The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 144

Sarak—

The wind rustled as the two walked along the path.

Beside Hanbit, Raphina’s face was a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

"You don’t have to be too tense. If the spirits didn’t take a liking to you, they would’ve already chased us out."

"I suppose that’s a relief, but still..."

Ten months of effort with no progress.

On top of that, she had even been told that her ability to connect with spirits was lacking. It was only natural for her to worry.

"You’ve never actually seen a spirit before, have you?"

"Oh, no. The first one I saw was yours, Sylph."

"Have you ever felt like the wind or water was speaking to you?"

"Um... Sometimes it feels like something lightly brushes against my fingers or cheeks. But that could just be my imagination."

"Is that so?"

Listening to her, Hanbit nodded slightly to himself.

It wasn’t that Raphina lacked the talent of a Spirit Summoner.

Even if her ability to communicate with them was weak, the spirits still showed continuous interest in her.

If she were given the right environment to grow closer to them, she could take the next step forward.

Whoom—

A vast green meadow stretched out before them.

Beyond it, beautiful trees stood tall, their leaves swirling in the wind—making the presence of air itself feel visible.

Clench—

Raphina tightened her fist over her chest.

She was desperate to find a breakthrough, no matter what.

"Let’s go in."

The two stepped onto the shimmering green field.

"Oh, and don’t be too startled. They’re just playing around."

"Huh? What do you mea—"

Whoosh—!

A powerful gust of wind suddenly engulfed them.

"Ah!"

Before they could even react, they were both swept into the air.

Raphina, in particular, was flung so far that she completely disappeared from view.

-Wow.

-These spirits play rough. Lol.

-"Don’t be startled," he says.

-But honestly, this looks fun...

-Nature’s amusement park lol

-‘Their greetings are as intense as ever.’

Suspended midair, Hanbit recalled past experiences.

Among all spirits, mid-tier wind spirits were some of the most mischievous.

And the only way to satisfy their curiosity—was to provoke them.

Srrng—!

Hanbit drew his sword from its sheath and steadied his stance.

Something that would ignite the spirits’ interest...

He considered a few options, but one method was nearly guaranteed to work.

‘No need to overcomplicate things.’

The Spirit King—now vanished from the world.

If these spirits were to witness traces of the power left behind, how would they react?

Hanbit already knew the answer.

Whoosh—!

In an instant, flames erupted, engulfing his blade.

The cost of Elemental Awakening—half of his stamina and mana drained in exchange.

And its worth was immediately proven.

Whoosh—!

The spirits that had been watching from a distance stirred, reacting to the unexpected force.

Their curiosity exploded into a sudden shift in the wind.

Kwoooosh—!

The turbulent air twisted into a vortex, rushing toward him.

The surging flames blended with the wind, creating a rare and spectacular sight.

Fwoosh—!

Several enormous fire tornadoes formed in midair, swirling with fierce intensity.

Far more dazzling than anything Hanbit could create on his own.

It was clear just how entertained the spirits were.

Whoom—

The once raging wind gradually lost its force.

And just as it settled—another change took place.

Srrrk—

Hanbit, who had been hovering in the air, slowly descended to the ground.

A faint smirk appeared on his lips as he watched the wind curl around him.

"Shuriel, have you had enough fun?"

Whoosh—!

As if answering, the mid-tier wind spirit, Shuriel, playfully brushed against Hanbit’s face.

Then, a string of messages appeared.

[The Wind Spirit Shuriel smiles with delight.]

[The Wind Spirit Shuriel takes an interest in your power.]

[The Wind Spirit Shuriel is becoming increasingly curious about you.]

[The Wind Spirit Shuriel is astonished by your high affinity.]

…

At this level, it should be possible to complete their communion without any issues.

At least, that’s what Hanbit thought.

Swoosh—!

Suddenly, a gust of wind surged from Hanbit’s embrace, revealing a small bird.

“…Sylph?”

The unexpected situation left him confused.

But Sylph was dead serious.

Chirp—!

It was as if the little bird was standing its ground against Shuriel.

Even in all his past experiences, Hanbit had never seen anything like this before.

"What’s wrong?"

Chirp—!

Sylph let out a low, resonant cry—almost as if telling him to stay put.

Whoosh—!

