Unlimited Power - The Arcane Path

After approaching, Leon and Darya confirmed that just like the area around the purple crystal, the devourers couldn't attack the temple-like building. They felt the energy protecting the place when they crossed the barrier… it looked like they weren't unwelcomed.

"Mmm? I feel something with a lot of mana inside this building… but it looks like its mana is decreasing." Darya said.

"Yeah… It looks the owner of this energy created the barrier around the purple crystal," Leon nodded. "I can feel that both barriers had been erected by the same… thing."

Most likely, a spirit had erected those barriers, but why? Why would a spirit stop any monster from going to another world, when the goblins went to another world? There was only one way to know. Besides, Leon and Darya had to hurry. They didn't notice when they were nearby the purple crystal, but if the creator of the barrier around the temple was losing mana, then it means that soon the devourers will have the chance to go to Miebos. That was a problem for Leon because he wouldn't be able to create magic items if those creepy monsters devourer all other monsters.

Although the front looked like a temple, the interior was exactly like just of another cavern. Fortunately, the place wasn't like most dungeons that had many bifurcations and dead-ends. Leon and Darya found the end of the cave, where they found a semi-transparent red sphere above an altar.

"It has been a long time since I received some visitors," The red sphere said. "But this is the first time I received visitors from another world."

"It talked!" Darya said, in shock.

"How did you expect the goblins made a pact with the fire spirit?" Leon asked. "By using hand signs? Of course, it can talk… Hello, we came to negotiate."

"I'm aware of it," The fire spirit said. "I'm a fragment of the great fire spirit, Efreet. What are your name, travelers?"

"Darya," Darya said.

"Leon… Is that your name?" Leon frowned.

"Yes," Effreet answered.

That was a bit surprising, to think that fire spirit would have the same name of the spirit of fire that Leon saw in countless games and books. Was that another coincidence? If that was the case, the universe sure had a lot of them…

"May I ask why you are here?" Leon asked. "If you are the great fire spirit, aren't you supposed to be doing something great instead of staying here and waiting for the end of this world?"

"The great spirits probably have some sort of goal and are doing something 'great,'" Effreet said. "However, this is the place I was born, and I don't have any intention of leaving it."

"Mmm… this is a bit worrisome since you will end up being eater by a devourer," Leon said. "By the way, you and your complete form were born in this world?"

"No, I don't know where the original Efreet is or where he was born," Efreet said. "It is probably as old as the universe is, but I don't have his memories. I only know what I lived, and I know that I'm his fragment because the essence he left in this world was what originally my birth."

"So, the mana that his presence left in this world is your origin?" Leon asked.

"That is right," Effreet said.

That was, in many ways, amazing, but it was also kind of scary. If mana can give birth to creatures like that, would Leon leave such trains behind if he keeps increasing his mana? Or was that just a common thing between spirits?

"Why are you trying to protect the purple crystal?" Leon asked.

"The other inhabitants of this world offered me a tribute to buy them some time," Effreet answered. "That is why I created a barrier around the purple crystal… they should have been ready to face the devourers by now. Still, they gave me enough mana to support my existence for a few years, and I used half of that mana to create the barrier. I intend to fulfill my part of the pact until the very last moment."

Leon wondered if he should say that he killed the goblins on Miebos, he didn't kill all of them, but he certainly caused a big problem to them. The goblins won't be able to kill the devourers without those hundred shamans.

"How about I give you a hand with that, and then we work together from today onward?" Leon asked. "I can kill all the devourers of this world, and then you can come with me."

"You can?" Darya frowned.

"I have no intention of leaving this place, I will disappear the very moment my mana extinguishes," Effreet said. "I'm just a fragment of the original Efreet, but whatever his goals or what is the reason for his existence, I have my own goals and motives, and I want to stay and die on this planet. But I can see that both of you are looking for power, even though neither of you are inhabitants of this world, I can offer you a portion of my power. As long as you give me some offerings."

,m "What kind of offerings?" Darya asked.

"Anything that has mana will do," Effreet said. "The more you sacrifice, the more I will reward both of you."

Leon scratched the back of his head. He was disappointed, very disappointed. He wanted to make the fire spirit his pet, but even though it was a fragment, it was a very peculiar sentient being. Efreet knew he was just a copy, but that didn't matter to him, he wanted to live by his own rules. However, that was too troublesome. So Leon considered if it wasn't a good idea to use the spirit to create a magic weapon after giving an offering and receiving its power…