"Who are you?" he asked cautiously, trying to remain polite.

"Can't you see? I'm a ghost, just like you," the old man replied, slightly surprised.

Still unsure, Edo sat down at the table, waiting for what this mysterious ghost had to say. The old man smiled gently. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Sirk, the Spirit of Adventure. And what's your name, boy?"

"I'm Edo... I guess just an ordinary ghost," Edo replied, a bit embarrassed.

Sirk frowned as if pondering something deeply. "An ordinary ghost, you say... From what I see, you're not from the spirit world. It's rare to see such cases."

Edo looked at him, surprised. "The spirit world? No, I'm not from any spirit world. I just... woke up as a ghost, that's all."

Hearing this, Sirk's eyes widened in astonishment, but his face quickly lit up with excitement. "So you're human? But how is that possible? You're entirely here as a ghost! I've been alive for over 300 years, and I've never met someone like you! Wizards have tried for centuries to leave their bodies without entering to the spirit world, but no one has succeeded yet. Living in one world in two forms—body and soul separately. You must tell me more!"

Edo was confused by the flood of information. "I think I need to ask him a few questions," he thought, trying to gather his thoughts. "I have to be careful not to sound like an idiot—I've only just arrived in this world and don't know its rules. Better to ask smart questions."

"Sirk, I don't know much about ghosts... Do you know how it's possible that I'm a ghost?" Edo asked politely.

Sirk thought for a moment. "I have a few theories, more like confirmed methods. It's possible that your magical core is damaged. In that case, your soul might have left your body, especially if you were focused enough, like during meditation. That's usually how people end up in the spirit world. However, it's strange that you didn't end up there but stayed here. The second possibility is the influence of the element of darkness which might have distorted your core for example someone with this element has distorted your core or you have this element and used it on yourself but that still doesn't explain why you're in this world not in Spirit world."

Edo felt that while he had gained more information, he was still lost. "Magical core? Elements? I've never heard of that..." Edo realized he had said something foolish when he saw the old man's reaction. Sirk's jaw dropped as if he couldn't believe his ears. For a moment, the ghost didn't know what to say, but then he burst into laughter.

"Wait, wait, how do you not know what a core or element is? Every human in this world has one! What, did you crawl out from under a rock? Or maybe... you're from another world?" The old man laughed even louder, unable to contain himself.

Edo felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment. He needed to think quickly to stop the old man from laughing. After a brief moment, he responded in a serious tone:

"You see, I've had an accident recently, which have affected my memories. Many of them are destroyed, and I don't remember all the details. Could you help me understand?"

Hearing this, the old man's expression slowly changed. Instead of a mocking smile, a hint of sympathy appeared.

"I'm sorry, boy. I had no idea you had such problems. Of course, I'll help you understand what you need to know so you don't look like a fool in front of others. Listen carefully."

The old man straightened up and began to explain:

"Every person is born with a magical core and an element. The core is the foundation of all magic. The bigger the core, the more energy it can store. And the best part is, the energy in the core regenerates because it draws energy from the surroundings. I myself was formed from the magic surrounding the world, combined with the energy of places where adventurers gathered—that's why I have a desire to hear stories about travels."

The old man paused for a moment, then continued:

"As for elements—everyone has at least one. There are four basic elements: water, earth, fire, and air. With elements, people gain special abilities, and magic related to that element becomes easier for the person to master. Speaking of abilities, people with the water element can heal wounds, breathe underwater, and even walk on it, and they're also great swimmers. Those with the earth element have incredible strength and endurance. People with the Fire element instinctively fight better and react faster to danger, and air element gives speed, agility, and the ability to jump high. But beyond these four, there are also sub-elements like darkness or light, but they're much rarer. Sub-elements are often inherited only by a few exceptional individuals or bloodlines."

Sirk was watching Edo closely, as if trying to assess more than just what was visible at first glance. Edo felt chills run down his spine as he noticed the old man's gaze linger on his hair.

"Is there something in my hair?" he asked uncertainly, trying to ease the tension in his voice. "Actually, you're not the first person to look at me like that, so I've kind of gotten used to it."

Without changing his expression, the old man stepped closer.

"There's something you need to know, and it's likely that because of your memory gaps, you've forgotten," his tone was filled with seriousness.

Edo felt his heart begin to race. He knew something important was about to be revealed to him. The old man stared at him for a moment, then continued:

"You're a demon, boy. Demons have black hair. You've probably noticed that people you've met looked at you with disgust. It wasn't because of your behavior but because of your heritage. Black hair is a recognizable sign of demons, and people have feared and hated demons for a long time. Many of your kind were killed during the great war between demons and humans, which happened about 200 years ago."

Edo was shaken. Not only had he been transported to a world where people had supernatural powers he could never match, but now it turned out that people saw him as a demon—a being despised in this world. His black hair, which he had always considered ordinary, was now a mark of belonging to a hated race.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked quietly, unable to understand what the old man's intention was.

