CHAPTER 50: SPIRIT REALM [2]

The man in front of me was one of the greatest minds in all of Ascension of the Arcane King novel.

He was the homeroom teacher of the main characters and the one who brought them together in the first place.

And let’s say, he was known around this area for this strictness,

’Ahh, I still remember when Freya had nightmares about his assignments in the novel.’

A quiet chuckle escaped me at the thought. The memory was oddly endearing now.

Back then, every member of the main cast had been worlds apart — different backgrounds, different goals, different tempers. Yet somehow, against all odds, their bond had grown into something rare.

Watching their relationships evolve had been one of the most fascinating parts of the story.

"I hope you all have at least some idea about the Spirit Realm."

My train of thought snapped in half at the sound of Professor Kaine’s voice. Around me, heads nodded quickly.

Everyone already knew what he was talking about.

"Good. Serena, why don’t you explain it?"

He asked Serena, who started answering his question unfazed. She had grown accustomed to the fact that the professor would ask her for answers.

"The Spirit Realm is a realm many believe exists in another dimension. No one knows exactly where it is, but it’s the place that brought mana into our world, Atherwyn, tens of centuries ago."

"That’s a good answer, Serena," Kaine said. His tone was praise, but his face stayed like stone, as if this was exactly the answer he expected.

Then, out of nowhere, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Ah. And who here is... Loki?"

Sigh.

’Of course. Can’t let me enjoy my quiet corner for more than five minutes.’

I raised my hand lazily. "That would be me, Professor."

Kaine’s gaze lingered. Then, for the first time, his mouth twitched into the faintest smirk.

"You got first place in the theory exam. The highest score in a decade for a first-year student. Impressive. Let’s see if it was a fluke or not."

I tilted my head slightly as the question came.

"Tell me, what is the true nature of the Spirit Realm?"

I leaned back as I heard it with my elbow resting on the desk.

I knew about it from the novel, of course.

"The Spirit Realm is a parallel plane, layered over our own like a second skin. It’s not a separate ’place’ floating in the void — it’s here, all around us, but out of phase. You can’t reach it by walking, only by breaking the boundary between realms."

Kaine gave the faintest nod, urging me to go on.

"It’s the source of all mana. Every drop of mana we use here leaks from there.

Spirits live in that realm because their bodies are made of pure spirit energy — they can’t survive long in our world without an anchor.

That’s why spirit cards exist: they let a spirit tether itself to a summoner and draw mana to maintain a form here."

"Good. And why is it dangerous to enter?" Kaine asked.

I smiled faintly. "Because it’s not built for us. The laws of our world don’t fully apply there —mana and spirit energy density is so high that it can overload a human body. Time can stretch or snap without warning. And the locals? Well... most of them see humans as either trespassers or prey."

A couple of students shifted uneasily in their seats at my words.

Kaine’s eyes also narrowed, testing me. "So if it’s that hostile, why do arcanes seek it out at all?"

I let my smirk show. "Because everything worth having is behind a locked door, Professor. And the Spirit Realm is one very big, very dangerous door."

Kaine held my gaze for a few seconds longer. Then, finally, he gave a short nod."Acceptable."

Which, coming from him, was the equivalent of a standing ovation.

Kaine straightened, his attention shifting from me to the rest of the class.

"Good. Since Mr. Loki has already given us a proper foundation, let’s clarify something most novices tend to mix up — mana and spirit energy."

The scratch of quills and pens filled the air as students scrambled to take notes.

"Mana," he began, his voice steady and deliberate, "is fuel. Think of it as the raw power arcanes draw upon. We humans and even spirits beasts can use mana... but we are not made of it."

He paused, letting that distinction settle before continuing.

"Spirit energy, on the other hand, is the essence that makes up a spirit beast’s very being. It is their flesh, blood, and soul combined into one substance. A spirit beast doesn’t just use spirit energy — it is spirit energy, shaped into a living form."

I caught Serena’s head tilt slightly, a sure sign she was paying close attention. Kaine noticed too.

"To put it simply," he went on, "mana to a spirit beast is like food to us. Consumed, processed, and converted into the energy they need to survive and grow.

Spirit energy is their body itself. Damage that, and you damage their very existence. That is why spirits guard their core so fiercely: the core is the heart of their spirit energy. Destroy it, and the beast dies, no matter how much mana it has left."

I rested my chin in my palm, pretending to be mildly interested. In truth, I already knew all this from the novel, but Kaine’s delivery... I could see why even the arrogant ones kept quiet in his class.

"Now," he said, pacing slowly in front of the desk rows, "when a spirit beast crosses into our realm, its spirit energy begins to erode. Our world isn’t made to sustain it. Without a tether —a summoner, an anchor, it will eventually dissipate into nothing. This is why the Spirit Realm remains their true home."

He stopped, letting his gaze sweep across the class before landing back on me for a brief moment, as if to say, you already knew this, didn’t you?

I just offered him a polite smile, the kind that said, of course I did, but please, do go on.

Kaine clasped his hands behind his back.

"Now that you understand the link between spirit energy and mana, there’s one more concept you need to be aware of — Spirit Rifts."

The scratching of quills resumed instantly.

"Spirit Rifts," he said, "are fragments of the Spirit Realm that have broken away from their plane and bled into ours.

They manifest as unstable pockets of space — what you might call ’dungeon-like’ structures where the laws of the Spirit Realm still hold sway."

He tapped the edge of his desk with a piece of chalk, the sound sharp against the wood."Inside a Spirit Rift, mana density is much higher, time can behave unpredictably, and spirit beasts roam freely, unbound by contracts. These beasts are not tamed, not restrained, and many have no concept of mercy."

He began to pace again, his voice steady but edged with steel."If left alone, a rift does not remain static. Its boundary will grow. Mana leakage will warp the surrounding land. And when its containment reaches the breaking point..."

His gaze swept across the classroom. No one dared make a sound.

"It overflows. The beasts inside spill into Atherwyn in waves, driven by instinct to feed on mana and anything that carries it."

A few students shifted uncomfortably. I could practically see them imagining cities torn apart by creatures that had no business existing here.

"That," Kaine continued, "is why clearing a Spirit Rift is not a matter of glory or treasure hunting; it is containment. A rift is a wound between realms. Left untreated, it will fester until it swallows everything around it."

I leaned back in my seat, my mind flicking to a certain arc in the novel where a Spirit Rift in the capital nearly did exactly that. Back then, it had been the main cast that closed it...

Kaine set the chalk down with a neat click.

"Remember — mana fuels the fight, spirit energy is the flesh of the beast, and Spirit Rifts are the bleeding wounds between worlds. Forget any one of those, and you won’t last long out there."

A quick glance at the clock.

"That’s all for today. Class dismissed."

Chairs scraped and bags rustled as the room burst into quiet chatter. Some students were already nervously muttering about Spirit Rifts, while others frantically compared notes like there was going to be a pop quiz tomorrow.

I took my time packing up, letting the eager crowd spill out first. No point in fighting for the doorway.

As I slung my bag over my shoulder, I caught Kaine’s gaze for a brief moment. He didn’t say anything, just gave me that unreadable look teachers use when they’re filing your name under one to watch.

I stepped into the hall, grinning to myself.

First day, and I got the professor to turn my answer into a full lecture. I’ll take it as a win.

Someone behind me whispered, "Show-off."

I didn’t turn around. I just raised a hand in a lazy wave.

"Thank you, I do try."