Editor : Amethyst00



“Not sure why you came all the way here, but you’re out of luck. Because you’ll die here. Kekeke—”

The demonic summoner sneered and raised his hand.

At the same time, Leo released the spell he had completed inwardly.

“Lightning Storm!”

The strongest lightning-type spell Leo could currently use struck the lake’s surface.

Flash—! Crackle—!

Golden currents surged violently.

“A crude attack.”

Crrrk—!

Tentacles extended from the demonic summoner’s sleeve, wrapping around him protectively.

Bzzzzzzzt—!

The storm of electricity engulfed the demonic summoner.

Crrrk—!

Breaking free from the tentacles that had shielded him, the demonic summoner curled his lips upward.

“I’ll return it to you.”

Crackle—!

From the tip of the tentacle, Lightning Storm burst out.

Seeing that, Leo leaped aside in a hurry.

‘Not only high magic resistance, but also absorption, storage, and release? Was there such a monster?’

While his face hardened, the demonic summoner reached a hand toward Leo.

Crrrrrrrrrk—!

The tentacles extended and rushed at him.

Leo bent his body back.

The tentacles, slicing through the air, pierced into the massive tree behind him.

Kwagagagak—! Crack! Thud—!

“I’ll crush you just like this.”

The demonic summoner coldly laughed as he ripped out the tree with tentacle force.

Whoosh—!

Just as the massive tree came right before him, Leo’s body flared with aura.

Kwagagagak—!

Turning the tree into ashes, Leo tried to counterattack.

But before that, tentacles shot up from underground, wrapping around his ankle.

‘He hid the monster underground? I didn’t sense a trace. And this feeling…!’

The tentacle yanked Leo into the air and slammed him down.

Bang—!

Protected by Aura Armor, Leo unleashed all his aura.

Kwagagak—!

The storm of aura exploded outward, shredding the tentacle monster apart.

Barely escaping, Leo widened the distance.

Squelch—!

The tentacle monster’s flesh wriggled and quickly regenerated.

‘Its recovery is formidable too.’

“I’ll kill you here.”

At the demonic summoner’s words, Leo stirred his spiritual power.

“Sorry, but just standing around taking hits isn’t my style.”

Fwoooosh—!

Flames surged over Fiora’s entire body as she returned to her true form.

Flap—!

Her wings spread, and her body grew larger.

Leo had drawn out her latent power with his spiritual power.

Kwoooooo—!

As Fiora charged, the demonic summoner’s tentacle monster wrapped around him like armor.

Crash—!

When Fiora rammed into him, massive flames erupted, blasting the demonic summoner at incredible speed into the lakeside.

Boom—!

Water surged high.

As Fiora flew near the lake, the water boiled and steam rose.

With elegant wingbeats, Fiora returned to Leo and opened her beak.

“Peep.”

["Hmph, back in your true form and still peeping, huh? You really are a chick—gah?!"]

Fiora pecked Kiran’s head for mocking her.

“As expected of the Phoenix’s contractor! You’re on a whole different level from the other first-year brats!”

Rumble—! Boom—!

The demonic summoner, who had sunk into the water, rose up again.

A terrifying surge of black mana burst out from him.

‘This isn’t good.’

Leo grimaced at the pain stabbing his right side.

The shock from the earlier attack hadn’t faded yet.

And as he looked at the monsters the sorcerer controlled, something came to mind.

“Earth Snake?”

“Sharp of you. Yes. This is a Chimera I created.”

Chimera.

Artificial monsters born by combining the strengths of monsters and beasts into something more powerful.

‘The way it hid its presence underground felt exactly like an Earth Snake… This bastard. He made a chimera out of a phantom beast!’

As Leo glared, the demonic summoner coldly smiled and reached out his hand.

“What are you doing to my precious junior, demonic summoner?”

An elegant voice rang from the sky.

Rumble—! Boom—!

Thunder roared in the clear sky.

Flash—!

Kwagagagagang—!

A mighty lightning bolt fell toward the demonic summoner.

The monster shielded him again.

But as if mocking the effort, the lightning mercilessly tore the tentacle monster apart.

“A beast armor, shredded this easily?”

