"Master? What's with the greeting?"
Ruby smiles and says, "Well, you summoned me, so you're my master now, right? Besides, I wanted to see the expression on your face, Master."
At least she can't see me blush thanks to the fur. Why can all women make me react so easily?
"It's okay, you can drop the master thing and just call me Klein."
Ruby laughs and says, "As you command, master!"
"Anyway, now we have plenty of time to talk. I should be able to keep you here for at least a couple of days."
Ruby says, "Yes, I can sense that you've gotten stronger, do you mind if I ask how you were able to get so much stronger in such a short time?"
"Mainly by absorbing beast cores."
Ruby opens her mouth but doesn't say anything, looking completely stunned. Oh, did I say something weird?
Ruby says, "Did you really say you've been absorbing beast cores?"
-Yes, why, is it weird?
Ruby says "Weird? It should be impossible!"
"Oh, well, uh, didn't you know?"
Ruby says "How exactly do you absorb it, do you eat it or something?"
"No, I just hold it in my hand and have the option to absorb it."
Ruby says "Option, aren't you using a spell or something?"
I explain to Ruby how my skill and stat system seems to work, and how after Observe gives me the information from a core, it gives me the option to absorb it.
Ruby says, "That's absolutely amazing, I've never heard of anything like that. Then again, beast cores were something new back then, so maybe it's something we hadn't discovered yet."
"Oh, that brings me to one of my many questions - can you tell me about the classifications of beast cores? And of elementals?"
Ruby says, "Of course, they are the same anyway. From lowest to highest, the rankings are: lowest, middle, highest and supreme."
"So, you used to be the second highest and now you're the lowest?"
Ruby says, "Yes, unfortunately, with elementals the power slowly fades if we are not active. So, being trapped in those chains for hundreds of years allowed all my power to slowly fade, and now I have to start from scratch. At least I kept my humanoid form."
"The lesser elementals aren't humanoid?"
Ruby says, "No, elementals start out as fire blobs with eyes, it's usually around the higher stage that we acquire a humanoid form and the ability to speak."
"Well, I'm glad you haven't lost your form or your ability to speak. By the way, are you fully recovered? I didn't call you too soon, did I?"
Ruby says, "No, you didn't. My mana has fully recovered. Thanks for caring, Klein."
"Yeah, uh, it's kind of hard to keep track of the days here."
Ruby says, "Oh yeah, I know exactly what you mean."
"So, now that you're free, how do you go about getting your former power back, do you level up?"
Ruby says, "No, elementals don't have levels, we just have our degrees of power. In the plane of fire we get stronger by absorbing the power of the plane, hunting creatures native to the plane or fighting and absorbing other elementals."
"What happens while you are summoned, is there any way for you to become more powerful while you are here?"
Ruby says, "I'm not sure, after all, the only time I spent on this plane so far was trapped in those chains. I would probably get stronger fighting things here, but I don't know for sure."
I stare at Ruby and activate Observe.
==========
- Name: Ruby
- Race: Minor Fire Elemental
- Title: None
- HP: 150/150
- MP350/350
==========
Would you like Ruby to be your pet? Y/N.
"Familiar? Like a wizard's familiar? How does that work?"
Ruby says, "Not that I mind, but is there a reason you're staring at me so hard?"
"Oh, uh, sorry!" I say as I blush.
Ruby smiles and says, "Did you know that fire elementals don't see the same way you do? Instead, we see patterns and heat changes. What I mean is that when you blush, I can see the heat rise to your cheeks even through your fur."
This just makes me blush even more and I stare at my feet.
Ruby says, "Oh master, you are so cute!"
"Ahem! No, I was looking at you to use one of my abilities, observe. It allows me to see your state, and when I did, an option popped up. It asked me if I wanted to make you my familiar."
Ruby says, "Ah, so you were watching my status, familiar? What's that?"
"Well, in my old world it was a term in the games that meant a servant or magical companion."
Ruby says, "Well, we're already bonded, so I don't see any harm in another bond, do you know what effect it will have?"
"Unfortunately I have no idea what will happen."
Ruby says, "Well, I'm always open to new things, so unless you don't mind, let's go ahead and try it."
"No, I don't mind if you don't. I just didn't want to do anything that might affect you without your permission."
Ruby says, "Oh, what a polite teacher! Yes, go ahead and make me your familiar."
"Yes, will you make Ruby my familiar?"
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩.
- Confirm: make elemental Ruby into a familiar? Y/N
- Warning: the choice once made is irrevocable!
"Wow, that's never happened before!"
Ruby says "What's the matter, nothing happened?"
"Well, when I selected to make you my familiar it asked me to confirm and then warned me that it was irrevocable."
Ruby says "Oh, sounds just like the bond, once done it's for life. I'm still fine with it, we're already bonded after all."
"Okay, okay, confirm, make Ruby my familiar!"
MP: 10/365
- Confirmed, Elemental Ruby will now become Klein's familiar!
As the mana drained from me, it swirled around Ruby in all colors of fire. After a few seconds, Ruby is completely hidden and continues to hide her form for several minutes. When the swirling energies fade and Ruby reveals herself, I can't help but stare at her open-mouthed.
Ruby now looks like a human woman in her early twenties and is wearing an oriental-style red silk dress with flame prints. Her skin is dark and her hair is long and red with orange and yellow highlights, so that when she moves she gives the impression of dancing flames. The only thing that hasn't changed are his eyes, which are still a deep, solid ruby red.
Ruby says, "Master, what's wrong, did something happen?"
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩.
- Congratulations, the skill evolution occurred!
- Skill summoning has evolved to elemental summoning!
√ Elemental summoning
√ Level 1
- MP cost 100 +5/hour
- You can summon a minor elemental of the desired element.
"Um uh, well... How to explain this?"
"How do you feel Ruby, do you feel any different?"
Ruby says, "No, I feel fine, why, what's wrong?"
"Well, you seem to have transformed into something different. You don't seem the same anymore."
Ruby looks down at herself and lets out a gasp of surprise. She looks down at her hands and then touches her face. Then she runs to the river to look at herself in the reflection. Suddenly, she runs back and grabs Klein's face with her hands.
Ruby says "Does that burn you?"
"No, your hands are pleasantly warm. Nothing else."
Suddenly Ruby smiles and says "You mean my touch won't hurt you anymore? I won't destroy everything I touch?"
Suddenly Ruby sits up and starts crying hot tears, but from the smile on her face I can tell they are tears of happiness.
"I'm not sure what happened, but I think it's safe to say that from now on you will only destroy what you want."
Ruby rushes over to me and hugs me as she cries into my fur.
Ruby says, "Thank you, Master, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"