Summoned and Unwanted

*Boom* A large cloud of frozen dust enveloped a vast distance, and an ear-deafening explosion blasted hundreds of meters far.

A radius spanning dozens of meters from the center of the explosion was enveloped by dust and cold. The cave’s entrance and where the goblins and Ester stayed were completely engulfed. It was like a snowstorm but with frozen earth and dust instead of hail or snow.

Vincent could barely see Iris in his arms. “Lupa, are you behind me? Touch my back if yes.” He said, but no one touched his back.

His heart began to worry, but he decided to ask again. “Lupa?” Vincent worryingly asked.

[I think Lupa fainted. But I can’t see clearly. The dust falling on us is composed of mana, and it’s interfering with my ability to see outside the Soul Domain.]

[I never thought my ability to see and sense the outside with mana was able to get jammed.]

*Thud, thud*

The alpha grizzly bear started walking with a minor quake on every step. Its hearing was ringing, and it started moving in a daze. Unlike Lupa, the monstrous bear didn’t faint, but it was disoriented.

.....

Vincent feared the alpha grizzly bear was going to attack them, but he soon realized how the chance was low at this moment.

Vincent believed the monstrous bear’s eyes couldn’t see quite well even if it had a towering height. Its nose couldn’t smell clearly either because even with Vincent’s nose, all he could smell was the scent of earth. Thus, the probability of having their location discovered lessened considerably.

As for the final method of detection, Vincent hoped the alpha grizzly bear couldn’t track the exact location with the sound of the pieces falling on the ground. In fact, the alpha grizzly bear started moving after hearing Vincent’s voice afflicted with disorientation.

“Vincent, I’m scared, but I want to protect you. I want to help.” Iris whispered while covering her ears.

Vincent couldn’t hear her, so he said, “Shh. The bear might hear us.” Vincent then plucked a rock from the demonic beast’s corpse and threw it away from them.

The alpha grizzly bear twitched its ears and turned its head after hearing the sound of the rock skipping on the ground. Its ears were still buzzing and hurting, but it could still discern the difference between sounds.

The alpha grizzly bear thought its enemy tried to change positions, so it changed its direction and started moving away from Vincent, Lupa, and Iris.

As the time continued to flow, the cloud of cold dust started dissipating, and everyone’s vision returning.

Because the alpha grizzly bear had a towering height, it was the first one to start seeing. The monstrous bear looked left and right. After a few seconds passed, the silhouette of goblins pulling Ester behind a tree entered its sight. *Roar* it shouted and started heading their way.

The goblins shivered since the weather temporarily became the same as the winter wind. It was hard to see far and slightly difficult to breathe, but Iris’s father raised the leader’s staff and continued ordering the goblins even if he sometimes coughed.

Step after step and quake after quake, the ground shook under the weight of the alpha grizzly bear. The closer the sound reached, and the earth trembled, the more the goblins started to dispair.

The goblins were far from the explosion; thus, they didn’t have difficulty hearing the approaching the alpha grizzly bear. All of them assumed their death was approaching.

The alpha grizzly bear kept marching on its hind legs towards the location of the goblins. As the dispersing cloud of cold dust reached about two meters high, the alpha grizzly bear took the next step, but no ground underneath its large foot could be found.

*THUD!* A loud thud of something massive falling boomed accompanied by a burst of forceful wind. The sudden gust caused most of the cold dust to disperse after the alpha grizzly bear fell a couple of meters down.

[It... it worked, but... what the hell happened? Why is there a massive crater where Elsir should have made the wind explosion?]

Vincent knew it wasn’t the time for jokes. He believed something happened. Something extreme enough to shock Kazumi.

Vincent got up, and his eyes couldn’t blink after witnessing the massive crater a couple of meters away from their location. Furthermore, the hole was massive enough for the alpha grizzly bear to disappear from their sights.

“Huh?” Vincent noticed a hiltless sword half-buried in the ground. ‘It’s not broken, right?’ He thought while using Inspection on Elsir.

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[Name] Elsir (Short Sword)

[Grade] Legendary

[Condition] Minor Damage

[Description] A named runed enchanted tempered blade made by Borgin Peachbeard. The named sword can improve whenever the connected owner becomes stronger.

