Rise of the Weakest Summoner

Leaving the room, Ast’s party headed for the exit. They took note of the landmarks, and Umbra assured them that it would be easy for him to navigate in this realm. Right after they went outside, he guided them in the direction they had been given.

Since the distance was much greater this time, they decided to fly there. There was also a chance that they would be able to spot the threat from the air before it discovered them. Going against an unknown in such a rough realm was nowhere close to delving into a new dungeon back in Kraedorion or even any other world they had access to. Any advantages needed to be utilized.

Save for Abyss. That one was being saved for the worst-case scenario. An unexpected joker card.

But, not to spook the residents of this eerie village, Asterios brought everyone away from the line of the first buildings. Then, he began to shift as usual. However, there was some difference, judging by the surprised gasps and noises of amazement he heard during the transformation. And surely, after fully coming back to his senses, he could see the reason why.

Instead of dark red, his draconic body was now pure gleaming black with a dark gray underbelly and wing membranes. The rest was pretty much the same in terms of shape and details. He didn’t grow taller or wider, just changed his scales. Considering the fact that he had already done it to his humanoid form after the recent battle, it honestly had to be expected.

“That’s so awesome!” Miria naturally couldn’t hold back her enthusiasm. “You can change colors at will now, Master?”

“Well, at least between red and black, that’s for sure.” Selene chuckled lightly. “Or can he touch on the spectrum between those to some extent?”

She directed her question at Althea, who was examining Ast’s new form in wonder.

“I’ve never heard of True Dragons that can do such a thing.” The wise lady gently shook her head, still staring at his impressive form. “But, I don’t think any of them were in the possession of two conflicting Dragon’s Hearts. Which aren’t that much in conflict in Asterios’ case.”

“When you think about it logically, he is a descendant of two major lineages, so he should be able to choose between them when he is transforming, no?” Tina stroked her chin thoughtfully. “He can control both of them and they seem equal, even if the other one hasn’t come to existence naturally.”

“Honestly, who knows?” A delicate smile snuck onto Althea’s lips. “We’ll have to see and learn. I do agree with your assessment, though. Asterios embraced both bloodlines and figured out a way to make them work together. Seeing sporadic black scales on his red frame would suggest that the other one is superior in this relationship, which we know isn’t the case.”

“I haven’t really needed the black one before,” Asterios commented, capturing their attention. “Not to the same extent as the red one, at least. I always considered it my original bloodline. Even when using shadow travel or other techniques, it’s never been drawn out to the fullest completely on its own. Whenever I brought out my full power, I drew on both Hearts, which kind of balanced this. But, during the bout with the Pit, the black side surged forward while the red one let it take control. “

“I wonder if you’ll be able to easily pick one or the other when we return home.” Silvia brushed his mighty leg curiously. “This environment clearly favors your Onyx lineage.”

“We’ll have to check, but right now, this doesn’t matter much,” he replied, shrugging his muscular shoulders. “I don’t think the inhabitants of this dimension care what color the True Dragon invading their home is. And if they do, this change is a good one. The stories mention a red claw and fire supporting Kaguya, right? I should be able to avoid drawing in too much unnecessary ire from those who remember these events.”

“That’s correct.” Umbra nodded at him. “Some old timers who are still around, their successors, or their offspring, might still care. You will be safer like this, I guarantee. Not from everything and everyone, but it’s always something. You might even pass as some shadow monster while flying. Now that I think of it, I might be of help with that.”

As he finished, their friend-turned-butler exploded into dark mist and floated towards Asterios. Everyone watched as the thick black smoke spread itself over his shiny scales, covering them with a less reflective layer but still retaining some resemblance of the draconic pattern. It seeped both down towards the ground and up into the air above, causing him to look even scarier than before.

“All is ready. We can go,” the mist announced with an echoing snicker.

