At the entrance of the village, Leonard felt a heavy pull urging him to stay. He had a good life there; even away from the advancing civilization, he was satisfied with the glimpses of enjoyment in his second life.
But he had already decided to leave and explore the vast unknown world. The first thing he needed to do was learn more about the world and the gaming system for Players.
He had a few assumptions that weren't far from reality. However, to blend into society, he needed to learn the norms.
For sure, there was magic, as mages were a concept in this world. Beyond that, there was nothing he could be certain of.
"Assumptions are just assumptions. If I test them, I'll learn what's considered common sense in this world."
Closing his eyes after taking the first step into the deep foliage, he focused on summoning Zeus. He needed to recreate the same feeling he had when Zeus first appeared; that was the first step.
"Come here, Zeus." Leonard spoke aloud, but nothing happened. "Nothing happens with a normal call. There must be a condition within me."
The problem with being far from society was this: he couldn't inquire about his class as a summoner or about being a Player. After all, he was the only Player in their village.
"Tsk. Zeus shouldn't have killed all of them. Now I'm left clueless."
Shaking his head, he felt the urge to scold Zeus. However, at the same time, he didn't expect a bolt of lightning from the sky to strike a spot in front of him.
"So… this is the condition for summoning you. A deep need. Now, how long can I keep you summoned?"
Zeus appeared before him, dressed in a pure white himation embroidered with golden patterns beneath a chiton. Zeus looked confused; he had been writing something moments ago but was suddenly summoned again.
Gazing at Leonard with a demand for an explanation, Leonard avoided his gaze and nodded.
"At least you're wearing something. I don't have any extra clothes that would fit you. I don't want you to look out of place," Leonard muttered.
"Didn't I already tell you to give me a heads-up?" Zeus complained, his eyebrows furrowing with frustration.
"I don't know how to do that," Leonard shrugged. "Give me a ride."
Staring at Leonard in disbelief, Zeus's mouth fell open.
"Did you just summon me for that? How could you? I was about to write a letter to ask why you can summon me, but it seems like you don't want me to know."
Leonard chuckled as he looked in a different direction, clearly not at Zeus. His eyes were filled with amusement and satisfaction, a look of accomplishment.
Seeing how he was ignored, Zeus couldn't help but feel fury building up inside. The desire to electrify Leonard was at the back of his mind, but something was stopping him from acting on this impulse.
'Annoying mortal. I'm retracting my offer to help him. Who does he think he is, summoning me just for a ride?'
"I know I said I would help you anytime, but I didn't mean it like this. I am not your personal butler to give you a ride."
"Wait." Leonard raised his hands, making Zeus face his palm foolishly. "I think I know how long I can summon you."
With his eyebrows still furrowed, Zeus asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"Two minutes have passed, and a magic point was deducted. It seems my first summon of you was just a bonus that kept you summoned for a longer time."
Zeus clenched his fists in fury but kept his temper under control. With a sigh to express his anger, he looked at Leonard.
"Where do you want to go?"
Leonard nodded and pointed up to the sky, saying, "I want to get an aerial view. Find me a city or town so I can learn about this world. I need to enjoy these sights," while pointing at the ground.
Zeus sighed once more. "You do know that you're still a mortal. I could kill you."
Leonard shook his head. He knew there was a connection between them that was beyond the gaming system. Zeus didn't understand this, so he was confused about Leonard's confidence.
"I have a unique skill:
Zeus lifted his finger and released lightning bolts straight at Leonard, who seemed unaffected by the electrical energy coming at him.
As the lightning struck, Leonard remained unharmed, contrary to what should have happened. Zeus's eyes widened in disbelief at the impossible sight.
"See?" Leonard shrugged before raising his hands. "Now, lift me."
"That should have toasted you… But anyway, that just means I must really learn what is happening."
Having no other choice, Zeus lifted Leonard and started ascending from the ground. At that moment, a soft kiss of the wind brushed against Leonard's skin as they traveled through the sky toward the nearest advanced settlement they could see.
Seeing the civilization from above, which bore a resemblance to the European medieval buildings from Earth, Leonard finally understood that this world had an equivalent setting to a prior era.
"Is this similar to Earth?" Leonard asked Zeus, who responded with only a shake of his head. "I see…"
From their vantage point, they noticed a huge tower piercing the sky. Not knowing what it was, as it was also within the city they had found, they could only ponder its existence.
As they landed a few meters away from the gates, Leonard tapped Zeus and pointed at the tower.
Rising ominously against the horizon, the black, towering structure loomed like a shadowy sentinel. Its polished obsidian surface reflected the sun, casting long, dark shadows across the city landscape.
"I will be exploring that. It's familiar to me. It might not be the Tower of Babel, but it could be a tower from Korean manhwas. The Player gaming system just fits this setting."
Zeus shook his head, unable to comprehend what Leonard was saying.
"I don't know about that. But is this all you want, right? I have delivered you."
Leonard smiled and gave a slight bow to Zeus before checking his gaming status board.
[Magic: 39/50]
"Keeping you summoned was expensive. I'll call on you again when I need you." Leonard tapped Zeus's shoulder, leaving him bewildered.
Leonard just casually tapped a Greek god. No one in their right mind would do that, but Leonard did, with his confidence about the reality.
"Come on, don't be so distant. I thought you were going to help me?"
"But not as a pushover." Zeus shoved Leonard's arm before disappearing with a zap of lightning into the sky.
Perplexed, Leonard closed his eyes, realizing how he might have bruised Zeus's pride.
"I thought he had changed. I was hoping to build a better relationship with him since I'm going to summon him often."
PassingNote: Let's have a trade.
For every 50 power stones, I will provide a bonus chapter. After chapter 15, the novel will be updated twice a day.