The Griffin’s flying speed was astonishing—far swifter than any mount on land.
The biting night wind cut across Irina’s cheeks like knives.
At first, she screamed aloud, caught between terror and excitement, but soon she was completely immersed in this unprecedented experience.
She cautiously loosened her tight grip on the Griffin’s neck and slowly straightened up.
Below her, the Black Forest stretched endlessly like an ocean of ink, glinting with a mysterious sheen under the moonlight.
In the distance, the outlines of the mountain range undulated beneath the night sky, resembling slumbering giant beasts.
“Damn, this view, this speed—it’s basically a VIP-exclusive map browser!” Irina couldn’t help but shout.
“This is just the basic model.”
Leo’s voice came from ahead, tinged with a hint of amusement.
“Once you level up, I’ll let you ride a dragon.”
“For real? You’ve got a dragon too?!”
Irina’s eyes lit up instantly.
“I can learn it, sure, but my level’s not high enough yet. Mana cost is also a bit much. Later, though.”
The world of Summoners was just that unembellished and straightforward.
As the two chatted, a familiar, hair-raising pulse swept over them once again.
This time, it was a hundred times clearer than what they’d sensed in town.
“Ugh…”
Irina let out a muffled groan, feeling as if a needle had stabbed into her temple.
It was extremely uncomfortable, but only for a moment—it soon passed.
“You felt it?” Leo asked.
“Yeah, I felt it. Psychic attack? Ugh, it’s like someone’s playing ‘Great Compassion Mantra’ on loop in my head.”
Irina grumbled, frowning.
“Looks like both our mental stats are high enough to resist this much harassment.” Leo nodded.
He glanced down at the utterly unfazed Griffin beneath them, at Alice behind him, whose expression didn’t flicker, and at the Shadow Wolf’s steady presence in their mental link, and he understood at once.
His summoned creatures, just like in the game, were naturally immune to this kind of mental corruption.
This meant that, when facing certain special enemies, his legion wouldn’t be easily turned or thrown into chaos like ordinary monsters.
Only methods specifically targeting Summoners could affect them, but even if the locals had those, there were strict limits.
“This way. We’re almost there.”
Guided by the red dot on the map, Leo directed the Griffin to descend, heading toward a section of mountainside hidden beneath dense treetops.
The two Griffins landed nimbly in a fairly open forest clearing.
Leo and Alice jumped down first.
Irina, meanwhile, slid off the Griffin’s back with hands and feet, stumbling a bit as she hit the ground.
“My… my legs are numb.”
She gripped a nearby tree trunk, grimacing in pain.
Leo ignored her awkward display, his sharp gaze sweeping the surroundings.
The scent of earth and decaying plants hung even heavier in the air.
“The Shadow Wolf sent images—the entrance is just behind those vines.”
Leo pointed at a stone wall not far off, thickly draped in green vines.
He didn’t rush forward. Instead, he raised his hand, and a pitch-black magic circle floated in his palm.
[Ghost: 80 mana, 40 minutes, 60 HP, 12 attack (Mental Link, Can Phase Through Walls, Immune to Physical Damage)]
A translucent spirit, radiating a faint white glow, drifted out from the magic circle. Its features were vague and indistinct.
“Go. Take a look inside.” Leo commanded.
The ghost flickered and silently phased through the stone wall and vines, vanishing from sight.
Leo closed his eyes, immersing his mind in the link with the ghost.
His vision shifted again.
Beyond the cold stone wall lay a staircase spiraling downward.
The ghost floated down the steps, quickly entering a spacious stone chamber.
In the center of the chamber, a glowing magical orb hovered in midair, gently illuminating the space.
A hunched figure, draped in a gray cloak, stood with his back to the entrance before a wall covered in intricate runes.
The figure stretched out a hand as shriveled as a dead branch, cautiously tracing along the runes on the wall, as if deciphering some secret.
His movements were slow, utterly focused.
It’s him!
The source of that psychic pulse radiated from his body.
It wasn’t intentional—more like the lingering effect of some ongoing spell.
Just as Leo prepared to move the ghost closer for a better look, the gray-robed man seemed to sense something.
He suddenly spun around!
Beneath the hood, a pair of turbid yet razor-sharp eyes locked onto the spot where the ghost floated.
“Who’s there?!”
A hoarse, ancient shout echoed through the empty stone chamber.
In the next instant, a surge of powerful magic burst from the man, condensing into an invisible claw that struck viciously toward the ghost!
The mental link snapped in an instant.
The ghost might be immune to physical attacks, but with such low HP and almost no defense, a touch from a magic attack would kill it.
Leo’s eyes snapped open, his brows furrowing.
“We’ve been discovered.”
“What? What’s inside?”
Irina immediately crowded over, her face practically screaming ‘gossip mode.’
“An old man—looks dangerous.”
Leo said simply.
He paused, then the corner of his mouth curled up in a sly smile.
“But what’s even more interesting is… I sensed a familiar aura from him.”
“Familiar?”
Irina blinked.
“You mean… he’s also from our world?”
“No.”
Leo shook his head, his gaze turning fiery.
“He’s a Summoner.”
He could tell that the power which attacked the ghost contained a faint trace of Summoning Magic.
It was subtle, but to a hardcore player like Leo, it was as obvious as a firefly in the night.
To think he’d meet another Summoner here?
This was far more exciting than discovering a hidden treasure chest.
“Alice, get ready for battle.”
Leo ordered.
“Yes.”
The silver-haired knight gripped her sword, her blue eyes unshaken.
“Irina, hang back and look for chances to attack. Be careful.”
“Don’t worry, as long as I don’t have to be in the front lines, I’m a pro!”
Irina patted her chest, gripping her staff tightly.
Leo said nothing more.
With a wave of his hand, two burly Bone Puppets were summoned.
They strode forward heavily and tore away the vines from the stone wall with brute force, revealing a pitch-black opening.
“Let’s go. Time to meet our ‘predecessor.’”
Leo took the lead, guiding everyone into the shadowy underground passage.
A showdown between Summoners was about to begin.
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