Ethan panicked as the level 5 deer approached the fray. It put its face-scoop down, intent on flipping Luca away from the battle. The Caller ordered the Symbol away, narrowly removing his summon from danger. If his [Summon Lucantele] spell was five seconds, it wouldn’t be enough time for him to dismiss the spirit and bring a healthy version out. Then there was the problem of his dwindling mana supply. He only regenerated 5 mana per 5 seconds in combat, resulting in a drain of 9 mana per cycle.
The margins were thin on this one. Even if he could get the lower-level deer down, there was the higher one to deal with. Ethan wasn’t certain he could flee from the scene either. Something about the way the level 5 [Dig Deer] moved said that it was fast. And angry. A plan formed in the Caller’s mind in an instant. Something that would work, if only by a razor’s edge.
“Far side of the clearing, Luca!” Ethan shouted, unable to keep the command within his mind.
The Symbol of Luca didn’t hesitate. The creature scampered off, only pursued by the larger of the deer. The first one was near-death. Ethan would be surprised if it had more than 10 health points by now. He counted the seconds it took the deer to catch up with the spirit, then ordered Luca to fight to the death before running another three seconds into the forest behind him.
Ethan couldn’t see the battle between the [Dig Deer] and Luca, only sensing the fight and watching as the little squirrel’s health bar dwindled. If the low-level deer had pursued him, nothing about this plan would work. Suddenly, the spirit’s health hit 0. The Caller channeled [Summon Lucantele] without hesitation, watching as his mana was halved. He issued an order to attack the larger deer, sprinted through the forest with his summon, then held his staff high in the clearing.
One resounding clang of a bell echoed through the forest. Luca grew twice his normal size as the [Spur] ability took effect. Instead of careful pounces, the spirit now moved like a hunting jaguar. But Ethan’s mind was focused on his half of the plan. The low-level deer was wounded, not dead. He approached it, instantly regretting the closeness of his position. With a sweeping motion, the deer gored the ground with its shovel. Swiping through the air, the Caller took a hit of antler and dirt to the chest, sending him tumbling backwards.
Luca engaged with the higher-level deer, dancing around it as the time on the [Spur] ability ground down. The [Dig Deer] let out a grunt as two little fangs sunk into its neck. Claws gored at the side of the monster, raking away flesh and diminishing the creature’s health. Ethan rose to his feet and held his staff like a spear, ready to jab at the dying deer.
“I’m not a fighter,” Ethan said, ready to thrust.
The deer grunted back. It was once again brought to his attention how strange it was to see a lack of gore. Luca had torn the creature up, yet the blood that wept from the wounds was minimal. That made him feel better when he thrust his staff, bonking the monster in the head. Like an expert fencer, the deer swiveled its head in an attempted parry. But the Caller maintained control of his staff, swinging it around in a wide motion to come back down on the monster’s head.
Luca was faring much better against the high-level [Dig Deer]. He danced around his opponent, [Spur] only fading after Ethan had beaten his foe to death. The Caller wanted to feel bad about it, but these deer were nasty. As the spirit shrunk, [Spur] expiring completely, he turned his attention to the larger deer. What it lacked in offense, it made up for in sheer toughness.
“Back off,” Ethan shouted, watching as Luca almost took shovel-antlers to the face. His mana was dwindling with every passing moment. Another battle took place between the perpetuation cost of Luca, and his halved [Mana Regen].
When the deer charged for Luca, Ethan came in hard on the side. He put his entire body weight into the strike, swinging it like a baseball bat to connect to the monster’s side. Tumbling on the spot, the deer lost his footing. Luca and Ethan descended on the creature, the spirit doing so without orders. The Caller bashed away with his staff as Luca tore with claws and fangs until the monster stopped moving.
Drawing heavy breaths, Ethan watched as his companion vanished. His gaze dragged over to his health and mana. He’d lost half his total health, and all of his mana. Then a system message crowded his vision.
The [Dig Deer] was concealing a class-specific treasure chest!
From the sky, an iron-banded wooden chest fell with a resounding thud. Ethan almost ran from the spot, if not for the system message informing him it was a good thing.
“It’s a good thing, right?” Ethan asked, remembering those old games. They always had creatures that pretended to be treasure chests. But the system wouldn’t lie to him, would it? Dropping a mimic instead of a reward seemed like a cruel thing.
Staying as cautious as ever, Ethan waited until his mana reached 100 before continuing. It was a chance to study the effects of health and his body. He noted that as his health rose from his passive regeneration, he noticed that the pain in his injuries were also lessened. Perhaps a mortal wound needed something more than passive regeneration, but he’d be fine with his current injuries.
Ethan cast [Summon Lucantele] before approaching the chest. He knew it was just a Symbol of the Great Spirit, but he still tilted his head to his only companion. Then he approached the chest, smacking it with his staff and holding back. Nothing happened, so he probed all the corners, making sure to bonk it a few more times. But it didn’t turn into a horrible mimic. It sat there, with the iron latch on the front unlocked. As his mana dwindled again, he kicked the latch and opened it up.
