I made my way towards the east side of town. I think that’s where my Dark Magi is waiting for me. A few stall keepers did call out to me and I went over to check their wares. Well they just sold food, but I did need lunch for today.

  There were stalls with grills selling skewers, but those won’t do. I need something that isn’t dirty. I noticed there was one selling some kind of a over to him. The others looked a little jealous.

  “Sir Brian, wele.” The stall keeper greeted me. “Would you like one boar burrito?”

  “Well I do need something for lunch.” I told him. “I think a burrito would work. How much are they?”

  “They are copper for one.” He told me.

  Copper? Copper ? I don’t have any of them. My smallest is a rge silver. Would he even have enough to give back for that? Better to ask first.

  “My smallest is a rge silver .” I said to him. “Do you have ge for that?”

  “Well that is a little much. I only give you your ge if you order more than 5.” He answered.

  Should I just be ‘mister moneybags’ then? I could give some to the advehat will surely flock around me as I get outside.

  “Fine, I’ll take ten.” I told him as I fished out a rge silver .

  “Are you… Sure, I’ll make them for you.” He was about to question my decision, but decided to make the sale anyway. “Please wait a moment.” He said as he began making my food.

  It didn’t take him too long. He was much faster than someone oh would have been. It looked like someoook a cooking video and watched it at double speed. Impressive. I received the ten burritos and put them in my fanny pack. After paying him aing my three silver ge, I tinued my walk to the east.

  —

  I made it to the gate and the gate guard tried thanking me for my part in the wyverion. I argued back that he was also part of the operation. I didn’t actually reize him, but Laura said he was one of the guards that was fighting with us.

  I was able to make him stop thanking me by asking about my card. He said it was near where we fought the wyverns and that there would likely be adventurers around it. It seems to be something of a challeo move the card. Wasn’t it burning hot or something?

  I ended up handing one of the ten burritos to the guard and heading outside. Even guards need good food. Or more like especially guards deserve good food. They are the people who keep towns safe. Like the Police. When they don’t py bad cop.

  He was right about notig where the card was. There was a group of younger adventurers around it. I think there were five of them.

  One of them noticed me walking up to them and poi out to the other four. They all turo face me.

  “Sir Brian, are you here to take the challenge?” One of them spoke up to me.

  “No, I’m just going to recover my card. And what challenge are you speaking of?” I asked.

  “The one Jack started. Have you not heard of it?” The adveold me.

  “No, I haven’t.” I responded. But Jack? As in Jack, the leader of Diamond Sword. What stupid challenge did you start? “What is this challenge?”

  “You just o hold your hand on the card as long as possible. It hurts so much, but it doesn’t do that much actual damage.” He told me. “Some adventurers eve to gain the ‘paiance’ skill.”

  “How bad is the damage?” I asked.

  “It’s all at the level where a simple healing spell heal it.” He told me. “Unless you try to pick it up. Then the damage ramps up a lot faster.” He added.

  Why would the card cause damage like that? What happeo it? Will it damage me? Well only one way to find out. I do have one Red Medie if something goes terribly wrong. But then again, it’s a part of my skill. It makes no sehat it would hurt me.

  “Are you guys here to do it as well?” I asked them.

  “Well, not really. Most of us have already tried, but Kurt got scared and didn’t do it.” The leader told me.

  “Don’t tell him that.” One of them said. Is he this Kurt?

  “And he said he wao try today. But we don’t have a healer so he got scared again.” The leader tinued.

  Healer? I think I have some mohat could do the healing. Let’s summoo act as a healer.

  I quickly checked my colle for healer monsters as the four other adventurers were trying to egg Kurt into toug the card. Dang Fairy. That should work. I took it out and grabbed a sleeve for it. I have plenty of sleeves in stock, so I use them somewhat liberally.

  “If I get you a healer, will you do it?” I asked the ohat I assumed was Kurt.

  “Sir Brian will get one? But won’t it take a while?” Kurt asked.

