Chapter 41 - Summoning
"I am Valewyn," the old man's voice was deep. "The village leader of Nedra... a village on the Beast Continent."
Lucas raised an eyebrow, and started thinking over the words.
Beast Continent.
He repeated the phrase in his mind, trying to grasp it.
The creature beside Valewyn, a winged white tiger, moved slightly, its eyes glowing. Lucas couldn't take his eyes off it. There was something about it.
"And this continent... relies on beasts?" Lucas asked, his voice steady but curious.
Valewyn nodded slowly. "Here, everyone is born with the opportunity to summon a beast. The beast becomes your companion for life, bound to you by a soul contract. But..." he paused, "the power of the beast determines your future."
Lucas couldn't help but glance back at the winged white tiger. Its fur was as white as snow, its wings covered in feathers and delicate.
"This beast," Valewyn continued, gesturing to the tiger, "is of the silver rank. There are higher ranks: bronze, silver, gold, platinum, legendary, and dark... a very rare rank."
Lucas slowly absorbed the words.
Dark rank? Legendary?
He muttered to himself, "So... summoning a beast means you are bound to it forever."
Valewyn's lips curled into a slight smile. "Yes, but it doesn't stop there. There are ways to connect to the deep power within the beast. Even those who are not born with exceptional power can gain it through proper summoning."
Lucas leaned forward. His mind was trying to absorb everything Valewyn had said. How could this be possible? Summoning was just a myth—it couldn't be real. Could it?
"How... how can I summon a beast?" Lucas asked, urgency in his voice. There was a sense of desperation now, a desire to understand.
Valewyn studied him closely, his eyes unwavering. Then, with a slow, deliberate gesture, he pointed at the winged tiger beside him.
"You are here now," Valewyn said, his voice almost a whisper. "In the Beast Continent. A place where those with the will can summon the strongest of beasts. I can show you how."
"Show me how?" Lucas repeated sharply. "How?"
Valewyn took a deep, deliberate breath, gesturing to the space in front of them.
"It's about what you feel inside," Valewyn explained, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "You need a true connection to your depths. A deep connection to your soul... and if you succeed in that moment... you will be able to summon the beast."
Lucas hesitated. A connection with my soul? Was this really possible?
He closed his eyes.
In the silence that followed, he focused inward, trying to reach that place he rarely visited. It was a pulling feeling in his gut, as if something were calling him. He'd felt this before, in moments of despair or when things seemed hopeless. It was an instinct, a primal pull. This time, though, it felt different...
He extended his hand, as if it were an unconscious movement.
The moment his fingers stretched toward the air in front of him, he felt something shift—something ancient and wild. The power was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time...
The ground beneath him trembled.
A shape began to form out of the mist, dark and covered in shadows. It was massive, its body dark and smooth, its black wings stretching out as if waiting for this moment. As the mist cleared, the creature's eyes gleamed with a deep, unstable light.
What the hell is this?
The black tiger, its form both beautiful and terrifying, stood before him. Its wings spread wide, and the power emanating from it was undeniable. Its presence was commanding, as if the darkness around it awaited its command...
"This is... the beast your life will be bound to."
Lucas's heart raced. The sight of the black tiger was almost too much for him to fully take in. The creature started to surround him, its eyes never leaving Lucas for a moment.
He heard the voice again.
I am here. Choose me.
The words were soft, filling his mind with an undeniable pull. His instincts screamed at him to run.
Without warning, something inside him tore.
The energy that had been building inside him flared up, and the connection tightened violently. He felt it in his bones, his soul twisting, moving, merging with the black tiger.
His hair darkened, turning pitch black. The world around him spun as the creature's wings... his creature's wings spread behind him, its eyes gleaming with unnatural darkness.
The fusion was complete.
"Congratulations," Valewyn said.