The next morning, Ben stared at the ceiling of the dormitory with dark circles under his eyes, the events of yesterday spinning around in his head like a drunk acrobat on a merry-go-round. His spirit power had skyrocketed to level 17—an absurd jump. From an innate level 3 talent, it should've taken him another year or more to get here. And the culprit? That damn glowing bone that got yoinked into his chest like some spooky magic vacuum. He shuddered.
"Nope. Not thinking about that again."
He sat up, rubbed his temples, and let out a long, slow sigh.
"Now… how the hell am I supposed to explain this?"
Ben rolled off his haybed with the grace of a dying seal and began pacing. He couldn't just walk into Spirit Hall and go "Hey I found a bone in a box and my Martial Soul went nom nom." That was asking to be kidnapped, dissected, or worse—turned into free labor for the rest of his life.
"Okay… okay… Plan B. I'll say I had a second awakening! No one knows what my Martial Soul even is. Hell, even I don't. That's safe, right? Yeah, totally normal. Second awakenings happen all the time… in manga..."
With nerves balled up in his gut, he marched toward the Spirit Hall Branch Office in Nuoding City. The building was modest, built in silver-and-blue motif, adorned with the sigil of Spirit Hall—an ornate six-winged angel. Inside, a long counter with a receptionist greeted him with a glance up from her scroll.
"Can I help you, child?"
Ben cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. I'm Ben. Spirit Master from Nuoding Academy. I hit level 10 and wanted to claim my stipend."
The woman blinked, glanced at a nearby spirit tool for scanning power levels, then gestured to a side room. "Take a seat. A certified inspector will be with you shortly."
After a few minutes, a middle-aged man in white robes entered. His short, neatly combed hair and gentle eyes gave off the impression of a friendly uncle, but the subtle pressure from his spirit power made Ben sit up straight.
"I am Deacon Mu, Spirit Hall's registrar here. You said you've reached level 10, yes? Kindly summon your Martial Soul, and we'll verify your soul power."
Ben hesitated, then activated his Martial Soul.
The room lit up with a silver shimmer as the arrow-shaped core embedded in his chest and the arm bracers with fin-like protrusions materialized. His lone spirit ring—the yellow ring with a silver hue—circled calmly beneath his feet.
Mu blinked. Then squinted.
"...That is... unique."
Ben laughed nervously. "Yeah, haha. Had a bit of a late bloomer moment. My Martial Soul had a… second awakening, I guess. Only happened recently."
"A second awakening? At your age?" Mu's tone turned sharper, less curious and more probing.
Ben gulped. "Y-yeah! It's, um, still stabilizing… but it gave me a big boost. I'm at level 17 now."
Mu's eyebrows lifted. "Seventeen?"
Ben nodded sheepishly.
Mu frowned, clearly skeptical. "What is your first spirit ability?"
Ben raised his hand and focused. "It's called Core Pulse. It passively enhances my energy absorption by a percentage of my current soul level. So right now… 17% more energy flow. It also strengthens my body while active."
Mu seemed stunned. "...That's an extremely rare passive ability. Efficient too. Hmm."
Ben scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Yeah. I just… figured I should let someone know, y'know?"
After a brief silence, Deacon Mu smiled. Too warmly.
"Have you ever considered joining Spirit Hall? With a Martial Soul like yours, and a promising growth rate… we would be very interested in grooming you for greater things."
Ben's heart skipped a beat.
Trap. This is a trap. I've read this in every shady manga offer ever.
He chuckled nervously. "Ahaha, that's really flattering! But I like the peaceful student life, you know? Run, lift, fish, study. I'm not really cut out for all that… responsibility."
Mu's smile twitched slightly, then returned to polite mode. "Of course. The offer stands, should you change your mind. Here is your certification—Spirit Master Ben Dover, Martial Soul: Unknown Variant Body Type. First spirit skill verified. Stipend claim approved."
Ben took the small scroll with both hands, and Mu handed it over like he was giving something sticky.
He bowed politely. "Thank you, sir."
Ben left the building in a speedwalk that quickly turned into a full sprint.
At the city gates, Wang sheng waited for him with their travel bags.
"Everything go well, Ben?"
Ben wiped his brow. "Yup. Totally fine. No one tried to draft me into a shadowy mega-religious organization or anything."
Wang sheng blinked. "...You worry me sometimes, Ben."
Together, they began their walk toward Nuoding Academy.
Ben glanced down at his spirit ring, still shimmering faintly.
"I'm level 17. I've got a passive cultivation boost. And now I get free gold coins every month. That's right. The salted fish life is back on track."