Rebirth Of The Bastard Spirit Summoner

"Kael! It's the trees! Get away from the—"

Immediately Stark shouted out the warning, the trees suddenly vibrated intensely and they twisted.

From wood and leaves came terrifying beasts of all kinds, a minotaur, a hydra, and a wyvern amongst others.

In actuality they were not these creatures, but mimics, every single one of them had taken a form other than their original.

Bang!

The minotaur drove its axe forward, the stone weapon plummeting into the spot Kael had once stood, shattering the ground and splashing mud.

"Take formation!" Kael screamed, his staff already pulsing with lightning.

But before Stark could even move to join them…

Screeeeeeeee!

'That sound…'

It was from a very vicious monster, the Soul Eater.

He spun around and swung on instinct. His sword clashed with the talons of the monster, sparks erupting as his blade met the metallic scaled feet.

The gigantic bird latched on to his arms within seconds and hoisted him into the air, flying higher into the mountains.

"Stark!" Jade screamed, launching a shard of crystal right at the beast.

The projectile cut through the air with furious speed, charging right at the creature's neck.

But before it could sink into its flesh, the bird flapped its wings, sending a massive wave of wind that not only destabilized the projectile but also boosted its speed greatly.

Stark gritted his teeth, unable to move. His arms were pinned on both sides and even when he applied his strength, he could not break free.

He stared down at Jade who was watching him with a complicated look on her face.

"Focus on yourself and the others, I can take care of myself!" He said telepathically.

Jade looked to her side where the mimics were beginning to regroup. "Summon me if anything happens."

He nodded then looked ahead of him. The mimic was still soaring, its speed increasing with each second.

The rain washed past him with increased force and the wind howled in his ears, mucking his hearing.

Although his vision was blurred by the rain, Stark could clearly see that the monster was taking him.

…the top of the mountain, the eye of the Storm.

•••

Kael clenched his jaw as he jumped backwards, standing back to back with Jasmine and Eurus.

Immediately Stark's warning came, madness descended upon the forest, bringing with it a very unpleasant surprise.

Apart from the young mimic that had disappeared into the forest and the one that had abducted Stark, he could count six fully grown mimics!

His researcher brain was tingling as he recorded everything he saw. From the weird ritual to their group living which was mostly unknown.

Yet even as his scholarly mind was pumping, the warrior part of him remained alert and ready.

As Jade sprinted, re-joining their group, Jasmine was unable to suppress her concern.

"Will Stark be alright? He is the only one that got separated from us."

Jade seemed to share her worry but nodded with confidence. "He'll be fine, I'm sure of it. I would like to finish up here and join him though."

The trainee knight nodded in agreement, her expression firm.

Fwooosh!

As Jade summoned a large chunk of crystal, Jasmine created a ball of condensed wind in her hand.

Eurus on the other hand pulled out his blade of darkness and took his stance, taking in a deep breath.

'Can he really survive though?'

Even as a Crusader, Kael had to be careful when fighting devious creatures like this.

Not only could they adapt in the middle of a fight, changing into creatures perfect for each situation—they also possessed immense strength and stamina.

One mimic alone was enough to slay an entire party of adventurers with ease and was responsible for a lot of unexplained deaths on this mountain.

In terms of raw power the beasts far outclassed Stark when you add that to its versatility…

'He will be lucky to even survive talk less of win.'

"Tch."

This was not the plan!

He was meant to witness Stark's struggle with his own eyes, how would he have predicted such an outcome?

Kael adjusted his glasses.

'Stark, don't you dare die if I'm not there to watch you!'

Then he glanced at the beasts in front of him. "You fools will pay for interrupting my plans."

"OROCHI, come!"

Vwoooosh!

Lightning suddenly crashed into the ground, pulsing violently as a concentrated surge of mana bubbled into being.

There was a flash of light and then the figure emerged. A massive serpent with black steel-like scales, fangs dripping lightning infused venom and slit pupils that seemed to stare into souls.

The massive beast glanced at the mimic in front of it and hissed, lightning sparking along its scales as it did.

His spectacles caught the light, the glasses gleaming white as Kael smiled.

"I'll take three of them, you guys can handle the other two."

The gigantic minotaur heaved its axe and lunged forward, its heavy footsteps pounding against the floor with each step—

Orochi lunged, slithering through the mud at breathtaking speed.

And then they clashed, steel scales meeting heavy stone with an explosive bang. An invisible shockwave cut through the area with enough force to rattle the trees.

Meanwhile, Kael was slowly striding towards the next beast, a hydra whose very presence commanded respect.

The beast was large and horrifying to look at. It had three hissing heads, brown skin bearing diamond scales and fangs dripping deadly poison.

Just a drop was more than enough to kill fifteen men.

But Kael was no mere man.

"You thought you had us in your trap…"

Lightning whistled angrily in his palms as he raised his hands toward the creature.

"But in reality, you just delivered yourselves into my hands."

"Crucifix."

Tzzzzzz!

As Kael channeled the power of his beast, three cross-shaped forms, made out of pure pulsing red lightning appeared, floating right above his head.

The beast was already morphing, changing to a form more suited to take his lightning, but before it could finish its transformation—

Kael simply waved his hands forward as though he was shooing away a fly.

Bang!

The raindrops all around them were electrified, the lightning bouncing from drop to drop just as a loud thunderclap cut past them, the lightning bathing the world red.