In the realm of consciousness, Viers was sitting cross-legged as if in meditation and Clarissa was watching him closely.

“Feel the center of your mind… Your thoughts are your own… Reject outside interference…” She spoke softly to Viers so as to not disturb his concentration.

Since she taught Viers the Arte of mind protection a few days ago, he had not been able to cast it even once. Although the Arte wasn't exclusive to mind Pathseekers, it still belonged to the domain of the mind. Viers who had no affinity to mind had difficulty making the first steps.

But he’s getting better though. He should be close- oh?

She sensed Viers successfully invoking the Arte.

“Arte - Mind Curtain!”

Although there were no visible changes on the outside, the Arte was without a doubt, in effect.

“Pheeew. At last,” he exhaled and smiled.

“Congratulations. Let me explain it to you one more time. Mind Curtain Arte protects your mind from all kinds of mental effects.”

“Yes, yes. Not only direct metal attacks, it also protects from charm, invasion, control, suggestion, hypnosis, and any other mind-fuckery. I remember.”

“True, the good part of this Arte is the sustainability. Once cast, it will remain active until it is un-cast or broken by the enemy. It doesn't need Victa for upkeep but the initial cost is quite high.”

“Still good. I’m satisfied,” Viers nodded.

“Now the bad part. Mind Curtain’s defense power is quite low. It is ‘curtain’ after all, not ‘rampart’ or ‘fortress’. Those are beyond your current ability. Against true mind users, it can be pierced. Nevertheless, it offers some protection and lets you know if your mind is under attack. While the curtain is being ruffled and taken down by the enemy, you can take defensive measures.”

“In the end, I’m not a mind Pathseeker. Of course there are areas where I’m lacking.” Viers acknowledged he couldn't become the best in every department. “The important thing is, my mind is no longer unprotected. That’s enough for now.”

Viers requested Clarissa for Artes that can protect him from fate and mind, and now he had both. For guarding his mind, Mind Curtain Arte. For guarding -kind of- against fate, Insignificant Fate Arte.

Without some kind of protection from fate’s meddling, Viers wouldn't leave Pecan Village.

The space nearby twisted and two girls came out from the distortion.

“Ah, welcome back. How’s your training?” Viers asked.

“It went well. I and Farley fought many kinds of enemies. It was fun,” Paina answered positively.

“It is a very rewarding experience. It is very realistic, no risk of injury, and we can experiment with our Arte without Victa usage. With this, a clan or a faction can train many powerhouses. The Grid is a treasured artifact that every faction will salivate for,” Farley said in awe.

Viers put the remnants of the system from Sigma to good use. The virtual reality was a top-grade training apparatus. He and the girls went in frequently. Viers could recreate monsters and people based on the data he had. There were more than a hundred monsters there and fifty human opponents. Even Freya and Shlomo could be simulated.

Paina could experiment with her music and experience some battle, Farley went inside to resharpen her battle instinct, and Clarissa boom-ed monsters to kingdom come for relieving stress.

“And it seems you’ve succeeded as well. Congratulations, Lord Viers,” Farley said.

“Yep. Now that we're all here, want to see my next magic trick?”

A few minutes later, in his room at Bird Nest inn.

“Remember, there’s no need to panic. Whatever strangeness you see, just observe. I don't think it’s possible but in case you’re in danger, defend yourself first and foremost.”

“Yes Master!” Boram replied.

There was a table put in the center of the room, basic enchantment tools and ingredients that Viers bought earlier were neatly on top of it.

“Let’s do this!”

Viers pulled out one of the souls inside him, it was the Level 3 array master from the graveyard.

“Turfon, Hyoi Gattai!!”

And Viers let the ghost possess him.

***

Viers had no knowledge about arrays and formations. He could see through arrays thanks to Euryale Sight and break them using brute force but he couldn't make or skillfully unravel arrays.

He could use soul search on someone well versed in arrays but while it gave him knowledge, it didn't give him the skill required.

Having the knowledge about canvas, paint, and painting techniques did not make one automatically able to make a painting magnum opus.

But Viers was well versed in superpowers, 21st century Earth was overflowing with fictions and fantasies. He got many inspirations from them and one technique where he could solve his problem came to mind.

