"Florathi? What kind of species is that?" Oz asked.
"They are descendants of War Elves and Wood Antlers," Eleanor answered.
Oz nodded. He had never heard of the species before, but considering how much time had passed since his era, that wasn’t particularly surprising. Entire kingdoms had risen and fallen while he remained dead. With Mana speeding up the evolution, and System’s abilities, new races appearing during that time was only natural.
Afterwards, Eleanor called Emily and the others back. Once everyone had gathered together, she briefly explained Oz’s conditions for forming a contract.
"You want to rebuild a home for your people?" Emily asked, focusing entirely on the second condition and ignoring the first.
"Yes. I understand that resources are probably limited because of the Apocalypse. However, if you cannot promise me this, then I will not form a contract with you. Additionally, I will not follow your orders. If you dislike those conditions, then there will be no contract," Oz replied.
He deliberately avoided mentioning Gael. Eleanor clearly wanted to keep that matter hidden, and Oz saw no reason to interfere.
Emily looked at him quietly for a few moments. The answer came much faster than Oz expected.
"I will help you rebuild a home for your people."
For a brief moment, Oz seemed surprised.
Meanwhile, Emily found herself looking at him differently than before. His loyalty towards his people reminded her of her mother. Even after death, even after becoming a Spirit, his first concern wasn’t his own revival or power. It was his people. He wanted a future for them. A safe place where they could live. That alone earned a great deal of respect from her.
The fact that he refused to follow orders didn’t bother her much, especially after he revealed his demand to help him people.
However, there was still one thing she needed to clarify.
"I accept your conditions. But is there any way I could gain your acknowledgement and make you follow my orders in the future?" Emily asked.
Oz stared at her for a second before letting out a chuckle.
"Sure. When you can defeat me, I’ll think about it."
To him, it was a harmless answer. Emily was young, and while her talent was impressive, the idea of her defeating him was so unrealistic that he didn’t bother taking the question seriously.
"Then we have an agreement."
The moment both sides accepted, white light erupted from their bodies. The light flowed into the air before connecting together, forming a brilliant bond between them.
Emily immediately closed her eyes and examined it.
A few moments later, her brows furrowed.
"This..."
She opened her eyes and looked at Oz.
"This contract uses my mana?"
"Yes. The Ancient Spirit Contract functions through the Spirit Tamer’s mana. Whenever I fight, I will be using your mana reserves," Oz answered.
Emily’s expression became strange.
Until now, every contract she possessed had worked differently. Whether through her Class skills or through equipment, her Spirits generated and used their own mana. The burden was never placed directly on her.
This contract was completely different.
Instead of supporting itself, it drew from her mana pool.
That meant Oz’s combat capabilities were directly tied to how much mana she possessed.
Oz, however, looked completely unconcerned.
The moment he formed the contract, he had already gained a rough understanding of Emily’s reserves. With that amount of mana, he could easily slap an average Apex Overlord to death. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing worth worrying about.
"Don’t worry about the mana limitation," Eleanor suddenly said.
Emily turned toward her.
"What do you mean?"
"That problem will solve itself once you reach the next rank."
Emily blinked.
"Even if I reach Elite rank, my maximum mana should only be around three thousand."
Eleanor simply smiled.
"You’ll understand later."
Emily waited for further explanation, but none came. Eleanor clearly had no intention of elaborating, so she reluctantly let the matter go.
After the bond finished stabilizing, Oz swept his gaze across the rest of the group. His eyes paused on Alice for a moment.
A hint of surprise appeared on his face.
’The Sun Dragons are still alive?’
Oz continued looking at her for a second before looking away.
Apparently, some very interesting bloodlines had survived into the modern era.
His gaze then shifted toward Sera.
Immediately, a frown appeared on his face.
Something about her felt strange. Unfortunately, he couldn’t identify exactly what was causing that feeling.
Finally, his eyes landed on Avery.
The moment he sensed her existence, his eyebrows shot upward.
"A True Spirit? Our world has advanced enough to naturally give birth to Spirits?"
"It hasn’t," Eleanor replied.
That answer only confused him further.
Before Oz could ask additional questions, Eleanor interrupted.
"We can discuss those things later. Right now, we should finish the dungeon."
She turned toward Emily.
"My Lady, will you use the second Spirit Contract now or save it for later?"
Emily thought about it briefly before shaking her head.
