Dual Cultivation: Beasts and Women!

Chapter 4: First Level of a Spirit Master

The moment he opened his eyes, Liam felt the cave in a whole new way, as if suddenly, in the darkness, he could see a bright world, different from the one he had seen a few moments ago.

The dimness of the area, caused by the cave's poor lighting, seemed to have lost its gloomy aspect. He saw the surroundings as if it were clear inside the cave, while noticing a subtle colored aura floating in the air.

He didn't just see it; he felt this strange aura, noticing a pleasant sensation when it touched his body, and how his body seemed to be nourished by it.

His body felt feverish, his heart beating faster, while the wounds from earlier, the cuts sewn by the demon, healed.

Along with his strangely rapid recovery, he felt like a full balloon, full of energy and the will to move.

'What's going on? What has the demon done?'

He looked in the direction of the dark red-skinned being, who was standing in a lotus position.

When he recovered from his near-fall, he stood upright in the middle of the cave, not needing to get close to the demon's body to understand its situation.

'Dead? How? It's clearly—'

Liam was trying to understand what had happened when memories relating to the real Liam Porter popped into his mind as if something obvious were in front of him.

"Spirit Awakening? Spirit Pact?"

He muttered as he understood the differences in his senses, but also what had perhaps happened.

In Twin Land, mystical powers affected sensitive humans in a very particular way. By meeting certain requirements, which Liam wasn't sure about, a human would achieve the ability to make a Spirit Pact.

Strangely, humans could only grow stronger by making Spirit Pacts.

A Spirit Pact was a mystical agreement between the dominator and the dominated party. Normally, the dominating side was the human, who would become a Spirit Master by dominating a mystical creature, like a beast, for example. The dominated side was the beast, which would become a spirit after being tamed by the human who succeeded in hunting it.

Spirit Awakening was the name of the consequence of making the first Spirit Pact.

Soon after the first pact, one would gain control over their first spirit creature, gaining access to mystical powers. This included not only the ability of the spirit itself, but also physical enhancements and the ability to sense and absorb mana.

Liam knew what this was all about. These two particularities of Twin Land were behind the basis of the continental community, behind the mystical phenomenon that made the continent so special. However, he didn't understand how the process behind these phenomena took place, let alone what had happened to him.

'I certainly awakened my spirit, or I wouldn't be feeling like this now. But how did the Spirit Pact happen?'

As he thought this, he felt a sudden pain behind his eyes, sensing something wrong in his body.

His eyes turned redder, while from the pores in his skin came tiny purple droplets which, when they came into contact with the air, formed a fine mist in that cave.

He felt weak, but then, without understanding how, he felt his little brother in his underwear grow.

"What the hell?"

Liam's eyes widened as he looked down, feeling and seeing something that hadn't happened since he'd arrived in this strange world.

Looking down at his underwear, he didn't know whether to laugh in satisfaction or cry at his situation.

He had a proud piece of equipment there with him!

However, now his little brother was hard as a rock, making him feel a pain he had never expected to feel in his two lives.

As he kneeled on the ground moaning in pain, he imagined the creature that had left a dead body behind, gradually finding himself in a different space from where he was.

He saw a semi-transparent being sitting in the middle of what appeared to be a shallow lake, surrounded by clouds on all sides, where he had no way of knowing where this was, nor how wide this place was.

But judging by the rapid decrease in the level of the lake as the creature seemed to absorb it and the growing pain in his being, Liam associated one thing with another and assumed the situation he was in.

'I was the dominated side? That's not right! Humans should always be the dominator side! Why would it force a Spirit Pact on me when I have no power to give it? The only advantage for spirits in agreements like it is the opportunity to grow together with their mast—'

Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly caught sight of a flickering light at the end of the tunnel, cutting through his confusion.

"Fuck! It wants to use me to get stronger?"

Liam understood the basics of his situation.

The relationship between humans and mystical creatures in Twin Land could be hostile, but also harmonious. This depended solely on the decision of the human side and the mystical creature side.

In this relationship, the human gained the creature's special powers and also an ally who could grow with them. At the same time, the creature could grow by taking fewer risks and taking advantage of its tamer's good fortune.

Liam couldn't say exactly the reason behind the demon's action, but the creature could only be looking for that possibility, since nothing else would make sense.

'Shit! I have to cultivate or I'll be killed!'

He sat down on the ground to meditate, somewhat fearful as he felt the creature absorbing that lake, which he assumed was his mana reserve.

Spirit creatures with a Spirit Pact in activity with a Spirit Master could directly consume their master's mana to become stronger. In cases like that of a beast that the human side had tamed, the master would only allow this to happen when they were prepared to supply the beast with their mana.

Liam's case seemed to be just the opposite. He had benefited in some way from what the demon had done, but the creature seemed to be free to do whatever it wanted, including sucking out his mana without giving him a chance to prepare!

But if his mana was totally consumed, Liam would die!

Once a human or special being could go through Spirit Awakening, their body would be sensitized to mana. From then on, they would always have to have mana with them, or their life could be in danger.

Staying a few minutes with nothing was not absolutely 100% dangerous, but staying longer than an hour would be enough for one to reach an irreversible state and die.

Liam had never meditated before, but amid his agitation, feeling the enemy side sucking up all the mana that had already sensitized his body, he unconsciously learned to cultivate the surrounding colored aura.

At first, the process was slow and uncomfortable for him. But the young man improved his familiarity with the process, absorbing more and more mana as he felt more comfortable with the process.

Twelve minutes after starting, he felt the demon stop making the mana lake in that strange space decrease in height from the water level, then gradually raise the level.

Almost an hour after starting, he felt his mana reach a peak, and then the level of the lake doubled in a single breath!

'Uh?'

At that moment, he opened his eyes, successfully reaching the first level of a Spirit Master!

For some reason he didn't understand, the demon stopped absorbing the 'water' as soon as he advanced in level, and then disappeared into that strange, misty space.

Liam's little brother shrank in size, while the young man's previous pains disappeared as if they had never been there, along with his red eyes returning to their usual black.

But as he felt well again, a series of pieces of information flooded his mind, making him understand more about himself, but also about the demon.

'Incubus demon?'

He didn't know well such a type of demon. However, the abilities he had got through it were so obvious he couldn't help but understand the reality of this race.

'No wonder it was in the outermost area of the Eternal Doom Island and used me to get a pact! It doesn't actually have the physical strength to be among the island's demons and stand a chance of prospering!'

The abilities Liam had just gained were related to seduction, shapeshifting, super-strength and a weak but existing power of mind control, the same as the creature now deeply connected to him.

Along with the abilities, he also gained a 'thirst' for something that he couldn't help but realize would become a future problem!