20. Dungeons (Patreon)

The Familiar Summoning event had finally drawn to a close, though its aftermath still lingered in the air like an unshakable presence. The spectacle of Luke’s summoning had overshadowed everything else, and though no one could match the sheer phenomenon he had caused, the rest of the students had successfully summoned their own familiars.

According to the academy’s long-standing traditions, the seven towering pillars that surrounded the summoning grounds only ever reacted under rare circumstances. If a student’s familiar was particularly remarkable, one of the pillars might light up, signifying that the summoned beast had the potential to evolve into one of the seven mythical beasts of legend. It had happened twice more after Luke’s grand event—once for Prince Blaine, who had summoned a small lion with a burning mane, and again for Roy, who had bonded with a golden-furred lightning wolf.

Alice on the other hand had gained a frost eagle, its feathers shimmering like ice under the sunlight.

Others in their group had received familiars that, while less extravagant, were still impressive in their own right. Trenton had bonded with an armadillo-like summon, its tough exterior promising resilience, while Jasmine had acquired a starlight lynx, a feline creature whose fur shimmered like the night sky.

Yet despite these impressive summons, everyone’s thoughts kept circling back to what had transpired earlier.

“I knew Luke was special,” Trenton declared, puffing his chest and rubbing his nose with a smug grin. “That’s why I decided to become his buddy from day one.”

Jasmine shot him a look that was somewhere between skepticism and amusement. “Oh, please. Do I need to bring up your failed attempt at bullying him?”

Trenton coughed into his fist, suddenly looking a lot less sure of himself. “Ahem. Well, you know… I just have a great eye for talent.”

Jasmine rolled her eyes before shifting the topic. “Where do you think Luke is right now? Professor Martha is about to start her lecture on familiar maintenance.” Her gaze flickered towards the direction where Arthur and Luke had vanished, a faint trace of concern in her expression.

Trenton waved his hand dismissively. “We don’t need to worry about him. He’s the principal’s student now. That means he’s on a completely different playing field.”

Jasmine hummed in agreement but still couldn’t shake the nagging curiosity at the back of her mind. What was Luke doing right now?

Far from the summoning grounds, in the lavish office of the academy’s principal, Luke found himself seated in an elegant chair, a steaming cup of tea in his hands. The warmth of the beverage seeped through the porcelain, soothing the tension that had built up in his body throughout the day. Across from him sat Arthur, his ever-present smirk in place as he observed Luke with an almost amused expression. All the while, Luke’s fingers absentmindedly ran along the smooth scales of Szeth, the serpent curling comfortably around his arm, basking in the attention.

“Enjoying the tea?” Arthur asked, casually leaning back in his chair.

Luke took a sip, appreciating the rich, magical-infused flavor. “Not bad. Almost makes me forget that I was thrown into a different world with zero warning.”

Arthur chuckled. “You’ll get used to it. In this world, opportunities don’t come without their fair share of chaos.”

Luke set his cup down, his gaze turning serious. “So, what now? You dragged me off like I was some rare treasure. What exactly does being your student mean?”

Arthur steepled his fingers, his golden eyes gleaming with something unreadable. “It means I’ll support your growth—fully. But in return, you’ll have to fulfill some requests for me.”

Luke raised an eyebrow. “Requests?”

“Simple ones,” Arthur reassured. “You’ll be clearing dungeons that I assign to you from time to time. Nothing too difficult, at least not at first.”

Luke leaned back, exhaling through his nose. Dungeons. He had read about them before—labyrinths filled with monsters, treasure, and danger. Alongside the fabled Tower of Ascension, dungeons were the fastest way to gain power and wealth in this world. Of course, that also meant they were deadly.

Dungeons were categorized into five levels of difficulty:

• Beginner (1-3 stars)

• Adept (1-5 stars)

• Veteran (1-5 stars)

• Master (1-5 stars)

• Legend (1-7 stars)

The beginner-level dungeons might have been the easiest of the bunch, but they were still places where countless rookie adventurers met their end, drawn in by the promise of quick riches.

Luke tapped his fingers against the table thoughtfully. “So, I just clear dungeons you assign me?”

Arthur nodded. “That’s it. Of course, you’ll need to be prepared. Even the simplest dungeons can be lethal to the careless.”

Luke smiled. “Good thing I don’t do careless.”

