Alister closed his eyes, focusing on the dark quartz summoning conduit cradled in his hands. He channeled his mana into it, feeling the surge of power coursing through him.
The conduit responded, absorbing his energy until it glowed with an ominous black and red hue. With a deep breath, he directed his will toward the massive, now-closed stone doors before him.
A beam of dark energy shot forth, striking the stone surface. The impact vibrated through the air as the conduit unleashed its power.
[Summoning processing….]
[The player should begin bringing necessary memories to the surface…]
Alister’s thoughts then drifted to the moments he had spent with Mar’Garet, recalling her loyalty and spirit. Memories of her training with the spear and their shared spars flashed vividly in his mind, including some light-hearted moments of laughter, and the moment he left her to protect dragonkind in his stead. Remembering the forced smile she had on her face now made him feel slightly guilty, driving him to push harder against the conduit.
Alzuring, standing at a respectful distance, watched in fascination.
As the beam of energy subsided, the stone doors began to shimmer, a soft golden glow emanating from the cracks. Alister held his breath.
But slowly, that golden light shifted to a fiery red, pulsing so intensely that it forced Alister to shield his eyes this time. An unsettling dark aura surrounded the doors, causing a chill to go down his spine.
The doors slowly creaked open, revealing an abyss beyond. For a moment, the sight reminded Alister of something, but the moment he thought he knew what it was, he would forget it.
From the darkness, footsteps echoed softly-an approach that sounded too delicate to belong to a creature of great size, like a dragon.
Alister’s thoughts raced, ‘She must still be in her combat form.’
As the footsteps grew nearer, flashes of a woman emerged from the depths. Clad in white and black worn-out battle gear, she held a spear in her right hand, walking forward with the grace of a seasoned warrior.
Suddenly, the system flashed a notification.
[Congratulations to the player for summoning the Abyss Dragon Mar’ Garet Von Abyss-Void (SS rank).]
Seeing this, Alister’s thoughts raced, ‘A dragon? I thought she was a drake… like Cinder?’ ‘Did she evolve?’
Suddenly, another notification flashed.
[Notice! The summoned dragon possesses three titles!]
[The One Who Fought For An Eternity!]
[Protector Of A Kingdom Without Subjects!]
[Bearer of A Tainted Desire!]
As the system notifications flashed in the corner of Alister’s vision, he couldn’t help but feel a touch of guilt. One didn’t need to be a genius to understand what these titles meant.
‘She has fought as hard as she could… Even after she inevitably failed at her duty… She kept on fighting,’ was what Alister could deduce from the first two titles. As for the last one, he felt it reflected her hope to see him again—a hope that never came true, or so he thought.
Mar’Garet stepped forward, her armor battered and worn, her crimson eyes now dark and devoid of the light he remembered.
Her expression was cold, distant-nothing like the fierce yet loyal warrior he had once known. She looked like some kind of lifeless doll, a sign that she had been through a lot. No one could tell how much.
She came to a halt before him, her gaze sweeping the surroundings as though searching for something or someone.
“Where is my lord?” she asked, her voice low but laced with a touch of frustration.
Alister blinked in confusion, her question catching him off guard.
“Your lord? Mar’Garet, it’s me,” he responded, stepping forward. “I’m right here.”
Her eyes narrowed, and her grip tightened on the spear she held, its sharp tip now pointed directly at him.
“Do you think this is some kind of sick joke?” she spat, her tone tinged with fury.
“I didn’t answer the call of that voice just to be mocked. I came here because I was told I would meet him-my lord, the one I swore my life to!”
Alister’s heart raced, her words cutting through him like a blade.
‘That voice?’
‘What is she talking about?’
His mind whirled, piecing together the puzzle. Someone or something-had summoned her here, promising a reunion with her former lord. But the question was, who had deceived her?
“Mar’Garet, listen to me,” Alister began, his voice calm but firm. “I am the one who called you, and I am the one you swore loyalty to. I don’t know what voice you heard, but I am not here to trick you.”
Her red eyes flared with doubt and anger, but beneath the rage, Alister could sense the pain that lingered in her soul, the weight of her past failures still crushing her spirit. Mar’Garet’s eyes flashed with a fiery intensity as red mana flared around her body like an inferno, casting a harsh light that illuminated the space around them.
Alister narrowed his eyes, his expression hardening as he gazed at her coldly, unflinching in the face of her power.
Alzuring, who had been watching, now raised his own aura. The space around his massive body rippled with raw blue mana, a violent pulse of authority that made the air tremble.
His voice thundered, filled with fury. “You dare raise your aura in the presence of a member of the royal bloodline? That is a sin worthy of death! You are a disgrace to all dragonkind!”
The sheer force of Alzuring’s presence caused the ground to shake, but Mar’Garet wasn’t the least bit fazed. She had seen worse, far worse, so she simply ignored him, her cold eyes locked
onto Alister.
Her voice was cold as she spoke, her spear still pointed toward him.
“Look…”
“…I don’t know what you think you’re up to, but I will not tolerate you impersonating my lord. It’s an insult I would gladly kill you for, but I have no time to waste on such a trivial
effort.”
She lowered her spear slightly but did not relax her guard. “Now, I’ll be removing myself from this place. I must return to the duty my true lord entrusted to me,” she said, turning as if ready to leave through the summoning doors without another word.
As Mar’Garet turned to leave, the system flashed another notification.
[System Notice: Quest Issued!]
Quest Title: Restore the Lost Bond
Mar’Garet does not recognize you due to your altered appearance and aura. In her mind, you are not the Lord she once pledged loyalty to. To regain her trust, you must make her realize it is truly you, her Lord. Remind her of the bond you once shared and prove your identity.
Objective: Make Mar’Garet pledge her loyalty once more.
Reward: Random Class-Exclusive Skill
Alister’s thoughts churned as he processed the new quest. He smiled slightly as he suddenly realized how to go about this.
As Mar’Garet strode forward with unwavering confidence, her dark armor glinting ominously under the red glow from the doors, Alister suddenly spoke up, his voice cutting through the
tension like a blade.
“Look at you,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “What a rebellious disciple you turned out to be. Can’t even follow your lord’s last orders to you.”