[Congratulations, Verus Albus! You have been reincarnated.]
[Calculating...]
[In your entire life, you have never lied or felt sexual desire. You have been reincarnated as a lesser spirit!]
[Psychological Condition: Normal]
[Memory Erasure: False]
[Cognition increased!]
Wait, what? Reincarnated? Am I dead? What's happening—
[Pick your element!]
[Your points: 100]
[Basic: 100 points]
[Water]
[Fire]
[Air]
[Earth]
[Intermediate: 250 points]
[Lightning]
[Ice]
[Sand]
[Nature]
[Light]
[Shadow]
[Beast]
[High: 1.000 points]
[Gravity]
[Life]
[Death]
[Time]
[Space]
[Void]
Am I hallucinating? Or am I dreaming? I’m pretty sure I was—oh. I died.
Even though dying sucked, Ver didn't feel too bummed out about it. It was a good death, and he even felt happy about it.
Maybe he was a bad person for feeling that way. His family probably felt really sad when he passed away, but eventually, they would move on and live happier lives without him.
Ever since Ver was born, he had always been a nuisance to them.
They never called him that, but he knew the truth.
The amount of money his parents—and even his sister—had sacrificed to keep him alive was simply too much.
If he did not exist, his sister would go to a better school and wear nicer clothes.
But she did not.
If he had never been born, his parents would not look so tired. Maybe they would own a mansion and travel all over the world!
But they did not.
So when his sister needed a couple of organs that the hospital didn’t have, Ver did not hesitate to give them to her, because even though he was always sick, his organs were surprisingly healthy.
Even at the end of his life, Ver never found out what his illness was.
The doctors could not find anything wrong with his body, yet he could not put any strength into his limbs.
Sometimes, he would cough up blue blood and pass out seemingly at random.
Day by day, he grew weaker and weaker until he could no longer move—not even his eyelids. But for some reason, he could still talk, so it was not that bad.
The doctor said he only had a month left at best.
So Ver was glad that he at least had the chance to repay his family for the sacrifices they had made for him. Of course, he knew that it was not enough, not even close. He had taken way too much from them.
They were a good family. They were the reason that, even though Ver had been stuck in the hospital his entire life, he was happy. They had made those 21 years the best years of his life.
Well, he only remembered his past life, and judging by what he was seeing right now, he had probably already lived more than once. But the point still stood!
I was human before, but now I’m going to become a spirit? Is that rare? Also, where am I?
Ver couldn’t look around, and there was nothing except the text—not even pitch darkness.
Well, it doesn't matter.
What really mattered was figuring out what a spirit was.
From the stories he had read, a spirit was either similar to a ghost, or something that granted power to, say, a mage by making a contract with them.
Judging by the text in front of him, it was definitely the latter.
Which was cool, but that meant he would not be reincarnated into his old world. There were no spirits or magic, after all.
Anyway, spirits were usually portrayed as childish beings that liked to prank people, or as protectors and caretakers of nature that would occasionally help the hero.
Protecting nature sounds boring. No way I’m picking nature.
He also only had 100 points, so he could not pick it anyway.
Only having four choices seemed... limiting.
Why could he see the other options if he couldn’t even pick them?
Could he pick them later on?
Could he choose more than one element?
So many questions and no one to answer them.
Wait. Maybe there was someone to answer me, even though I couldn’t see them.
Ver... couldn’t speak.
That was a bummer.
Trying to press the text with his mind didn’t do anything either.
Maybe I had to think really hard for someone or something to answer my question? Worth a try.
CAN I CHANGE MY ELEMENT LATER ON?
[Yes]
It worked!
Ver was glad he wouldn’t have to stay as a basic element for the rest of his life. There was nothing wrong with them. They were just... basic. But he still could only pick between water, fire, air, and earth right now.
Were there no other options? Wait, I could just ask.
CAN I PICK ANOTHER ELEMENT BESIDES THOSE FOUR RIGHT NOW?
[Yes]
HOW?
No response.
PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW ALL OF THIS WORKS!
No response.
TELL ME WHAT OTHER ELEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE!
No response.
HOW MANY ELEMENTS CAN I CHOOSE WITH MY POINTS?
No response.
WHAT’S YOUR NAME?
No response.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN ANYTHING?
[No]
That's lame. Wait a sec. Could the text only answer with a yes or no? Only one way to find out.
CAN YOU REPLY TO ME WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN A YES OR NO ANSWER?
