experiences with this in his previous life.

That was why he restrained himself as much as possible from abusing his own incredibly powerful ability of saving and loading.

It was only reasonable that Shouzou Amami would be concerned about Hoshi.

About that ability, which Seiji decided to call the ”Red Leaf Ability” for the time being, would it have any effects on Hoshi? Seiji felt that it would.

But banning Hoshi from using his ability didn't seem like the right way to go about things. In fact, that would only increase the effect of the ability on him.

Needing to seal his ability because it was too fearsome…? It wasn't even close to that degree at all.

Watching over him and teaching him properly was the best way to do things in Seiji's opinion.

He expressed his opinion to Shouzou Amami.

Shouzou fell silent for a few moments, then expressed agreement.

”The fact that Hoshi Awakened to a Spiritual Ability must have some type of meaning; indeed, there's no reason to be pessimistic about it,” Shouzou stated. ”I shall do what I can, and Harano-kun, please continue taking good care of my grandchild.”

”Of course I will.” Seiji smiled. ”I'm his senpai.”

Before, he was Hoshi's senpai at work. Now, he was going to be Hoshi's senpai as a Spiritual Ability user.

Night of one hundred demons on the first night of the Midnight Spell, the phenomenon of Awakening on the second night, and Spirit Worlds appearing on the third night. What would happen on the fourth night?

Seiji and many others were highly concerned about what else would happen. However, nothing else actually occurred.

There were no new situations apart from repeats of what had happened already.

It was the same for the fifth night.

And the sixth night as well.

With no new situations, the Spiritual Ability users finally focused fully on dealing with the current phenomena.

As for the Awakened, each Spiritual Ability user faction treated them differently. Some actively searched for Awakened, while other factions didn't pay the Awakened any attention. Some treated the Awakened as targets for research, while others protected them… Although there was supposed to be an unwritten rule to treat the Awakened humanely, things were currently too chaotic to control everyone's actions.

Naturally, what the Spiritual Ability user factions paid attention to the most were the Spirit Worlds.

The summary of the information that Seiji heard from Natsuya regarding this matter was:

Cultivating would be much more efficient in a Spirit World, and precious resources could be obtained there was well.

The risks involved being attacked by the Spiritual Creatures there, as well as the Spirit World suddenly deforming.

A Spirit World deforming meant that the location in question would stop transforming into a Spirit World, returning to normal. Anyone within a Spirit World that didn't leave it before it deformed would die… more specifically, they would be reduced to nothing more than pieces of meat!

As for why this happened, nobody knew.

Not only humans, it was the same for other living creatures as well. The only things that could survive to the next Spirit World Transformation were nonliving objects as well as Spiritual Creatures, but that wasn't certain.

If an area had any humans in it, then that area wouldn't undergo a Spirit World Transformation.

If there were other living creatures, such as cats or dogs, then it was possible for the location to undergo a Spirit World Transformation. If that occurred, then it was possible for the creatures to either live or disappear.

The same location might or might not undergo a Spirit World Transformation each night. The times for the Spirit World Transformations were uncertain as well, as was the environment each time for the Spirit World.

That was why there was yet another new term established for the Spirit Worlds: ”consistency.”

The more consistent the timing for a Spirit World to arrive at night, and the more consistent its environment, the higher its consistency rating would be.