"What? At this time of day… Ah, I see. Are you my disciple?"

"Yes. Nice to meet you. I'm…"

"That's enough. You're my disciple in name only. It's just a system. We're not actually in a teacher-disciple relationship, so there's no need to introduce yourself. I will only teach you the basics of the field. I have no intentions of teaching you any profound secrets or anything of the sort."

His words contained no goodwill nor any hostility. His emotion lacked curiosity. He had clearly drawn the boundaries and announced that this was only a business relationship.

"Hmm."

It was an unexpected turnout, but it wasn't bad at all. Rather, I felt more comfortable that he had been so direct from the beginning.

"Well, then I look forward to your kind cooperation."

"I got it, so wait. I'm not done with this yet."

He picked up the hammer once more and resumed work.

Clang! Claang!

Chhhhh!

I could see his muscular upper beyond the rising steam. His height was over 190 centimeters and his forearms were thicker than my thighs. I looked up above his head.

Armament Temple

Level 9

Equipment Manufacturing Expert Lee Do-geom

'Level nine, huh.'

The titles of ability holders were classified into novice, expert, master, compléter, and transcendent. If I had to translate the titles into levels, it would be as followed. Levels 1 to 3 were those who had just entered the scene — the novices. Levels 4 to 6 were skilled people who were somewhat familiar with their abilities — the experts. Levels 7 to 9 were those who were able to freely utilize their abilities — the masters. Finally, experts who reached level 10 were called compléter. They were those who gained enlightenment, allowing them to use abilities that were somewhat comparable to having an authority (although not very high).

He was level nine, which meant...

'He should probably be stuck at a wall.'

I wasn't sure exactly how long he had been stagnant for. His skin was tight without any wrinkles, which made it difficult to estimate his age, but his white hair and stubborn eyes definitely belonged to that of an old man.

Chhhh!

Do-geom had been tempering a sword for a long time. He thrust the blade into a strange substance that resembled either a rock or a jelly, then shook the dust off his hands.

"Is that going to be fine? There's smoke coming from it…"

"Don't mind it. I'm brewing it."

Brewing it? I was confused by the strange choice of words, but he paid it no attention and flopped down on a nearby workstation. Then, he turned his head and stared into the empty air. Ordinary people would have found the sight strange, but I knew what he was looking at.

'He's looking at the mission.'

He soon turned his head back.

"From the start, you chose elemental summoner, blacksmith, and strongman at the same time? Besides, you didn't choose to use the spiritual production to train your spiritual power but aura production. You must be out of your mind. I was wondering why I had been tasked with a mere tutorial… Well."

Do-gun glared at me. He seemed to have a lot of complaints.

"Who's backing you?"

"I don't have any particular background."

"Then why is the mission reward so… No, never mind. It's none of my business."

He shook his head, then started searching a cupboard on one side of his smithy. He pulled out a small chair that was glittering with gold. The golden chair had three legs, each decorated with jewels of different colors.

"Let's start with the spiritual arts. It's something that's all or nothing."

"All or nothing?"

"It's exactly as it sounds. Martial arts and magic take a lot of time and training to set foot into, but spiritual arts is different. Those who have the talent will be able to use it naturally without anyone to teach them, and those without talent could try anything and still won't be able to set foot until they die."

He pushed the gold chair in front of me. Upon a closer examination, I could see that the chair was literally a piece of art decorated with gold and jewels.

"Well, even considering that, you're pretty lucky. There's no one who can arrange a spirit contract as easily as I can in the Lee Family."

"Is this pure gold?"

"Did you think it would be plated? Stop talking nonsense and sit down."

I followed his guidance and sat down on the chair. Do-geom took out a bottle and uncapped it before pouring it over my head. The alcohol soaked my hair, then began flowing down my face and neck.

"Ah, it's cold. What are you doing?"

"It's a process. The contract itself won't be difficult. You just need to sign a contract with one of the lowest rank spirits that approach you from the spirit world. If none of them approach you, it means you have no talent. Then, there is nothing I can do."

Gush.

Two, three, four bottles of soju were poured over my head. My entire body was soaked in soju and a small puddle had formed at my feet. The smell of alcohol started to cause a headache.

"How long are you going to be pouring soju… What are you doing?"

Clip.

Anxiety began to grow as he took out a dagger from his waist, then cut the wires of a dryer which was fixed on the wall.

"Do-geom-nim?"

He disregarded my call, then threw the dryer to the side. He unfurled the wire and threw it into the pool of soju. He explained.

"Again, you don't have to do anything. The spirit will make the decision. You just need to nod your head."

Then he picked up the electrical cord and...

"No, no, wait a minute. You aren't."

He plugged it in.

Craackk-!!

There was no pain. I didn't have time to feel it.

"…What the hell."

Because I was standing in a whole new place.

Oh! I've never been to the spirit world before! It's pretty amazing.

Before I knew it, Ares was standing next to me. His sculpture-like appearance and muscular body wasn't a projection of augmented reality created by Udjat, but an elemental body projected from his thoughts. However, Genie didn't seem to possess such a talent. She briefed me.

Dimensional movement confirmed. We are currently located in Area 73 B of the Elemental Plane. It is impossible for the ship to interfere in an outer dimension. It is extremely unlikely, but there is a possibility of running into an Untouchable, so please exercise caution.

