LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 23: Summoning: Giant Serpent
Inside the Imperial City, a young woman clad in a flowing white robe walked purposefully along the clean yet empty streets. A visible slave collar encircled her neck, the metal clanking softly with each step. Beside her, a taller, burlier man strode confidently, his muscles bulging beneath his armor, a clear indication that he was an Adventurer.
"It's here," he grunted, halting abruptly. "Do what you were instructed to do and get your lazy ass to work. If we carry out this objective properly, we'll be rewarded by the King himself."
The soldiers sent by Biola hadn't come to conquer Imperial City; they were here to burn it to the ground. This bustling hub of commerce was vital to the Asura Kingdom's economy, and to inflict true damage, they had but one aim: destruction.
What better way to annihilate a city than by summoning a Magical Beast with the potential to lay waste to it? This mission had been entrusted to the Adventurer and his slave, a Summoner mage capable of bringing forth otherworldly creatures.
"Quickly," the Adventurer urged, glancing around as if sensing the weight of their task. The slave knelt down, her purple hair cascading like a waterfall as she bit her finger, letting crimson droplets fall to the ground. She didn't flinch; it was evident this act of sacrifice was not new to her.
She pressed her palm against the cold earth, feeling its unyielding surface. Channeling mana through her blood, she poured it into the ground, creating a pool that shimmered ominously as it spread outward. She collapsed onto her knees, exhaustion washing over her like a tide.
'The blood and mana required to summon this beast are immense,' she thought, the energy of the summoning coursing through her. To her astonishment, the Adventurer stepped closer, curiosity gleaming in his blue eyes as he produced a small vial from his pocket.
"To ensure our job is finished entirely, we need to make the monster stronger," he declared, uncorking the vial and drenching the crimson blood with its contents. The liquid, a deep purple, swirled and merged with her blood, setting off a tempest of winds around them. The Adventurer crushed the vial in his palm, satisfaction radiating from him. *This is good,* he mused, envisioning the chaos that was about to unfold.
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Meanwhile, Kai emerged from the weapon shop previously owned by Emerald's former master, a new set of magical weapons securely stored in his Inventory. A wide grin spread across his face as he prepared to take flight and reunite with his mother, Emerald, and the other Butlers and Maids in a nearby town.
But just as he was about to ascend into the sky, a bone-rattling roar echoed through the streets, halting his thoughts. He looked up, his heart racing, to see the head of an enormous serpent-like monster barreling toward the marketplace. Its long, sinuous body glimmered with silvery scales, reflecting the sunlight in a blinding display.
"This is a summon?" Kai muttered under his breath, shock coursing through him. He hadn't expected to encounter such a creature in the city, especially not now. The implications were clear: Biola was attempting something nefarious against Imperial City, and he needed to act quickly. Without hesitation, he launched himself into the air as he watched swirling flames gathering in the beast's mouth.
"Damn it!" he exclaimed, realizing the danger. A bolt of lightning crackled to life in his palm, and he hurled it toward the serpent's neck. The spell struck with a thundering impact, but to his dismay, it merely bounced off the thick, impenetrable scales.
Kai's eyes widened as the creature's glowing purple orbs locked onto him, radiating a chilling aura. It unleashed a torrent of flames, a massive fireball hurtling toward him with alarming speed. Instinctively, Kai took a deep breath and raised his hand to meet the inferno head-on.
Another Thunderbolt erupted from his palm, colliding with the fireball in a dazzling explosion that lit up the skies. Emerging from the blast, Kai's body crackled with residual lightning energy as he pushed forward, determined to confront the beast.
'Can't I catch a break here?' he thought, frustration mixing with adrenaline. He had just finished battling in a war, and now, he faced another formidable adversary. 'Today is definitely not my day.'
As the serpent unleashed more flames, each one racing toward him like a fiery missile, Kai weaved through the air with agile grace, dodging the deadly projectiles with ease. He scrutinized the serpent's scales closely. They weren't just thick; they were sharp, glinting menacingly. Whoever had summoned this beast possessed either immense power or a large reservoir of magic.
'This creature could be a real problem,' Kai acknowledged, but his resolve only hardened. Summoning all his energy, he shot forward, ready to unleash his full strength against the beast.