"I’ll use it now. There isn’t much point delaying it. The Spirit can always refuse, but there is still a chance they’ll accept. If they do, it could help us considerably inside the dungeon."
She kept the rest of her thoughts to herself.
Isaac had most likely shared the tickets already and gained additional copies. Even if she received nothing useful, it wouldn’t be a major loss.
She didn’t say those thoughts out loud as the livestream had resumed.
There was no reason to reveal unnecessary information.
Emily pulled out the second Ancient Spirit Contract.
The paper dissolved into countless motes of light. Those particles gathered together and formed a portal in front of the group.
A massive figure stepped through.
The newcomer was enormous.
He wore rough leather clothing covered with monster pelts. A horned helmet rested on his head, and thick muscles bulged beneath his clothes. He stood nearly eight feet tall, yet the proportions of his body were strangely compact. Without another person nearby for comparison, most people would probably underestimate his true size.
The giant swept his gaze around the area like a hawk searching for prey.
Eventually, his eyes landed on Emily.
"You there! Are ye the lass who summoned me?"
"Yes, I’m Emily Warren Hargra—"
"Good! Then let’s get this contract done already!"
The giant strode forward immediately until he was standing directly in front of her.
Emily blinked in surprise.
This wasn’t the reaction she had expected. The giant noticed her expression and let out a sigh.
"Aye, ye look confused."
"I am a little."
"Well, the reason’s simple. I want to live."
Emily stared at him.
"What?"
"I want to live," Ezekiel repeated. "Those blasted barbarians killed me right before I finished me masterpiece! Do ye have any idea how painful that is? I spent decades working on it! Decades!"
His frustration seemed completely genuine.
"The Perfect Mecha was almost complete. Almost!"
Emily’s confusion only deepened.
"Huh?"
Ezekiel looked horrified.
"Ye don’t know what a Mecha is?"
"Should I?"
"Should ye?" Ezekiel practically roared. "Lass, a Mecha is the dream of every proper craftsman! The ultimate creation! A perfect fusion of engineering, enchantments, metallurgy, rune crafting, and artistic brilliance!"
Before Emily could respond, Ezekiel launched into a lengthy explanation.
And he didn’t stop.
He talked about design structures.
Power sources.
Armor plating.
Rune circuits.
Magical conductivity.
Weapon systems.
Advanced weapon systems.
Experimental weapon systems.
Emily quickly realized she was receiving more information than Professor Catherine usually covered in an entire lecture.
After several minutes, her eyes started losing focus.
It looked as if her head was going to start smoking at any moment.
Only Avery seemed interested, though nobody could tell whether she actually understood anything.
"Stop talking, idiot. Make the contract and move along. We are trying to clear a dungeon," Oz said flatly.
Ezekiel immediately turned toward him.
"And who exactly are ye supposed to b—"
The rest of the sentence died in his throat.
He stared at Oz, and looked at him carefully. Then, as if he had confirmed something, his eyes widened.
"A Sea Dragon?"
Oz raised an eyebrow.
Ezekiel leaned forward slightly as excitement flooded his face.
"A Sea Dragon! By the Eternal Forge, I thought ye lot went extinct!"
The Dwarf King burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! This is perfect! Absolutely perfect! Do ye know how many incredible materials I could harvest from a Sea Dragon? Me masterpiece just gained several new upgrade possibilities!"
"Oh? You intend to use me as material?"
Sharp claws extended from Oz’s fingers as his muscles tightened. A fierce smile spread across his face.
Even without drawing upon Emily’s mana reserves, he still possessed the physical strength of a peak Apex Overlord.
Ezekiel grinned right back.
"Aye, I do. And if ye want to fight over it, even better. I was planning to wait until old age finished the job, but if ye want to donate materials early, I won’t complain."
The atmosphere instantly became dangerous.
Neither ancient king moved.
Neither looked away.
The Sea Dragon King and the Dwarf King stared directly into each other’s eyes.
The tension continued rising.
Oz’s claws lengthened further.
Ezekiel cracked his knuckles.
The ground beneath them began creaking under the pressure radiating from both ancient beings.
Before either side could make a move, Emily infused Spirit Element into her mana and released it with her voice
"Enough."
Emily’s voice was calm, but the effect was immediate.
Oz froze where he stood. Ezekiel froze as well.
