Rebirth Of The Bastard Spirit Summoner

The rain had slowed down a bit. Although it was still enough to drench anyone who dared to walk underneath it, the winds were no longer so violent that an umbrella could not be used.

Stark was walking back home, using the stolen umbrella to protect himself from the rain. Jade was beside him, both of them with one hand on the umbrella's rod.

He kept his eyes on the stone path that led up to the city, watching as the raindrops bounced on the stone, and how the shallow water washed over his foot—but his mind was elsewhere.

'Fa Jin hun?'

He could still feel the electric tingles that had danced across his skin the moment that force neared him, and on his cheek was a red burn from the lightning.

It was a terrifying power, but that was not what fascinated Stark.

He had not sensed even a drop of mana from that attack. It was not a spell, neither was it a magical attack. It was something else.

Something that Stark wanted to get his hands on at all costs.

Not once had he ever seen anyone demonstrate such a power. Over the years, magic, beast taming, and Awakeners must have dominated, making it an archaic practice, yet it was still very potent.

Jade nudged him with her elbow, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Are you still hung up about the fight?"

He slowly shook his head.

"How can I be? When all I can think about is getting that power for myself?"

•••

Meanwhile…

The old sage retook his position by the side of the bridge, the corners of his lips tugged up in a smile.

After the fall of the ancient arts many years ago, only a few people were left to carry on the legacy and culture of combat.

He was one of the last generation of martial artists.

He had tried his best to pass on the technique, but everyone was hung up on magic, a new concept that had just come to be.

Even the beast tamers who were once practitioners decided to hone beast taming so as not to lose to the mages.

That was how he was left without any students, and as a result, the ancient arts died.

His regrets were the reason he was still here in spirit form, resting at the bridge so that he could one day find a successor that could carry even just one of the techniques.

Yet he found none.

Up until today.

"I hope you're ready, kid." The sage said, glancing at the turbulent water below the bridge.

"To grow, a seed must first die and be born anew. This training might very well kill you."

•••

Kael sat in his room at a luxurious inn, glancing through the papers he had written over the past few days.

Then he began to write, rearranging everything he had penned down into an organized manner.

He first started with an introduction, an objective, and then a short summary of the work before he moved over to other details.

Very little was known about the snow mimic; their behavioral patterns, the extent of their abilities and others were a complete mystery, so his plan was to publish a thesis on the subject matter.

He adjusted his glasses and glanced at the clock.

—5:00 PM

He continued with his work, he drew sketches describing the environment and even went as detailed as speaking about the humidity.

By the time he was done, it was well past 10 PM.

Ting!

A slow chime sounded from his desk.

Kael pulled his drawer open and pulled out a magical crystal, the object that was the source of the sound.

It was a device similar to a snow globe. It had a round crystal ball placed atop an intricate golden frame that held it up.

When he tapped the screen, the image of a petite elf appeared. She was standing on a short ladder, while stacking up books on a large shelf.

"Uhum…" Kael fake-coughed. "Ness? How can I help you?"

The woman turned to the crystal immediately she heard his voice and lost her footing. "Uwaaaa!" She screamed as she came tumbling down.

The ladder fell by the side and the books scattered all over her body. "Owwww!" She complained, a tear forming in her eyes as she looked up to the ball.

Then her face brightened up. "Ahh, Kael!"

Kael sighed. "Professor Kael… you know what, that doesn't even matter. What do you want, Professor Ness?"

The woman placed her hand—which was covered by an oversized sleeve—on her mouth and looked up to the ceiling.

"Hmmmmm, I don't remember…"

"Then why did you call?!"

She waved her hand dismissively, a goofy smile on her face. "Never mind that, my cute cousin has finally arrived after many months!"

Ness turned to the side and waved a girl over. "Come, come, let me introduce you to my junior."

A shy girl walked into view and bowed low in greeting. Her blonde hair was bright and had a couple of red streaks in it, and her green eyes, although innocent, had a certain depth Kael could not place.

"This is my cousin Kaeri, a High Elf candidate as well as my candidate for the upcoming exams." Ness said with a low chuckle. "I hope you haven't forgotten our bet?

How could he forget when she reminded him at every single moment?

With the academy exams coming soon, they had made a bet: whoever's candidate ranks higher in the final result would win, and the loser would be made to do things Kael would rather not mention.

Ness' eyes narrowed slightly and a sly smile appeared on her face. "Still playing in the bush? Or have you actually found a candidate?"

"Of course I have found a candidate! Someone far more talented than anyone you have ever seen!" Kael said angrily.

"Hu hu. Alright then."

The crystal went dark, and Kael slumped on his chair.

"A High Elf candidate?! That old hag!"

She must have known about Kaeri long before they made that bet. She lured me into a darn trap.

For an airhead like her, Kael was actually rather surprised.

But still, where was he supposed to find someone of that level?

It had been many months already, and he had not found a single person worth his time, let alone someone with more potential than Kaeri.

At this point, he was becoming desperate…