So, the ladies climbed onto Ast’s back and took their favorite spots. Umbra’s presence didn’t change much besides the looks so they settled down fairly quickly, including even Abyss, who hovered atop her mysterious cloud atop Ast’s back. Almost all of them wondered how that would work during the flight, but no one wished to question her, simply waiting for their internal inquiry to answer itself in just a moment.

And that moment came right away as Asterios spread his wings and took off. At the same time, the layer of Umbra accompanying his movements created deep smoking trails and marks in their wake. The dark mist spread like smoke, rolling off Ast’s scales according to the pressure of the wind created by his flight. It must have looked truly menacing from below, however maybe not for the locals. If he attempted something like this back at home, several emergencies would have been sounded and the guilds would be in panic.

Right here and right now it was simply a camouflage to fit in with the environment. Judging by the calm and uneventful travel, it seemed to work. Umbra and Abyss informed everyone about the entities they sensed along the way, but none of those approached the party, even if they were able to traverse the sky too. A good number of creatures hid away, not daring to even show themselves to the potential predator passing over their territory.

Soon enough, they spotted their destination. It was hard to miss it. While most of the terrain resembled an extremely dark rock, it was still weirdly flat and even. Which couldn’t be said about the area they were closing onto.

The ground was littered with numerous craters and holes of different sizes and shapes. Besides those, plenty of other scars marred the tough surface, some resembling claws or other monstrous natural weapons, while others seemed to come from extremely sharp blades. The latter most likely belonged to Kaguya’s spiritual techniques, as the marks resembled those Asterios and the others had seen sometimes whenever Selene brought out a stronger technique.

In simple words, they arrived at an ancient battlefield. 

It was old enough for the Darklings to create visible paths throughout its entirety with their clawed feet. From the air, it looked like an abstract painting, with multiple lines winding around particular sections, which the pilgrims might believe had been carved out by their Goddess. The battle that had taken place here must have been an impressive one to leave the land deformed with hollows the size of small towns and cities.

Nevertheless, at first glance, Asterios and his passengers didn’t see any threats lurking around. The area was disfigured but barren of any life or whatever existed in this realm. Not even bones or any other remains of Kaguya’s enemies littered these Holy Grounds. No one was sure if her opponents simply hadn’t left any or if everything had been scavenged by the survivors. Perhaps some of the artifacts Selene had demanded came from those.

They made a few circles over the region just to make sure, but neither Ast’s group nor Abyss sensed any dangers. Armed with their earlier experience with the sneaky Pit, they were going to approach all future expeditions with much more wariness. This world was not only dangerous but also traitorous and misleading.

So, after scanning the area attentively for a while, they were left with only one option.

In the center of the battlefield, more or less, one of the biggest craters was located, its size comparable to that of Teira, Ast’s home village. For some reason, it was shrouded in dense fog, which filled the hole almost up to its very edges. The obstruction was still see-through enough to peer to the very bottom, and everyone focused on that, searching for enemies hidden in that suspicious mist.

But, they found nothing.

Nothing besides a weird bit of terrain that didn’t match the surroundings. Something bright white poked out of the almost black rock in the shape of a roughly excavated circle, perhaps created by the blow that had caused this cavity. It was hard to describe it in more detail with all that fog in the way, but it felt like a completely different mineral or material down there. 

Judging by the paths leading to that very point and around the bright patch, it was also the most popular pilgrimage spot. At least before the Horror had made it its new home. Fortunately or not, the host wasn’t in, maybe departed on another hunt or something. No one spotted anything resembling a giant lizard or a scary bird of prey.

“Are we going in?” Miria asked while glancing over the edge of Ast’s bulky frame. “There seems to be nothing there. Or are we going to wait in the air until the monster returns?”

“Who knows how long that might take.” Althea hummed to herself.

“Let me just check one more thing,” Asterios replied.

He focused more mana in his eyes and peered into the fog with his draconic vision. For a moment, he roamed his gaze through it thoroughly before turning back to his passengers.

“It looks natural. This is no spell or magic at least. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a trap either. Let’s be careful about this,” he added.