Arthur’s expression turned amused. “We’ll see about that.” He took another sip of his tea before adding, “For now, focus on your studies. Not to pop your bubble, but you're really weak. You struggled against a Silvermane Wolf.”

Luke frowned slightly but didn’t argue. Instead, he continued stroking Szeth’s gleaming scales, lost in thought.

“You need to increase your stats and experience in combat before even thinking about tackling dungeons. Unlike a duel, dungeons force you to face multiple enemies at once. If you’re not prepared, you won’t last long.”

Luke’s fingers paused briefly over Szeth’s head before he leaned forward slightly. “So you’re telling me I need to do the dungeons, but why exactly?”

He knew that dungeons helped people grow stronger, but how exactly, he had no idea.

Arthur leaned back in his chair, watching Luke with a knowing expression. "Dungeons reward stat points," he explained simply. "Clearing them guarantees a certain amount of stat growth, while defeating mini-bosses and bosses can provide additional stat boosts. However, those rewards depend on both the boss’s difficulty and the user’s current stats."

Luke’s fingers idly stroked Szeth’s scales as he processed the information. "So, if someone is already much stronger than the dungeon’s level, they won’t get any extra stats from the boss fights?"

Arthur nodded approvingly. "Exactly. The dungeon clear rewards will still apply, but the real stat boosts come from fighting enemies that challenge you. A high-level warrior wouldn’t waste their time on low-tier dungeons because they’d only be getting a fraction of the rewards compared to fighting monsters on their own level."

Luke’s eyes narrowed slightly in thought. "Then how do the strongest people keep growing? Surely they’d run out of dungeons at their level?"

Arthur smirked. "That’s where the Tower of Ascension comes in. Unlike dungeons, the Tower always provides rewards. As long as you keep climbing, you keep getting stronger." His expression darkened slightly. "But the Tower is much trickier and much harder to handle."

Luke leaned forward, intrigued. "Trickier how?"

Arthur simply smiled. "You’ll understand in due time."

Luke sighed but made a mental note of everything he’d learned. He had always wondered how the true powerhouses of this world reached their strength. It wasn’t through levels or experience points like in some game—people here directly gained stats, and the fastest way to do that was through dungeons and the Tower. Training alone wouldn’t cut it.

Arthur, satisfied with Luke’s growing understanding, changed the topic. "Since you’ve officially become my student, it’s only right that I give you a commemorative gift."

Luke’s ears perked up at the word ‘gift.’ He wasn’t one to turn down free things.

With a casual flick of his wrist, Arthur produced a silver ring out of thin air, watching Luke’s face with an expectant look. When Luke’s expression remained impassive, Arthur coughed lightly and placed the ring on the table. "This is a space ring. It has a storage capacity of ten cubic meters—not much by high-level standards, but still an expensive item."

Luke’s interest piqued. Arthur continued, "I’ve filled it with some essentials: healing and mana recovery potions, a few stat-boosting elixirs, emergency rations, and herbs. Use them wisely."

Luke wasted no time in snatching the ring up, examining it like it was the most precious gem in existence.

Arthur smirked in satisfaction seeing Luke's interest. "Since you can use mana, just inject a little into the ring, and you’ll be able to store or retrieve items."

Luke finally looked up from the ring, eyes gleaming. "Thank you, Master. This is perfect—I finally have a cover."

Before Arthur could ask what he meant, the ring in Luke’s palm simply disappeared into thin air. Arthur’s eyes widened in shock. "You—wait, did you just—?!"

Luke chuckled and looked Arthur straight in the eye. "Since you’ve shown me sincerity, I figured I should do the same by showing you one of my secrets."

Arthur exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "Haaah… Space manipulation? You’re really going to give this old man a heart attack with all these surprises."

Luke waved a hand. "It’s not as crazy as actual space manipulation. It’s one of my skills."

Arthur eyed him for a moment before laughing. "Whatever it is, keep it a secret. It’s best not to draw too much attention just yet."

After their exchange, Arthur spent some more time teaching Luke about the world, filling in the gaps in his knowledge. Eventually, their meeting came to an end, and Arthur discreetly dropped Luke off near the summoning grounds, ensuring he wouldn’t cause another unnecessary commotion.