The demonic summoner looked up at the sky.

“As expected of the strongest of Lumene’s Summoning Department.”

["What’s with that winged colt?"]

“Pegasus.”

Leo answered Kiran’s mutter.

“A phantom beast on par with yours.”

The demonic summoner dipped his hand into the lake.

Bubble— Bubble— Bubble—

The lake began to bubble violently.

Then, from the clear waters, a stench and toxicity spread.

Ziiiiing—!

“Come forth, Death Slime.”

Kwagagagak—!

The polluted lake water surged.

A massive dark-gray slime burst out.

The most powerful known beast of the slime type.

“Peep! Peep!”

["Smells foul!"]

Kiran and Fiora recoiled.

Even with the summoning of a top-tier Death Slime that could poison and kill by presence alone, Ulta remained calm.

“Monsters are never lovely creatures. Aeria, let’s sweep away that pitiful monstrosity.”

Rumble—! Boom—! Flash—!

At Ulta’s words, lightning struck from the heavens.

It landed on the horn of the Pegasus he rode.

Bzzzzt—!

The Pegasus’s body glowed golden.

‘As expected…’

Leo was in awe.

‘A monster.’

It wasn’t only because Pegasus was one of the strongest spirit beasts.

It was Ulta’s bottomless spiritual power.

Flash—! Kwagagagagang—!

A storm of lightning raged.

With a single strike, the Death Slime was annihilated without a trace.

The demonic summoner, retreating quickly to the lakeshore, shouted:

“Interesting! Then how about this!”

“Hah? You think you’ll still find it interesting even when you’re dead?”

A chilling voice spoke beside Leo.

Yura had arrived.

“How dare you make a chimera out of a phantom beast?”

Fwoooosh—!

As Yura roused her spiritual power, a massive summoning circle spread across the ground.

Seeing it cover the entire area, the demonic summoner hastily summoned another monster.

“Come forth, Cyclops.”

Groooar!

A giant one-eyed monster appeared.

Over 4 meters tall, it was one of the fearsome monsters infamous on the Tartaros frontlines.

“Hahaha! No matter what you summon, my Cyclops won’t be easy to deal with, Professor Yura! What phantom beast did you call?”

Crackle.

From the summoning circle, a rat poked its head out.

["All that massive summoning circle just to summon a single rat?"]

Kiran looked dumbfounded, but Leo instantly recognized it.

“Devour Rat.”

The most ferocious phantom beast he knew.

“Oh ho? As expected of the Summoning Department’s honor student! You recognized it right away?”

“I’m not even in the Summoning Department.”

“You brat!”

Yura headlocked Leo.

Crackle— Crackle— Squeak squeak squeak squeak—!

A countless number of Devour Rats began pouring out at terrifying speed.

“Leave not even bones behind—devour it all!”

At Yura’s command, the rats swarmed the Cyclops.

Groooar!

Even the Cyclops, one of the most fearsome monster, screamed.

The rats viciously tore at its flesh.

“Ghhk!”

The swarm climbed up its body and lunged toward the demonic summoner.

In a panic, he pulled out a teleport scroll.

“Not so fast.”

Ulta assumed a spear-throwing stance.

Crackle—!

Pegasus’s lightning swirled in his hand.

Fwoooosh—!

“Kuaaaagh!”

A lightning spear pierced the demonic summoner.

Even as he screamed, he barely managed to tear the scroll.

“Escaped?”

Ulta clicked his tongue and flew over to Leo and Yura.

The Cyclops vanished with the canceled summoning, and at Yura’s command, the Devour Rats returned to where they came from.

“Well then.”

Yura glared at Leo.

“You brat! Why did you enter the restricted zone?”

Everywhere else was fine, but the restricted area had been off-limits.

“Because of Fiora.”

“Fiora?”

Yura looked at the phoenix perched on Leo’s head.

“Peep.”

“How could she be so small yet dignified! Fine! If Fiora wanted it, then there’s no helping it!”

As Yura forgave him so easily, Ulta spoke in a colder tone than before.

“Professor Yura. To forgive a student for breaking rules for such a reason?”

Ulta looked at Leo with icy eyes.