“I’ll stay on the lookout,” Abyss suggested. “If anything approaches or gets triggered by your movements, I’ll warn you immediately.”

“Thanks.” Asterios nodded at her appreciatively. “I’m going to drop us off near the edge.”

As she separated from them, hovering slightly away and staying in that place effortlessly, he dove toward the ground. Approaching the target carefully, he managed to land without any problems. The girls jumped off right away, assuming a defensive formation around their beloved, waiting for Asterios to turn back. Taking one more glance around, he did exactly that, reappearing next to them in his humanoid form, all draconic features still present.

“It looks even creepier from up close,” Tina pointed out, rubbing her arms reassuringly. “But, we can also see the bottom much better.”

“Not well enough to judge what that thing down there is. From this angle, it could be a door, a gate, or just a piece of white bedrock that exists naturally deep beneath the thick layer of dark stone,” Silvia commented.

“These fanatics seem to have been paying a lot of attention to it so it might be of some importance,” Selene added. “If they haven’t mistaken nothing for a gift from their benevolent Goddess. Or, that’s where the fog comes from and they assumed it was her doing. We should have asked for more details about this place. It’s hard to tell if this mist is part of the site or if it’s caused by the Horror.”

“From what my eyes tell me, that bit poking out of the rock does give off magical vibes,” Asterios joined in, squinting at the distant bottom. “This fog in itself isn’t magical but it partially obstructs my vision so I can’t tell much about the school of that magic. If it comes from the monster, then it has at least one ability to prevent me from prying into its secrets.”

“Good thing it’s not here, then.” Miria grinned. “What now?”

“I could go ahead and scout it for you,” Umbra offered.

“Are you sure?” Asterios turned to him. “If it once again proves to be something that impairs your shadow movement, you’ll be in trouble.”

“I trust you to save me then.” The Lord of Shadows chuckled deeply. “I’ll be right back.”

Without waiting for a reply, he morphed into a pool of darkness and slithered down the ledge.

“He might be feeling bad about not being able to help us out back then,” Miria said with a slightly saddened expression.

“Normally, I would disagree, since Umbra rarely gets swayed by such emotions, but today, I’m inclined to support that notion.” Selene ruffled through the panthergirl’s hair. “This is partially his domain and the first encounter we stumble on renders him almost powerless. That has to feel troublesome for him.”

“We were just unlucky,” Asterios said. “I hope he won’t dwell on it too much. There will be plenty of situations where he will save our butts, that’s for certain.”

As they were speaking, Umbra reached the bottom, moving in circles around the white section.

~It seems safe down here,~ he conveyed. ~And this part is definitely not something commonly found in our realm. If ever, to be honest. It feels manmade, out of something like white marble or other similar mineral, with golden grooves carved all over it.~

Asterios turned to Selene, who nodded at him.

“That could be her doing, though the records say she preferred silver markings over gold. Maybe it’s another of their hideouts?” She pondered out loud.

“Only one way to confirm that,” he responded and exchanged glances with everyone else. “Let’s go. And keep close. I’ve read enough about ominous fogs that suddenly thicken and split the group up.”

Tina chuckled quietly. “Most likely not as much as Professor did. Though, I bet hers were full of rather obscene monsters.”

Rolling his eyes as the others snickered, he led the charge, making sure not to move too fast. Everyone stayed within arm’s reach of each other, actively searching for unexpected attacks and tracks. Thankfully, the mist didn’t become opaque after they covered half of the distance, but it surely was harder to see than on the outside.

Asterios could swear something moved on the side at about two-thirds of the way, but no one else saw anything. He kept a close eye on that direction alongside two of his trusty mates while the rest of the team kept their focus on other parts of the hollow. Nothing jumped at them to the very end so he assumed it must have just been a weird angle or something.

But then, he took one more peek over his shoulder, right where Selene was facing, and did a quick double take. A darker shape was slowly moving their way as if the fog itself condensed to create it.

