Salamander

The morning after my awakening, I left once again. No compromises were accepted, no one was to look for me except in case of emergencies, only Asmodeus and Merlin were allowed to help during the formation of my 2nd circle, but once that issue was resolved they were to leave immediately.

I sure hope she's not gonna follow us, I really don't need THE demon of lust during this journey.

Reaching the river I first met with Asmodeus I sat and tried to sense the flow of mana. It really was something interesting, and although I could see it, it didn't mean I could understand it, more time was needed for such precise understanding.

There were plenty of things to do before the bastards demons joined me, but the most important thing to do now was to check my grimoire.

As soon as I thought of it, a black book with 12 circles engraved in gold appeared before me.

Does this refer to the maximum circles one can have?

Pushing aside future problems I opened the book.

-to Dimitris Damocles,

If you are reading this, it means you were finally able to enter the world of magic.

Dimitris, don't trust you memories.

Don't trust the constellations that have a divine attribute to them.

Don't stray away from humanity.

Focus on your strength, but don't forgo your trait.

Again, Dimitris Damocles. Don't trust your memories.

-from yourself, in hope that you will live. Dimitris of Itaca

Well this is unsettling…

I was generally in agreement with what stated in that letter, but to not trust my memories? And the use of my last name?

Clearly the guy I was before knew something important. All this situation was confusing. First thing first that man shouldn't have been able to store a grimoire into my internal space being an Aura user. He was also clearly aware that I would possess his body at some point, but if that was it why did he form such relationships around himself? Then turning to the next page I found something equally shocking.

-Spear Art: Dance of Damocles

Spear Art created by the Master of House Damocles, rank (E to S) based on understanding and enlightenment.

Following the introduction of the Spear Art, was a detailed description of footwork eerily similar to what I was performing in the white expanse. It really was a dance, every movement refined to perfect agility and reach, exploiting every aspect of the body and the weapon.

Whoever created this art was truly a genius. Fuck, I hate to admit how Ares was right.

"How could that fucking war maniac of a boar understand my affinity with spears by watching me fight with knives?! It doesn't make sense at all!"

"Who are you talking so rudely about?"

Looking around to find out who was able to sneak on me without me noticing I was left dumbfounded.

There's no one ? How is it possible!

Fully alert and ready to fight I took out my spear.

"Hahahah you silly, look in the river!"

Following the sound of the voice, that indeed brought me to the river, I saw I young lady underneath the surface, the girl was almost ethereal and of course she wasn't human.

"A Naiad?"

"Why yes! So who were you cursing?"

Again speech came difficult to my throat at this point. I needed a naiad for my circle, and that was why I decided to hold my training near the river, but surely I didn't expect to find one so easily.

"I know you aren't a mute! Come on talk to me!"

Coming back from my spiral of thoughts I bowed to the spirit.

"Ah, sorry… I was shocked to see you. I was cursing the god of war."

"And why?"

"Because he's too good at understanding fighters. If he had the same intelligence for basically anything else, we'd live in a beautiful world, don't you agree?"

The water rippled and the young Naiad burst out of the river laughing amicably jumping on me.

Fully drenched and completely paralysed by the unexpected behaviour, I could only stare at the lady with wide eye.

She then cupped my face and with a bright smile started shouting.

"YES YES YES! I TOTS AGREE!"

"Please let me go."

That was the only thing I could mutter, but as if they were magic key words, the worked wonders. The Naiad freed me and profusely apologised.

"Now let's change topic shall we? What are you exactly? You smell like a Dryad, have the circuits of an elf, the arm of a demon but you are unmistakably human!"

Honestly? I'd love to know myself, at this point all possibilities are accepted.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I'm sure I'm training to become a mage."

"Yes that I can see, you are ready to create your 2nd circle, but with that body, you could be the champion of that warhead!"

"Please don't even put such a thought in the universe."

"Hahahahaha either way, do you know how to create a circle? Usually the 1st one is given by a master, but I see you alone here."

"I do not, but the circle I'm going to create it's a little different, I guess I need to know the basics either way though, don't I?"

The naiad begun explaining how to create a circle, how rotations and attuning to the element of the circle were fundamental steps and how the closer to the heart I'd rotate my mana, the better the result, but the she realised how I had said I wanted to do something different.

"Wait up young mage! What circle are you tryna make here in this place right now?!"

Unperturbed by her completely unexpected language I just explained with a smile.

"Circle of Nature: The Salamander"

"Ohhhh"

"Yes."

"Do you have the essence? There are no volcanos in hundreds of kilometres around us!"

"Yes, I do."

"What about the runic formation?"

"A demon I know will help with that."

Looking at each other we stayed silent for a little bit, I didn't want to bring the matter up immediately, but I would gladly enter the conversation if she wanted to.

"So you only miss the blessing of a Naiad to resist the essence and not burn alive?"

"That would be it, but I'm not sure how to go around it… I'm not exactly knowledgeable on what a naiad likes or how to ask her for help."

Take the hint girly, come one.

"I can help you convince one! I have many sisters!!!"

Is she for real?

"Wait here imma go ask my girls!"

Oh, hell. She for real.

"Hold on miss naiad! What about you?!"

My comment was repelled by the water back to me, she had already vanished.

I can't believe I found someone denser then the Boar, I'm honestly shocked.

"The Boar who roars, you've found a tough match here."

[The Boar who roars, says that little naiad wouldn't even survive his presence, let alone fight him.]

"Fuck, someone save me. I feel my brain rotting."

Arms wrapped around my waist and a soothing voice rung to my ear.

