Chapter 21: Rallaka

The Creator.

The problem was that, when she asked the spirit for information on the Creator, it was unable to provide her with concrete, defining facts.

"So then, you're telling me that you are a gullible spirit that got tricked into being trapped inside this dungeon?"

In summary, the spirit really was too naïve.

"Erk! No..." The spirit refused to accept Aria's claims.

"You trusted a sketchy being who you've never met, who offered you a 'deal' in exchange for running the dungeon... Isn't that just a scam?"

"I was desperate! On the verge of death! People like you won't understand!"

Aria wanted to say that she was probably a hundred times older than the spirit, but refrained from doing so.

Sighing, she sat down in the darkened space.

Contrary to the once wide dungeon, everything was significantly smaller now. This was the real size, the real space that was given to the spirit to manage.

"So, what do you want to do from now on? At this point, you've lost to me.. Do you have any last words?"

"N-no! Wait a minute! I can aid you in many ways! I'm a great spirit!"

"By great spirit, you mean high-ranked, right? I find it hard to believe, but even if that was the case... I have to get out of this dungeon by killing you,"

The spirit stopped its struggle, knowing that her words were true. It showed clear unwillingness to die a pitiful fate like this, but what could it do?

Looking at the downcast spirit, Aria mused in interest.

"It's not like I can't save you..." Aria had an idea.

Because the boss was a spirit, she could potentially bring forth a contract. In theory, a Summoner-Summoned pact is possible here.

In theory, that is.

She didn't know if things were different with monsters inside the dungeon. Moreover, she didn't possess the Summoner title, according to the System.

The thing with Dianthe was strange. She managed to contract her without the necessary qualifications for the System.

The spirit also seemed to have noticed that Aria was able to command Dianthe, a fellow spirit.

"H-hey! Aren't you a Summoner? The spirit is you summon, so you can form contracts with spirits, right? Then, form a contract with me!" It flapped its small hands, wanting to appeal to her.

"I am a very strong Earth spirit!" After noticing Aria's silence, it twirled in the air and raised its hands, as if trying to convey that it had enormous power inside the tiny body.

"Then how did you get tricked this easily?" Aria looked at it with bored eyes.

It wasn't like she was unwilling.

If she could, she would contract it.

It was just that the chances of her succeeding was slim.

"I just.. I needed energy!"

By the side, Jin-kyung was standing in shock. She wasn't able to understand the Spirits' language, but Aria was conversing in it fluently.

The woman got more mysterious with each action she took. Jin-kyung wondered where Aria came from.

"Well.. I'd like to contract you... But I probably can't,"

"Why not?!" The spirit cried in distress.

"The time with Dianthe.. I think that was a fluke. Or perhaps I just had special connections with her.

"Guh- this dungeon is different. Ever since you stepped into the dungeon, the boss battle had started. Without beating me, there is no way to leave this dungeon!"

"Your point? That only proves why I should eliminate you right now,"

The spirit was now in a vulnerable, disadvantageous position. There was no way it could win.

"Uuuuu," The spirit grumbled,

"It's not like there's no other choices. You know the.. other contract? That," Aria mentioned, making the spirit jump in fright.

It knew what Aria was talking about.

"I- I will.. Damnit! I will form a submissive contract with you!!!!" In a pinch, it wanted nothing more than to salvage its life.

A submissive contract was nothing but a disaster to the spirit.

But to the boss, it was a matter of the contract or death.

Since it was desperate to live and Aria couldn't set up a proper summoning ritual, it would have to suffice with being the 'submissive' party.

"Are you sure with this?"

"Anything... Anything but death! I still have a lot to do! This great spirit-"

"I'll take that as a yes. I only needed a yes or no response," Aria grabbed the spirit in one go.

She bit her thumb, drawing out blood from the pierced skin. This was the contract that was sometimes considered as 'illegal'.

It was crude, and didn't favor the summon at all. Every right went to the Summoner.

Even though the summon ultimately had the last say, it was very easy to exploit. A lot of creatures were cornered and forced to initiate the submissive contract, which stripped them from their fine rights.

"Aaaaakkk!! Be gentle, you venomous woman-"

In response, Aria pinched the spirit.

Another pained shriek came out of the spirit.

"Then.. I will give you a name. Your name shall be Rallaka," Aria chuckled. The spirit had comical reactions.

