Book 1 Chapter 41

Chen Xia and Eliza's eyes widened.

"That's strange. I've never heard of such a magical beast."

"That's right. Magical beasts of the wyvern lineage don't exist."

Eliza added to Wareden's words.

"It is a magical beast. A magical beast that was exterminated by the great heroes in the Age of Calamity. I don't know why it has appeared in this era."

*Fwoosh-!*

Fafnir spewed out its breath.

Leo, who easily dodged the attack, said,

"And doesn't that look abnormal?"

"Indeed… it's similar to the side effects when contracting with a magical beast."

Eliza stroked her chin.

"Then we'll need a plan. When it comes to dual summoning, I know the most about it."

Eliza said, puffing out her chest.

"Are you telling me to follow your orders?"

"I didn't mean to say it like that, but to get to the point, it's similar."

"Ridiculous."

Wareden laughed coldly and urged his griffin to charge at Liu alone.

*Fwoosh! Boom-!*

A fierce explosive attack using spirits erupted.

Watching the scene, Eliza clicked her tongue.

"As expected, that person is unreasonable. Please, the two of you, follow my instructions."

Chen Xia scratched his cheek.

"I agree that Miss Eliza knows the most about summoning among us. However, since Master Leo seems to know a lot about that magical beast, I think it's right to follow Master Leo's instructions."

"Hmph, even if this person knows information about magical beasts, I give more correct instructions…"

"What instructions? It's obvious that we won't be able to coordinate properly in this state."

Leo held the reins of his griffin.

"We just need to coordinate according to the situation."

"Wait a minute! Are you trying to charge in recklessly? As expected, I can't entrust the instructions to you! I, a direct descendant of the Hergen family…!"

*Fwoosh-!*

Before Eliza could finish her words, Leo charged towards Fafnir.

Chen Xia followed, giving a apologetic smile, and also charged.

Eliza, left alone, trembled.

"I am a direct descendant of the Hergen family! Don't ignore me!"

With narrowed eyes, Eliza also urged her griffin and charged.

*Fwoosh-! Boom-!*

A powerful explosion engulfed Fafnir.

As the smoke cleared, Fafnir emerged unharmed.

"Hahaha… Hahaha! As expected, you're amazing! My summoning is truly amazing!"

Liu, who had turned pale, let out a laugh filled with ecstasy.

"This is it! With this, I can aim for first place in Summoning Studies… no! Even class representative! Yes! I am the best! I always have been! There's no way I'm not the best!"

Watching Liu laugh maniacally, clenching his fists, Wareden clicked his tongue.

"He's definitely lost it."

"Seems like you're struggling?"

Wareden scoffed at Leo's words as he flew over.

*Goooommmmm-!*

A large clump of earth began to form behind Wareden.

Leo's eyes widened.

'Golem magic array?'

A colossal artificial doll made by magic.

By combining that array with the earth spirit, a giant spirit golem was created.

'This guy is also a monster.'

While Leo was admiring it.

Liu's face turned pale at the sight of the giant earth golem.

*Boom-!*

With a tremendous sound that tore through the air, the earth golem swung its arm.

"D-dodge! Dodge!"

Liu, pale with fear at the fearsome attack of mass, urgently commanded.

However, Fafnir did not obey Liu's command.

*Kuaaaaaaaaaa-!*

Instead, it let out a rough roar.

The earth golem's arm scattered and fell to the ground just before it could strike Fafnir.

Wareden's eyes twitched.

"Fear?"

It was a technique that emanated a powerful aura, momentarily disrupting the flow of mana.

The griffins trembled in fear for a moment.

'That Fafnir is a cub. Fear is a technique that only an adult can use!'

Leo grimaced.

'Even if it's drawing out potential through the summoner's ability, Liu's skill is pathetic. What's going on?'

*Peep! Peep!*

At that moment, Fiora in Leo's pocket chirped annoyedly.

*Grrr!*

Instantly, Fafnir's murderous eyes turned towards Leo.

