Night fell as the three of them sat around the fire at the base of a rocky ridge. Thick cuts of wolf meat sizzled over the flames. Aaron chose to let them rest before the hunt. Their Mana lamp cast a soft light, bright enough to see for ten meters. Even Tyra, with the least mana, could keep it glowing for twelve hours.
Aaron rested his chin on his hands, lost in thought. Ten Venomweave Skulkers remained, and only fifteen hours were left for the system's team mission. They couldn't hunt all night, and he still needed to help both girls reach level ten. While he thought, Kyela quietly turned the meat over the fire. She and Aaron hadn't spoken since they arrived.
Tyra sat by the fire, watching Kyela. She had asked Kyela earlier what was wrong, but got no answer. Still, Tyra could tell something was going on—Aaron's face was red too. She got up, walked over, leaned in, and whispered, "Did something happen between you two on the way?"
Kyela jumped at Tyra's voice, almost dropping the meat as her face turned red again. She stammered in a flustered voice, "N-no… nothing's happening!" The noise caught Aaron's attention. "Is everything alright?" Tyra quickly answered, "She's just tired. She'll be fine after eating." Aaron nodded and returned to his thoughts.
When Kyela's cheeks turned red again, Tyra smirked and nudged her playfully. "Give it time," she teased, then stepped back. Tyra knew Kyela well; if she teased her more, the meat might really fall. Kyela wasn't sure why she said that, but after a few shy moments, she went back to cooking.
A few minutes later, the meat was ready. They sat around the fire and ate together. Aaron was surprised by how good it tasted. With only salt and pepper, Kyela had cooked the wolf meat perfectly, better than he ever could, and just the right medium rare.
Aaron looked at Kyela and said, "This is really tasty. Do you cook often?" Kyela smiled shyly and replied, "Thank you. I started cooking after my mother died from illness. Whenever Tyra brought back a rabbit, I'd cook it at home."
Kyela's eyes sparkled at Aaron's praise, but a hint of sadness passed over her face at the mention of her mother. Aaron noticed and said softly, "I'm sorry about your mother. She'd be proud to see you now." Tyra hugged Kyela, and a few tears welled up in her eyes.
When they finished eating, Aaron turned to Kyela. "You should use your skill to summon a spirit and try to form a contract before we start," he said. Kyela nodded; she had been thinking the same thing. Even with all her gear, her attack power was only twenty. She hoped she might get lucky and summon a spirit with some attack skills.
She took a deep breath and focused. With her gear and attributes combined, her mana capacity had reached fifty. Activating the Lesser Spirit Contract skill, she felt mana surge from her body. Kyela closed her eyes as a green circle appeared beside her, glowing with rune script none of them could read. The circle pulsed with energy, and after a few seconds, a small figure emerged from the light.
The small figure floated a few feet above the ground as the magic circle faded away. She was humanoid, with pointed ears like an elf, and stood barely a few inches tall. Pale green, grass-like hair tumbled down her shoulders, and she wore a short dress that looked like it was made of leaves. Delicate, translucent wings kept her hovering like a fairy. Her light green eyes sparkled with curiosity, and her childlike features reminded Aaron of Kyela.
As the spirit's eyes found Kyela sitting with her eyes closed, she darted toward her, circling in the air and giggling softly. Kyela opened her eyes and stared at the small figure in wonder. When she held out her hands, the spirit floated down and landed gently on her palm. Kyela gazed at her in awe for a few seconds before whispering, "Will you form a contract with me?" The spirit nodded excitedly, flew closer, and placed her tiny hands on Kyela's cheek.
A blinding light burst from Kyela and the spirit, making Aaron and Tyra squint. The brilliance faded after a moment, revealing the spirit now hovering above Kyela's shoulder, giggling every few seconds. Kyela's face lit up with a radiant smile as she gazed at her new companion.
Tyra hurried over and called out, "Was the contract complete?" Kyela nodded. "Yes, Liora is my first spirit companion now." A wide grin spread across Tyra's face as she reached out to the spirit and exclaimed, "So her name is Liora! She's so cuteeee...!"
When Tyra reached for Liora, the spirit quickly darted to Kyela's other shoulder. Kyela giggled and said, "She's shy around new people. Give it time!" Tyra stood there with a long face, her hand still out, wanting to pet the spirit. She wasn't sure if Liora was really shy or if Kyela was teasing her back. In a quiet voice, Tyra mumbled, "But I just wanted to pet her."
Watching the girls bicker, Aaron chuckled quietly. Then he used Abyssal Insight to check the spirit's stats. A translucent window appeared before him, displaying Liora's information.
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Name: Liora, the Leafwhisper Sprite
Rank: Lesser Spirit
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Health Points: 20 / 20
Mana Capacity: Uses Summoner's Mana
Attack Power: 0
Affinity: Nature
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Skills
Verdant Mend
Channels soft nature energy healing minor injuries and stamina.
Mana Cost: 5(Kyela's Mana)
Creepvine Snare
Summons thin, creeping vines from the ground to bind a target of the same level as the summoner.
Mana Cost: 10 (Kyela's Mana)
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Aaron smiled. For a lesser spirit, Liora was impressive. She didn't have any attack power, but she could give Kyela strong support. When Liora's rank increased, Kyela could always contract stronger combat spirits later. Thinking this, Aaron stood and walked over to the girls.
As he approached, he asked, "So, how's your bonding going?" The girls stopped their bickering. Kyela replied, "Liora likes me. She has healing and binding skills." Then, with a trace of sadness, she added, "Sorry, she's a lesser spirit, so she doesn't have any combat abilities."
Aaron gently patted Kyela's head. "No need to be sorry. It's not your fault." He reached out and brushed his fingers along Liora's tiny cheek. To everyone's surprise, Liora let him pet her. Aaron smiled and said, "She's a great summon, perfect for support." Kyela's face lit up again, and Liora giggled at Aaron's touch. Tyra pouted. "Why me? This is unfair."
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[A/N] : Thank you so much to everyone reading my novel! I'm still new to writing, so there might be a few mistakes here and there, but I'm always working to improve. If you're enjoying the story, please support me by adding it to your collection, leaving a review, or dropping some powerstones. Your encouragement means a lot!