The familiar blue portal appeared, and I stepped through it, leaving my room at the academy to return to Earth. As soon as I entered the portal, a system prompt appeared, giving me the options I had available, and the details of this summoning.
This summoning is in relation to your contract with the world known as Earth. You are being summoned to deal with a creature deemed too powerful to appear at this point in your world’s integration. The location of your summoning is the North Sentinel Island in the Bay of Bengal.
Summoning objectives:
- Locate and destroy the creature attacking the local population.
- Protect local inhabitants and ensure that a viable population remains on the island.
Bonus objective:
- The people on the island are called the Sentinelese. While they are considered “primitive” by your world, these people show a remarkable affinity for mana usage and integration into the system. During your stay with them, look for ways to assist in their integration.
Please note that all rewards for this contracted summoning are variable based on your performance and the successful completion of any bonus objectives.
Summoning conditions:
- As this contract is set in the world you previously inhabited, you are familiar with most of its climate and other physical conditions.
- Your mana core shielding will be enhanced for the duration of this contract. During this summoning, you will not have to worry about item degradation or mana siphoning.
Rewards:
- 25 gold for the successful completion of this summoning.
- One equipment bead for use with a minion of your choice.
- Completion of the bonus objective will result in a unique opportunity at the Starveil Academy.
- Possible enhanced rewards for exceptional performance.
- Continuation of the summoning contract with your home world.
Please select the two minions from your barracks that you wish to accompany you on this summoning contract.
- Mana Slayer Drone.
- Elida Silverbarrow.
- Glem, Glamb, and Glurk, Goblin Kill Team. This option is currently unavailable.
This was something new, I hadn’t had the option for a bonus objective for a contract yet. It was also interesting to see that I’d be dealing with people isolated from modern society. I had an idea of where the Bay of Bengal was, somewhere near India I believed, but I’d never hear of the island or the Sentinelese.
The system had mentioned assisting them in their integration and that they had an affinity for the system. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but if I could help someone from Earth to survive, I’d do whatever I could. Another odd point was that my bonus reward wasn’t an item, it was some kind of opportunity with my job at the academy.
By default, you have Chosen Elida Silverbarrow and the Mana Slayer Drone as the minions to accompany you on this summoning. Please select a third minion from the following list of options based on your recent experiences.
- Sneak Badger.
- Skeletal Mage.
- Savage Hyena Pack.
It looked like my choices were no longer restricted to my last contract and were also being taken from recent experiences. In this case, the choices were keyed to the dungeon delve I’d just had. The skeletal mage must have been a concession to Tzes’zod being there to assist me. I’d seen the sneak badger in action, and the hyena pack was probably fairly standard. I envisioned it being several lower tier and rank creatures and the badger being a single more powerful one.
The system didn’t give me any clues about the monster I was hunting, only that it was more powerful than it should be for this time in Earth’s integration. How that happened, and why the system decided it was time to act was a mystery. All I could do was take on the task and use it as another chance to help my world and to grow my power.
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As far as my selection for a third minion, I didn’t need numbers, I needed something that could integrate well with the existing team if this fight proved to be a difficult one. I also hadn’t been all that impressed with the sneak badger. Of the three, adding a ranged caster to go with my two tanky main minions was probably the better fit.
You have selected the Skeletal Mage. This minion is weak in personal combat but possesses several potent spells. It is equipped with a simple steel dagger and a magic missile wand with 5 charges. The skeletal mage has 6 spell slots and has access to the following spells.
- Simple Curse. Inflicts a short duration curse on the target, reducing its Constitution stat by 15%. The curse duration is 5 minutes.
- Rot. The target begins to suffer necrotic damage that slowly drains its life force for a total of 30 seconds. If the target is cursed, the duration of the spell is increased to 45 seconds.
- Parasite. When cast, a parasitic infection will spread in any open wounds on the target. The parasites will damage their host for a total of 30 seconds. If cast on a target already inflicted with Rot, the damage of the parasites is increased by 25%.
It was a nasty collection of spells, and I liked the fact they synergized well. Hitting a target with all three spells in order would be brutal. With six spell slots, the mage could cast the rotation twice. If our foe was a single, powerful creature, the skeletal mage was going to get some work done for us.
Summoner’s Gift has activated. Please select an ability you wish to share with your minions.
- Riposte.
- Overdrive.
This was the first time the system had offered overdrive as an option. Riposte was the safe bet, but giving the drone and Elida the ability to boost their damage for a short time would probably be the better option. The only downside was the debuff after the boost had run its course.
A single charge of Overdrive is now available for each minion to use at their discretion.
Now it was my turn to choose an ability from my minions.
Summoner’s Share has activated. Choose an ability/spell from one of your minions. This ability/spell will remain active for the duration of this summoning contract.
- Healing Beam (2).
- Mana Drain.
- Parasite (2).
I was hoping for another plasma beam or grenade launcher, but that wasn’t in the cards for this summoning. Mana Drain wasn’t going to be the pick since it required me to be in melee to be useful. Healing Beam was also a bust, since I would rather just cast Health Bloom. Parasite was probably the best option, and if my skeletal mage could cast the other spells in the chain, we’d be doing a solid chunk of damage to any foe.
You have selected Parasite. This spell will stack with up to 3 other instances of Parasite before you reach diminishing returns.
Select a minion for your Revive ability.
- Mana Slayer Drone.
- Elida Silverbarrow, halfling Battle Mender.
- Skeletal Mage.
It wasn’t too hard of a choice; my tank was the best pick for the ability.
You have selected the mana slayer drone as your Revive target.
With the last selection made, the portal opened and dumped me into a small jungle clearing where several huts made from woven foliage stood. A bonfire was surrounded by a small group of short humans. Many of the people were painted red and were holding bows, spears, and knives made from scrap metal.
They were all turned toward the glowing portal which quickly winked out after I walked out of it. After summoning my minions, I tried to speak with them, grateful that my Linguistic Adaptation Interface seemed to be working here on Earth. A few more people drifted out of the jungle to look at the spectacle of my minions.
“I’m Rico, and I was sent here by the system to help you. I understand there is a monster troubling you,” I said. Several of the men raised their bows, and I ordered my team to ignore any attacks. An older woman hissed and gestured, my interface translating for me.
“Stop, this one comes to assist the people and try to stop the beast. He is from the system and is not an enemy,” the woman said. She must have been someone of importance to these people based on their reactions. They immediately placed their weapons on the ground and kicked dirt over them to symbolize their wish for peaceful interaction.
“Tell me, what kind of beast troubles your people?” I asked.
“The beast arrived three days ago, emerging from the sea to attack and consume two of our fishermen. Each night it returns, bigger and stronger with each day that passes,” the woman said.
“Describe this creature to me,” I said.
“Now it is big, about as tall as your metal man,” she said, pointing toward the drone. “It has the body and claws of a crab, but its faces are almost like those of a man. When our warriors tried to fight, our arrows would not penetrate its flesh, and any who got close were killed by its claws. It will come again this night to feed on the people; will you stop it?” the woman asked.
Before I could answer, a pair of teens came running through the jungle shouting and pointing behind them. The warriors looked terrified but still moved to place themselves between the villagers and the approaching threat. I waved them back, sending the drone and Elida forward while I remained behind with the skeletal mage as we waited.
It was easy enough to track the beast, and I could hear it knocking over trees and plowing through foliage as it approached.