Contract with Pepais, the Explosion Spirit
There were countless types of spirits available for contracting. The four major spirits everyone knew about—fire, water, earth, and wind—were just the foundation. Beyond them lay those with special properties: light, darkness, lightning, poison, and far more. The list was truly endless, and even at this very moment, new spirits I knew nothing about might be coming into existence somewhere. If the conditions were right, you could even summon exactly the spirit you wanted. Sure, there was always the option of spinning the random wheel, but that risked calling out something completely useless, so I never bothered with it.
'Besides, I need a specific spirit right now.'
That was why I hadn't drawn the summoning circle with stone powder. I'd used gunpowder instead. To call forth a particular spirit, you had to prepare the right medium.
'Shall we begin?'
The circle was more or less complete. All that remained was the summoning itself. The only problem was that the process caused a massive surge in mana flow, which could easily give away my position. Fortunately, I'd already prepared a plan for that exact issue, so there was no need to worry.
'The incantation...'
I rolled through the knowledge in my head, recalling the exact words for calling a spirit, then opened my mouth.
"Spirit."
I started with the standard opening used to summon any spirit. What came next was what truly mattered. The words you spoke from this point forward determined the spirit's personality and nature. As far as I knew, no one else in this era understood that fact. The knowledge only became public after the Spirit King was born and restructured the entire concept. Even the information about how possessing special mana made spirits easier to summon was still completely hidden.
"Become my blade, stay by my side, and grant me the power to burn and incinerate every enemy before my eyes!"
With each phrase, the gunpowder particles began to vibrate slowly, and mana started pouring out. Right on cue, I used the spider silk connected to my pinky to detonate the bombs I'd planted near the main gate earlier. The grunts who'd been inside chasing me had already rushed out, which meant the gate's security was practically nonexistent. After all, half the fortress was still stumbling around outside trying to catch one human.
BOOM!
"The main gate exploded! It's a human! Looks like a human intruder at the gate!"
"Everyone, converge on the main gate!"
They wouldn't waste artillery shells on a single human, so there was no chance the explosion would reach the powder magazine. That gave me the perfect window to finish summoning the spirit.
"Spirit of dry screams, raging bull, and stubborn obsession!"
With every line, the gunpowder dust floated upward and was absorbed into the spirit stone. The signs were clear—the summoning was nearly complete. I immediately approached the spirit stone and channeled the faintest thread of natural mana into it. Infusing the summoner's own mana at this stage was absolutely essential. It raised compatibility and set the affinity as high as possible.
"Come forth, Pepais."
I finished with the spirit's true name, spoken in a low voice. The moment the words left my mouth, the spirit stone—which had absorbed both the gunpowder and my mana—began to shake violently as if it might explode. Then it slowly cracked open. Just like a chick hatching from an egg, the shell split, and the spirit revealed itself inside.
Spirit summoning successful.
The spirit's true name was spoken.
As a reward for being the first to discover a spirit's true name, an immediate contract with the summoned spirit has been established.
You have perfectly recreated the method for summoning a specific spirit for the first time. As a reward, mental power consumption when using the spirit's abilities has been reduced by half.
Perfect. Even before I got a good look at the spirit, the messages floating before my eyes told me the result had been an overwhelming success.
"Yeah."
The spirit had a perfectly round body made entirely of flame, with what looked like a bomb fuse sticking straight up from its highest point. The moment I confirmed I'd contracted with exactly the spirit I needed most, I clenched my fist and cheered inwardly.
"It means we're connected that strongly."
If this had been before the contract, I would have needed to explain how I'd learned its true name through complicated persuasion and work hard to win its trust. But thanks to the first-time rewards, that step had been completely skipped. Once the contract was formed, spirits trusted their summoner almost absolutely—unless the situation was truly life-or-death.
'They probably think there's no reason for their own master to lie to them.'
That was why spirits were known as the ultimate helpers. They assisted their partners without the slightest doubt or hesitation.
'This went perfectly.'
Just in case a different spirit had shown up, I opened its status window for one final verification.
Name: Pepais
Description: A low-grade fire spirit currently preparing for a unique evolution. It has developed its power toward gunpowder and explosions. This strength will prove extremely effective in chaotic melee combat.
Contract Effects: You may borrow not only ordinary fire power but also the power of explosions. Fire resistance increases by 10%. Damage taken from explosions is reduced by 30%. Damage dealt when using explosives increases by 20%.
'Flawless.'
There was no room for doubt. This was more than enough to meet the basic requirements for a solo raid.
'Time to move.'
The summoning had taken about a minute. I'd blown up the main gate to buy time and draw attention, but that distraction wouldn't last longer than sixty seconds. A quick investigation would reveal where the gunpowder had come from, and then the officers would get involved.
I swept all the nearby bombs into my subspace pouch and slipped out through the ceiling of the powder magazine.
"Pepais, create a massive explosion in the direction I'm looking."
The biggest difference between Pepais and a regular low-grade fire spirit was its ability to wield explosive force. As the description had shown, this spirit hadn't limited its power to simple flames. It could create detonations using fire. Since it was still only a low-grade spirit, the destructive power was modest, but the sound of the explosion was an entirely different matter.
A thunderous roar inside a quiet fortress was guaranteed to seize everyone's attention. On top of that—
"And see that fence on the left? Set it on fire."
As a fire spirit, it was unmatched at spreading flames and causing chaos. Since this was a jungle fortress, every building material burned easily. Even the smallest spark would turn the entire stronghold into an inferno in no time.
'Having a spirit really does make things convenient.'
There was no need to give detailed instructions. Our mental link meant it understood me instantly—whether I spoke clearly or mumbled like an idiot. It was hard to find a better partner.
After sending a small flame and a loud explosion into the distance, I calmly lay flat on the powder magazine roof and observed the situation. Being able to control and watch a space far from my physical body was a huge advantage during solo raids.
'They're starting to come out.'
The officers wouldn't stay quiet after failing to catch a single human, especially with fires and explosions breaking out. One by one, the fortress's proud officers began emerging from their barracks.
If the regular grunts wore wooden armor, the officers wore crude but genuine iron plates, and their physiques were on another level. Massive orcs around two meters tall poured out carrying ridiculously large wooden clubs. These were the jungle orcs that the Jungle Fortress Tustoska was so proud of.
Unlike regular orcs, their specialty was incredible agility. They could climb trees and sprint through the jungle with practiced ease.
'Their eyesight is excellent too.'
Each one was below named-monster level but well above average. They weren't opponents to take lightly. Of course, I had no intention of fighting them head-on one by one.
'Moving out.'
The moment I confirmed every jungle orc had left its barracks, I leaped from the roof and headed straight for the orc quarters. A surprise attack was the most effective way to handle multiple enemies.
"Failing to catch a single human and forcing us to come out! Useless trash!"
"Please! Please spare me—AAAAAAGH!"
Jungle Orc Chieftain Uberlak tore apart the orc and goblin guards with his bare hands, his rage boiling over. If word of this failure reached the general, punishment was inevitable.
"If you don't bring me that human's head right now, you'll all end up just like them!"
After issuing his threat and ordering the jungle orcs to move, Uberlak turned toward his barracks—completely unaware of the fate that would soon befall him.