Ver woke up to a text appearing before him.
[Contract accepted!]
[Name: Norm]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 17 years old]
[Class:]
[Villager Level 8]
[A Bit More Nutrition]
[Loud Voice]
[Lesser Disease Resistance]
[Lesser Endurance]
[Dairyman Level 11]
[Cow Friend]
[Soothing Voice]
[Locate Poop]
[Order Cow]
[Herd Blessing (Cow)]
[Spirit Contractor Level 1]
[Verus Albus: Share Emotion]
“What? MOM! DAD! LOOK! I told you I’m not crazy! I gained a new Class!”
The boy, no, Norm was sprinting out of the room before Ver could do anything.
How is he 17 years old? Do the people in this world look younger than they actually are? And how can I understand him?
Norm was speaking in a language Ver had never even heard of. Yet, Ver understood Norm completely; he could even think in that language without any trouble.
When he first arrived here, he was sure he didn’t magically learn a new language.
Maybe one of the perks of forming a contract? Wait, I just realized something. I didn’t even know what the contract entailed.
TELL ME WHAT WAS WRITTEN ON THE CONTRACT I MADE.
Nothing happened.
Well, let’s hope it doesn’t contain anything weird. More importantly, is the text gonna be in my vision forever?
The text was still in front of him, and it was really annoying. Ver tried to remove the text with his mind, and it suddenly disappeared.
If I had known I could do that, it would have made my life so much easier in the reincarnation room. Seriously, I don’t even know how the text didn’t cluster together; there was so much of it.
Before following Norm, Ver wondered where he was. Wooden floor. Wooden walls. A single bed, a wardrobe, a table, and a chair.
They didn’t look fancy, but most of the things in the room were orange, which Ver really liked.
I think I’m in Norm’s room, but how? Did Norm move me here? That’s kind of him.
With a heart full of gratitude, Ver went to where Norm was.
It was easy to do; not only was Norm in what looked like a dining room just outside the door, Ver could also instinctively sense where he was.
The dining room contained one huge square wooden table with a chair on each side. Three empty plates and glasses were already on the table, all of them made of glass and looking way too clean.
“Norm, please don’t use [Loud Voice]. You know your dad is sick; he needs all the rest he can get.”
“Sorry, mom.”
Norm did not look sorry at all; he was smiling from ear to ear.
“I got a new Class! [Spirit Contractor]! I told you I did not imagine it.”
“Okay, okay, can you get the milk from the barn?”
“But, Mom! I—”
“We’ll talk about it after breakfast, okay?”
With that, Norm’s mom went to what Ver assumed was the kitchen.
From Ver’s perspective, Norm’s mom looked really stressed. Her expression was similar to the one his mom wore after finding out his illness was getting worse.
“Just wait, I’ll show them.”
Show them what?
Ver tried to ask a question but he didn’t really know how.
Maybe screaming would work?
Just as he was about to, he remembered [Spirit Contractor], one of Norm’s Classes. It was definitely the shared Class the text mentioned, and it had the Skill [Verus Albus: Share Emotion].
The Skill had my name on it; that meant it was for me, right?
Ver tried thinking really hard to activate the Skill, but his effort went unrewarded. Not because he failed, but because it was too easy.
In his mind, there existed some kind of connection to Norm. He couldn’t see it, nor did he believe it existed in the physical world, but he could still interact with it.
He instinctively knew he could send his emotions through it, so he sent his curiosity.
“Huh? Wait, You! The flying white orb! Are you the spirit?”
I managed to communicate!
Without hesitation, Ver sent in his happiness.
“Is that a, yes? Sorry, I can only tell that you’re happy.”
How am I supposed to answer that?
It wasn’t like he could send words through the Skill, and his instinct told him that if he forced the connection to do what it wasn’t supposed to, it would break.
So Ver sent his happiness again.
“Hmm, the only thing I can tell is that you’re happy.”
Norm looked like he was thinking about something, scratching his non-existent beard with his eyes closed.
“I’m so stupid. My new Skill is literally called [Verus Albus: Share Emotion]. Of course you can only send in your emotions.”
That was true. Ver felt that Norm wasn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier; good thing Norm realized that about himself.
“Wait, does that mean I can finally do magic?”
Ver wasn’t sure about that. Norm’s mana was basically non-existent; however, he did have Ver.
From the stories he had read, someone who contracted with a spirit could cast spells with its help, yet Ver didn’t know how to do that.
“Mana Bolt!"
