Death Notice

“This is the treehouse area where the old camp members live?” Qin Lun stared curiously at his surroundings. Everywhere stood giant old trees so big it would take seven or eight people to encircle their trunks. Among their enormous, dome-like crowns, treehouses of various strange shapes were faintly visible.

Supported by the massive branches of the ancient trees, these treehouses came in different designs. Some looked like half-suspended hanging baskets, some resembled overturned teacups with lids still on, and others sat perched atop straight, tall trunks like a large, flat-headed mushroom.

Many appeared shaky and precarious, swaying unsteadily, but in reality, they had endured many years and were sturdily built, completely unaffected by wind and rain.

“Halt there! Who goes?” As Qin Lun and Casey walked in front of one particular giant tree, two large trees standing about five meters tall abruptly uprooted themselves. Their huge root systems and branches twisted together forming limbs, blocking the two’s path.

“Is that Casey and Qin Lun? Let them come up!” The voice of Grand Druid Vima sounded from the treehouse at the very top of the giant tree.

Hearing this, the two treant guards lowered great arms woven from branches onto the ground before the pair, signaling them to step on. Once they were steady, the treants raised their arms high into the air, lifting them directly into the giant tree’s foliage. Then they returned to their original spots, their ‘feet’ dissolving back into roots that burrowed into the soil.

The crown of the giant tree wasn’t as densely tangled as it looked from outside. The branches were orderly, and some vines growing along the giant branches had been weaved into ladders extending upwards towards the central treehouse higher inside the crown.

Qin Lun climbed the vine ladder while enthusiastically looking at this little world within the tree. He couldn’t help but admire the wonders of nature in his heart.

A curtain of vines hung at the treehouse entrance – a cascade of vertical tendrils dotted with fresh, tender small leaves. The leaves were a rich, vibrant green, their fine fuzz holding droplets of morning dew. As Qin Lun drew nearer, he could smell a refreshing aroma of wild grasses and plants.

“Come inside, don’t just stand at the door!” “Master Vima, I apologize for bothering you!” Qin Lun pushed aside the vine curtain and stepped inside. Once he saw clearly, he was slightly surprised. The furnishings were simple: just a hammock, a few tree stumps serving as a table and stools, and a scattered handful of old wooden chests.

“Haha, feeling it’s too simple, aren’t you?” Master Vima seemed to read his mind and said with a laugh, “This is just my daily living space. My training area and lab are elsewhere!”

“Aunt Vima, Qin Lun already caught three little Scorpion-tailed Biaos for me!” Casey walked over to Vima, looking down demurely and putting on the act of a good little boy.

“Oh, that quick? Let me see!” Vima raised her eyebrows slightly and picked up a small object from a large stump that served as a table nearby. At first glance, it looked like a liquid crystal display screen, except its center held a piece of fabric very similar to a tennis court net.

Master Vima raised her palm. The tip of her index finger glowed faintly as she touched the small net. The light from her finger flowed rapidly into the net, causing the entire piece of fabric to light up like an electrified screen, revealing a concrete image.

A flicker of admiration crossed Qin Lun’s face. Even though it wasn’t his first time seeing a magic tool connected to the Magic Web, he was always amazed by such magical marvels.

“The image quality is a bit poor. Looks like I’ll need to get a new Bone Demon Spider silk net again.” Master Vima frowned slightly. After watching for a moment, a smile appeared on her face as she turned to Qin Lun. “The three little Scorpion-tailed Biaos in the corral are all healthy. It seems you truly completed the task.”

“Yeah, Aunt Vima! Qin Lun also promised to teach me Spiral Spear Technique! You have to help me thank him more!” Casey winked playfully at Qin Lun and said with a grin.

“Yes, yes. You sly little fox, using your aunt to curry favor!” Vima laughed, giving Casey’s forehead a firm poke with her finger. “Alright, go outside now. Let Auntie have a private talk with Qin Lun!”

“Oh…” Casey pouted, his face showing clear displeasure as he left the treehouse.

“The Scorpion-tailed Biao is one of the last options on this mission’s candidate list for summoning creatures, and its advancement potential is limited. However, hatchling Scorpion-tailed Biaos are very adaptable, so I’ll count it as you barely completing the task,” Vima said, turning back with a smile to Qin Lun after Casey left. “So, what reward do you want?”

“Master Vima, the fact that you’ve given this task to us already shows you’re extending a hand to us younger ones. I wouldn’t dream of taking anything more from you,” Qin Lun said with a careful smile. “It’s just that I’ve been encountering some difficulties in my Art practice. If you would be willing to offer me a little guidance, I would be deeply grateful!”

“Oh, difficulties in your Art?” Vima nodded slightly, her smile warm. “Other people’s things remain other people’s things. The root lies in mastering and truly understanding your own abilities yourself. It’s good you understand that! So, what problem have you encountered?”

