“If my hand melts off, you’re getting a bad Yelp review,” I warned as I placed my hand on the cube.

“I don’t know what a yelp review is, but as long as you don’t harbor any thoughts of harm to Melvin, you should be fine,” Zillaria replied.

The outer surface of the cube was warm, and a bit sticky. My natural reaction was to pull away, but I forced myself to keep the hand there, trying my hardest not to think of any bad thoughts toward the little guy. Why did Zillaria have to say that? Didn’t she know how hard it was not to think about something that you were warned not to think about.

In a smooth motion, the cube grabbed onto my hand and gave a gross slurping sound as it pulled itself over my hand and up half of my forearm. I waited for the pain of acid melting my flesh away to hit, but it appeared that Melvin was just being friendly toward me and wasn’t hungry enough to start feasting on my appendages.

“Well, little buddy, you want to come and stay in my personal space? It might be lonely in there sometimes, but you’ll be safe,” I offered.

Melvin couldn’t talk, but I was surprised to sense some of his emotion while it was hanging onto my arm. The gelatinous cube felt content, happy, and a bit nervous at a change in his environment. I couldn’t blame him; it was a big change to live in a new place. At least he didn’t keep getting summoned all over the place.

The cube released my arm and plopped back into his cage. Zillaria pet the cube like it was a cat all the while murmuring to it in a voice that was too quiet for me to hear. It would make sense that a pet shop owner in a magical city had some way to communicate with her pets.

“He likes you and will accept your offer of friendship. The price will be twenty silver, and I’ll even throw in a travel container so you can get him safely to his new home,” Zillaria said. After paying her, Zillaria pulled out a smaller box that Melvin was coaxed into. He was packed in there pretty tight, but Zillaria confirmed he’d be fine in that space for several days if need be. It was recommended that I get him to his new home sooner if it was at all possible.

After stowing Melvin away in my pack, I considered my next moves. Other than more of those mana tabs, I had just about everything I could hope to purchase. More spells and abilities would be nice, but those required summoner points which I was fresh out of. Stock would change as time passed in the city, and when I eventually hit tier one, rank five, there might be more treasures for me to purchase.

Zillaria gave me directions to a nearby apothecary, where I purchased another five of the mana tablets. My goal was to have five on hand for summoning and five to take home. With a long cooldown between use, stocking up even further would be counterproductive since I’d probably want to buy stronger ones as my tier and rank increased.

I had completed my other shopping, but I did spend a bit more time in this apothecary shop, perusing anything that might be useful. I ended up purchasing three potions that were pricey but could really come in handy for a critical summoning. The system proved helpful, displaying the information I needed to make a decision.

1. Potion of Mirror Image. Imbibing this potion will create several duplicate images of yourself. The number of images is equal to 1, plus an additional image for every tier of the imbiber. The illusions look and act just like the original, masking most methods of detection. When attacked, the illusion will dissipate. The gear cost for this potion is 1, and there is a 1-hour cooldown before a second potion of this type can be used.

2. Elixir of Life. When ingested, this elixir will remain active for up to 48 hours. If you are killed during this time, your death will be prevented. The gear cost for this potion is 5, and there is a 30-day cooldown before another potion of this type can be used.

3. Salve of the Flame Mage. Once applied, this salve will infuse your skin with magical flame. Attackers will be faced with a blast of heat whenever you are struck in melee. The mana of this potion is expended after five blows have been received. The gear cost for this potion is 2, and there is a 1-day cooldown before another potion of this type can be used.

None of the potions were cheap, but they could turn the tide of battle or help me survive in some way. The gear cost was minimal, and it gave me more options to customize my loadout for various scenarios. It was too bad I couldn’t take potions home, but neither the apothecary shops nor the alchemists had had any luck doing to other potions what they had done with the mana tabs.

After last night’s visitor, I decided it was probably best if I returned home and waited for the tournament. It would conserve funds, and I’d purchased just about everything I could for now. There was just one more stop I was contemplating, the Contracted Summonings place. Its office was near the arena, which I suppose was a convenient place for them given the business they were in. The journey there wasn’t far, and I found the small building they were located in with little trouble.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“How can I help you?” A young gnomish woman said from behind the counter. I had seen several gnomes in the city, but talking to one made me miss Fitzfazzle’s village.

“Hello, I was given this by Pakrinas and wanted to see what kind of deal we might work out,” I said, passing the flyer over.

“Excellent, you’ve made a good choice, we have many happy clients at Contracted Summonings, and we’re always glad to see a new summoned being join our team,” the perky receptionist replied.

“Well, I’ll need more details before I’m willing to agree to anything,” I stated, resolved not to get ripped off by this place.