His soul power opened a lot of doors where he could take advantage of his vast wealth of stories. Raising the dead was only a small piece of what the soul affinity could do.

After performing the possession, Viers(?) opened his eyes. He looked confused. Boram watched with worry. What kind of insanity did his master do this time?

“I am the great enchanter Turfon! Bwahahahaha!” Viers(?) laughed like a maniac below his cozy enchanted helmet.

“I… I want to enchant this room! Yes, yes! That is my life’s purpose! And I already prepared the tools, as expected of me. Let's get to it! This room shall be under the protection of my enchantment!”

Viers(?) took up the brush on the table and dipped it into a mixture of ingredients made of powdered monster core and other special mixture. He then began to make scribbles and patterns on the floor. He did it with a passion bordering zealotry.

Ten minutes later.

“...There! Just a simple detection and protection array but I've given it my all! It only needs mana crystals or someone’s Victa to power it. Hahahaha!”

Boram watched the one-man comedy act in silence.

“Now… now I want… to inspect the rings! Yes, yes, YES!!” Viers(?) examined the locked inventory rings as if they were divine artifacts.

“Three by four enchantments… Holduri formula… One failsafe… I’ve got it! Two weeks. Two weeks and I can unlock the rings. I’ll become the greatest enchanter. It is my dream! I’ll stop at nothing to do so. This measly locking enchantment will not hold a candle to-”

In the middle of heated self-talk, Viers(?) dropped to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut and seemed to have lost consciousness. Boram struggled to decide whether to come to his master’s aid or not for a few seconds but the body moved before he could come to a decision.

“Urgh, my head hurts like having a nasty hangover… and I’m so tired. In fact, my body and soul are tired… Well, at least the test is a success. Definitely need more practice. It’s okay now Boram, relax. You can put the hammer down.”

***

Viers let Boram cultivate in peace while reviewing his earlier performance.

He didn't have the time and drive to learn enchantments from scratch so he made use of someone who was already an expert.

Inspired by a certain series about shamans, Viers devised a plan to make use of the skills of the dead. Using Hyoi Gattai he could make use of the soul’s skills from the time they had been alive. Using Turfon’s soul, Viers became an expert enchanter.

Naturally, Viers didn't let down his guard while performing something as dangerous as a possession. He let the foreign spirit control his body but he also manipulated the spirit from behind, meticulously and vigilantly.

Viers drew out his skill as an enchanter and suppressed his other memories and ego. it wasn't a complete possession and Turfon acted half crazy as the result.

The rings were too precious so Viers made a test run by making Turfon construct a protection array in his room first. There could never be enough security in a place like Marakkus. As an expert enchanter, Turfon managed to easily create the protection array without difficulty even though he was using Viers' body.

Viers was satisfied and let him examine the inventory rings.

I’ve come to Marakkus to find an enchanter to unlock the rings. In a way I did. But the possession took quite a bit of stamina and making a single array uses Victa. It’s fair to think the opposite also needs Victa. Since there’s something big brewing in Marakkus right now, perhaps I should hold it off until things start to calm down or after leaving the city. I need to maintain my combat readiness.

“Boram, it's already noon. Buy something to eat for both of us,” Viers said.

“Yes Master,” Boram went out of the room swiftly.

While waiting for Boram, he absorbed mana from his surroundings and his mana crystals but while alone, his was mind often going places.

Heh, after Hiten Mitsurugi-ryuu now Hyoi Gattai, huh? People should call me Shaman King X! Mwuahaahaha!

Viers kept filling his intio with mana, only after it was full he could try to make a breakthrough to Level 3 but he still needed quite a bit. He was halfway there though. Serpentes Renovamen, Dia’s Biome, and regularly burning money (absorbing mana crystals) made him have significant cultivation growth.

Level 3 at the age of seventeen was an extraordinary feat and Viers still had six months before his seventeenth birthday.

The sound of Boram opening the lock returned Viers from his contemplation.

“Master, the streets are going crazy. Apparently a new Biome has just been discovered this morning.”

The smell of the hot meal Boram brought was delicious but the news he conveyed was more appetizing.