“I’m starting to regret this now...” Hazel grumbled.
“No backing out now,” Astrid told her. “That dress is our best chance at making this summoning circle work. So, suck it up.”
The novice mage expelled a groan before she emerged from a room that she used to change her clothes. Instead of wearing her Mage robe that she first obtained after selecting the Mage Class, she was now sporting the Arcane dress, which gave her a complete change in appearance and aura.
She no longer gave off the appearance of some shoddy Mage from a village or cave but an elegant and powerful sorceress to which even the word divine could not properly characterize her majestic form.
The moment she finally showed herself, Astrid stared at the mage with widened eyes.
Hazel noticed her gaze and scowled. “Got something you want to say, Astrid?”
“You...honestly look good in that dress,” The dark elf admitted as her wonderous gaze shifted into a frown. “Frustratingly so...”
“I want to go back to my magic robe...” She whined while shifting around uncomfortably, struggling to properly move. “It’s difficult to move in this thing...”
Despite looking like an elegant sorceress who held great power, her entire appearance clashed with her normal personality. To the point where people would possibly get whiplash from their expectations of her to their reality.
“You’ll get used to it,” Astrid said with a scoff, no longer enchanted by the mage’s divine-like presence. “Anyway, now that you have the dress on, are the effects active now?”
In response to Astrid’s question, she quickly pulled up her status window.
Status Window
Name: Hazel Thatcher
Race: Human
Level: 14
Class: Mage
Free Points: 0
Attributes:
Strength: 7
Agility: 16
Endurance: 20
Intelligence: 32 (+33)
Wisdom: 30 (+18)
Willpower: 12 (+10)
“Nice,” She grinned. “I met the requirements for the Summoning ritual. Now I can finally get my hands on a Familiar.”
Thanks to this dress, she received a significant boost in mana thanks to her Intelligence Stat being over sixty points. She could practically feel her mana pulsing inside of her, feeling her with energy.
And now that her Willpower Attribute was over fifteen points, she could finally use the summoning circle without any more issues. Now all that was left was to head over to the chamber and get the show on the road.
Hazel and Astrid then strolled over to the summoning chamber before stopping in front of the magic circle. Feeling eager, Hazel kneeled and placed her hand on the circle.
“You ready to have a new ally with us, Astrid?” She asked, grinning.
Astrid firmly nodded. “Definitely.”
Knowing that both of them were on the same page, Hazel quickly poured her mana into the circle like before. The white chalk soon emitted a glowing purple light as the same panel.
[Would you like to begin the Summoning Ritual? Y/N]
“Yes,” Hazel said confidently.
[The Summoning Ritual will now commence!]
[Analyzing Player to determine which Familiars are best suited to form a contract!]
[Analysis Complete!]
[Several beings have been selected to participate in the Summoning Ritual! Please choose one of the following to form a contract with!]
Type: Demon
Level 1
A demon from the shadow realm. They bear the appearance of a regular house cat but are completely shrouded in darkness. Due to their affinity with it, their main abilities are blending in with the shadows and acting as spies to gather information for their masters.
Type: Demon
Level 1
A small, winged, devil-like monster that is known for being mischievous and Evil creatures. They are deceptive and devious monsters, able to change into any form they wish, and can use a variety of dark magic depending on the Imp.
Type: Fey
Level 1
They are warrior fairies the size of a butterfly. Sprites are known for being honorable and war-bound creatures, always ready for a fight. They can use various weapons from swords, daggers, and bows while also being expert potion makers from sleeping potions and poison.
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Type: Demon
Level 1
Ferocious beasts from the depths of hell. They are capable of breathing fire and are loyal familiars who will follow any command given by the master.
Type: Demon
Level 1
Cunning Giant Bat monsters that are demonic kin to the Vampire Race. Much like vampires, they drink the blood of their victims while also capable of consuming regular food, and are vicious predators that can tear through their enemies with relative ease. They are also extremely durable, making them difficult to take down along with their ability to fly.
Type: Elemental
Level 1
Variants of the Water Elementals. They are sinister elementals that are completely comprised of crimson blood. Blood Elementals are merciless beings that can shoot scarlet projectiles at their enemies and soak up their victims' blood to strengthen themselves.
“Whoa…” Hazel muttered, wide-eyed at what she was seeing. “These are some solid options for me.
It appeared that the majority of her options for familiars appeared to be Demons and only a single Fey and Elemental. Despite that, Hazel was very interested in what she was given.
She turned around to face Astrid, who cocked an eyebrow curiously.
“What’s up?” She asked.
