I Don’t Want to Die as a Mob in My Second Life! ～A Story Where I Kept Training from Inside the Womb and Ended Up Being Mistaken for a Monster～ - Chapter 13: Training Begins! 'Spirit Hosting'!

Chapter 13: Training Begins! ‘Spirit Hosting’!

“Alright, Kanata, listen up. The art of Spirit Conduction is—”

“It’s the technique of channeling spiritual energy to guide a spirit’s power in a specific direction, right? There are four main branches: ‘Spirit Hosting,’ ‘Object Imbuing,’ ‘Charm Crafting,’ and ‘Curse Wielding.'”

“—You already know everything!?”

In the nostalgic garden of my family home, I was about to receive my first lesson in Spiritual Arts from my father, Michitaka.

“Sorry, I already have the knowledge. Um… I guess you could say it’s thanks to good prenatal education.”

Well, it’s actually because this is my second life.

“Prenatal education, huh? Now that you mention it, your mother was really dedicated to reading to you while you were in the womb. I used to think it was pointless, but… wow, prenatal education really works.”

Dad actually believed me. That’s… kinda nice.

Not long ago, there was such a huge gap between us. I guess this change is partly thanks to Maro, who’s over by the pond, stroking the koi fish.

I should probably thank him.

“Hohoho, koi are delightful creatures. Their IQ of three and simple behavior are so soothing. Makes me feel like, biologically speaking, ‘there’s always someone below me,’ you know?”

…Actually, forget thanking him.

“Alright then, Kanata. Let’s move on to the preparations.”

“Yes, Father.”

I turned to face Dad. Time to get serious about this.

“First, let me ask—are you able to perceive your own soul?”

“Yes, I can.”

“Ah, yeah, I thought so… You’ve already used ‘Spiritual Body Modification’ to grow your body, after all. Then, what about constructing your Spiritual Pathways?”

“That’s done too.”

“…Wow, and you’re only a newborn. I only started grasping the outline of my soul when I was seven.”

My dad slumped his shoulders in defeat. Uh… sorry about that?

“Alright, l-let’s move on! Next, try channeling your spiritual energy throughout your entire body. You’ll need to flow it into your Spiritual Pathways!”

This is the combat-ready state for a Reisoushi, known as ‘Spirit-Charged Limbs.’

“This is what we call ‘Spirit-Charged Limbs.’ Spiritual energy is an intangible life force, so it’s tricky to grasp. But once you manage to fill your entire body with it, the power you gain is incredible!”

“Done.”

“…!?”

I had already surged spiritual energy through my whole body.

Spiritual energy feels like an invisible, untouchable water flowing within. 

At first, you can’t sense it at all. But by focusing on the fact that it’s definitely overflowing from your soul, you start to detect a faint warmth.

Just as blood flows from the heart, the energy flowing from the soul is spiritual energy. Even though it’s invisible and intangible, if you believe in its existence and concentrate, you’ll eventually be able to perceive and control it.

Once you guide that energy into your Spiritual Pathways—the equivalent of veins for spiritual energy—you’re all set.

“O-Ohhh, amazing… you really did it! An incredible amount of spiritual particles is pouring out from your whole body…!”

From my body, a pale blue light was surging forth. These were spiritual particles—residual fragments left behind when spiritual energy fuels the body and then dissipates.

It’s like exhaust fumes from a car. 

Basically, the more spiritual particles a Reisoushi emits, the larger their spiritual energy reserves—their “gasoline”—must be.

“Kanata, you’re truly amazing… Can someone as average as me really be the one to teach a genius like you?”

Uh, just so you know, I’m actually just a regular guy inside, okay?

“Maybe we should ask Mr. Maro to take over…”

“No way Maro’s the right choice. Right?”

I glanced over at Maro. Sure enough, he was petting a neighborhood cat while saying, “Like I’d ever waste my time teaching a little brat like you, you idiot, idiot!”

Yeah, typical Maro. His ridiculously immature insults are almost impressive. How can a grown man manage to keep such a childlike sense of humor? It’s almost inspiring.

