You are Summoned

Please conduct any final business before being returned to your world of origin.

I returned to Rico’s Place, surprised to see that Minerva was still gone. If I was doing my math right, I should have reached rank three after my last summoning. Before I dug into my status or the new loot, I followed Minerva’s advice and retrieved my dagger from the loot chest. Sure, I was supposed to be sent home after this, but the system that ran things wasn’t exactly a fair one.

Before grabbing loot, I checked out my new rank.

Rico Kline, Summoned Being.

Tier 0, Rank 3.

Experience/experience needed for next rank: 2/10.

Summoning points: 15.

Skills: None.

Abilities:

Linguistic adaptation interface.

Open.

Mana core, current mana/mana capacity. 5/10.

Gear: Simple dagger.

Okay, it was just a single number higher on the rank end of things, but I felt that my performance was improving, and I was getting ever closer to my goal of hitting tier zero, rank five. The stuff I was summoned to do could change, and I would earn a tad more with each summoning. My mana had also creeped up to a total of five. Minerva said I would absorb some just by being in a mana rich environment, and I guess she wasn’t lying.

Now that I had pumped my ego with a new rank, it was time to see what my rewards from the last mission were.

Rico’s Loot.

New Inventory.

Copper coins, 41.

Silver coins, 15.

Small gem, 1.

Cantrip scroll.

It wasn’t a bad haul, but I had no idea what a cantrip scroll was. Before I checked it out, I wanted to see my total balance. I’d need to decide what to take home with me.

Rico’s Loot.

Inventory.

Copper coins, 211.

Silver coins, 51.

Small gems, 3.

Simple Dagger, 1.

Cantrip scroll, 1.

Bound scroll, 1.

It should be a good boost to my bank account, given that I had more silver coins and gems over what I had returned with last time. If my next series of summonings didn’t include any fumbles like the giant stepping on me, I should be able to keep earning a good chunk of cash after each summons. Since I would be doing this whole summoning thing every few days, it was possible to make enough where I wouldn’t have to work.

Before I confirmed that I wanted to return, I pulled the cantrip scroll from my loot. It looked about like the other scrolls that I had been given, almost like a movie prop or something. It was smaller than the others by about half, but the markings on the seal were 0-1. From what Minerva had said, that meant tier zero, rank 1 was all that was needed to open it.

Well, if she wasn’t going to hang around that much, there was no reason that I shouldn’t at least check it out. The wax seal resisted my efforts for the first few moments, then I felt something inside me shift and mana flowed from my core to the seal, infusing it with energy. My current mana dropped to four, but the interaction caused the seal to dissolve. A new prompt appeared as I opened the scroll.

Congratulations, as a mana wielder, you possess the ability to cast spells and empower various abilities. A cantrip is the most basic type of combat spell, read through your options and choose one of them to be your first spell.

Each mana wielder is given a cantrip scroll shortly after the creation of their core, but the options available to the wielder may vary. Choose wisely as this spell will remain in your spell book both when you are summoned, and back in your home world.

“Woah, I get to take the spell home?” I asked myself.

Of course I got to take it home, that’s what the system said. Now that I had a mana core, there was the possibility of having enough mana to cast a real spell on Earth. Remembering the way I had acquired the core gave me a shudder. I still wondered who the other guy was, and what exactly happened to him. Was there a threat on Earth that was seeking out summoned beings? It wasn’t something I could worry about now, I had to review the three options for my cantrip.

Cantrips. Please note that the number in parenthesis indicates the mana cost for the cantrip.

Sonic Burst (1). Target any spot within your line of sight and unleash a blast of sonic energy. The energy will damage and potentially deafen a single target.

Flame Jet (1). Send a small jet of fire toward any target within 15 feet. This spell does damage on impact and inflicts a burning status that deals additional damage over a short time.

Psionic Jolt (2). Blast any single target with a jolt of pure psionic energy. This damage bypasses many normal means of damage mitigation, but opponents with much higher willpower ratings can often shrug off some, or all of the effects.

Not bad at all. Each of the choices seemed to have its pros and cons. I had to tell myself to take a breath and slow down. This was a big choice and I wanted to make the right one.

