The Price of Summoning

If you can research summoning magic or spirit magic and use it as a vanguard even for a short while, the stability of battle will increase incomparably compared to now. 

Of course, it would be much faster to find a team member to stand in the vanguard than to study this kind of magic, but Leo intended to do it alone for now, up to the limit of his abilities. 

'… No, in the end I have no choice but to do it alone.' 

It doesn't end with simply making a fortune, escaping from this world, and living well. 

We must understand the existence of the penalty deeply engraved in this body and find a way to erase it from its roots. 

Anything that delays the shortening of lifespan or alleviates symptoms is just a stepping stone to that end. 

"… … … ." 

Let's not overcomplicate things. 

When you start focusing only on distant goals, your mind becomes distracted and your spirit becomes unstable. 

For now, it was enough to simply focus on the personal goals that were immediately before me. 

I immediately opened the book and quickly began to concentrate on the contents. 

Although he lags behind in physical strength and stamina, he turns the pages faster than anyone else. 

Leo's eyes scanned the letters without rest, absorbing everything written in them in an instant. 

The first one is the summoning series magic. 

'It was the same in WORLD, but the conditions for summoning are too strict. It's not just talent, but the process of specifying and summoning the desired summoner is too complicated. Even if you want the same summoner, there are many cases where the conditions change depending on the time period or location... .' 

The more I learn about it, the more I feel the need to get lucky with summons. 

To be honest, I felt like the summoning magic and spells were more like a lottery than a talent. 

Even that drawing isn't something that just anyone can do. 

As written in the book, the materials needed to draw and prepare a magic circle to make a contract with a summoned beast were quite extensive. 

Leo occasionally looked through the computer and roughly estimated the price of the materials. The cost needed to prepare one summoning ritual was approximately 200 million cells. 

It would be great if you could pull out a good summoner after performing the ritual, but if not, you're just wasting time and money. 

It may be possible for others who have the financial resources to do so, but it is absolutely not a method that Leo would use now. 

"Another way… .. phew… ." 

Leok put down the Introduction to Summoning Magic book and looked at the book titled "Spiritual Magic Manual" and sighed deeply. 

If summoning magic is like a lottery that depends extremely on luck, then spirit magic is something that can't even be called magic. 

They use a power source called spiritual power that is completely different from magic power, and its principles are similar to those of shamans or necromancers. 

It was quite different from the most popular and authentic form of magic. 

Leo had a strong belief in his own magical talents, but he was not sure whether it extended to the use of psychic powers. 

Since the spirit mage is quite passive, he was not very popular even among players who enjoyed WORLD, so Leok also never really got to see him while playing the game as a single player, except for a few related NPCs. 

I had hoped, but it was as expected. Among the principles of using spirit magic, there were a few ways to apply them to the magic he used… but it wasn't something that would be of any help to him right now. 

'It would be fine if you naturally developed that route while studying public magic, but it's too risky to study it by force.' 

It was overwhelming just to study magic and increase the amount of magical power. There was no time to even touch the unfamiliar power called spiritual power. 

Leo continued to read books on magic and sorcery that seemed to involve the potential for his own creation. 

I made homunculi, assembled golems… I even touched a book on necromancy, but I was reluctant to touch a corpse, so I threw it away, but I still couldn't let go of my attachment to it. 

This is because, after completing several requests, I gradually realized how important it is to have a sense of stability during battle. 

Of course, Leo's shield magic had never once failed to live up to his expectations, and he had never once become stiff-headed or made a mistake in judgment when pushed to extreme situations. 

In some ways, the fact that Leo's magic stood out on the battlefield was closer to a disadvantage than an advantage. 

If Leo could control an entity that could distract the enemy's attention even for a moment… . It was more like a vague imagination, but it wasn't completely impossible. 

It is a talent that has reached the limit by accepting all kinds of penalties. 

If that doesn't work, we'll make it possible by overhauling the public magic. 