Oz was already bound to Emily through a Spirit Contract, while Ezekiel had been summoned through the Ancient Spirit Contract. Both of them were vulnerable to her Spirit Element. Although Emily couldn’t directly harm Ezekiel due to the nature of his summoning, she could still restrain him.
"If you want to form a contract, then act like it. I won’t tolerate any infighting."
Emily stared directly into Ezekiel’s eyes as she spoke.
The Dwarf King stared back.
For several seconds, neither of them moved. The others watched quietly as the two seemed to test each other’s resolve. Ezekiel carried the pride of a king who had survived countless battles, while Emily possessed the authority of a Spirit Tamer capable of commanding beings far beyond ordinary standards.
Eventually, it was Ezekiel who broke first.
The fierce look on his face disappeared and was replaced by a hearty chuckle.
"Bah, lass, seems I let me excitement get ahead o’ me beard. A king ought tae know better than that. I was too excited and made a few mistakes. I hope the Spirit Tamer won’t hold it against this old dwarf."
Emily gave a small nod.
"I’m Emily Warren Hargraves. Do you wish to serve me?"
Ezekiel immediately straightened his posture. The playful expression vanished, replaced by the dignity expected of a king.
"I, Ezekiel Amberforge Ironmantle, King o’ Khaz Amberhold, Protector o’ the Nine Chasms, Slayer o’ Mythos, an’ Last Inheritor o’ Amber, wish tae serve ye."
He bowed deeply.
The moment the words left his mouth, Emily felt the contract form. A connection appeared between them, different from her bond with Oz but no less real. The Ancient Spirit Contract had accepted the agreement.
With that settled, the atmosphere relaxed considerably.
The group decided to rest briefly before entering the Third Area. During that time, Ezekiel wandered over to Oz with a surprisingly friendly smile.
"I hope ye aren’t angry about me questions from earlier."
"It’s fine. Plenty have said they would kill me. All of them were killed by me instead."
"Of course! That makes perfect sense.Ye look strong enough tae do exactly that," Ezekiel said enthusiastically.
Oz simply nodded.
Then Ezekiel leaned closer.
"So, ye have a will, right?"
"A will?"
"Aye. Fer accidents. If somethin’ were tae kill ye unexpectedly, ye must’ve left behind some treasures, inheritances, secret vaults, legendary artifacts, that sort o’ thing."
Oz stared at him.
Ezekiel stared back.
The Dwarf King’s eyes shone with a level of interest that would have made dragons jealous.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Oz slowly looked away.
He already knew this dwarf was going to cause him endless headaches.
After resting, the party entered the Third Area.
The Volcanic Labyrinth.
The environment changed immediately.
Massive black stone walls stretched in every direction, forming an endless maze of winding passages. Rivers of molten lava flowed through channels carved into the stone, casting an orange glow across the labyrinth. Steam rose from cracks in the ground while occasional bursts of flame erupted from vents hidden within the walls.
The heat was overwhelming.
Simply standing inside the labyrinth felt like being trapped inside a furnace.
Breathing became difficult almost immediately.
Sera frowned as she took a breath.
"This place is horrible."
Averon wasn’t doing much better. Every breath felt heavy and unpleasant. Even Eleanor showed signs of discomfort despite maintaining her composure.
Emily, however, remained unaffected. Her physiology did not depend on breathing. She could continue functioning through mana alone if necessary.
Avery seemed equally unaffected.
Sera wasn’t affected either, though she occasionally coughed dramatically whenever someone looked in her direction.
Oz remained perfectly comfortable.
The same was true for Ezekiel and most of Emily’s summons.
The group continued deeper into the labyrinth.
Various monsters attacked them along the way. Packs of Flame Hounds emerged from molten pools. Magma Crawlers burst from beneath the stone pathways. Ash Wraiths drifted through the maze while Lava Serpents attempted ambushes from hidden channels.
None of them posed a meaningful threat.
Emily’s summons efficiently eliminated every monster they encountered as the group steadily advanced through the maze.
After nearly an hour of travel, they encountered the first Mini Boss.
Flame Colossus.
The giant towered over the surrounding walls. Its body was formed from volcanic rock and molten magma, and every step caused the ground to tremble.
The creature roared and swung a massive arm toward the party.
Before the attack could land, Oz and Ezekiel moved simultaneously.
The two Apex Overlords met the attack head-on.
A thunderous impact echoed through the labyrinth.
