Capítulo 58: Dimensional summoning!
[A flower just like the one previously inscribed on the cover of Infinitus?]
Hugo was astonished.
The nine-petalled flower sprung from the dark soil at the far corner of the cave. Its colors and symmetry were certainly striking. Nonetheless, Hugo felt that there was surely a deeper meaning beneath the lotus' delicate exterior.
Around the flower, an almost palpable silver mist whirled cyclically.
Hugo had a feeling that the mysterious plant possessed similar traits to the lotus-flowers commonly depicted in oriental legends back on Earth.
According to what he had heard in his previous life, the lotuses had life cycles, unlike other plants. With their roots immovably jammed in mud, they became submerged under the river surface every single night yet emerged and blossomed miraculously the following morning, sparkling-clean.
This cycle led to the flowers' widespread association with rebirth and spiritual enlightenment in many oriental cultures. The daily processes of life, death, and reemergence were the reasons for the lotus' symbolism in those cultures.
Hugo ignored the whining puppies and approached the flower.
It consisted of an array of yellow, pink, and white petals that emitted a fragrant scent. Hugo could feel its invigorating aura flood his body even whilst still a few paces away.
It felt just like the first time his mother had cast a healing spell on him, on the day of his birth.
"This is definitely a treasure," Hugo whispered as he stepped closer to the flower. He was now feeling regret over his lack of access to Gaia's botanical knowledge.
[My minor mana channels are on the verge of opening from just smelling the flower's aroma! But I need to hurry up and leave.]
Hugo had no particular desire to get noticed by any stronger entities coming to investigate the aftermath of the battle between the beasts.
"Eehh…"
The flower disappeared as soon as Hugo's fingers made contact with it.
[What sorcery is this?] Hugo wondered; his eyes closely inspecting the space previously occupied by the lotus. It had vanished leaving no trace; like the whole thing had been a visual joke.
His eyes searched the cave around him fervently and his ears tuned to the whining of the two puppies. For a moment he quite forgot about the lotus flower.
Then, abruptly in a flare of instinct, he pried open the imaginary door to his spirit world and entered deeper meditation.
Hugo was pleasantly surprised to find the flower hovering just next to the Grimoire when he arrived in the familiar formless space. It looked like a permanent feature that had been rooted there all along.
"But how do I use it?" He wondered out loud.
"SCREEEEECH…"
At that instant, an anguished spider's screech snatched Hugo out of deeper meditation. Even his invisibility was almost shattered by the high pitched din.
[The spider shouldn't have healed yet. What's going on?] Hugo's heart leaped to his throat. A strong instinct throbbed, warning him of a terrifying danger approaching.
He rushed towards the cave's entrance, however, he abruptly stopped in his tracks after the puppies' agitated whining ratcheted up a notch.
[I can't leave them here. A young one of any species; plant, beast, or human should never be left to fend for themselves.] Hugo deliberated after noticing the puppies' anxiety.
[I wonder if Infinitus can keep the pups.] Hugo mused as he deactivated his invisibility and summoned the Grimoire.
With swift motions, Hugo turned the Grimoire's pages while listening closely for movements around the cave.
[Just as I thought.]
He felt a surge of joy after confirming that another page had been added in the Grimoire. On the fifth page, a fire red circle, its edge littered with mysterious runes forming several sets of mystic ciphers, was emblazoned.
And within the circle's circumference, a pentagram was inscribed. Hugo could even make out a tiny vivid image of a wolf inscribed within a smaller circle at the pentagram's center.
"Dimensional-Summoning!?" Hugo enunciated as he read the phrase inscribed just below the summoning circle.
"Nwaaaahhhhgg… Nwaaaaahhhggg…" But alas, his focus was once again broken by the whining of the wolf pups. Their agitation was palpable.
"This better work," Hugo swore as he placed his palm over the dimensional-summoning circle. He was holding out for another miracle from the Grimoire. Otherwise, the two pups would be left behind as dinner for whatever beast was approaching.
Hugo promptly started visualizing the summoning circle while channeling his mana into Infinitus. His entire mind was so focused on the task at hand that he forgot about the agitated puppies and whatever danger was approaching.
"HONG…"
A few seconds later, an explosion of information went through his mind as he felt feedback from Infinitus.
"So, that's how it is," Hugo mumbled while resisting the urge to slump down and rest after receiving the dimensional-summoning-contract from the Grimoire. He felt light-headed from the vast amount of complicated information that had been added to his mind.
"Come here," Hugo called out to the pups which had moved away from him to huddle in the furthest end of the cave. They didn't respond to his summons and remained clustered together, their bodies shuddering, while occasionally casting fearful glances at the cave entrance.
[What could cause such agitation in wolf pups? A natural enemy of their species?!] Hugo mused as he rushed towards them.
Once he got close, he bit his finger and began drawing the contract pentagram on their foreheads with blood.
The two wolf pups did not even resist since their attention was entirely focused on the cave entrance. Whatever was coming had petrified them to the point of ignoring Hugo's presence.
In no time, their foreheads were adorned with exact replicas of the pentagram inscribed within the summoning circle in Infinitus.
This was the key cipher for establishing a dimensional-summoning bond between a mystic and a creature in Gaia. Once the contract was established, the mystic would be able to use the summoned creature in fights against foes.
"SHAASSH…"
The pentagrams on the foreheads of the two pups began glowing blood-red, and shortly, they started spinning very fast as they increased in size.
In a flash of red light, the pentagrams escaped the foreheads of the two pups and formed on the cave floor beneath their silhouettes.
Hugo was mesmerized as he watched the two summoning circles spin with increased angular velocity whilst emitting mysterious red light that enclosed the two pups within.
"It's working…" Hope bloomed inside him as he watched the two puppies turn into red blurs that disappeared into the Grimoire.
Presentes
-- Presente
recebido Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder