Capítulo 13: Chapter 13
Drake is a monster.
This is a fact assured by his master, Eredith.
Drake's danger had been drilled into Ian's ears frequently enough to be annoying.
'Never! Never fight! Don't even look back, just run! Always think only of escaping!'
Drake is a monstrous beast powerful enough to confront an army alone.
A body as massive as moving rocks.
Thick scales that deflect axes and hammers.
Acidic liquid secreted from poison lines throughout his body when stressed.
Even his breath contains hallucinogenic bacteria.
At this point, it's doubtful if he's a naturally born creature or a bio-weapon created for a specific purpose.
A handful of bandits and some merchants' workers.
Along with a wizard, a traveler, and a prostitute.
Against such a small pile of humans, there's no way to subdue this fantasy – this monster.
Drake finishes chewing a bandit he was eating and lets out a ferocious roar.
[Krowarararara!]
Everyone, including Ian, felt an extreme fear as if their blood had frozen.
It's only natural to feel fear when a monster that chews humans like gum is right in front of you.
"... Kill the wizard as quickly as possible..."
"Son of a b*tch, are you crazy, you f*cked-up bastard!"
The bandit leader muttered, causing a rift among the bandits.
Although the leader sent a command an attack, almost everyone turned their backs, except for a few subordinates.
"Run, all of you! Run if you want to live! Idiots!"
As his subordinates turned to flee, the bandit leader had no choice but to follow.
He hesitated, looking around, and then belatedly moved.
But he hesitated for too long.
Crunch!
Drake easily plucked the bandit leader's head like picking a raspberry.
Pressing him down with a paw and sweeping his head into his mouth, the bandit leader instantly turned into a tasty snack.
"Ugh... Ughhh."
"Aaaahhh!"
The merchants' workers screamed and retched.
Drake's feasting was too much for them to handle.
Ian was shocked too.
'...'
But unlike others, Ian's mind was half-focused elsewhere.
[You have witnessed the mystery of the primordial!]
[New Skill Acquired!]
[Skill: Summoning]
[The ability to communicate with and summon mystical creatures]
A status window suddenly appeared before his eyes.
Seeing the status window for the first time in a while, Ian found a moment of relief from his fear.
'Summoning?'
Communicate with mystical creatures.
That's what was written in the skill window.
Based on his experiences so far, Drake was some kind of 'mystery'.
And if that's a mystery.
Through the summoning skill, he could... talk to it!
'There's no other way.'
Ian made up his mind.
The only option Ian could rely on now was to persuade Drake using the summoning skill.
If this fails, Ian will be killed by Drake.
'Decide firmly. Act confidently.'
Ian knew that the mysteries of the world were favorably inclined towards him, though he didn't understand why.
Maybe it's because he is a reincarnated being, perhaps even a human crafted from the mysteries themselves.
One thing was certain, the mysteries had never betrayed Ian so far.
Ian's eyes widened.
"[Drake!]"
Fluent Maronius language spilled from Ian's lips.
"Grrrr..."
Drake turned his head in response to Ian.
"EEK!"
"Sir wizard...!"
The merchants' workers collapsed on the spot, their legs giving out.
Facing overwhelming fear, human will to fight breaks down.
One just entrusts their fate to the mercy of the enemy.
However, the workers were not relying on Drake's mercy, but on Ian's abilities.
Believing in the miracle of the wizard.
"[I am! Your! Friend!]"
Ian articulated the Maronius language deliberately, hoping his will would be conveyed to Drake.
"Grrrr..."
"[Friends! Do not harm!]"
"Grrrr..."
"[Dislike! Fighting!]"
"Grrrr..."
'No, what is he saying?'
However, Ian's will hit a wall.
It seemed that Drake was reacting, so Ian's will must be getting through.
But Drake's will wasn't being conveyed to Ian at all.
'Is this the limit of my aptitude...'
Ian recalled the magical knowledge taught by Eredith.
Just as people are better at some things and worse at others, wizards also have mysteries they resonate with and those they don't.
In Eredith's case, she peculiarly understood the voice of fire perfectly, becoming an excellent fire wizard.
In Ian's case, he generally understood the voices of all mysteries.
Probably, thanks to the skill window.
However, he faintly felt that he was quite good at hearing the voice of darkness.
Ian had an aptitude for dark magic.
The important point was that Ian's aptitude for [Summoning] was not that great.
"Grrrr..."
Drake still didn't move an inch.
Desperate measures were needed.
'Ah, whatever.'
Ian summoned the skill window.
And he invested all the bonus experience points he had accumulated so far into summoning.
[Your summoning ability has greatly increased!]
[LV UP!]
[LV UP!]
[Skill: Summoning – Lv 3]
[You are quite a decent summoner]
It was a bold investment.
Ian didn't know what kind of magic summoning was, but that was entirely unimportant.
What's the point of saving skill points when he's about to become gum for a monster?
As the ancient sage said, saving leads to waste.
Having raised his summoning to level 3, Ian attempted to converse with Drake once again.
"[Drake.]"
His language became smoother and more natural.
The Maronius language, previously just a series of words, had become more conversational, responding to Ian's will.
[Damn. How many times are you going to call? If you have something to say, then say it!]
Drake erupted in annoyance.
He had been responding all this time, but the lack of mutual understanding was frustrating.
'This is really effective.'
Ian was genuinely impressed.
Just raising the skill level a bit had led to such smooth communication!
What about other magics?
Would raising their skills make conversations with mysteries easier?
"[I do not wish to fight you.]"
Ian started the negotiation with a calm and polite tone.
This negotiation involved his life, the lives of the merchant workers, and the travelers.
[Fight? That's a joke. To me, you're nothing but mice. Mice that dirty my house. Do you fight with mice?]
"[You're right, Drake. To you, we might be no more than insignificant vermin. But, Drake, if we leave cleanly on our own, there's no need for you to engage in the worthless task of killing such trivial beings.]"
[Hmph. Begging for your life, I see. As you said, there's no need to bother catching and killing each one of you.]
Ian did not smile.
The killing intent from Drake was so intense, it felt like it was piercing his skin.
Drake had no intention of sparing the humans yet.
[But! Lately, I've been in a really bad mood. I feel like killing you to relieve my stress.]
Drake's gaze bore down on Ian.
A palpable intent to kill, as if he could tear Ian apart any moment.
'... A head-on approach it is.'
Ian overcame the chilling intent and continued to speak.
"[May I ask what has upset you so much?]"
[Hmph! Why should I? To a worthless human like you?]
Ian immediately whispered in Maronius, invoking mysteries.
The sky, earth, darkness, and flames moved in response to Ian's voice.
It was the mystery of a wizard.
"Hmm...?"
Drake's killing intent lightened.
In its place, curiosity filled the air.
"[As you can see, I am a wizard exploring the limits. If possible, I would like to offer my humble skills to assist you, Drake.]"
[Ha, you have an interesting talent.]
'... The immediate danger is averted.'
Drake withdrew his killing intent completely.
This meant he would not crush Ian immediately.
But the negotiation had just begun.
Ian had only sparked curiosity to buy time; he still had no idea what Drake might demand.
'First, keep the atmosphere light.'
Ian recalled the magical knowledge he learned from Eredith.
Beginning a conversation with a mystery is like taking the first step in magic.
However, magic is only completed when the wizard shows his will to the mystery and realizes his intentions.
In short, magic is a process of establishing a relationship between the wizard and the mystery.
This relationship could become a friendship, a superior-subordinate dynamic, or even a strictly profit-driven business partnership.
Each mystery has its own preferred type of relationship...
For a wizard, what's crucial is their ability to navigate these relationships.
It's no coincidence that wise people become wizards.
'Come forth, my versatile skill window!'
Ian opened the skill window and browsed the [Summoning] section.
There was useful information written there.
[The most important aspect of Summoning is forming a bond with the mystical creature. The thought processes of high-intelligence mystical creatures are mostly similar to humans. Therefore, offering appropriate rituals and sacrifices can yield astonishing results.
Excerpt from - You Can Do It Too! Summoning for Dummies! by Demonite]
'Rituals and sacrifices!'
These two aspects were already emphasized in his education by Eredith.
However, Eredith specialized in elemental magic, so he only taught about rituals and sacrifices preferred by the elements.
Ian quickly checked the necessary rituals and sacrifices for summoning.
... And he couldn't believe his eyes.
[How to Excel at Summoning]
[First, prepare some damn good booze and feed it. Stronger drinks for bigger creatures, aromatic ones for smaller ones.
And flatter like hell - Demonite]
'What the hell?'
This is the ritual and sacrifice?
Feeding excellent booze and flattering...?
Ian, an introvert, was dumbfounded.
This seemed like a ritual only extroverted people could perform!
But Ian steeled himself once more.
If he failed here, his life would be at stake.
Trusting his summoning skill level, he decided to go all in.
"[Drake, I have prepared a gift for you.]"
[A gift?]
"[Yes. Have you ever received a gift from a human?]"
Drake burst into laughter at Ian's question.
[Not at all! Never!]
He would need to have met a human he could communicate with first.
Ian responded with a smile.
"[I'm sure you'll like it.]"
Click!
"Rick, could you go down with the people and bring some alcohol?"
"Alcohol, sir?"
"Yes. Preferably something strong."
"Understood!"
Ian watched Rick hurriedly run towards the wagons, catching his breath.
The first step had fallen into place.
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