There was no reason to hastily judge the limits by discussing what was possible and what was impossible at this time. 

I pick up the Summoning Series Introduction book again and start looking through it carefully from the beginning. 

He stares at the book with the intent to memorize and interpret the entire principle used in the summoning ritual and apply it to common magic. 

I was planning to rest until today anyway, so I have plenty of time. 

Leo planned to spend the day here, just before the library closed. 

Until a gruff voice was heard from behind. 

"Me too." 

"… … ?" 

"I stopped by the library for the first time in a while just to see what I could find, and it was really amazing." 

Leok slowly turned his head at the calm tone that felt somewhat cold. 

Sure, I've heard it somewhere. 

"Are you sure you've been stuck here for a whole month, pretending to die?" 

Her voluminous blond hair flutters in the wind, and her blue eyes look down at Leok coldly. 

Second meeting. 

Yet somehow, a familiar gaze was there. 

Alice: From here on out, it's paid. 

Just like when we first met, she was wearing a pure white shirt and blue skirt, and she still looked more like a student than a professor. 

Alice Richelen, Professor of Medicine at Labatenon University. 

This is the first time we've met again since we met once at the library the other day. 

"I told you to come, but you don't come near. If you just sit here alone, reading books, will anything change?" 

She had been looking Leo up and down, and now began to look over the contents of the book he was holding. 

"Summoning contract, spirit magic… Homunculus? Haa… .." 

She looked at the titles of the books piled up around him, made a strange expression, and then let out a deep sigh. 

He's a very interesting person who imagines and reacts to things on his own. 

Leo continued to watch her without saying anything, wanting to see how far she was mistaken. 

Alice carefully chose her thoughts as if she was teaching kindergarten students one by one, and then began to speak in a soft voice. 

"It's not a good choice to turn your attention to this because you don't have talent for magic. Especially summoning and spirit magic are more demanding than simple talent, and if I had to be picky, they tend to follow trends, so they really pick on people." 

"I know that too." 

At Leo's calm response, Alice's eyebrows furrowed in an instant. 

"Does anyone you know have such a book? If you want to believe in your luck, I recommend buying a lottery ticket sold by the city government. Even I, who works at a university, have only met three shamanists in real life. It's better to give up hope." 

"… … " 

Actually, what she said is not wrong. 

If Leo were truly an ordinary person with no talent for magic, her advice would hardly have gone astray. 

In fact, isn't it true that even Leo still hasn't figured out how to handle these magics? 

The only difference was that Leo knew that his talent was not enough to be blocked by this wall, and Alice knew nothing about it. 

Of course, if I tell her this, I might not hear such words… but is it really necessary to do that? 

Leo's talents are far beyond what he himself would have thought possible. 

The magical talent that is compensated for in exchange for one's life span is so outstanding that it sometimes feels dangerous. 

Even Leo himself sometimes thinks like that, so how would other wizards react if they realized this? 

Leo was not yet familiar enough with the world to properly anticipate and deal with such a reaction. 

But Alice seemed to have understood Leo's silence in a completely different way. 

For a split second, Leo didn't miss the faint emotion that passed through her eyes. 

It was something closer to pity than sympathy. 

"Phew… Give me the book." 

When Leo didn't respond, Alice picked up the books piled next to him and quickly began to look through their contents. 

The speed at which he turns the pages is almost as fast as Leo. 

As she was also presumed to be a wizard with outstanding skills, it was clear that her intelligence was also of a considerable level. 

Alice, who had read three books in the blink of an eye, nodded as if she had gotten the hang of it and sat down across from Leo. 

"… ..What are you doing now?" 

"Are you asking because you don't know? I'll try to summarize it so you can understand it better." 

You were just arguing passionately that you shouldn't touch this kind of magic, and now you're trying to teach me first? 

When Leo, who was at a loss, pointed that out, Alice responded with a calm expression. 