[Yes]
PLEASE ELABORATE!
No response.
This is getting frustrating.
UMM, CAN I PICK THE DUST ELEMENT?
[Do you want to pick the dust element for 50 points?]
Finally, it worked!
But, NO.
I think I am finally getting how the text works.
The question was, what elements were the best for his current situation?
Who am I kidding? I already made my decision. Let's just hope it's available with my current points. Though the chance of that happening is pretty low.
I WANT TO CHOOSE THE MILK ELEMENT!
[Do you want to choose the milk element for 80 points?]
80 points?! How!?
That was... kind of insane.
He could create milk with magic!
He could make cheese!
He could make ice cream!
The possibilities were endless!
How could something like gravity or death cost 1.000 points when milk only cost 80?! I just realized, how is milk an element? Wait, IS THERE A DRINK ELEMENT?!
[Not enough points]
There is!
He couldn’t pick it, though.
Whatever, the milk element is better.
Going back to the text, he thought, YES.
[Congratulations! You are now a lesser milk spirit!]
[To gain points, you will need to form a contract with a sapient being.]
[There are three ways to gain points: leveling up the shared class you have with your contracted partner, being contracted to a sapient being for 50 years, and completing achievements.]
[Level 1–9: 1 point (9)]
[Level 10: 10 points]
[Level 11–19: 2 points (18)]
[Level 20: 20 points]
[Level 21–29: 4 points (36)]
[Level 30: 40 points]
[Level 31–39: 8 points (72)]
[Level 40: 80 points]
[Level 41–49: 16 points (144)]
[Level 50: 160 points]
[Level 51–59: 32 points (288)]
[Level 60: 320 points]
[Level 61–69: 64 points (576)]
[Level 70: 640 points]
[Level 71–79: 128 points (1.152)]
[Level 80: 1.280 points]
[Level 81–89: 256 points (2.304)]
[Level 90: 2.560 points]
[Level 91–99: 512 points (4.608)]
[Level 100: 100.000 points]
[Every fifty years after forming a contract with someone, you will gain points equal to the level of the Class you and your contracted partner share, as long as both of you are alive.]
[Warning: Every time you die, your element will reset. If your contracted partner dies, you will also die, so choose your contractor wisely. If you die while possessing less than 100 points, you will die permanently; otherwise, you will be reincarnated as a spirit again with your memory intact.]
[Recommended: Pick long-life races, like elves, or pick someone with a lot of mana.]
Ohhh, so that's how you get points. Though I don't know how hard they are to get.
To earn over 100 points, Ver had to level up his Class to level 30. Of course, he didn't know how hard that was to achieve. For all Ver knew, even a kid could achieve it. But it was highly unlikely; the warning at the bottom made it seem like earning points would be hard.
It also seems like I wouldn’t die permanently if my points are above 100. Neat.
He had only 20 points remaining, so—
[Error]
[Points detected]
[Upgrade:]
[Resurrection: 100 points (If you die, you will be resurrected if your contracted partner is still alive)]
[Telepathy: 50 points (Talk to your contracted partner)]
[Increase Contracted Partner Lifespan: 1.000 points]
[Transfer Mana: 1.000 points]
[Evolution:]
[Spirit: 1.000 points]
[High spirit: 2.500 points]
[Great spirit: 10.000 points]
[Elder spirit: 25.000 points]
[Spirit King: 100.000 points]
[Self:]
[Body: 2+(4 points)]
[Mana: 73]
The points are not only used for picking elements, huh.
His twenty points couldn’t buy anything except what seemed to be an upgrade to his body. And for some reason, he couldn’t upgrade his mana.
Wait, if I can choose an element outside the options the text shows me, then maybe upgrading works the same.
I WANT TO BE SMARTER!
[Not enough points]
I WANT TO BE MORE LIKEABLE!
[Not enough points]
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE MILK MORE DELICIOUS!
[Not enough points]
Ver tried again and again, but every upgrade that he could think of received the same reply.
I’m such an idiot. I could just ask!
IS IT POSSIBLE TO BUY AN UPGRADE WITH 20 POINTS?
[No]
Well, now he felt stupid.
A couple of hours passed with him doing nothing but asking for upgrades.
Which was weird, now that he thought about it. No way the past him would have been able to do that. At least he now knew that the upgrades encompassed almost anything.
Is he changing? Probably.
Did he care? Not really.
