SUMMONER'S JOURNEY

February 3, X784

Southern Residential Area, Magnolia

The sun hung lazily in the afternoon sky, casting a warm glow over Magnolia. A gentle breeze rustled the trees, bringing with it the distant sounds of the bustling city.

Richard sat back in his beach chair, letting the sunlight soak into his skin as he enjoyed a rare moment of peace. His house's small backyard was the perfect place to relax, away from the usual chaos of the guild.

By his feet, Groff lay stretched out on the grass, his massive black-and-crimson fur shimmering under the sunlight. His amber eyes were closed, but his ears twitched occasionally, always on alert despite his seemingly relaxed posture.

A little further away, in the cool shade of a large oak tree, Nyx lay curled up elegantly, her piercing violet eyes half-lidded as she silently observed Richard. Unlike Groff, who fully indulged in relaxation, Nyx preferred to stay cautious, her gaze flickering between the shadows.

Richard sighed in contentment. It had been four days since his last mission. Normally, he would have spent the time training with his guildmates or searching for new magic in the library, but today? Today, he decided to simply enjoy life.

However, as he absentmindedly traced patterns in the air with his fingers, a thought came to him.

His magic power had finally surpassed 4000.

Which meant…

He had unlocked another contract slot.

Richard's lips curled into a small smile.

Currently, he had contracts with five summons—Groff, Nyx, Lunaris, Termis, and Vatra. That left him with two more open slots before he reached his current limit.

Ever since he had started forming contracts, he had been summoning random spirits three to four times a week, hoping to get something exceptionally powerful or useful. However, good summons were incredibly rare.

Most spirits he summoned were either too weak or didn't align well with his fighting style.

Still, today felt like a good day.

Maybe he'd get lucky.

---

Richard pushed himself up from the chair, brushing off his cloak as he stretched.

"Alright," he muttered, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what fate has in store for me today."

Groff let out a lazy huff, his ears perking up slightly, while Nyx flicked her tail, clearly curious.

Stepping into the open space in his backyard, Richard took a deep breath and began chanting.

"I call forth thee, heed my call—RANDOM SUMMONING!"

A large black magic circle flared to life beneath him, intricate symbols glowing with eerie energy. The air around him thickened, crackling with magic as an unknown force answered his call.

The magic circle pulsed once.

Then—

From within the swirling darkness, a tall, cloaked figure emerged.

The being was ethereal, shrouded in black mist, its form flickering between solid and intangible. It held a massive scythe in its skeletal hands, its deep, empty eyes sockets burning with an otherworldly glow.

A Soul Reaper.

Richard felt his breath hitch. This was exactly the kind of summon he had been hoping for.

[Soul Reaper - ???]

Soul Attack → Can directly target an enemy's soul, bypassing physical defenses.

Soul Magic → Can manipulate and weaken souls, making enemies more vulnerable can also de- buff like , paralysis, sleep, Nightmare, etc

Physical Attack Resistance → Physical attacks are greatly reduced against it.

Magic Power: 14,780

Richard nodded seeing 14,780 MP. That was about 3.5 times his current magic power! A acceptable amount of mana.

The Soul Reaper hovered silently before him, its presence exuding an aura of cold finality. It was neither hostile nor overly welcoming—just patiently waiting.

Richard exhaled. "Well, aren't you terrifying?"

The entity didn't respond.

"Alright," he muttered, raising his right hand. "Let's see if you're willing to form a contract."

A binding contract circle appeared beneath them, glowing with blue and silver light as Richard poured his magic into the connection.

The Soul Reaper remained still for a moment before raising its scythe. With a slow, deliberate movement, it etched its name into the circle.

The contract was accepted.

Richard felt the surge of new power settling within him, the link between summoner and summon now permanently established.

A grin spread across his lips. "Welcome to the team."

Now, all that was left was to give it a name.

Richard thought for a moment, observing the way the creature moved—silent, cold, and deadly.

"...How about Azrael?" he suggested.

The Soul Reaper inclined its head slightly, accepting the name.

Richard let out a breath. "Alright then, Azrael. Let's work well together."

---

With a powerful new summon added to his roster, Richard felt invigorated. Although It had been only four days since his last job, and after gaining Azrael, he was itching to test his strength.

He headed straight to Fairy Tail's guild hall.

As expected, the place was as chaotic as ever. Mugs clashed, laughter roared, and someone was already being thrown across the room.

Richard weaved through the madness, making his way to the mission board.

He scanned through the available quests.

Most of them were standard requests—monster subjugations, delivery jobs, escort missions. But he wanted something different.

A challenge.

Something that would let him properly test Azrael in combat.

Then, his eyes landed on a specific request.

---

Mission Request: Haunted Manor Investigation

✔ Client: Lord Vensworth

✔ Location: Vensworth Estate, outskirts of freesia.

✔ Task: Investigate strange supernatural occurrences inside the abandoned manor. Several workers have reported ghostly apparitions and missing items.

✔ Reward: 350,000 J

✔ Additional Notes: The manor has a long history of supernatural activity. Previous investigation teams have either fled in terror or gone missing. Approach with caution.

---

Richard grinned.

A haunted mission? With Azrael on his side?

"Perfect."

If it was before Summoning Azrael his would be stay as far as possible from these type of mission.

He grabbed the mission slip and headed to Mira to register for the job.

"Taking another mission already?" Mira asked, smiling.

Richard smirked. "Yep. And this one's perfect for my new summon."

Mira glanced at the request. "Oh? Haunted Manor… that's an unusual pick for you."

Richard chuckled. "Let's just say I've got a new team member who specializes in dealing with ghosts."

Mira giggled. "Alright, but be careful. Places like that can be unpredictable."

Richard nodded. "I will."

With the mission secured, he left the guild, ready to face whatever awaited him in the haunted manor.

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