WebNovels

Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: The Birth of a Spirit Mastery Space

Lunchtime at the Carter house was warm and homey.

 

A pile of steaming mashed potatoes and crisp vegetables filled the table, and Mom brought out a beautifully roasted chicken, golden and glistening.

 

It was the kind of moment Silas wanted to freeze in time. No matter which world he found himself in, this kind of peace never changed.

 

"Ben, aren't you going to ask how Silas did on his Psychic Power test?"

 

Mom smiled as she scooped a spoonful of mash, glancing at her husband, who had just gotten home from overtime.

 

Dad blinked, then grinned. "Judging by that face, I'd say our boy nailed it?"

 

"I did, Dad. My Psychic Power measured at 1.85."

 

Silas replied calmly, but there was a glint of mischief in his eyes as he watched his father's reaction.

 

"1.85?!" Dad put down his cup, his laughter booming through the room. "That's fantastic, Silas! You've got real potential—I'm so proud of you!"

 

"These kids today, huh? I heard more than half of your class qualified to open their own Spirit Mastery Spaces."

 

Dad poured himself a modest glass of whiskey—

 

Locally brewed from the grainy hornfruit grown by spirit beasts called Barleyhorn Deer. Smooth, layered, and budget-friendly. His favorite.

 

"Mia, wasn't our success rate like... twenty percent back in the day? Guess we weren't the lucky ones."

 

"I think that's about right," Mom nodded. "It's only been twenty years, and look how fast humanity's evolving."

 

"Silas, this is a golden era for spirit beast masters."

 

Silas smiled, though something still weighed on his mind. "There were still some classmates who didn't pass the test…"

 

"That's just the first step," Mom said gently.

 

"The road ahead is long. You've got a great head start, but the challenges will only grow from here. "

 

"Just remember: no matter what happens, stick to your path. Do what you truly love."

 

Silas nodded. Her words warmed his heart, and he didn't say more.

 

The air around the dinner table was full of quiet joy and familiar comfort. Despite the uncertainties in this world, at this table, he was still Silas—son of the Carters.

 

"But contracting with a spirit beast isn't easy," Dad warned, leaning forward.

 

"So, when do you get to create your Spirit Mastery Space?"

 

"After uploading my test results to the school's portal and confirming I'm joining the spirit beast class. They'll send me a tutorial for opening the space."

 

"Perfect. Neither your mom nor I have experience with that sort of thing, so make sure you read the instructions carefully."

 

Silas gave a serious nod.

 

"Once your space is ready, we'll go to the Elkwood Spirit Beast Nurturing Center and pick out a decent starter spirit beast."

 

Mia picked up her phone and started flipping through the "Spirit Beast Pet Encyclopedia."

 

"Do some research before then. You don't want to go in unprepared and end up dazzled by too many choices."

 

"Raising a contracted spirit beast is a huge project. You know, combat-oriented spirit beasts need a professional spirit beast nurturer…"

 

"A what now?"

 

Silas raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

 

"Wait, your teachers didn't explain that?" Dad looked genuinely surprised, cheeks flushed from the whiskey.

 

"Spirit beast nurturers design tailored training programs for spirit beasts, ensuring they grow properly and even helping them evolve. They're basically the MVPs of the raising process. Without one, your beast might hit a lot of roadblocks."

 

Mom calmly took Dad's empty glass.

 

"And their services don't come cheap, right?"

 

Silas frowned a little. He was starting to feel the financial pressure.

 

"Oh, absolutely," Dad said with a sigh.

 

"Especially when it comes to the six starter species. Their prices are outrageous. You're not just paying for the beast, but also its special supplements, gear, and a decent nurturing plan. All of that stacks up—fast."

 

Silas felt the weight settle in his gut. His high Psychic Power score gave him plenty of options, but choosing wisely—economically and strategically—was now the real challenge.

 

"Here's your milk, Silas. Got any spirit beasts in mind yet?"

 

Silas took the glass, paused, and smiled. "Not really, Mom. Still thinking."

 

"Picking your first beast is a big deal," Dad said, setting down his fork. "It's not just a pet—it's your partner for the journey ahead. Choose with your heart."

 

"I will, Dad."

Upstairs in his room, Silas uploaded his test results and applied for the spirit beast class.

 

Most students who didn't pass could still join the regular class and try again next year.

 

But Silas had read between the lines: statistically, second chances rarely panned out.

 

A few seconds later, the school's reply popped up in his inbox.

 

"Congratulations! Your Psychic Power test qualifies you for the spirit beast class. Based on your results, you are eligible to open your own Spirit Mastery Space. Please follow the steps below."

 

Silas exhaled and began reading carefully.

 

The tutorial was straightforward. Silas decided to begin his very first construction attempt.

 

[Preparation Phase]

 

"Make sure you're in a quiet environment with no external interruptions."

"Your Psychic Power must be in top condition—don't attempt this when tired or emotionally unstable."

 

Silas double-checked that his door and windows were locked. He sat cross-legged on his bed and closed his eyes.

 

[Meditation]

 

"Focus your entire consciousness inward. Channel all your Psychic Power to the center of your being until a small point of light appears in your mind."

 

Silas spotted it quickly—a soft white glow, pulsing gently like a heartbeat.

 

"So this is... the Spirit Mastery Space?"

 

He whispered, eyes locked on the floating halo of light, trying to sense what it held.

 

A wave of warmth began to rise inside his mind.

 

His awareness detached from his body and drifted outward—weightless in an endless void.

 

Every stray thought vanished. The invisible space before him began to take form, solidifying until it reached a size of 18.5 meters by 18.5 meters.