A really thin connection suddenly appeared, and he instinctively knew he could help Norm cast Mana Bolt through it, but he didn’t.
Disgust swelled up inside him at the thought of helping Norm cast Mana Bolt. Ver could probably ignore it; he knew that feeling came from his new body, not from him. However, Ver had picked the milk element to make milk, not to do this, so he accepted his new instinct.
“Ahhhh, why is it still not working? Water Orb!”
No.
Water and milk were both liquid, but that was like saying wood and metal were similar because they were both solid.
“What am I missing? I should be able—”
“Norm!”
“Okay, mom!”
Norm immediately ran out of the house, and Ver approved of the decision. He also wondered when Norm was finally going to get the milk. Ver wanted to bathe in it again; it felt really comfy.
At first, Ver wanted to follow Norm, but then he realized his top speed was really slow. Someone walking could easily outpace him, never mind someone running.
So Ver waited; it wasn’t like Norm wouldn’t go back.
After doing nothing for five seconds, Ver discovered another fact about his existence: he was leaking mana every second.
It was only a tiny amount, but it felt a bit uncomfortable.
Well, there’s nothing I can do about it.
His body was entirely made of mana, so it made sense that he was uncomfortable losing a little bit of himself.
I didn’t feel uncomfortable using my mana to make that contract, though. However, I did fall asleep.
Ver wasn’t sure what caused it. Maybe after making a contract, a spirit would always fall asleep? Or maybe it was because he had almost run out of mana?
Each possibility seemed likely. Maybe both of his guesses were wrong, or maybe they were both right. There was no way to know for sure right now.
Ver snapped out of his musings when Norm’s mother peeked into the dining room, then quickly went back inside. After a few seconds, she returned, helping a man Ver guessed was Norm’s father to walk to a chair at the dining table.
“You don’t have to eat breakfast with us, dear. You’re barely able to stand.”
“Nonsense. I don’t want to spend the last of my life just lying in bed.”
“Don’t say that. The healer will be here soon. You will be alright.”
They didn't talk anymore after that. Norm’s mom brought out food from the kitchen while Norm’s father just smiled; it looked forced to Ver.
Were Norm’s parents hiding how sick his father really was from him? Why?
Ver didn’t like what he was seeing.
Should I tell Norm the truth? I don’t know how, though.
He could try screaming really loudly—
“Dad!”
Norm was back, carrying a big clay pot filled with milk that he immediately put on the table before hugging his dad with a smile.
“Dad, look! I told you I did not imagine it.”
Norm was pointing at Ver, which Ver ignored.
He quickly got into the clay pot, submerging himself in milk, and tuned out the conversation around him. He didn’t like it.
The atmosphere was cheery, not gloomy and oppressive. But it felt wrong to him.
Ver didn’t want it to be gloomy, but Norm deserved to know the truth. It felt like they were sacrificing the future for the present.
It felt cruel to Ver, the thought of Norm finding out his dad had been really sick the entire time, only after he was gone.
Norm would probably have regret—regret that would linger for the rest of his life.
Even if Norm knew, he probably still had regret. Ver knew that. But that didn’t mean anyone should take Norm's last chance from him.
The clay pot he had been staying in moved, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“Look! That’s the spirit right there!”
“I don’t see anything, son.”
Maybe Ver could help? He was a spirit; there were probably better things he could do than just telling Norm the truth.
Ver looked at the half-full glass of milk in front of Norm’s dad. An idea sprang into his mind.
“Oh, c’mon. Verus? Your name is Verus, right? Can you do something so that my mom and dad believe you exist?”
Ver was already planning on doing that.
Plunging himself into Norm’s dad's half-finished glass of milk, he mustered his willpower and screamed his wish.
CREATE HEALTHY MILK!
Ver’s mana was draining quickly, slower than when he made the contract, yet he felt that his own mana wouldn’t be enough to grant what he wanted.
He panicked, thoughts racing as he tried to figure out how to fix his mana problem.
When his mana was below fifty percent, he remembered that mana was everywhere, so maybe he could use it? He didn’t know how though.
However, there was something he had learned since reincarnating—a fact of life, even. If you want to do something, scream really loudly.
MANA, PLEASE HELP ME!
Most of it didn’t move, but some answered his call. Yet, it was still not enough.
“The spirit is glowing!”
Ver ignored Norm. He was too focused on trying to convince the other mana to help him.
Every second, more mana was convinced to help him, but it was still too slow. Without any other choice, he forced the surrounding mana to help him.
Ver hated it; he didn’t like forcing someone to do something they didn’t want to. He didn’t like it when someone did it to him; he didn’t want to do to others what he himself hated.