“Ah, I see that you’ve received your first cantrip. I apologize, I expected that the standard cantrip options would appear much later. It seems that acquiring a mana core so early didn’t delay the delivery of your first spell reward. Do you require any assistance?” Minerva said, suddenly appearing in front of me.

“So, I’m really going to be a wizard?” I asked, still not entirely believing it.

“A wizard? No, I don’t think that is in the cards for you, Rico Kline. You will have access to some magical abilities and a few simple spells. Creating a mana core is something that doesn’t typically happen until much later in a summoned being’s journey. Many never manage to form one before they die and you happening upon one in your home world was a rather rare occurrence,” Minerva said.

“I can see where not too many people would happen upon the corpse of another summoned being and get a chance to take their core,” I replied, still a bit disturbed over the image of the dead guy in the dumpster.

“Given that most newly created summoned beings are usually found near the location of the prior being, it does happen on occasion. You probably felt drawn to the mana core as you approached, which would indicate you shared a mana affinity with the deceased summoned being,” Minerva said.

“Yeah, when I got close, I kind of felt like it was calling to me. Why did you say I’m not going to be a wizard? I got the mana core early in my summoned being career, so shouldn’t I have a lot of time to develop it and learns spells and whatnot?” I asked.

“While you may have acquired your mana core early in your journey as a summoned being, you can only develop your core while in a mana rich environment. Your growth will be severely stunted compared to beings that are born and live in a world infused with mana. I encourage you to hone your martial skills and not just rely on magic, it will serve you better and help to keep you alive,” Minerva told me.

“Keep me alive? I thought my body was repaired each time I was killed during a summoning. Are you telling me that’s not true?” I asked, a bit shocked over the revelation.

“In the types of summonings that you’re currently experiencing, death is an almost unheard-of occurrence. At higher tiers and ranks, the protections offered to a summoned being will often prove to be insufficient for the threats you face. You must work on constantly improving your abilities to defeat what you will encounter. It shouldn’t be discounted that your home world can also be a dangerous place,” Minerva explained.

“So, no imminent doom when being summoned anytime soon?” I asked with some trepidation.

“Correct, you have some time to prepare before you face the potential for death in a summoning. Now, your time in Rico’s Place is at an end. You cannot loiter any longer. Do you wish to select a cantrip now, or wait until we have more time on your next visit?” Minerva asked.

“Now, of course, but which one should I choose?” Rico asked.

“The most effective is Psionic Jolt, but it requires double the mana of the others. Fire spells are common, and many opponents will have ways to negate common elemental damage as you progress higher in the ranks. Sonic is powerful and good throughout your journey. I recommend either Psionic Jolt, or Sonic Burst,” Minerva advised in an uncharacteristically detailed and helpful manner.

Of the two spells, I wanted the most powerful, despite the increased cost. The sonic thing was cool, but being able to blast someone with mind power was even more impressive. Just thinking about my decision confirmed it with the system.

Psionic Jolt has been added to your spell book.

“A wise choice. Now you must select the rewards that you wish to return with, and I will send you on your way,” Minerva said.

As far as the loot I wanted to take with me, I selected all the silver coins and the gems. Once again, I left the copper pieces where they were. I was supposed to get a chance to spend money on stuff for my place and gear, better to do that with copper pieces that weren’t worth anything back home.

“I think I’m ready to head back if you’re done answering questions,” I stated.

“Yes, I am done answering questions for the time being, but before I send you back, I will give you one piece of advice. Use caution when casting a cantrip on your home world, there are beings there attuned to such things. Using magic is like setting off a flare for those that may have nefarious plans for you,” Minerva said as she sent me back into the void.

Your performance rating for this series of summons is considered Adequate.

The additional rewards for this summoning series are as follows.

Summoning points, 4.

Experience points, 5.

I appeared back in my bedroom which is where I had been snatched up from. This time, there was no fire alarm blaring, but the place wasn’t exactly quiet. Somebody was pounding on my front door and from the force of the blows, they weren’t going to give up anytime soon.