  “I’m a summoner. I just summon one.” I told him.

  “ht…” He realized.

  “So will you, or will you move out of the way a me do it?” I asked.

  “...I’ll do it. This could be my st ce.” He seemed to get a little braver.

  “Well, I’ll summon a healer then.” I said as I cleared my sleeve for my DiaDhank. “Dang Fairy.”

  Hmm. Iing. This time my summons appeared from the small card on my DiaDhank. I guess these guys are small enough for that. From the card, three small winged creatures flew out. Fairies. I almost want to yell out ‘Cute!’, but let’s not. They are cute though.

  “ these little things really heal wounds?” The leader kid asked.

  “They should be able to.” I told him. “And if they ’t I do have a potion.”

  After I told them that, everyone's eyes turo Kurt. Use maximum pressure. Force him to do something stupid. I’m evil and I know it. I should stop him, but holy I want to see the damage the card causes. For future referenot because I want to be malicious or evil. I just need info. I’ll also learn the healing power of Dang Fairy, so it’s a double win for me.

  “Fine, I’ll do it.” Kurt gave in. “Sir Brian, are you sure these little things really heal me?” He firmed.

  “Yes, they . And as I said, if they ’t, I’ll give you a potion. A potion that could heal a stab wound from a wyvern’s tail. I’m sure you will be fine.” I told him.

  “I’ll believe in you.” He said as he looked me in the eyes. Theuro face the stoal with the card on it.

  He slowly reached his hand to overp with the card, before setting it down on it.

  “Ahhh!” He let out a yell before immediately pulling off his hand. How hot is that card?

  “Little pussy.” The leader kid said quietly. As he was standio Kurt, he grabbed Kurt’s hand and pced it bato the card, holding it there.

  Holy fuck, why would you do that?

  “Aaahhh!!” Kurt was screaming out in pain. I was about to take a few quick steps to punch the everloving shit out of this dumbo, but I didn’t o. My fairies were faster.

  The trio made a beeline for the face of the leader and tackled into his face. They might be small little fairies, but don’t uimate the strength of a monster with 1700 attabsp;

  The leader was sent flying backwards and as soon as he was, Kurt was able to pull his hand off of the card. Even after taking his hand off the card, Kurt didn’t stop his screaming.

  I walk o Kurt and take a hold of his burned hand. I want to see the damage before I heal it. That might sound evil, but I think it’s necessary evil.

  It wasn’t pretty. His hand was a mix of bd white. The skin died where it ressed against the card. Like a mix of electrical and radiation burns. At least as far as I know how those look.

  “Dang Fairy, heal him.” I called over my summon to do what I summohem for.

  They did a little dance around his palm, and the skin on it started to recover. I wouldn’t say it looked like reversing time, it looked more like a montage of pictures of the natural healing process. After around ten seds, his hand looked good as new. Good. The healing power is impressive. I’ll o rely on these little guys more iure.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked Kurt.

  “...fine now.” He answered quietly.

  “You should leave this party if your leader is like that.” I told him. “It’s not worth it to work with a leader like that.”

  “But how should I find ohat will accept me?” He asked.

  “Just try. If you ’t, e to me. I’ll help you.” I told him. He deserves better. Well all of them do. Except the moron passed down out on the ground. Shit leaders will only bring damage to the parties they lead.

  “That goes for the rest of you as well. Do you really think he is a good leader?” I asked the three others.

  “He isn’t really our leader.” One of them said. “We aren’t an official party. We just hang out together.”

  “Well you shouldn’t ‘hang out’ with someohat will purposefully hurt a friend. He will get you killed someday.” I told them. “Now make some space. I’ll take back my card now.”

  The adventurers cleared out so I had access to the small stoal that the card was sitting on. Sitting on? Or resting on? I don’t know. Doesn’t matter.

  Holy, I was a little scared. After seeing the damage this card caused to Kurt, I wasn’t sure this was a good idea. But it is mi’s a part of my skill. Would it really hurt me?

