I Died and Became a Noble's Heir-Chapter 514: Mythical Spirits

Rhys wanted to argue, to rush to Jack’s aid despite the command.

However, a certain quality in those yellow eyes gave him pause. It was not precisely fear, but rather an acknowledgment that defiance would be profoundly ill-advised.

’Who is this person?’ Rhys thought desperately. ’And why does Jack need to fight alone? If he’s in danger, if those two are as strong as they appear, why would anyone prevent assistance unless...’

The implications crystallized unless this was a test.

Whoever this mysterious figure was, he wanted to see what Jack could accomplish without intervention.

Jack couldn’t see the man’s face from his position or make out details through the rain and distance.

Warren’s deep blue eyes clinically assessed Jack’s location. "Stop fooling around, Mira. Take this seriously. He’s not like the past Soul Wardens we’ve hunted. This one actually knows how to fight."

Mira’s expression hardened, her playful confidence from earlier exchanges vanishing. "Agreed. No more testing."

Her body began changing, and the transformation was far more dramatic than a simple magical enhancement.

Fire erupted across Mira’s skin, but not in the wild, aggressive way she’d used during their fight. This was controlled, the flames flowing across her body.

The fire didn’t burn her; it became part of her flesh. Her skin took on a faint luminescence, as if she’d swallowed the sun and it now burned within her veins.

Red tattoos spread from her core outward, each line appearing as if branded into her flesh by invisible hands.

They covered her arms first.

Intricate spirals and geometric shapes that pulsed with internal heat. Then her legs, torso, neck, and finally her face, until every visible inch of skin bore the marks of her contracted spirit.

Her auburn hair underwent the most dramatic transformation.

Color bled from reddish-brown to crimson, starting at the roots and spreading to the tips in a wave of transformation.

The hair itself was changing, becoming something between organic matter and living flame.

It moved independently of wind or gravity, flowing upward in defiance of physics, creating a corona of fire around her head.

Her amber eyes shifted to a pure, bright orange, the irises and pupils disappearing entirely, replaced by orbs of condensed flame. When she blinked, small sparks scattered from her eyelashes.

The temperature around Mira spiked dramatically. Rain evaporated before reaching within five feet of her position, creating a sphere of perfectly dry air despite the downpour.

The stone beneath her feet began to glow red, then orange, heated by her transformed state.

[Contractee State: Activated]

[Ignis’s Blessing: Fire damage increased by 300%]

[Fire resistance increased to 95%]

[Physical capabilities enhanced by 200%]

Warren’s transformation was simultaneous but visually distinct, his water affinity creating effects that contrasted dramatically with Mira’s flames.

His blue tattoos, which had been static patterns on his skin, suddenly animated.

They flowed, behaving like water despite being part of his flesh.

Currents and eddies formed across his arms, creating the impression that rivers ran beneath his skin.

The tattoos spread from their original positions, multiplying and expanding until they covered his entire body in flowing designs.

Each pattern was unique.

Some resembled waves crashing against shore, others looked like rain falling upward, still others looked like whirlpools and underwater currents frozen in a single moment.

His raven-black hair transformed as well, though more subtly than Mira’s dramatic change.

It became wet, as if he’d just emerged from deep water, but the moisture didn’t drip or evaporate. The hair itself seemed to flow like liquid.

His pale blue eyes deepened to the color of ocean trenches, gaining depth that made them appear bottomless.

When he turned his head, his eyes seemed to ripple like disturbed water.

The air around Warren became heavy with moisture despite the rain.

Humidity spiked to levels that made breathing feel like inhaling liquid.

Water vapor condensed around him in visible clouds, creating a fog that clung to his body like living mist.

Most striking was the way water responded to his presence. The rain falling near him didn’t hit the ground.

It orbited his body in defiance of gravity, creating spheres and spirals of suspended liquid that rotated around him like his own personal planetary system.

[Contractee State: Activated]

[Glacius’s Blessing: Water damage increased by 300%]

[Water resistance increased to 95%]

[Physical capabilities enhanced by 200%]

The pressure radiating from both Council members intensified so dramatically that breathing the air itself became difficult.

Their human forms became vessels for mythical spirits that had existed since before recorded history.

They stood side by side, fire and water unified in purpose despite their opposing elemental natures.

The rain falling between them turned to steam where Mira’s heat met Warren’s moisture, creating a curtain of fog that made them appear as supernatural entities emerging from mist.

"Yield," Warren said, his voice carrying none of the elderly warble from his disguise. "This fight is over. You’ve demonstrated impressive capabilities, but you cannot win against both of us in the Contractee state. Surrender now, and we’ll make your death quick and relatively painless."

Jack’s golden eyes tracked both opponents through his helmet’s visor. His enhanced perception activated automatically, and the System provided information about threats beyond normal assessment capabilities.

[Identity: Mira - Council Member]

[Age: 24]

[Contracted Entity: Ignis (Mythical Spirit - Fire Embodiment)]

[Threat Level: Extreme]

[Identity: Warren - Council Member]

[Age: 24]

[Contracted Entity: Glacius (Mythical Spirit - Water Embodiment)]

[Threat Level: Extreme]

Jack’s mind processed the information that baffled him.

Both of them were twenty-four years old, which meant Warren’s elderly appearance had been a complete fabrication.

He had some technique or magic that allowed him to appear decades older than his actual age.

Or, he was indeed 92 years old and found a way to de-age himself, which would be even more troubling. If this were true, how old would Warren actually be?

Both contracted to Mythical Spirits, entities powerful enough that their blessings transformed normal mages into walking catastrophes.

And both were Council members, part of the organization dedicated to hunting and eliminating Soul Wardens.

The laughter started quietly, building from Jack’s chest until it echoed across the destroyed courtyard.

"Yield?" Jack’s voice carried genuine amusement despite the dire situation. "You want me to yield? Don’t make me laugh. I won’t yield to you. I will never yield to anyone."

He raised Oscar, the spear’s cross-blades gleaming with lightning despite the rain.

Red electricity crackled across his armor with renewed intensity, his killing intent flooding outward with pressure that made the air itself feel heavier.

"You are two pieces of a puzzle that I need," Jack continued, his tone shifting from amusement to absolute certainty. "So no matter what happens here today, understand this... I will hunt you. I will kill you. And I will bind your souls so thoroughly that you’ll become my dogs, serving me for eternity just like every other creature I’ve claimed."

The declaration hung in the air like a blade suspended by a thread.

His hand thrust forward, his pointer finger extended at Jack. Water mana compressed in front of his extended index finger, pressure building to levels beyond the normal properties of liquid.

[High-Pressure Bullet: Activated]

The projectile that shot from Warren’s finger was invisible.

Compressed water moving at speeds that exceeded the speed of sound, creating a sonic boom that made everyone’s ears ring. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

It crossed the distance between Warren and Jack in less than .5 seconds, giving no time for dodging.