“Oh, I understand completely, let me get Pakrinas, he’ll be glad to help you,” the receptionist replied before heading down a hallway and knocking on a door.

“Mr. Pakrinas, I have a new summoned being that you spoke to here to review our offer,” the woman shouted.

“Well, send him in, don’t keep our potential client waiting,” Pakrinas said as he opened the door and waved me in.

His office was cramped and had well organized piles of scrolls set on various shelves. A rather traditional desk, sized for his diminutive body, took up most of the rest of the space. In front of the desk were three chairs of various sizes and I chose the one in the middle that was just right for a human.

“I remember you; we met outside the arena. Have you given our offer some thought?” Pakrinas asked.

“I have, and I’ve done some research on your company. Why don’t you give me quick version of what you do, how you do it, and how it might benefit me,” I requested, trying to put out “don’t try to rip me off” vibes.

“No problem at all, I understand your trepidation in signing a contract with someone you’ve never done business with before. As for what we actually do, I’ll give you the quick version and we can dig deeper if you want. Contracted Summonings allows for various summoners to request specific help for a challenge they are facing or are expecting to face.

“They pay us a nominal fee and we match their needs up with a summoned being who is a good fit for the job. If you’re matched with a client, you’ll be given some idea of the type of summoning and the threats you might face. In addition, you’ll earn a bit of extra coin. Would you like to see what we currently have available?” Pakrinas asked.

“Sure, do I have options?” I asked.

“Absolutely, though, with this being your first contract, we’re a bit limited on what we can offer. As you do more work with us, we can open things up to longer contracts with our more established clients. Give me a moment and I’ll see what’s currently available. I’ll need to use a spell to scan your summoning data, please accept when the system prompts you,” Pakrinas said before chanting and building mana in his hands. When he finished, the spell washed over me, and a system prompt appeared.

The being known as Pakrinas has requested to review your summoning history and results. Only the most limited information on types of summons and performance rankings will be available to him. Do you wish to allow this?

It was just my summoning history and ratings, nothing too intrusive, so I went ahead and approved it. Pakrinas stood staring off into space as he read my past achievements, or lack thereof. After a few minutes of awkward silence, he moved to one of the piles of scrolls and began sorting through them. After shuffling through the pile, Pakrinas pulled out two scrolls that he handed to me.

“Here you go, these are both basic options for a first contract. I can only offer you one for now, but if you complete this one to the satisfaction of both the client, and our company, you’ll have much more available when you visit us,” Pakrinas said as the system kicked in, outlining what was offered with each.

You have been offered a choice of single use summoning contracts.

1. Guardian contract to protect an individual as they perform academic research in a dangerous ruin. Duration, short. Bonus, 5 silver.

2. A dungeon core has requested a summoned being to help in the temporary role as a floor guardian. Duration, moderate. Bonus, 10 silver.

“A dungeon? That’s a real thing?” I asked after reading the second contract. I was familiar with the concept in gaming, and a bit surprised they were real.

“It is, and while the vast majority cores that control these places are just mad constructs, some are intelligent beings that seek out our services,” Pakrinas explained.

“You know what, let’s see what this whole dungeon thing is all about. Your flyer offered an extra bonus, I’m assuming that’s on top of the one listed here,” I said.

“Yes, but for a contract of this caliber, the ten silver is generally considered more than adequate,” Pakrinas argued. I remembered Lavelle warning me that they could be cheap with new clients, so I stuck to my guns.

“Nope, that’s not what you promised. I don’t think I want to do business with someone who plays games,” I said, starting to stand up when Pakrinas waved me back to my seat.

“You are correct, my apologies, but I do have an obligation to save the company money when I can. If you sign with us for the dungeon contract, you’ll receive a total of fifteen silver for your efforts. In fact, I’ll throw in an extra two silver as compensation for any misunderstanding,” Pakrinas confirmed.

“I’m in, what do we do now?” I asked, and my question was answered by yet another system prompt.

Do you accept the following terms offered by Contracted Summonings?

1. Assignment to a dungeon core as a summoned being. This assignment is of a moderate duration, and you will be operating in the role of a floor guardian.

2. Your compensation for this summoning is 17 silver coins of standard weight in addition to any normal rewards you acquire through the system. This contract is for a single summoning and will bind neither yourself, nor Contracted Summonings to further summoning options unless both parties agree.

I confirmed yes with the system and received new information.

The contract has been accepted by both parties. During your next summoning session, this contract will be activated.

“Thanks, Pakrinas, we’ll see how this contract goes and talk about further business next time I’m in town,” I said as I made my exit.

I was done in Somhagen for the time being, it was time to return to my personal space, then back to Earth.