Secret World of Occultists-Chapter 37: Hallmark Categories

Inspired by Honoria Whitmore's speech, Abel clenched his fists and proclaimed, "Yes, ma'am! I will do my best!"

"Hoho, a very pragmatic answer," the old lady chuckled. "When I asked Henry what type of Occultist he wanted to become, do you know his answer?"

Abel shook his head. "What was it?"

"He said he wanted to become the best Occultist there ever was, or there ever will be."

Abel quickly covered his mouth, trying his best to prevent laughing raucously.

That slick bastard, haha! He always appears so refined and gentlemanly, but he's actually a chunibyo?

In the end, imagining Henry saying those words with all seriousness, Abel couldn't help but burst into a loud peal of laughter.

Seeing this, Honoria shook her head in amusement. "Ah, to be young and have dreams of grandeur."

Allowing the youth to settle down, she continued a few moments later, "We will talk about the Spirit Crucible and the Trials of Ascension later. First, you need to understand the fundamentals of spirit energy."

"Yes, ma'am." Abel nodded, turning serious.

"We have covered that spirit energy is the fundamental force governing our supernatural abilities," The old lady began.

"It is an unseen yet ever-present power, coursing through all living beings in this world. And yet, only a rare few ever awaken to its true potential.

"In contrast to the ancient times, the number of Occultists has grown significantly, owing to the advancements in ritual arts. Now, let us turn our attention to the very nature of spirit energy itself."

She paused, placing fresh tobacco leaves in her bowl and smoking it. A few moments later, she continued, "The nature of spirit energy is self-replenishing."

"Like stamina?" Abel asked, his brows creased together a little.

"Precisely." Honoria nodded. "It may replenish naturally through rest or the practice of mindfulness. However, take heed, should you overextend your spirit energy, the consequences can be dire. Exhaustion, hallucinations, and, in rare cases, even death may await those who push beyond their limits."

"Even death?!" Abel blurted out in shock.

Honoria Whitmore solemnly nodded. She allowed the weight of her words to settle within the youth before continuing again, "The overuse of spirit energy may give rise to hallucinations and paranoia.

"When the pineal gland is overstimulated, it can lead to memory loss, subtle yet insidious changes in personality, or, in the worst cases... madness."

She exhaled softly before adding, "In comparison, the physical repercussions are far simpler to endure. Muscle failure and nerve damage are burdens one may recover from, given time. Push too far, and death may come all the same."

Abel loudly gulped, thinking to himself incredulously, How can you say such things so casually?! Are you crazy?

"Everything comes at a price," the old lady said with a grave tone.

"...I understand." Abel nodded. "I, uh, I'll make sure to never exert my spirit energy reserves!"

"Hmm... well, if I were you, I would have little cause for concern," she said with a knowing smile.

"Mr. Kensington informs me your spirit energy reserves are unlike anything he has ever encountered. And believe me, dear boy, he has seen quite a great deal."

"Heh, I guess I really am the chosen one, huh?" Abel raised his chin a little and smugly stated.

Seeing that the elderly woman was staring at him with an unimpressed look, he awkwardly added, "I was... kidding."

"Well, I cannot say if you are the chosen one, but I will admit, there is something remarkable about you," Honoria conceded a little.

"Hehe, thank you." Abel smiled abashedly.

"Now, pay attention," she spoke sternly. "Spirit energy can be used in three primary ways."

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The old lady raised her right hand again, clenching it into a fist. Then, she coated it with a layer of spirit energy. "The first application is physical augmentation. Through this, an Occultist may fortify their body to achieve supernatural strength, speed, and durability."

Unbeknownst to him, Abel's lips had curled into a wide grin. As he recalled the inhumane speed and strength he had showcased while fighting the nameless monster, he could feel anticipation grip his heart.

I can't wait to do all those things again! Hmm, I think they said it would take about a week for the spirit energy in my body to settle down.

And once that happens... hehe!

"Abel," the old lady reprimanded. "Wipe that foolish grin from your face and focus."