“Trying to sell out your contracted phantom beast to escape danger? Shame on you, Leo Plov.”

This time, Ulta’s presence as a fifth-year was undeniable.

“Speak the truth. Why did you really break the rules?”

Leo sighed, then added a lie to the truth.

“Because Fiora really wanted to eat the magic stones.”

“For such a trivial reason?”

“Yes.”

In truth, Fiora had devoured magic stones for two days straight.

Ulta placed a hand on Leo’s shoulder, face full of dignity.

“Leo, you truly cherish your phantom beast. This senior is moved. For a phantom beast, rules are nothing. This time, I’ll forgive you specially.”

He even raised his thumb, and Leo let out a hollow laugh.

['Leo.']

‘What.’

['Are all Lumene summoners idiots?']

Kiran, who had hidden his body, asked in a serious voice.

Remembering the Summoning Department students, Leo looked pitying.

‘Still, they’re the most respected professor and senior…’

“Well, enough jokes for now.”

Yura crossed her arms.

“Leo. What was the demonic summoner doing here?”

With her tone serious, Leo answered.

“He was after magic stones.”

“Magic stones? He invaded Lumene just for that?”

Though valuable, breaking in just to steal them was absurd.

Leo spoke gravely.

“Maybe he was trying to corrupt them.”

“Corrupt the magic stones?”

“Yes. Expecting phantom beasts to eat them.”

“……!”

Yura’s face stiffened.

“Come to think of it, he did make a chimera out of a phantom beast.”

A phantom beast that ate dark mana-corrupted stones would either die or fall into becoming a monster.

“This is more serious than I thought.”

If phantom beasts of the Forest of Spirits ate corrupted stones, the consequences would be dire.

Especially since the forest was home to phantom beasts belonging to Lumene summoners.

It could mean losing a massive fighting force.

“I must report to the principal. Ulta! Watch over the kids until I return!”

Yura summoned her black wyvern and quickly flew off.

Leo narrowed his eyes at the spot where the demonic summoner had stood.

‘As expected, there’s a traitor among Lumene’s leadership.’

The timing—just when Fyrina was absent.

It couldn’t be coincidence.

“By the way, Leo. I didn’t know you were a Phoenix’s contractor. And also…”

Ulta looked at the empty air.

But in that space was Kiran.

“So that’s how it is.”

Ulta smiled knowingly, but asked no further.

Just then, Pegasus approached him.

Its size was smaller compared to the earlier battle.

‘So it wasn’t an adult form.’

The form before had been Ulta drawing out its potential.

The Pegasus with pure-white wings hid behind Ulta and peered at Leo.

“Your Pegasus, sunbae?”

“Yes! Aeria! Won’t you introduce yourself to Leo?”

But even at Ulta’s words, Aeria only stared at Leo.

After a moment, she carefully approached.

“I’m Aeria. Nice to meet you, Phoenix’s contractor.”

‘Pegasus.’

In Kyle’s era, the contracted spirit beast had been Pegasus.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Leo Plov.”

Leo smiled and stroked her head.

Aeria flinched at his touch.

“Leo. Pegasus dislikes strangers touching them, so you shouldn’t touch her ras—hm?”

Though she first resisted, Aeria soon leaned into his hand, as if enjoying it.

Even rubbing her neck against him, asking to be stroked more.

“Oh? Leo, have you handled Pegasus before?”

“No.”

Leo smiled while rubbing where she liked.

‘This brings back memories.’

He thought of his past-life contractor and smiled.

“Aeria is usually shy, but seeing her warmed up so quickly makes my heart warms. But Leo…”

Ulta’s satisfied expression turned serious.

“You clearly have impressive skill. Beyond a first-year’s level. But this matter is too big for you to be involved in.”

He patted Leo’s shoulder.

“Though it concerned you, please leave this matter to the professors.”

“Yes.”

“For now, let’s return to the island’s east side.”

As he followed Ulta, Leo glanced at the lakeside.

‘If that guy was Lumene’s traitor…’

Leo narrowed his eyes, recalling the sorcerer’s skill.

‘The odds are high it’s not a student, but a professor.’