Lia stared at the results, her expression a mixture of pride and disbelief. "They're… really stronger now," she whispered. "I did that?"
Ethan chuckled, patting her shoulder. "You sure did. You're a natural support, Lia. These buffs are going to be a game-changer in fights."
Her cheeks flushed, and she glanced down at her hands. "I never thought… I could actually make a difference like this."
"Well, believe it," Ethan said warmly. "You're proving your worth every step of the way. Now, let's keep practicing. We've got a lot more to learn before we tackle anything tougher."
Lia nodded, determination flickering in her hazel eyes. "Yes, Master. I'll do my best." She glanced back at the summoned creatures, her lips curving into a small smile. "Thank you… for trusting me with this."
Ethan nodded awkwardly. In truth, he was only comfortable with trusting her because she was literally labeled his faithful servant but he did not want to unnecessarily muddy the puddle by telling her the truth.
It was not that he suspected her. Lia seemed very genuine. She would probably never betray him but what if there were other superstitions in this world that he wasn't aware of?
One could never be too careful. For all he knew, she might even think of him as a devil who could bring back the dead in a new body and maybe even soul or some shit?
But the terms of her new class helped with this. Ethan did not understand how it worked. Was it some sort of mind control that prevented her from betraying him? Or perhaps a thought like that wouldn't even pop up? He couldn't imagine what kind of manipulation went into a class like that.
If possible he wanted to free her from a mind control like that. However, that was something for later when they were both high-leveled. Right now survival and only survival mattered.
The two of them then started hunting more slimes and Ethan finally hit the limit on the number of his summons after a few more slimes. He opened his status screen to take a look at his stats.
[Ding! Status Screen]
Name: Ethan Rutgard
Age: 18
Class: Unshackled Summoner (SSS-grade)
Level: 7
Rank: F
Titles: Hidden Class Awakener
Health: 350
Mana: 350
Strength: 15
Agility: 15
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 10
Free Attributes: 0
Core Skill 1: Marked by the Unshackled Summoner (Passive): All beings killed by you are yours to summon.
Core Skill 2: Summon (Active) Consumes the required mana to summon a bound being.
Bonded beings:
Green worm, Small spider, Small Spider, Small Spider, Small Spider, Small Spider, Small Spider, Small Spider, Small Spider, Small Spider, Shadow, Grug, Green Goblin 2, Green Goblin 3, Green Goblin 4, Snarl, Tweety, Slime 1, Slime 2, Slime 3, Slime 4, Slime 5, Slime 6, Slime 7, Slime 8, Slime 9, Slime 10, Slime 11, Slime 12, Slime 13, Slime 14, Slime 15, Slime 16, Slime 17, Slime 18
***
"Fuck. 18 slimes?" Ethan scratched his head. It definitely looked a bit excessive but he couldn't really help it. Until he hit the limit whatever he killed would automatically be added to his summoning list. His level was 7 so now he had 35 summons in total.
"Ok. This is not too bad." He thought for a moment and nodded. He then summoned all of his slimes without hesitation.
Lia let out a gasp as she watched the eighteen slimes all appear simultaneously, their gelatinous bodies quivering in unison as they formed a semi-circle around Ethan and Lia. The clearing glowed faintly with the soft, translucent light emanating from the summoned creatures.
Lia took a step back, her wide hazel eyes darting between the slimes and Ethan. "M-Master," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "This is… incredible. I have never seen or heard of anything like this before…"
Ethan smiled wryly. Sure, the number was intimidating but they were all just level 1 slimes. At least for now. "Go and do some fighting." He ordered all the slimes.
This was precisely why he had called everything out. They were currently standing on a slime territory so slimes hunting other slimes wasn't that out of place. This was a good chance for getting his minions some level and at the same time enjoy some passive money making.
The riverbed stretched endlessly, its clear waters reflecting the sun's shimmering rays as if it was a path made of molten gold. The sound of the flowing river provided a gentle backdrop, blending with the squelching noises of slimes hopping about.
The sea of gelatinous creatures was scattered across the area. It was as if the slime territory extended forever, their quivering forms blending into the distance. There were plenty of slimes littered everywhere.
Plenty enough for everyone to hunt and farm.