Extra's Sign In System: The Hero's an Idiot!

Chapter 196: Chapter 196: The Spirit Contracts

Chapter 196: The Spirit Contracts

The Captain opened his eyes.

He did not feel the agonizing, jagged pain of shattered ribs. His lungs did not burn with hemorrhaging blood. The suffocating, heavy weight of the cheap Dwarven iron chainmail was entirely gone.

He was wearing his custom-tailored dark jacket. His pristine white mask rested perfectly on his face.

He sat up. He was lying on a bed of soft, glowing green moss.

Around him, Strike Team Zero groaned and began to stir. They were back in their original, healthy bodies. The horrific physical toll of the simulation had been completely wiped away.

"My legs," Cole gasped. The young blacksmith shot up from the ground and aggressively patted his own knees. "I have my knees back! I am no longer a square!"

Reina sat up and frantically rubbed her chin.

"No beard," Reina breathed a massive sigh of relief.

"Thank the heavens. If I had to braid that itchy thing one more time, I was going to freeze the entire mountain."

Lucien dusted off his sleek silver Vanguard uniform. He looked completely thrilled to be out of the dusty diplomatic servant clothes.

Beside him, Bram stretched his thick arms, happily enjoying his true, towering height once again.

They looked around their new environment.

They were standing inside a massive, crystal-lit cavern. In the exact center of the room grew a beautiful, radiant World Tree Sapling. It pulsed with pure, concentrated life force.

Hovering directly around the sapling were nine translucent, glowing figures. They were ancient elemental spirits, composed of shifting light and raw magic.

Nyx Vespera stood up immediately. Her hands hovered over her obsidian daggers.

"Who are you?" Nyx asked coldly, glaring at the floating entities. "Where are we?"

Aegon Logcheville stepped to the very front of the group. He raised his chin, projecting the firm authority of a Vanguard.

"What is your purpose here?" Aegon demanded loudly.

The translucent spirits glowed brighter. They did not speak individually. Their voices merged into a single, synchronized, grandiose echo that vibrated through the lush cavern.

"We are the Echoes of Thaldrasil," the spirits chimed together.

"We are the wardens of the purified Worldforge. You stand in the Reward Chamber, located in the deepest heart of the simulation you just saved."

The spirits drifted gracefully around the glowing sapling.

"Our makers were the First Ancestors," the grandiose voice continued.

"Our mission was to wait in the dark until true champions proved themselves worthy. We are here to pass on the legacy."

Cole flashed a massive, greedy grin.

"So you are the loot managers," Cole translated happily.

"I like you guys already."

The spirits beckoned the squad forward.

"Step into the light," the ancient voices echoed.

"Claim your birthrights."

Cole stepped up first. A spirit made of pure, white-hot fire floated away from the sapling and sank directly into the blacksmith’s chest.

"The [Forge-Soul]," the voices declared.

The ancient, sentient flame fused perfectly with Cole’s hidden talent. His eyes glowed like burning coals, completely overflowing with the mythical ability to forge living, legendary weapons.

Lyra stepped forward next. A cluster of glowing emerald wisps drifted down and touched her forehead.

"The [Elven Encyclopedia]," the spirits announced.

Lyra gasped softly. Centuries of extinct, mythical alchemical recipes flooded her mind, granting her access to the forgotten botanical wisdom of the old world.

Then, the remaining elemental spirits began to take physical animal shapes.

A spirit made of shifting brown rocks and glowing green moss stepped forward. It transformed into a massive Earth-Turtle. The heavy creature marched toward Bram and dissolved directly into his towering iron shield.

A spirit of roaring, blood-red flames morphed into a Crimson-Fire Hound. It leaped directly into Aegon’s chest, instantly supercharging the brutal heat of his Crucible.

A spirit of swirling frost and snow took the form of an Ice-Owl. It landed on Reina’s shoulder before melting into her core, dropping the ambient temperature of the room to a freezing chill.

A fierce, shrieking Wind-Hawk made of condensed gales swooped down. It vanished smoothly into the limbs of Natalie’s bow.

A sleek, terrifying Shadow-Panther stalked out of the darkness. It merged perfectly with Nyx’s shadow, turning her dark aura pitch-black.

A spirit of pure, crackling blue energy shifted into a Lightning-Fox. It darted through the air and vanished into Lucien’s chest with a loud crack of thunder.

Finally, a beautiful Star-Moth radiating pure cosmic light fluttered down. It rested against Estella’s collarbone before vanishing directly into her heart.

The entire squad radiated a terrifying, unified spike in power. Their elemental affinities had just skyrocketed to unprecedented heights.

It was the Captain’s turn.

He stepped forward, walking calmly toward the glowing World Tree Sapling.

WHIRRR!

The Eden Bracelet secured tightly around his wrist suddenly vibrated with violent force. The metal artifact glowed with a blinding, erratic purple light. The internal pocket dimension was forcing itself open.

ROAAR!

Astraxion burst into the cavern.

The intense, purifying celestial energy radiating directly from the World Tree Sapling washed over the dragon.

It was a perfect resonance. The Captain had originally purified Astraxion’s egg using a World Tree Leaf.

The pure nature magic of the sapling acted as the ultimate catalyst, instantly cleansing the remaining Miasma in the dragon’s belly and triggering a massive, joyful evolution.

"Papa!" a telepathic, cheerful voice echoed clearly in the Captain’s mind.

Astraxion zipped through the air. The dragon completely ignored the Captain and flew directly over to Estella, rubbing its scaly head affectionately against her cheek.

"Mama!" the voice echoed happily in Estella’s mind.

"Oh, you are finally awake," Estella beamed, gently petting the highly lethal, neon-purple dragon.

"That thing breathes black plasma," Cole muttered, taking a very slow step backward.

"Why is it acting like a puppy?"

Astraxion did not stay still for long. The Void Dragon sensed the World Tree Sapling. It was the exact same type of ancient, comforting magic that had saved its life all those months ago.

The dragon darted eagerly toward the glowing green sapling.

"Wait," the Captain ordered.

He was a fraction of a second too late. Astraxion wrapped its scaly, bladed body directly around the glowing trunk of the young World Tree.

FLASH!

A blinding, catastrophic reaction of light erupted in the center of the cavern.

The mythical Void magic and the ancient World Tree energy violently resonated. The concussive shockwave knocked Aegon and Bram straight onto their backs. The Captain quickly shielded his eyes with his black sleeve.

When the brilliant light finally dimmed, the cavern was completely silent.

The World Tree Sapling was glowing with a faint, neon-purple hue. Astraxion sat proudly at its base, purring softly.

A glowing blue interface materialized directly in front of the Captain’s white mask.

[System Alert: The Void Dragon has resonated with the Ancient Source.]

[Prompt: Do you want to perform a Soul-Bound Contract with the World Tree Sapling?]

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