"no my boy, you will have to go in there alone, i will remain here and keep the dungeon's stability, are you that unwilling?" asked master.
He's looking at me with great expectation yet still bears concern to me. It also seems like he is hiding something, i can't be sure of what it is. But I know he has his reason.
"master it's not that I'm unwilling but.. Wouldn't it take a long time to reach my destination in the outerworlds? My swordsmanship itself might not be effective in that place, it can only defeat lesser monster and swordsman weaker than me" i answered.
"ho ho, my disciple. Aren't you underestimating your master's profound sword technique, " retorts master, "How about this orvel, I will considered this as a quest from me. Who knows this might be your first and final quest from me?"
I replied. "master, what do you mean?"
"ho ho i was just saying. So don't you wanna go?" replied master.
Master is acting weird. Quest huh. master is acting like the adventurer guild. Yet you call that a profound technique? Your not even a swordsman! How can a frail summoner use sword technique? Am I underestimating summoners sheer versatility? I guess it makes sense for master to train my body to my utmost limit.
I have a strong body and mind for a mere summoner in making. Those training is not a nice memory, i often almost died and every day is a muscle-aching day. Mental training isn't nice either. It makes me develop claustrophobia.
After a brief thoughts, i think of it that this might be an opportunity to grow stronger and get out of my master's shadow and be independent on my own.
I'll just do what it takes to become stronger and find out the schemes of the fallen summoners who brought havoc to the city i was born, my mother also died because of them.
I gulped, feeling tense while thinking this might be it. The journey I inevitably have to take. I responded with a serious expression.
"yes, master" I agreed.
Master acknowledged. "good, for now retrieve the magic scrolls I'll teach you something before you depart to the outerworlds"
"r-really master?!" i gasped. I couldn't hide my excitement, I could finally make use of my skill.
Is it the force contract I once read from a certain book?. What could it be that master is going to teach me.
That skill (tamer contract) can only subdue those willing monster at the expense of using a mana crystal, but if I know how to create Force contract I might be able to subdue strong monster without needing to confirm their agreement though it's still needed a scroll and a huge mental strength to pay.
But that's not a problem. I already done strenuous mental training under my master's guidance. So I am not lacking in terms of mental strength.
I really wanted to go quickly and head to the portal but master stopped me for the last time. And spoke in curiosity as he stroke his Grey beard.
"my disciple, why have you not made a pact with that little one? Haven't you already received you class skill? Both of you seems to have a deep connection so it is not a problem if that little one will become your first familiar" he questioned.
He seems to be pointing out my little buddy plune. I do want to try out my newly awakened skill but I have no mana or magic crystal to weave out the contract formation. I don't have a contract scroll either, a magic scroll containing a contract formation. Performing the contract ritual also requires a magic crystal as medium. But i don't possess neither magic crystal nor contract scroll to begin to. Sigh, quite a demanding requirements.
"you mean plune master? I do want to make her my familiar but I lack the necessity to form a contract ritual master" I said, frowning.
Not that I didn't actually get a magic crystal but... Plune already used it up as a battery, now they're just empty stones.
Master laughed. "ho ho, is that so? Here take this. This should help"
He handed me out a single mana crystal. A peculiar one. But what's wrong with this. This does look odd. He also gave a contract scroll. Just one.
"master do you have more of this scrolls?" I asked. my eyes sparked. Looking at master, expecting he had but only did gave me a dissapointing answer.
"I don't have any more, it's a failed product I attempted to make I think you might make use of it. Don't worry it doesn't have any side effect but it does give off random effects" master exclaimed.
"uhh random effects, master that sounds ominous can i declined?" I questioned.
"just believe in your luck orvel, don't worry it's twice the boost it'll give than a normal high grade contract scroll" master replied.
Does that also mean also mean twice the negative effect. But since it's random effect I don't know if it's a positive or negative boost. Master won't just give me something bad let's just believe in plune.
I look at the magic crystal that look a bit odd and asked master about it.