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

Honoria continued, "The second application is sensory augmentation. This grants heightened awareness, perception, and reflexes far beyond human limits."

She paused for a moment before concluding, "And lastly, spirit energy may be used to fuel supernatural abilities that we call Hallmarks."

Right! Hallmark! Abel's eyes lit up as he adjusted in his seat, straightening his posture.

Mr. Kensington had said that my Hallmark belongs to the Aberrant category. There's also one more thing I wish to confirm...

He wanted to immediately ask about the categories but knew that Honoria would scold him for being impatient.

Thus, he silently waited.

"Tell me, what do you know about Hallmarks?" She asked, savoring the rich taste of tobacco before exhaling a thin wisp of smoke from the pipe.

Recalling what Henry had said to him, he answered, "It is an innate ability that an Occultist is born with."

He paused, recalling what the Director had mentioned, and added, "Also, Mr. Kensington said that my Hallmark falls within the Aberrant category... But I don't know what that is."

Honoria calmly nodded. "The awakening of the pineal gland does not only merely grant access to spirit energy, it also unveils an innate ability—a gift that every Occultist is born with."

She placed the pipe down on the table and then reclined on the sofa. "Hallmarks, as we call them, can be categorized into five distinct categories. I shall begin with the first one - Enhancement.

"As the name implies, this category bestows an Occultist with the ability to enhance their physiques. Some grow stronger, others swifter, while some develop resilience that defies nature itself."

Abel couldn't help but frown and raise a question, "But isn't this the same as physical augmentation."

"Yes and no," the old lady answered. "Enhancemet-type Hallmarks do not augment the body as a whole. While physical augmentation temporarily strengthens all aspects of an Occultist's pysique, an Enhancement-type Hallmark is far more specialized.

"One Occultist may possess a Hallmark that grants him unparalled strength, while another may be gifted with extraordinary speed. It affects only a singular aspect of their physicality"

"Ah, I see." Abel nodded in understanding. "And on top of that, they can even use spirit energy to physically augment themselves, huh?"

Honoria Whitmore silently nodded.

"Sounds... dangerous," said Abel.

"Indeed. Occultists with Enhancement-type Hallmarks typically excel in direct combat."

After a brief pause, she continued, "The second category is Elemental. It grants the Occultist the ability to manipulate a single element of of nature such as fire, water, wind, ice, and so forth. However, it is always restricted to one element.

She took another drag from her pipe before exhaling softly.

"The third category is Summoning. This allows an Occultist to materialize weapons, tools, or objects using their spirit energy. I have even read accounts of some who could summon spirits themselves.

"Transmutation is the fourth category. It allows an Occultist to transform their bodies—partially or fully—into that of a beast. Some can even shapeshift into others beings and... things."

"Wait a minute!" Abel was stunned. "So, like, a person can transform into any animal?"

"Not any," Honoria corrected him. "Only one type of animal. It could be a cat or a leapord, a dog or a wolf. An Occultist's transformation is unique to them, and it is not something that they can choose. It is something that chooses them."

Oh my... God, the youth thought in disbelief.

Meaning that there's a chance that werewolves are real?!

His attention quickly shifted when the old woman spoke about the last category.

"That brings us to the fifth and final category of Hallmarks," said Honoria. "It is also the most mysterious category of the five, defying the conventional laws of nature. As you are already aware this category is called Aberrant."

She paused for a moment before conitnuing, "The general rule of categorization is that if a Hallmark does not fall under the first four categories, then it is designated an Aberrant-type. For example, your Hallmark which is related to the concept of reflection."

Abel wasn't surprised that Honoria knew about his Hallmark. He had already expected it.

So Aberrant-types are the most mysterious category of Hallmark, huh? Sounds cool!

He then gazed at the old lady and asked what he'd wanted to know ever since he had emerged from the Spirit Crucible.

"Madam Whitmore, just to confirm, how many Hallmarks can an Occultist possess?"

The old lady looked at him with an arched eyebrow, answering matter-of-factly.

"Only one."