The Divine Summoner: Godson of Altima

by Antony W. F. Chow

  Luka could see the meticulous planning in developing this garden. The left region was arranged in rows, while the center area consisted of circular islands. For variety, the previous gardener organized the right side as small boxes of similar plants. Unfortunately, weed took over a majority of the fertile land.

  [Are you going to gather herbs?] Bel inquired.

  The boy shook his head. "I know nothing about herbs and plants. I never studied herbology. I wouldn't know which ones are useful. Are you going to look for carrots?" Luka asked jokingly.

  The demon smacked Luka's head. [Wait 'til I fully recover my original form. Then you will regret making those stupid rabbit jokes, boy!]

  Luka wisely kept his mouth shut. The adventurer consulted his map and saw a blank area in the eastern direction. "Let's head that way," he proposed.

  [Fine.]

  The young boy used Touch the Horizon to safely cross this region. Luka chose to rely on his spatial magic because there may be snakes and other animals lurking within the weeds. At the same time, he worried there might be hidden traps as well.

  Luckily, Bel was content to settle into his role as a passive passenger atop Luka's head. Bel worked as an adventurer during his youth, and he understood every action taken by the boy. Even though the Dark Catacombs wasn't a friendly place to visit, Bel thought it was 100x better than being stuck inside the magic realm for several more years. Hence, the familiar preferred to let the child take his time in exploring this labyrinth and gain some much-needed experience in the process.

  Luka took the eastern exit out of the herb garden and continued his journey for several more hours. Eventually, he arrived at a nondescript room with strange writings on the walls. However, the boy didn't recognize the language and gave up trying to decipher it.

  Luka felt mentally exhausted from the effort and decided to break camp here for the night. The boy felt hungry for the first time in several years! He cast Create Food and Water and shared his meal with Bel.

  The demon ate the meat but passed the veggies back to his companion. Bel eyed Luka's food hungrily, but the boy ignored him. Finally, Bel made an offer. [If you give me half of your meat, then I will take up the entire rotation of night watch.]

  Luka thought for a moment and agreed with this proposal. He didn't mind passing the meat to Bel in exchange for additional rest. The boy had a hunch that this labyrinth was full of hidden dangers. Hence, Luka's top priority was to maintain his peak physical condition and prepare to fight at any moment. Besides, he didn't like to overeat meat. Thus, his deal with Bel was a win-win proposition.

  Luka quickly finished his meal and then laid on the ground to sleep.

  Bel sat next to the boy for an hour before the rabbit became bored. The animal began to hop away to explore. Click!

  Suddenly, Bel sensed a surge of magic! He discovered that his companion had laid atop a hidden magic array, which Bel inadvertently activated! [Wake up, Luka!] The familiar yelled while rushing back toward the boy.

  Luka awoke and quickly discovered his predicament. When Luka tried to leave, he slammed into an invisible wall!

  The hidden formation on the ground glowed brighter by the second. Suddenly, overwhelming energy tore a gap through space and pulled Luka through the tear!

  Chapter 17

  Gilan the Shadow King

  Luka maintained his consciousness despite traveling through the chaotic and turbulent void. The boy witnessed the creation of new planes and the destruction of old ones. He passed through these short-lived worlds like an incorporeal ghost.

  The boy kept his eyes open and observed everything. Luka realized the inherent benefit of visiting these worlds, and he didn't wish to miss even a second of this impromptu, interdimensional travel! Alas, all good things must come to an end, and Luka's unexpected journey resulted in his arrival in a tiny plane comprised of shadows!

  A "plane" was a rather generous description of Luka's landing spot; the entire area included a small castle, a courtyard, and a bit of space beyond its walls! However, there were no guards, and the front gate was wide open. When the boy landed in the enclosed field, Luka sensed a magical alarm triggered!

  A few breaths later, eery black smoke erupted in front of the intruder. When the fog cleared, an older man appeared before Luka. The newcomer wore a black gown with magical runes embroidered on his chest. His face was angular and etched with a permanent sneer. His hair took the style of a noble, and he wore a finely trimmed goatee. The tall and lanky mage held an ebony staff with a human skull on top.

