Chapter 304. Special Opportunity.

I stepped back into my personal space, happy to have completed a fairly normal summoning for once. The headmaster seemed interesting, and I was glad to have a summoning link with the magic academy. Having a summoned being answer questions for a class, or even using us for a training device, like the military was doing now, should be helpful for the students. Who knows, maybe I’d learn something out of the deal as well.

Looking around the personal space, I could see that Tzes’zod was gone doing whatever it was he did, but Melvin was there to greet me. An odd, orange glow appeared from under the door to Gary’s addition, but things there were quiet, which was all that I asked for. Creepy light shows were fine, as long as we didn’t have a repeat of before where the entire personal space rumbled from the fight or whatever was happening inside his area.

My reward chest awaited, and I was happy that my summoning ended with another Very Good rating. Opening the chest, I got to see what I’d gained after my latest adventure.

Reward Chest.

1. 37 gold.

2. Minion Experience Generator, Basic.

3. Special Request Summoning Offer.

4. Minion ability/spell token (3).

5. Minion equipment token (3).

It was a solid haul, though I was a bit surprised to see the complete lack of experience tokens for my minions. I did have the experience generator thing, though, so I pulled that out first to check out what it was. It proved to be a simple steel box, about the size of a shoebox, with no visible means of opening it. A system description explained what I was holding.

Minion Experience Generator, Basic. This device will automatically generate experience for your minions at the completion of a successful summoning. A successful summoning is considered a rating of Adequate or better. The generator will create 1 experience point per minion, per summoning, though there is the potential of a second experience point of the summoning was rated at Excellent, or if it was of an extended duration.

As a basic level device, this item can be upgraded to further enhance the experience gains of your minions. To install, select an open area on the exterior of your reward chest and push mana into the device to seal it to the surface and activate its ability.

This device was issued in lieu of any minion experience tokens for this summoning, but it will not replace the normal distribution of experience tokens in the future.

Nice, it was only going to be one point per minion, but that would add up quickly. I missed out on a few experience tokens from this summoning, but the generator would more than make up for it after only a few uses. Selecting a spot in front of the reward chest, I pushed mana into the generator.

I could feel the device getting warm as it adhered to the side of the reward chest. A quick test showed that it was firmly attached, and it looked rugged enough to withstand anything other than a dedicated attack on it. After it cooled down, a new prompt confirmed that I hadn’t botched things up.

The Minion Experience Generator, Basic, has been installed. Experience gains for your minions will begin with your next summoning.

After that rather interesting reward, I decided to activate the ability and equipment tokens before I looked at the summoning offer that was waiting for me.

Minion equipment tokens.

1. Blieek has upgraded his weapons to Rank 5. This is the maximum weapons rank for this minion until the minion reaches Veteran status.

2. Khurr has upgraded his armor to Rank 2.

3. Blieek has upgraded his armor to Rank 2.

It looked like my lowest tier minions were the big winners for equipment this time. I summoned the pair to see what had changed. Khurr’s armor had gone from a padded jerkin to one reinforced with thick leather at several vulnerable points. Blieek’s armor was a bit less formidable than the rank two gear for Khurr, and now consisted of a full set of padded armor that would offer limited protection.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

The weapons hitting the maximum rank of five was a big bump for my smallest minion. Blieek’s long spear had been upgraded to a true pike, giving him great reach for his size. With longer reach, he should have a bit more survivability in combat. His backup dagger was a bit nicer, but nothing spectacular, but his throwing knives, which he now had six of, were showing as masterwork weapons.

Blieek could now dish out some decent damage, and it was time to see what the ability tokens offered.

Minion spell/ability tokens.

