Chapter 90: The Guardian of Spirit Valley
A ripple of silver light flickered across the Spirit Valley as Alpha, the Spirit King, slowly turned its ageless gaze toward the giant black wolf at Lin Fang’s side.
"I am impressed that you managed to dispel Nemesis’s grudges," Alpha said in a deep and even voice.
Lin Fang shook his head in response. "Not really..."
"Hmm?"
Lin Fang’s tone was steady as he clawed into his terrifying memory. He didn’t hide what happened to him, how he almost died, how his monster companion threw itself in harm’s way to protect him, and how, when he woke... Nemesis had already reincarnated inside Black’s body—merging their essences to become a Nemewolf." He rested a hand on the creature’s dark fur, caressing it.
A faint, knowing smile touched Alpha’s lips upon hearing the entire explanation. "You speak the truth without a trace of deceit. That is... refreshing. Our last encounter was not so." It commented.
Lin Fang exhaled slowly, agreeing with a nod. "Last time, I was too conceited—too certain of my own strength. Now, I know that the power backing me is not as invincible as I thought."
He then raised his eyes as he further said. "Anyway, today I’m not here to exactly meet you or something. I came for another reason. Do you... know anything about my master, Li Chengfeng?"
Alpha’s silver irises gleamed like moonlit ice at that. It nodded. "Yes. He met with me before he left. He asked me if you ever come to me and ask about him, he wants me to appoint you as Guardian of the Spirit Valley and to deliver his apology when you finally come."
"He could neither teach you directly nor intervene with Nemesis. Apart from gifting you the egg you later sacrificed—and a pair of boots—he could do little else as a master."
Alpha paused, the valley’s wind carrying its words like a distant chime before it continued.
"Before departing, he placed a responsibility on your shoulders. He left you all of his knowledge, stored in a single chip. It has already been delivered to your office. Oh, and—he said the password is Li Xue’s phone number."
The silvery glow around Alpha pulsed once, as if the Spirit King’s very essence had delivered its message and now awaited Lin Fang’s reply.
Lin Fang stayed silent for a few seconds. And then, he bowed his head slightly. "I... understand."
Silence lingered between them like a held breath. After another brief pause, he raised his eyes again. "Then... what exactly are the duties of a Guardian?"
Alpha’s voice deepened, carrying the weight of something far older than the valley itself. Each word rolled out like a commandment etched into stone.
"First," Alpha intoned, "the Guardian must protect the Spirit Valley from outsiders—especially the Dark Guilds who seek to capture these spirits for their own purposes. They will come, again and again, for what dwells here."
A low hum of power rippled through the air before Alpha continued.
"Second... only those without mana are permitted to set foot in this place. If not for the fact that you are a summoner, with the system’s peculiar bond, you would never have crossed this threshold alive." Its silver eyes narrowed slightly, an afterthought that felt more like a warning than informing him of the rule.
Lin Fang listened in silence, absorbing every word.
"Third," Alpha said, its tone like the tolling of a distant bell, "the Guardian will always have a Spirit King to supervise him. The Spirit King ensures that the Guardian captures the wandering spirits of monsters that refuse to leave this realm after death. If the Guardian fails his duty..."
Alpha’s voice sharpened, the air chilling in a deep warning. "The Spirit King will possess him and finish the task by force."
Lin Fang swallowed, the weight of that statement sinking into his brain. "What Spirit King did Li Chengfeng have?"
"None," Alpha replied, a faint trace of respect in its tone. "He is the one who established this valley and gathered us, after all. As for you, Nemesis has already chosen to reincarnate and hence couldn’t be your guardian spirit to control your actions. Therefore, you must choose one of the two Spirit Kings of the valley to assist you. The one left unchosen will become the sole ruler of this place, keeping an eye on the spirits."
Alpha’s silver gaze hardened. "But hear me well, Guardian: do not dare attempt to absorb or capture either of us. This time, the punishment will not be a simple banishment with conditions... but something far worse."
The valley grew deathly still. A single gust stirred the tall grass.
Lin Fang inclined his head, his voice low but firm. "I understand." Then, after a pause, he lifted his gaze to meet Alpha’s silver eyes. "As for the Spirit King... I choose you. We’ve already formed a bond. So, I think it only feels right."
For a moment, the air shimmered around Alpha as if the valley itself acknowledged the decision. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched the Spirit King’s features.
"Very well," Alpha rumbled, its deep voice echoing like distant thunder. "Step closer. Place your hand upon my head, and we will begin the binding."
Lin Fang stepped forward, the tall grass whispering beneath his feet. Alpha lowered its massive head, the silver glow of its fur pulsing like a slow heartbeat.
Taking a steady breath, Lin Fang laid his palm against the cool, velvety fur and closed his eyes.
Alpha’s own eyes drifted shut. For a heartbeat, there was only the sound of the wind.
