"Good afternoon, Professor Evans. My name is Vale Chambers, I am a second-year student. Professor Murton introduced you to me… He mentioned that I could ask for your help." Vale said politely while observing the Professor's expression.
"Hmm?"
Professor Evans raised an eyebrow. "My help? With what?" She asked.
Vale felt that although she sounded irritated, it might just be her voice and because she was also busy with what she was doing. Perhaps it was not a good time for her, but since he was already here, Vale decided to just try.
If he was rejected, he could just go for plan B.
"Ahem… I have completed my Sealing Ritual on my Mystical Item, but I want to know if a better method exists. Then, Professor Morton told me about the Soul Bonding Method and said that you are an expert in it. I was wondering if you could teach me how to do it. I'm willing to pay the price for an advanced lesson." Vale explained as he looked at her with unwavering eyes.
Professor Evans looked at Vale curiously as if she was trying to recall who he was. His name sounded familiar, but she couldn't remember.
She then closed her eyes for a moment. Once she opened them, her eyes had already turned white.
It was quite a frightening sight if others saw this, but Vale had seen something scarier. He could tell that the Professor was using a Spell similar to the Spirit Vision.
"Mhmm… Interesting. Your Spiritual Strength seems stronger than mine. With that level of power, I think even a Sovereign Rank item wouldn't cause you a big problem. What kind of item are you trying to seal?" Professor Evans asked curiously as she put down her pen.
Vale stiffened for a moment as that was certainly a valid point. With his current Spirit Strand, he could suppress most of the Mystical Items that exist out there.
Master Heinz had also mentioned something similar to this when he found out that his Golden Pocketwatch had a very weak effect on its user.
After some thought, Vale answered. "Ahem… I'm not planning to use that Mystical Item for a while, Professor. I can't just keep it somewhere else without proper sealing or restrictions as it might cause trouble or even attract bad spirits while it was unattended."
"That makes sense…" Professor Evans nodded as she continued asking about the Sealing Ritual that he had made.
Vale expected this already, so he swiftly explained how he had performed the Sealing Ritual taught to him by Master Heinz.
Professor Evan listened attentively as she found nothing wrong with Vale's method.
"Do you know what the Soul Bonding Method does?" She asked as she leaned on her chair. It seemed that Vale had really caught her attention now. Her previous thoughts of sending him away were no more as she probed Vale's knowledge.
Vale nodded as he repeated what he heard from Professor Murton.
"It creates a link or bond between my soul and my Mystical Item rather than a seal. Based on how he explained it, this bond seemed stronger and more stable than just creating a normal Seal to suppress the item."
"That's right, it allows for a mutual exchange of energy and information between you and the mystical item. This bond also protects you from the negative effects of using that Mystical Item, as it creates harmony between your soul and the item." Professor Evans said.
"However, you can't use this method on any Mystical Item. The item should be strong enough to bear the connection you'll make using your soul." She added.
"That should be fine. The mystical item I sealed shouldn't lose to some high-rank Mystical Items." Vale replied.
"That's good… The next requirement is for the user to have a powerful soul and spirit. You don't seem to have a problem with that, so it will now depend on your compatibility with the item."
"Compatibility?" Vale repeated.
To be honest, he wasn't sure if he was compatible with a sword. He knew that wielding a sword wasn't something he could underestimate. He had tried swinging the divine sword before, but he wasn't really feeling anything special using it.
"Yes." Professor Evans said. "Every Mystical Item at the Royal Rank and above has a soul of its own. Wait—Calling it a soul might be too much for you." She immediately corrected herself as soon as she saw how shocked Vale was after claiming that a mystical item had a soul.
"Let's just call it their Essence. The Mystical Items at such a level have an Essence where you can link with them… This linking process is some sort of communication between you and the mystical item. If you feel the compatibility, you can create a bond that is stronger than any seal you'll ever see."
She looked at Vale intently.
"But there is a problem with this method," she continued. "If you are not compatible, you will not be able to create a bond, or worse, you will end up harming your soul or the artifact's soul, or both. Are you sure you want to learn this method?"
Vale expected this much. He even felt more inclined to do this Soul Bonding Method. So he didn't hesitate to answer.
"Yes, Professor. I will do my best to learn this method. Right, can I actually do it with multiple Mystical Items?"
"Of course. It's fine as long as your soul can bear the burden of having it linked with a Mystical Item. However, I advise that you only think of having a single Soul-Bound Item. It's also for your safety."
Professor Gale Evans explained as she started writing something in her notebook.
As soon as she was finished, she ripped the paper and gave it to Vale.
"Get all the items in the list if you want to learn this method."
Vale's eyes lit up as soon as he heard this.
'Finally…' He immediately took the paper and checked its content. However, he finds its content odd.
'Hm? These things can be used to start the Soul Bonding Method?' Vale felt hesitant as he realized that what was written in the paper was mostly food.
Professor Gale grunted as she noticed Vale's confusion.
"Ahem… They're not related to the Soul Bonding Method. Just get everything on the list, and once you return, I'll give you the book you need to study. Hurry up! I don't have money, so use your wallet to purchase them."
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