The wind that had briefly pulled back now began to creep forward once again.

The energies of the two spirits hesitantly intertwined, as if engaged in some sort of communication.

‘What is this?’

The hierarchy among spirits was absolute.

Rather than a strict chain of command, it was more about clearly distinguishing their roles.

Because of that, they usually didn’t interfere with each other’s affairs.

Chirp—!

Whoom—

Yet, this strange exchange felt like a process of resolving some kind of conflict.

And considering that both were of the same element, the situation was even more baffling.

-?

-What’s happening?

-Are they fighting?

-Kids grow by fighting, after all.

-Kids (approximately 5,000 years old).

-They’re cute, so they’re forgiven.

Even the viewers who didn’t understand the deeper context were fascinated.

About ten minutes passed.

Chirp—!

Sylph finally returned to Hanbit’s side.

Then—

Whirl—!

A strong wind coiled around the tiny bird, swirling rapidly.

Sssss—!

Despite its sharp, bladed appearance, the wind was impossibly gentle.

And when the rotation finally ceased, revealing what lay within—

Ding—!

A notification rang out, and a now-larger bird emerged.

[The Lesser Wind Spirit Sylph has evolved into a Mid-Tier Wind Spirit.]

[The Mid-Tier Wind Spirit Sylph wishes to continue staying by your side.]

[Title acquired: Beloved of the Spirits.]

-Huh?

-Evolution?

-Our Sylph…

-Some things never change.

-It actually stayed with him…

‘…Evolution?’

Hanbit’s eyes widened as he processed the message.

Spiritual evolution was an incredibly rare sight.

Even more unusual was the fact that Sylph had developed into a distinct entity, separate from the collective spirit consciousness.

Spirits were both one and many.

Normally, those of the same tier shared a unified consciousness, existing as part of a greater whole.

Chirp—!

The bird, now the size of a soccer ball, perched on Hanbit’s palm.

As he absentmindedly stroked its nuzzling head, he checked the title description.

[Beloved of the Spirits]

-Enhances communication abilities with spirits.

-Strengthens the individuality of spirits while drastically improving the depth of interaction.

-The effects vary depending on the spirit’s rank.

‘Communication?’

A strange word caught Hanbit’s eye.

Lowering his gaze, he found himself staring into Sylph’s eyes.

[I like this!]

“…Huh?"

A speech bubble-like message appeared above Sylph’s head.

Not only that, but the words rang clearly in Hanbit’s mind.

"Are you… talking to me right now?"

[Yes!]

-No way, this is insane. LOL

-Communication channel: ON

-Our baby can finally talk.

-The speech bubble is adorable. LOL

-Balder, step aside. I’m coming in.

-Already doing it.

Viewers were overjoyed at Hanbit’s first conversation with Sylph.

But for Hanbit, the weight of the moment felt entirely different.

‘It’s already speaking?’

This wasn’t just basic communication—it was a full-on conversation.

A spirit normally needed to reach the high-tier level before developing a distinct sense of self.

Even then, it took a long period of interaction to get to this point.

Yet here was Sylph, responding in actual words—something completely unheard of.

Chirp—!

Sylph flapped its wings as if such concerns were irrelevant.

It was difficult to grasp, but regardless, the contract with the mid-tier wind spirit had been a success.

Now, it was time to move on to the domain of another element.

"Ahhh!"

A distant scream caught Hanbit’s attention.

Looking over, he saw Raphina still struggling against the wind, suspended midair.

"Sylph, can you take me over there?"

[Yes!]

Whoosh—!

With that simple reply, the wind enveloped Hanbit’s body.

As expected from a spirit’s domain, Sylph’s power was swift and unhindered.

Shhh—!

In an instant, Hanbit was carried toward Raphina.

"Black Dragon!"

Her urgent voice called out as soon as she spotted him.

Her face screamed desperation, unsure of what to do.

"Looks like Shuriel is interested in you too. Try everything you can."

"Huh?"

"Play with the spirit. Whether it’s magic, singing—find a way to make an impression. I’ll leave you to it."

"W-Wait…! Black Dragon!"

-LOL

-This is basically a trial.

-We now understand the struggles of working at a kids’ play center.

Leaving Raphina reaching out behind him, Hanbit stepped out of the wind spirit’s domain.

Three spirits remained.

