<h4>Chapter 403 Matriarch</h4>


    Adam was bbergasted at the scene that unfolded before him.


    This ce was supposed to be a friendly territory. The wood spirits that resided here were supposed to be weing toward him who was given the coordinates to this location by Professor Whitaker.


    Yet, here he was, being chased by all the wood spirits that resided here. Not only that, Adam also noticed that the forest creatures were also being led by the spirits.


    He turned around and ran for his life. If he felt like his life was in grave danger, he would immediately return to the material world.


    Spirit World Traversal allowed him to enter and exit the Spirit World at will. Although, currently he still needed the help of a ritual formation to enter this realm, he could exit this ce with just a simple thought.


    He had only taken a few steps when, in his Sphere of Resonance, he sensed that he had already been surrounded.


    Realizing this, he couldn''t help but sigh, thinking to himself, I guess I''ll have to look for a wood spirit to sign a contract with when Ie here next time.


    Just as he was about to return to the material world, a loud authoritative voice called out to him, "Student of Mathilda Whitaker, wait!"


    Adam''s pupils constricted and he turned around toward the direction that voice hade from. His gazended on a wood spirit that was flying toward him at a speed several times faster than the others.


    This spirit was no bigger than six inches tall, exuding an aura of strength as well as breathtaking beauty.


    Her slender body was perfectly proportioned, with fair, almost translucent skin that glowed in the luminescent light of the mushrooms. Her eyes sparkled with intelligence and her pointed ears peeked out from beneath her wild, blonde hair.


    The spirit''s wings were her most striking features, resembling those of a dragonfly. Her clothing seemed to be made of natural materials such as flower petals, leaves, and silk.


    Noticing the mana signature radiating from her, Adam was greatly taken aback.


    Rank 3 Magus! He thought to himself, Then, could this spirit perhaps be…


    Although he was ready to teleport out of here anytime, he still decided to disy proper etiquette. "Greetings, Lady Magus. Are you perhaps Professor Whitaker''s contracted spirit?"


    The wood spirit, who was in fact the matriarch of this vige, fluttered before Adam and observed him curiously.


    A few momentster, she muttered in confusion, "You''re not a giant."


    "Eh?" Adam nced at her incredulously, thinking to himself, Did one of the wood spirits happen to be there when I arrived in my gigantic soul body?


    At the time, due to the extreme turbulence brought about by traveling from the material world to the Spirit World, he hadn''t noticed the presence of anyone around him when hended here.


    However, now it seemed that he might have overlooked certain things.


    "As you can see, mydy, I am a human," said Adam respectfully.


    "Matriarch, he''s lying! He''s lying!"


    "We saw him when he arrived here! He didn''t look like this!"


    "He''s a giant in disguise! He was bigger than a tree!"


    The group of wood spirits, who happened to be there when Adam had arrived at this ce through the portal, looked at the Matriarch and spoke anxiously.


    Even they were quite surprised to see a regr-sized Adam when they came here with everyone else. They were ready to fight a giant, but all they found was a human.


    The Matriarch nced at the group of wood spirits and gently said, "I believe you, my children."


    She then turned her head toward Adam and deeply looked at him. She knew that he was Professor Whitaker''s student because apart from her, no one else knew the coordinates to this vige.


    This was something that was mentioned in the contract they had signed. Apart from Professor Whitaker and her students, no one else was to know the location of this vige.


    Even in the summoning contract signed by the graduate students and the other wood spirits, it is explicitly mentioned that the former is never to disclose this vige''s whereabouts.


    So when the Matriarch heard from the wood spirits that someone had arrived at the vige through a portal, she knew that it had to be a student of her contractee, Mathilda Whitaker.


    But what she couldn''t understand was how one of the graduate students of Saratoga Castle managed toe here.


    Usually, it was always the other way around. It was the wood spirits that went to the material world through the portal and signed the summoning contract.


    Another thing that the Matriarch couldn''t understand and one that greatly took her by surprise was the fact that the wood spirits mentioned that a giant had appeared in the vige.


    She knew very well that the group of spirits that saw Adam arrive here weren''t lying. But at the same time, when she nced at this youth standing before her, she was certain that he was a human and not a giant.


    Her mind was flooded with endless questions as she continued to stare at the raven-haired youth, causing thetter to feel greatly ufortable.


    "What is your name, young Magus?" The Matriarch asked.


    "My name is Adam Constantine," said the youth.


    "Hmm." The Matriarch nodded. Once again a long period of silence ensued as she continued to observe him.


    How did he arrive here? He seems to have been here for quite some time in his soul-body form. How is he not affected by the environment of our world? His soul body… seems to be far stronger than that of a regr Mana Liquefaction Magus. It''s almost as powerful as the soul of a Mana Vortex Magus, but not quite…


    What a fascinating human!


    The more she thought about it, the more shocked she became. She had nevere across a Magus whose soul body was stronger than their physical body. It was usually the other way around.


    Being intently stared at by a Rank 3 Magus was not a pleasant feeling. Adam''s back was drenched in ayer of cold sweat as he continued to fidget with his fingers.


    Should I just leave? He thought to himself. No, that''ll be very disrespectful. This wood spirit is the Professor''s contractor, after all.


    Finally, he mustered the courage and asked, "Lady Magus, uh… May I know why I am surrounded by the entire vige? I haven''t done anything wrong, have I?"


    The Matriarch snapped out of her string of thoughts and replied, "My children notified me that a giant had invaded our vige, but it seems that it was just one of Mathilda''s students."


    She paused for a moment before asking with a yful smirk, "You haven''te across a giant now, have you?"


    "H-Haha," Adamughed awkwardly. "Of course not!"


    "Hmm." The Matriarch deeply peered into Adam''s jet-ck eyes. "If you say so."


    She looked around and saw that most, if not all the wood spirits in the vige had already gathered here.


    Then, she nced at Adam and began, "You''re arrival here is very unusual. Usually, one of my children would go to the material world and initiate a contract with Mathilda''s students.


    "But now that you''re here, why don''t you choose which of my children you would like to have as your healing spirit?"