Chapter 37 - Everything Has Prices

"Narukami, isn't that kind of fast to tell him that?" Ryu reminded Narukami as he realized something was missing. Narukami didn't answer him right away, instead, he examined Asahi.

The latter pondered over what Narukami just said and soon enough, he shook his face.

"Sorry, Narukami-san. It didn't work," he said disappointedly.

"Don't worry, if that works you'll be a prodigy in one of a million people."

Narukami deliberately asked the almost impossible to see something to prove his theories.

It appeared his theory was false. However, even if that was the case. Thanks to that, Narukami could narrow down his speculation before finally reaching an answer.

"What do you mean?" Asahi was a bit lost and confused.

"What I just said is the final step to control your spiritual energy. When you reach that point, there's a switch method. It is an efficient method than using the deep focus method." Narukami answered as he raised his right hand to his chest as he then opened his palm.

"In my case, I use my hand gesture. My switch lies there.

To learn the switch method. The deep focus method is necessary. Especially when you just started. It's the foundation for sorcerers after all."

Just as he talked, purple lightning could be seen on Narukami's palm. Making crackling electrical sounds as branch-like lines moved abnormally above his white palm.

Trying to zap someone or something.

Asahi was perplexed and excited as he saw the lightning in Narukami's hand. He couldn't wait to have something like that.

He was capable of imagining a scene, where he stood in front of many enemies, he was in a bad shape with blood all around his body.

His torso was quite heavy for his lower body and as he extended his right hand to the side.

Flame engulfed his entire arm, ready to devour anything his enemies.

Such a scene was then shattered by Narukami's words. Asahi's mind dragged to reality from a beautiful imagination.

"To reach this state, well let's see. Probably ten years."

"Ten years…" Asahi's mouth twitched

"Ten years? I only need a week though." After hearing his words, Ryu kind of didn't expect that. He needed a week whereas normal sorcerers need ten years and thus, he needed confirmation from Narukami.

Just to make sure if what he's experiencing was nothing weird. Because if you're different from the normal process, there was a problem with you or that you're special.

"You're the latter." Narukami closed his palm and the lightning dispersed.

"The latter?"

Narukami forgot what he just thought couldn't be heard by them.

"You're special, that's what I mean. Well then, let's start choosing your element. Asahi."

"Three elements, right? How should I know what elements I can choose?" Asahi recited curiously.

"You seem to understand. That makes things faster, lend me your hand but don't cut it off," Narukami said solemnly but he was joking.

"I'm not that dumb, Narukami-san…" Asahi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He then came to his side.

Just then, he gave Narukami his right hand.

Narukami moved his right hand to feel Asahi's wrist with his thumb. He pushed his thumb deeper to feel the beat of the blood vessel.

As he felt the faint beating, his eyes closed as his thoughts and attention were all focused on the vague beat.

He carefully and silently seeped his spiritual energy through Asahi's skin pores. Should he do it clumsily, Asahi's body system would become vigilant and try its best to eliminate any foreign objects.

At the same time, something bad would happen. Causing much trouble.

Making it hard for Narukami to understand what three elements Asahi could choose.

However,

I can't feel the faint qualitative change of his spiritual energy. Narukami then frowned as he noticed something strange.

Is it perhaps because his life energy didn't get corrupted? That appears to be the case...

When your spiritual energy gets corrupted due to an Anomaly foul. A human's spiritual energy would evolve as its quality changes.

This change of quality allowed sorcerers to gain their elements. Of course, you need to digest a certain potion to completely grasp the corresponding element.

Without digesting it, your control over the element you chose would have many limitations. It shatters those limitations like shattering shackles. Narukami mused in his thoughts as he pulled his hand away from Asahi's wrist.

"Your condition is a bit different. Perhaps another method could do the trick." Narukami took a few steps behind and opened his palm after raising it to his chest.

Shortly thereafter, five fireballs out of the blue popped up in the air. As they floated and the flame danced. They dispersed as five pages, the size of a talisman paper, replaced them. These pages showed up magically, giving those who saw it felt like watching a magic show.

Gradually, these five pages approached Asahi as though an invisible force guided them.

"Pour your spiritual energy into these papers. Don't worry, these things will absorb it for you, all you have to do is to let your spiritual energy out of your body," Narukami ordered and explained a few things to assure Asahi.

When hearing Narukami's first word. Asahi was worried and puzzled as he had yet to learn the deep focus method. 

Therefore, after knowing that he only has to pour his spiritual energy into these papers, he let out a breath of relief.

Understanding the deep method, he was inspired as to how to pour his spiritual energy. Asahi always read popular light novels that have magic in them. In these novels, there was often a scene where the MC controlled his mana with imagination and so, influenced by them. 

He closed his eyes as he tried it. Pouring his spiritual energy into these papers. In the process, he felt something flowed in his vein and focusing his attention. It was a cool sensation.

Then, he guided it to the end of his index finger. He soon felt a cold yet gentle sensation there. Yet at the same time, the murmurings in his head doubled. He barely maintained his focus but he was able to withstand it.

His head was throbbing in pain as though someone was pounding his head with a hammer. Now he understood why the deep focus method was needed to control spiritual energy.

To pour a small amount of spiritual energy, his head was about to explode.

Should someone control a huge amount without learning the deep focus method, perhaps their head would explode like a watermelon falling to the ground from a third-story building.

"Very good," Narukami praised flatly with a hint of delight.

As Asahi poured one of the papers with his spiritual energy, his expression was that of pain with slight wrinkles carved on his face.