My Summons Are Mythical Beasts

In contrast to the towering trees around it, a lone tree just over five meters tall was standing a few meters away from Lucas.

The tree has lush, dark-green leaves. There were fruits hanging on its branches—red-colored fruit that resembled the shape of apples. It looked very appetizing and appealing to a famished person like the current Lucas.

However, with how massive the trees and the greenery around were, the tree that looked very normal was even more out of place.

Was it truly salvation that he saw, or just a figment hallucination born from his desires and needs?

His stomach suddenly churned, as if telling him to take a step forward and grab a bite of that alluring fruit.

However, the more it was like this, the more he was reluctant to do so.

The more normal it looked, the more it was not so.

He did not take the wilderness survival lessons just to die a horrible death upon his first encounter with a normal-looking, alluring tree and fruit on his first day in the wilderness after all.

Clutching his stomach, Lucas endured the temptation of the alluring fruit as he circled around it to continue moving forward to the west.

A few minutes later, Lucas stopped in his tracks.

A scowl appeared on his face, and his heart began to beat like a wild horse on the loose.

Ahead of him, the normal-looking, alluring tree that he saw a few minutes earlier was once again standing a few meters away.

The leaves and red fruit trembled and swayed, as if trying to entice him to move forward, take a fruit, grab a bite, and satiate his hunger and thirst.

'I'll be damned.'

Lucas did not linger in the area any longer. Even though the abrasions and his bruises ached, he decided to run away from the tree and get away from it as far as possible.

His heart beat wildly as he ran forward. His hand has already touched the grimoire long ago, ready to summon Spot at any given time.

'Shit!'

Lucas cursed inwardly.

After running for a whole minute away from the alluring, he once again ended up right in front of it.

The whole tree rustled and swayed with the wind, beckoning for him to come over and have a taste.

Without wasting any time, Lucas hurriedly summoned Spot.

Even if he were a dumb person, he would already realize by now that he was indeed caught up inside an illusion, or hallucination.

As for what caused it, Lucas did not have to think much to realize that it should be the tree that bore alluring fruits resembling apples.

He even suspected that the tree itself was some kind of beast.

Hence, he immediately summoned Spot and observed if he was willing to face that tree beast.

If not… then they could only run. A beast that Spot was unwilling to face would surely be a troublesome one.

As Spot appeared, he immediately became alert.

Observing him, Lucas could tell he had not fully recovered yet. He could even see some rough marks around his fur. Although he did not look quite pathetic, he was still far from his usual sublime self.

Spot immediately used the Hellhound Manifestation form.

His previous majestic form was now tainted with rough blood sticking around his fur. Even with that, Spot did not look ugly; instead, it added charm to his already good looks. Making it seem like he was a battle-hardened warrior-dog, and considering how many battles and the things he has been through, that statement has never been more correct.

Looking at him, though, Lucas could not help but feel guilty.

Spot had not fully recovered yet, but here he was summoning him again to fight for him.

Although such was the purpose of the contracted beasts, Lucas has bonded with Spot a lot to think of him more than that.

This time, though, he could only grit his teeth and rely on Spot once more.

As Spot transformed into the Hellhound Manifestation form, he did not immediately attack the alluring tree, contrary to what he had been doing all this time every time he saw an enemy.

Instead of attacking, Spot remained standing in front of Lucas. His eyes, though, had narrowed toward the tree, and even those striking eyes of his were not moving and were entirely focused on the tree and the alluring fruit ahead of them.

Seeing that, Lucas could not help but worry.

Could it be that Spot, in his Hellhound Manifestation form, also fell to the tree's temptation?

'This is bad.'

Lucas was just about to wake Spot up by shaking him, but at the next moment, he saw that Spot's belly seemed to have contracted.

And at the next instant, a roar as loud as a drum struck by a war hammer resounded in the entire area.

ROAR!

Spot had used Soft Bark.

However, that bark was not soft to the ears or to the soul at all.

Even though he was not the target of the bark, even Lucas felt his ears going numb for a moment due to how loud it was.

Compared to what Spot used when they were entangled by Asher and his beast a few hours earlier, this one seemed to be even more sonorous and loud.

As the roar resounded in the entire area, Lucas saw the whole tremble as if struck by a massive earthquake.

All its branches shook; the red fruit resembling apples seemed to be moments away from falling from the branches.

Unfortunately, they didn't.

What happened next, though, surprised Lucas a lot.

The fruits actually disappeared.

They did not fall or get flung away.

They just disappeared.

As if they were erased all of a sudden.

Or maybe... they have never been there in the first place.
Experience more tales on empire

Before Lucas could think further, Spot finally moved.

He leapt toward the tree and struck its trunk with his sharpened claws.

Before his claws hit the trunk, though, the tree itself suddenly moved out of the way.

Spot landed on the ground with a grunt as he followed the tree to attack it one more time.

As it moved out of the way, Lucas gradually saw what kind of beast it was.

Or rather, what kind of beast it was that has pretended to be an alluring tree.

Instead of calling it a tree, it was more appropriate to call it a snake that was pretending to be one.

The snake itself was quite massive. The trunk was actually its whole body coiling upward. As for where it got the fruit and the leaves, Lucas thought it must be due to it having an illusion skill. It must have used its skill on that, just as it managed to make its body resemble a tree trunk.

Now, the snake has returned to its original appearance, presumably.

Its body was as thick as Lucas' thigh. It was around seven meters in length from Lucas' rough estimate.

Its skin was deep green in color, resembling jade. Its head was quite massive; two fangs grew out of its mouth as its red tongue slithered in and out of it.

Its tail, though, was quite curious. Instead of the usual pointy end, it actually has a fan-shaped one. The size of its tail was also proportional to its head.

The snake hissed at Spot and looked at him threateningly. Its tail swayed here and there, as if ready to strike when the opportunity presented itself.

Spot, on the other hand, was unconcerned.

It just let out a normal bark as it leapt toward the snake without a hint of fear present in its eyes.

The snake responded and struck forward as well.

Spot struck with his paws and claws. The snake avoided his strike but was still cut at the last moment. It let out a painful hiss but slithered forward and then under Spot.

Without waiting for Spot to react, the snake coiled its body toward Spot, intending to strangle him to death.

As he felt the presence of the snake going under and then coiling around him, Spot let out another Soft Bark.

The snake trembled for a bit but managed to continue its actions.

It was quick and elusive, and Spot was not able to react properly as the snake coiled his torso three times in a jiffy.

Letting out a triumphant hiss, the snake was about to bite Spot's nape. However, before it could do so, Spot let out another bark.

This time, it was not a bark that was used with the skill. However, the sound it released was still as loud and even contained more wrath.

All it did was channel Spot's fury, though.

The fury of being reminded by its previous helpless experience against Asher and his beast.

Still, Spot seemed to have become enraged and muddleheaded.

It jumped around chaotically, trying to free himself from the snake's strangle of death.

His claws elongated as he tried to slash the snake's body that had coiled around him. Starting from where he could reach with his claws, Spot scratched the snake with all his might.

At this time, the snake had already bit into his nape. Whether it was effective, even Lucas did not know anymore due to how chaotic the battle was.

All he knew was that the surroundings were already filled with blood.

As for whose blood it was, he also had no idea.

His worry for Spot continued to grow.

Just as he was about to risk it all and fight the snake along with his summon, the battle seemed to have ended all of a sudden.