North of the grove rested a slight dip in the landscape. Nestled in that depression was a stream, cutting through the forest with frigid water. Ethan had learned how cold it was, after disrobing and jumping into a deeper section. Shivering from the sudden plunge, he worked his way to the edge while voicing as many curses as he could muster. At least the water near the edge was warmer. Near a break in the trees where the sun could shine down.

“People used to do laundry in rivers,” he assured himself. “I can figure it out.”

But with nothing to clean his clothes, and no way to dry them, that seemed like an impossible task. Instead, he settled on cleaning himself the best he could. His Aquarium Warehouse Bonanza polo was stained with mud and streaked with green vegetation. His khakis had fared far worse, riddled with holes near the line of his boot where thorny bushes had stolen patches of cloth.

While the seclusion of the forest was welcome, there were things he couldn’t do on his own. His plan to remain near the temple forever gave way to the reality of needs. As Ethan stood in the sun, outside of the stream in an attempt to dry, he reflected on his situation. How long could one man survive on pears? The distinct paunch of his belly promised reserves, but that didn’t make him feel any better.

But the trip beyond the grove, past where he’d killed the [Dig Deer] showed him the variety of life within the forest. There had been mole-like creatures in a field. When he focused his intent on them, they provided no system information. They were just regular moles, which meant there was more to the fauna than just monsters. The further he got from the temple, the higher the level of monsters. He spotted another deer on the far side of the stream that was level 3.

This proved his theory about Luca’s temple enough for him, giving him a chance to figure his core out. Figure out how to use the class to survive in a world of monsters. The first thing to do was abuse the sanctity of the temple. Slipping his clothes back on, finding it difficult to pull his boots over his wet feet, he trudged back to the pyramid. He then worked in a circle around the surrounding area, making notes of the landscape as he hunted for low-level [Dig Deer].

The terrain rose to the west, ending far in the distance with crags of jagged mountains. There were lower mountains to the south, ones that barely poked above the line of endless trees. On the western side of the temple, near a stretch of prairie without trees, Ethan spotted a deer doing its thing. True to the system description, the creature used its strange horns to dig in the earth. This one was excavating a section, thrusting its entire head to remove large swathes of dirt.

Ethan channeled his [Summon Lucantele] spell from a distance, hiding behind a copse. The silver squirrel sprung from his circle, spinning on the spot and chittering with excitement. The Caller hoisted his new staff and nodded to his companion. Luca snaked his way through the underbrush, moving with decent silence despite the conditions. At the signal, the creature burst from the line of green.

The [Dig Deer] was another level 1 example, and shrieked in terror when fangs dug into its neck. Ethan burst from his hiding spot, shouting a war cry as he trundled across the open field. The arc of the staff connected with the deer’s skull, sending it tumbling to the side. But Luca didn’t let him, tearing into the creature with glee. Unlike their first fight, the level 1 deer feel without incident. The Caller gained 25% experience for his efforts, a number that would drop after he leveled.

The pair repeated the process, Ethan dismissing Luca and resting when he was out of mana. Clobbering another helpless deer saw another system message pop into his vision.

[Ethan Stout] has defeated the [Dig Deer]!

[Ethan Stout’s] [Caller’s Core] gained 25% experience.

[Lucantele] gained 15% bond experience.

[Ethan Stout] has leveled! Ding! Level 2!

[Ethan Stout] gained 1 free point.

“Free what?” Ethan asked, sitting on the uncomfortable forest floor. He inspected his interface, finding his attributes screen to be slightly different. Under his stats, there was now a notification. This required thought. He gained a point, which he could apply to any of his attributes.

The first thing he thought of was to place the point in something like [Strength]. A score of 1 didn’t seem good, but bashing stuff wasn’t his primary tactic. While he poked around, the Caller found that if he focused on the attributes, a small system window popped up explaining them. He read through them all.

[Strength]

Determines your ability to inflict damage.

While [Strength] influences how physically strong you are, its primary function is to increase your melee damage.

Gaining high enough [Strength] will help you overcome the [Defense] attribute.

[Strength] is additive to your physical strength.

So a low [Strength] score didn’t mean Ethan was weak as a baby. According to the description, it was an additive effect. Still, it wouldn’t be useful to him. Bonking things was great, but he didn’t see himself doing that once he understood the strategy of [Caller] better.

[Vigor]

Determines your ability to take damage.

While [Vigor] influences your resistance to diseases, its primary function is to mitigate incoming damage and increase your health pool.

Increases your health.

Decreases the amount of incoming damage.

Gaining high enough [Vigor] will add to your [Defense].

[Vigor] was an interesting one. On the surface, he could see this being useful. He hadn’t taken a hit yet, Luca had done a great job of keeping the monsters’ attention, but now didn’t seem like the best time to put his only point in.

[Agility]

Determines how agile you are.

[Agility] influences reaction speed to a lesser degree.

[Agility] increases the speed at which your body moves.