  The man examined Luka from head-to-toe and shook his head in disappointment. "I am Gilan the Shadow King. Why did the Black Curse send a young lad like you still smelling of mother's milk?" he demanded to know.

  The boy offered a nobleman's salutation. "I am Luka Heavensfell from the Morninglory Kingdom. I am honored to meet Your Excellency! I accidentally triggered a teleportation formation while exploring the Dark Catacombs and arrived here. Sorry for the intrusion," Luka explained politely and bowed his head apologetically.

  Gilan's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "My portal is inside the home base of the Black Curse. How can you use it without their permission?" he asked.

  "Their base was abandoned. I heard that the Divine Church of Light launched an offensive and crushed the organization. This event happened several decades ago," Luka answered truthfully.

  The sorcerer's brows arched in surprise at this news. "I can't believe the church would destroy the Black Curse. But then again, it has been a while since anyone visited my private realm," he muttered. Gilan's gaze returned to his inadvertent guest. "How DID you arrive at the Dark Catacombs?" he inquired with suspicion. "You're far too young to be an adventurer," he observed.

  "I was sent here by my master to explore the place," the boy explained, "as a way to gain some field experience."

  "You entered the Dark Catacombs by yourself?" the host asked skeptically.

  Luka nodded. Since Bel was his familiar, Gilan would regard the creature as Luka's property instead of a separate entity. But then again, few mages would dare form a magical contract with a sealed demon king.

  Speaking of Bel, Luka could use his familiar contract to pull Bel across time and space to reach the master's current location. Conversely, the master could also magically teleport to his familiar's whereabouts. Thus, the boy felt confident in leaving Bel in his current place for a quick escape if Gilan harbored hostile intent towards Luka.

  The host stroked his goatee as he reexamined the boy. "How old are you?" the dark sorcerer asked.

  Luka tilted his head and thought for a moment. "I'm 12 years old," Luka answered.

  "You come from a noble family?" Gilan inquired.

  "Yes, I'm the only child of my late father, who was a duke. I expect to take over the dukedom once I reach adulthood," the boy answered.

  The shadow mage pondered over this information. Suddenly, Gilan's stern expression loosened into a giggle. "Hehehehe, kukukuku! I received a gift from the heavens!" Gilan exclaimed wildly and raised his hands to the endless, dark sky.

  The madman's eyes turned malicious as he stared at Luka like a little lamb facing slaughter. Gilan slowly licked his lips. "Little boy, I'm going to take over your body and become you! In doing so, my dwindling lifespan will increase! Now, be obedient and accept your fate!"

  Luka became frightened. "Stay away!" he yelled and ran into the courtyard.

  "Run, run, run, little boy! Hahahahah!" Gilan cackled and began to chase after his prey at a leisurely pace.

  Although the boy visibly displayed feelings of distress, in reality, this was merely an act! After all, Luka reincarnated and experienced two lives. He sensed that Gilan possessed strong magical power, and the boy didn't wish to fight this villain head-on. Therefore, Luka pretended to be weak so that the shadow mage would underestimate the child and lower his guard. Since running away was a natural reaction for a frightened child, Luka acted accordingly.

  Luka ran and put some distan
ce from the crazy adult. The target considered entering the castle but quickly rejected the idea. He worried that Gilan had servants inside, and thus, Luka would be at a massive disadvantage if they joined the chase. On the other hand, this plane was tiny, and there was no place to run!

  After an hour, Gilan began to pant heavily. He couldn't believe the boy possessed such strong stamina! But he didn't mind because this confirmed Luka was healthy, and his body would soon belong to Gilan! As entertainment, the shadow king generously permitted the boy to continue running.

  Gilan felt delighted with this situation. How many years had it been since he ran with his weak body? A century? One hundred and fifty years? The last time he ran like this was when he participated in a grade-wide trial in the magic academy. This activity inevitably helped the ancient sorcerer recall his long-forgotten youth.

  But after the second hour, the host finally became fed up. Gilan stopped running and used his shadow magic to form two ropelike tentacles. "Shadow Whip!" He flicked them at Luka to capture his prey.

