The Bounty Hunter Chapter 41: A New Companion

November 30th, 2088

After that battle, I briefly collapsed as I regained my strength. Heroes are without a doubt a cheat existence. All I fought with was a heavily faded remnant that had been worn away after thousands of years. Her body had beco a zombie for so reason, one of the weakest types of undead and the most common naturally occurring.

The type of undead that rises is not dependent on its body, but on the amount of soul that inhabits it and the remaining mories of that soul. Undead with nearly intact souls and most of their mories have human-level intelligence and are even more powerful than when they were alive. The body either amplifies or limits the undeads power and so of its abilities. This ant that the zombie Hero was far slower, weaker and dumber than when she was alive. But amongst zombies she was likely the strongest one in history.

I collected the throwing knives, crossbow, butterfly swords, and the estoc. Each of them was a priceless magical treasure. Whether it be the quality of the materials, the strength of the imbued magic or the level of craftsmanship they were incredible. It was fortunate that she didnt have the awareness to activate them. But even as weakened as she was, I needed to fully expend my mana and stamina in order to win. That was probably barely 1% of what Claras power had been like at her pri. Ill say it again: Heroes are without a doubt a cheat existence.

As I grumbled to myself, I took out the pitch-black onyx that is Demon. The throne room in this palace was precisely in the center of the entire city and thus was the ideal location to set up my ritual. All of the regrets, wrath and sorrow in the city would be sucked in along with the Heros negative emotions. I started carving out a large magic circle into the floor. Creating magic circles requires one to use symbols that have a aning to the caster. The aning from the sa symbol could be different from wizard to wizard. Its a matter of personal taste.

I have always made my designs simple. There was a circle to contain the mana and circulate it, a 4-pointed star to focus it, and 4 diamonds in between the star points that were connected with lines in a square arrangent to reinforce the magic circle and to stabilize the incoming mana. Lastly, I had drawn a broken heart in the very center of the circle to filter everything out except for negative emotions. Demons onyx stone was placed there alongside the filled soul sapphire. The magic circle was 10 ters in diater and it had taken a while to arrange everything.

I stood at the edge of the magic circle and started to speak an improvised incantation. I originally wanted to just use the circle without speaking, but after fighting Clara I felt a sense of comradery with her. They say warriors can communicate with their blades and during our fight I could tell she shared my hatred for this world. She deserves soone to acknowledge her. So I chose to speak out my own feelings even if no one could hear. Here lies a victim of this rotten world, betrayed by both her people and history itself. She was cursed to be a Hero and was consud by that responsibility. May the darkness that dwelt in her heart and lingered through ti gain new purpose. May that darkness fulfill the desires she could never pursue. May that darkness beco my companion as I leave for a new world. May that darkness grow alongside as we pursue personal goals and selfish gains. I am not a hero, and may the darkness I summon be of the sa ilk. As I spoke I started supplying the magic circle with mana and broke open the soul sapphire.

The circle started to ominously glow with a dark light. I could feel all the negative emotions that lingered within the city start to rapidly flow towards it. Soon it beca a rainbow colored vortex flowing into Demons onyx stone. My mana was rely used to maintain control of the ritual while I relied on the soul energy and environntal mana to truly power it. Eventually I could see the rainbow vortex start to dim, aning that I had almost finished, when sothing unexpected happened.

Apparently my words earlier had resonated with Claras soul and mana from the environnt started aggregating here at an abnormal pace. This amount was far beyond anything I had gathered so far. It surged and caused an explosion that roared against the magic circle, shattering it. All the darkness vanished in the city as an unknown light shined throughout it for a mont.

During that mont a phantom of a black haired, red-eyed dwarven woman appeared in front of . She simply gave a carefree smile, like all her burdens had been lifted off her shoulders and faded away with the light. The onyx stone then started to swell to the size of a beach ball. It subsequently burst and I could feel the bond between master and familiar that had gone dormant awaken with a roar. I could feel truly impressive power from my familiar. This level of power would rival high-ranking wild spirits.

I fumbled in the dark for a mont before my conjured light illuminated the wreckage that once was my magic circle. Lying in the center was a small fox kit. It had jet-black fur with white markings on its paws, the tips of its fluffy tail and ears, and on the front of its chest. It opened its eyes and I saw that they were a sky blue and filled with intelligence. It cutely tilted its head at as it waited for to give it a na.

When a spirit gains sentient intelligence, it either chooses or is given a na in order to anchor its identity. Since it was my familiar it was waiting for to give it its na. I paused for a mont as I thought of so options, but the ones I had prepared were all male nas. I could feel that this familiar was female.

I took another look at my demonic familiar that was born from my own feelings and refined by those of the fallen hero. From our bond I could tell that this demonic fox has a sly, wicked and playful personality. Shes a truly dishonorable rogue who would do whatever is necessary to get what she wants yet she has certain unbreakable rules by which she lives by. I already like her a lot.

And then an amusing thought for a na ca to mind as I looked at her black fur and familiar looking sky-blue eyes. I picked up the fox and whispered Im Minato Cross. Its nice to et you, Rin. Rin cutely yipped her own greeting in response and then faded away as she rged with . Shes a young spirit, so its too early for her to communicate with words. As a demonic fox spirit itll probably be when she grows her third tail that shell be able to speak. Poor thing is also tired from just being created, Ill let her rest for a while. Shell be put to work soon enough.