Book 1 Chapter 710

710.

"Summoning a spirit is similar to sensing mana," Artyan explained, sitting before Leo, who was in a meditative pose.

"Now, close your eyes."

*Swish-*

Leo gently closed his eyes.

"Take slow, deep breaths and focus on your breathing. Slowly. Slowly."

As if teaching a child.

Artyan kindly explained from the basics.

Leo breathed as Artyan instructed.

Even as an All-Class, Leo had abilities he couldn't use.

The most representative of these was spirit summoning.

Furthermore, spirit summoning itself wasn't an awakening of Leo's hidden power.

It was literally a power he received from Lisinas.

Although he had subconsciously used spirit summoning several times, in reality, even that wasn't Leo's subconscious.

'It was Lisinas's subconscious.'

When did Lisinas's spirit begin to reside in him?

'…When I entered Lisinas's world.'

After defeating Jörmungandr, the Gluttony King, in Lisinas's world.

Lisinas appeared before Leo, using his past self as a medium.

After the world conquest was complete.

Leo obtained the essence of Lisinas's mana as a conquest reward.

He likely gained the ability of spirit summoning at that time.

From that moment, Lisinas probably became a spirit and resided in Leo.

However, Leo still couldn't properly use that power.

Far from being able to use it properly, he couldn't even grasp a hint of how to wield the power.

'Think of it as starting from absolute zero.'

He took a deep breath and focused his mind.

As he waited for Artyan's next words.

The summoning circle drawn on Leo's body began to glow.

Along with it, spiritual energy began to flow through Leo's body.

It wasn't Leo's spiritual energy.

It was Artyan's spiritual energy.

'I see.'

Artyan drawing the summoning circle on Leo's body using his blood was to show him how spiritual energy flowed.

Leo, as much as possible, focused on Artyan's spiritual energy flowing through his blood, tracing its movement.

'This is how Professor Artyan operates his spiritual energy when using spirit summoning.'

A moment later.

Artyan's spiritual energy disappeared.

With that, Leo also opened his eyes.

"How was it?"

"I'm getting a feel for it."

"You're already getting a feel for it? As expected, honors students are different."

Artyan clapped his hands.

Artyan, who smiled brightly, said.

"You might even master spirit summoning perfectly surprisingly quickly."

"I don't think so."

"Huh?"

"It's more difficult than I thought."

"You're being humble."

Artyan smiled faintly.

But Leo's words were sincere.

'It might even take a lifetime.'

Through relentless effort, Leo could somewhat replicate the skills of his former companions.

In terms of magic, Leo's unique magic system could theoretically contain all magical formulas in existence.

With the Bible, he could imitate Luna.

He could also replicate Arion's howling and breathing with his All-Class power, and he could wield Dweno's flames to use powerful fire abilities.

Lisinas's summoning arts were similar.

He could imitate Lisinas's beast summoning and spirit summoning.

However, what Leo could imitate was strictly within the scope of his innate domain as an All-Class.

Beyond that domain, it was an unknown ability to Leo.

Just as Leo couldn't replicate Luna's unique magic,

Arion's realized martial arts, or Dweno's hand techniques.

Spirit summoning, which was never granted to Leo in the first place, was literally an area he had to start from scratch.

Moreover, the original owner of the spirit summoning Leo obtained was Lisinas.

If it were the power of any ordinary spirit summoner, Leo would have been confident in imitating it.

But the original owner of the spirit summoning that resided in Leo was none other than Lisinas, the King of Wisdom.

A being called the strongest summoner in history.

The reason she was called the strongest summoner was incredibly simple.

In beast summoning, spirit summoning,

and finally, spirit summoning.

She always maintained the highest level.

Generally, summoners are divided into two categories.

The first is a summoner who summons powerful beasts or spirits and maximizes their abilities.

The second is a summoner who summons an overwhelming number of summoned creatures.

In this case, it could literally be called an army of summoned creatures.