His father always said that even though people change easily, their souls do not.
Ver still loved his family, so it was okay if he changed a little. That was what being alive meant.
Not having any other choice, Ver upgraded his body.
[Self:]
[Body: 3+ (6 points)]
[Mana: 73]
[Current points: 16]
The cost had increased.
Ver upgraded it again.
[Self:]
[Body: 4+ (8 points)]
[Mana: 73]
[Current points: 10]
It had increased again.
Every upgrade made the cost two points higher. If the same pattern repeated itself, then he needed 146 points to increase his mana by a single point.
Should I save my 10 points to make it easier to collect 100 points, or should I just spend them?
Ver didn’t know what increasing his body by one point meant, but he also didn't really care if he died or not.
[Self:]
[Body: 5+ (10 points)]
[Mana: 73]
[No other upgrades available]
[Reincarnating to suitable location]
[Stay safe]
Ver suddenly found himself in what seemed like a meadow. He had, of course, never been to a meadow before, only seen one in pictures. But the signs were there!
Wooden fence, clear blue sky, green grass with the occasional flower. It was definitely a meadow, and it was so beautiful!
Then he realized that he could see everything around him at the same time. He had 360° vision, but it didn’t feel weird at all!
He could also feel something as plentiful as air everywhere he looked. He couldn’t see it, but he knew it was there—mana. Ver wasn’t sure how he knew that it was mana, but he was certain he was right.
His excitement reached a whole new level when he saw a group of cows in the distance. The cows’ skin was black and white, their horns were white, and the cows themselves were flipping huge!
In his excitement, Ver didn’t even realize that he was flying. The only thing on his mind was getting closer to the cows.
He tried to touch one, but instead of making contact, he passed right through it.
My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined.
Looking at himself, Ver finally realized that he was a small white orb floating in the air. He seemed to be made entirely of mana, and it was so much denser than the mana in the air.
That was when he discovered something fatal: he had no mouth.
How am I supposed to eat and drink without any mouth? Maybe I can eat without a mouth?
Flying higher, Ver searched for something to eat, and in the distance, he saw a young human milking a cow. The boy had tan skin, wavy brown hair, and a lot of freckles on his face. He looked like he was 14 years old, or maybe 13.
Ver didn't really care about the boy. Instead, his attention was on the bucket full of milk in front of him.
Without any hesitation, Ver plunged into the sea of milk, but… he couldn’t drink it, or even smell it. He could still feel it, though.
He moved around in it, hoping something would happen. He tried imagining himself drinking the milk, and he even screamed at it the same way he had in the world of text. But nothing worked.
It made him sad.
After all, he was so excited to finally taste his favorite drink. It had been years since he was able to drink milk—or any drink or food, really.
Every time he ate, he vomited it all out, then spent the entire day in pain. He couldn’t even sleep through it.
My next upgrade will be making myself able to eat and drink. At least it feels comfy here.
That meant making a contract with a sapient being.
Ver regarded the boy, the average-looking boy. He could tell the kid had next to zero mana; even the mana in the environment was denser than his. His physique seemed… okay. He had muscle, but nothing to write home about. Ver couldn’t tell whether the boy was tall or short; he hadn’t seen any other humans, after all. But his guess was the latter; the kid just looked like it.
His clothes also appeared shabby, with stitches here and there, like they had been used for a very long time. But maybe the boy just liked this piece of clothing and had a better-looking one somewhere. It could also be magical; maybe that’s why he was wearing it. Though Ver couldn’t feel any mana from it, he was also less than an hour old, so what did he know about magic?
The boy was still milking a cow into the bucket Ver was swimming in. He was wearing a frown while seemingly talking to the cow. Ver didn’t understand the language the boy was speaking, but he could tell when someone was complaining.
He was clearly used to doing this and close to the cow. After all, you only complained to someone you were comfortable with.
The question was, should Ver make a contract with the boy?
It was a no-brainer. Of course he would try to make a contract with the boy.
Ver was a lesser milk spirit, and the boy was responsible for providing milk to the people. What sealed the deal for Ver was that the boy seemed like a kind person. He could be wrong, but his gut feeling had never betrayed him.
Decision made, Ver… didn’t know how to make a contract.
Maybe screaming, ‘I want to make a contract!’ would do the job?
I WANT TO MAKE A CONTRACT WITH THE BOY!
The mana inside him began disappearing at a very fast rate.