Mana didn’t feel like a living being, but it still left a bitter taste in his nonexistent mouth. Ver promised then and there that he wouldn’t do this again unless he absolutely had to.
“HE’S GLOWING BRIGHTER!”
Even by forcing the mana all around him to help, Ver felt that it wouldn’t be easy. His order reached far and wide, but the mana in the environment was just too sparse.
Ver was getting more and more tired, not just because he was close to being completely out of mana, but because something deep inside him was also nearing empty. It was not mana, but something else.
I’ll just call it inner energy.
After nearly emptying all of his mana and his inner energy, Ver managed to create a single drop of healthy milk.
Yes! I did it!
Before he could celebrate, a wave of exhaustion hit him.
I guess almost running out of mana was the reason I fell asleep.
“NO! Don’t fall asleep!”
Too late for that.
[Dairyman Level 14]
[Spoilage Resistance (Milk)]
[Enhance Endurance]
[Spirit Contractor Level 7]
[Create Milk]
“You’re back! And by the stars, I just got six levels!”
Ver was back in Norm’s room.
He dismissed the text and sent in his happiness.
“It’s been three weeks! I thought you were gone or something.”
I had been asleep for three weeks?! I thought it was only a day or two. Wait, did I also sleep for three weeks the first time I fell asleep?
“Do spirits sleep that much? You slept for a week straight, then were awake for a few hours before sleeping again for three weeks. Will the next time be even longer?”
Oh, one week wasn’t that bad. Well, it was bad, but it wasn’t as bad as a three-week sleep. That was at least three times worse. Would I always sleep like this, or was it because both times I almost ran out of mana?
Ver sent his confusion to Norm, because he genuinely didn’t know.
“You’re confused? That means you don’t know?”
Ver moved up and down to say yes, he didn’t know.
“How? Wait, are you new to this?”
Ver moved up and down again.
“I see. What should I call you, then? Verus Albus? No? How about Verus? Albus? No. Then what?”
Being called Ver felt right. Verus sounded like Venus, and he hated how Venus was associated with love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity, and victory. That wasn’t him.
“How about Al? No. Then Ver? Yes? You like that?”
Ver sent his happiness.
“Okay, Ver. Can I ask you for a favor? Can you do whatever it is that you did before? The one with that glass of milk. My dad's sickness is getting worse, he can’t even get out of bed now, but when you do that glowing thing, he is improving a little bit.”
He could do that, but if he fell asleep for three weeks again, it wouldn’t really do much. If only he could do it more often then maybe he could really help.
There was that new Skill, [Create Milk]. Maybe it would help?
If it didn’t, and Ver was asleep for a long time again, he was afraid Norm’s father would already be dead.
But what other choice is there? Is there a better option? No, not really.
Ver moved up and down to show he would do it.
“Great! Thank you so much, Ver! I’ll go grab the milk, then. Just wait here.”
He didn’t have to wait long. After three minutes, Norm was back carrying a glass of milk.
“Here!”
Norm placed it on the table before backing away. Under his breath, he whispered quietly that Ver almost missed it.
“Please work.”
Okay, then. That's a lot of pressure.
Positioning himself above the glass, Ver activated [Create Milk]. He sensed he could create any milk he knew with the Skill, so he made healthy milk, his latest creation.
There wasn’t any resistance, and he barely used his inner energy.
MANA, HELP ME!
This time, more of the mana around him complied. The drain on his mana reserves was also slower, and it completed much more quickly. It felt more efficient than his previous attempt.
After a few seconds, a single drop of milk landed in the glass below him. He felt tired, but not so tired that he would fall asleep right then and there.
“That’s it? Is that what you did before?”
Ver moved up and down.
“Huh. And here I thought you blessed the milk or something.”
Ver moved left and right.
“No? Can you do more?”
His mana reserves wouldn’t be enough, and while the mana in the environment helped, it only assisted a little.
Absorbing it also didn’t feel right. He was made of mana—mana that was completely different from the mana in the environment. He didn’t want to change what he was made of. Just thinking about it made him sick.
So Ver moved left and right.
“Aww, that’s a shame. I’ll give this to my dad, then. You should sleep, Ver. You seem tired.”
That was true, but Ver was afraid that a long time would pass before he woke up. However, he didn’t know how to regenerate his mana except by sleeping, and it was draining every second he was awake.
He could only hope he wouldn’t be asleep for long.
“You’re back! I was worried you’d be asleep for weeks again, but thank the system you only slept for one day.”
