Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Seo Hyun-woo was well aware that the Setinos Hunters couldn't help but take an interest in him.

It was virtually unheard of for someone so young to simultaneously possess powerful abilities and vast mana.

On top of that, his copied abilities sometimes underwent transformations, which would naturally pique curiosity beyond what the original story called for.

"You figured it out without me having to say it? Sharp. Is that how you noticed me so quickly?"

"Not quite to that extent. I simply thought it was a possibility."

"You've fought Baek Jeong-woon before, haven't you? And I understand your sparring with the Scarlet Dragon King was cut short because of an issue."

"Yes, that's all true."

Yoon Se-in fought to suppress a smile as her eyes gleamed.

Baek Jeong-woon possessed skill rivaling a Setinos Hunter's, and the Scarlet Dragon King was known as the strongest transformation-type Awakened.

To earn recognition from both simultaneously, one would need talent and potential that transcended all limits.

Seo Hyun-woo had pulled off what seemed impossible and had even drawn her attention in the process.

"I'll be honest. My spirit told me that if you command spirits, it'd be incredibly dangerous. Right now it's trying everything to talk me out of this. But I can't just sit still after hearing that, can I? I'm asking politely—would you copy my ability and summon a spirit?"

Yoon Se-in spoke calmly, yet her expression was solemn.

Just because Seo Hyun-woo was a Miterich student didn't mean she intended to be rude.

He was an Awakened capable of tremendous growth, and someday he might even surpass her.

With Baek Seo-yeon—Baek Jeong-woon's niece—present as well, there was simply no reason for discourtesy.

"If you're asking that earnestly, I'll try summoning a spirit. If something goes wrong, I'd appreciate it if the Spirit King of Five Colors could lend a hand."

"That's exactly why I brought you two here. This training room is the sturdiest and safest place in the Rozenium Hotel. It was designed to withstand my attacks."

Yoon Se-in finished her brief explanation and fixed her gaze on Seo Hyun-woo.

She had no intention of dismissing what her spirit had said.

If things truly became dangerous, she would go all out to subdue whatever Seo Hyun-woo summoned.

No matter how strong the Student Council President was at his school, he couldn't possibly contend with a Setinos Hunter.

"Vice President, you should stay close to the Spirit King of Five Colors."

"......I'm not so weak that you need to worry about me."

Baek Seo-yeon hadn't answered that way out of offense at Seo Hyun-woo's words.

Rather, she had given a definitive answer with his position in mind.

Seo Hyun-woo smiled faintly at the sight of Baek Seo-yeon still trying to support him even in this situation.

"I'm not saying you're weak. I'm just preparing for a worst-case scenario."

"Then I'll put a little distance between us."

Baek Seo-yeon took a few steps back and stopped.

She kept her eyes locked on Seo Hyun-woo while gradually releasing mana from her body.

As Seo Hyun-woo had said, a worst-case scenario existed, so she was preparing to respond swiftly.

'Yoon Se-in's spirit wouldn't say it's dangerous for no reason. Has something really changed about the copy ability since I became Seo Hyun-woo?'

Seo Hyun-woo felt a strange unease as he slowly began emitting mana.

Yoon Se-in had no reason to lie to his face.

The same went for her spirit, and hadn't he himself sensed something peculiar for a while now?

'But it's not a problem. The summoning and mana supply are regulated by my will. A spirit is close to a partial separation of the summoner's psyche, so it instinctively prioritizes the summoner's safety above all else.'

Spirits were special entities created when form-type abilities were imbued with a self.

That self was, naturally, the summoner's psyche—and in some respects, spirits could be considered living beings.

Furthermore, form-type abilities fundamentally manifested inanimate materials and objects, which made them fundamentally different from summoning spirits.

'I don't know what'll come out, so I'll just have to summon it and see. If something seems off, I'll cancel the summoning immediately.'

Seo Hyun-woo copied Yoon Se-in's ability and used it without delay.

A dark, foreign substance materialized before his eyes and slowly took on a complete form.

Given the visible neck, arms, and legs, it appeared to be a spirit close to humanoid.

'Something's a little off......'

Seo Hyun-woo couldn't help but be somewhat taken aback when he saw the fully manifested spirit.

He could instinctively tell that this spirit didn't belong to any of the five attributes.

Above all, it bore such a human-like appearance that it didn't even feel like he had summoned a spirit.

"Hm? What? Did I just get summoned?"

"......?"

"Now this is getting interesting."

Yoon Se-in observed the spirit Seo Hyun-woo had summoned and drew mana from within her body.

Her own spirit materialized at once, positioning itself in front of her.

A bird cloaked in five-colored light spread its wings wide, flaunting its presence.

'Did I not tell you it was dangerous?'

'It doesn't look all that dangerous to me. It's got a human appearance. And it's even wearing clothes, on top of that.'

