CH842

The blessing and curse spirits, lightning, fungal, and magma spirits, decay spirits, mud spirits, and more. If the great spirits were able to find holders of a given magic then they had brought them, no matter how obscure the combined affinity might have been and ended with more combined great spirits than pure ones by the end as the yard was filled with them and the smaller spirits they’d rule over, the very nature of their race and their status within the world permanently changed. They had been the most powerful beings on the planet since the moment they’d arrived and now their numbers had grown like never before.

It was a change that was certain to have some sort of fallout but whatever it ended up being, Ben felt confident that the world would still be better for it. He’d look in all of their thoughts and the minds of the spirits who’d parented them and Abrus and the others had done a good job in their selection. Their natures had transferred over enough that, even if they’d all still grow and change as time went on like any living being, he felt confident that the odds of any of them growing to be as callous as Vividus could be were low. A feeling that he only needed to look to the side to confirm, with many of the new great spirits already surrounding Thera to give their greetings or to just talk, the love for their princess carried down their family line.

Which means there’s only one more thing to do.

<Sit down and have a nice long think about the potential long-term consequences of this?>

What? No, obviously not.

What he did instead was reach out around him, trying to push connect in a slightly different way by copying the skills of each spirit onto his rings.

While each magic was the equivalent of a ninth-leveled awakened magic, the power of the spirits themselves was unleveled and while he had Uliel’s archmagic already, having better individual variants at his fingertips would only help him when it came time to build up whatever enchantments he’d need, smiling at the end as they all went down.

Aaand, done. Perfect

<...Please tell me you didn’t go along with radically altering the power structure of the planet just so you could add to your rings.>

What? Come on, none of this was even my idea! If I just happened to find a little benefit for myself after then what’s the harm? I’m just trying my best to be a good guardian for Mora, and speaking of…

He crouched down beside the boy, watching as he looked around at all he’d helped create with interest before Ben pulled him from his thoughts.

“So, still feeling okay about all of this?”

“It’s too late not to be.”

“Ha, sure but that’s not what I asked.”

“...I am,” He said after a moment’s thought. “This is the first time I’ve pushed myself like that. It felt good.”

“Good, but that leaves us one more thing to talk about, kiddo.”

“Hmm, what?”

“You made sure that every great spirit got their own regular spirits and you know I’m a mind reader, I could tell that even the perfectly sane ones didn’t feel right or complete until they had some to look after themselves but now what about you? How do you feel?”

“...You know I’m different from other great spirits.”

“Sure, but that has nothing to do with my question, buddy. Even if the way you were born has left its marks on who you are, that doesn’t mean you’re so different from them either which is why I’m asking. If you don’t want any other soul spirits to exist then that’s fine but if there’s another reason you aren’t making any then I hope you’ll talk to me about it.”

“...Great spirits don’t need me to look after them,” He started as he looked around at all he’d helped bring into the world. “They’re independent and because they weren’t born the same way as me, they’re… I don’t know, mature? I know it’s unnatural for me to be a child.”

“You’ve got all the time in the world to grow up, try not to worry about it.”

Mora didn’t respond to his comment, his mind focused on trying to put his own thoughts together.

“And all of the new regular spirits I’ve made, even if they might need someone to take care of them, they have their great spirits too and they’re already… they can all handle it.”

“I’m sure they can, yeah.”

“But I can’t handle it,” He said in the end, a touch of frustration reaching his voice. “If I make them and they have any problems, I don’t think I can help. I know I’m powerful but I’m just a kid and… Things worked out but I made a really wrong choice when I created Bloom. Great spirits have to be better than that.”

“Hmm, so what I’m hearing is you would like there to be soul spirits, you just don’t think you can fill the role of their great spirit, is that right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well then, the solution’s simple,” He said with a grin before scooping Mora up and placing him on his shoulders, spinning around. “Look around you, Mora. Who do you all see?”

“Spirits?”

“Family,” Ben corrected before calling out in a louder voice for all to hear. “Hey everyone! You all know Mora’s still young, if he makes some soul spirits, can you all help with managing them until he’s ready to act as their great spirit himself?”

The question was asked and instantly they were flooded with agreement, everyone saying yes in their own way so loudly that their voices all muddled together until Abrus waved them down and stepped forward for them all.

“Of course,” The earth spirit said. “Even if we primarily focus on our own element, all of the spirits are our collective responsibility. If they need help then we will give it to them until the day you feel ready to step into the role yourself.”

“But what if I’m never ready?” Mora asked.

“Then we’ll look after them forever while you live your life. Do not worry Mora, if you make them, they will be protected and they will be loved. You can count on that.”

With everyone behind Abrus showing their agreement, what was there to fear? His newfound family had told them he could count on them, he just needed to trust them and with one more look to both Ben and Thera, he called over the life and death spirits of the world, trying to create something different.

While soul magic wasn’t a combined affinity but instead the endpoint of two separate ones, Mora already knew from his own existence that he could treat it as such to get the outcome he wanted, bringing one final group into the world with the power he held, the great soul spirit no longer alone.