Chapter 212
The Spirit World—known within FBO as a unique dimension.
A realm where all laws are dictated by the Spirit King.
There is only one way to enter, whether you are a player or an NPC:
To be invited through the Spirit Corridor with the Spirit King's permission.
"Just me?" "Nope! Others can come too!" "Liberta, Nel, Cloudia, Esmeralda, Ingrid—" "Everyone's invited!!"
An event only attainable by mastering the ways of a Spirit Mage. And now, I stand before the very clue to that quest.
"Liberta, what should we do?" "......"
Refusing the Spirit King's invitation carries no penalty. It won’t worsen relations with spirits or lock us out of spirit-related quests.
But as for benefits?
For us right now—there are plenty.
Currently, we’re in emergency evacuation mode. Moving our refuge from a spot far from Rainy Devil to the Spirit World changes everything.
"Personally, I think accepting would be best."
The advantages of accepting the Spirit King’s invitation outweigh the risks. Countless opportunities exist only in that world—and even if that drawback is present, it’d still be worth going.
"But the Spirit World is… a little—no, extremely unique. If we’re all going, I should explain it first, then let Amina decide."
This invitation is for Amina. The rest of us are merely accompanying her.
"Mii-chan, do we have to go right away?" "Don’t worry! The King’s clock is slow right now!" "I see. Then we have plenty of time."
Only those summoned by spirits may enter the Spirit Corridor. No monsters, no people, not even other spirits can intrude.
Hearing that the King’s clock is slow makes me wonder if that setting is in play. For now, we pause here.
"An invitation from the Spirit King… As a noble, refusing would be unthinkable unless under dire circumstances." "The Spirit King is said to rival gods in certain aspects of power. If it’s a direct invitation, I believe we should avoid declining."
Sensing something amiss when the carriage stopped, the girls stepped out. After a brief explanation, Esmeralda and Cloudia agreed we should accept.
"They mean us no harm, correct?" "The King would never do such things!! He just wants to hear Amina sing!!" "If you sing for him, he’ll give you rewards!!" "He just wants to have fun!!"
When Esmeralda voiced concerns about safety, the spirits grew irritated, fluttering around her angrily.
"My apologies. But this is our first time visiting. We must confirm these things."
Esmeralda bowed her head, and the spirits calmed, returning to Amina’s side.
"Liberta, about that explanation you mentioned earlier—" "Right, the Spirit World."
The Spirit World exists in FBO as well. But this world differs from ours in many ways.
"The Spirit World—literally, the world where spirits are born and live. It has its own civilization, culture created by spirits." "Like in fairy tales—a world ruled by the Spirit King and Princess, right?" "Exactly. But unlike feudal systems, there are no nobles—just the King and Princess."
First, the hierarchy. In feudalism, a king rules with nobles beneath managing territories, forming a pyramid down to commoners.
"So they don’t govern a country?" "Not a country—the Spirit King is the world. He manifests it, and spirits live within it." "Like a god?" "On a smaller scale, yes. But within that world, his power is absolute."
The Spirit World has the King and his subjects—no nobles, just spirits living peacefully under his rule. A bizarre political structure.
"The laws of the Spirit World are the Spirit King’s will. If he declares black is white, it becomes so. He is the absolute authority."
Normally, one ruler managing an entire world would be impossible—but not for the Spirit King.
"In the Spirit World, everything—weather, day and night, seasons, temperature—is governed by the Spirit King’s whim."
A realm where all natural laws bend to his will.
"Liberta-sama, did you say… day and night?" "I did." "Does that mean he controls time as well?" "Not reversing or fast-forwarding, but he can slow or speed it relative to our world."
Ingrid hesitantly raised her hand, and I answered with a wry smile.
"Relative? Nel, what does that mean?" "It means time flows differently there compared to here." "So… like what??" "Basically, if it’s morning here, it could still be dawn there—or already evening." "????????"
The mechanics are unexplained, but time manipulation was proven even in the game era. Though the Spirit World was solo-only, entering would show twin clocks displaying both worlds' times.
"To simplify—one day in the Spirit World could be one hour here, or vice versa."
Amina’s head spun with confusion, tilting as she struggled to comprehend—until—
"Kyuu!" "Amina-sama, some water." "Thank you, Ingrid."
On the verge of overheating, Ingrid steadied her and handed her a cup.
"Just think of the Spirit World as a place where anything can happen." "Okaaay!"
Seeing her relieved after drinking, I figured a broad explanation worked better.
"Mii-chan said the King’s clock is slow—meaning one day there could be several here. I’d prefer the opposite. Can we request that?" "We’ll ask the King!!" "If Amina comes and sings, it’ll be fine!!" "If the King’s time is faster, can you stay longer?!"
Personally, faster time is better than slower.
The spirits murmured, seemingly communicating with the King.
"Liberta, why is faster better?" "If I remember right, the max time ratio is 72:1—three days there to one hour here. And there, we could grow stronger without outside interference." "But… there are no dungeons or monsters there, right?" "There are. Plenty."
If they agree to these terms, I’d strongly advocate going.
"There are?!" "Yes. Not like our dungeons, but some offer EXBP from Class 3 to 7."
In the game, time dilation wasn’t possible, but the Spirit World was a top-tier training ground mid-game. The downside? By the time you’re invited, you’ve usually outleveled it. That’s why I hadn’t considered it for leveling.
"You can learn job skills there, too—some even fit into skill builds. We can fill slots there, then use scrolls later."
It’s like the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. We can grow stronger with minimal impact on the outside world. An unparalleled advantage.
"Liberta, you want to go?" "If possible, yes."
With Rainy Devil in play, a safe training opportunity is rare. Almost no NPCs can enter the Spirit World. If we can max out Class 7, we can even start building the clan.
But the decision isn’t mine—it’s Amina’s.
When I looked at her, she smiled brightly.
"Then let’s go!"
She agreed instantly.
"You sure? We might not return for two or three years." "It’s okay if everyone’s together!!"
Her confidence was almost alarming.
"What about the rest of you?" "I’m going. It’s unfair if only Amina and Liberta go." "If Liberta-sama goes, I follow." "I’ll join! A chance to visit the Spirit World can’t be missed—and if Liberta says we’ll grow stronger, I won’t refuse." "As her guardian, I can’t return alone. Besides, the Spirit World has its own strong ones."
Unanimously, we decided to go.
"The King replied!" "He sped up his time!" "He’s opening the path now!"
At that moment, the spirits created a new road.
"A rainbow path…" "The Spirit King’s guidance." "So pretty." "Indeed, beautiful."
The only permitted path in the Spirit Corridor—a rainbow bridge leading to the Spirit World.
"Everyone, board the carriage. We’re leaving." "I’ll sit next to Liberta!" "No fair! Me too!"
Returning to the coachman’s seat, Amina and Nel flanked me. The other three chuckled and entered the carriage.
"Let’s go!" "Forward, forward!" "Everyone’s waiting!!"
With all aboard, I urged the horses forward onto the rainbow road. Ahead lay the Spirit World.
Guided by the tiny spirits, we advanced until a massive gateway appeared in the distance.
"That’s the entrance to the Spirit World." "It’s huge." "Yes."
From the coachman’s seat, the gate grew closer—until we finally passed through.