One day? That was good news.
His mana reserves were also full. It supported his theory that the reason he had slept for so long was because he had pushed himself too hard.
It made sense. His mother always told him that pushing yourself too hard was not a good thing. The time spent recovering would ultimately make it all not worth it. It was inefficient.
My mother really was wise. Her advice still applied, even in another world.
However, it only happened once, so Ver wasn’t that sure.
“Hey Ver. I came up with an idea yesterday. I figured out that I can use [Create Milk], but I can’t create the milk you made yesterday—only goat and cow’s milk. So I was wondering, if I drink the milk you made, can I create it too? If I can, we could effectively double our milk production.”
It was a good idea, but Ver disagreed it would double their healthy milk production. Norm’s mana reserves were just too small.
Wait, I think his mana reserves increased. They were still small, but they had grown significantly.
Ver moved up and down.
“Great! I’ll go get the milk, thank you again Ver!”
Since his reincarnation, more than a month had passed, and Ver had been awake for less than an hour.
It didn’t really bother him. In fact, it made him happy.
For so long, he had been useless, so it felt great to finally be able to help someone rather than the other way around.
“I’m back!”
Norm stretched out the hand carrying the glass of milk toward Ver.
After Ver created another drop of healthy milk, Norm took a sip.
“Nothing. Maybe I need to drink more?”
Norm took another sip, then another. After a few more, he lost patience and just downed the entire thing.
“Finally! But why is it called extremely diluted healthy milk?”
After a few seconds of scratching his non-existent beard, Norm groaned and facepalmed.
“Oh wow, I’m such an idiot. Of course it would be heavily diluted. Why did I think your milk turned the cow’s milk into something else entirely? Of course that’s not how it works. Whatever, let’s just do this. [Create Milk].”
Norm put his index finger into the glass, and Ver felt his connection to him strengthen.
One drop of milk fell from his finger, then two, then three. After eight drops, it stopped, leaving Norm panting heavily.
“Why can I only make this much? Well, you’re a milk spirit, so I guess it makes sense you’re much better than me at this.”
No. It’s because you have so little mana.
[Spirit Contractor Level 8]
"At least I leveled up. No Skill, though. Shame.”
As the level-up notification came, Ver noticed that Norm’s mana reserves had increased.
Ver then checked himself, wondering if his mana reserves had also increased—which they did.
The reason he noticed Norm’s mana increasing but not his own was because Norm had so little mana compared to him that it was really noticeable. Ver wouldn’t have noticed his mana reserves increasing if he hadn’t actively looked for it.
“Should I dilute it with normal milk, or should I just give my dad this?”
Norm held the glass filled with fourteen drops of milk in his hand.
Ver sent his disappointment.
“Emm, I don’t know if you want me to dilute it or not.”
Is he serious? His dad wouldn’t even taste anything with how little there was.
Ver sent his intense disappointment.
“I’m sorry, okay? You don’t have to feel so disappointed. Move up and down to dilute it, or move side to side to give it as it is.”
Still sending his disappointment, Ver moved up and down.
“Okay, okay, I get it.”
As Norm left the room, Ver allowed himself to finally fall asleep.
Let’s hope I only sleep for a day again.
“Ver! You slept only for a day again.”
Ver sent his happiness.
That settled it. If he pushed himself too hard, he would sleep for a very long time, but if he didn’t reach that point, he only needed a day to fully replenish his mana, maybe less.
He still didn’t know why he always woke up in the morning. Maybe his old habit carried through? It was unlikely, but possible.
“Okay, I think I should go first. My confidence will take a hit otherwise.”
Norm ran out of the room, grinning from ear to ear, before Ver could do anything.
He seems really excited. Is his father's condition improving? That’s good, but I hope his father isn’t faking it. It looks like something that he would do to make Norm happy. If it’s the latter, then I should work harder.
The question was how.
Their mana reserves were what really limited them, but Ver didn’t know how to get around that. Leveling up helped, but not that much.
Maybe I should make it more efficient?
But he didn’t know how to do that.
Wait, from the stories I read, spirits usually help the mage cast their spell; they’re rarely doing it solo.
Even though he didn’t know how he could achieve it, he was not completely blind either.
Yesterday, when Norm used [Create Milk], Ver’s connection to him had increased. Last time, he was too tired to do anything about it, but now he had his full mana reserves.
“I’m back!”
Norm carried a clay pot full of milk into his room, placed it on his table, then went out again and came back with an empty glass that he placed next to the clay pot.