“I’ve been given some options on what kind of Familiar that I want. Any suggestions?”
Although the Familiar would be bound to Hazel, she at least wanted to hear out Astrid in case she had any advice to give regarding her choices. For instance, would the dark elf hate it if she summoned a demon by any chance?
Astrid shrugged her shoulders. “You’re the one choosing the familiar, Hazel. It’s honestly up to you. The only thing I can say is try and pick one that can act as a Vanguard for us.”
“That seems fair,” The mage nodded.
Since both Hazel and Astrid had rearguard classes, they currently needed a fighter to assist them in battle. Which meant Hazel already knew which Familiars to ignore.
The Shadow Cat appeared to be mainly used for surveillance and spying while dealing in sneak attacks when necessary. This was basically a rogue. Besides, they were mainly information gatherers rather than frontline assaulters, so the first familiar was out.
As for the Imp, Hazel wasn’t very keen on choosing this one either. Especially since the description emphasized their deceptive and mischievous nature. She needed a familiar that was absolutely loyal to her and didn’t have any ulterior motives.
She thought about the Sprite, but the biggest issue with this one was their size. They’re as big as butterflies? Hazel needed a familiar that was a lot bigger than a bug.
Now the Hellhound seemed promising. Not only could they breathe fire, but the description said that they were loyal companions as well, which essentially made them like dogs in a sense. Hazel never had a dog before, so she was tempted to choose this.
But before she made a decision, it would be best to see all of her options, which left her with the last two.
The Nightwing Bat seemed just as promising as the Hellhound, but what honestly appealed to her more was the durability of this creature. That and the fact that it could also fly. Considering the type of dungeon Hazel and Astrid were in, they could cover a lot of ground with the Nightwing flying them around the place.
Lastly was the blood elemental, but Hazel knew that this familiar wouldn’t work out. Since it was a creature made of blood, it would also need blood to survive and maintain its form, and the only blood available would be Astrid and Hazel, since the Fractured monsters were nothing more than hollow husks that burst into purple fragments upon death.
Putting aside the Elemental, Hazel was left with only two options, the Hellhound and the Nightwing. Both were capable of being vanguards and both had their traits that she was interested in.
But, between the two, Hazel was leaning toward the Nightwing. Mainly because this familiar provided more benefits for her. Mainly its flight and durability. Since Hazel needed a vanguard, she essentially required a tank that took damage without issue.
Then there was the fact that it could fly, allowing them to reach other islands faster and not worry about jumping on the floating rocks leading to another one. Those benefits alone made the Nightwing more desirable.
Which meant her decision had been made.
[You have chosen “Nightwing Bat” as your first familiar!]
[You have formed a Summoning Contract with the Nightwing Bat! The contract has been engraved into your soul, establishing a connection between you and your first familiar. You are now able to summon or unsummon your familiar at will.]
[Upon Death, your familiar is capable of being revived through the Rite of Resurrection by way of a summoning circle. Please note that reviving your familiar will come at a cost and will weaken them, taking away a certain number of levels and stats in exchange.]
Hazel suddenly kneeled on the ground as her chest burned intensely. Her hand pressed against her ribs, as the burning sensation got stronger, practically turning into an inferno inside her body.
“H-Hazel…!” Astrid kneeled by her side, looking concerned.
The mage took in a breath, intensifying the blazing heat within her. Seconds later, it began to fade away, which was a relief for Hazel because of how unpleasant it was.
As soon as the burning feeling in her chest vanished, the purple light from the summoning circle got brighter. So bright, that the entire chamber was filled with a purple light. Hazel and Astrid were forced to close their eyes to prevent themselves from going blind.
A few moments passed, and the violet illumination faded away, revealing something in the center of the circle.
It was a large humanoid monster with the appearance of a bat. It stood well over ten feet tall, forcing the creature to crouch under the chamber to be able to fit. It was covered in fur and its arms had wings sprouting on them as its three finger clawed hands dug into the wooden blanks. On its head were two sets of ears, likely enhancing its sense of hearing.
Revealing itself before Hazel, the Nightwing raised its head as its eyes shot open, showing that they were completely red like blood as it stared at its master.
Hazel stared back, not out of fear but actually curiosity. The Nightwing twitched its head to the side, keeping its crimson eyes trained on the mage.
It then lowered its head and further prostrated its body before Hazel.
“I…greet…my master…” The Nightwing said in a high-pitched yet guttural voice. “Thank you…for…summoning me…”
As the Nightwing introduced itself to Hazel, she and Astrid continued to stare at their new companion with a mixture of expressions ranging from fear, to caution…and excitement.