  When the tentacles closed in on Luka's body, he quickly cast "Blink!" The mage watched with satisfaction as the weapons entered another dimension and failed to touch him!

  "You know spatial magic?" Gilan blurted out in disbelief. He flickered his tentacles again and again.

  Each time the whips approached Luka, his body vanished from the spot; the weapons passed harmlessly.

  Gilan became anxious because he worried that his prey would teleport out of his dimension! He gathered the shadow element and cast another spell: "Shadowhounds!"

  A trio of monsters resembling wolves appeared.

  The summoner raised his hand toward Luka and commanded, "Attack!"

  The shadowy beasts howled and ran toward the boy with their jaws wide open!

  Luka calmly waited until his enemies were within range. "Spatial Blade!" The defender casually made slashing motions and cut each monster in half.

  The Shadowhounds lost their lives and immediately dissipated.

  Gilan gritted his teeth in anger. "Don't celebrate your victory just yet!" He gathered the shadow element and cast another monster summoning spell: "Shadow Giant!"

  The shadows within the environment soon coalesced and formed a humanoid figure which stood ten feet tall! The bulky arms extended to the monster's knees. The Shadow Giant possessed a forward-leaning gait like a gorilla.

  The summoner pointed at Luka and yelled, "Attack!"

  The monster focused its hate on the child and roared! It leaped forward with a high jump and slammed both fists at Luka's spot!

  Luka activated Critical Insight, which suggested that the monster wasn't as strong as it appeared. After all, it comprised of shadow, which was an incorporeal substance. Therefore, the giant's strength should be similarly weak. The boy activated Enragement and threw an uppercut against the descending fist.

  "Hahaha! Turn into meat paste!" Gilan gloated at the boy's foolishness.

  Shockingly, Luka's punch rocked the monster back two steps!

  "Impossible! How can you be so strong!" the dark sorcerer blurted out in disbelief.

  The monster attuned to its master's emotion, and it roared in anger. The giant unleashed a barrage of fists on the little boy!

  Luka calmly evaded and dodged these wild attacks. While the boy defended himself, Luka continued to use his Critical Insight to find the monster's weak spots. He soon discovered three areas: the eyes, the neck, and the heart. The child quickly settled on the throat because the site was within reach. When Luka dodged the next punch, he cast "Spatial Blade" and targeted the monster's throat!

  "Gurgk~" The Shadow Giant froze as gray smoke poured out of the wound. Then the entire figure of the monster dissipated.

  "Bastard!" Gilan screeched. He couldn't believe that Luka defeated his Shadow Giant! The black mage tried another tactic: fear. Gilan cut his palm, squeezed several drops of blood from his wound, and invoked a dark ritual to create a portal to the Infernal Plane.

  The tear in the black sky attracted powerful inhabitants from the other side, squeezing through the small portal. These creatures entered the shadow realm and slowly expanded to their original sizes. They possessed wildly different physical forms. One was a hand cut off at the wrist with eyes and accompanying mouths on each finger. Another retained the body of an earthworm with tendrils on the exterior ending in mouths. The third creature was similar to a bat but missing its head, while the final summoned creature resembled a two-headed dog with slimy fish scales covering its torso.

  Gilan raised his hand and showed them his bleeding palm. "By the blood contract, I command you Infernal Horrors to capture and torment this boy! But you must keep him alive for me!"

  These foul creatures lapped up the human blood before turning their attention to Luka.

  Their target immediately felt intense pressure pressing down his body and soul. Luka's senses screamed that these horrors were deadly, and Luka must avoid capture! He used Spatial Blade to cut the bat-like creature's wings. Clang! However, the Infernal Horror possessed strong physical resistance, and his hand turned numb as if he hit a wall!

  Luka used his Void Step to stay away from these monsters while slashing at his chasers. But the human failed to break through their hard skin!

  "Hahaha! It's useless, lad! Once these Infernal Horrors capture you, they will torture your soul and feed off your fear!" Gilan laughed at the clueless bumpkin.

  The boy finally gave up on using Spatial Magic to attack these creatures. Luka stopped running and waited patiently for the four monsters to approach him. When they were within range, the boy cast Light Burst! A pure, bright light erupted and vaporized these hellish creatures!