[Effect]

*Soul Bound (Ester)

*Magic Synch (Ester) (Dormant) (10000 Hours Remaining)

*Magic Link (Ester) (Dormant) (10000 Hours Remaining)

*Elemental Attunement (Dormant) (10000 Hours Remaining)

*Equivalent Trade (Dormant) (10000 Hours Remaining)

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[Third Eye activate.]

[Equivalent Trade description.]

[Equivalent Trade will put the weapon’s traits in a dormant state. After Equivalent Trade is used, the weapon will enter a dormant state based on the trade for power. All weapon traits will become unavailable until the time passes.]

[Equivalent Trade will amplify the effect of a spell by x100 times.]

[Weapons can break if the amplified spell uses a weapon as the catalyst of the spell. The probability and severity of damage are relative to the weapon’s grade and durability.]

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The cause of what occurred was now known.

Elsir improved, increased in grade, and acquired a trait powerful enough to create a six-meter deep and a fifteen-meter wide hole in the ground. Be it soil, grass, insects, or rocks, none remained. Furthermore, a few meters around the crater was covered in white frozen dust as if it was snow.

Vincent couldn’t see Ester anywhere. He looked from left to right, but she couldn’t be seen. Shortly, a few goblins appeared from behind a tree and waved at him. Their mouths opened and closed, but he couldn’t hear them, and Kazumi couldn’t translate the goblin language.

“They said the red-headed human is with them. But her condition is bad.” Iris heard the goblins repeat a few times.

Vincent touched the corpse of the demonic beast and stored it. Then he lifted Lupa and said, “Iris, follow me. Also, do you have anything to help Ester and Lupa recover?”

Iris nodded and replied, “I-I will do my best to heal animal ears woman and red-headed woman.” Iris lowered her head and apologetically continued, “I’m sorry if I mess up the names. I am not used to saying names.”

“Don’t worry. Let’s go.” Vincent said. Then he hurried to the goblin’s location, and after he arrived, Ester entered his sight. Vincent gently lowered Lupa beside Ester and gulped before inspecting her condition.

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[Condition] Critical Condition, Severe Mana Fatigue, Exhausted, Unconscious

.

Vincent felt his heart sink and immediately uttered three times, “Soul Power Minor Heal.”

.

[-10sp used for Soul Power Minor Heal on Ester. Blessed Retainer discount activate. 60sp Remaining.]

[-10sp used for Soul Power Minor Heal on Ester. Blessed Retainer discount activate. 50sp Remaining.]

[-10sp used for Soul Power Minor Heal on Ester. Blessed Retainer discount activate. 40sp Remaining.]

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Vincent waited for the healing aura to fade to reinspect Ester’s condition, but the alpha grizzly bear started making loud noises as if the ground was constantly changing and breaking.

[Don’t mind the bear. It’s still trapped for now.]

Vincent nodded and patiently waited for the few remaining seconds of the healing spell to end. It felt like hours to him, yet he had support from Kazumi watching his back and Iris mixing something for Lupa.

The healing light later faded. Vincent gulped and used Inspection.

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[Condition] Major Injury, Major Mana Fatigue, Exhausted, Unconscious

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Vincent raised a deep frown after learning how his healing only removed Ester from death’s door. Ester was still in danger, yet Vincent only had the ability to heal four more times.

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[4x Thyme Flower (Exotic Quality) summoned. x0 remaining.]

[5x Fay Grass (Uncommon Quality) summoned. x0 remaining.]

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Vincent summoned what he believed could help alleviate Ester’s condition. “Iris, take this Thyme Flower to help with mana regeneration and take this Fay Grass to relax her body. If you have other healing herbs, please add them.” Vincent said while handing them over to Iris.

It was at this time that he could see his mutated blood hardened gauntlets clearly. The gauntlets started to look brittle. The remaining time of Overheat was approaching its end.

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[1x Wood wheel cart (Damaged) (Common Quality) summoned. x0 remaining.]

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Vincent stood up after summoning the damaged wooden cart and announced, “I will stall the bear in the hole by jumping inside. While I do that, I need all of you to work together. You need a make a long vine to pull me up in about a minute. Also, you need to place my injured women on the cart. We will run away after you pull me out.”

One of the goblins who could speak had a perplexed expression and asked, “Why. Does. God. Not. Kill?” A few goblins nodded after this question.

Vincent raised his hoarse voice to intimidate the goblins and also to keep the stance of being a god in their eyes, “My power will last for about one more minute, and I need more than six hours to be able to use it again. If we run away and the bear follows us, then we need a long head start.”

.....