#247
Chain of Covenant (1)
Even as turmoil broke out on Earth and it was being resolved, time continued to pass by in Outerica.
Even after the Immortal King withdrew from the south, the raids continued at a moderate pace, and Heinrich was still busy making a name for himself throughout the continent.
After work in the Republic entered its final stage, the situation was going smoothly without any major incidents.
It was also a time for avatars, who had been somewhat behind, to grow.
'There are a total of five avatars that can be considered as full strength right now.'
Without a doubt, Hans, the Immortal King, is the strongest figure in tradition.
Heinz II, a new vampire king who is rapidly rising recently.
Saint Heinrich, a knight of light who is no different from human pride.
Harley, the barbarian king, is now a strange creature that only appears human.
High elf Harris, who rose to prominence thanks to the World Tree's generous support.
It was clear that if other people found out, they would be embarrassed that the standard of power was so transcendent, but it was only natural for him, whose eyes had already reached such high standards.
'Actually, it won't be easy to stand on the same level as those five in a normal way.'
Those avatars were cases where many complicated situations were intertwined and luck led them to quickly become stronger.
It probably won't be easy to become equal to them in any way, even if you invest a lot of time.
'Still, the elixir of growth is more effective than expected, so there is no chance of it happening.'
The growth elixir purchased through the Karma store boasted a murderous price of 200,000 points for only 7 days, but after using it myself, it was clearly worth the price.
After using it once and experiencing its effects, it became so addictive that I couldn't help but repurchase it, despite cursing at the price.
So, the three avatars, excluding Hubert and Hugo, who were in charge of each world's chores, accelerated their training day after day with the help of doping potion on their backs.
Oooh—
"Oh no!" "Fail again!"
And one of them.
Hesperon, who suffered failure again today, shook his head roughly.
Light flickered in the summoning circle prepared for the ritual, and the vibrations gradually subsided.
At the same time, all of the rare materials used as sacrifices soon turned into ashes and disappeared without any time to do anything about it.
'…Sigh, what a shame. I've blown it so much that I'm starting to notice now.'
Howard, a dwarf who only hones his skills based on his innate racial characteristics, and Horus, a hatchling who is gifted with a talent that is nothing short of a fraud.
Compared to them, he was just an ordinary human being, so there were bound to be various gaps in his growth.
So the path I chose was to use powerful summons that were separate from the main body…
'I never thought this penalty would hinder me this much.'
He let out a deep sigh and turned his gaze to his right arm.
His right arm, wrapped in bandages with all kinds of runes engraved on it, looked as if it were a sealed black flame dragon popping out, but in reality, it was just a conglomeration of curses trying to devour his body at will.
'There's no way to do anything about it right now.'
Even from the perspective of Hans, who was a master of black magic and a specialist in curses, the curse currently on his right arm was an extremely rare case.
Suppression due to the saint's divine power, uniqueness as an awakened person from another world, potential of the alter ego, the avatar, actions taken by the Imperial Hospital, the world's best medical institution, etc.
Normally, he should have died a long time ago due to a curse that was far beyond the lethal dose, but thanks to these various methods, he was able to merge with the vitality of his right arm.
'It seems like I absorbed some spirit in the process and even gained some spirituality.'
Hesperon glared at the curse writhing inside the seal wrapped around his arm.
When I used a lot of magical energy to perform the summoning ritual, I was stimulated by it and started running wild as if I was protesting.
'The mental pollution that occurs every time this thing goes on a rampage is considerable. It's not even possible for me.'
There were so many unusual things about it that even Hans couldn't make a clear diagnosis just by looking at it indirectly like now.
What if he could do the dissection and other research himself? But he can't do that now, right?
"ha-."
He sighed lightly and immediately settled down.
Then, he came out of the magic practice room prepared separately for him and naturally walked through the corridors of the Imperial Palace's Magic Tower, lost in thought alone.
'All of the matched summons refused the contract because they avoided the curse. Do I have no choice but to lower my grade?'
Although they are lumped together as summoned animals, there are actually more types than you might think.
From monsters that are no different from the monsters that spread around the world, to beings that are close to mental bodies similar to spirits, to creatures that reside in other dimensions, etc.
And the best among them were the fantastic species represented by unicorns, Pegasus subdragons, etc.
Naturally, Hesperon also focused on signing a contract with them… but the result, as already known, was a series of failures.
Even though he even received help from the Imperial Summoning Wizard.
'It would be a shame to give up like this. I'll look into it further to see if there's another way.'
As he walked down the hallway, he immediately entered the library of the Imperial Palace Magic Tower.
It was all thanks to Princess Riley that he, who was a guest, was able to use the library as he pleased.
Of course, it was the same as not being able to go to areas with high security levels, but there was no need for that right now anyway.
'Now that I think about it, I wonder if there will be another health checkup soon.'
As he was looking through the bookshelves, a previous memory came to mind.
The elixir of growth had more diverse effects than expected.
It did not simply help with the acquisition and training of knowledge, but also included 'growth' in a broader sense.
And that was clearly revealed in the tests I was receiving periodically even after I was discharged.
"That's amazing. The body, which was out of balance, is regaining stability at an abnormal speed. It seems like most of my reduced physical abilities have now recovered. Even the growth that had stopped has started again…"
Even the hospital director, who had always maintained his cool, lost his composure as he examined his body.
To be more precise… I would say it was the expression of a scientist who wanted to dissect something at any moment.
As expected of a man of such stature, he was not at the top.
〈Beings Living in a Fantasy World, Volume 1〉
〈That's how I met my life-long partner! ~The touching true story of Summon Master Lala Luffy〉
〈How to encounter the desired summon ~Advanced level of summoning formation manipulation〉
Hesperon wandered around the library for a while, looking through book after book.