*Kyaaaaaaagga!*

It opened its mouth wide and charged at Leo.

Leo calmed his trembling griffin and soared into the sky.

Wareden unleashed a spirit explosion.

*Boom-! Boom-!*

Despite being hit directly by the explosions, Fafnir did not change its target.

It madly pursued Leo as if it had a grudge.

'Did it sense the Phoenix's aura?'

Phoenixes and magical beasts have opposite attributes.

Drawn by that power, Fafnir showed intense hostility.

"Leo Flov! Prepare yourself!"

'The summoner's thoughts seem to be a factor as well.'

Leo glanced back.

It was closing the distance at an incredible speed.

'If it only targets me, it might end surprisingly easily.'

Leo glanced at Fiora, who was chirping annoyedly in his pocket, and tightened his grip on the griffin's reins.

*Flap-!*

*Kyaaaaaak!*

The griffin roared and flapped its wings powerfully, accelerating.

*Kyaaaaaaaak!*

Fafnir screeched and pursued Leo.

"Wait a minute! Master Leo! If you go off on your own…!"

"What kind of summoning protection do you have! And why are you going alone! We should be fighting together!"

Chen Xia and Eliza, who were about to join, were flustered.

Leo and Liu disappeared from sight at incredible speed.

***

"Ah! What's going on! Player Liu! You suddenly violated the rules…!"

"Hey! You idiot! Is this the time to be commentating!"

Yura ran towards the flustered commentator Runeva, kicked him in the rear, and snatched the microphone.

"Summoning Study instructors! Prepare flying summons immediately! This is an emergency! The match is canceled!"

She shouted.

As the students murmured, the professors gathered around Yura.

"What's wrong? Yura."

Sedjen asked, narrowing his brow, and Yura said urgently,

"I don't know what happened, but Sen Liu must have contracted with a magical beast now!"

"What?"

The professors' faces changed instantly.

"Don't you think it's strange? Sen Liu is not the type of student to cause such an incident!"

Yura took out a crystal ball from her pocket and said.

The spectator magic screen was off, but video was continuously being broadcast on the magic crystal ball Yura was holding.

To Yura's words, the homeroom teacher of Class 3 said in a serious voice,

"Indeed, he showed inferiority complex as the semester progressed… but that's the same for other students. It wasn't to that serious an extent."

All the Lumern freshmen feel inferiority complex at the beginning of the semester.

Although they have always been the best since childhood, at Lumern, they inevitably face students who are superior to them.

There are students who accept it and work hard, and students who deny it and grit their teeth.

There are various types of students, and Sen Liu was the latter.

However, as Yura said, he wasn't the type of student to cause such an incident.

"Anger control disorder, paralysis of reason, etc. The actions that Student Liu is exhibiting are typical signs of contracting with a magical beast."

The professors' faces turned grim at once.

"But if it's a magical beast that can affect a summoner to that extent, it should be a high-level magical beast?"

Halind asked, and Sera, who was staring intently at the screen, said cautiously,

"Could that mutated wyvern species that student Liu is riding be a magical beast?"

"……!"

"……!"

The professors trembled.

"No way…"

"If so, could it be an unknown new species of magical beast?"

Seeing the disturbed professors, Yura said,

"For now, the important thing is to stop Student Liu…"

Just then, Liu in the screen began to chase Leo.

"Wait! Hey! Leo! It's dangerous to go alone! Turn the screen to that quickly!"

Seeing Leo disappear at incredible speed, Yura cried out in alarm.

A magic major professor, with a panicked expression, took the crystal ball from Yura and manipulated it.

"It seems they've gone out of the magic range!"

"Aaaargh! Really!"

Yura summoned a black wyvern by raising her spiritual power.

"Instructors! Let's go! Find student Leo and student Liu immediately!"

"Yes!"

***

Leo flew at incredible speed, sharpening his senses.

'I've escaped the influence of the video magic.'

Escaping the magic's influence was no accident.

