An Attempt

Fran took out the Spirit Realm Atlas she had exchanged for at the Contribution Point Exchange Hall and began searching for the type of Spirit Realm Guide she had in her possession.

She compared the features of the Guide with the entries in the book.

"It's glowing blue, and quite brightly. That's a sign of a trial. Once you pass, you can receive an excellent reward."

"This kind of trial is different from the ones granted by the Spirit Realm itself. It's a trial produced by the region itself. The rewards are usually spells, items, or knowledge, and in very rare cases, ownership of a region of the Spirit Realm."

"Judging by the fact that the Guide is a stone, its region should be somewhere like the Earth Mountains, the Jade Corridor, or the Pure Valley."

[You identified a Spirit Realm Guide. Spirit Realm Cruising Method proficiency +1]

Fran now had a rough idea of what this Guide pointed to and what it was for.

But she thought Richter had gotten a pretty lousy reward, didn't he?

Judging by the Notebook she'd found earlier, Richter was clearly planning to follow the Transmutation School's own Promotion Method, not advance through the Spirit Realm.

So this thing seemed completely useless to Richter. He couldn't just switch to the Spirit Realm's method and abandon everything he'd built up so far.

Considering Richter's reputation, Fran couldn't help wondering if the staff handing out the rewards had disliked him and deliberately given him something useless.

Or was it actually useful, but only after he completed the trial?

Whatever the case, Fran planned to give it a try. After all, Ichi had mentioned a "newbie protection period." How could she not test it out?

She had no classes tomorrow, the potion delivery was still a long way off, and she had no plans with anyone else. Perfect.

Fran lay in bed, touched the Spirit Realm Guide, and recited the incantation.

Unlike the first time, when her consciousness had gotten stuck on its way up, this time it shot upward so quickly that she lost consciousness almost at once.

When Fran tried to open her eyes, she found herself in complete darkness. She couldn't see a thing.

She also felt as though something was wrapped around her. The pressure wasn't strong, but she could still feel it against her skin.

She moved her hand and heard something crack. Then the feeling of being wrapped around one spot on her shoulder disappeared, leaving it a little chilly.

Fran applied a bit of force, and her whole body suddenly felt lighter. Something cracked, followed by the sound of an object hitting the ground.

Only then could Fran see what was in front of her.

Stone walls surrounded her on all sides, making the place look like a cave. Glowing rocks of all different colors were scattered across the sides and ceiling.

It looked like a cave, but it seemed to stretch a long way. Fran couldn't see where it ended.

She patted the stuff still stuck to her, shook herself a couple of times, and finally managed to clean it off.

When she looked down, she saw dark red fragments. It seemed she'd been wrapped up in them just moments ago.

"Huh?!" She felt as though something was caught between her hand and her body. Only when she moved her hand did she notice it.

She caught it with her hand and brought it up in front of her, then jumped in surprise.

It was the same battered book she'd seen the last time she left the Spirit Realm.

So Teacher Ichi was right. This book really has latched onto me.

Fran steadied herself before taking a closer look.

The book seemed no different from last time, at least judging by the cover.

She opened it. Unlike before, when it had been blank, even the empty cover now had words on it.

The cover read:

[Trial Mission: Find three pieces of jade. For each piece you find, you can receive a reward when you leave the Spirit Realm.

Hint: The first piece of jade is on your companion.

The second piece of jade is in a dim place.

Follow the flow of the river to find the third piece of jade.]

Fran was a little puzzled as to why the trial mission had appeared in this book. And if she hadn't had the book, would the words still have appeared?

She didn't know, but continued to think it through.

First, she had to find three pieces of jade. It was basically a material-gathering quest, and there would probably be some danger near the jade.

The hints were a bit cryptic.

She had no idea what "companion" meant. She looked around, but there wasn't a single moving thing in sight. She didn't think it was referring to the book, either.

She also had no idea where to look for a dim place. She didn't know this area at all.

As for the flowing river, she had seen a small stream far off in the distance. It seemed to be the only place she had a clue about.

While she continued brushing the fragments off herself, she suddenly realized what she was wearing.

She looked down and saw that she had on a grayish-yellow robe. She also noticed that her body felt strange.

She seemed taller than before, and her chest had developed a noticeable bust.

"Ah!"

She cried out and realized her voice had changed, too.

"I feel like I've become a completely different person."

She touched the unfamiliar parts of her body, confused. She clearly remembered that the first time she entered the Spirit Realm, she had used her own body. She'd been the same height, and nothing had felt wrong.

So why was her body different this time?

Fran pushed aside her questions and decided to get moving.

She set off toward the river in the distance.

As she walked, she gradually got used to how much farther each step carried her in this body.

After she'd walked for a while, she realized the river was still a long way off.

"Why is it so far away?"

"Hm?"

Just as she was lamenting the distance, a voice suddenly came from behind the hill to her right, followed by the sound of footsteps.

Fran stopped and turned to look. A tall figure appeared from behind the hill.

He wore leather armor marked with many signs of combat. It was covered in small tears and caked with dust and dirt, making it look quite filthy.

Several daggers hung from his waist. Each one gleamed coldly, as if he took good care of them.

He also held a short sword with a purple blade that glimmered like crystal.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, sounding as though he'd finally found what he was looking for.

He raised his short sword to chest level and took up a fighting stance.

"I finally found a companion!"

"You..."

Fran had wanted to talk to him when she heard that, but he had already charged at her.

Fran sighed and prepared to meet him, gathering a Wind Blade in her hand.