"I pointed out your hair not just because you're a demon, but also because you likely have the element of fire.Almost every demon is born with it. After the war, it's one of the rarest powers in this world. Now, with each new generation, it's slowly starting to return, but it's still the rarest of the four primary elements."

For Edo, some of this information was overwhelming. However, thanks to the elder's words, he now understood many things. The mystery of the elements opened up a new perspective for him—he learned why one of his opponents seemed as tough as steel, and another was as fast as lightning. He also discovered why people treated him with disdain—it was because of his black hair. To Edo's dismay, he realized he probably didn't have the fire element, but the awareness that others had supernatural powers made him more cautious for the future.

He looked at the elder seriously, wanting to ask the question that had been bothering him the most for some time.

"Is it possible that my core is damaged, and that's why my soul separates from my body when I sleep?"

The elder pondered for a moment before answering:

"That's quite possible, although I must admit, I've never encountered a case like yours. Maybe your core is severely damaged, or maybe... you just don't have one?" The elder smiled at the end, as if joking about the impossibility of such a situation.

Edo began to reflect.

"If I really come from another world, maybe that's the reason I don't have a core or an element. How am I supposed to compete with others if I don't possess the basic abilities everyone else has? My eyes seem to have some power, but it's not what I expected after coming to a new world. Could it be that my soul separates from my body due to the lack of a core? If I understand correctly, the core keeps the soul in the body. Without it, my soul is unstable and leaves the body, but doesn't enter the spirit world—it stays in this world as a ghost. How the hell is that ability supposed to ever be useful to me?"

As he considered these thoughts, Edo grew increasingly frustrated. Then the elder interrupted his contemplation.

"Listen, boy. How would you feel about making a contract with me?"

Edo looked at the elder, intrigued by the proposal.

"What kind of contract?" he asked.

The elder sighed.

"I forgot you have memory problems. Contracts between humans and spirits are agreements. You give something, I give something. As a spirit of adventure, I can offer you my power. In return, you'd have to tell me about your adventures from time to time. You'll gain the ability to quickly analyze terrain, sense whether a place is worth exploring, and detect approaching danger. However, this power only works in the wilderness, forests, or dungeons—places that smell of adventure. In the city, it won't work. You can use it in your physical form, but if you're in spirit form and call on me, I'll come to your aid."

Edo was intrigued but also cautious.

"And that's all just for stories? Isn't that too small a price?" he asked.

The elder nodded as if the answer was obvious.

"You see, I've been excluded from the spirit world. Spirits don't usually like dirty travels. I also wasn't born in the spirit world but created from the surrounding energy in this world. I've always wanted to make a contract with a human, but it rarely happens."

The elder's tone suggested he genuinely desired this contract.

Seeing his sincerity, Edo replied:

"If that's all, I can make the contract. What's the harm? But is there something you haven't told me yet?"

The elder looked at him seriously.

"No, boy. Just shake my hand, and the contract will be sealed."

He extended his hand toward Edo. For a moment, Edo hesitated, but after brief consideration, he shook the elder's hand. Blue flames appeared around their handshake, signifying the successful contract.

"Thank you, young one. You've fulfilled my dream. I am deeply grateful."

Edo smiled at the elder.

"I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, my situation doesn't seem so bad anymore. One more question: can I make contracts with other spirits?"

The elder responded:

"Yes, but remember that spirits rarely appear in this world."

Edo nodded, but he felt that finding other spirits might be a challenge.

"Can I really become strong? If I make more contracts with spirits, maybe I'll be able to gain strength and power. Could I actually become something like a mage or warrior? But do I really want that? I've always thought strength and power were something that came naturally, something you had to discover within yourself, not something you had to fight for at all costs. On the other hand, if I have the opportunity, why not take advantage of it? After all, a good position in this world could be useful. I'd gain contacts, influence... Maybe even find a partner with whom I could start a family, which I've always dreamed of. Yes, that would make sense. I've always wanted someone close, someone to share my life with. Maybe this is my chance."

The boy began daydreaming about the future, when suddenly he heard the elder's voice:

"Oh, I see your time as a spirit is coming to an end."

Initially confused, Edo looked at the elder, then noticed that his body was slowly turning into tiny white fragments. The particles floated in the air slowly, as if carried by an invisible wind.

"What the hell is happening to me!" Edo shouted, feeling a wave of panic.

But the elder spirit quickly calmed him down:

"Relax, boy. Your body is calling its soul back. It's natural. You'll likely wake up soon. Thank you for everything, I'm truly grateful for this contract."

Edo wanted to say something more, but his body disappeared completely. Only the white fragments remained, drifting in the room, slowly heading toward his body, which awaited the return of its soul.