Damien walked into the Mercenary office early the next morning, his mind clouded by lingering thoughts of the nightmare that had kept him tossing and turning through the night. Arielle greeted him with her usual warm smile from behind the counter.
“Back so soon?” she teased, her head tilting slightly in curiosity.
“I’m here for another demon-hunting mission,” Damien replied, his voice calm but firm.
Arielle’s smile faded as she reached for a scroll lying on the counter. She unfurled it, her expression growing serious. “This one came in late last night,” she explained.
“A group of demons has been sighted holding human captives. The demons are likely keeping them alive to feast on later.”
Damien’s jaw tightened. “What rank is the mission?”
“It hasn’t been officially confirmed yet,” Arielle admitted, “but it’s estimated to be either Grade Five or Grade Four. The demons seem organized, which is unusual.”
Damien gave a single, resolute nod. “Good. That’s exactly the kind of challenge I’m looking for.”
As Damien turned to leave with the scroll, Arielle called out after him. “Wait a second! I need your ID.”
Damien stopped mid-step and glanced over his shoulder. “What’s wrong with it?”
“I forgot to include your talent,” she admitted, holding the card out. “I’ll need it for your records.”
Damien hesitated, then shrugged. “E-Ranked Summoner.”
Arielle blinked. “You’re joking.”
“I’m not,” Damien replied nonchalantly.
Her brow furrowed, and she crossed her arms. “You’re telling me you’re an E-Ranked Summoner, yet you took down a horde of demons faster than anyone expected? How is that even possible?”
Damien smirked. “I’m just different.”
Arielle wasn’t convinced. She reached under the counter, retrieving a small dagger and a thick, ancient tome. “This is the Book of Gifts,” she explained. “It reveals the talent and divine blessing of whoever’s blood touches its pages. Prove it.”
Damien eyed the tome warily. It looked eerily similar to the one from his family’s estate, the very book that had branded him a failure. After a brief pause, he sighed and took the dagger.
“See for yourself then.” He made a shallow cut on his thumb and pressed it against the blank page. Almost immediately, glowing letters appeared.
Talent: E-Ranked Summoner
Blessing: God of Mischief
Arielle stared at the text, her skepticism giving way to confusion. “You’re serious,” she murmured.
“I told you,” Damien replied with a shrug.
“But how…”
Damien interrupted her with a chuckle. “You’re the first to ask that, and I doubt you’ll be the last. Just think of me as… unique.”
Still unconvinced, Arielle followed Damien to the office’s entrance. “Show me,” she demanded.
Damien smirked at her persistence. Without a word, he focused his thoughts, summoning Aquila.
A shimmering portal of blue light appeared beside him, and from it emerged the majestic Griffin. The beast’s golden feathers glistened in the sunlight, its sharp talons clicking against the cobblestone street.
Aquila stretched its massive wings, letting out a cry that echoed through the town, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
Gasps rippled through the growing crowd of onlookers. Some stepped back in awe, while others whispered amongst themselves, speculating about the rare creature.
Damien climbed onto Aquila’s back, his movements smooth and practiced. He glanced down at Arielle, whose jaw hung slightly open.
“It’s a Griffin,” Damien explained. “Rare even among summoners. And mine’s one of a kind.”
Arielle finally found her voice. “You summoned that without a spell…?”
Damien nodded. “Summoning’s kind of my thing.”
The Griffin flapped its wings, stirring up a gust of wind that sent loose papers flying. As the beast rose into the air, Damien leaned down slightly. “See you around, Arielle. Or maybe not. That’s up to fate.”
With that, Aquila ascended higher, leaving Arielle and the rest of the onlookers in awe.
High above the town, Damien reviewed the details of the mission in his mind. A group of demons. Captured humans. Likely Grade Five or Four.
He urged Aquila to fly faster, the wind whipping against his face as he mentally prepared himself for what lay ahead.
Within an hour, they reached the edge of a dense forest. Damien instructed Aquila to descend, and the Griffin landed gracefully on the withered grass below.
The forest was eerily quiet, its trees warped and twisted as if corrupted by the demonic presence. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and patches of vegetation lay rotting on the forest floor.
Damien dismounted, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of movement. He knew the demons’ lair couldn’t be far.
“Stay close,” he murmured to Aquila, who let out a soft chirp in response.
It didn’t take long for Damien to find what he was looking for. Another dark, gaping hole lay ahead, its edges barren of any greenery. The ground around it was cracked and lifeless, the miasma of demonic energy palpable even from a distance.
Damien smirked. “Let’s cook once again.”
He summoned his Advanced Flame Magic, conjuring a massive ball of fire in his hands. With a flick of his wrist, he launched it into the hole.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then came the explosion and roar.
Booooom!!
Dozens of demons surged out of the pit, their grotesque forms illuminated by the flames. Damien’s grin widened. “Let’s dance.”
With a single command, Damien sent Aquila to the edge of the battlefield, instructing the Griffin to intervene only if attacked. Damien wanted to grow stronger too. He needed all the Exp he could get from slaying them himself as Exp from his summons kills would be smaller.
Drawing his flaming sword, Damien charged into the fray. His blade cut through the first demon effortlessly, its blackened body collapsing in a heap. Another lunged at him, claws outstretched, but he sidestepped smoothly and countered with a fiery slash that cleaved the creature in two.
Demonic fireballs and corrosive liquids were hurled his way, but Damien deflected them with precise swings of his blade, the flames consuming the projectiles before they could reach him.
One particularly bold demon attempted to flank him, only to find itself impaled as Damien spun around, driving his blade into its chest.
Kreeeeii!!
Aquila, observing from its perch, let out a triumphant cry as a small group of demons turned their attention to it. They reminded it of the last encounter and Aquila prepared to give these ones a beastial dance as well.