Chapter 101 - Adorable

[Bonus chapter for 350 ps, next at 700 :) see? I can smile through the pain]

[ *Ping* ]

Leonel stood in confusion. Usually, the dictionary would respond right away, and even if it didn't, it would tell him that the information was omitted. So, what was going on?

A moment later, the hologram of his father gained life to it once more, causing Leonel's eyes to light up. It seemed his father had left more than one recording behind. Since this one activated now, it must mean that this was quite important.

"You finally activated this, little cry baby?" Leonel's father shook his head. "It's about time."

Leonel bit his teeth and remained silent, he refused to fall for the same trick twice. His father had gotten him once, but if he got him a second time, he would never live this down. So, he only silently watched as his father picked at his ears.

Luckily, it seemed that his father was already satisfied after tricking him once.

"I'm not certain which Familiar you've managed to get your hands on, but if it's a Metal Spirit, good. If it's not, it's still good. Regardless of how useful a Familiar is to you, remember to treat it like a partner and a friend. If I find out one day that you've treated it as a tool, I'll peel a layer off your ass with my palm."

'... So vulgar...' Leonel almost couldn't refrain from rolling his eyes.

"If you're smart, you've probably understood from my words that the most important part of a relationship between a Familiar and a Force Crafter is friendship and intimacy. The more in sync your hearts are, the better the results will be.

"If you've managed to find a Metal Spirit, just say 'Yes' and the dictionary will direct you to that recording."

"Yes." Leonel replied

Leonel's father smiled, pushing up his glasses.

"Lucky, lucky. Metal Spirits are fairly weak in the infancy stages. In fact, before our Morales Clan took them to be our favorites, they were quite looked down upon by the Force Crafter world. Most other Force Crafters prefer Flame Spirits.

"Before one even gets to the Metal Spirit, there are a whole host of Familiars one might think of first. Wind Spirits are especially beloved by those who focus on the Force Art aspect of Force Crafting. Natural Intelligence Spirits have calculative minds far beyond that of us humanoid creatures. The list goes on and on...

"However, a Metal Spirit, especially when combined with our Metal Synergy Lineage Factor, has been widely recognized as one of the best. Those with Metal Spirits are the best at crafting small and intricate parts. This may sound like a meaningless thing, but everything starts with a foundation.

Leonel watched on silently and allowed it to do as it pleased.

'It seems that the Force the lab can sterilize at once is limited. I can already faintly feel it dissipating. That probably means that I'll need to wait for the lab to replenish itself every time I finish using [Dimensional Cleanse]... That's fine, it's still better than not being able to practice at all.'

"Alright, what's the first lesson that old man left behind for me?"

Leonel decided not to bother the Metal Spirit for now. Since Leonel himself couldn't use the Force in his current state, he might as well leave it to the little guy.

[ *Ping* ]

[ Book One: The Basics ]

[ Lesson One: Hazards ]

Leonel nodded. At least his old man was serious when it came to this sort of stuff. The dangers should be the first things he learns about, lest he almost kill himself again like the time he foolishly modified a Force technique.

[ 1. Metal Spirits ]

Leonel frowned. 'Metal Spirits are dangerous? Then why did dad say to let it free. Don't tell me this old man is trying to get me killed...'

[ Metal Spirits are highly corrosive lifeforms. Their instinct is to devour. In order to evolve, they need to consume large amounts of Force and high level minerals. Unfortunately, Evolvers happen to have high concentrations of both. It is advised to never allow skin to skin contact with a Metal Spirit. Even veterans who have been by their partner's side for many years can still suffer at the hands of their Metal Spirit Familiars. ]

[ Whenever you are handling a Metal Spirit, be sure to wear the proper defensive gear. The minimum requirement is a pair of Force Skin Gloves. However, for a beginner, a full Force Skin Suit is more appropriate. ]

Leonel looked up at the ceiling above his head, the grief evident in his eyes. His old man really was trying to get him killed.

The good news was that he now knew what those gloves Montez gave him were.

The bad news was that those gloves were a mere minimum requirement, yet they were all he had. To make things worse, he had set them on the table when he brought the Metal Spirit out. And now... The Metal Spirit was swallowing Force from right on top of them.

Leonel suddenly felt that the little guy had become much less adorable.