Lisinas was an all-rounder type of summoner who possessed both styles.

'She could even summon powerful and numerous summoned creatures simultaneously.'

The reason the great heroes were able to win battles despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered by Tartarus.

While Luna's power played a significant role, it was possible because Lisinas, who compensated for the numerical imbalance to some extent, was present.

And it was Lisinas's spirit summoning that shone in those large-scale battles.

Summoning powerful and numerous summoned creatures simultaneously.

This applied not only to beast and spirit summoning but also to spirit summoning.

Leo sighed, recalling the image of Lisinas summoning countless spirits.

'I wonder if I can do that too?'

"Now then, shall we try summoning a spirit?"

Artyan said with a faint smile, and Leo closed his eyes, concentrating.

Then, as Artyan had taught him earlier, he began to generate spiritual energy.

*Gooooooo-!*

Spiritual energy began to swirl around Leo's body.

'Wow… I knew Leo student had spiritual energy of various colors, but… the color that manifests when using spirit summoning is black.'

It wasn't a gloomy or ominous feeling.

Artyan said, looking at the pitch-black spiritual energy that was dark and deep but somehow gave a comforting feeling.

"That's amazing. To reach the level of using elementary spirit summoning with just one explanation."

Artyan said in admiration.

"Now then, Leo student! Shall we try summoning a spirit?"

"Summoning?"

"Yes. Think of someone intensely in your mind. The spirit will be summoned by Leo student's voice."

At those words, Leo took a deep breath and called out to Lisinas.

'Hey, you scammer lizard. Come quickly. Hurry.'

The moment he said that.

*Kwaaaaaa-!*

"Huk?!"

Artyan was startled.

The power of the spiritual energy Leo was emitting grew even stronger.

Like a black hole.

Everything around began to be pulled towards Leo.

"Huh?"

Artyan, with a flustered expression, pressed himself firmly against the floor to avoid being pulled in.

*Pararararar- Whoooooo!*

However, as not only the books and furniture around but even large pieces of furniture were pulled towards Leo, Artyan's body also floated up.

'Just how powerful is this spiritual energy!'

The method of operating spiritual energy that Artyan taught Leo today was elementary spirit summoning.

Elementary spirit summoning has the power to powerfully pull something.

Not only spirits but also physical objects.

Therefore, physical influence is sometimes exerted when using actual spirit summoning.

However, Artyan had never seen such strong gravitational pull that it physically affected its surroundings.

'Just how powerful of a spirit is being summoned?'

"Leo student? Leo student! Stop… Kyaak?!"

Artyan shouted urgently.

Eventually, unable to resist the force, Artyan's body floated up and flew towards Leo.

The moment Artyan tried to generate spiritual energy and stabilize his posture.

Leo opened his eyes.

Eyes flashing with black glints.

Leo, who instantly grasped the situation, got up from his seat.

And he lightly caught Artyan, who was being pulled towards him.

*Kugugung-!*

Furniture, pulled by the gravitational force generated by Leo's elementary spirit summoning, fell to the floor.

"Uwaaaaaaaah."

Artyan, held in Leo's arms, exclaimed.

"Just… just how powerful of a spirit did you summon?"

"…I was trying to summon something great. I failed, though."

"You failed?"

Failing despite such powerful elementary spirit summoning manifesting?

"Yes."

"Hmm. What was the problem?"

Leo gently set down Artyan, who was lost in thought.

While Artyan stood on the floor, lost in thought.

Leo looked around the room.

He let out a small sigh, looking at the messy room.

'I should have done this outside if I had known.'

***

Late at night.

The central hall of the clock tower dormitory.

While it was the liveliest place during the day, it exuded a chilling atmosphere at night when students were absent.

Eliza, sitting on a sofa in the central hall with her legs crossed, took out her pocket watch and checked the time.

The time, visible in the faint moonlight, was close to 1 AM.

'Late.'

As Eliza's eyes twitched.