Inside was a white robe, inlaid with patterns of silver. They wove a tapestry of abstract concepts, something that Ethan couldn’t understand. He pulled the soft clothing from the chest, pressing it against his face before inspecting it.
[Initiate Caller’s Robe]
[Robe]
Rank 0
Epic
Description:
The depictions on this robe show the rise of the Great Spirits. Many Callers wear the [Initiate Caller’s Robes] to distinguish themselves from the other summoners of the world.
Effect:
Reduce the perpetuation cost of all Great Spirit Summons by 0.5m/5s.
It wasn’t the incredible piece of gear he’d hoped for, only reducing the perpetuation cost of Lucantele to 13.5 mana every 5 seconds. But as he slipped out of his khaki pants and polo shirt, he realized the value of the robe. With a sigh of contentment, he slipped the impossibly comfortable robe over his head. It wasn’t incredibly ornate, but it was extremely comfy. He stood there in the clearing for a long time, appreciating how it felt against his skin. Of course, he left his boxer shorts on. There was no need to have someone see his privates.
Not that there was anyone around to see them.
Ethan didn’t feel as though he was limping back to the temple to recover. He was returning victorious, celebrating in his own way. A single hoot of excitement when he sat on the temple floor. He gazed at the broken steles, appreciating what this place meant. What it must have meant in the past, to the people who came here to worship. In its disrepaired state, it wasn’t much to talk about. A pile of stones that some historians might enjoy studying, but once it was a great place. He convinced himself of that while enjoying the comfort of the robe.
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“Some coffee would be nice right about now,” Ethan said, letting out a breath. He tapped the butt of his staff on the ground, finding that he missed quite a few things about Earth. “And the internet. Maybe some chicken wings.”
“What are chicken wings?” a voice asked.
Ethan spun around, finding the blazing silver eyes of Lucantele boring a hole into him. He let out a breath of relief.
“The wings of a chicken. Usually they put some sauce on it. Spicy sauces,” Ethan said.
“I don’t like spicy things,” Luca said.
“Before you go, I have a question—”
“You look good in the robes. The robes of a true Caller,” Luca said, ignoring what Ethan had said. “I’m not certain about the boots, though. They don’t fit with the ensemble.”
“No, I suppose they don’t,” Ethan said. “Maybe you could bless me with some shoes.”
“Your question?”
“Advancement,” Ethan said. “You mentioned a ritual for ranking up, but how about experience gain? Does that dwindle as I go?”
“Astute. Yes, it does,” Luca said, bounding over fallen stones to stare at an inscription. “With every rank, you’ll start out getting experience quickly. As you approach level 10, you’ll find that it becomes harder. Even if you kill even-level monsters, it becomes a chore. Now, do you understand what these inscriptions say?”
Ethan hadn’t tried to read them. While he was speaking a strange language, the same didn’t apply to his reading. They looked like those old clay tablets he saw in textbooks back on earth. But the word didn’t come to him immediately.
“I can’t read them,” Ethan said, approaching the Great Spirit.
“You asked what I expect of you,” Luca said. “And you see my temple is in ruins. Would you care to know why?”
“If you’re sharing, I’m listening.”
“The orcs that call the southern mountains their homes. They weren’t always there,” Luca said. “Without a Caller in the region, there was no way to maintain the temple. People didn’t understand the importance of this place. So those monsters attacked. They pillaged and destroyed what those that worshiped me built.”
“But it’s not like the concept of hope is dead with your temple,” Ethan said. “Seems like an intrinsic quality of people that a Great Spirit isn’t needed for.”
Luca nodded his little head. “That’s true. I’m not the arbiter of hope. I’m a symbol of hope. The downtrodden would come to my temple, praying for me to give them hope. And I would do it.”
Ethan scratched his head. He didn’t clean himself well enough in the stream to stem that desire. He was uncertain how he should feel about people coming to pray for hope. It seemed a bit hand-wavy to him.
“I sense doubt,” Luca said before Ethan could respond.
Ethan grunted, shaking his head. “I don’t doubt you. It’s just hard to put a pin in it. You know? Could you give me an example of how a Great Spirit of Hope could help someone?”
“Certainly,” Luca said, turning away from the stele and gazing at Ethan. “You’re in the Duchy of Wexenhal. When the duchy burned… When the people were driven from their homes and put under a yoke, they felt as though there was no way out. But some came to my temple. They prayed and I gave them hope.”
Ethan thought about it for a moment. So it was a matter of helping people through hard times. There was nothing wrong with that. If anything, it was like free fantasy world therapy. Assuming the temple didn’t charge people for the services.
“I’ve decided that hope is a good thing,” Ethan said.
“You’re a simple creature.”
“That might be true,” Ethan admitted. “But I’m new here. We don’t have magical hope-squirrels where I’m from.”
“I’ve seen into your world. They could use some hope,” Luca said.
