Episode 9: No Soul Imprint Means Being Undocumented?

"Today, we'll mainly discuss your future magical path," the Old Mage said, sitting in the newly renovated magic lab. He held a thick stack of experiment records. "After these two days of tests, you should know your strengths and weaknesses well."

"Yeah, deeply ingrained!" I stared intently at those records in his hands. That was my blood-and-tears history—literally bloody and tearful. Once, I almost got beaten to a pulp... Ah, too painful to recall!

"In short, you're a total washout!" Monaluna chimed in from the side. Why was she even here?

"Hah? The one who got a bloody nose from me dares to talk!"

True—that was my glorious achievement these past days! By studying the "Compendium of Basic Spells" I swiped from the Old Mage, I cast my first magic: "Air Cannon." It landed right on Monaluna's beautiful face. She was conducting "practical experiments" on me, bullying me nonstop. Her guard was zero, and she kept taunting. I endured it all, gathering stray magic elements. I separated and classified them, keeping only wind elements. While dodging, I split my focus to prevent dissipation. Finally, I found my chance and nailed it!

Monaluna lacked the Old Mage's magical armor. Blood gushed from her nose instantly. I swear—that was the moment I most needed a camera. Her expression mixed shock and confusion, pain and bewilderment, anger woven through it all. A living masterpiece of human emotions.

Seizing her speechless moment, I turned to the Old Mage. "Master, any good suggestions?"

"Suggestions? I have some. Fix your flaws, and your path could be brighter than most mages'."

"Flaws? You mean my slow element gathering and messy mix?"

"No, that's minor. Two serious issues remain," the Old Mage said, forming a ball of magic elements between his hands. "Can you 'see' them?"

"Wind elements?"

I could sense them—but "see"? I knew they were wind elements because I felt them gathering before the Old Mage or Monaluna cast wind magic. Different elements gave distinct sensations, so I identified by feeling.

"Yes, wind elements. Can you 'see' them?" he stressed. "'See,' not sense!"

"I can't see them..."

"Just as I thought! Your strong spiritual power identifies elements easily, but you still can't 'see' them."

"What do you mean by 'seeing'?"

"Hard to explain—like describing red to someone born blind! Sadly, you're congenitally 'blind' to magic elements. Your spiritual power is like super-sensitive smell or touch: you can't tell fruits by color, but you classify them by scent and texture."

"Serious? I still classify precisely. It shouldn't matter."

"Not critical itself. Your power outperforms ordinary mages. Only ten element types exist, and you've learned their feels. But the deeper issue is severe. You may never reach Saint level, let alone Demigod!"

"Why? Because I can't see elements? Heaven, why so unfair?! Also, what are Saint level and Archmage?"

"Stop yelling! It's not about seeing—it's your lack of a Soul Imprint. Saint level means transcending the mundane! At Saint level, you temporarily engrave your Soul Imprint onto the world, gaining absolute control over an area. God level gains the world's recognition. You permanently engrave your Soul Imprint, materialize it, and absorb it. That materialized imprint is a Divine Spark. And you have no Soul Imprint."

"Grandpa, this brat's weird. Why no Soul Imprint?" Monaluna looked utterly confused.

"Uh..." I exchanged glances with the Old Mage. We'd forgotten her in our research. Tricky—couldn't reveal I'm from another world.

"Actually, it's hereditary in my family. We've never had a Soul Imprint for generations. We're the 'Goddess-Abandoned Clan.' Born weak, we struggled to survive. My parents died young. I'm the last one now," I said, wiping tears—three parts truth, seven parts lie. Bet you can't tell!

"So you're an orphan too..." Monaluna's expression turned somber. "Grandpa, I feel unwell. I'll leave first."

Watching her retreat, I was puzzled. She was fine moments ago—why wilt suddenly?

"Master, is Monaluna okay?"

"Sigh... that child still has that deep-seated knot. But you think fast—good story. Even I almost believed it. We nearly slipped. Your identity must stay secret!"

"You have nerve? Your slip-up!" I sighed deeply toward her direction. Of course my 'story' was good.

"You mentioned two serious issues. What's the other?" I composed myself and asked.

"Magical companions. Mages have strong offense but weak defense. Companions fix that awkwardness. A strong companion unleashes a mage's full power. But forming a contract requires engraving your Soul Imprint onto the beast's magic core. Only then can you control it."

"Soul Imprint again? Is it like an ID card here?"

"ID card? What's that?"

"A document from my past life. Useless sometimes, but losing it traps you. A pain-in-the-ass thing to prove you're yourself."

"Prove you're yourself? What weird purpose?" The Old Mage looked astonished.

Narrow-minded. You also prove your child's mother's mother is their grandmother, or even prove you're alive.

"Any solutions?"

"Not seeing isn't critical—you compensate with spiritual power. Not reaching Saint or Archmage isn't life-threatening. Those levels just boost your authority over elements: from controlling your mana, to an area's mana, to the world's mana. You already control stray world mana. Your authority exceeds typical Archmages—they only control mana matching their Divine Spark type."

"Oh, so no real solution?"

"Cough! Cough! For companions, no way. No Soul Imprint means no master-servant contract. No contract, no control, no safety. Magical beasts are savage—they'd never submit willingly. No one wants a ticking time bomb nearby."

"What if a beast submits voluntarily?"

"You could form an equal contract. But mage and companion are equals—you can't force anything. The contract does nothing. Plus, willing beasts are weak, docile creatures. Signing is simple—even non-mages can do it with a scroll inscribed with a contract Magic Array. I hear noble ladies in the Imperial Capital—Stankomo—love it!"

"Like saying nothing!"

My future looked bleak. Too late to switch careers? An idea sparked. I asked quickly, "Do other professions require Soul Imprints this strictly?"

"All do. Warriors assimilate Battle Aura like mages assimilate elements—both need engraving your Soul Imprint onto stray Battle Aura. Impossible for you, especially with no Battle Aura Vortex in your dantian. Holy Mages, Holy Knights, Dark Mages, and Dark Knights gain power through faith. Without an imprint, even the Creation Goddess rejects your faith—let alone the Lord of Holy Light or Dark Twin Gods. Besides, you don't seem like someone who'd sell their faith."

Hopeless. Professions here split into three: Battle Aura warriors, magic element mages, and faith-based types. Hybrids exist but are niche. All require that damn "Soul Imprint."

I sighed to the heavens. "I'm probably this world's first undocumented person since creation!"

"I don't know what 'undocumented person' means, but it sounds spot on!" the Old Mage added, driving the knife deeper.