*Deng-! Deng-!*

The sound of the clock tower chiming the hour echoed throughout the building.

A sound that couldn't be heard from the dormitory rooms.

The clock chiming late at night made her feel even more spooked.

As annoyance flickered on Eliza's face.

*Tok tok-*

Someone tapped her shoulder from behind without a sound, and Eliza was startled.

"Eek?!"

Seeing Eliza about to scream without realizing it, Karl quickly covered her mouth.

"Hey, hey, Eliza. It's me. Me. Karl."

Hearing Karl's voice, Eliza calmed her trembling heart.

Then she glared back.

Karl took off the cloak he was wearing from a place where there was nothing.

It was an invisibility cloak made with Dweno's alchemy.

"You scared me! And why are you so late!"

Looking at Eliza glaring at him, Karl scratched his head.

"No, I tried to come quickly, but the kids kept asking me to go explore together. It was tough shaking them off."

"How did you shake them off?"

"I said I was going on a date."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Just kidding. I told them I was taking a break today and sneaked out."

"It must be hard to avoid the eyes of other students with just your invisibility cloak?"

It was as Eliza said.

While the invisibility cloak was an amazing item, it wasn't something that completely erased one's presence.

Some students in the magic department trained for combat and constantly used detection magic.

It wouldn't be easy to evade the detection magic of such individuals.

"I borrowed some item for my presence too."

"An item?"

"It's a corporate secret, but…"

Karl grinned and showed the bracelet he was wearing.

"It's a bracelet made by Professor Dweno."

Items related to Dweno's world were still under a gag order and not publicly known.

However, Eliza, who had participated in the conquest with him, knew of its existence.

Eliza had also received a gift from Dweno.

"Mine has a function to hide my presence."

It seemed like a trivial function, but it was a very necessary ability for Karl, who had to stay close to the battlefield to constantly read the flow of combat, even if he wasn't participating.

*Clink-*

"Huh?"

It was then.

The sound of metal friction echoed.

*Clink- Clink-*

Karl and Eliza looked at each other.

The sound was getting closer.

Karl put on his invisibility cloak and said to Eliza.

"Get in here."

"Why?"

"If it's professors or other students, we'll have to fight. If you hide with your summoning magic, you might be detected. It's safer to just hide inside the invisibility cloak."

At Karl's words, Eliza huffed in annoyance and stepped inside Karl's cloak.

And she pressed herself close to Karl.

"You don't have to be this close?"

"You should have said so earlier."

Eliza scowled and widened the distance slightly.

They were still close, but Karl didn't say anything.

The two held their breath inside the invisibility cloak.

*Clink- Clink- Clink-*

A moment later.

Someone emerged from the darkness.

The sight was shocking.

A knight holding a bastard sword in one hand.

Clad in full plate armor, he was literally covered in blood.

"Huk- huk-"

Seeing the knight breathing heavily, Karl and Eliza froze.

In the dark night.

The knight, appearing in a horror-like manner in the eerie atmosphere, was something that made one's heart pound just by his presence.

"Huk- I'll kill… huk… "

Then the knight muttered in a voice filled with killing intent.

"Kill… mages… summoners…"

*Clink- Clink-*

After revealing his killing intent once, the knight disappeared back into the darkness.

A moment later.

Eliza muttered with a look of disbelief.

"What on earth was that?"

"Do I look like I know? It felt like the Knight Department was just putting on a show."

There might be many eccentric people in Rumern, so it seemed possible.

"By the way."

"Why?"

"Eliza, were you scared?"

Karl smiled slyly.

Just a moment ago, when the knight revealed his killing intent, Eliza had unconsciously gripped Karl's arm tightly.

"Our Eliza has a surprisingly timid side…"

*Thwack-!*

"I apologize. I was talking nonsense."

Seeing Eliza pull out her whip and stretch it taut, Karl immediately doubled over.

Looking at him, Eliza said.

"Let's go conquer the Mirona."

"Alright."

……. (To be continued)