It was entirely Leo's intention.

"Fiora."

*Peep?*

"It's time to shine."

Leo took out his contracted partner from his pocket and grinned, unleashing aura and spiritual power simultaneously.

*Fwoosh-!*

Fiora's feathers began to burn.

*Fwoosh-!*

One by one, Fiora's feathers, perched on Leo's palm, stood on end.

Fiora seemed bewildered by the changes happening to her body, spreading her wings and looking around.

Soon, Fiora's body began to swell.

*Whoosh!*

Fiora's feathers burned even more fiercely, and she grew to the size of Leo's torso.

"Now you look more like a phoenix, don't you?"

To Leo's words, Fiora raised her head and elegantly perched on Leo's arm.

Fiora shed her form as a small, red chick and became a beautiful firebird.

She wasn't yet a full-grown phoenix, but she emanated a far more powerful aura than before.

*Kyaryak?*

Fafnir, who had been showing murderous intent, also looked bewildered.

"Fly!"

At Leo's command, Fiora flapped her wings and soared high into the sky.

*Kwaaaaaak-!*

Fiora soared high into the sky, drawing a trail of flames.

*Peep-! Peep-!*

Fiora chirped with joy, seemingly pleased with her completely changed appearance.

'Still chirping like a chick.'

As Leo let out a wry laugh, Fiora, who had soared high into the sky, spread her wings wide and descended.

*Fwoosh!*

Even more intense flames flickered on Fiora's body.

It was the summoner's ability to draw out the latent potential of a summoned beast.

However, Leo possessed an additional special ability.

It was the ability to enhance summoned beasts with aura.

Summoned beasts are living beings with spiritual power.

Therefore, they cannot accept aura.

But Kai made it possible.

'I was versatile, but I lacked the ability to reach the ultimate in anything.'

Kai lagged behind Arion and Dwenno in aura abilities.

In magic, he couldn't keep up with Luna, and in summoning, he couldn't match Lisinas.

So Leo chose to fuse abilities.

Aura and mana.

Mana and spiritual power.

Spiritual power and aura.

If he couldn't reach the ultimate, he had to create something similar.

It was absolutely necessary to end the Age of Calamity.

However, everyone who saw it, even his companions, said it was impossible.

'They said that once the pure form of mana is lost, power cannot be mixed.'

After endless attempts, he succeeded, and Kai, along with his companions, rose to the ranks of the great heroes and saved the world.

*Goo-!*

Aura formed on Fiora's wings.

Fiora's eyes widened, and she flapped her wings with even more excitement.

"Tch! What is this bird?!"

Liu shouted in annoyance.

"Deal with it!"

*Kyaaaaaak!*

Fafnir let out a screech.

Against such Fafnir, Fiora headbutted it.

*CRUNCH-!*

"Gah?"

Fafnir was sent flying back and plummeted towards the ground powerlessly.

Liu also seemed to have fainted upon impact, his eyes rolling back as he fell to the ground.

"…"

Leo watched the approaching Fiora with a dazed expression.

"What? Why is she so strong?"

He had drawn out Fiora's potential using spiritual power and enhanced her with aura.

Even with that, it was enough power to defeat a cub like Fafnir.

However, Fiora's strength just now far exceeded Leo's expectations.

As Leo was stunned, he noticed the aura within Fiora's body burning even more fiercely.

Leo looked at his palm.

'The aura I've learned now is the aura of the Zerdinger family. And the Zerdinger family's aura originated from the Phoenix.'

A glint appeared in Leo's eyes.

'What if the Phoenix's flames merged and strengthened their power?'

This was an effect that even Leo hadn't anticipated.

'Does this mean there are still parts to refine and strengthen?'

It was as Leo's lips curved upwards.

*Flash-!*

Fafnir, who had been unconscious,'s eyes flashed.

Then, with Liu on its back, it flew towards Leo.

Upon meeting Fafnir's eyes, Leo's face hardened.

"You… who are you?"