Chapter 10: A Prime

"In my time, disrespectful children are killed without mercy," In the blink of an eye, as if taking a single step, Akira appeared before the imp and casually grabbed it by the nape. The little creature did not even had the time to react as the spirit raised it from the ground. With a crunching sound, its head limped to the side, and stayed motionless.

Akira threw the body on the ground, his eyes in disbelief. "What is this?" He said, "This power I feel? Is it from you kid?"

Reyn returned stare with The Guiltless Assassin. No wonder the spirit was in confusion a moment ago. With his attributes doubled, he's twice stronger than he was when he was a soul.

The youth, though, was a bit concerned that the spirit killed without hesitation and no remorse. He turned his eyes to the small corpse on the ground as something started to happen. The body began to burn and then turned to ash, leaving a crimson crystal behind. He moved to pick up the object, and a notification appeared in his vision.

[You gained 1 Burning Shard!]

It shattered, becoming a red dot of light and circled around him, just like the other green and white and black. Reyn immediately chose to discover the Constellation called Greed.

[You have spent 1 Burning Shard!]

The Red Star pulsated as white lines separated into two, leading into another stars. Reyn carefully read the description.

[Yellow Star (Mind)

- Affects the Summoner's Will.

Cost: 5 Soul Essences (Upgradeable)]

[Yellow Star (Body)

- Affects the Summoner's Constitution.

Cost: 5 Soul Essences (Upgradeable)]

"Me?" Reyn questioned to no one in particular. He didn't have the slightest of idea what it will do but he can't afford to be spending Soul Essences that many.

"Let's go to the next floor," Reyn said to the only spirit he summoned. Akira who had been perceptively observing him, bowed slightly.

The polite attitude made Reyn frown as he rotated to face the mouth of the stairway. It was dark, no lighting. He warily led the way, and so far, nothing happened. Only the eerie silence awaited them.

A surprise awaited them on the fifth floor. Five armored guards laid dead on the ground. There was an altar at the center of the room, with flames red as blood, dancing on the edges.

"What happened here?" Reyn uttered.

"Look again, kid." Akira responded. The green glow in his eyes, abstained from motion, becoming completely wary, "A disgusting being is in our midst."

"You've really got the mouth, tormented soul." The playful voice of a woman echoed, the crimson flames moved like they had a mind of their own, and converged at the center of the altar. "That's why you were expelled from the Fiery Depths. No demon would toy with you."

"Ha!" Akira grunted in mockery.

Reyn's eyes shuddered as he witnessed the flames form the figure of a woman. They dissipated and a being of intense craving stood at the altar.

The flawless figure of the woman sent shivers on the summoner. Reyn could see that on the front, it was an extraordinary woman with exaggerated features in a black dress. But the horns protruding on the back of her head, curving up and forming a majestic crown, along with the bat-like wings on her back, betrayed her profile.

[Prime Succubus, Lott]

"Akira!" Reyn shouted, but didn't need to as the spirit was already in a fighting stance. Six more spirits surrounded him in a protective circle. He wasn't sure as to why he was only a few inches close to the altar. In his brief memory, he recalled that he never stepped inside the room.

"No need to be alarmed!" The succubus covered her mouth with a pale hand, and giggled in a seductive manner. "I can see that you've taken care of the pest that sneaked up on the portal I created."

Reyn instantly understood that she was referring to the imp. "What do you want?"

Lott didn't answer immediately. She cast her crimson eyes at him in pure hunger. "I want to play a game. But my, oh, my... Aren't you a broken one? The tower doesn't seem to have an answer for you."

Seeing that the summoner kept his guard, she said, "It seems like you don't like my current form."

A whirl of flame enveloped her. When it receded down to the ground, she was wearing a different outfit while the horns and wings were absent.

A loosely white shirt concealed the curves of her body, and a sweatpants protected the sacredness of her long and slender legs. She looked so young, as if she's his own age.

"I know your taste, summoner. You don't like women who wore revealing clothes. They whore themselves out for attention. Thus, you like conservative girls like this. However," She paused, as her eyes turned to slits, as if they could pierce into anything, "You also like to wonder what's beneath this clothes."

There was a long silence. After a moment, the succubus said, "Well that settles it!"

"Nothing is settled," Reyn corrected.

"It is," Lott chuckled. "Look at yourself."

The youth recognized he had been lax. His body was not tense and his heart no longer pounded fast. He had let his guard down. 'Fuck!'

"You're stubborn, aren't you? A slight resemblance of annoyance appeared on her face as she jumped down from the altar and strutted toward him. As she neared, her presence became bigger, like she was a mountain before him. No wonder Akira had shut his mouth.