[Agility] was the most useless attribute for him. Going with the idea that he’d stay behind Luca, maybe moving fast was good. But that theory fell away when he was faced with the perpetuation cost of the summon. He moved on to the stat he was most likely to put points in.

[Mind]

Determines how deep your connection to mana is.

[Mind] directly increases the amount of mana you have.

As a [Caller], your [Mana Regen] is increased based on your [Mind].

Increases the likelihood you’ll resist incoming spells.

Increases the amount of healing done with healing spells.

Ethan knew he was going to put points into [Mind]. There was a bonus in taking the stat from his [Caller’s Core]. The way Luca talked about [Mana Regen], it must have been important. It was also already his highest attribute, so that gave him a leg-up.

[Affinity]

Determines your spell damage.

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[Affinity] adds to raw damage of spellcasting.

Decreases the chance of spell-interruption based on total [Affinity].

Decreases the chance that a spell will be resisted by a target.

Ethan thought about this one for a long time. He currently had no means of casting spells. But if casting spells meant staying behind Luca, that would be an interesting strategy to pursue. In the end, he put the free point into [Mind] before checking his attribute sheet.

[Ethan Stout]

Outworlder Human

Caller

Rank 0

Level 2

Health

54

Mana

145

Strength

1

Vigor

2

Agility

3

Mind

9

Affinity

5

Health Regen

5

Mana Regen

9.5

Per attribute point, that [Mana Regen] was going to shoot up quickly. For every point of [Mind] he took, he gained a half-point of [Mana Regen]. But he had other questions about the way this system worked. Ethan recalled gear in video games, stuff that could enhance attributes even further. And how did the Rank system work? Could he get even more stuff once he ranked up? There were many questions around how the ranks worked, and the little empty core slot in his core screen was tempting.

With a deep breath, he stood. It was time to upgrade from killing level 1 deer, to level 2 deer. Perhaps even level 3. But without another attack or ability on Luca, anything higher than that seemed like certain death. With no time-limit on his adventure, he decided to take it easy. Kill some deer and relax.

Ethan skipped over a group of two level 1 [Dig Deer], considering his strategy as he went. As much as he wanted to get into the action of fighting with the Symbol of Luca, he knew he should hold back. The summoned creature wouldn’t actually die, and there was testing to be done on how that worked. Finding a single level 1 deer, he summoned Luca and ordered him to attack.

A smaller health bar appeared above his own, representing the Symbol’s health. Luca had taken a vicious hit from the shovel-like scoop of the deer. The silver squirrel went flying, tumbling on the ground before righting itself. Unlike Ethan and the monsters, he didn’t seem to experience pain. A few more hits got him down to half health, but then an ordered [Claw] attack brought the monster into the [Stunned] state. It was easy enough for the Symbol to eviscerate the deer after that.

Ethan dismissed Luca, allowing his mana to regenerate on its own while he searched again. He traveled further north, past the grove of pears and the stream, before finding a clearing in the forest. Rustling leaves caught his attention on the far end. A creature, barely coming up to his knees, trundled from the overgrowth. It was a mix of mud-brown with flashes of black and white through its thorn-like fur. With a narrow face and beady eyes, the creature dug small holes in the ground. Searching for food, no doubt. The Caller focused his intent, inspecting the monster.

[Thorn Badger]

Monster

Rank 0

Level 2

Description:

Notable for their thorn-covered coat, [Thorn Badgers] subsist on grubs but are opportunistic hunters.

“Level 2,” Ethan said, starting to channel his spell.

In moments, Luca burst from the silver circle. Ethan issued the order to attack, holding back and watching from afar. The first strike brought by the Symbol saw the health bar pop up. While he was restored to full health, that single swipe of a clawed paw reflected some damage back.

Ethan nodded to himself. “Thorns. Makes sense.”

Issuing the [Claw] command, the Caller observed the battle. He fought the urge to get in there and beat the badger senseless with his staff. That was the key to making the [Caller] class work. Luca would regenerate to full health at the end of the battle, once resummoned. Ethan didn’t need to tire himself by getting involved, only offering the constant flow of mana to shift the course of battle.

Luca jumped, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws of the badger. He scurried along the ground, nipping at the creature’s side until the monster was worn down. Each small bite was taking a portion of the monster’s health away. It ended when the Symbol had a quarter of its health left, although none of those wounds showed on its body. Ethan pricked his finger on the badger's coat when he went in to investigate. If there was anything useful from the monsters, he couldn’t find it. He wasn’t at the stage of survival where he felt the need to cut them open.

Ethan worked a tight semi-circle around the northern area of the forest. He found more [Thorn Badgers] and several [Dig Deers] that brought him to level 3. His bond with Luca had risen to level 4. The Caller dumped his free point into [Mind] again, bringing him to 10. The Great Spirit’s Symbol gained no bonuses, but he was looking forward to it. Anything to give him the edge over the monsters of the forest.

