Every world, regardless of its complexity, is bound by the natural laws of the universe as long as it exists within it.

The Spirit Realm is no exception. In order to survive, certain rules must be followed, and failure to do so leads to dire consequences.

A common rule governs this world.

One that demands a painful lesson to remember.

...

...

(Spirit Realm - Shallow forest)

*Boom!*

An earth-shaking shockwave swept through a strange forest from a specific location. Normally, one would be terrified by such a sudden explosive sound, but the somewhat angelic tune that followed was enough to calm all fears.

Expanding for several meters from the shockwave's source was a large golden circle that resembled a music sheet.

Silence returned to the forest once again, and it was as if nothing had happened.

However, at the source of the explosion...

"E- Edem!"

A young boy donned in a tattered uniform stared at the cloaked figure looming over him.

He gulped slowly as his gaze fell on the large fist casting a shadow over both him and the cloaked individual.

"Good grief," a smirk flashed across the cloaked man as the wind blew off his hood. "Is that how you welcome an old pal?"

Edem put down the finger he had on the large fist and held his waist.

'H- He stopped that punch with his finger!? No no no… how did he close the distance between us!?' Zanetor thought, in silent panic.

"Woah! Uncle Edem! I didn't know it was you!" The little girl jumped out from Zanetor's arms.

The large fist slowly withdrew, revealing an enormous gorilla-like beast. It looked like a gorilla, but Zanetor couldn't help but notice a human expression on its face.

"Hmm? This ominous presence," an incredibly deep voice boomed from the large beast, even with its mouth closed. "Indeed, you are Edem."

"Glad to see you're as healthy as ever, Zozo," Edem smiled.

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'Huh? Huh? HUUUHHH!!??' Poor Zanetor couldn't keep up with whatever was going on.

Who the hell were those two!? An annoying little girl and an oversized monkey!?

Someone needed to give him a break, or he was going to lose it!!

And on top of all this drama, Edem seemed to know them!?

Hold on! Was this a setup from the very beginning!?

Zozo groaned as he leaned his back against a large tree that appeared from thin air. He let out a deep sigh while closing his eyes. Once they were open, his sights fell on the foreigner who stood beside Edem.

"And who might you be?"

Zanetor stood frozen. For some reason, he had lost the will to move a single muscle, and the only thing alive to him at that point was his mind.

This creature had a presence that screamed sheer strength. It made him feel like nothing but a tiny ant.

What in the world was it?

"Hey!" The little girl pouted. "Papa's asking you a question!"

"I-"

"He's my student," Edem interrupted, clearly aware of the fear in Zanetor's eyes. "And he's the reason why I'm here."

A hidden chuckle emerged within Edem's throat. No matter how determined one was, fear was bound to find its way into that person's heart.

Of course, Zanetor was just a teenager, and his emotions a while ago probably changed already.

It seemed like Edem was going to have to deal with that fear first, and visiting the forest guardian, Zozo, was the first thing that came to mind.

Zozo noticed a particular look in the cloaked man's eyes and narrowed his own slightly.

"Let us talk somewhere else," the forest guardian said, placing his left palm onto the ground and inhaling deeply.

Soft-glowing lights emanated from the ground, and before Zanetor knew it, he was standing in an enormous hall.

The hall was a single room, with walls made of well-polished wood. There was nothing in the room except for a large circular metal plate embedded in the wall behind the forest guardian.

Speaking of the forest guardian...

'How in the world did he get from over thirty feet down to our height!?' Poor Zanetor's body trembled. 'And on top of that, how did this hall appear all of a sudden!? Was it plane rotation!?

Edem stole a glance at the confused soul as he stepped forward. "No outsider can ever enter the pristine forest, and yet you still keep up that illusionary barrier?"

"One must always be ready. I'm certain that this is something you are aware of," Zozo lightly tapped his left foot onto the wooden floor. "Now then…"

Just then, a short wooden table emerged from the floor, and both Edem and Zozo sat on opposite sides with crossed legs.

Zanetor stood next to Edem, and the little girl flung herself onto the forest guardian's lap.

"I'll get right to it then," Edem began. "You've probably already noticed the irregularity in his heart, so I won't touch on that. What I need help with is an awakening."

Zozo closed his eyes. "You've asked for many strange favors, but now you want to awaken a shadow soul?"

"Hm," a smirk appeared on the cloaked man's face. "The fact that I'm strange makes this even less strange."

Zanetor clenched his fists as a raging torrent of thoughts began to surge within him. He had no idea what was going on. Awakening? Shadow soul?

No, he wasn't going to stand there aloof while things progressed without his understanding.

He reeled in all his confidence as he spoke, "Awaken? Shadow soul? I'm sorry to interrupt, but I believe there are things that I must know."

Both Edem and Zozo stared at the boy who seemed to have an air of light confidence around him. The smirk on Edem's face remained. It was as if he was waiting for Zanetor to say something all along.

"Two types of souls exist," Zozo suddenly said, keeping eye contact with Zanetor. "Transparent souls and Opaque ones."

"Transparent and Opaque?" Zanetor's eyes widened.

"Exactly," Edem placed his elbow on the table and rested his cheek on his palm. "That thing whose soul core you crushed is a good example of an opaque soul. Let's just call them masses of negativity. Our focus here is on the transparents."

"Transparents are further split into two types: Neutrals and Balancers," the guardian continued. "Awakenings are related to Balancers, and it has to do with sparking your soul core to life. Your awakening will help you bring forth your heart, and depending on your inner nature, it could be a weapon or something very far from it."

Zanetor placed his right palm on his chest. "I see. Then, what about the Shadow soul?"

Edem suddenly stood up the moment the question was raised.

"Shadow souls are those souls who have died with regrets so strong that they still have connections to the material realm even after death," he answered. "They're so unstable that any shift in their mental state will turn them into opaques."

A chilling feeling took hold of the entire room as Edem spoke. For a moment, it seemed as if Zanetor was being strangled by an ominous darkness.

"Also," Edem snapped his fingers. "Once they become opaques, they can get quite destructive, and hence, the Spirit realm has put forth one solution to that problem."

"Solution?" Zanetor muttered to himself.

"Yup!" the little girl's eyes shone briefly as she stared at the frightened boy with a smile on her face. "Shadow souls… are killed before they even get to the gates of the spirit realm!"

"..." Zanetor stood there in silence, as it took several minutes for the news to sink in.

"Huh?"