'But you can communicate with the spirit world?'

If communication with outer dimensions was impossible, external communication would fail during an Astral Drive. Of course, communication with the spirit world is possible because Captain-nim's physical body in reality is acting as a relay and Udjat is functioning as a receiver and an observer.

I walked through a forest as I listened to Genie's explanation. The environment was so normal that it was hard to believe I was in the spirit world. If I didn't know any better, I would have believed that this was a remote forest on Earth. However, there was something unusual about the forest. It was so full of vitality that I felt rejuvenated just by walking and breathing.

"Ah, cold… huh?"

I dipped my feet into a creek and quickly took it out, finally realizing something I had not noticed until now.

"What? Where are all my clothes?"

No clothes, Captain-nim. Only your soul has passed on to the spirit world.

"But I have Udjat."

Udjat is a magic armament. Weapons possessing soul energy can be transferred over to the spirit world.

"…So that's why I have Shadow Stalker as well."

Which meant… I was walking around naked while only wearing glasses and a watch.

"Well, I should quickly sign a contract and get out of here."

However, contrary to my hope, the surroundings were dead silent. No matter where I looked, I could not see any spirits. Do-geom said that everything would be good once I met and signed a contract with a suitable lowest-rank spirit. Since the success of the spirit contract was absolutely dependent on talent, no prior learning was necessary.

Yet.

I wasn't able to meet and greet the spirits before signing a contract with one of them. It wasn't even because I lacked the talent.

Wow! What is this energy… Hiek!?

Gaah! What is that!?

Kiyaaah! Run away!!

A mole-shaped spirit had its head sticking out of a hole. It screamed in horror before thrusting its head back into its cave in hiding. A squirrel-shaped spirit fell off a tree and a girl-shaped spirit playing in the nearby scream shrieked before hurriedly diving into the water.

Shock and terror! As the panic-stricken spirits ran away, silence descended on the vitality-filled forest.

They're running away?

They're running away.

"……"

I watched the spirits scatter all over the place like a flock of rats escaping from a sinking ship with a dumbfounded expression.

Unlike the fearless humans who were trying to pick a fight with you, the spirits seem to feel something.

"Even so, how am I supposed to sign a contract with them if they all run away?'

I was truly flabbergasted. I kept walking through the forest. I wasn't necessarily chasing them, I was just curious about the place known as the spirit world. But my every step was accompanied by a fluctuation in the far trees. The forest was shaking like waves.

Kiyah! He's coming this way!

Ah, don't push me!

Let's go somewhere further away!

I could hear countless voices. They were like whispers coming from a far distance. They had already gotten so far away that I could only hear their voices, but not see any of them.

"I won't be even able to tell my attribute like this…"

Humans were born with one or more attributes, and their respective attributes had a huge influence on training their abilities. All the ability users confirmed their attributes using various methods. Elemental summoners had the easiest way to check their own attributes. Once they were in the spirit world, only spirits possessing their attributes would approach them.

Will the contract fail?

Excuse me…

Just get out of there, Captain-nim. What use is spiritual arts in the Great Universe anyways? The hardest power to utilize in space is natural power. Production is the only answer left.

E, excuse me…

"Aren't you guys dismissing this too easily? I came all the way here so I could train."

I became dismayed at the words of Genie and Ares.

Hey!!!

"Whoa."

I turned my head in surprise at the sudden shout. A girl less than a meter tall was standing in front of me. No, could I call her a girl?

"Hey, what is this? An action figure?

She certainly looked like a human being, but she wasn't human. Her glossy skin clearly differentiated her, as well as her short height of 1 meter and a slim body with perfect proportions. She was not a human being, but a metal figure in the shape of a girl.

Hello, I'm Pink Pink, a first-tier metal spirit.

What a name…

Listening to Genie's moans, I stared at the figure in front of me.

"A metal spirit? Not a spirit of action figures?"

Even though there are many crazy people in the world, there aren't enough to create a spirit of figures… No, wait, that's not important. Ah! Please don't come near me!!

I became flustered as Pink Pink hurriedly retreated when I moved one step forward. I could see the obvious pain in her glossy metal face.

"Are you all right?"

I am not alright!! What exactly are you? The spiritual pressure you give off is so strong that I feel like my lungs will collapse! Naturally, I don't actually have a lung!!

"Ah… So I won't be able to sign a spirit contract?"

I'm a first-tier spirit, and even I can't get close to you. How would you sign a contract? I'm giving you advice because you smell like metal.

I licked my lips at Pink Pink's words. I wanted to learn the spiritual arts because I possessed the talent for spiritual power and communion, but it seemed like it would be difficult.

"What about the Spirit King?"

I asked casually. Of course, discussing the Spirit King right after entering the spirit world was literally without conscience, but there was nothing else I could say. Only the Spirit King was stronger than the first-tier spirits.

But Pink Pink said something unexpected.

There is no Spirit King of metal.

"How can there be no metal Spirit King when metal is one of the five elements?"

I asked back. It was ridiculous. I wasn't well-versed in spirit techniques, it was obviously strange that there was no metal Spirit King when metal was one of the five fundamental elements that formed the universe. She started to speak while looking at my flustered expression.

Well.

Pink Pink twirled her pink hair.

They all died not long ago…