Chapter 4: Spirit Summoning, Absorb

Once Karl opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by a dozen level 1 Wild Rabbit, as well as level 1 Prairie Boars.

The circle tightened as the creatures walked around him, ready to end it.

Karl glanced down at the fresh wound on his side, evidence of an earlier hit while he was inside of the cemetery.

Blood seeped through his shirt, dripping steadily onto the grass.

The monsters seemed poised to attack, their muscles tensing, ready to pounce.

Karl needed to think quickly.

Spirit Flames could handle them individually, but there wasn't enough time to cast it for each one before they overwhelmed him.

"Damn it," he muttered, lifting his hand above the ground. 

His mind raced back to the summon he had created moments ago. 

"Spirit Summoning," he whispered, focusing on the image of the Frenzied Rabbit Spirit.

At that moment, two monsters broke from the circle, rushing toward him. 

Karl quickly hurled a ball of Spirit Flames at the first, striking it dead before it could reach him.

[You have slain a level 1 Wild Rabbit.]

But the second closed in fast, its teeth bared, ready to tear into him.

Just as it lunged, a ghastly form materialized beside Karl in a burst of white light. 

The Frenzied Rabbit Spirit stood there, its crimson eyes glowing fiercely. 

With a chilling screech, it pounced, its claws slashing through the air and tearing the boar apart in one swift motion.

[You have slain a level 1 Prairie Boar.]

Karl didn't hesitate, "Let's finish this."

Together, he and the Frenzied Rabbit moved as one. 

The spectral creature darted and slashed, while Karl launched Spirit Flames at anything that dared approach.

Within moments, the once-threatening circle of monsters lay defeated.

As the last creature fell, Karl exhaled heavily, wiping the blood from his side.

"This thing is... strong," he muttered, glancing at the rabbit spirit. 

It stared back at him silently, its form flickering faintly but still brimming with latent power.

Crouching down, Karl extended a cautious hand toward the Frenzied Rabbit Spirit. 

Its glowing red eyes flicked up to meet his, but it didn't shy away.

"Good work," he said, running his fingers over its ethereal fur.

The rabbit didn't react much, merely twitching its nose, but Karl couldn't help but sigh.

Wasting no time, he gathered the spirit orbs floating above the fallen monsters, two Wild Rabbits and three Prairie Boars.

[Spirit Cemetery: 5/5]

Before collecting them, there were orbs above every monster.

But once he reached the limit, the remaining orbs flickered briefly before vanishing entirely.

"So, I have to choose carefully," he thought. "I can't just stockpile and transfer them later..."

Regardless, Karl closed his eyes again.

"Spirit Cemetery."

In an instant, the eerie grasslands of the Spirit Cemetery replaced the battlefield. 

As expected, five tombstones materialized, each bearing the names of the spirits he had collected.

Also, his [Frenzied Rabbit] somehow appeared beside him as well.

'So it follows me?'

But this time, when Karl was given the option, he selected [Absorb] instead of [Link].

The tombstones crumbled instantly, their fractured remains dissolving into the ground. 

From the shattered stones, the spirits of the collected monsters emerged, ghostly forms of the rabbits and boars.

Without hesitation, the spirits rushed toward Karl, phasing into his chest and vanishing into his body.

A surge of energy coursed through him, and an ethereal silver aura enveloped his form, pulsing faintly before dissipating.

Ding!

[Strength increased by 1.]

"Huh."

Karl opened his status window to confirm.

[Name: Karl Bloodborne]

[Profession: Spirit Summoner (EX-Rank)]

[??? (?-Rank)]

[Level: 1 (18.00%)]

[Strength - 8] [Stamina - 6]

[Agility - 5] [Mana - 5] [??? - ?]

[Spirit Cemetery: 0/5]

[Summon Cemetery: 1/5]

[Summons: Frenzied Rabbit (Level 1)]

[Skills: Spirit Flames (F), Spirit Summoning (EX)]

Sure enough, his Strength had risen from 7 to 8.

"That's... pretty damn good," he muttered, flexing his hands.

The change was subtle, one point wasn't much on its own, but the method intrigued him.

Most stat gains came from leveling up, specific talents, or items, yet this unique approach opened up new possibilities.

[By the way, do note that when entering the "Spirit Cemetery", your spirits disappear in the real world.]

"Yeah, I thought so too..."

This meant he couldn't rely on the [Frenzied Rabbit] for protection while inside the cemetery either.

Karl emerged from the ethereal stillness of the [Spirit Cemetery], his gaze sweeping the surrounding area. 

With his [Frenzied Rabbit] at his side, he resumed his grinding, methodically targeting Wild Rabbits and Prairie Boars. 

The rabbit spirit proved to be a reliable partner, its claws raking through the weaker monsters with ease.

He reached the spirit threshold multiple times. 

[Level: 1 (94.00%)]

[Spirit Flames (F-Rank) Proficiency – 72%]

Hiding behind a dense bush, Karl closed his eyes and whispered, "Spirit Cemetery."

Once again, the familiar expanse materialized around him. 

He hadn't used [Link] yet, believing that boosting his stats early was the smarter play.

He approached the newly risen tombstones, recalling the logic behind his choice.

The way he saw it, focusing on stat gains while the spirit threshold remained low was the optimal strategy. 

More summons might be useful later, but for now, his [Frenzied Rabbit] was more than enough to handle the monsters.

He'd repeated this cycle seven times so far, only entering the cemetery when it was safe to do so. 

By delaying his trips, he continued earning experience from the kills, which explained his near-level-up progress.

But this time...

"Absorb," Karl commanded, watching the spirits seep into his body like shimmering streams of light.

Ding!

[You have gained nothing.]

"Oh?"

Out of the eight times he had used [Absorb] now, he had managed to gain stats seven times, but this time it said that he hadn't gained anything.

Was it because he couldn't get any more from the [Wild Rabbits] and [Prairie Boars]?

[Agility increased by 2.]

[Strength increased by 2.]

[Stamina increased by 1.]

[Mana increased by 2.]

"Strange," he muttered, furrowing his brow.

It seemed there were underlying rules he didn't yet understand. 

But for now, that was enough.

And understanding your profession when your level is low and the conditions weren't overwhelming was also smarter.

'It's a gamble,' he thought, "Either it's based on the spirits, or it's simply up to luck."

With his experiments done, though, he finally felt ready to get another summon.

Besides, he was on the verge of leveling up.

After dispatching of five more monsters in mere seconds with the help of his [Frenzied Rabbit Spirit], he returned to the cemetery.

[Level: 1 (99.00%)]

One more monster to level up.

But before that…

"Link," Karl muttered.

The process unfolded just as before, but this time, a new panel appeared before him to disclose the information since there were different monsters.

[Linking x2 Wild Rabbits and x3 Prairie Boars...]

Moments later, the spirits of the defeated creatures emerged and swirled together. 

They coalesced, merging into a single form as a new tombstone rose beside the [Frenzied Rabbit's].

Then, from the fresh grave, the spirit emerged.

[Level 1 Wild Boar Spirit]

"Oh?" Karl raised a brow.

The creature before him was a bizarre fusion of both Wild Rabbit and Prairie Boar traits. 

Its body was built like a strong boar, but its legs were long and thin, like a rabbit's.

A rough, bristled mane ran down its back, and its face was a strange mix of sharp boar tusks and long, twitching rabbit ears. 

Its glowing red eyes burned with a fierce light, and it moved surprisingly fast for something so bulky.

"Well, that's... interesting," Karl murmured.

This hybrid spirit looked like it could pack a punch while still retaining some agility.