"If I explain to you how difficult summoning magic is and how it manipulates people, you will understand. People like you who are eager to learn are always stubborn and will not move unless they are convinced. I know that well." 

As she said that, she immediately started explaining the outline of the summoning spell and its pros and cons. 

"Unlike magic, which basically starts through a specific concentration of one's own thoughts and magical power, summoning magic is—" 

I listened to her quietly. 

He speaks in a very familiar and calm tone, as if he were a university professor. 

The content he was talking about was concise and to the point, so clear that even Leo, who had already read the entire content, nodded. 

"… … … " 

To this extent, it is something that cannot be ignored. Leo has actually known about it from the beginning. 

He's a good guy. It's a waste of time to waste on someone like Leo. 

Just look at the attitude of trying to convince others instead of forcing them to change their minds, even though they think they are pinning their hopes on useless things and reaching out in the wrong direction. 

After confirming that Leo's passion is genuine, he approaches him cautiously, respecting his will and trying not to break his passion. 

He was a kind person and a good teacher. 

I turned my gaze silently out the window where the sunlight was shining, while letting her bright voice flow out one ear. 

The Balkan landscape seen through the window is infinitely tranquil. 

When I first received the business card, I didn't think about going to see Alice as Leo. 

In this lonely street with no one to lean on, just having someone to talk to is a great comfort. 

What if we could talk about magic and learn a little bit about it? 

I'd be lying if I said I never once thought about the business card she handed me. 

But even though I sometimes thought like that, the reason I never looked into the way to Labatenon University was 

"Hey, are you listening to me?" 

"… Of course. I am listening very well." 

"… … ." 

Leo smiled awkwardly as he watched Alice crossing her arms with a displeased expression. 

Alice, who had been glaring at Leo for a moment, spoke as if she had just remembered something. 

"Come to think of it, I gave you my business card, but I didn't hear your name." 

"… … ." 

"What's your name? Since I'm taking the time to teach you this, you should at least give us your full name." 

-Because she was one of the very few people who knew Leo's real face. 

I am willing to work as a member of the Lightning Wizard class to gain fame and make my abilities known. 

If you are afraid of even that, there were times when Leo's reality was that he couldn't even get his hands on the minimum amount of money. 

However, it was a completely different story to exchange serious magical achievements with another wizard. 

His talent is far beyond outstanding, and it is not at all surprising that some may feel that his overwork is dangerous. 

Leo is not confident that he can properly pace his own growth while being taught by her. 

And Leo didn't know Alice Richellen well enough to know how she would react the moment he made that mistake. 

You have to be careful. 

Even though I know that I am so tired that I would be shaken by such a small favour and kindness. 

Leo smiled faintly, skilfully fooling himself. 

"Is it really necessary to give the name?" 

"What did you say?" 

"You don't necessarily need a name to have a conversation." 

"… … .." 

Leok quickly gathered up his excuses as he felt Alice's gaze looking at him with a dumbfounded expression. 

"In this library, aren't we just students studying magic together? Isn't it enough to just share our knowledge of magic and have conversations?" 

Anyway, other than today, there aren't many opportunities to meet her. 

Leo visited the library every holiday, but this was only the second time he had encountered her, so she must be quite busy with her main job. 

Just let this moment pass by for the time being. 

But, as if she had been waiting for the words Leo muttered, Alice accepted them. 

"Okay. So does that mean you're ready to learn about magic from me?" 

"…..yes?" 

"I haven't been able to come to the library lately because I'm finishing up my thesis, but I usually go to the school library once every two weeks to look up materials that haven't been updated." 

She closed the book and stood up. 

Leo just looked up at her with a slightly dazed expression. 

"I'll give you a brief lesson here once every two weeks. At that time, I'll teach you the basics of magic, not this kind of summoning magic, so come prepared." 

"No, I don't have time…." 

Leo let out a small sigh as he watched her lush blond hair disappear as if she had no intention of answering him after finishing what she had to say. 

It's only our second time meeting, but he's quite a self-centred person.