Igaris followed Evernight's plan and arrived at the edge of the magma stream.
Ahead of him, a Fire Spirit in shape of a round, glowing orb of flame, danced joyfully, completely unaware of any approaching threat.
But then, an ancient, unknown voice echoed in its ears.
Its fiery eyes suddenly dimmed, and it floated toward Igaris, as if entranced.
What Igaris was speaking were words in the Spirit Language — phrases he was mimicking directly from Evernight, who whispered them into his mind.
According to her, this was a form of ancient Dark Summoner's Art — a method used to tame Fire Spirits against their will.
Well… that's why it was called a dark summoning art in the first place.
Kind of evil, if he thought about it.
But not nearly as evil as his ability.
In fact, it worked somewhat similarly to his [Acquisition] ability.
The fire spirit stood still, radiating heat and light.
Now came the final part.
"Acquire."
Igaris activated his ability and extended his hand, wrapped in that mysterious energy.
As his hand pierced through the spirit, he felt a heat, but not enough to harm him.
The cute creature slowly began to succumb, its essence being drawn in from the inside out.
In reality, the spirit had been sent to his Acquisition Space.
[ Soul-binding Successful ]
[ Acquisition Successful ]
Igaris nodded in satisfaction.
Next, he went for another one. And this time, he didn't need Evernight's help.
Inside the Acquisition Space:
Amidst the lush greenery and warm light, Evernight sat like a regal queen upon a stone chair, an unnerving smile gracing her lips as she watched the Fire Spirit's arrival.
"Welcome, little spirit!"
Behind her, the undeads, Malthius, Alpha, and Dred roamed around eerily in silence.
But something had changed in their behaviour.
In the beginning, they had been like lifeless shadows. Now, they moved with purpose, almost as if they were acting on their own free will within this strange paradise.
"This human boy is really something else," Evernight muttered with a faint smile. "At first, I had doubts, but now I'm sure—he can enslave anyone he touches."
She rested her chin on her palm, eyes glowing faintly.
"He's a promising candidate. If only I could turn him into my own, things would've been much easier."
A soft sigh escaped her lips, her eyes reflecting not only amusement but ambition, dreams of goals yet unreached.
Outside, Igaris continued his silent conquest.
One after another, he acquired more and more Fire Spirits. Some were small, flickering like candles. Others loomed tall, with blazing shoulders and eyes that crackled like embers.
5...
7...
19...
26...
A total of 45 Fire Spirits were now bound under his control.
Their ranks varied from Warrior Rank 5 to Warrior Rank 9—each one strengthening the realm inside his Acquisition Space, and each one bringing him closer to Elite-3 Rank.
His power had grown—and so did the attention on him.
With the number of Fire Spirits dwindling in the area, it was only a matter of time before someone noticed the anomaly.
A few towering humans, each armed with spears, surrounded Igaris in a loose formation.
"Boy, you're creating a problem for our business," one of them growled.
"Release those Fire Spirits!" another snapped.
Igaris frowned, his instincts tightening like a coiled spring. He gave a mental command, and the Griffin landed beside him with a fierce screech, feathers ruffled, wings outstretched in a display of threat.
But the lead summoner only sneered.
In response, three magical beasts emerged behind them: a White Tiger, a Fiery Lion, and an Iron Fang Hawk.
Their auras flared like stormfronts, immediately suppressing the Griffin's.
"You understand how the game works, don't you?" said a bob-cut man, grinning cruelly. "So be obedient and hand over the Fire Spirits. We know you've got plenty tucked away."
Igaris's eyes scanned them quickly.
Three summoners. High-rank beasts. And judging by their confidence, they'd dealt with solo players before.
He wasn't strong enough to take them all head-on. Not yet.
But giving up here? No. That would mean everything he worked for—his growth, his spirits, his secrets—gone.
He needed to turn the tide.
Without a word, he raised his hand—and summoned the broken blade from thin air.
A glint of steel shimmered in the air, surprising them all.
"What the—? How did you do that?" one of them blurted.
While contracted beasts could be stored in dimensional space, weapons couldn't.
Unless...
"He must have another contracted beast. Be careful!" the long-haired summoner muttered, cautioning them.
By now, crowd began to gather sensing the sudden commotion. Among them Owen and the group were also present.
A thick silence hung in the air as Igaris stood against the three summoners and their beasts.
The dust curled at his feet, wind swirling between him and his opponents.
Then, without hesitation, he acted.
"Come forth."
In a burst of crimson glow, twenty Fire Spirits emerged in a sweeping wave of light. The air heated instantly. Flame and smoke curled around the battlefield as the creatures took their places beside Igaris, their small fiery bodies flickering like candles yet burning with power.
The trio of summoners stumbled back, startled.
"What the World?"
"Twenty…?"
"This is Impossible?!"
"There's no way he Contracted and summoned this many at once?!"
The crowd, drawn by the rising heat and energy, gathered around the Pool's edge, watching in awe.
"Who is he? This is Heaven Defying!"
No Outcast had ever summoned this much power before, not here in the Forsaken Land.
"Fufufu... My Liege, you shouldn't have done that. Now many more people would get interested in you," Evernight added seriously.
"You know what I mean, right?"
"Shut up! You're here to save me, aren't you. If I am dead, you'll be finished too," Igaris bluffed.
Evernight became speechless. He could be right. she thought.
Next, his eyes sharpened as he pointed his broken blade forward.
"Attack!"