Fay struggled to give the creature form.
[Relax, child. Think of a creature. This will be a bond you create, so let it take a shape you see fit to command.]
Fay heard the voice of the guide and clenched his hands as if gathering something between them. It wasn't easy to imagine a creature he had never seen and then shape it in his mind.
However, he began to feel the smoke-like substance in front of him respond. It started to take form, as though he were molding the blob into a lizard.
[That's good. You're doing it the right way.]
It began as a thin snake, then grew limbs, developed a spiked back, and turned a bronze-like color.
That gave Fay an idea—copper wires, like the ones back on Earth, which conducted electricity. At least, that was how the shelter ran its power. Too bad such energy was never found outside those walls.
He had always thought it was ingenious how humans had once wielded such energy throughout the world.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp sting on his finger, forcing his eyes open.
A creature had formed in front of him, taking the exact shape he had pictured.
[Careful… this creature—it seems to have gained an element.]
The small lizard, just over a foot long, seemed weak at first glance. But then Fay noticed what had stung—or rather, zapped—him.
Currents of electricity sparked across the creature's body. It looked up at Fay, seemingly waiting for something.
[Well, don't just stand there, kid. Name it. It won't last much longer unless you do.]
Fay didn't know why giving it a name mattered, but he began thinking—different words, possible combinations.
"Jolt," he said simply.
He wasn't the most educated, and he didn't know many words that could capture the creature's nature—or how cool it looked.
It was either that… or Spike.
"Your name… it will be Jolt," Fay announced. For more chapters visit novel_fіre.net
The creature stared at him, concentrating on its natural ability. Static began to spark around its body, forcing Fay to take a few steps back.
[What a simple name… and what a rowdy beast. But that's good. He seems far stronger than what normal summoners start off with.]
The voice called out to him. The guide seemed to sigh, and somehow Fay could feel it through his hands.
[Well, test it out. Have it use some of its skills. You're its summoner, so it should… listen to you.]
Fay looked at the creature—it seemed real, even if it had been formed from fog.
"Well… how do I know what its skills are?" Fay asked, still unsure of what the creature could even do.
[You created it, kid. Think hard. It should come to you.]
Fay tried to understand what the voice meant. Still, it shouldn't be too difficult—after all, the creature came from his imagination.
He pictured it rolling around, either to escape or to attack.
"How about it? Can you roll like a wheel? I think it'd be a good way to kill with your spikes."
Just as he said that, the lizard tucked in its limbs and curled into a wheel. It began to spin, its back spikes forming a saw-like ring ready to slice anything in its path. Electricity flared around its body, propelling it even faster.
A nearby branch was cleanly sliced in half. Then a rock was split before the creature rolled back to where it had started.
"That was cool, Jolt… I wonder if you can actually kill with that."
Fay turned his gaze to the trail it had left behind. The ground looked slightly scorched, and parts of the grass were smoldering.
"Very good… I'm sure we'll be great hunters."
[Indeed, a good creature to begin your journey, hunt-summoner. Now, feed it so it can sustain its body. Just like you, it must eat. The more you feed it, the more it will grow. And make sure the food is fresh.]
Fay then turned to the iguana-like creature he had killed. He wondered if it was the best thing for his new summon to eat… he had doubts, especially since that strange fog-like substance had come out of it.
Wouldn't it be like eating its own self?
His worries were short-lived. The creature was already tearing into the corpse, ripping through skin and bone with ease. Its sharp teeth were impressive—almost unnaturally so—and within minutes, nothing was left.
To help, Fay pulled his spear out of the tree trunk, where it still pinned the leg in place.
Once the creature had finished, Fay noticed that its body—barely over a foot long before—had grown a few inches larger almost instantly.
"Well… I guess I'll have to feed you more often," Fay muttered.
But he wasn't the only one paying attention. The nearby warriors were also watching closely, their eyes fixed on the strange creature he had summoned.
[I suppose you're a warrior now,]
Fay heard the distinct voice of the tribe chief again, transmitted through those strange piercings in his hands.
[Call it away. Let it rest—don't let it waste strength. We need to find prey.]
The large sabretooth demihuman gave the order with a calm demeanor.
Fay looked down at his creature and thought about calling it back. The moment he did, the summon seemed to understand. Its body dispersed into particles, vanishing into a soft mist.
"What is that fog?" Fay asked, curiosity finally overcoming him now that he'd seen it so many times.
[Essence of a creature. It is its life force—and what we use to summon them.]
Fay didn't fully understand yet, but he knew he didn't need to—not right now. What mattered was that they had prey to find… and that his new creature needed to grow stronger.
The chief let out his characteristic roar, a deep sound that echoed through the trees and instantly gathered everyone's attention. With that, he led the group toward the open plain, away from the river.
Their goal was clear—to find real prey, something that could feed the entire tribe. It would need to be either one large beast or many smaller ones taken down at once.