Today, while father was busy working on the farm and mother was focused on preparing lunch, I managed to sneak out of the house quietly. I made my way to the side of the house where Yggdra stood tall—my Eden Apple tree, my pride, and in many ways, my first true companion.
It's been several months since I planted that seed and began to nourish it every day. With the help of my Agriculture skill and constant mana infusion, she had grown past my own height. Her bark had toughened and matured, and her leaves were lush and glowing with health. Even though she hadn't borne any fruit yet, just seeing her strong and lively gave me a deep sense of satisfaction.
I always talk to her. I know—it might sound weird talking to a tree, but I do. I ask her how she's doing, how the sunlight feels today, or whether the breeze was too harsh in the morning. She never replies. She's a tree. Or, at least… I thought she was.
Because I still remember. That one time. A faint whisper.
"Thank you."
It was fleeting, but it stayed with me. Maybe… just maybe, that was Yggdra. Mother once told me that all living beings have souls, even plants. And with that belief, I kept nurturing her… hoping that maybe, one day, she'd talk to me again.
Today felt different.
As I placed my hand on her trunk and channeled my mana, something responded—something overwhelming. A powerful, radiant light enveloped Yggdra's body, surging through her bark and rising through her leaves like shimmering flames of emerald and gold.
"Y-Yggdra?!" I called out, startled.
At first, I panicked. I had no idea what was happening. But that fear was swiftly replaced by calm. A warm aura wrapped around me, and I felt my tiny body embraced in a bath of light. The atmosphere was serene… almost divine.
Sparks of life energy surrounded us both. Then…
Flash!
The particles of light began to condense into a form—floating right before my eyes. I shielded my gaze for a moment, and when I opened them again, something… someone was floating in front of me.
It wasn't a fairy. Not quite. It looked like a fist-sized seed. A vibrant green body, two beady golden eyes, and a wide smiling mouth. On top, it had a glowing leaf. And without hesitation—
BUMP!
The thing slammed into my chest, causing me to fall backward onto the grass.
I gasped.
A warm energy surged through me.
Something entered my soul.
Was that… Yggdra?
No… it felt like something born from her.
The glow from the tree faded slowly, and I just lay there, staring up at the canopy above.
And then… a voice. Soft. Feminine. Comforting.
"Take good care of it… it is a Nature Spirit, created by our bond."
"Yggdra?" I muttered aloud.
But the tree stood in quiet silence.
The voice didn't come again.
"A Nature Spirit…?"
Just as I tried to process that, I heard a rush of footsteps. My father appeared, eyes wide with concern.
"Leon?! Are you okay?!"
He immediately checked me over and cast a few healing spells. Warm energy coursed through me as my fatigue vanished.
"Uhh… I think I'm fine. Something weird happened. A glowing spirit… I think it came from Yggdra. It entered my chest," I said, still breathless.
His eyes widened. "A Nature Spirit?! From your tree?"
I nodded.
Without delay, he carried me in his arms and rushed back to the house. Inside, mother was just finishing her cooking.
"Oh dear! What's wrong?" she asked, alarmed.
"Faylen. Leon just made a pact with a Spirit Familiar," father said seriously.
"What?! Really?!"
"Yes," I confirmed, "But the spirit disappeared… I don't know where it went."
Mother gasped in amazement. "Leon, this is wonderful! The spirit must have entered your Soul Scape!"
"Soul Scape?"
Father nodded. "When we form a bond with a familiar, they enter a spiritual sanctuary within our soul. It's where they rest, recover, or even revive if they're destroyed."
"Wait, they can revive?"
"Indeed," mother said. "As long as you're alive, your contracted familiar can always return. Though, some may take years if badly injured."
"Wow…"
"Alright Leon, close your eyes and try to sense it," mother instructed, sitting beside me.
"Wait, hold on now," father interrupted. "He just went through something big. Let him rest a bit."
"But this is a pivotal moment! He must confirm the connection—"
"It can wait until he's ready."
Seeing them argue, I raised a hand. "I'm okay, really. I'll try it now."
I sat still and closed my eyes.
Within moments, I was back in that familiar black landscape of my inner soul… except this time, something was different.
"…Huh?"
Where there had once been a barren void of darkness, now stretched lush green grass. Wildflowers bloomed, glowing with life. Trees sprouted in the distance, and the sky—was blue.
"System?" I called out.
["I'm here…"] she replied.
"What is this place?"
["Your Soul Scape has changed. The Spirit's presence reshaped the environment."]
"Unreal… So Spirits can do this?"
["Apparently. It reflects their nature."]
I looked around until I finally noticed something bouncing through the flower fields—a fist-sized green bean with golden eyes and a wide smile. It fluttered around, playing with floating butterflies.
"That's… it?"
["Yes. That's your Spirit Familiar."]
A smile tugged at my lips. I took a step forward, raising my hand toward it.
"Hey… you're Yggdra's spirit, right?"
The little bean floated to me.
It spun in place, shining brighter, and nuzzled against my cheek.
I knew then—this was no ordinary being.
This was born of my bond with Yggdra.
A Spirit Familiar, crafted from love, mana, and time.
My very first true magical partner.
And I had just begun to learn what that meant.
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