Ethan snapped his fingers. “How about going back home? Can I do that?”
“Would you want to do that?”
Ethan deflated. “Not really. As dangerous as it was, I had a good time fighting those deer. There’s a lot to be said about seeing your progress laid out with clear numbers… Wait… Cuneiform! That’s the name of the writing I’m thinking of.”
“A simple creature indeed,” Luca said. “Perhaps that’s for the best. Someone with more ambition might abuse the powers of a Caller.”
“Well, you want to rest with me?” Ethan asked, finding a nice slanted rock to lay on.
“My physical manifestation doesn’t need rest.”
“Best if you try,” Ethan said.
Luca looked as though he was warring with himself. The squirrel spun on the spot, then stopped. He bound onto Ethan’s chest and curled up, spreading a sense of hope through the Caller’s body. They stayed like that until his mana was full, leaving him with a different sense of accomplishment. It was one thing to take this power and use it however he wanted, but there was something Lucantele wanted without saying it. He wanted to restore his temple to its former glory. To banish the orcs from the mountains and bring hope back to the people.
But that required power. If Ethan wanted to help the Great Spirit, he’d need to grow stronger. Perhaps recruit allies to help with the effort. It wasn’t something he could do relaxing in the temple, patting himself on the back for killing a few monsters in the forest. If he really wanted to make a difference, he needed to get out there and grind some experience.
Ethan grabbed another pear before heading outside again. There was plenty of time left in the day for him to grind. Luca’s words rang true when he found an equal-level deer and killed it. When he’d first slain a [Dig Deer] it gave him 25% of his level in experience. This one provided 10%. Instead of killing 4 deer for a level, he now had to kill 10. That number would only grow as he rose in levels.
Another [Thorn Badger] fell to the Symbol of Lucantele’s claws. With excitement, the Caller watched as his level rolled over to 4. But even more exciting, the bond with his summon rose to 5. Before consulting with the upgrade screen, he dropped another point into the [Mind Attribute].
Sitting on a log, Ethan flipped through a list of upgrades. There must have been 100 options to pick from, but they got so specific that he doubted their usefulness. Instead, he narrowed the list down to three useful picks.
[Retreat]
Lucantele Summon Ability
Mana Cost
Extremely Low
Cooldown
5 minutes
Description:
Order Lucantele to retreat from battle. He will reappear at your side instantly.
[Pact Upgrade 1]
Lucantele Summon Passive Ability
Description:
You form a stronger pact with Lucantele, reducing his perpetuation cost by 4 mana/5s.
[Regenerate]
Lucantele Summon Ability
Mana Cost
Low
Cooldown
10 minutes
Description:
Order Lucantele to regenerate. He will move slower for 1 minute, but regenerate 5% of his health every 5 seconds.
There were many selections in the vast list that were grayed out. Ethan couldn’t even inspect them, and when he tried it warned him there was a bond level limit to them. Of the three he’d picked for inspection, two were of dubious quality. [Regenerate] might be useful later, but for now it didn’t fit with his strategy. Instead of regenerating the summon’s health, he could just dismiss it and resummon at similar cost. He considered that one for a long time before dismissing it.
[Retreat] was an interesting ability, but it wasn’t what he needed. Lucantele’s Symbol didn’t have a weakness related to running speed. He could easily retreat when the time arose.
[Pact Upgrade 1] was extremely interesting to Ethan. He’d been operating under the idea that mana regen and perpetuation cost was the center of the class. Everything surrounded that concept, and the amount of perpetuation cost reduction for the skill was great.
It was a difficult pick for Ethan. He could have taken any of the skills in the list and been happy with it. But the idea of reducing Luca’s ongoing base cost from 14 to 10 was enticing. Out of combat, that meant he could now keep the summon out forever. With his [Mind] upgraded to 11, he now had 10.5 [Mana Regen], meaning he’d actually gain mana while the Symbol was out. He selected [Pact Upgrade 1] as his selection.
Heading back into the forest, Ethan found it a great comfort to keep the summon out all the time. He was no longer worried about being ambushed without Luca out. The little squirrel could even range ahead, searching for monsters where the Caller couldn’t see them. Although it was just a reflection of the real Great Spirit, Luca’s symbol was like a bloodhound.
By the time Ethan was close to level 5, he felt dead tired. His new robe was stained with mud, a problem made worse by its pristine white appearance. He worked his way back to the temple, harvesting more pears from the tree outside, before entering his makeshift room. He settled in for the night, spreading out the bounty of pears and digging in.
The hard stone floor under his makeshift bed didn’t seem as hard that night. He stared up at the cracked ceiling of stone and wondered where tomorrow would take him. If Ethan hit level 5, earning him a new ability, he’d head off to the east. To the source of that fire, and perhaps other people. Lucantele was good company, but there was only so much chatting he could do with a squirrel. He missed the warmth of human conversation.
All those concerns were washed away as he fell asleep. A deep sense of hope for the future spread through his mind, and he drifted off without a problem.