What they have in common is that they are all contract and summoning magic books.
In fact, there was a reasonable reason for his obsession with summoned animals.
'Anyway, now that we have Horus, the dragon, there is no particular merit in delving into traditional magic.'
In that case, it would have been a much better choice to focus on the strengths that only he could do.
In particular, the potential of the "Chain of the Covenant," which cost him one eye in exchange for the evolution of his abilities, was more useful than expected.
A skill that not only strengthens the contract target according to the bond, but also synchronizes with inanimate objects and allows them to treat them as if they were their own bodies.
Wouldn't it be a waste to leave this ability unused?
'I think I'd like it more if it was an undead or a demon, but… no, let's stop. 'You'll be treated like a warlock for no reason.'
As Riley's closest aide, he entered the imperial palace and received full support, but it was a nuisance to do such a thing.
At best, it was obvious that it would be backward compatible with Hans.
To him who was in agony in the library of the Magic Tower—.
-Heron! Do you have a moment? I have something I want to give you!
Riley's lively intentions were conveyed through the connection of "Chain of Covenant."
Although the initiative in connection was given to Hesperon, the subject of the ability, communication could always come from the other side first.
Riley, who was awkward at first, now contacts him all the time.
He knew that she had been under a lot of stress recently due to the incident with her political enemy, Duke Hermanhart, so he was obediently responding to her.
Because people were beings who could gain strength just by complaining and having someone who would listen to them.
'From what I've heard, it seems like things are going well.'
He crossed the imperial palace and finally entered the princess's palace.
The knights guarding the inside, as if something had already been said, moved out of the way so as not to disturb the conversation.
Perhaps because it happened quite often, they now seemed to accept it naturally.
"Ah Heron! "Are you here?"
When he knocked and entered the room where Riley was waiting, she greeted him like a puppy with a bright smile.
"Hehehe, look at this! "Is this a new seal that was blessed by the saint herself?"
With those words, Riley presents the gift with a proud expression.
It was a bundle of bandages with a Bible verse written on the outside.
"It took a long time to make it with great care, as well as to obtain the holy cloth that was used as the main material. Still, thanks to Se-Ah, it was easier than I thought. After all, personal connections are the best, right?"
He also knew how it was made.
I watched right next to Isea, a member of the warrior party, making a regretful request to her colleague, Saint Riesta.
Unlike Saint Heinrich, who concentrated most of his abilities on the battle side, the Saint was a figure who stood out outside of battle.
Since she invested a considerable amount of time and effort into it, this sealing ball is probably no different from a precious treasure that cannot be obtained easily.
"Thank you for caring so much."
"What? Compared to what Heron did for me, this is nothing."
After handing him the gift with such a happy expression, she soon opened her mouth, carefully observing his gaze.
"More than that, were you successful this time?"
"No, it's the same as usual. "I think we need to take a different direction."
"…Do not worry! Heron will be successful soon! "Don't worry, I will prepare the necessary ingredients as best as I can."
I already knew that she was overexerting herself, so I felt somewhat sorry.
Materials such as unicorn horns and the hearts of hypodragon species were items that were too burdensome for even her to continue to support.
It would be natural since these items were sold for at least 200,000 at the Karma store.
It was also a time when something needed to be done.
"Hmm, why don't you try using that first? "Maybe that will put your mind at ease and help you think better, right?"
Riley cleared her throat and glanced this way with expectant eyes.
Hesperon smiled at her reaction, nodded, picked up the gift she had worked so hard to obtain, and gently closed his eyes.
The "Chain of the Covenant" was activated, and an unfamiliar sensation spread through the sealing sphere filled with divine power, and communication began.
I had already used it a few times, but perhaps because of the high level of the product, it required more concentration than other times.
After a while, the end of the seal began to slowly wriggle.
He opened his eyes and slowly stretched out his right hand.
Squeak—
Then, without even touching it, the bandage that had been wrapped around me started to unravel and come undone.
And below that.
His forearm was exposed, with stains that looked as if a snake had crawled on them.
Wriggle—
As soon as the seal was released, the curse that was latent inside began to bloom, but before anything could begin in earnest, a new seal was slowly released and instantly wrapped around his arm and tightened it.
I just stretched out my arm, and the sealing ball was replaced in an instant.
'It's definitely better than before. At this level, I think it can withstand the use of fairly strong magic power, right?
Hesperon slowly nodded, repeatedly clenching and unfolding his tightly held right hand.
The more you use magical power, the more likely it is that the curse will explode, but with this, it seemed like there wouldn't be a big problem as long as you didn't overdo it.
The sealing sphere, which was otherwise excellent in performance, was further strengthened by the effect of "Chain of Covenant", and now it is no longer strange to say that it is truly a holy relic.
'Even with something like that, it can't be completely suppressed. What a terrible curse it must be.'
As he clicked his tongue while looking at his right arm, a thought suddenly passed through his mind.
Synchronization that not only strengthens objects, but also summons them and manipulates them to your will.
This was a very useful ability, just like I used before.
And from there, the thoughts that began to come to mind spread.
Soon, I started thinking about other methods.
'Strengthening the summoning of objects…'
Then wouldn't there be a need to obsess over living phantom species?
It was still just an idea, so my thoughts weren't clearly organized, but…
'I was caught up in a stereotype.'
Then the line of thought went one step further.
The limits of this more evolved skill have not yet been clearly determined.
"Chain of Covenant" was the ability to form bonds through communication with not only living things but also objects.
So what is the standard?
Wouldn't there be a need for a fixed shape to exist?
Then…
his gaze turned to his right hand.
What if you could directly deal with the curse on this hand?