Andrew had accomplished what he set out to do! He succeeded in implanting the beast-summoning rune seed, and he could sense it sprouting and growing as it absorbed mana from his body.
Despite the significant training progress he had recently made, Andrew knew that he couldn't afford to stop there. He had long realized that to achieve greatness as a sorcerer, he must put in even more effort and dedication than before. Thus, he resolved to push himself harder and work with greater diligence than ever before.
With the help of his book totem, Andrew had already improved his agility and physique attributes, and the results were nothing short of astounding. But he also knew that this newfound power came with a price. He had to learn to control it, to master it, and to unleash its full potential.
While waiting for the beast-summoning rune seed to mature into his secondary totem, Andrew wasted no time. He quickly left the pagoda library and headed to one of the spell-testing rooms on the sixth floor. With a clear mind and a single-minded focus, he began training rigorously to refine his combat powers.
Andrew's primary goal was to perfect his usage of his recently improved agility and strength attributes. So, he spent the next five days focusing on training his body usage for combat by pushing himself to his limits and beyond.
He even practiced with daggers and swords, refining his battle techniques and ensuring that every action was perfectly executed. He also worked on building up his stamina, hoping to grind his capability to sustain his power and speed for more extended periods during combat.
As time passed, Andrew's confidence in his abilities grew, and he felt more in control of his body. However, he continued challenging himself, pushing himself with an unyielding determination to be the best he could be.
After undergoing rigorous training for five days straight, he finally felt transformed. He was now much stronger, faster, and more agile than ever.
Although he knew he still had a long way to go, he was confident in his newfound power and abilities. He was grateful for the training that had brought him this far and was excited to keep pushing himself to new heights.
As he strode toward the kitchen, an intense feeling of pure joy washed through him. He knew what he craved for dinner - some roasted magical beast liver paired with freshly baked bread and a selection of the most mouth-watering magical fruits from the pagoda's botanical garden.
With the food ready and waiting, he poured himself some fine wine and savored every bite, feeling the flavors dance in his mouth. After finishing his meal, he headed to the residential section on the pagoda's sixth floor, ready for a peaceful night's sleep.
As dawn broke, Andrew sprang out of bed, feeling energized and rejuvenated. He savored a light breakfast before making his way to the spacious hall on the eighth floor of the pagoda. Excitement pulsed through him as he examined the rune seed he had implanted in his conscious sea five days prior.
To his amazement, the tiny seed had already matured into a fist-sized globe decorated with an array of compressed runes. Andrew couldn't contain his joy as he realized its significance.
The globe was the beast-summoning totem that could enable him to summon and contract creatures from distant realms. This was a monumental step in his journey to become a summoner, and he was thrilled beyond belief.
Moreover, that was not all. The beast-summoning rune seed that had matured into Andrew's secondary totem had also managed to enhance his mentality attribute from an impressive 91.5 to a whopping 99.5.
Andrew couldn't believe his luck! The soul shamanic books had mentioned that matured rune seeds would fortify one's soul and enhance a sorcerer's mentality, but he never thought he would experience such a significant boost so quickly.
Excited yet nervous, Andrew decided it was time to test out the effects of his newfound powers. He had studied and read books about ancient beast-summoning rituals for over a month. And now, at last, he was ready to put his knowledge to the test.
With a deep breath, Andrew settled on the marbled floor, his legs crossed, and began to recite the incantation for the occult greater-beast summoning ritual. The words felt strange and alien on his lips, but he persevered, pouring his mana into the beast-summoning totem until he could feel the energy coursing through his veins.
And then, suddenly, something shifted. Andrew's awareness seemed to break past a mysterious barrier, and he felt himself being pulled into some uncanny state of being. The world around him spun and twisted, and for a moment, he lost all sense of time and space.
When he next opened his eyes, he was no longer in the pagoda. Instead, he realized that he was in a spiritual form that happened to be floating in a lush, ancient forest surrounded by towering trees and strange, exotic creatures.
His heart racing, Andrew knew that he had succeeded in his quest to unlock the secrets of the ancient beast-summoning rituals. But what wonders and dangers lay ahead in this strange new world?
He steeled himself for whatever lay ahead and attempted to move. To his amazement, his spiritual form responded instantly, propelling him forward at breakneck speed through the trees like a bolt of lightning.
He zoomed past enormous and terrifying creatures, some so frightening to the point of causing his soul to shudder with fear. However, Andrew was determined to press on. From the books he had read, he was aware that these beings posed no danger to a summoner's life as long as they were under the protection of the summoning ritual.
Eventually, he reached a towering mountain and began to float upwards until he arrived before a majestic creature that resembled an ancient purple dragon.
The dragon was so massive and built on the scale of mountains and seas. Its presence alone was overwhelming, as though the very air was being squeezed by the immense power surging through its veins.
Andrew stood in awe as he gazed at the dragon before him. Suddenly, the dragon's gigantic purple eye slowly opened as if it could feel his stare. Before Andrew could react, the darkness consumed him, and he felt a sharp pain in his head. When he awoke, he found himself back on the eighth floor of the pagoda, confused and disoriented.
Andrew exclaimed, "What was that?" The encounter with the dragon left him feeling dizzy. Memories of the giant eye staring lazily at him were still fresh in his mind, causing him to shiver uncontrollably. The sheer power of the creature was astonishing as it had extinguished his spiritual body with just a glance. Indeed, the dragon was an incredibly formidable creature.
Andrew knew he needed to gather his wits and regain his spirits before continuing his exploration of the mysterious world. He took some time to meditate and recover, and then, he feasted upon a few magical fruits that invigorated his mind.
With his spirits uplifted, he began contemplating his just-concluded journey to the mysterious realm, where he had just seen many terrifying ancient creatures. Andrew couldn't wait to see what other adventures awaited him in this mystical land.
"Perhaps the enigmatic realm is one of the ancient beast worlds lost through time that the summoner books refer to," Andrew contemplated. "If I remain vigilant and steer clear of terrifying creatures such as dragons, my spiritual form should endure until I find a creature to form a contract with. I shall make another attempt."
The beast-summoning tomes had also warned that the amount of time sorcerers could spend in spirit form in the beast worlds depended on their mana and mentality reserves.
Andrew, being a rank-one sorcerer, was aware that his magical abilities could only sustain for an hour or so. Thus, he had limited time to hunt for a suitable contractual beast. But he was determined to make the most of his time in the realm and find his first beast companion for himself.