*Still Unnamed MC's POV*
I keep going north from the village, making my way through the forest. Pondering about everything that happened, trying to find any information about this world and magic from my conversation with Kaster. I don't even know what I was thinking about when I accepted his last name, it's basically the worst name one can have in this world, number one enemy of the society.
Remembering other parts of our conversation, if there really is such a library, I have to pay it a visit, it can be quite useful even if I didn't have the problem with my body. Dull sounds, black-white vision no sense of smell or touch, although after my time in void it's a lot better, but I still want to have a normal body, and being spooky skeleton isn't the best way to avoid trouble.
Also, analyzing the bits that I heard from him, it looks like anyone who has a core, which I assume is or contains the mana pool, can use magic. Now that I have a core of my own, which is practically Kaster's core, after melting and shaping for myself, it should be more possible for me to use magic, but where do I start. Trying to grab the mana from the 'dantain' and manipulate it into my mucles (which I don't have) and bones, as I've read countless times in novels and mangas doesn't seem to work. Either my core is empty, or I'm doing something wrong. Do I have to meditate to replenish my mana pool before trying to manipulate it?
Just guessing and trying every theory I've read about isn't the best way to learn, so I'll just put it as last resort, if the high and almighty spirit doesn't grace me with his presence. Learning everything from him will be the easiest way, from Kaster's story it seems even the best mages have a lot to learn from spirits, so he is best teacher I can think of, and the only one too.
But I won't be as naive as to think, that only because I asked, he will teach me everything. What can I offer him in exchange? Considering, that I came from other world, with a whole new culture for them and developed science, I have quite high chances to find something worthy of his knowledge. Knowledge for knowledge, seems fair trade to me, and from Kaster's words, spirits will meet only those who piqued their interest.
Right at this moment, after entering the forest and running non-stop for couple of hours, I felt something, which made me pause and look around in confusion. It was some kind of tingling feeling, like it was pulling me in a certain direction. It made me excited, like I knew for sure I'd find a hidden treasure if I went there. Without thinking much I resumed my running, but this time in that direction. Closer I got more the sensation grew. I kept running less than an hour, before getting in front of an unassuming cave under the cliff.
When I was a step farther from the cave, I was so excited, I forgot why I entered the forest in the first place, and once I made the first step inside the cave, the feeling disappeared altogether, without a trace, like it was just my imagination from the start. I was standing there, inside the dark cave, staring in confusion, when I heard the voice inside my head, it was just like when Kaster was talking to me.
"Such an interesting creature, I clearly sensed your core being formed right after Merlyn brat's death and his spell being cast. Considering his researchers I assume he reincarnated someone, but it's clearly impossible for him to reincarnate his family, or himself, and your soul is different as well, so who are you?" (?)
"Oh, are you the spirit Kaster told me about? Where are you and what was that sensation before I entered the cave?" (me)
"Yes I am, and before bombarding me with questions, you should answer my own first." (Spirit)
"I'm just someone he met after entering the abyss of souls, as he called it, I don't remember my previous name, but I already thought a new name for myself, you can call me Anubis Myrddin. Actually in my world, there was a legendary mage called Merlyn, and in other languages his name was Myrddin, so I picked it to not attract unwanted attention, and I chose Anubis because it was a name of a mythical god of death and the underworld, it fits all the skeleton thing." I didn't miss the chance to brag about my new badass name.
"What do you mean 'my world', weren't you in this world before dieing?" (Spirit)
"No, I was living in another world which is very different from this world, but shouldn't you answer my question before asking me yours?" (Anubis)
"Hmph, very well, I don't have body, so I can't answer the question, where am I, and the sensation you felt was the desire to obtain the spirit flower, which any creature with soul wants. Tell me about your world" (Spirit)
I proceeded to give a brief explanation, that we only had humans living in our world, and no mana. Around 200 countries and no empires or emperors. I could tell that he was quite interested in my explanation, I guess it's the same feeling I had when I heard that there is a world with magic, and I can be reincarnated there.
"Your turn, what is that spirit flower" (Anubis)
Stolen novel; please report.