A summoned spirit could wield only one of the five attributes.

A spirit's form varied depending on the summoner, and there were cases where two or more spirits were summoned at once.

But a spirit whose attribute couldn't even be identified and whose form was identical to a human's—that was something she had never seen before.

'It is definitely a spirit. But I cannot fathom why it has taken human form and is wearing clothes.'

'Here's the really interesting part. That spirit is wearing a Miterich uniform.'

The spirit Seo Hyun-woo had summoned maintained the form of a human female with black hair.

Its clothing combined a black uniform with a gold insignia and gold epaulets.

Gold thread lined the collar, cuffs, and hems—making it unmistakably the Student Council President's exclusive uniform.

"Oh, so it's you. Let me get a good look at your face."

Seo Hyun-woo's spirit floated through the air, circling around him.

Seo Hyun-woo stared at the spirit he had summoned, lost for words.

An expression that looked innocent yet impossible to read was the first thing that caught his eye.

"Hmm...... so this is what my summoner looks like. A bit uglier than me, I think."

"......State your identity. I've never heard of a spirit that doesn't belong to any of the five attributes."

Seo Hyun-woo fixed his gaze on the spirit and spoke coldly.

He had considered the possibility of a transformation since he'd copied the Spirit King of Five Colors' ability.

But in the original novel, a spirit of this kind had never been mentioned or discovered.

In other words, this spirit's very existence could be seen as a contradiction to the world's foundations.

"Aren't you being a little rigid? Why do you assume the five attributes are all there is?"

"That's basic knowledge. You're the one who deviated from it."

"Obviously. There's no way I'd be that ordinary. I'm a spirit of the chaos attribute."

"......"

At the spirit's answer, Seo Hyun-woo, Baek Seo-yeon, and Yoon Se-in exchanged glances.

It seemed no one present had any knowledge of the chaos attribute.

Even Seo Hyun-woo, who knew this world's trajectory, had never once heard the term "chaos attribute" and could only fall silent.

"I'd appreciate a detailed explanation of what the chaos attribute is."

"How am I supposed to explain it any more than that? I just enjoy chaos. Unexpected incidents breaking out? Great. Something randomly hilarious happening? Sure, why not. I just don't want this world running the way it's supposed to."

"......So that's why you've taken a human form, unlike other spirits?"

"Oh, my summoner catches on quick—must be because you're mine. These clothes are what you usually wear, right? But having the same gender as my summoner would be boring, so I deliberately chose female."

The three of them grasped the Chaos Spirit's traits at once and wore blank expressions.

It was a novel attribute, so it carried some novelty, but the way it answered was simply ridiculous.

However, if that personality was all it amounted to, it wouldn't be of much use in combat.

"That human over there looks a bit dangerous, and...... this human—I feel like I've seen her somewhere?"

The Chaos Spirit gave Yoon Se-in and Baek Seo-yeon a quick once-over before immediately breaking into a bright expression.

Yoon Se-in maintained her guard while continuing to study the Chaos Spirit.

"You've seen me before?"

"What? You don't recognize me?"

"Don't play games. If I sense anything suspicious, I'm attacking on the spot."

"Aw, you didn't fall for it. Usually when I pull that, people at least pretend to be confused or think it over."

"......"

Baek Seo-yeon turned a frigid gaze toward Seo Hyun-woo.

Seo Hyun-woo gave a subtle shake of his head, conveying that this was not his doing.

A spirit was an extension of its summoner, but it was also an independent entity with its own self.

Depending on the case, it could act independently of the summoner's commands—but with the Chaos Spirit, it seemed to blow far past any expected range.

"Then how about we get friendly from now on? You seem way better than my summoner."

"......A spirit that doesn't follow its summoner's commands is useless."

"That's a bit harsh. Do you really hate me that much?"

Baek Seo-yeon stopped responding and activated Archangel Descent.

She stood wreathed in silver-white currents, glaring at the Chaos Spirit.

Since damage to a spirit didn't transfer to the summoner, she could afford to discipline it a little.

"Now that's a nice reaction. Makes me want to get even closer."

"You'd better listen to me before I cancel the summoning."

Seo Hyun-woo had been issuing commands to the Chaos Spirit this entire time.

But it didn't so much as pretend to listen, showing interest only in Baek Seo-yeon.

Of course, he had no desire to cling to a spirit that refused to obey, so he was ready to cancel the summoning at any moment.

"You think that kind of threat works on me?"

"You don't have a choice. You can't attack me anyway. Or maybe I need to find another method."

The moment Seo Hyun-woo answered, a violent blaze erupted.

The Chaos Spirit reacted instantly, moving its body.

Red flames swept past its side, but trailing right behind them came shards of blue ice.

"Your summoner gave permission, so now we can have a proper go. I'd appreciate it if you tried your best. I've never seen a spirit like you, so I'd like to fight a bit seriously."