Io
"Yes, make a contract with the Nightmare Bat"
[Contract Established! You have 1 contract left]
"Let's see this thing in action. Summon!"
The ground rumbled, and black mist started seeping from it. Dark particles, previously invisible to the eye, started gathering and forming various shapes in the air.
A few seconds later and Derrick could see dark bones, organs and flesh dancing around each other, rapidly creating an amalgam that looked more and more like a living being.
When the process finally ended, the shadowy monster was looking at him with its big, glowing red eyes, awaiting orders. It would have looked pretty impressive if not for it being so god-damn terrifying.
''This explains why everyone hates necromancers... This is enough to scare the shit out of people! I remember there also being a 10% overall boost when I summon, right? Show me its stats''
[Nightmare Bat]
[Strength : 4.4]
[Agility : 2.8]
[Endurance : 3.3]
[Vitality : 1.1]
[Magic Power : 1.1]
[Trait : Echolocation (Allows it to locate prey without using its vision)]
[Skills : None]
''This is my first subordinate, and it's already pretty powerful with a really nice trait... The road ahead should be a fair bit easier. Now let's think of a name for you... How about Io?''
[Summon named successfully]
''Io, scan the remaining part of the cave with
[Echolocation in progress... 237 entities found]
''What!?''
Derrick was flabbergasted. The cave was huge, but he never thought life could thrive this much in such an environment...
''This system really likes to make things difficult... It first transports me somewhere unknown, then it gives me an unfamiliar body and finally, it makes me fight monsters that are at least twice my strength... I guess it was the price to pay for getting all of this''
After getting back his composure, Derrick started planning his next steps.
''It's too bad that the bat fell at the bottom of the lake. I could have salvaged it to make food, weapons, armor and clothes. This should be my top priority going forward, meaning we'll need to find an isolated beast and hunt it down. We should also know our retreat route should things go haywire''
''Io, find the exit''
[Scanning of the cave using
A map suddenly appeared in Derrick's consciousness. It had the layout of the cave, marked as a thin yellow line, and pulsing red markers, clearly indicating other entities.
''Let's get started. I really want to leave this forsaken place''
Derrick started eyeing Io and realized it was a bit bigger than when it was alive.
Would it be possible to...?
''Io, can I ride you?''
The creature looked like it understood his request, and it made a few disgruntled noises before bowing and lowering its wing.
''Wow, I didn't expect you to be able to fly with me! It's going to be a huge time saver''
After jumping on its back, he realized it was easier said than done. Io didn't have a large back, which made it quite an unstable mount.
"I'll certainly have to train to avoid any accidents..."
Whilst on top of the beast, Derrick then started analyzing the map.
After a few seconds, he found a suitable target. It was far away, but the surroundings could be taken advantage of. It was a great opportunity.
As if reading his mind, Io instantly took flight, almost ejecting the new necromancer in the process.
While cursing the beast and steadying himself, their journey had begun.
***
''We're almost there and our prey is barely moving. Looks like I'll finally be able to catch a break''
Derrick was rejoicing at the idea of a fast hunt. When he was done, he would get out of this cave and explore the region the system had sent him to.
That idea was thrilling him to no end.
After fantasizing a bit more, he calmed himself and refocused. He couldn't mess up anymore. His blood started boiling in anticipation of the new challenges ahead.
''We've arrived!''
Their hunting ground was a small valley, filled with depressions and small rocks. In the middle of it was a small pond that was fed by the central lake.
''Let's land and be cautious. We can't be discovered, or we'll be on the defensive and our advantage will be thrown out the window''
They landed on a small hill overseeing the hunting ground and started looking for the unknown entity.
But even after a while, they still couldn't see any movement.
He looked at his map again and still saw the flashing red mark, perplexing him to no end.
''System, use
[Using
[Life Form detected! Dark Furcifer Pardalis]
''Well, that explains why we can't see it!''
When he was younger, he had read about species of reptiles that could adapt their camouflage to their environment. This allowed them to simultaneously evade their predators while hunting their prey.
''Show me its stats''
[Dark Furcifer Pardalis]
[Strength : 3.5]
[Agility : 3.5]
[Endurance : 2.0]
[Vitality : 3.0]
[Magic Power : 3.0]
[Trait : Cold Blood (Allows it to lower its temperature to survive in different climates), Camouflage (Allows it to morph with its current environment), Tongue Lash (Allows it to snatch its prey at long distances)]
[Weakness : Sudden Temperature Changes]
''We can succeed if we're careful. The problem is we still don't know its location...''
After a brief reflection, a mischievous smile appeared on his face.
Derrick proceeded to leave his vantage point before walking towards the valley.
''Io, hide in my shadow and be ready. It's time to set bait''