Chapter 160
Sigfor continued to polish the kids over the next few days, making them realize improvements through constant spars.
Sweat dripped from their brows as they lunged and parried, each clash of metal echoing through the training yard.
They were geniuses, quickly learning from their mistakes and correcting them in the next attack.
Each sparring session became a dance of precision and skill, their movements growing more fluid with every bout.
It was a fun experience nonetheless. Laughter and shouts of encouragement filled the air, the camaraderie between the kids growing stronger with each passing day.
They were still not able to hit him though.
Sigfor moved like a shadow, effortlessly dodging their strikes, his eyes gleaming with a certain pride.
The most notorious ones in his eyes were Oliver and Daniel when it came to wielding weapons.
Their strikes were fierce, their eyes focused, every swing of their blades driven by a calm and calculated force.
Both of them used weapons as if they were using their limbs, their movements always precise and calculated, making him feel a hidden intent.
Sigfor could sense their resolve, the fire in their hearts pushing them to surpass their limits
They might be the closest ones to hitting him once. So he was extra careful with the two of them.
He watched them with a keen eye, noting their progress and silently cheering their growth.
After two weeks of continuous day and night training, he gathered them again in the hall.
“We have trained quite a lot, and you all have shown considerable improvements too. It’s not easy to improve so much in such a short span of time.”
“You all are quite good.” His voice was steady, but the pride in his eyes was unmistakable. After all, they were his unofficial students in a way and watching them grow strong made him feel satisfied.
He sighed as he said this. No matter how talented or powerful seniors like him were, the juniors would surpass them one day.
“Now we should move forward and learn how to fight using spirits,” Sigfor said, something unexpected.
“Spirits? Does that mean…?” Evelyn muttered. She was heard by Sigfor clearly.
“That’s right. We will be summoning spirits for you to fight with or inside your weapons.”
His words dropped like a bomb on the group’s head. Gasps and murmurs filled the room as the kids exchanged excited glances.
“SPIRITS!? REALLY!? THIS IS FREAKING AWESOME!”
Daniel was overjoyed as he blurted out. He was craving some adrenaline, and this was the perfect opportunity. He could not wait to try summoning a spirit. His fists pumped in the air, his eyes shining with excitement.
“Umm… elder, isn’t it quite difficult to summon a spirit? As far as I have read in books, it is said that you are required to have strong espera and concentration to even connect to the spirit realm. According to the texts, it’s mentioned that spirits don’t even bother responding to weak individuals,” Alphonso said, adjusting his sleeves slightly.
His voice was calm, but a hint of worry was present in his eyes.
“What!? Is that true!? I was so ready for it,” Daniel frowned and looked at him, wondering if it was true. While he didn’t doubt himself, he was merely a Rank-1 exorcist, which was just the beginning of the path of an exorcist.
Sigfor finally broke the silence. He looked around at their anxious faces, a reassuring smile forming on his lips.
“It’s indeed true. However, that is only limited to permanent spirit summoning when forming contracts. Instead, we will perform a partial summoning to temporarily borrow the strength of a spirit. This is relatively easy, and even kids like you should be able to do it to some extent,” he paused for a moment as he looked at them.
All of them were geniuses. Normally, a kid would not be able to do it. However, they were not normal kids either. He had confidence that they could do it.
“Of course, it will not be as effective and potent as a permanent contract with a spirit. It will be far paler in comparison to that. But for dire situations, even borrowing the strength of a spirit temporarily could change the tides,” he added.
“Spirits are not physical beings. They exist in spiritual form only. Their own strength is not noteworthy. However, we as exorcists bear the potential to bring out the most of their powers, and thus we form contracts with them.”
He tapped his desk as he continued, “Spirits have always loathed demons and ghosts. This is also one of the reasons that ancient spirits were willing to come out of their realms and help humans push them back, even if it meant forming a contract.”
“Spirits are beings closest to elements. There are spirits belonging to each element in existence. The bearer of the element will find themselves more drawn towards the spirits affiliated with their element than others.”
“However, don’t get excited just yet. Spirits are beings who are able to see through things most humans can’t, which is your inner self,” he said, stroking his long beard.
“Inner self? What’s that?” Amber questioned.
“Inner self is the true essence of who you are,” he explained. “It’s your thoughts, feelings, and the core of your being that make you unique. While we often hide our true selves from others, spirits can see this inner self clearly. They understand your true nature, your strengths, weaknesses, and even your hidden desires.”
“Damn! That’s a breach of my privacy!” Daniel exclaimed in shock.
The room erupted in laughter, the tension easing slightly.
“…”
“Anyways, as I was saying, spirits are very picky beings, so match your pace to them while interacting if you happen to find an intelligent spirit, which is very rare,” he said simply.
“Elder, I can’t wait anymore. Can we start already?” Daniel groaned and asked.
“Be patient, brat. We are going to start.” Sigfor’s stern look made Daniel shrink back, muttering under his breath.
Sigfor frowned and berated him sternly, making the latter shrink in his seat.
“Follow me,” he said, leading the group of children behind him to the entrance of the old mountain hall, the very place where they were when they had just arrived.
Sigfor bent down and stretched out his finger towards the ground, specifically towards a runic array drawn with blank ink on the floor.