“Well, Father, looks like it’s up to you.”

“Alright, I get it… It’s as if Mr. Maro, by acting like this, is intentionally pushing me to step up as your parent and teacher.”

Yeah, no, I don’t think that’s the case.

“Okay, let’s move on to practicing Spirit Conduction. We’ll start with Spirit Hosting, the technique of becoming a vessel for a spirit.”

Dad called out, “Come forth.” And in response, a translucent dove appeared on his shoulder.

“Coo-cooo.”

What a dumb-sounding coo. Now that I think about it, I remember this dove from my previous life too.

“A Conceptual Spirit of [Dove], huh? Is this your spirit, Father?”

“Yes. Kind of suits someone timid like me, doesn’t it? It’s not very strong, but…”

Dad formed a sword gesture with his fingers and channeled spiritual energy. Then—

“Spirit Hosting, activate. Come into me, [Dove]!”

With his command, the [Dove] merged with Dad.

Immediately, his eyes glowed yellow, and the muscles under his clothes swelled slightly. Whoa.

“Phew. The [Dove] has excellent eyesight and a strong body capable of long-distance flight. When I use Spirit Hosting, it enhances me significantly.”

“Heh, so [Dove] is pretty high-spec.”

“Yeah. It also has the image of being a ‘city bird that eats anything,’ so it strengthens my liver. I often use it after a hangover.”

“…What are you even doing with it, Father?”

He might actually be a pretty entertaining person. 

In my previous life, he passed away before we could have much in-depth conversation, so seeing this side of him is surprisingly nice.

“Alright, Kanata, your turn.”

“Got it. Come forth, [Doll].”

I summoned [Doll] from my Spiritual Domain. With a surprised “Did you call for me!?” she flew out. Called and delivered.

“Oh, it’s Kanata’s dad. Yo!”

“‘Yo’… That’s, uh, quite a casual spirit you’ve got there…”

Dad gave a wry smile, clearly a bit taken aback by [Doll]. Well, it makes sense—just a little while ago, she had him completely wrapped up in threads as part of her ‘playtime.’

“Alright, [Doll], let’s do this. Spirit Hosting, here we go.”

“Got it.”

“Spirit Hosting, activate. Come into me, [Doll].”

With a sword-gesture, I initiated the Spirit Hosting with [Doll].

Immediately, the subtle trembling in my muscles stopped entirely. My body became perfectly still—no biological reflexes, no involuntary movements, nothing.

Even to Dad, my gaze must have seemed colder and more mechanical than usual.

“K-Kanata, are you alright?! If Spirit Hosting fails, the spirit can completely take over your body! Don’t tell me [Doll] has—!”

“No, it’s fine. This is actually what success looks like.”

I reassured Dad, raising a hand to signal him to relax. 

My movement was so smooth and precise, it was almost unnatural. Every motion was perfectly stable, with zero shakiness.

“The benefit of hosting [Doll] seems to be ‘precision in movement.’ And now…”

In my mind, I issued a command to [Doll]: Trace: Hakkyokuken.

And then—

“Fuh—!”

With a deep breath, my arm rose effortlessly, settling into a perfect stance in an instant. There wasn’t a hint of wasted energy. My relaxed body weight flowed through my feet into the ground, rooting me firmly as though I were one with the earth.

This was the foundation of Hakkyokuken: the ‘Three Points Align’ stance.

From there, my body moved. A calm, wave-like motion transitioned into a sudden Dan Chu—an explosive elbow strike that seemed to crack the air itself. This was the lightning-fast Teishou Zuki technique.

Without losing momentum, the movements flowed seamlessly into a series of strikes: Tetsuyama Oshii (Iron Mountain Lean), Sui Ken (Sui Punch), Fumikomi (Stomp), and finishing with the powerful Rimon Teishou Zuki (Li Men Ding Zhou). Each strike connected with precision and force, forming a brilliant chain of attacks.

