Summoner's Clue (1)

Three days after Leonard and his party left Rune City, three people, suspiciously covered by the hoods of their cloaks, arrived at the city through the tower's entrance. Two of them were huge, bulky men, almost towering over the height of an average human. Their appearance caught attention, even though they tried to obscure themselves.

Their ineffective disguise drew the eyes of the people, but they were uninterested in the attention—they were here for one purpose.

"Lady Knight, we found traces of Our Lady's magical essence. She came here," one of the huge men reported, returning from the streets near the inns.

The other man arrived as well, carrying a broken longbow that he found in the trash behind a blacksmith's workshop.

"This has traces of Our Lady's markings. She used this bow in this realm."

The Lady Knight nodded, her knightly presence palpable despite the cover of her hood. Behind the cover, she pondered, looking in every direction with heightened senses.

"This is a good sign." A smile appeared on her shadowed face. "Continue the search. She might still be here."

The three hooded figures continued their search for their Lady, tracing magical essence with a peculiar tool shaped like a square, embedded with a sparkling orb on top. Each of them held this tool.

More hours were spent, their sweat soaking their hoods. The Lady Knight eventually removed hers due to the humidity and heat, exposing her blonde hair, fair skin, and a pretty, young, innocent face with sharp eyes.

It was just the right time to remove it as they hid from the public, behind an unsuspecting alleyway.

"Where are you, Young Lady?" the Lady Knight mumbled as the hints on their tracking device showed different directions of the flow of the magical essence they were tracing.

"Lady Knight, it seems like Our Lady has left the city. I found a trace of her at the gate."

"Lady Knight, I also suspect that Our Lady has left. We've been circling around, tracing her fading magical essence."

The Lady Knight sighed and nodded. "She must have left…" she agreed with them, showing a resolute expression while concealing the worry she hid from others.

'If the Dark Summoner found her… I hope he won't… or Young Lady will…' She sighed again, this time not escaping the notice of her companions.

"What's wrong, Lady Knight? Are you tired?" asked Luigi, one of the bulky brothers she was with. He removed his hood, exposing a stern yet calm face, with rough features clear under the dim light.

The Lady Knight shook her head. "Don't worry about me." Her sharp and firm voice was resolute.

"Even if you say it that way, we can't help but worry about you, Lady Knight." Mark, Luigi's twin brother, removed his hood as well. His face was the opposite of Luigi's, with an innocent and youthful appearance.

The Lady Knight could only smirk and chuckle slightly at the worried faces of the brothers. It was rare for them to show concern for her. Known as the ruthless warriors of the Dhampir Family, their faces now displayed care.

The Lady Knight realized that their nearly year-long journey had changed them, as they searched tirelessly for their long-lost Young Lady, who had escaped from the Dark Summoner's grasp.

The Dark Summoner, enemies of the Dhampir Family, had kidnapped their Young Lady, the only child of the family head, to assert dominance, but she had managed to escape. The Dark Summoner, enraged, believed the family had successfully rescued her, but it only gave them the opportunity to truly save her.

"Don't mind me. Let us focus on searching for Our Lady."

At the same time, on a higher floor inside the tower, within a city called Sky Land—a floating island on this floor—a battle was taking place between two summoners.

"The game is on! Who will become the strongest Summoner of Sky Land? Will it be the son of the Dark Summoner, the Chaotic Master? Or the mortal enemy of his family, from the Dhampir Family, the Chosen One? The fate of the island depends on who will win!" The announcer's voice reverberated through the wide space of the sky.

A piece of floating land was at the center of a huge arena, with bleachers made of smooth, hardened dirt. The arena was so vast that the bleachers on one side couldn't see those across.

In the battle arena, one summoner wore green armor embedded with brown decorations of a gem, enhancing the armor's purpose by providing a hundredfold magic point boost to the summoner. The other summoner wore only a simple gray cloak.

"Are you sure you want to face me, Raymond?" asked the summoner known as the Chaotic Master, who wore the extravagant armor.

The Chosen One, named Raymond, standing from afar hissed in dismissal. "What the hell is this man talking about? Does he think his voice is amplified like the announcer? I can't hear his words."

Chaotic Master, Varon, chuckled, seeing Raymond dumbfounded. "Can't even speak straight? I guess you're really scared. Of course, you have no other choice but to fight me since my father has your sister."

Raymond scratched his head. "I can't hear you, you know? Are you yapping about something?"

Seeing Raymond's hand behind his head, Varon snickered again, mistaking the gesture for a sign of surrender. "It's too late to raise your hands in surrender now, Raymond. I will surely show you the dominance of a descendant of the Dark Summoner."

"Why are all descendants of the Dark Summoner so stupid? He's still talking as if I can actually hear his sneers. He's just like his brother who went to the lower floor because of weak summoning power and ended up living as a scout for something called the White League. Stupid motherfuckers." Raymond shook his head in disappointment.

Noticing Raymond shaking his head, Varon grinned. "Nooo… Oh no… It's too late to fear death now. I'll make sure my summon kills both your summon and you." He then proceeded with the most evil laugh he could muster, which, from Raymond's perspective, looked like a foolish, wide-mouthed, silent laugh.