Soul orbs, also known as summoning orbs, opened the doors to another form of summoning known as orb summoning. Whereas summoning cards were relatively cheap depending on the quality, every soul orb was expensive. They were the privilege of the rich or those at the higher ranks. Zachary had only studied the theory of it in school and never actually used one before.

He looked at the orb and then at the wolf. It was about the size of a large dog. With Onkie sitting on its wounded chest, it could only let out painful pants. A wolf with no special attributes wasn’t his preference for a summon but he didn’t have any other choice. One more summon was one more way to protect himself. He also didn't want to fall behind Aaron and his group.

He took out his knife and made a cut on his arm. He let the blood drip onto the crystal fruit. A small hole appeared on the clear surface where the first drop hit it. This allowed the subsequent drops to mix with the nectar inside.

He didn't ask Katherine to do this for him. He wasn’t sure if his soul wound would cause the same problem with summoning orbs as summoning cards. However, he had to do this because it would take too long otherwise. Soul bonds formed by soul orbs were far stronger. The texts mentioned that it could take from anywhere several hours to several days to wipe away another person's soul imprint. With the wolf pack besieging the land bridge, they didn't have that kind of time.

Once enough blood entered the soul orb, a change occurred. The liquid within the orb was still as clear as ever. However, the amount of Eternum it contained was far greater, with far more intensity. Holding it in his hand, it was as if the orb was humming with power.

“Onkie, hold it still.” He said.

"Onk!"

Zachary also went over and placed his knee on the wolf's neck, so that it couldn't rear up suddenly and take a bite out of his hand.

With the beast immobilized, he tilted the orb above its open mouth, letting the liquid slowly pour out like water. The beast didn’t move, merely gazing up at him with eyes that still contained a trace of ferocity.

Once he had poured all the liquid out of the orb, he stood up and patiently waited. It didn’t take long for the mysterious effects to take hold. Even the foremost experts of the summoning world couldn't explain it. This was the power of the pinecitta tree.

The wolf’s body trembled as if it was struggling against an invisible foe. It kicked its legs and snapped at the empty air. It was even able to shake off Onkie, sending the pig rolling away.

“Wooo!”

As it howled, Eternum surged from where it stood. When the energy ebbed away, its blue eyes bored into Zachary’s for a moment. It then turned into a streak of light and entered the orb, depositing a white crystal inside.

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Zachary let out a long breath. Thankfully, it was a successful capture, on the first attempt no less. Thinking about it, this was one of the benefits of summoning orbs over summoning cards. Although these orbs could not be reused, they provided a much greater chance of capture. The nectar of each orb, when combined with blood, was like a drug that dulled the senses and caused confusion. It was described as similar making the Ensouled drunk enough so that it would accept the soul bond without too much struggle. In this way, it was even possible to capture an Ensouled that was stronger and had more soul paths than the summoner.

The advantages didn’t end there. A summon that resided in an orb had a much stronger bond with its summoner. The most prominent effect of this was that it was much easier to nurture a summon inside an orb. The transfer of Eternum and utilization of anima crystals were far more efficient, at least twice as much. Due to this increase in efficiency, it also took less time to heal from injuries.

Additionally, because of the stronger bond, the summons could exist outside their orbs for a far longer period. And it wasn’t even close. Where a card summon could last only one or two fights before it had to rest, an orb summon could accompany their summoner for an entire morning without too much effort. If pushed to the limit, they could last half a day.

“How is it?” Katherine asked, peering excitedly at the orb in his hand.

“Good,” Zachary replied simply.

“Well? Don’t be stingy, take it out and show me!”

He raised the orb and looked into it. An anima crystal was suspended in the middle. Even when he swung the orb vigorously, the crystal wouldn’t budge, not even by a hair. The hole he had caused with his blood had been sealed and the surface was perfectly smooth as if the anima crystal had always existed within.

He extended his soul sense and connected with the wolf. The beast was calm but it was very weak. He realized only now that the spear had pierced a lung. It would take a little while longer before it could fight again.

However…

His serious face turned slowly into a smile as he discovered something else about the beast, something he should have already considered. This was an Ensouled of the New World. Even an ordinary looking one was special in some way.

“Very good, I’ll name you Sable.” He spoke softly to the orb.

“Sable? Is it a boy or a girl?” Katherine asked.

“It’s injured. I can’t bring it out yet. However, I can do something else.”

Zachary shifted the orb to his left hand and brought out a summoning card with his right. A flash of light later and Hammer appeared before him. It clacked its claws loudly, still missing three legs but eager for a fight. He pointed his left hand and the orb in the direction of Hammer and Onkie, concentrating on the wolf and the connection he had with it.

His soul sea swirled as the bond materialized. With great concentration and patience, he guided the flow of Eternum from his soul sea, through his arm, and into the soul orb.

“Sable, I know you are hurt. I just need to borrow a little of your power.”

The orb glowed white, becoming brighter and brighter. There was a sense of eagerness but also reluctance. After all, Sable had been a wild beast only recently. It didn’t want to listen. It still wasn’t able to adjust to its new situation.

Zachary sensed all of this. He eased his own strength and spoke through their bond, “You can do it. I will support you every step of the way.”

He sensed more than heard a soft bark.

The soul orb glowed again and this time it didn’t dim.

“Good. Let’s do it. Ability summon… pack bond!”

“Aaah-ooooh!”