She stamped her bloodied thumb onto the spirit's forehead. The action created a chain reaction, where the spirit was brought to the air and surrounded by a magic circle that went up and down its body like a scanner.

"I-I, the Great Earthen Spirit accepts the name 'Rallaka' and.. and.." The spirit stopped its speech.

It was supposed to say 'I accept Aria Schreiner as my Contractor', but it didn't know her name.

"Aria," she said. "Aria Schreiner,"

"I accept Aria Schreiner as my Contractor!"

"I also accept the spirit Rallaka as my Contracted," Aria followed the vow.

With the sealing words, the magic circles that went around Rallaka got bigger. A bright ray of light was produced, illuminating the entire room.

Rallaka absorbed the magic circle and condensed it into a single mark.

Aria's mark resembled that of a trinity shaped Celtic knot, with a golden shine.

Yes, a golden shine.

The very shade that is supposed to be exclusive to the Arcana Element.

Something that she was never able to comprehend.

She couldn't use the Arcana Element, but her mark glinted in the foreign golden gleam.

"Ah!" Rallaka jumped after the process ended.

The trinity Celtic mark was firmly imprinted on its forehead.

'Does that mean... I can summon inside the dungeon and only the dungeon?' Aria became even more curious.

'But my mark didn't appear on Dianthe. Does that mean she's not an official summon yet?'

Looking at the oblivious Dianthe, Aria tried to theorize the possible reason why only Dianthe's summoning was allowed.

"Fuu... Haa.. Your magic sure is special.." Rallaka took deep breaths in and out, calming itself before turning around and testing the movement.

"Are you satisfied?"

"I was one of the Spirit Kings, but my power got stolen by..."

"Memory loss?" Aria raised a brow.

"No, that shouldn't be possible. I clearly remembered that figure's identity! What..?" Rallaka held up its head in disbelief.

He couldn't recall any memory about the one who harmed him.

'Even so, a Spirit King, huh.'

Spirit Kings weren't scarce, but they weren't common as well.

Outside of the universal spirit ranking, nobility titles were conferred to strong spirits.

Being a Spirit King meant that Rallaka possessed massive strength at his prime. One that towered over other spirits.

There were higher rankings above the title, but usually a King was enough to lead an entire army of spirits.

However, another question came to mind.

"You didn't have a name?"

Spirit Kings were known to have names. Whether they were named by another party or obtaining one through a self-naming process, they had a spiritual name that others address them with.

They prided themselves over the name, which separated them from other classes.

Lower-classed spirits rarely had names, those who had one were all thanks to being contracted.

"Uhh... I did have a name.. but I don't remember!" Rallaka clenched his fists and wrung his head around.

Aria sighed. The spirit had no knowledge of his background. How was she supposed to unravel the mystery?

Shrugging the matter off, she let Rallaka play around Dianthe in order to get them to know each other.

Meanwhile, she opened up her status and looked at it.

On Aria's status was plastered the text 'Stage 2' next to her title. According to her experience, the stages could be reached when she got through ten levels.

She waited as the EXP transferring process begun to start.

Rallaka's submission towards her apparently counted as her victory.

Although the boss didn't die, Rallaka's life and death was betting on Aria's will.

She was able to command the spirit to take its own life if she wanted.

[Level ??? ERROR <Mad> successfully murdered.]

[Experience points increased by 80125.]

[Experience bar full. Storing excess points in the bank.]

[You have accumulated enough experience to break through the third stage.]

[You have obtained the advancement requirements.]

Just like the first time, the System introduced the existence of a 'third stage'.

The experience notification was slightly twisted, but that must've been the result of Rallaka being an entity that couldn't be bound to the System's descriptions.

It wasn't that she was feeling refrained from continuing on with the advancement, it was that she wanted a calm environment.

To immerse herself in the change. To discover new clues that might jump out.

'Commence advancement.'

The command seemed so natural to her, rolling off her tongue like butter. The longer she spent time with the System, the more she felt like it wasn't her first time.

It was as if the System had long been a part of her.

Closing her eyes, she knew that the System was starting to move its hands to perform said command.

[Commencing advancement to Stage 3.]

[Initializing merging program...]

[Inputing System knowledge into <Player>.]

[Information updated.]

[Breaking through Stage 2.]

[You have advanced to Stage 3.]

[Congratulations. You have unlocked the 'Shop' function.]