"master about the magic crystal.. " i mumbled.
"what about it, it's enough for a normal ritual you'll make" he answered. Although it's still somewhat a little suspicious.
"but master this look... Colorless, will this even work. It look like a dried out mana crystal" i asked in curiosity.
Master do seems to have a reason for giving me this magic crystal even I never seen before. I'm sure this one is a mysterious and priceless treasure. It might be but, it's seemingly empty no, there's still inside but almost exhausted.
"ho ho, silly disciple. I know you had a keen eye, I won't hide it. You are correct. Although that magic crystal looks depleted, there should be enough leftover mana inside to assist your tamer contract, your in luck that I didn't used it up" he made a hearty laugh with his usual hysterical 'ho ho' tone.
I couldn't hide my deep disappointment, as I look at this crystal and magic scroll. Look like master is seemingly making fun of me. I couldn't be more surprised receiving an almost dried out magic crystal, should I be grateful thinking it's better than nothing? A double-edged contract scroll and an almost depleted mana crystal.. Will this get any more worst.
I heave a deep sigh, i almost forgot his stingy nature just because he was seemingly serious and focused today.
"are you ready plune?" asked my buddy who are sitting atop of my head.
Normal person could only perceived her as a dot of moving light or something similar to firefly or they might not able to perceive her at all.
"plune!" she looks cheerful as she seems, if there is no problem with what master gave me then I might be able to pull it off. Goodluck plune I'll cheer you up hoping you'd get a good result.
I started off putting the scroll on the ground with the magic crystal placed atop of it. I then stationed my left palm forward in front of plune as I chant the incantation that I subconsciously memorized as soon as I was given this skill.
(ᚹᛟᚱᛚᛞ) as I spoke the symbols, the energy in the magic crystal suddenly was converted by the contract scroll into wavy web constructing an intangible circle and writing the magic symbols. The magic formula came to form inside the circle. One circle in the middle of my palm and the other just below the contract scroll on the ground. The magic circle just settling by my palm, it recognize the entity, which is plune and suddenly the big magic circle on the ground activated.
Looking at master who is watching just behind, seemingly joyful as he stroke his beard in amusement to what he was witnessing.
The final thing that need to be done is the first and last question during the contract ritual.
I gulped, waiting for this moment. The first step in my path to be a great summoner. Just a simple "will you be my familiar?"
"plune!" she agreed which brought me joy, my true friend plune is now bounded to me. I'm surprised to see Plune transformed into a bright light for a short seconds. And her form changed just as the light vanished. Her flame and wind has become even more subtle and gentle and her once a wispy appearance became a humanoid formed by her elements.
Master laughed. "ho ho, that's quite unexpected for a little lesser spirit to evolved to its mid tier, such a fascinating thing to see" it seems like I was right, master didn't give me a bogus items. Except for plune's appearance, what changed? Or is it about magic too.
"master can Plune really cast stronger magic?"
"ho ho she can now use 3rd tier magic and not only that, her rare element let her combined both wind and fire magic."master explained."but it might cause you a little burden in willpower if you did orvel, her imbuement magic should prove useful to you"
3rd tier magic? Combined magic? Imbuement magic? Such a good and jaw dropping ability. Now I can use magic efficiently! This is the greatest day of my life Hahahaha. I laugh in sheer joy because of the latter reason.
It's a big pain for me to constantly sacrifice magic items which already is rare in blumelia although plenty on outworlds but it was a very dangerous place that whenever we always came master would use teleport to arrive quickly at a safe place like ashentrum peak. But using magic fueled with mental power are more efficient than wasting precious magic items as expendables.
Suddenly the sole contract form gave me a vision on the type of contract and it's content, as I thought. It's a possession form, i can borrowed plune powers for as long as my mental strength or willpower allows me to. Plune cannot interfere itself to remotely defend and attack. But it can form itself a magic attack if i offer an expendables to it, such things are spirits, since they cannot interfere through the material world to this degree, it's also the reason they are hardly conceivable.