The sun was high in the sky by the time he returned to the temple. It was as close to noon, and lunch, as anything. The moment Ethan stepped foot in the temple, the real version of Lucantele sprung from nowhere. The squirrel had a mischievous look on its face, even as the Caller made his way to the second floor. Clawed feet padded behind him, wordlessly pursuing him to lunch.

“You’re having fun,” Luca said, watching as juice dribbled down Ethan’s chin.

The Caller held out a pear, offering it to the Great Spirit. “Hungry?’

“Not for food,” Luca said, curling up into a tight ball on the ground. Those silver eyes just watched. “You’re starting to understand how your powers work.”

“I’m getting there. It was hard to just let your Symbol take the hits,” Ethan said.

“With your attribute scores, you need to make sure my Symbol is between you and danger,” Luca said.

Ethan took another big bite of the pear. It filled him up more than he’d care to admit, but that hunger for junk food still lingered in his mind. “My weakness is summoning. The time it takes to cast the spell.”

“You’ll gain upgrades as you level,” Luca said. “Some passive, some active.”

“Alright. Hey, since you’re in a talking mood I have a few questions,” Ethan said.

“I’m listening.”

“First question. When do I get upgrades?” Ethan asked.

“Almost a good question. I’ll answer with some additional information. Upgrades can provide you with new active abilities, new passive abilities, or upgrades to current abilities. You gain them every five levels, and you ascend to a new rank every 10 levels.”

“Anything special about the ranks?”

“They represent a jump in power. You can only ascend after a ritual. Which costs items,” Luca said, refusing to move from his spot on the ground. “The rituals aren’t free, either.”

“Cool, cool,” Ethan said, biting into his pear again. He chewed enough to speak. “Does your Symbol get new abilities?”

“Yes. On the same scheme as you,” Luca said. “It should level faster at first, but you’re expected to have more than one Symbol. Callers are known for their pilgrimages.”

Ethan grumbled as a stream of red pear juice stained his shirt. His only shirt. “There are other people, right? I need some new clothes.”

“You’ll want to leave the temple, heading northeast for that. To the city of Oudsted.”

“Well, sounds like there’s a lot of work to do. Are you holding anything from me? Maybe a quest that you’re not willing to share yet?”

Luca shifted uncomfortably on the spot, spinning to form a more solid ball. “I have nothing to share. Until you’ve proven yourself.”

“How do I do that?”

“Go to Oudsted. Meet with the Great Spirit there. Win his favor, then return to me,” Luca said. “You’ll understand the importance of the Great Spirits then. And we can discuss things as though you were a true Caller.”

Luca didn’t give Ethan a chance to follow up. The Great Spirit vanished on the spot, leaving only questions in his wake. But the schemes of spirits did little to diminish his appetite. He downed a few more pears before resting on the hard temple floor. The last question he had, the one that had gone unanswered, was about advancement. How fast should he expect to level up compared to others?

That was a question other people could answer, but it brought with it more problems. Running out into the wide world at a low-level seemed counterproductive. Ethan intended to take advantage of the temple for as long as he could, staying there and gaining power before meeting with other humans. Assuming all the people in this world were humans, anyway. He’d been talking to a magic squirrel, so there was nothing saying everyone would be like him.

The pears settled in Ethan’s stomach, leaving him feeling sated but not over-full. He made his way out, intending to make the most of the day by grinding experience. Working a circle around the northern area beyond the stream, he found what he was looking for. A level 3 [Dig Deer] stood in a field, head raised as though alerted. The Caller cast his [Summon Lucantele] spell and gave a silent order. The silver squirrel advanced, bounding over the landscape with abandon.

Compared to a level 1 sample, the level 3 [Dig Deer] was marginally faster. It was also slightly larger, with a more pronounced shovel. The differences were completely minor, though. Luca started the fight with his standard tactic of jumping through the air and latching onto the monster’s neck. The creature threw its head back, letting out a strange bellow that filled the open field.

Ethan stood near the forest’s edge, holding his staff tightly and watching. He imagined scenarios where he could help the fight go better, but for now he wanted to stay back. The deer gained an advantage momentarily by scooping the squirrel up and tossing it. Luca hit a tree with a dull thud, sliding to the ground with something close to a whimper. The Caller ordered him to head straight back in, opening with a [Claw] attack to the deer’s face, then playing it safe by retreating.

Luca jumped, then used his [Claw] ability. A ragged gash formed on the deer’s face, applying the [Stunned] effect and forcing it to bellow yet again. Something echoed in the distance, perhaps a call of sympathy, but Ethan focused on the fight. He sent orders to the battling Symbol, helping him weave through the monster’s defenses. Being so low to the ground made it hard for the Symbol to gauge weak points of attack. But with his master’s instructions, they wove a whittling battle of errant bites and running slashes.

Things were going well, even if the monster was closer to an even match this time. Until the sound of bending branches and rustled foliage came from the far side of the clearing. Ethan spotted the monster before it broke through, his breath catching in his throat. With intent, he inspected the approaching deer.

[Dig Deer]

Rank 0

Level 5