Then, Alpha’s body dissolved into a cascade of brilliant, silver-white specks of light that swirled around Lin Fang’s arm like a living galaxy. The specks of light converged at his wrist, burning briefly before sinking into his skin.
A sudden heat flared just beneath the flesh. *Ssss* Lin Fang winced, opening his eyes to see a fiery emblem—a mark shaped like a flickering flame—glow vividly on the inside of his wrist. The mark pulsed once, then dimmed before forming like a tattoo.
Meanwhile, a final streak of silver light spiraled into his palm, vanishing completely.
*Ding!
[Guardian Spirit Acquired: Alpha]
[Alpha is detected as Mythical grade. 100,000 Coins credited as a reward]
Lin Fang exhaled slowly, flexing his fingers as a faint warmth lingered in his palm. As the bond was sealed, Alpha’s voice—now a low whisper inside his mind—spoke once more in a calm and resonant manner. "From this moment on, we are bound, Lin Fang."
"Let’s work together, Partner." He smiled.
Alpha
Grade: Mythical
Element: Divine
Status: Guardian
Skills:
Active:
Divine Blessing: Grants a blessing to the weapons the user holds, increasing the damage inflicted by them by 500%. Cost: 10% per second. Cooldown timer: None.
Genesis Pulse: Grants a blessing to the user. The user can heal external injuries of all selected targets in a 100-meter radius. (No limit in number). Cost: 1000 MP per target. Cooldown: 1 hour per target. Note: The user cannot heal himself with this skill.
Astral Chains: Grants a blessing to the user. The user can unleash indestructible mana chains to bind his targets for 10 seconds. Cost: 10000 MP per astral chain. Cooldown: 1 hour per 1 astral chain.
OmniSmite (Not available): Grants a blessing to the user. The user can unleash a single-target concentrated beam of energy that ignores all kinds of external defenses and resistances. Cost: 200,000 MP. Cooldown: 24 hours.
Judgment Nova (Not available): Grants a blessing to the user. The user releases uncontrolled concentrated divine energy and deals a massive AOE damage in a 50-meter radius around his surroundings. Cost: 1,000,000 MP. Cooldown: 24 hours. Note: Allies, enemies, and the user’s monster companions are also targeted. Only the user is immune to the damage. Deals higher damage against demonic races.
Sanctuary Veil (Not available): Grants a blessing to the user. The user can create an indestructible protective dome in his surroundings, up to 500 meters in radius. Every attack except for Demonic and Void element attacks that target the dome will be nullified. Cost: 20,000,000 MP to launch, (1,000,000 MP per second to maintain the barrier). Cooldown: 36 hours.
Cosmic Genesis (Not available): Grants a blessing to the user. The user can channel the primordial divine energy, unleashing a cataclysmic burst of aura into the surroundings up to 5,000 meters in radius. The selected targets within the radius will be struck by beams of energy at the same time, dealing deadly damage. Cost: 500,000,000 MP (1,000,000 MP per target). Cooldown: 180 hours.
Passive:
Possession: The guardian spirit can possess the user and control their body at any time.
Divinity: The user has access to divinity, which deals more damage to demonic beings and those with high killing intent. It has a faint chance of invoking greater restoration when used with healing, which can heal internal injuries of allies.
Eternal Life: If the user dies from any other way except old age or life force extinction, the guardian can revive the user by sacrificing one of the monster companions, any number of times.
Alpha’s Blessing: The user’s strength, agility, and mental resistance increased by 20%
*
Looking through its skills that he can use, Lin Fang couldn’t help but tremble in slight excitement, murmuring, "I don’t dare to imagine how strong those advanced skills are, but the one available to me is certainly overpowered. Next time, anyone tries to kill me, I can kill them with the daggers. Anyway, I was done with this place. Need to go back and surprise my darling..."
Once he was done, Lin Fang left the Spirit Valley and headed toward his office, not intending to roam around or meet the other spirit king.
Alpha’s voice drifted through his thoughts as he was traveling in the cab and looking outside. "Humanity... has grown astonishingly in a mere forty solar years. The last time I roamed these lands, there were no towers like those."
Lin Fang glanced up at the skyline of high-rises glittering in the midday sun and answered in his mind, "There’s a lot you haven’t seen yet, Alpha." Unknowingly, a smirk appeared on his lips as if he was proud of it.
An hour later, he pushed open the door of the store. The first floor, once lively and crowded, felt quieter than it had on his first visit—still busy, but not bustling.
Before he could take another step, a blurring figure streaked across the lobby.
"Master!"
Nebula flung herself at him in a sudden embrace. Lin Fang blinked in surprise as her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. The tiny horns that had once peeked through her hair were gone, and the beanie she used to wear was nowhere in sight. She looked almost... human.
"Eh? Nebula? Your horns..."