“Okay, here we go. [Create Milk].”
The connection strengthened, and Ver immediately tried to use [Create Milk] through it. He didn’t plan to; it just felt natural.
MANA, HELP ME!
From Norm’s finger, rather than a drop, came a stream of milk.
“What?! How?!”
When the glass was almost full, the stream stopped.
“Ver, did you do something?”
Ver moved up and down, while also sending his happiness.
“Hmm, what we created was extremely diluted milk, but the result is still the same as when you do it alone. I felt like I could create more, though. But the important question is, can you help me again?”
Ver moved up and down. He still had a lot of mana; he could probably do it one more time, maybe two if he forced himself, before he had to sleep.
Hmm, maybe I could also raise the quality of the milk being made rather than only helping Norm make his version. Worth a try.
This time, Ver wouldn't repeat the same mistake he made before. He would stop before it went too far.
“Great, let’s do this!”
After grabbing another glass, Norm pointed his finger into it.
“[Create Milk].”
BE BETTER.
MANA, HELP ME!
His inner energy slowly drained away, and his mana consumption also increased, but it was still manageable.
When the glass was full, Ver was exhausted; he wanted to fall asleep immediately. However, he could still fight it. It wasn’t the bone-deep tiredness like the other two times that caused him to sleep for so long.
“Huh, that’s different. The milk felt better. Ver, did you increase the milk quality or something?”
Ver moved up and down, sending his satisfaction.
[Spirit Contractor Removed]
[Dairyman Removed]
[Milk Saint Class Obtained!]
[Milk Saint Level 10!]
[Bless Milk Obtained!]
“Woohoo! I got a Class consolidation! It reached level 10, too. With this, I think I can even heal my dad!”
I thought he already believed that from the start.
Ver sent his confusion.
“You’re confused? Wellll, I did believe the milk would help my dad, but I didn’t believe it would cure him. My goal from the start was to keep my dad's condition from getting worse until the healer showed up.”
That made sense.
However, Ver didn’t like it, so he sent his dissatisfaction.
“Don’t be like that, Ver. I was just being realistic. The best potion in the village already failed to cure my dad; it could only prevent it from getting worse for a couple of days. I was too low level, no way I'd be able to cure my dad. But now? I’m not so sure.”
Ver sent his disappointment. He’d thought Norm believed in him, but apparently not. He felt betrayed.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry.”
Apology accepted.
It was good Norm apologized; an apology meant he would never do it again. So Ver sent in his happiness.
My dad always said trust is important in any kind of relationship. If you don’t trust the other person, it will cause trouble down the line.
“I take it you forgive me?”
Ver moved up and down.
“Thank you, Ver. Wanna test out the new Skill?”
Ver sent his happiness while moving up and down.
“Okay then, [Bless Milk]!”
BE BETTER!
Ver immediately regretted his action. He was just too excited and got carried away. But thankfully, while it drained his inner energy, it didn’t drain his mana at all.
The milk glowed, but it didn’t feel like light was coming out of it; it just felt more real. He wasn't even sure the glow was real. It could just be his mind trying to figure out what he was supposed to be seeing.
“Wow, it… glows.”
The disappointment was obvious in Norm’s tone of voice.
“Honestly, I don’t know why I thought the Skill would do something flashy, like summoning a fairy to bless the milk. By the abyss, it’s only a level 10 Skill. Sure, it’s a milestone, but it can’t be that amazing.”
Ver was very confused. He didn’t know why Norm thought it would summon a fairy, or why being flashy was a requirement for a good Skill.
Well, what do I know? I don’t think I’ve passed the one-hour mark of being conscious in this world. I don't even know the real name of the energy deep inside me.
Ver could just ask Norm about this world by screaming loudly, but he couldn’t afford to waste any resources. For all he knew, talking with Norm would immediately drain him, and that was a risk he couldn’t take right now.
“Why am I even complaining? Maybe the Skill is good. There’s a good chance it'll even help my dad get better. I guess I just wanted it to be flashy to prove to them that I’m not lying.”
Prove what? And to whom?
Ver had a lot of questions but no way to ask them.
Well, it is what it is.
“I’m going to give this to my dad. Are you gonna go to sleep again, Ver?”
Ver moved up and down.
“That’s a shame, but oh well, I can show you to the others another time. Sleep well, Ver, and thank you. If you weren’t here, I don’t know what I’d do.”
Ver sent in his happiness; it always felt good to be appreciated.
“Bye, Ver.”
With a heart full of love, Ver fell asleep.