"Well, that was easy."
Everyone slowly turned to Samael as he said that.
Lily was massaging her forehead, trying to relieve the migraine brought on by her continuous use of powers.
Kang was clawing his way out of the sticky web that had ensnared him.
Alexia was still glued to a tree, her deadpan expression and petite frame making up for a comical sight in her predicament.
If it wasn't for Michael, who was currently busy cleaning the fetid black blood of the slain spider from his blade, this entire squad would have been wiped out!
…Okay, that was not entirely true.
The instructors would have swooped in to save them before that ever happened.
So they weren't in any real danger, to begin with.
But still!
That was a close call.
They almost lost.
And here was Samael, with the audacity to claim it was easy!
Instead of saying anything, Michael stepped toward the carcass of the abomination he'd just killed and placed his hand on it.
This was the usual method for absorbing the Essence from a slain Spirit Beasts.
Xaldreth had explained the process to him countless times, but for the life of him, Michael could never quite grasp the logic behind it.
It was something about how — when any creature dies, all the Essence it cultivated begins to dissipate into the atmosphere as it is no longer anchored by a soul.
However, if a suitable vessel — like another soul — happens to be nearby, the Essence instinctively redirects itself toward it.
And if more than one soul is trying to absorb the Essence, instead of being distributed evenly, all of it would be drawn to the strongest, most potent of the two souls.
Or at least, that was the gist of it.
Michael had never been one to pay much attention to such things.
Anyway, when he and Samael absorbed the Essence from the two Bladewraiths they had killed earlier, they barely got anything.
Why? Because those Bladewraiths were Infant Spirits. They hadn't cultivated much Essence to start with.
But this spider was different. It was massive, and more importantly, it was strong.
Judging by its size and strength, it had to be a Minor Spirit at the very least. Its Essence reserve was bound to be significant.
At least, that was what Michael assumed.
And he was right.
The moment he began absorbing, a rush of raw energy surged through him.
It flowed into his soul, filling every corner of his body with strength.
His muscles felt taut, his mind sharp, and his very being resonated with newfound vigor.
Then, something strange happened.
A soft glow enveloped his body. Shimmering particles of light floated upward, converging just above his head. The radiance intensified, condensing into a small orb of light.
Before his eyes, the orb shifted, its shape bending and twisting until it formed a glowing Card. As the light dimmed, the Card began to descend gently, floating toward him.
Michael caught it, his fingers brushing against its smooth surface as he stared at it with a stunned expression.
This was his first time receiving a Card from a slain Spirit Beast.
Well, this was only his second time slaying a Spirit Beast.
So, there was that.
"Oh, nice! You got a Card!" Alexia's voice rang out from behind him, casual as ever.
Michael turned toward her, still looking a bit dazed. He nodded slowly. "Ah, yeah."
Meanwhile, Samael, Kang, and Lily were busy trying to scrape away the hardened glob of web that had molded itself around Alexia, practically gluing her to the tree.
Michael sighed and rolled his eyes before stepping over to the blind girl.
With a precise slash of his sword, he cut through the white mold, freeing her with ease.
"Thanks," Alexia said, brushing off her clothes like she hadn't just been cocooned in webbing a moment ago.
Samael muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, "Show off!" before wandering off to sit on the ground nearby.
Michael smirked as Alexia turned back to him.
"So, go ahead. Don't keep us in suspense." She gave him a light nudge. "What's the Card?"
Michael glanced down at the Card in his hand, then back at her. "I… uhh, I don't know. I don't have an Appraisal Card with me. Should I just use it and find out?"
Alexia let out an annoyed grunt. "No. Rookie mistake. There are god knows how many types of Cards out there. You never know what kind of power — or curse — they might have. Always carry an Appraisal Card with you."
From his spot on the ground, Samael snorted. "Yeah, man. What a rookie. Imagine not carrying an Appraisal Card with you. Pfft."
He said that with all the smugness he could muster, conveniently ignoring the fact that he wasn't carrying one either.
Michael narrowed his eyes at him but chose not to comment. Again.
Before the conversation could derail further, Lily walked over and handed him a Card. "Here."
"Oh, thanks, Lil," Michael said, taking the Appraisal Card from her. Without hesitation, he equipped it into his soul.
The Card dissolved into particles of light, which flowed into his body. And after a few heartbeats, it manifested over his shoulder and began floating there.
Michael looked back down at the Card he had received from the spider and kept staring at it for well over a minute.
An appraisal Card usually worked by deciphering the runes that composed an item — whether it was an object, artifact, or Card.
Not many understood the exact mechanics behind it, or what the process entailed. But it was common knowledge that appraising a Card you'd never seen before could take some time.
So, everyone waited in silence as Michael examined the new Card in his hand.
But after another minute passed in complete silence, he quietly slipped it into his pocket with the solemnity of someone burying a bad news.
"Yeah, I'm never using that Card," he muttered.
Alexia raised an eyebrow, tilting her head in curiosity. "Why? What's it do?"
Michael took a deep breath, steeling himself before responding, "It's a Skill Card. It lets me shoot webs."
Lily shrugged. "That's not bad."
"Through my mouth," Michael finished, his voice flat.
The silence returned — but this time, it was the kind that barely contained laughter.