Luke returned to the summoning grounds, where the students were engaged in bonding exercises with their newly summoned familiars under Professor Martha’s guidance. Though he entered quietly, his presence did not go unnoticed. Conversations hushed momentarily before erupting into murmurs filled with curiosity, awe, and jealousy. Dozens of eyes turned toward him and Szeth, the gleaming silver-black metallic serpent coiled firmly around his arm.

‘I guess I need to get used to this,’ Luke thought, ignoring the stares and whispered speculation. Keeping his focus, he weaved through the crowd, making his way toward Jasmine and Trenton. Surprisingly, Damian stood with them, his large crow-like familiar perched ominously on his shoulder. The bird’s dark feathers shimmered slightly in the sunlight, giving it an almost ethereal presence.

Damian was the first to notice Luke, his sharp eyes flicking toward him as a smirk curled on his lips. “Yo, looks like the genius boy is back,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Luke met his gaze with an amused glint. “Glad you finally acknowledge it, Damian. Must be hard for you to accept that we're not 'trash' buddies anymore.”

Damian let out a low whistle, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Woah, woah, I’m not looking for a fight here.”

Before the banter could continue, Jasmine stepped between them, her excitement evident as she spoke. “Luke! I finally got my familiar too. Look!” She crouched slightly, allowing a sleek, feline creature to step forward from behind her. Its shimmering fur mirrored the twinkling night sky, specks of white gleaming like scattered stars. “Her name is Ivy.”

“She suits you,” Luke said, observing the starlight lynx. Ivy’s ears twitched at the compliment, and she let out a soft, contented purr, her tail flicking back and forth in slow, measured movements.

Trenton, never one to be left behind, puffed out his chest and pointed to his own summon—a massive, armored armadillo with thick, metallic plates covering its back. “Meet Luke.”

Silence fell between them as Luke turned to stare daggers at Trenton. Szeth, picking up on his master’s irritation, let out a low, menacing hiss, his fangs gleaming.

Trenton immediately raised his hands, laughing awkwardly. “Kidding! Kidding! His real name is Don. No hard feelings?”

Luke rolled his eyes, while Szeth flicked his tongue in irritation before settling back into place. Don, on the other hand, gave a low, rumbling grunt and dug his claws into the ground, seemingly unaffected by the minor commotion.

Not wanting to linger near Damian any longer, Luke turned to Jasmine and Trenton. “Come on, let’s walk.” The two nodded, following him away from the group, leaving Damian behind.

As they moved through the grounds, Luke couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in his gut. Damian had always been an annoyance, but something about him felt different today. Back at Lily Inn, Luke had sensed that Damian was merely trying to gauge him, but now… there was a clear hostility in his gaze. What changed?

He glanced back once, catching sight of Damian watching him with narrowed eyes, the same cunning smile still plastered on his face as always. His crow familiar let out a low caw, its piercing gaze locking onto Luke as well.

Whatever it was, Luke had no intention of dragging Jasmine and Trenton into unnecessary trouble.

As they walked further into the training area, Martha caught sight of Luke. Her expression shifted momentarily to one of delight, but she quickly returned her focus to the students she was instructing. Meanwhile, Jasmine kept glancing at Szeth, fidgeting slightly.

Noticing her discomfort, Luke raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to touch him?”

Jasmine flinched, clearly startled by the question. “W-What? No, I mean…”

Luke turned to Szeth, who was still coiled around his arm. As if understanding his master’s intentions, Szeth uncoiled himself and slithered down in front of Jasmine. He slowly curled up, lifting his head slightly before giving a little shake, an oddly endearing gesture as if encouraging her.

Jasmine hesitated, her fingers twitching before she cautiously reached out. The moment her hand brushed against Szeth’s strangely smooth metallic scales, he closed his eyes in satisfaction and nudged his head against her palm with unexpected enthusiasm. Jasmine let out a surprised giggle before fully giving in, running her fingers along his body. She stroked his head gently, her other hand caressing his neck.

Beside her, Ivy bounced around Szeth playfully, as if acknowledging her master’s newfound friend.

Szeth, despite being a deadly serpent, seemed to enjoy the attention. His tongue flicked in and out rapidly as he let out a low, vibrating sound—something between a hiss and a purr.

Luke watched the interaction in silence, a rare, genuine smile tugging at his lips. Wholesome.

Just then, Martha wrapped up her instructions and strode toward them, her keen eyes settling on Luke. “So, you want me to help you with some familiar training?” she asked, a small smile playing on her lips.

Luke nodded. “That’s the plan.”