Persuasion

When Fran regained consciousness, she found herself back in the Spirit Realm Analysis classroom.

She looked around; some apprentices had already woken up, while others appeared to be in a strange state.

A different kind of radiance emanated from their bodies, and their forms had become translucent, to the point where one could faintly see through them to what lay behind.

One apprentice seemed to have just returned from the Spirit Realm; his translucent body gradually solidified, and that radiance faded away.

A look of pleasant surprise crossed his face, and he was so excited he wanted to shout, but he managed to hold himself back.

Ichi stood at the front, stroking the still-glowing orb, ignoring the commotion caused by the returning apprentices.

Only when all the apprentices had regained consciousness did he speak:

"What you just experienced was a Spirit Realm excursion. It is worth noting that if you attempt a Spirit Realm excursion on your own, you must ensure you are in a safe environment."

"Otherwise, if your physical body suffers fatal damage, you might spend the rest of your life in the Spirit Realm."

"Of course, if you are lucky, you will receive the protection of the Spirit Realm. In such a case, as long as you ascend to the Spirit Realm, your body will be shielded by it, making it difficult for others to harm."

"That is all for this class. If you have any questions, you may come to find me."

Even after the dismissal, many apprentices were unwilling to get up, remaining in their seats to savor the experience they had just undergone.

Ichi seemed accustomed to this; he carefully placed the gray orb into a cushioned box and prepared to walk out of the classroom.

"Teacher Ichi, may I disturb you for a moment?"

Ichi turned back to see a black-haired girl in robes—it was Fran—calling out to him.

"What is it you need?"

Ichi asked in a calm tone.

"I would like to ask, if I touched an object in the Spirit Realm that looked unusual, would it have any effect on me?"

Ichi showed a slight reaction and countered:

"Did this object follow you back to the Material Realm?"

Fran hurriedly checked herself all over before answering:

"No."

"Then there is no problem. Aside from the possibility that it might latch onto you the next time you visit the Spirit Realm, it will have no impact on you."

"Oh!" Fran acknowledged, then continued:

"Then, Teacher Ichi, if I have a Guide of the Spirit Realm, how should I use it to enter the Spirit Realm?"

This was regarding the Guide of the Spirit Realm she had obtained from Richter. Once she realized this was a general term for such items, she stopped being secretive and decided to ask directly.

After all, it was a reward for the assessment, and Fran had a feeling that using it to enter the Spirit Realm might lead her to something worthwhile.

"...You just need to touch it with your hand and recite the incantation silently. My method is specifically for enlightening apprentices, but..."

Ichi changed his tone and continued:

"You must be clear about the general location your Guide points to. You can use credits to purchase a Spirit Realm Atlas to identify it; otherwise, you might end up in some dangerous places."

"Of course, as I said earlier, for those of you just starting to enter the Spirit Realm, as long as you do not have an overly deep connection with it, you will not be harmed."

Fran nodded to show she understood. Seeing that Ichi did not seem to dislike apprentices asking him questions, she had a sudden thought and asked a question she was very concerned about.

"Then, Teacher Ichi, do you know about the trials of the Spirit Realm?"

Fran had heard from Elan that Ichi had promoted to an official mage through the Spirit Realm, and based on the Spirit Realm mage promotion method that had popped up on her interface, she felt that Teacher Ichi likely knew exactly what these trials were.

As the only method she had seen so far for promoting to an official rank, she wanted to know the specific details even if she didn't intend to use it later.

What if she encountered an emergency? Wouldn't this path come in handy then?

In fact, there was also the consideration of the classes on her interface. From the two classes she had acquired, she realized her classes could stack, allowing her to benefit from the bonuses of multiple paths.

She now had an idea: if she became an official mage through the Spirit Realm, could she then become an official mage again through the methods of those academic schools?

Therefore, she felt it was very necessary to ask about this.

As she expected, Ichi's reaction was quite intense; his hand shook violently, and he spoke slowly:

"The Spirit Realm... the trials of the Spirit Realm are a test given by the Spirit Realm to its travelers. Upon passing, you receive the blessing of the Spirit Realm."

"You will find that your mental power increases significantly, and your spells become several times more powerful, far surpassing those of ordinary apprentices."

"Because this is a promotion route for official mages, passing the Spirit Realm's trial is equivalent to becoming an official mage."

"But all of this comes at a price. This path is, in any case, much easier than the others."

"You will find that you begin to lose the ability to learn spells recorded in books, because your spells exist only within the Spirit Realm; you must obtain them through repeated exploration."

"Furthermore, at this point, you are deeply bound to the Spirit Realm, and injuries sustained in the Spirit Realm will manifest on your physical body to a certain degree."

Ichi suddenly stopped, looked at Fran, and warned:

"I advise you not to take this path. If your luck is poor, you will never be able to advance further in this life."

"I suggest you join an academic school. Although the conditions for joining are extremely difficult, once you are in, at least you will have predecessors to guide you after you become an official mage."

"If you become a formal mage through the methods of the Spirit Realm, the spells you acquire there will not correspond to any school, and naturally, they will not accept you."

After hearing his words, Fran did not show a hint of retreat or hesitation; instead, her face was full of excitement.

"I understand, but let me hear what to do next."

Fran stuck to the same sentiment: she might not need to use it, but she couldn't afford to be without it—if all else failed, she could just leave it there for later.

Ichi did not waste words with her and continued:

"To pass the trial of the Spirit Realm, you must first obtain the relevant qualifications."

"Every time you explore the Spirit Realm, you may encounter small, glowing objects. Those are the Guides of the Spirit Realm; as long as you carry them on your person, they can accompany you to the Material Realm."

"There is one type of guide that you will inevitably encounter after exploring the Spirit Realm many times. It is surrounded by a black void, suspended in mid-air."

"That is the Trial Key. Once you return to the Material Realm, you simply need to touch it, and it will display information regarding the trial, such as the start time and so on. If you head to the Spirit Realm at that time, you will be participating in the trial."

Ichi revealed a bitter smile.

"Of course, I suggest you do not walk this path. Otherwise, if your luck is as poor as mine, you might never find the Trial Key for the next stage."