Disaster-Class Spirit Summoning 2
Rumble—
The trees around the clearing swayed violently as if they might snap in the fierce gale. But that majestic, terrifying roar ended on a disappointingly anticlimactic note.
"Hey, quit being so loud and shut your mouth."
Rian furrowed his brow in annoyance and flicked his hand dismissively.
Screech.
At that single command, the massive dragon clamped its jaws shut as if by magic. The ferocious beast that had been bellowing like it was heralding the apocalypse just moments ago was gone. Now it blinked its enormous eyes like a puppy cowed by its master's scolding, peeking cautiously at Rian.
I need to give it a name.
Rian tilted his head back to gaze up at the dragon's head, dizzyingly high above. Since this was a spirit he'd summoned purely for fashion purposes, it needed an easy-to-call name. Naming it would finalize the contract perfectly. And considering its form and size, one name immediately sprang to mind.
"From today on, your name is Guams."
It was the name of a certain dragon character from his past life, said backward. And with that, the contract was sealed.
Grrr!
Guams, thrilled at receiving its name, let out a playful snort like it was acting cute. The problem was its sheer size—47 meters tall, with a body length of 140 meters. The puff from its nostrils turned into a gust that swept across the training grounds.
"Kyaaah!"
"Oh my!"
Vesperia and Ardelia, watching from behind, screamed and clutched their skirts tightly. It was a close call; the ferocious wind nearly flipped their skirts up in a heart-stopping moment.
"Hey, Guams. Watch your nose breaths, will ya?"
At Rian's sharp rebuke, Guams flinched in surprise and hurriedly plugged its nostrils with its massive front paws. Rian nodded approvingly at the ridiculous sight. Its outward scale and intimidation factor were definitely passing grades. It was a magnificent fashion accessory that perfectly satisfied his fantasies.
The jet-black scales look good now, but to match the name, I should add a color transformation function to make it golden.
Wouldn't gold be fitting, thinking of the original inspiration? Changing the color was a piece of cake. It was nothing compared to making it have three heads or granting super-regeneration.
Even if it's tough now, later I could upgrade it to sprout three heads, shine gold, and shoot tractor beams from its mouth. Hmm. But that means giving up some of its current form—maybe add shape-shifting instead?
Rian pondered how to massively mod his spirit down the line. Just then, Vesperia, having barely weathered the gust, approached him with sparkling eyes.
"Wow! Rian, your spirit is way more amazing than I imagined!"
Vesperia's purple eyes held no trace of fear—only pure curiosity toward the gigantic, wondrous creature. Seeing the girl bouncing excitedly while looking up at the building-sized dragon, Rian could guess what she wanted. He usually struggled to understand others' thoughts, but oddly, he got a clear sense with Vesperia. Maybe it was because she was so innocently transparent.
"Wanna touch it?"
"Huh? Really? Can I?"
Vesperia beamed and asked back.
"Yeah. Hey, Guams. Lower your head."
At Rian's order, Guams obediently dipped its enormous head down to the ground. Vesperia scampered over without a hint of fear and slapped her hand onto its house-sized snout.
"Whoa! The scales are super tough and warm!"
Vesperia rubbed the massive scales with both hands, cheering gleefully. Guams stood stock-still like a statue, not even breathing.
Ardelia, watching the scene, felt her resolve waver. That dragon-shaped spirit was terrifying in its hugeness alone—it instilled fear just by existing. But seeing Vesperia touch it so innocently sparked a strange curiosity in Ardelia's chest.
Up close, it looks kinda docile.
And the dragon form itself stirred a peculiar fascination in humans the more you looked at it. Ardelia gracefully gathered her skirt, took a deep breath, and stepped forward cautiously.
"Um, Rian. May I touch it as well?"
With her cheeks slightly flushed, she asked. Rian nodded.
"Do whatever."
His attitude made it clear he didn't care either way. Ardelia joined Vesperia at its side and stroked its head.
The scales really are incredibly tough!
While the two girls were filled with curiosity, Professor Emilia was trembling with shock and awe.
"Oh my… this is beyond even my expectations…."
The Imperial Solarrium Academy was plunged into panic.
Students who had finished dinner and returned to their dorms to rest, or those reading in the library, even those walking the halls—they all turned to the windows at once, paling and screaming.
"What the hell is that thing?!"
"It's a monster! A dragon appeared!"
"Uwaaaah!"
Even with its wings folded, the dragon's building-sized frame was horrifying to behold. Not just the freshmen who'd only been enrolled for two days, but even seasoned upperclassmen fainted and collapsed in shock.
"Uwaaaah! Run!"
"The dragon's here to destroy the academy!"
Some crawled under desks, others collapsed in the halls, legs giving out, wailing for help. Chaos reigned among the students.
In stark contrast, the professors—high-ranking mages responsible for the academy—stood at their lab windows with dazed expressions.
"Who would've thought that would come out."
"How on earth did a spirit like that get summoned?"
They knew exactly where that was. And they knew who had reserved the training grounds clearing at this hour and for what purpose.
"Professor Emilia borrowed the large grounds for Rian student's spirit summoning, right?"
"No way that's the spirit Rian student summoned?"
"My god. Disaster-class, disaster-class, she said. And the real disaster hasn't even started yet!"
The professors were beside themselves with astonishment. Throughout the history of spirit studies, no one had ever summoned a spirit that massive.
"As expected!"
"He didn't disappoint!"
Yet some professors gazed at the sight with admiration and eager eyes. Professor Emilia, for one. Or Professor Ash.
At the same time, in the dean's office atop the academy's main building.
The dean, reviewing approval documents, looked up at the massive shadow blotting the window. The stack of papers slipped from his hands and thudded to the floor.
"……."
He instantly recognized the colossal dragon silhouette beyond the glass as a spirit. And from its location, he knew who was there. After all, he'd been the one to lend Professor Emilia the clearing.
"……."
The dean stood frozen, mouth agape, before bursting into a hollow, mad laugh.
"Heh. Heheheh."
He'd always thought Rian's talent was disaster-class. It wasn't hyperbole—it was a walking natural disaster. Now it wasn't even a metaphor; it was literally a dictionary-definition disaster.
"Lady Iril. You've dumped far too heavy a burden on the academy. Feels like half my lifespan just got shaved off."
The dean clutched his throbbing forehead and let out a deep sigh. Iril had said she enrolled Rian to build his social skills. That if his talent went astray, the world might end.
That's true enough, but she dumps him on us and vanishes! Iril, you jerk!
It had only been a day, and this was already happening. But he had no time to space out. He needed to quell the screams and chaos echoing across the academy. He hurriedly placed a hand on the mana communicator on his desk and connected to the all-academy announcement system.
Finishing the broadcast, the dean chuckled hollowly again, finding even his own words absurd. Calling that "just a first-year student's spirit." Who in their right mind would believe it and relax?
But it was the truth.
Meanwhile, the academy's security captain, hearing the broadcast, plopped down into his chair.
"This year's first-years' spirits are all so damn weird."
The captain muttered dazedly, eyes unfocused. A cat wielding shadow blades. A bizarre bird shooting beams from its eyes. And now a dragon big enough to blanket the sky.
He seriously contemplated submitting his resignation and finding a new job.