Honestly, Corvus was genuinely surprised that Leon had actually awakened a solid core; it was unexpected because, just like him, Leon was an orphan with his only family being his little sister, and unlike Corvus, Leon's parents were entirely mortals.
The only reason Leon had been given the grace to awaken a core was because of his grandfather, who seemed to have contributed to the clan in some way that Corvus didn't know.
Corvus turned his head away from Leon and trudged toward the distance, where he could make out what seemed to be a rocky forest,a forest that was filled with mold of sands and towering rocks in place of trees. He made sure to keep his attention on his environment just in case he noticed signs of a lost spirit.
Lost spirits are the origin of all kinds of spirits and are necessary to tread on the spirit path. They are basically newborns and are subconscious entities formed from the natural qi of the world, which is determined by their base habitats.
For example, the Mountain Monarch clan are known for their mountainous spirits that carry the elements of the mountains, which includes strength, earth, gravity, and ores.
Strength spirits are said to be the weakest, for their potential is slim as it relies on the bodily enhancement of the host; thus, it is limited by the constraints and natural limits of the human body compared to the mountainous spirits that control the earthen elements, allowing their hosts to wield those said elements.
Corvus knew he, or any other young servant, had yet to fully step onto the first rank of the spirit path without the symbiotic relationship of a spirit that makes them wield the affinity of the lost spirit and gives a home for the spirit to dwell in, which was why a core was important; a cracked core would be more of a house with a half-covered roof, making the subconscious spirits reject it and leaving those who had awakened it only with luck.
Corvus squinted his eyes at a slight movement beside two tall boulders that lay upon each other, leaving a hollow hole below. He slowly edged closer to it as he scrutinized the hole, which seemed to glow with a dim light. He knelt by it and crouched his head to peek at the hole, where he found a hovering, glowing yellow orb that seemed to be made of thick mist that quivered at his stare as if aware.
It was a wisp to anyone without knowledge, but to Corvus, he knew it was a lost spirit; it was the shape they all took, one that enabled them to move around. While they might seem unconscious, it didn't stop their instinct from fleeing from danger or a bad core, which this one tried to do.
As it immediately swooshed past Corvus's dazed form, about to flee deeper into the rock forest, its frantic movement awoke Corvus from his amazement. He immediately extended his hands while following the breathing rhythms they were taught, making the liquid qi within his rotating core release gaseous qi that passed through his veins all the way to his palms, releasing his qi in the trajectory the lost spirit was about to wisp to.
The baby-fist-sized wisp trembled and paused to Corvus's relief, as it slowly hovered toward his palms as if enticed, yet hesitating, for it stopped several times before finally reaching Corvus's palm. The palm emitted enticing qi that seemed to tell it of the kind of core he carried; its round, seemingly intangible form rubbed against Corvus's palm, making him feel an odd sensation like countless feathers tickling that same spot.
He was about to withdraw his palm when the wisp seemed to send a kind of psychic message up his palm to his head.
"A link," Corvus murmured, noting what the spirit had just done. Like he'd been taught, lost spirits send a kind of psychic link to whoever they have chosen to bind with, making it easier for that person to bind them. It was obvious his core was very appealing to this spirit, but with its shared link came the knowledge of its ability.
"Sadly, you only strengthen the heart and nothing more," Corvus sighed, feeling slightly stupid that he'd thought he was lucky to have found a battle spirit this soon. He withdrew his palm, breaking the link at the same time, which made the wisp tremble slightly as if knowing it had been rejected.
But Corvus didn't care about that; he knew he still had much time and many more lost spirits to find.
In fact, from this spot alone he could already spot some wisps in the distance; though the boulders obscured a lot of his vision, he was certain he'd find what he was looking for, or something closer to it. Corvus had already set his mind on finding a battle spirit like every other young servant, but the slight behavior of the lost spirit which still seemed to linger around him, even following slowly behind,proved that lost spirits are very judgmental.
'If not for them being spirits, I would have said they were materialistic,' Corvus mocked before crouching and sneaking behind a hut-sized rock. He had already chosen the best approach for capturing these lost spirits, which was basically catching them by surprise.
The countless boulders acted as a natural camouflage, and the subpar intelligence of the lost spirits was another bonus; at least, he saw it as a better way than coming up to them and having to chase them until he could lure them with his qi.
He sneaked closer to a wisp that rested beneath a slanted, short rock that acted like a shelter. He slowly stimulated his qi, making it reach his palms before pouncing toward the wisp. The spirit caught the slight crushing of sand Corvus had stepped on, making it rise from where it lay, about to dodge Corvus's pounce; however, he pivoted his body mid-air and thrust his palm forward with his pure qi spilling out of it.