The corrupted beast dissolved into foul smoke, leaving behind silence and the smell of burnt fur. The militia stood frozen, still gripping their weapons.
And then… every single one of them turned to me.
I hovered nervously, glowing just a bit brighter than usual. "…Sooo… teamwork?"
The captain lowered his spear and gave me a hard look. Then he did something I didn't expect he bowed, just slightly.
"You fought with us. That's rare for a spirit. Come our camp isn't far."
I blinked. Did I just get invited to a sleepover?
[Correction: You are being escorted for observation, not invited for fun. There is a seventy-eight percent chance they intend to dissect you.]
"Advisor, can you not? Let me have this."
---
Their camp sat at the edge of a shallow river, torches planted in a circle, tents pitched neatly. A big iron pot bubbled over the fire, filling the air with the smell of stew.
It was… cozy. Normal. For a moment, I felt like I'd stumbled onto a medieval camping trip.
Except every single soldier's eyes kept darting to me like I was a glowing UFO.
One whispered, "It talks."
Another muttered, "Spirits don't talk."
A third added, "If it's corrupted, it'll eat our souls in our sleep."
"Wow," I muttered, "I feel so welcome already."
The captain silenced them with a glare. "He helped us kill the beast. Until proven otherwise, he's our guest."
[Observation: Guest status is temporary. Current probability of betrayal is forty-nine percent.]
"Advisor, you're ruining my bonding experience!"
---
They offered me a spot near the fire. I floated awkwardly, watching them eat stew. My stomach (or whatever passed for one) growled in envy.
"Advisor," I whispered, "do I even need food?"
[Negative. Your core consumes ambient mana. However, observing their eating may trigger psychological hunger responses. Translation: you will suffer.]
"Great. Eternal glowing orb life and I can't even taste stew."
The mage sitting nearby tilted his head. "You… really are different. Ordinary spirits don't act so… human."
I tried to smile which is hard when you're a ball of light. "Yeah, I get that a lot."
---
Later, when the camp quieted, Advisor's voice cut in with that smug tone I was starting to recognize.
[Now initiating Status Preview.]
A glowing panel appeared before my eyes:
Status Preview
Name: Yuto (Reincarnated Spirit)
Level: 3
Essence Core: Stable
HP:100/100
MP;260/260
EXP:30/100
Skills:
- Absorption (Basic)
- Analyze (Basic)
- Mana Shaping (Unlocked Lv.1)
Locked Physical Attributes:
- Strength: ???
- Agility: ???
- Endurance: ???
•Note: Physical stats unavailable until corporeal evolution.
I nearly spun in circles. "Wait, I have levels? And stats?!"
[Correction: You have potential stats. Currently, you are a glowing marshmallow with delusions of grandeur.]
"…You just had to ruin it."
But my core pulsed with excitement. This meant when I finally got a body, I'd be able to fight, run, punch things!
I could already imagine it: ripped muscles, sword in hand, heroic poses—
[Note: Probability of you looking like a skinny villager instead is eighty-two percent.]
"…Shut up, Advisor."
---
As I was still fantasizing about my eventual six-pack, one of the militia women walked past my glow. She bent over to adjust the stew pot, and
Oh. Oh no.
From my angle floating behind her, I accidentally illuminated… a lot. I caught sight of some oranges.
"Uh uh sorry!" I yelped, zipping to the side.
The woman whipped around, glaring. "Pervert spirit!"
"It wasn't. I didn't , I literally can't close my eyes!"
[Observation: You illuminated her posterior at a suspiciously direct angle. Probability of accidental perversion: twenty percent. Probability of actual perversion: eighty percent.]
"ADVISOR!!"
The whole camp burst out laughing. Even the captain smirked.
My glow dimmed to embarrassed pink. "…Kill me now."
---
But the laughter didn't last long.
From the far edge of the camp, a voice rang out, cold and sharp:
"You can't trust it. Talking spirit or not, it's dangerous."
Everyone turned.
A broad-shouldered soldier stepped into the firelight, eyes narrowed at me like I was the plague. His hand gripped his sword tightly.
"If you keep it here," he spat, "we'll all regret it."
The fire popped, throwing sparks into the night.
I hovered silently, pulse racing.
[Observation: Congratulations. You've survived monsters. Now you get to deal with humans.]
"Yay," I muttered. "My favorite."
---