“Master, as a Grand Druid, you must be highly skilled in summoning magic. I have this one summoning Art…” Qin Lun quickly explained that his top-tier Mazer Summoning Art only reached Rank Five, while his Inferno Hound was Rank Six. How could he raise the level of his Summoning Art to match his summon?

“Hell creature?” Vima frowned slightly. Nals Inner World also contained an Abyssal Infernos. It wasn’t odd that Qin Lun had an Inferno Hound. But as an Elven Druid, Vima instinctively disliked creatures of the Hells.

“As an Elf, it would be better if you chose a creature native to the forest as your summon in the future. Most Hell creatures are inherently ferocious. Things could go wrong; the creature could turn on its master,” Vima said. “But for now… summon that Inferno Hound of yours once. I want to see the summons.”

“Here?” Qin Lun looked around uneasily.

“Haha, no worries!” Master Vima gave a soft laugh. With a wave of her hand, a transparent bubble, about the size of a washbasin, appeared in front of the two of them. “Place your hand here on top of this, then summon your Inferno Hound.”

“Alright…” Qin Lun placed his hand doubtfully on the bubble. The surface felt resilient, a bit like tough leather. As he channeled the Mazer Summoning Art, a tiny point of light flickered at the bubble’s center and quickly formed into a miniature Inferno Hound.

“Plop!” Cerberus, who’d been deep asleep, tumbled out of the bubble center onto his belly at the bottom. He shook off his two heads, stood up seeming a bit woozy from being jolted awake.

“Arf… Arroo!” Cerberus shook his heads angrily. Spotting two giant faces peering into the bubble he yelped sharply, instinctively backing away as his hair bristled. After a few more yelps he recognized Qin Lun as his master. Hesitantly creeping to the bubble’s edge he started wagging his tails enthusiastically.

“Master Vima, your magic is truly astonishing!” Qin Lun stared in wonder. His once calf-sized Inferno Hound now shrank to the size of a fist.

“Haha, the magic itself isn’t that special. Its power mainly comes from utilizing the Magic Web!” Vima shook her head with a smile. “Alright, dismiss it now. I more or less understand your summoning technique!”

Qin Lun felt a sharp jolt through his energy as Cerberus vanished back inside him. Qin Lun wobbled unsteadily for a moment, turning a bit pale as two thin streams of blood suddenly trickled from his nose clinging on. A wave of dizziness washed over him.

Master Vima directed her hand toward him releasing a pale green shimmer that cascaded over his head. Qin Lun instantly felt enveloped in coolness quickly restoring balance pulling him back from the dizziness state.

“A Rank Five Summoning Art trying to hold a Rank Six Infernal entity? Truly reckless bold!” Vima shook her head slightly before speaking after a moment’s contemplation. “Your Summoning Art is constructed as a permanent Contract style…a rarely used such, ancient very particular form. I’m not intimately familiar with this specific Art so elevating its rank to match isn’t achievable by me. However… shifting transforming it into a Spirit Channeling type is possible…”

“Master Vima,” Qin Lun questioned, “there are multiple different types of Summoning Arts?”

“Mmm, indeed there are many classifications,” Vima admitted, clarifying. “Broadly categorized though they split into three main systems: Contract Type, Soul Binding Type, Magical Array Channeling.”

She elaborated: Contract Type Summoning Art could entangle almost anything into service regardless of allegiance – common beasts, undead, deities to elementals could all be contractually bound. Its flaw was rigid ranking constraints. The Contract Space could hold only matching rank creatures. Forcing higher even a single tier above could inflict mental backlash. Two above caused the Summoning Space to rip violently apart destroying the creature’s soul on entry.

Soul Type Art avoided the contract limitations, but it couldn’t link beings carrying souls alien to the summoner’s core nature. For instance, an Elf’s Soul Space corrupted upon binding a demon’s Magic Core fires or an undead spirit-flames. Furthermore, harm inflicted upon such permanently shared soul companions directly harmed the master’s vitality too.

The final path was Magical Array Type, known commonly as Spirit Channeling Art. Its freedom offered best strengths lacking either rank restrictions excluding soul barriers. Yet freedom created instability. Creatures called struggled to control tightly. Low loyalty could lead them completely ignoring calls or commands. Also, despite channeling slots being unlimited, each summon demanded deeper Mental Will investment effectively constraining how many could bind simultaneously. Translated into Qin Lun’s situation: switching Mazer Summoning for Spirit Channeling would drain his power leaving him only Cerberus effectively sacrificing any other potential emptysummoning slot he held previously.

“Well, what’s your conclusion?” Master Vima watched Qin Lun intently, speaking seriously. “I cannot upgrade your Contract Art’s rank. Soul Type is ill-suited for such an Inferno Hound. Transforming it into a Pentagram Array ranked Spirit Channeling Art is but I can manage.”

She emphasized: “Comparatively, compared to your original Mazer Summoning Art, this Pentagram Spirit Channeling Art represents a grade lower in raw binding strength. Not only will maintaining loyalties harder with your existing contracted beast prove challenging, but attracting fresh bindworthy summons would grow much weaker generally!”