Cracks spread across the Colossus’s arm as the giant staggered backward from the collision. Against ordinary opponents, its immense strength would have been terrifying. Against Oz and Ezekiel, however, it simply wasn’t enough.
The battle quickly became one-sided.
The Colossus struggled to keep up as the two powerhouses repeatedly battered its massive body. Emily’s summons joined the assault, further overwhelming the giant.
Several minutes later, the Flame Colossus collapsed.
The group continued onward.
Eventually, they encountered the second Mini Boss.
Ash Assassin.
Unlike the previous boss, this creature specialized entirely in concealment, and it could move throughout the Third Area.
The moment combat began as soon as it found them. It vanished.
Its presence disappeared completely.
At least, it should have.
Oz immediately turned toward a nearby wall.
Ezekiel looked in the exact same direction.
Avery followed.
Eleanor calmly raised her sword.
Even Sera appeared bored.
The hidden assassin suddenly found itself facing a very unfortunate situation.
Its concealment was powerful against normal opponents, but several members of Emily’s team possessed senses capable of seeing straight through such tricks.
The Ash Assassin attempted multiple ambushes.
Every single one failed.
Each time it moved, someone was already looking directly at it.
Without its greatest advantage, the battle became hopeless.
The Mini Boss died shortly afterward.
The third Mini Boss proved far more interesting.
Flame Core Sentinel.
The mechanical construct was clearly a creation of the System itself.
The moment Ezekiel saw it, his eyes widened.
"Ohoho... now that’s a beauty."
The Dwarf King’s enthusiasm exploded.
"Lass! Give me mana!"
Emily blinked.
"Why?"
"Because this fine piece o’ craftsmanship deserves a proper inspection, and I can’t do that while holdin’ back!"
Emily supplied him with mana.
The results were immediate.
Golden runes erupted across Ezekiel’s armor as ancient dwarven techniques activated one after another. Massive spectral hammers appeared around him while layers of enchantments wrapped themselves around his body.
The Dwarf King charged forward with enough enthusiasm to frighten the Sentinel itself.
The battle became surprisingly violent.
The construct fought back fiercely, but between Ezekiel’s empowerment and the support of Emily’s summons, it gradually lost ground.
Eventually, the Sentinel was destroyed.
The moment it fell, Ezekiel practically dove toward the loot.
"Beautiful materials! Look at this craftsmanship!"
Emily sighed.
"The materials belong to Isaac until he decides otherwise."
Ezekiel paused.
"A summoner as powerful as ye answers tae somebody else?"
"Yes."
The Dwarf King rubbed his beard thoughtfully before nodding.
"Then this Isaac fellow must be quite impressive."
He didn’t seem concerned at all. If anything, he looked excited. Clearly, he believed Isaac would hand over every material after witnessing his talent.
After another stretch of travel, the party finally reached the center of the Volcanic Labyrinth.
The Boss Monster awaited them.
Infernal Minotaur.
The creature stood over ten meters tall. Black flames covered its body while an enormous axe rested in its hands. The heat radiating from the weapon alone was enough to melt stone.
The moment combat began, everyone understood this battle would be different.
The Infernal Minotaur was vastly stronger than the previous bosses.
Its first swing sent several summons flying.
Its second attack heavily damaged even more.
The creature rampaged across the battlefield, forcing Emily to constantly reposition her forces.
Alice immediately activated her support abilities.
Buffs spread across Emily’s entire army.
The battle gradually shifted.
Oz fought the Minotaur directly while Ezekiel repeatedly smashed into its flanks. Avery and Eleanor attacked from openings created by the others, while Sera continuously supported the battle from behind.
Even then, the fight remained difficult.
Several summons suffered significant damage before the Minotaur finally began to slow.
Emily immediately seized the opportunity.
Her summons attacked together.
The Infernal Minotaur attempted one final counterattack, but this time it lacked the strength.
The combined assault overwhelmed it completely.
The giant monster staggered backward.
Then it collapsed.
Its massive body crashed against the volcanic stone floor.
Silence spread across the battlefield.
The fight was over.
Emily immediately looked toward the notifications appearing before her eyes.
Anticipation filled her expression as the System messages appeared.
[Boss Monster, Infernal Minotaur, has been defeated.]
[Primary Contributors: Emily Warren, Alice Calloway.]
[Rewards are being distributed according to contribution.]