Chapter 151: A Cheap and Easy Forbidden Art
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 151: A Cheap and Easy Forbidden Art
“You’re here. I heard you’re heading into the labyrinth soon?”
“Yes. I wanted to make some final preparations before I go.”
“Good. I assume you brought it?”
“Right here.”
I had come to see the Druid Club President before entering the labyrinth. My goal was to use the Spirit Beast's Heart to obtain a summon.
“If we use a catalyst, we can roughly determine what kind of creature will appear.”
“Is that possible?”
“Of course. That’s what catalysts are for. However, it only lets you pick one attribute, so I can’t guarantee that the exact creature you want will show up.”
“Aha.”
Apparently, using a catalyst corresponding to a specific attribute makes it easier to pull a summon with that trait. They say this is only possible because the Druid Club President is the one doing it.
“Roughly what kind of summons come out?”
“Hmm. Well, the summoning ritual itself isn't used very often, so there’s little information. Sometimes a monster appears, and other times, a truly magnificent fellow shows up.”
“Monsters come out too?”
“Indeed. Sometimes a non-hostile monster appears.”
“A non-hostile monster...”
“For instance, you might end up with a Hob Goblin as a companion. Or a spirit might appear to aid you. Or... it could end up as a failure.”
“A failure?”
“That’s right. Even if you perform the ritual using a Spirit Beast's Heart, there are times when absolutely nothing comes out.”
“What does that mean...?”
“It means no one answered the call.”
In other words, the Spirit Beast's Heart was like a disposable walkie-talkie. You send out a signal, and if someone on the other end receives it and responds, they get pulled through. If no one responds, you’ve just wasted a Spirit Beast's Heart.
“You currently have a Dragon and an Ice Snow Bird, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“With those alone, you’re already on par with or even above a typical Druid summoner. Do you understand?”
“I suppose so.”
“Yes. A typical summoner usually can’t hold more than two summons. You, on the other hand, already have two. So, what I’m saying is... don’t be too disappointed if this fails.”
This old man is lowering my expectations in advance just in case he messes up.
“I get it. I understand.”
“Good. Then let’s decide which attribute you want to aim for.”
The Druid Club President pulled four Magic Stones from a drawer.
“These are Magic Stones gathered from the 6th Floor Crystal Cave. They represent Fire, Ice, Wind, and Earth respectively.”
They were the four basic elements—Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth—that appear in almost every fantasy setting.
“Using these will give you a fairly high success rate. That’s what the literature says, at least.”
“Is that so?”
It seemed that aiming for one of the four elements increased the success rate of the summoning ritual. Since it was the most common method, the chance of failure was low.
“However... you might get some weaklings. The Magic Stones from the 6th floor are small and low in purity for a summoning ritual.”
“So you’re saying the catalysts we have now will result in a weak summon.”
“Exactly. You might end up with small, cute friends that are essentially no different from pets.”
In short, while the probability of success was high, the probability of getting a low-rank summon was also high.
“I’m not really looking for a small, cute friend... If that were the case, I wouldn’t be doing this now.”
“I figured. A big, strong, and cool friend is much better than a small, cute one.”
Exactly. A summon that’s just small and cute is of no help in the labyrinth. Sure, it might help stabilize my mental state when I’m pushed to the brink, but I’d rather pull a good summon and avoid being pushed to the brink in the first place.
“Well then, I have these prepared as well.”
“Oh. These Magic Stones are pitch black.”
“Indeed. They’re expensive, but using these increases the chance of summoning a powerful creature.”
“Then the white stone next to it is...”
“That will slightly increase the chance of a holy creature appearing. The overall summoning probability will drop, but the chance of getting a high-quality companion increases.”
Black and white.
The black one would likely yield a summon helpful in combat, while the white one would yield one focused on support.
Which would be better?
To be honest, combat-wise, Helena and the Ice Snow Bird are enough.
In that case, it would be better to go with the white Magic Stone, right?
“So, how much are these Magic Stones?”
“Three Platinum Coins.”
“What?! You mean 300 gold?”
“I told you they were rare. Most of the available stones flow into the Magic Tower; these are the only ones I have left. And when I asked the Magic Tower yesterday if they had any spares, they said they used them all for Golem making.”
“That’s insane.”
I knew Magic Stones were consumed in Golem making, but to think it would affect me like this? And no matter how rare they are, 300 gold for a tiny Magic Stone is a bit much.
“300 gold for something the size of a finger joint? And you said the success rate is low for this size, too.”
“Haha. It’s all due to a lack of supply. Nothing can be done. Still, do you want to try? Or you could save the heart and try later when you find a better catalyst.”
Maybe waiting until later would be better. If I rushed into the ritual now and failed, I’d just be throwing away a Spirit Beast's Heart.
“Hmm. Or... it might not be a bad idea to just go for a total gamble.”
“A gamble?”
“Yes. This method is technically considered a Forbidden Art, but well, who cares? As long as the result is good, right?”
“Hey, don’t just try to use Forbidden Arts on a whim! Are you crazy?”
“Even if it’s a Forbidden Art, it was only 'forbidden' back in the day. Times have changed, so it’s fine now. The ancient sages are all in their coffins, and now that I’ve become an elder... shouldn’t I be allowed to bring old-world Forbidden Arts into the realm of practical use?”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
A deep sense of desire gleamed in the Druid Club President’s eyes. This guy just wants to try out a Forbidden Art, doesn't he?