1. Glem, Glamb, and Glurk’s Horde Tactics ability has reached Rank 1.

2. Digbaz Bazam’s Dome of Protection spell has reached Rank 1.

3. Khurr’s Blindfighting ability has reached Rank 1.

The upgrades were a mixed bag. The goblins had their Horde Tactics bonus go up by a meager 1%, but given that it covered several minions at once, it wasn’t too bad. My air mage, Digbaz’s protection spell now warded off airborne gases, toxins, and disease which was situational but a solid addition to the spell. Khurr’s Blindfighting, another very situational skill, had increased to a 40% chance of him hitting any invisible or concealed target.

That was it for minion upgrades this time, and the summoning offer was ready to be examined. I had almost forgotten that I was now eligible for the special requests. The special request was in the form of a scroll, and new system information appeared when I opened it.

Special Opportunity for summoned beings that can bring additional minions into battle. The Salmasani Collective offers enhanced payment, including a guarantee of new weapons and armor for all your minions, if you agree to sign up for the coming campaign season. The summoning will be of a slightly extended timeframe or until the summoned being is destroyed.

The campaign requirements include assaulting and taking control of the Temple of Unending Conflict. While the aforementioned rewards will be available regardless of your success, should the summoned being participate in a successful liberation of this location, additional rewards will be offered. Mission specific equipment will be issued for the duration of the battle, but these items are restricted and will not be included in any possible rewards pool.

Additional compensation will be offered based on the number of minions you can summon, as well as their summoning duration. This offer must be accepted before your next summoning or it will be rescinded.

Wow, that was something new. A summoner wanted me for a battle of some sort, and they were more interested in the number of minions I could summon for the effort. Somebody needed fodder and a meat shield for their army and were willing to pay well to get it.

While I wasn’t all that excited to fight for an army that I knew nothing about, I did have the return scroll that would guarantee a good rating if it turned out we were the bad guys. I had to admit that I was also intrigued a bit to see another battlefield in a mana-rich world. The knowledge I brought back might prove extremely useful for Earth in the future.

I had to decide quickly, because if another summoning for this series popped up, I’d lose the opportunity to accept the special request. Before the portal could ignite again with a new summons, I accepted the offer in front of me.

Please wrap up any unfinished business, direct summoning will automatically occur in 5 minutes. Additional advancement of your return gauge will be granted for this summoning.

I guess they were in a hurry. A quick check of the return gauge showed it was hovering right at 39%. Maybe this one summoning would be enough to fill the gauge, but even if it didn’t it would probably cover a good chunk of what was left. I felt bad that Fitzfazzle’s visit had been cut short but was excited to hear what our people had been able to learn from him.

Having done everything I needed to, I accepted the summoning, and the portal opened in my personal space. I was deposited in some kind of underground chamber. The floors were simple, packed dirt, and I was standing on a glowing circle of stone that rose about six inches off the floor. I could see sturdy, but crudely constructed wooden bracing holding up the ceiling. Another pair of summoned beings appeared next to me as a figure at the far end of the chamber started shouting orders.

“Listen up, recruits. I plan to only ask you things once. If you want a good rating on your summoning, and the rewards that brings, follow my commands and answer quickly. First off, step away from the summoning pads. Now, each of you will tell me how many minions you can summon, and how long they can remain summoned for. We’ll start with you,” the human shouting commands at us pointed toward a young-looking gnome woman standing next to me.

“Uh, sorry, I, uh…” the woman muttered until our summoner growled at her in displeasure which caused the woman to focus on her answer.

“I can summon up to ten minions based on my mana pool. They can remain for up to an hour,” the woman replied.

“And if they die, how soon until you can resummon?” the man asked.

I got a better look at him, and the pair of other humans standing behind the summoner. They were all dirty and looked haggard from whatever this battle had demanded of them. Each wore a grey woolen uniform that reminded me of something an army around the turn of the century would have worn. One of the two men behind the summoner had his ear start to glow with a blue light.

“Head’s up, sir, disruptor wave incoming!” the soldier with the glowing ear warned.

“All of you, hit the deck and cover your heads!” the summoner ordered as an ominous rumbling was felt through the floor.