"Don't be a fool," She mused, rotating on her heels, and walked back to the altar. "I could have forcefully taken your virginity on the spot while you're spirits watch helpless."

Reyn found the mockery to be funny as he retaliated, "You know... for a succubus, you do not fit the description."

"Don't compare me to those little girls. I'm a prime," She announced, spreading her arms, "I don't do the dirty work."

"On to business," She raised a finger, "Beings like me can freely roam the Shadow Realm. With the tampering of Shadow Duelists, your ancestors, it merged with the Spirit World. And so here I am, talking to you. It just so happen that you're one of the few harvesters that we seek."

"Harvesters?" Too many details he didn't understand, and Reyn could only ask one at a time.

"Spirit Summoner," She answered. "You're not like other summoners. Me? I can harvest a whole soul, but you, you can procure one of the most exotic products that most of my kind in the Fiery Depths, crave. Soul Essence."

Now that she mentioned it, Reyn looked around the room and found dots of light. With his will, they converged around him. He checked his notification.

[Fifth Floor Cleared!]

[Rewards:

10 Spirit Shards

5 Soul Essences

7 Shadow Quintessence]

[You have gained 6 Spirit Shards, 2 Soul Essences and 5 Shadow Quintessences!]

'Damn!' Reyn was disappointed that it was not his spirits that killed the armored guards. He would have gained more if the succubus hadn't interfered and killed them before he got there.

Lott sensed that something was off. She glanced around but couldn't see anything. She turned to the summoner and told him, "Check your hand."

Reyn brought a hand up. He was surprised that he was holding five transparent crystals, the size of his fingers.

"Now put an essence in each one of them."

He was reluctant to obey but was curious as well. With his will, white lights entered in each crystals and they began to shone in blue hue.

Lott's eyes widened, with a hint of greed. The Soul Essences were like ghost to her. She could feel their presence, but cannot see them nor touch them. After regaining her composure, she said, "Now three cards will appear before you. Choose one then toss a crystal to me. You'll find them a good trade."

"Let the Shadow Game begin!"

Reyn was confused at first. A second later, just like she said, three cards appeared in the form of red flames on the ground.

"Five Burning Shards?" He was shocked at the first card. A single Soul Essence for five Burning Shards? Too great a deal. He hesitated.

"It's a Shadow Game, summoner. You're ancestors made it. Even I cannot break the rules." Lott assured. Yet there was a defeat in her expression, "It's a shame though. Their descendants don't even have a single clue as to who they are. The Shadow Game had to manifest into a digital game just to get them on the right track."

'Digital game?' Reyn repeated in his mind. He didn't want to mix up reality and throw his thoughts into chaos so he shove it on the back of his mind. "I choose the first card." With that, he toss a crystal at the succubus.

[You have gained 5 Burning Shards!]

While Reyn celebrated on his gain, Lott showed a satisfied face as she pocketed the crystal.

The next cards muddled Reyn. He turned to ask the succubus, "What is this ×1 Whip?"

Lott proudly explained, "All manner of beings in the Fiery Depths find great pleasure as I rip their flesh with my whip. Just one whip, and they would give all of their precious things to me."

"I don't swing that way," Reyn said with narrowed eyes.

"That's a shame.." She gently closed her eyes, as if pleased with herself.

The second card was ×2 Whip. Reyn began to question his sanity. Why would anyone want to torture themselves? The third card was ×1 Burning Shard which he chose. In the end, he gained 12 Burning Shards in exchange for 5 Soul Essences.

"A handshake?" Lott extended a hand with a cold smile. Reyn was about to take it when she grabbed his wrist and he felt a searing pain on his flesh.

Pressing a forearm on his chest and wrapping a leg around his, Lott's eyes were fierce. "A lesson for you young man! Stop acting like you know everything. There are many things you haven't explored yet. Too many things! You don't truly understand what you want and what you are. I'll give you an example. You think you know what kind of woman you want?"

Reyn was only an inch taller than her as she didn't have any trouble reaching up to his ear before whispering something. The way she said it in a hushed voice made him gulp hard. When Lott separated, he fell on his knees, his strength waning.

"You see? You don't know what you want." The succubus, floated back to the center of the altar. "When you are man enough to tell me what you want, you can keep having your wet dreams."

Reyn laughed hard as he struggled to keep his balance.

"Shadow Duelists are one of the most crafty I've known. They kept some spells in a card so they can cast it without chanting or drawing a magic circle. Here's a parting gift I prepared before hand. I'll see you soon, Reyn Fehr, Spirit Summoner." With a last glance, she disappeared, leaving a card and a molten floor.