“You’re spot on. I want to try it. I’ll take responsibility for whatever the outcome is, so why not give it a shot? If we use this method, you won’t have to pay for a catalyst. And the success rate is the highest with this method.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes. Just provide the Spirit Beast's Heart. I’ll pull out a magnificent fellow for you.”
“.....”
This was definitely a gain. Catalysts were just too expensive.
“But wait, if it’s a Forbidden Art... is it illegal or some kind of heretical method?”
“No. It doesn’t violate any of the Labyrinth City’s laws.”
“Then why on earth is it a Forbidden Art?”
“Well, how should I explain this? Right, the normal, standard method involves asking for the summon’s consent.”
“Through the Spirit Beast's Heart, right?”
“Exactly. You ask if they want to become your summon. If they agree, you form a legitimate contract and become companions. But if you use this Forbidden Art, the story changes a bit.”
“In what way?”
“It’s a form of kidnapping.”
“Excuse me?”
“You send out a wave through the Spirit Beast's Heart, find a strong-looking fellow among those who get caught in it, kidnap them indiscriminately, and then immediately slap a slave contract on them. That’s why it’s a Forbidden Art. From a human perspective, there’s no problem, but from the perspective of the kidnapped summon, it’s enough to make them lose their minds.”
“So you’re saying... we kidnap and confine them without consent, then work them as slaves.”
“Yes. With this, the success rate is over 90%. You can pretty much consider it a guaranteed success.”
“....”
It was cheap, easy, and had a high success rate, but for the summon, it was no different from being abducted.
“Should we do it?”
“Right? You want to try, don't you?”
“But are there any side effects?”
“The summon... might act a bit rebellious. They might occasionally disobey orders. You know how it is. Like when women grumble for no reason. They might show that kind of behavior.”
“Then what should I do?”
“What else can you do? You’ll just have to build up their affinity. Give them what they want, or satisfy their desires. Something like that.”
“Hmph. They won’t want anything dangerous, will they?”
“Dangerous, you say... Ah! Right. In the past, there was a boy who summoned a Succubus using this method.”
“.....”
“Well, word has it that it was a satisfying conclusion for both of them.”
“It’s more surprising that a Succubus can be summoned through a summoning ritual.”
“Since this is a Forbidden Art, it’s hard to fix the attribute. Because you’re randomly kidnapping one of the strong ones, someone difficult to handle might be summoned. Or perhaps someone you’d wonder if they’re even a 'summon' at all.”
What kind of creature would make me wonder if they’re even a summon? Does that mean I could summon someone from another world? Maybe a person from Earth would actually be summoned.
Wait, could it be that Olivia and I ending up in this world... was also due to the influence of this Forbidden Art?
The suspicion suddenly crossed my mind. The idea that Olivia and I, who were on Earth, might have crash-landed in this world as a byproduct of a summoning ritual...
Surely not, right?
“Sigh... Well, shall we give it a try for now?”
“As expected, you have the mindset of a merchant. You’ve realized you can get the highest efficiency for the least amount of money. Good. Let’s do it.”
Soon, the Druid Club President took the Spirit Beast's Heart and headed down to the basement of the club building. Following him, I found an altar set up in a damp, gloomy space.
“Beyond this point is the place where we commune with the Ancestral Gods. Keep your mouth shut as much as possible and maintain a reverent posture.”
“I guess you were planning to perform a Forbidden Art right in front of the Ancestral Gods.”
“Well, this is the most spiritually potent place in this city. It can’t be helped. The ancestors will understand.”
I wasn't sure if they would understand, but since there was no other way to pull a good summon right now, I had no choice. It was better to just pull one now using a Forbidden Art than to wait until I could bring back Magic Stones from the 6th floor, which who knows when we'll conquer. Above all, he said that if I just manage the affinity properly, it’s more efficient than pulling one by spending money.
“Now, place the heart here.”
“Yes, sir.”
As I placed the Spirit Beast's Heart on the altar, the Druid Club President sprinkled cow's blood he had prepared beforehand onto the altar and began chanting an incantation.
—Hoo... something is watching us.
Something is watching us? What do you mean by that, Helena?
—I mean exactly what I said. I’m not sure what it is either... but I have a feeling it might be the Spirit God.
The Spirit God?
—Yes. One of the few gods who remained on the surface along with the Goddess.
Was I being monitored?
—Don’t be so tense. The most prominent characteristic of the Spirit God is ‘non-interference.’
Helena said that the Spirit God’s main behavioral pattern was to leave things in their natural state. It was likely just watching out of curiosity.
I certainly hoped so.
“Now, the basic ritual is over. Use this knife to draw blood from your thumb and leave a thumbprint in the center of that pattern.”
“Understood.”
Following the President’s instructions, I made a small cut on my finger and pressed my thumb into the center of the pattern. Perhaps because I had cut my finger with a knife, it hurt enough to make me break into a cold sweat.
“Good... With this, the contract is established. Wait. Soon... there will be a reaction... Oh! It’s reacting immediately!!!”
No sooner had the President finished speaking than the Spirit Beast's Heart melted away and vanished, and the result of the ritual began to manifest before our eyes.