"I'm here to save you dear, but you'll need to repay me later tonight mmmhhh."

"Asmodeus let go of my disciple before I behead you."

"With what magic, with that body you're weaker then him."

Taking out a sword from his internal space, Merlin approached Asmodeus glaring.

"I'll have you know I will be the teacher of the most famous swordsman in the world in the future."

Being freed from Asmodeus' clutches I turned to look at them and saw the sword Merlin was holding.

"That can't be… surely it's not THE holy sword? Right?"

Merlin now smirking like the evil incarnate held the sword in a knightly pose.

"Oh but it is! Excalibur!"

The holy sword of legends was in front of me, being held like it was any other chunk of metal. I couldn't believe my eyes.

Never would I have imagined I could see it in real life.

"Can… can I… would it even let me? Nevertheless…"

At this point I was merely blabbering to myself while the demons were enjoying the show I only wanted to touch that sword with my own hands.

"Did his brain really rot?"

"Oh spare him, he had always believed this sword didn't even exist, let alone being able to see it."

Getting closer to me, Merlin held out the sword.

"Do you want to try and touch it? I can't promise you'll be acknowledged, but we can give it a try."

Looking at Merlin with disbelief, my eyes sparkling with excitement I reached out my hand.

"Is it even allowed? Can I just receive it from you?"

"Of course not."

Merlin planted the sword in the ground.

"If I gave you the sword directly and you were not to be acknowledged, you'd explode on the spot. This way you can touch it safely."

I reached for the sword, but as soon as my hand held the hilt, I retreated. Electric currents were going through my arm, I was clearly not acknowledged. Then a voice entered my mind.

"Spearman, you've already been claimed, don't think I don't acknowledge you."

I was as confused as one can be.

"Mmhhh interesting. You seem to have been already claimed by a divine relic, we just need to find it. What could it be… oh! How funny would it be if it was Astrape?"

"Don't even put such thoughts into the universe Merlin. I'm not stripping my homegirl's husband of his divine symbol"

"You really do respect Hera way to much."

Blatantly ignoring Merlin, I turned to Asmodeus.

"Are you here to help with the runic formation? You know what before everything else. Why do I have an elf's circuits and a demon's arm?"

Merlin was the one to answer, maybe he was scared of how Asmodeus would go around it.

"It's not from Circe! I swear! She has multiple elven circuits for her contractees, and just imprinted one on you… she did take Circe's and a potion from me… but we respected your will. Those circuits are from an Elf king of a far land who passed of old age! Everything was natural! We can swear on the Styx if you want!"

It seems he finally understands.

"What about the arm? Does it have collateral effects?"

"I engraved the runes myself! She would have engraved your whole body if I didn't step in. There is a slight collateral.. but thanks to it being only the arm it's negligible…"

"What is it?"

"Your emotions will be slightly stronger, nothing too unbearable, you'll gain your control on them easily!"

"That's why I felt that way about Odysseus…"

"No dear, that's bec… mph! MPH!"

Merlin was covering her mouth continuously making flowers bloom inside it.

"Asmodea?"

"Girls Asmodea is here!!!"

What?

Freeing herself from Merlin's spell, the demoness approached the water while winking in my direction.

"What do you think I was doing bathing in this river? You have seen the bathhouse at the palace."

I was petrified.

Of course she would.

"Hello there my lovely naiads! I've come to ask for a favour what do you think?"

The young naiad that talked to me before jumped out of the water and hurriedly pointed at me.

"Is it for that boy? He also asked for help!!!"

Boy…?

"My my, did my little friend already charm you?"

"I mean, Asmodea, surely you aren't blind."

"Hahahaha I know I know, but he's one of those boring ones that mates for life, anyway you can have a piece of me for blessing him, what do you say?"

Immediately after those words came into existence, five blue rays surrounded me and slowly started to enter my body. At first it felt refreshing, but after a little while it started to get cold, extremely so.

"M-m-merlin… c-c-c-co-ld"

"ASMODEUS! THE FORMATION! FIVE BLESSINGS ARE TOO MUCH, AMPLIFY THE ABSORPTION!"

"Dimitris, focus on the essence, you need to drink it immediately, leave the movement of the mana to me."

Asmodeus' body was gleaming, runes all around her were created out of thin air and formed a circle around me, then engraving themself into the ground. The cold was becoming unbearable, and just before losing consciousness and maybe dying from the freezing temperature I managed to drink the essence of the salamander.

The effects were lightning fast, magma and freezing waters met inside me and the reaction seemed ready to make me burst like a balloon at any given moment, but instead of harming me, the magma made its way out of my body coating the entirety of my skin.

All my clothes burned and I then turned into a statue. I could feel that although my body was covered in volcanic stone, my insides were fiercely fighting to absorb as much of the salamander essence as possible. The blessing from the naiads started working even stronger than before and my skin was broken.

This cycle repeated itself a total of five times,

I was on the verge of death from exhaustion.

I could feel the circle.

But at the moment I just wanted to rest.

As the formation of the circle ended, Merlin didn't wait a second and popped a candy into my mouth.

Immediately a rush of energy and vitality filled me and I recovered from all the exhaustion I was feeling before.

"What…?"

"It's just super concentrated nutrients, of course one that's a trademark from Avalon, enough of this, check your circle!"

Looking down at my naked body I asked for clothes before everything else, only then did I delve into my 2nd circle.

Inside the circle of branches, was now another green circle that looked like made of flames and pebbles.

[2nd circle of nature: the Salamander]

[your resistance to the fire element greatly increases.]

[your senses sharpen.]