"Spirit flower is a unique flower that only grows near a spirit's den, growing while it feeds on the spiritual power that the spirits recycle. Spirits consume spiritual power in atmosphere, which is being dispersed every time someone with soul dies. For example after the deaths of those two brats from Pankratius and Merlyn families, their huge spiritual power that left their bodies, and it would naturally disperse and recycle with time on its own, but spirits make the process a lot faster and feed on the energy that we get in the recycling process, the leftovers in turn concentrate in the surroundings and with a lot of time a spiritual flower grows, which will give a huge help in strengthening one's soul. So any creature, who possess a soul has an instinctive desire to consume it and grow stronger, which is what I used to give you direction, now I'm surpassing its aura, that's why you can't feel it anymore
Now tell me about your world's science that you mentioned" (Spirit)
"Well, my world's... " I continued telling everything which could be interesting for a Spirit from another world, judging from his reaction and questions, it seems that he is more interested in our science than in our culture and history, well it's logical for a creature, who don't concern himself with a mortal affairs as mentioned Kaster.
"I want to know how to use magic, how do I feel and fill my mana pool?" (Anubis)
"I will explain it to you with the difference from your world, I already have quite a clear image of your world. I think in your world mana still exists, I can't imagine a world that can exist without a mana, and your world's conditions are similar to ours, so if I'm confident, that it always was there, but you didn't have any way to control it. Mana in natural state doesn't affect and interact with anything, the only way to manipulate it is using the spiritual energy of the soul. It seems in your world gods didn't allow you to manipulate the mana with your spiritual energy, you just didn't have the access to feel or control it.
Mana pool is actually different, mana is everywhere and you can draw it at any moment of time, it will never deplete, but doesn't matter how powerful a soul is, it will always have a limit of maximum amount it can control. So mana pool is actually the endurance, in physical example, even if you have the whole ocean beside you, after carrying the water from it constantly, sooner or later you will be exhausted. So for a mage it's important to have both a large enough bucket and big enough endurance.
The bucket's size will determine how big spells can you cast, while endurance, how much of them can you cast. All the spells from the rankings have a huge disparity in mana, higher the tier, and higher the mana consumption, for example an average Master will be able to cast 100 Expert ranked spells, or a few Master ranked untill his mana pool will run out." (Spirit)
(AN: The ranking goes like this: Beginner -> Intermediate -> Advanced -> Expert -> Master -> GrandMaster -> Sage)
"Hmmm, it seems the battle has began, the villagers don't have much choice but to surrender and be enslaved again, *sigh*" (Spirit)
"What do you mean, it's the villagers that Kaster saved? They should be in the east from the village right?" (Anubis)
"Yes, they were ambushed by some bandit group, and although bandits are not as numerous as villagers, all of them have the D, C and a few B rank adventurer's power. The strongest villager is the bear man, and he has the C rank's power, and most of the villagers are unarmed and defenseless, they are just like sheep, waiting to be slaughtered." (Spirit)
I think he is using the same technique, which I saw Kaster using in his memories, the one that allowed to spy a hundred meters away, but it seems like the spirit was able to even see the fight in the village. Maybe it was also him, who told Kaster about the army, and that's why Kaster made it in time and leapt from the mountain right into the village.
"Why don't you help them, you are great and ancient spirit after all" (Anubis)
"I indeed have the power to kill those bandits, but spirits are prohibited to kill humans, we are only allowed to defend ourselves once they enter territory we reside on. Although there isn't much they can do to us in the first place, but as I said before the spirit flower is something anyone would want to steal some even not intentionally.
It looks like some villagers made run into the forest, and although I scared away most of the predators on their path, It's hard for me to see all of them, especially those who are running in few numbers. A pair of elves are being attacked not too far from us, they were running right at our direction, it seems that the older one is in dire situation, although she managed to kill all the wolves, she is losing blood with a high speed and probably will die soon. If she dies her daughter won't be able to survive in the forest either, you'd better hurry up and save them before they are found by the bandits." (Spirit)
"Ok, which way?" (Anubis)