“Girls, there actually is something with us here,” he stated calmly. “And it looks like a bear.”

“What?” Miria furrowed her brows in the corner of his eye, her attention focused somewhere else. “It’s definitely a big wolf. Are you sure you are seeing it properly through this smoke, Master?”

“I hate to break it to you, but it looks like a human,” Tina chimed in with an anxious tone.

“Agreed.” Silvia nodded. “A tall and fairly shapely woman in a long dress.”

“Uhhhh… No?” The Summoner girl raised her brows at the princess. “That’s definitely a guy. Around my age, I would say.”

“The hell?” Asterios looked at each of them, stopping at Althea who hadn’t said anything yet. “Does yours differ too?”

“Yes…” she replied with an uncertain tone. “But this can’t be…”

“Okay. Everyone, point where you see whatever you see,” he requested.

In complete unison, every person raised their arm and pointed a finger ahead.

But, everyone’s ahead was in a completely different direction.

“Umbra?” Asterios called out to their shadowy companion.

“I can’t see anything.” The already reformed butler shook his head.

“Maybe this truly is another vault and this might be another trial—”

“Wait. Is that…” Miria interrupted him with a tone full of disbelief, followed by a gasp of shock. “A Bloodfang?! Here?!”

“Roz?” Tina frowned deeply. “What are you even doing in this place?”

“Mom?” Silvia’s voice cracked a little. “How are you… alive?”

Seeing the shocked and dumbfounded faces of his mates, Asterios turned back to the creature he had initially spotted. And surely, the previously obscure shape had turned into an uncannily familiar Agate Bear bearing marks from blades, arrows, and Fire Magic. It stood on all fours while eyeing him furiously.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake…” Asterios sighed deeply. “Does this place not know any other tricks?”

“Master?” Umbra appeared next to him.

“This is another mental attack. I don’t know what its purpose is as nothing seems to be feeding on us like the last time. We all see different things—”

“Master, watch out!” Miria’s shout reached his ears and he turned around.

The panthergirl stared at him with wide eyes but he just looked back at her in confusion. A second later, something slammed into him from the front, throwing Asterios backward. He rolled on the ground and landed in a crouch. Glancing down at his chest, he saw three horizontal cuts in his spiritual attire, the corresponding bloody marks already closing beneath the clothes on their own.

“—but it looks like we don’t need to see all those things for them to be able to hurt us,” Asterios finished his sentence, altering it a little. “That kind of sucks, if I were to be honest.”

“If this is a direct mental assault, I should be able to take care of it in a moment,” Umbra said hastily. “Give me just a second, Master.”

The humanoid shadow dispersed and seeped into Ast’s frame. He sensed an additional effort to shield his mind and welcomed it, deciding not to obstruct Umbra’s work.

“Take your time,” Asterios whispered to himself, knowing his loyal familiar would hear it. “As for us out here, I think we need to even out the chances a little bit.”

“How?” Selene asked, looking extremely uncertain as her gaze was locked on the figure only she could perceive.

“It’s time to become one,” he replied. “Just like we practiced. Deepen that connection and become open to everyone. I know we mostly trained with me as the central point, but I believe this won’t be the slightest issue for you ladies.”

Even before he finished, the Bloodfang popped into his vision right ahead. It was of no surprise that Miria succeeded first with all the experience she had gotten in their early days. The panthergirl smiled at him proudly before spotting the Agate Bear, turning much more serious and somewhat angry.

One by one, more images joined the battlefield. One of them was Roz, his and Tina’s colleague from the academy days, obviously from her mind. Another turned out to be an almost perfect copy of Selene, save for two differences, one being the much more chaotic blue pathways covering her entire skin, and the other being her crazy expression with completely manic eyes.

As for Silvia and Althea, their guests were even more surprising.

A woman Asterios had seen in a few paintings all over Welrond’s castle, which shared a lot of features with the princess, stood there menacingly. There was no doubt this was the man’s queen, her mother in other words. A disgusted sneer painted the lady’s soft lips as she glared at her daughter.