His next stop: the domain of fire.

Ding—

A notification popped up the moment his feet touched the ground.

The message that appeared was exactly as expected.

[The Fire Spirit Salist senses your heat.]

[The Mid-Tier Fire Spirit Salist wishes to accompany you.]

Thanks to the lingering traces of Sallion, the fire spirit naturally warmed up to Hanbit.

It was a decision fitting for a spirit of passion and impulse.

Next was the water spirit.

Splash—

A vast, shallow lake stretched before him.

As soon as he entered, messages surfaced once more.

[The Water Spirit Undine questions the power within you.]

[The Water Spirit Undine expresses slight concern.]

[The Water Spirit Undine remains unsettled.]

[The Mid-Tier Water Spirit Undine wishes to accompany you.]

The ice spirit was a fragment that had split away from the water spirit.

In a way, their relationship was like that of a parent and child.

A gentle and deeply empathetic spirit like Undine wouldn’t simply overlook the traces of Glacier.

"The last one is… over there."

A domain covered in rock and earth—the final destination.

Hanbit slowly made his way forward and stepped inside.

"……."

Unlike the previous three domains, there was no immediate response.

Only after some time did messages begin to appear.

[The Earth Spirit Gnome is hesitant.]

[The Earth Spirit Gnome is reluctant to change.]

[The Earth Spirit Gnome shakes its head, saying it needs more time.]

In the end, its hesitation led to rejection.

It was an expected outcome.

But Hanbit’s goal was a little different.

"I have a request. Could I receive your spirit stone?"

Rumble—

The ground trembled slightly in response.

Then, after a brief pause, a message surfaced.

[The Earth Spirit Gnome reads the traces of your footsteps.]

[The Earth Spirit Gnome has acknowledged the echoes of countless lives you have protected.]

Crack—

At that moment, the ground split open right in front of Hanbit.

There, resting within the fissure, was a round, semi-transparent gemstone glowing with a vivid golden light.

"Thank you."

Hanbit crouched down and reached for it, expressing his gratitude.

[You have obtained a Spirit Stone infused with the Power of Earth (Rank 5 – Epic).]

-Rank 5 Epic?? Whoa.

-It’s actually giving that away?

-But still refuses to form a contract.

-Tough little guy.

-You got the Spirit Stone. Time to celebrate.

The quality of the Spirit Stone was exceptional—just as he had hoped.

And with the earth’s power already imbued in it, there was no need for additional enhancement.

A contract could wait for another time when the moment was right.

After carefully inspecting the Spirit Stone, Hanbit stored it in his inventory.

"Alright then, I’ll be going now. I’ll come back again, and next time…"

Rumble—

Just as he was about to say his final farewell, the ground suddenly shifted beneath him.

A new message appeared.

[The Earth Spirit Gnome worries about the weight you bear.]

"…It’s okay. I’m used to it."

Rumble, rumble—

At Hanbit’s quiet response, the earth beneath him trembled, almost as if embracing his legs.

The unique power of the Earth Spirit.

It wasn’t simply about shaping the land—it was the ability to retrace the past.

The Gnome didn’t fully understand the 55 lifetimes Hanbit had lived, but it could faintly sense the sheer length of his journey.

Perhaps it was because every footstep, every battle, every drop of blood shed had seeped into the ground itself.

Crack—

The earth twitched for a moment before falling still.

Then, another message appeared.

[The Mid-Tier Earth Spirit Gnome wishes to accompany you.]

-Huh?

-??

-It refused earlier, and now…?

-Why the sudden change?

‘…That was faster than I expected.’

Hanbit had genuinely intended to return later.

But Gnome had already made its decision.

Was it simply the game’s system at work, or had the things he did here influenced the outcome?

[The Earth Spirit Gnome wishes to aid you in saving many lives.]

Its intent was clear.

Among spirits, the Earth Spirit was the most sensitive to notions of good and evil.

It wished to protect lives, but at the same time, it held firm convictions when it came to delivering judgment upon evil.

In that sense, it was probably the most similar to Leon.

"Thank you."

With that short exchange, Hanbit’s contracts with the Four Elemental Spirits were complete.

And as another achievement, the system recognized it.

Ding—

[Title: "Summoner of the Four Elements" has been added to your list.]

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]