Novel Full Chapter 850: 850: Totem Spirit
Chapter 850: Chapter 850: Totem Spirit
Serena lay on her bed, writhing, muffled whimpers slipping past her lips. The shutters were drawn tight, sealing her away from the College outside. Sweat drenched her thin clothing until it clung to every curve, nearly translucent against her skin.
It was a sight that might have driven onlookers mad with desire, if not for the poisoned steam rising off her body, hissing as it seared a Serena-shaped imprint into the mattress.
Pained groans filled the room as she endured, refusing to give in. If she fainted now, the trial would reset as it had so many times before.
This time she endured. This time, she did not faint. When the pain at last broke, it did so in an explosion of violet light across her arm.
Serena gasped. Her skin still burned, but the glyphs etched faintly across her hand told her the test was done. She flexed her fingers, and violet poison mist flickered to life. It wasn’t the weak haze she first produced, but something far denser, sharper—its potency promising death to anything below blue grade without a special resistance.
The second trial was complete.
But the trials were still not done. Far from it. And she knew she was far from completing enough of the inheritance to warrant the inheritance relic paying attention to her again.
Another wave of pressure came, pulling her deeper. The third trial. Serena swallowed hard and steadied herself.
This time, the pain was different. Less fire in her veins, more like her soul itself was being pried open. She braced against it, and through the haze, she caught brief images flashing before her eyes like a slide show.
A tree. A species unfamiliar to Serena, but if Kain had seen it, he would have immediately identified it as a eucalyptus species.
A wide clearing opened before her mind’s eye, hundreds of the humanoid lizards gathered in concentric circles around a massive sacred tree. Drums pounded in heavy rhythm, rattles shook, and guttural chants rose in a deafening wave, the air thick with venomous incense that made one dizzy and number if breathed in, unless they had great resistance.
Every tribesman, from the oldest bent elder to the youngest trembling child, wore ceremonial hides dyed in deep greens and blacks, their scales painted with intricate ink patterns that gleamed under torchlight. At the front, a towering shaman lifted his arms, a bone headdress crowning him with serpent fangs, and called for the sacrifice.
One by one, they all drew long ceremonial knives carved from obsidian and etched with glowing runes. The blades caught the firelight, reflecting a thousand tiny suns across the crowd. In perfect unison, every throat ceased chanting. Silence fell, heavy and suffocating. Then, as if bound by a single will, every lizard—young and old alike—drove the knives into their own chests. Blood spilled in torrents, soaking into the roots of the sacred tree until the soil itself seemed to drink.
At that same instant, Serena felt the phantom echo of a knife tear through her body. The sensation of a blade spearing her heart stole her breath, agony radiating through her ribs and spine. Her mouth opened in a raw scream, but no sound came; the cry was stolen from her lungs just as the lives of the tribe were stolen into the roots. She convulsed, wracked by the shared sacrifice, until all that remained in the vision was the tree, its bark now seemingly darker, etched with a shadow of the countless lives who had fallen into it.
And then—silence.
When her vision cleared, Serena was left trembling on her bed. And was notified about her reward for clearing the next stage of the inheritance.
But instead of exhilaration, disappointment welled up.
Part of the reason Serena had only four contracts, despite being a five-star tamer for several months now, was (aside from her own pickiness) the limitations of her affinity.
Her affinity wasn’t like others. She couldn’t bind dragons, phoenixes, or other great beasts no matter how tempting. Her soul rejected them, and she refused to settle for just any ordinary creature that met the conditions for her affinity.
Her affinity was strict. She could only bond with creatures not born from parents, but from the world itself. Non-organic lives, formed from environments or concepts rather than bloodlines.
Her first contract—Balens—was an Emanascion, the will of a large population’s firm belief in balance and rules made into a sentient form.
Her second—the Elemental Guardian—was an elemental spirit born where the four elements of fire, water, earth, and wind were both strong enough to birth a life, and perfectly balanced. Such a phenomenon was so rare, another creature like the elemental guardian was unlikely to be born again.