After a few seconds, almost all of his mana was gone, and not even a second later, Ver fell asleep.
Norm was having a bad day.
Every day since turning sixteen had been a bad day.
He was seventeen now, and he didn’t have any impressive Classes—only [Villager] and [Dairyman], both low-level. Level 8 and level 11, respectively.
The more Classes someone had, the harder it was to level them, but Norm only had two!
Why were both of my Classes such low levels then?
He turned his gaze towards the cow that had been with him his entire life.
“The usual, Ber.”
The cow snorted.
Norm ignored it and crouched down to get this over with. He didn’t hate his job, but he also didn’t like it the way his dad did. His dad was always smiling for seemingly no reason, enjoying his job.
When he turned sixteen, his dad taught him his Class, [Dairyman]. It was not a cool Class, like [Swordsman]—that’s what Victor had. Stupid Victor.
I actually don’t know what his Class is, but there’s no way he got a lame Class like mine.
What did people like about him, anyway? Why was Elpis always hanging out with him?
Sure, he was tall and maybe a bit handsome. His parents were gold-rank adventurers, and he had a good Class…
But didn’t Victor always wear stupid clothes that were obviously too small for him?
Like, we know you have a six-pack, whatever.
“Stupid Victor. If his stupid muscles were any bigger, his clothes would be torn apart. Is he stupid? Maybe he doesn’t have any energy left for his brain. He’s always training whenever I see him lately. Is he pushing himself too hard? Is he okay? He said it’s for his entrance exam to the supposedly best academy, but there’s such a thing as pushing too hard. You’ve got talent; at least relax a little. How can the rest of us catch up when you’re always working so hard? Stupid Victor. At least have a bad personality or something. Be lazy and stuff.”
Norm pinched his stomach. It felt a bit soft.
“Ahhh, thinking about him always makes me mad!”
Norm couldn’t even do anything about it. How could he ever be better than Victor if he was stuck milking cows?
It wasn’t like he could manifest aura or do magic; he didn’t know how. There was no one to teach him, and he couldn't exactly go out on an adventure; his family needed him.
If only his dad…
I hope the healer can heal him.
His dad had been bedridden for a few weeks now, while his mom was busy taking care of him, doing household chores, and selling the milk they had. That left Norm as the only one able to take care of the cows.
He didn’t even have enough time to hang out with his friends, and when he finally had the time to, he saw Elpis and Victor together, giggling about who knew what.
Immediately, Norm asked his friend Bob if they were dating, which, thankfully, they were not.
But did he have any chance of asking Elpis out if this was the only thing going for him?
“She was so pretty, had a nice smile, was smart, kind, and cute. Not to mention she was a [Mage], and her hand was so soft—”
[A lesser milk spirit wants to make a contract with you. Do you accept?]
“What!?”
The system message suddenly appeared, surprising him; he was even more surprised when he read it.
Norm knew next to nothing about magic, but he knew that it was really hard to form a contract with a spirit. Even a talented [Mage] would have a hard time forming a contract with one.
At least, that’s what the stories always said, and it was usually followed by the person in the story having spirits fight over them.
Reading the system message again, Norm realized something a bit weird.
I didn’t know a milk spirit existed. Is that common? Is it powerful? Lesser means it’s not that powerful, right?
But whether it was powerful or not, a spirit was still a spirit. So he accepted.
[Congratulations! You have formed a contract with Verus Albus, a lesser milk spirit.]
[If you treat a spirit badly, there will be consequences.]
The last part was a bit concerning, but the excitement bubbling up inside Norm wasn’t diminished at all.
“It's real! I can’t believe it! I can become a [Mage], an adventurer. Maybe I can study together with Elpis. Impress her. She’s a [Mage]; she has to be impressed, right? Maybe I still have a chance with her and can even ask for her hand in marriage. We could go together as a power couple adventurer, become famous, maybe become a sovereign-rank adventurer! Then, after that, we’ll retire, go back to the village, have three kids, and live happily as a family. We’ll be known as the lovey-dovey couple even when we’re old.”
Norm let out a giggle.
Maybe not sovereign-rank; gold-rank is fine.
He jumped up and down, scaring Ber and the others, but he didn’t care. Even when he fell because of his excitement, he still didn’t care.
Lying on the grass, Norm laughed uncontrollably.
I’ve got to tell everybody about this.
With a grin on his face, Norm sprinted toward the village, stepping on cow poo on the way there, which managed to dampen his mood a little.