 

This was only the beginning.

 

Silas instinctively moved to the next phase:

 

[Domain Creation]

 

"Try to magine an environment where his spirit beasts could live—forest, meadow, cave, or even sky."

 

Silas still had power to spare.

 

He pictured a sunny clearing, with a bubbling spring and a few tall trees swaying gently in the breeze.

 

Nice aesthetic, he thought with a grin.

 

Now it's time for the final step:

 

[Space Stabilization]

 

"Stabilizing the space is critical. Use your mind to connect with the surrounding Aether and adjust the balance until it becomes self-sustaining."

 

Silas pressed a hand to his chest, attuning to the faint currents around him. He felt the flow of Aether—tiny particles dancing in the air.

 

He began shifting his thoughts, as though tuning into a hidden frequency.

 

He felt as if he had grabbed an invisible string and pulled hard.

 

Aether responded, swirling gently through the space, infusing it until everything shimmered with calm energy.

 

But Silas didn't end his meditation. He was waiting:

 

For the 1% chance of awakening a spirit beast talent, as mentioned in the fine print at the end of the tutorial.

 

"What if the talent mentioned on the test report isn't the system?"

 

So he meditated, silently chanting in his mind: "A top-tier talent, a top-tier talent, a top-tier talent..."

 

As the saying goes, "Even a simp will find their way, and miracles can happen." Silas's Spirit Mastery Space did not disappoint his prayers.

 

The calm Spirit Mastery Space soon became turbulent again, and a hazy light orb condensed, filling all of Silas's senses.

 

—Talent awakened!

 

A strange and powerful sense of connection bloomed deep inside him.

 

[Spirit Beast Master Talent Unlocked: Spirit Whisperer]

 

[Spirit Whisperer: A gift for those who hear the whispers of the soul.]

 

[This rare talent allows for direct mental resonance with spirit beasts, bypassing awkward adjustment phases.]

[Through pure thought alone, the user can exchange high-frequency emotional and conceptual data with their beasts.]

[After forming a contract, communication is no longer limited to speech or commands—it becomes emotional, instinctive, and deep.]

[This greatly enhances growth, combat synergy, learning speed, and even rare miracle events like emergency evolution or level-breaking feats.]

 

[Category: Support-type Talent]

 

In the chaos, Cilas felt a "connection" of power being born.

 

It was as if someone was silently responding to every thought and emotion he had.

 

It wasn't an illusion.

 

It's a response.

Silas stayed in meditation, adjusting detail after detail, until his Psychic Power finally ran dry.

 

He collapsed onto his bed and closed his eyes happily.

 

"It's so amazing..."

 

...

 

Silas didn't sleep for long; he still had a lot to do tonight.

 

He first searched for the different types of spirit beast talents.

 

Generally, spirit beast talents were divided into two categories: Enhancement-type and Support-type.

 

Enhancement-type talents could directly boost combat power, such as increasing a spirit beast's elemental damage, suppressing an enemy's Psychic Power, or accelerating contract stabilization. In battle, they were practically a cheat code.

 

As for Support-type, they were all over the place.

 

There were talents like [Aura Self-Recovery] that could speed up the recovery of the Spirit Mastery Space, and [Nurturing Blessing] that specialized in cultivation. Of course, there were also some obscure, mind-boggling talents, such as:

 

[Mimicry]: The spirit beast can imitate the contractor's appearance and expressions—great for aspiring actors.

 

[Hyper-Frequency Hearing]: Can hear a spirit beast's stomach rumbling when it's hungry (for real)—great for... chefs?

 

In short, most Support-type talents were "highly functional but weak in combat," and most spirit beast masters who got one would be absolutely devastated.

 

After reading this far, Silas nervously searched for the "Spirit Whisperer" talent.

 

He clicked on the entry and found the comments section was quite lively—

 

Most popular comment: "What is a Spirit Whisperer good for? Being a nanny, calming kids, a mental health coach, or writing essays for a spirit beast, but not for fighting."

 

Second most popular: "What's the point of listening to a spirit beast talk? I can listen to my boss talk and maybe get a raise, you try that."

 

Silas fell silent.

 

"...What do you guys know? This is emotional resonance, a deep connection, the art of putting yourself in another's shoes!"

 

After he righteously convinced himself, his mood finally calmed down a bit.

 

Again, something was better than nothing.

 

He continued to search for help threads on choosing a starter spirit beast.

 

Silas summarized the four key criteria for choosing a starter spirit beast:

 

Initial growth speed, a spirit beast's development potential, its personality, and talent compatibility.

 

The good news was that his Spirit Whisperer talent had "broad compatibility," with no major limitations.

 

Silas's talent was highly versatile, so he didn't have to worry about compatibility.

 

And the "Six Great Starter Spirit Beasts"—the Woodpecker spirit beast, the Fireball Raccoon, the Bubble Otter, the Squeaky Electric Shrew, the Lightfeather Fox, and the Stone-Shell Turtle—were hailed as the "Six Stalwarts of the Spirit Beast World," known for their consistent yet flexible tactics.

 

Even if he couldn't afford a real one, he could at least learn how to pick one from the pictures!

 

Silas read with great interest, and a few ideas began to form in his mind.

 

Before going to bed, he opened the system panel again.

 

As expected, something new hovered over the chibi avatar on the left side of the screen:

 

[Talent: Spirit Whisperer (Click to view details)]

 

Even better—the right side of the panel also changed from gray and white to bright blue, which is consistent with the other parts.

 

That meant the system was active.

 

A tiny message appeared:

 

[No spirit beast added yet]

 

"!!!"

 

Fantastic Double jackpot!

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