Universes, Realms, and Worlds (2)

"The findings are still not over..." Athena noticed the contentment on Leonard's face. Whatever he was thinking, she felt the need to interrupt it for now as she had some important revelations to share. Though they weren't destructive, they would still be beneficial to him.

Leonard, who had been feeling indifferent, felt a slight pang in his heart. Even though leaving the party didn't seem that significant to him, there was still a faint sense of longing.

Not long ago, he had realized something as he thought about adventure. His first experience of it with a party had been with Brian, Yuna, and the others. In that short time, there had been a moment when he thought about continuing the adventure with them.

However, he wasn't bound by those superficial attachments—or at least, he didn't want to be. To live life to the fullest, he believed there needed to be thrills and wonders to uncover. Getting too comfortable would only hold him back.

Sure, he could have used that budding inspiration to help the party grow, but it wouldn't have amounted to much. Most of his time with them had been spent chatting rather than achieving something larger.

It was funny how he had forced himself into that role, but he felt it was the practical choice. If he wanted to live a different life from the one he had on Earth, there would be times when he couldn't rely on settling down with just a few companions.

What he had longed for before wasn't a bond with others—it was the thrill, the feeling of truly being alive!

If someone were to ask why he joined the party, he would say it was all about exploration—experimenting to see what he could discover about himself. Yet, he was still the same person as before, eager to live life to the fullest.

A mundane routine definitely wouldn't suit him.

Maybe there were advantages to having companions that he hadn't fully realized yet, but since he hadn't noticed them, it didn't matter.

"Even though there's a scarcity of information about the Summoner Class, my study wasn't a failure. I did discover something—the three ways of summoning."

Leonard leaned forward, his interest piqued by the mention of summoning.

"There are three known methods of summoning. The first one, the traditional but difficult way, involves drawing summoning circles on summoning scrolls. It's challenging but offers the most flexibility in choosing a summon. Though one can't pick a summon exactly, the summoning circle can adjust to provide the creature one hopes for based on its design."

"The second method is by accident. There are records from ancient times of summoners calling out for someone—perhaps during an emergency—and accidentally summoning a creature. It's rare and unreliable, as it depends on luck and uncontrolled circumstances."

"Lastly, there's the system's Trial Summon. In this method, summoners are offered a limited number of choices for summons, based on their luck and rank. It's the easiest and most common method for summoners. However, due to the decline of summoners and the resources for their development, the art of summoning has slowly faded into obscurity. There were once programs for summoners at the Player Academy, but now, sadly, that's no longer the case."

Leonard sighed at those final words, fully grasping the difficulty of finding easy information about summoners. Furthermore, there was a common belief that when a Player became a summoner, they were destined for failure.

However, knowing that he had a high-rank class, Leonard wasn't overly worried about that. What truly troubled him was the lack of knowledge. Hence...

"I know this might be asking too much, Athena, but I really need your wisdom. If you ever return to Olympus, could you search for more information about this world? Even the mystery of the towers would be helpful," Leonard asked.

Athena nodded. Though she had questions in the back of her mind, she chose not to voice them. Leonard's goals seemed a bit unclear to her, but she knew she could help him achieve them.

Leonard fell silent, pondering his next steps. The looming <Mission > weighed on his mind with its unknown consequences and promising rewards, making it impossible to ignore. He still had to make his way to the capital.

The capital... He wondered what made it unique compared to other cities and towns in this world. Since this realm had similarities with the medieval European era, could the capital of the Zack Republic share those same qualities?

The thought of what awaited him at the capital thrilled him. His curiosity about the place, its societal system, and its inner workings piqued his interest.

A small smile curled on his lips as he made a decision.

'My goal is to gain my own power... Though it feels like a weak motivation, I believe this world has much more to offer. Moreover, this realm is full of opportunities.'

Why did Leonard still crave adventure? It would be much simpler to live a quiet and ordinary life in this new world. Yet, he longed for the same thrills that mountain climbers or extreme adventurers sought when risking their lives to witness the beauty of nature.

Of course, Leonard wasn't actively searching for a particular place. What he wanted was the power to control his own fate... But for what purpose? Even he didn't know the answer to that.

'I still don't have a final goal, but gaining something—anything—feels like an achievement. Something I never experienced back on Earth...'

His motivation felt weak once more, and Leonard couldn't help but harbor subtle doubts about himself. Yet, as he slowly came to understand his life, it didn't seem that weak at all.

Just like the protagonists in various novels, if one looked deeper, their motivations often appeared weak. Take revenge, for example. After achieving it, then what? There would be an empty void that needed to be filled, and it wouldn't happen by living a mundane life. The protagonist would still need to search for the meaning of their existence.

Another one. Protecting loved ones. It is wholesome, but what happens next if they have their own independent life? Not wanting to be protected? They would just become their own family's stalker, eager to protect them, watching over them. So what?

A mission. Another weak one but most loved back on Earth. Although they depended on the type of mission, most of them were relatable, but they weren't realistic or even attainable. They were just pulled into being a machine for finishing a mission. Then, after that, what's next? Just like revenge, there's a dead end.

Lastly, but there are still more, a legacy. Building a name and satisfaction for the type of life one has lived. This one… also weak, but he could relate to it as it was what he was doing.

He didn't need to think about being safe. Zeus and Athena were enough to protect him. However, he didn't have something he could be satisfied with. The legacy that would be brought to his grave.

'Thinking about it, there was that second Dark Summoner mentioned before. Summoner's Legacy? I still don't know what that is.'

"Athena, have you found something about Summoner's Legacy?" Leonard asked.

Slightly raising an eyebrow, she shook her head. "I didn't find anything like that."

'Odd… There should be something about that which is important for summoners. He wouldn't have just spoken of it lightly.'

Leonard firmed his decision.

'Alright… That should be my primary goal before becoming the best summoner I can be and entering the tower to ascend. Summoner's Legacy… I should get close to that.'