  "No! How can you possess both light and spatial magics!" Gilan exclaimed in horror.

  Luka pretended that he had exhausted his mana to make the crazy mage lower his guard. He sat down while panting.

  "Waahahaha! You fought bravely, child! But you ran out of mana and can't cast another spell! How foolish!" Gilan chuckled in delight. He conjured Shadow Hands and captured Luka!

  "Now, let me drain your mana before taking over your body!" The villain transformed into a giant shadow mosquito and flew toward his captive. Gilan stuck his beak into the boy's chest and pierced Luka's skin. The insect began to drain the child's magical energy.

  Luka pretended to struggle. He used only a quarter of his mana pool but still possessed over 3,000 points. Luka realized that no mortal had a similar amount of magical energy. He quickly figured out a way to defeat Gilan -- feed the mage to death! The courageous boy waited as Gilan gored himself with Luka's mana.

  The villain felt like he was in heaven because the child's magical energy was genuinely superb! The essence was pure and untainted because Luka was still a virgin! Gilan kept draining from the child until the black mage was full. But when he tried to pull out of the boy's chest, Gilan saw that Luka's hands held him in place!

  "What are you doing! Release me!" the mage yelled.

  Luka ignored him and continued to transfer his magical energy to the giant mosquito.

  Gilan struggled but couldn't break free of the boy's iron grip. Meanwhile, his stomach grew bigger and bigger from receiving Luka's magical energy. "Let go!" Gilan croaked feebly.

  Luka forcibly transferred his mana into the giant insect until he heard a loud "POP!"

  Gilan exploded into a pile of gory flesh and blood! With the death of the dark caster, the Shadow Hands entangling Luka dissipated.

  The victor sat on the ground and meditated as his body slowly recharged the spent mana. He was down to 11% now. Luka had made a risky gamble to outlast Gilan, and the boy was happy that his plan worked.

  Because the shadow plane was rich in shadow elements and lacking in everything else, Luka estimated he required roughly ten hours to regenerate his magical energy completely. As he meditated, the boy noticed black smoke arose from the body of Gilan.

  Luka walked over to investigate; he discovered an onyx gemstone
embedded within the deceased man's heart. Luka sensed a vibrant, magical aura emanating from this rock. When he grabbed it, Luka felt a surge of energy entering his body!

 

  The youth closed his eyes as information began to pour into his mind. He quickly discovered that this artifact was the embodiment of this plane's living will!

  Gilan had somehow stumbled upon this tiny world over a century ago, and he became the new caretaker of this shadow plane. Gilan's longevity and mastery over shadow magic were benefits he acquired from holding the keystone.

  Luka also learned that the relic functioned as a gatekeeper and possessed total control over who may leave this realm. In other words, if Luka tried to teleport to Bel's location without defeating Gilan, the boy would fail. Luka became relieved that he made the right decision in prioritizing the dark mage's defeat rather than trying to flee.

  The youth pondered his next move. Should he explore the castle by himself, or pick up Bel in the Dark Catacombs and explore this place together? Luka estimated that he spent roughly a half-hour in this realm already. He decided to regroup with his familiar first because the boy worried that Gilan left many guardians and traps inside the castle.

  Luka created a beacon at the gate because he wasn't 100% certain that the keystone would function normally and allow him to return. Then the boy used his unique link with the familiar and teleported to Bel's location.

  Chapter 18

  Rumble in the Courtyard

  When Luka reappeared before Bel inside the Herb Garden of the Dark Catacombs, his pet became upset. [Why didn't you return right away and seek my help? Or you could summon me to your location!] The familiar yelled in anger at missing out on the previous fight. The rabbit started scratching, kicking, and biting the boy.

  Luka hugged Bel tightly. "There were special circumstances," he said with a bitter smile.

  [How so? Where did you go?]

  "I teleported to a tiny realm belonging to Gilan, who called himself the 'Shadow King.' We ended up fighting, and somehow my light magic perfectly countered his. He wanted to snatch my body and replace my soul with his," Luka explained. "After I defeated this shadow mage, I acquired a magic key from his remains and took over his private plane as its new caretaker."