Her third—the Starweaver—was created when a meteorite merged with a pool of water rich in spiritual power, forming an astral construct.
Her fourth—the Prismarin, now evolved into the Lustral Veil Hare—had been born from a rare type of crystal with both light and mental attributes, prized by blacksmiths and worth fortunes. Each time such a crystal formed, it could give birth to only one Prismarin in its lifetime, meaning centuries or even millennia could pass before another appeared.
Because of this affinity, many powerful creatures like dragons or phoenixes were impossible for her to contract—they came from bloodlines. And though creatures like elemental spirits, consed structs, and emanascions fit her affinity, most failed to meet her standards.
Which was why even with all of the connections of her family, she still had an empty contract spot.
So when the trial promised a contract, her heart sank. What were the odds it would truly suit her?
Then the air in her chamber shimmered. Green light unfurled across the floorboards, and a sapling rose—its bark dark, streaked with veins of luminous green, eucalyptus leaves trembling as if alive.
Knowledge rushed into her mind. The Thar’Ameth tribe had sacrificed themselves to awaken this spirit, pouring their blood into the tree in hopes of creating a guardian against the Abyss. Their lives had not been wasted; the spirit had awakened, carrying their will…only several centuries to millennia too late.
Serena felt it—a pull from her chest. Her affinity recognized it. This wasn’t a normal beast or plant. It was a will, a spirit forged of sacrifice. It fit her perfectly. Yet hesitation lingered. She didn’t know much about its abilities. Should she contract it? Or just raise it without a formal contract?
Before she could decide, the eucalyptus leaves blazed with light. The glow swelled until it consumed her vision, and she fainted.
When she awoke, the sapling was gone. But within her star space, the once featureless fifth star made of green spiritual power had changed. Its surface was now a verdant field with rivers of poisonous water, an environment similar to the brief glimpses she got of Thar’Ameth. And at its center stood a great eucalyptus tree.
The totem spirit had contracted her on its own. She had no choice in the matter.
Serena sat in silence, staring inward at the tree glowing within her star. She could only hope this unwanted bond would prove itself worthy in the battles to come.
——————-
A week later, Kain and Serena stood before the College’s trial relic once more.
The air felt heavier than before, charged with anticipation—or perhaps that was just Kain’s nerves fraying at the edges.
Serena, beside him, radiated a quiet confidence, her posture straight, her silver hair catching the light like polished steel. She flexed her fingers subtly, and a wisp of violet poison mist curled from her palm, dense and lethal, before dissipating harmlessly.
Kain eyed it with a mix of envy and admiration. “Well, looks like the week was fruitful for you,” he said, his voice lighter than he felt, forcing a wry smile.
Serena nodded, her expression softening just a fraction but didn’t elaborate. She glanced at him, her gaze probing. “And you?”
Kain rubbed the back of his neck, sheepish under her steady look. He’d spent the week diving into the inheritance’s depths, wringing every drop from its knowledge. He was more knowledgeable, sure, but not transformed. Not like her.
“Not much,” he admitted, chuckling self-deprecatingly. He shot her a teasing grin, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’ll have to carry me through whatever’s next. I’m riding the Serena bus, I guess…”
Serena’s lips quirked, a rare spark of amusement breaking her cool facade. “I suppose I could manage. You’ve carried enough for both of us before.” But her tone softened, sensing his frustration beneath the joke.
He shrugged, but her words eased the knot in his chest a little.
Still, the question hung unspoken: had their progress unlocked the next inheritance relic?
“Only one way to find out,” Kain said, stepping forward. “We go in together. Same as before.”
Serena nodded, but as the relic’s hum intensified, a flicker of doubt crossed her face. What if it pulled her alone, leaving him behind? She reached out instinctively, but Kain was faster.
Just in case, he grabbed her hand tightly, his fingers interlacing with hers. The contact sent a jolt through them both, but neither pulled away.