The next day, the Novice Summoners were gathered once again in the training grounds.
Each of them was handed a Summoner’s Art tailored to the beast they were meant to contract.
Titles like Thunder Hawk Spiritual Rite, Twilight Wolf Spiritual Rite, Manual for Hydras, and Earth Golem Contract passed through many excited hands.
The group brimmed with enthusiasm, everyone holding their Arts like prized treasures.
Everyone—except three.
Osama, Nagi, and Barefoot glanced around, confused. Igor was nowhere to be seen.
Unable to hold back, Osama stepped forward and asked, "Instructor, why isn’t Igor here with us?"
Marina paused. Her usual stern expression softened a bit as she replied, "Ah, yes... there was a miscalculation during evaluation. Igaris isn’t a Novice. He’s already at the Apprentice level. As of today, he’s been promoted to a Core Member of the Freedom Force."
The announcement hit like a shockwave.
"He’s already an Apprentice Summoner?!"
"That’s two whole stages ahead of us—Novice, Beginner, then Apprentice!"
"And he’s so young..."
A ripple of awe spread across the group. Some faces lit up with admiration, others with a trace of envy.
By their side, Osama’s expression darkened. His fists clenched.
Beside him, Nagi and Barefoot smiled, clearly happy for Igor, though there was a faint flicker of regret behind their eyes.
Osama gritted his teeth. So what if he’s ahead? Leader Blaze is a Core member too... he must be stronger than Igor, right? He clung to the thought for reassurance.
Marina spoke again, her tone sharp enough to pull everyone back to the present.
"There’s no need to feel discouraged. Each of you will soon contract your own magical beast—ones chosen specifically for your traits. We’ll be guiding you to secret hunting grounds to do so."
A silence settled in as she added grimly, "Use this week well. Train hard, grow stronger, and prepare. In seven days, we embark on a Grand Mission. And not everyone may return from it."
Meanwhile, Igaris found himself in the Core Members’ Training Grounds—a massive expanse filled with Summoning Circles and brutal duels.
More than a hundred Combat Circles were active, each one enclosed in shimmering rune formations that absorbed shockwaves and magical energy. The clashing of spells and summoned beasts filled the air with tension, heat, and raw power.
Igaris followed Nina across the field. She led him to an empty Circle, clearly intending to spar again.
But Igaris had no interest in dueling right now.
What he truly wanted was to go out—to the wilderness—to gather more units for his army. That was where his strength would grow. Not in these pointless internal skirmishes.
Still, for now, he had no choice but to remain in seclusion. He wasn’t granted clearance to leave yet. Another frustrating restriction.
It was a setback to his plans. But during their walk, he managed to glean something valuable from Nina.
In just one week, the Freedom Force planned to launch an invasion against the Perfect Society.
That might be his opportunity.
An invasion would create enough chaos for him to slip away unnoticed. He had no intention of risking his life for their ideology. It would be foolish to throw himself into their war when he gained nothing from it.
His only objective was clear: grow stronger.
Until then, he would milk the Freedom Force for every resource he could get.
They had already gifted him a High-Tier Summoner Art—without hesitation.
It was called Dark One’s Worthy, a forbidden art meant for contracting entities born of Shadow and Darkness. They had given it to him so casually, perhaps hoping he would unleash chaos upon the Perfect Society.
Maybe they saw him as a weapon.
But Igaris wasn’t interested in mass murder for someone else’s cause.
He needed to know the truth behind the war. Behind the disappearance of Igor’s family.
However, one thing he was sure of—
If given the chance, he would bring plagues and chaos upon the Skadi Empire in Orca.
They had nearly driven his family to extinction.
And he would repay them.
But with fire, rot, and vengeance.
As Nina and Igaris dueled in the training arena, more and more eyes turned toward them.
"Huh? Isn’t that Master Leon’s disciple?"
"Yes! That’s the Ice Fairy, Nina. But... who’s she dueling?"
"I don’t know, but he’s really good. Not many can withstand her frost spells."
The duel was intense—frost spiraled through the air, clashing violently against waves of dark flame. Igaris hurled destructive fireballs that shattered Nina’s glacial defenses, each blast shaking the barrier of their Combat Circle.
Among the spectators was Blaze, practicing nearby with one of his Fire Spirits. The murmurs caught his attention, pulling his gaze toward the source.
When he saw the figure exchanging blows with Nina, his heart skipped a beat.
It was him. No doubt about it.
But he was now different. He seemed stronger, faster, focused. The same Igor who once barely kept up with their hunting group was now fighting on equal footing with Nina—the Ice Fairy, a core prodigy of the Freedom Force.
Staring at the duel, Blaze felt something coil tightly inside his chest.
He should’ve been proud—happy, even—for someone from his past group to stand at the top. But instead, watching Igor get showered in attention and praise twisted his gut.
For so long, Blaze had been the one people looked up to.
He was the leader, the strong one, the reliable one.
But since coming here, he realized the bitter truth—he was just one drop in a vast ocean of power. Many summoners here commanded mythical beasts, performed spells he could barely understand, and stood leagues ahead.
Even so, he had refused to give up. He trained relentlessly, pushing himself every day to rise in this new world.
But Igor... Igor rose like a storm. No effort shown. No struggle seen.
And now he was dueling Nina, and matching her.
The cheers, the gasps, the admiration—they weren’t for Blaze anymore.
His fists clenched, his fire spirit flickering anxiously beside him as the resentment quietly burned.
Suddenly, a loud impact rang in the Circle.