Chapter 15: The Gifted Sprite

Chapter 15: The Gifted Sprite

Suye placed the pouch of coins and the bronze shortsword on the altar, held his breath, and stared intently.

Nothing happened.

"Broken?" Suye reached out to pat the altar, then kicked it lightly, resorting to the traditional repair method used universally in this world.

No effect.

Suye picked up the bronze shortsword.

Still no effect.

He put down the bronze shortsword and picked up the pouch of coins again, but there was still no response.

Suye stared at the altar for a long while, ultimately deciding not to step onto it.

With a potential treasure right before him that he couldn't utilize, Suye felt frustrated.

After some thought, Suye silently invoked the command to return.

Suye found himself back in his bedroom.

The pouch of coins and the bronze shortsword were no longer in his hands.

"Hmm... If the altar is broken, at least it can serve as a storage space. Even Dean Plato wouldn't have such a large storage space except for his legendary mage tower."

Although Suye thought this way, he didn't give up. Instead, he reached out to touch the bed in his bedroom.

"I want to bring the bed into the ruins space..." Suye began imagining the headless statue.

He successfully entered.

Next, Suye entered moving mode.

He sent everything from the bedroom, except for the items in the living room, into the ruins space.

Then, Suye took turns placing each item on the altar.

No effect.

He continued to place all the items on the altar, stacking them one by one.

Still no effect.

"Sigh..."

Suye sighed, finally admitting that either the altar was broken or these items were unworthy of being offered.

So, Suye silently returned all the items to their original places, drenched in sweat.

"How should I use this ruins space and mysterious altar?" Suye pondered quietly.

In the backyard of the Dolphin River Restaurant.

"...That's what happened," Hake stood before Kelton, recounting every detail of following Suye until they arrived at Suye's home.

Kelton sighed softly and said, "This is the power of intellect. Suye has already planted the seed of fear in Lawrence's heart. Even if Lawrence can kill Suye in the future, he will do so cautiously. In front of Suye, my reason tells me he's setting a trap to lure me in. But my intellect tells me I must step into the trap and bet on him."

Hake remained silent.

While helping Suye find the city guards, Hake had a vague sense of a possibility. It wasn't until Lawrence asked who decided to come here at the Blunt Knife Tavern that he fully understood.

Because Suye demonstrated higher value and greater potential, Kelton agreed to Suye's request to protect him. However, protecting Suye came with a price—not only the risk of death but also the possibility that if Lawrence's backers pursued the matter, Kelton would have to abandon him.

Hake knew that in the deal between Suye and Kelton, he had been sacrificed.

So before leaving, Suye said those comforting words, hoping Hake wouldn't resent Kelton.

Kelton didn't explain but looked up at the starry sky and said, "Those 100 gold eagles, which I originally intended as a loan, have now changed purpose. That money is now his property, my second investment in him."

Hake's lips twitched as he asked, "If you didn't give it to him, would he pay it back in ten years?"

"Are you actually wondering if he'll repay your magic shortsword?" Kelton asked with a smile.

Hake remained silent.

Back at Suye's home, in the ruins space.

Suye took a deep breath, looking at the bronze shortsword and the pouch of coins in his hand. He thought, "One last try! If it doesn't work, I'll give up!"

He approached the altar once more and placed the bronze shortsword on it. The altar remained unresponsive.

Suye sighed deeply and threw the pouch of coins on top, preparing to leave as soon as he did so.

The altar lit up!

Suddenly, the entire altar emitted a faint white glow. Then, a slight white mist rose from the pouch of coins and drifted into the altar.

The innermost metal ring of the altar suddenly burst into intense light, blinding Suye.

After the bright light faded, the first layer of the ring slowly began to rotate, emitting the sound of metal wheels rolling over the ground. The mysterious black runes, like tadpoles, flickered and swam within the ring.

Then, the center of the altar projected a beam of white light, and four tiny human-shaped sprites appeared within the light.

Every little fairy had their eyes closed, hugging their knees in a curled-up position. Their bodies were transparent, with specks of starlight swirling around them, and each had a pair of transparent wings behind them.

"This is... innate fairies? This means..." Suye's face lit up with joy.

Innate fairies were not living beings but an extremely rare form of power. Some people were born with it, others acquired it through cultivation, some created them through magic, and others were granted them by deities.

Each innate fairy possessed a unique innate ability, and having an innate fairy meant possessing that ability.

Suye moved forward to observe closely. Indeed, three of the innate fairies had triangular magical patterns on their wings, indicating they were basic innate fairies. The other one had square patterns on its wings, marking it as a battle-form innate fairy.

Suye hurriedly took deep breaths to calm himself down and carefully examined the four innate fairies.

Whenever his gaze fell on an innate fairy, he automatically knew what innate ability it possessed.

After observing the four innate fairies, Suye was somewhat bewildered.

When he was very young, he had undergone a bloodline test. The result showed that the divine bloodline within him was so faint it was almost nonexistent, making the possibility of activating divine power negligible. If he wanted to gain power, he could only become a mage.

Therefore, Suye had always dreamed of becoming a mage since childhood.

The problem now was that none of the abilities of these four innate fairies had anything to do with mages.

One was Music Awakening, which allowed one to master musical rhythms.

Another was Melodious Voice, which made singing or speaking highly captivating.

One more was Sculptor's Hand, a power typically possessed by renowned sculptors.

The last one was Demon Ox Form, which greatly enhanced physical strength, allowing an ordinary person's body to reach the level of a black iron warrior without using divine power.

"What's going on here?"

Suye stared at the four innate fairies for a long time, feeling a mix of emotions.

If he chose an artistic path, each of these abilities would serve as a solid foundation, greatly aiding his growth. If he chose the path of a warrior, Demon Ox Form would be tailor-made for him.

Suye did not want to be an artist or a warrior; he only wanted to be a mage.

Suye helplessly shook his head. For now, it seemed he had no other choice but to choose Demon Ox Form. A strong body was also important for a mage.

"Am I... going to become a legendary tank mage?"

The thought sent shivers down Suye's spine, and he quickly dismissed it. Then, he tentatively focused on the last innate fairy and silently chose it in his heart.