  I slowly bring my hand closer to it. It’s not radiating a at all. Then, I touched it. It’s not hot, but I feel power flowing from it into my body. A simir surge as I felt when I unsummoned Red-Eyes after the wyvern i, except not nearly as strong.

  (That is experience.) Laura told me. (The card has been holding onto it for you. And as the experience belongs to you, it reacts badly to anyone else.)

  I see. So it’s safe for me. I picked it up from the stoal. The adventurers made surprised sounds. I guess they thought it would burn me as well.

  The card in my hand began to shake. What is that?

  (Master, the card is reag with ‘Pack opener’. You should open your skill.) Laura told me.

  I did as instructed, and as soon as I did, a card came out of it. I didn’t and it e out. Do these cards have intelligence of their own?

  I didn’t notice what card came out but it flew straight into the Dark Magi in my hand and fused with it. A shining light was ing from the card in my hand. I couldn’t tell what was happening to it.

  A little ter, a card appeared on the ground. I didn’t summon anything. Or is Dark Magi ing back? I think I passed out mid summon, so the rest of it’s summoning time could now be active again.

  But the ohat rose from the card wasn’t Dark Magi. Well, in a way it was. It was a Dark Magi that had spent a thousand years learning magic. The Dark Sage. How is that possible?

  “Master, you have returned.” He greeted. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  His voice was nid calm. It reminded me a little of my grandpa, but in all hoy, it’s not that close. More like the pattern or speed at which he speaks is simir.

  “Hello, what happeo you?” I asked that, but I did have an idea. For some reason his holding onto the experience was treated as Time Wizards effed he aged into Dark Sage. I took a look at the card in my hand and ioploader that used to house Dark Magi was now Dark Sage. I also quickly checked my colle and the Dark Magi that was crossed out was just gone. And the colle showed Dark Sage with a toploader.

  “I’ve spent my days here gaining knowledge at an incredible pace, after Master came to get me I felt you had a vessel that suited me better so I took it.” He informed me with his calm voice.

  “Well, that doesn't really matter. I’m gd to have you back.” I told him.

  “Happy to be back with you, Master. But could you let me rest now? I’m tired because I waited for you for so long.” Dark Sage said to me.

  “That’s fine. I’ll call on you again.” I said as I unsummoned him.

  I turo face the advehat were present. Their eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets.

  “What? This is normal for a summoner.” I told them. Even if it was a lie. But they don’t o know that. Summoners are rare anyway, so I doubt they would ever know the truth.

  “Is it really?” One of them asked.

  “Normal enough.” I answered.

  “So it’s not normal.” They argued.

  “I said it’s normal, so it’s normal. Whie of us is the summoner?” I asked as I gred at them.

  “...You are.” They responded.

  “Good. Now how about you get back to work. There is nothing here anymore.” I told them.

  “We don’t have anything for today.” One of them said. “It’s not our turn to kill any of the boars so we are free.”

  “And you couldn’t find any other work? Well, do as you wish then.” I said and was about to leave.

  “Could you give us a lesson on summoning?” They called out.

  “No.” I responded. “I ’t teach you that.”

  My summoning, at the end of the day, is a unique skill. I ’t teach you how to use a skill that you ot obtain in any normal way. And I have pns for the day. I had Dang Fairy give just a bit of first aid to the moron, before unsummoning them.

  I think Lucia said they will be in the north today, but I’m heading towards the dungeo, so I’m going south.

  I summoned Overdrive. The adventurers let out sighs of admiration.

  “Make sure you at least take that moron inside.” I told them as I looked at the kid on the ground. “You should tell the gate guard that he was the oo scream and in the end he passed out from the pain.” I instructed. If he were to tell the truth, he would just e across as a douchebag, and if he were to accept this one, he would be a weakling that cries out in pain.

  Some more payba for being a little shitlord.

  Then I got into the driver’s seat of Overdrive and took off. Let’s go check up on the road projed then the dungeon.

  nro_8