“K-Kanata, you can use martial arts!? No, wait—could it be—”

“Yes. [Doll] can perfectly replicate movements she’s seen on television or elsewhere and translate them into my body.”

Of course, forcing unnatural movements onto the body risks serious damage. Especially with martial arts at a master level—they rely heavily on the practitioner’s unique, genius-level physical structure.

In my past life, my limited muscle fibers and stiff joints meant I couldn’t use techniques like this freely.

“I see… That’s incredible, Kanata. Honestly, pulling off Spirit Hosting successfully on your first try already makes you a genius.”

“No, no, really…”

Honestly, that’s not true. The reality is that I spent over a decade training in my previous life.

“Hmm, the amount of spirit particles has decreased a bit. I guess Spirit Hosting consumes a lot of spiritual energy?”

“Yes. Since I have a large reserve of spiritual energy, it’s unlikely I’ll run out anytime soon, but still…”

“I see. You’re controlling the spirit well, and its concept is being reflected in your body. However, it’s not strong enough to alter your physical form, and the energy consumption is high. I’d say your Spirit Hosting skill is at a level C.”

That sounds about right. Even at the end of my previous life, that was the general assessment of my skill.

For reference, the skill levels range from F to A in six stages:

F: The “egg stage”—either the spirit takes over your body or you can’t use the technique at all.

E: The “chick stage”—you can use the technique, but you burn out after one try.

D: Barely usable in combat. Lacks stability, marked with a “beginner’s sign.”

C: Decent and functional, but still has rough edges. A mid-tier level.

B: Advanced, just one step away from mastery.

A: Top-tier, capable of transforming your physical body through Spirit Hosting. Incredible!

That’s the general idea.

“I’ve still got a long way to go.”

“What? No, no, no! This is unprecedented for a first attempt! Besides, the test only requires a D-level evaluation to pass. You’ve already cleared the passing mark!”

Dad was encouraging, but I know I’m just an ordinary guy at heart. If I let my guard down, I could end up failing. And failure in this test means execution.

I can’t afford to lose focus.

“Father, passing the exam is just the starting line. I want to dedicate myself to improving, preparing for the battles ahead.”

“…I see. Yes, you’re absolutely right! That’s an incredible attitude, Kanata!”

Dad patted my head, clearly impressed. He muttered something about how he’d been too focused on just completing immediate tasks, seemingly reflecting on his own mindset.

“Alright then, show me the rest of your techniques. For the next week until the exam, I’ll train you thoroughly!”

“Yes, Father.”

Looks like he’s fired up now. 

Even though my father is a timid man, he’s still a Second-Class Reisoushi, ranked higher than my Third-Class self in my previous life. And he’s got years of experience. He’s more than qualified to be my teacher.

“Should I start calling you ‘Teacher’ during training?”

“Guhh! Y-You hold me in such high regard? How adorable you are, Kanata…!”

He ruffled my hair enthusiastically. Geez, this is embarrassing!

Is he really that moved by it?

“Hinami and Michio just treat me like trash most of the time…”

“Ah…”

My sister and brother are definitely strong-willed personalities. They probably don’t hold back when it comes to Dad.

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[Tips]

Spirit-Charged Limbs:

A state where spiritual energy is distributed throughout the entire body. This is the combat-ready form for a Spirit Conductor. With advanced control over spiritual energy, it’s possible to concentrate it in specific parts of the body to enhance offensive or defensive capabilities.

Hakkyokuken (Bajiquan):

A martial art specialized in delivering devastatingly powerful strikes. Its goal is to turn its attacks into “cannon blasts that shatter the eight gates.” A lofty goal… and honestly, impossible.

In Kanata’s previous life, his low spiritual energy reserves and lack of skill made him burn through energy quickly. Because of this, he had [Doll] copy this martial art, which is designed for quick, decisive battles.

Trace:

The copying ability of the Conceptual Spirit, [Doll]. It allows precise replication of physically possible movements by the host.

However, if the host’s physical capabilities are low, the strain can cause injury. This made it difficult for Kanata to use frequently in his previous life.

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