His mentor faced another familiar figure, but this time a much more recent one. Jellal in all his glory continued to look down on his old disciple. He seemed disappointed but also somewhat repulsed by what he was seeing. The usual haughtiness was present in his entire body, even more pronounced than in reality.

“It’s only the second time, but I’m already getting tired of this,” Asterios said.

Reaching deep into himself, he drew on the black source while trying to recreate the moment from the Pit of Despair. With a gradually louder growl, waves of spiritual energy burst outwards. The fog shook and trembled, but it didn’t disperse or get pushed aside, no matter how much he bombarded it with his aura. This one just didn’t want to submit.

If it even could do so in the first place.

Stopping, Asterios faced the bear. “I guess it’s up to the old-fashioned way to fix this problem.”

Taking hold of his greatsword, he charged straight at his opponent.

“Sorry, buddy, but I’m not the same helpless guy as before,” he said as he swung at the Agate Bear.

The blow connected and the monster roared in pain, but surprisingly, the cut seemed shallow and its flesh felt unexpectedly tough. Its shoulder was barely scraped, even with Asterios not holding back. 

Glancing down, he noticed that his hands were shaking for some reason. It was much harder to control them properly. Another glance, this time around, revealed that others experienced similar troubles with their own apparitions. Miria bounced around the Bloodfang, but her legs kept shaking a little and her blades didn’t have much effect on the beast. And in terms of the humanoid opponents the other girls faced, none of the ladies looked like they were going to attack.

“Something is wrong,” Asterios noted. “But it’s not clear what in this case.”

~I identified our opponent already, Master. I can cut its influence off right away,~ Umbra relayed mentally. ~Hiding its presence is its strong point but I easily traced it back through the invisible psychic tendrils it has latched onto your minds. This monstrosity brings out its prey’s biggest traumas, fears, or regrets and throws those against them. The weaker individuals fall right then and there, but the stronger ones challenge their past, not knowing that it’s all a ruse and they can’t defeat their horrors, thus the name. The damage they suffer is real as this fog is the predator’s body and can cause physical injuries matched with what the victims see. It’s currently split between the phantoms it’s controlling.~

“So it’s like that.” Asterios snorted.

~Should I take care of it, Master?~ his familiar asked.

“This gives me an idea so wait a little. Thanks for the save, by the way.” He turned to the girls. “Ladies! What do you say about switching things up a little now that we can all see our respective opponents? It looks like we are at a disadvantage trying to face our horrors.”

His mates all looked at him, then between themselves, realization flashing over their faces, and some relief in the case of a few individuals.

“Let me at him, Master!” Miria was the first one to respond with an eager grin, her legs immediately calming down. “There’s a thing or two I didn’t get to discuss with that bastard back then.”

She happily hopped past him and moved towards the bear.

“I’ll handle the dog, then.” Selene crossed his path while aiming for the Bloodfang and cracking her knuckles. “I heard it caused you two quite a bit of grief in the past.”

“Anyone wants to teach a vulgar kid some manners?” Tina asked around.

“Allow me.” Althea curtsied at her politely.

“Great. I’ll return the favor then.” The blue-haired girl smiled appreciatively, finding the humanoid Lesser Dragon on the side.

“Well, that leaves me with only one option.” Asterios directed his gaze at the mature woman.

“Sorry about that.” Silvia came to him and ducked her head in apology.

“It’s alright.” He gently patted her hair. “I always knew I would one day have to fight someone’s mother for their daughter’s hand. I’ll take this chance to introduce myself properly. You go and handle the Mad Selene. I don’t envy you. She looks pissed.”

The princess chuckled daintily and showed a warm smile. Grasping Ast’s collar, she joined their lips in a delicate kiss. Throwing a look full of gratitude his way, she sauntered away. He followed her with his gaze for a moment before giving all of his attention to the mother-in-law he had never expected to meet.

Life was just full of surprises.