Manasoul.

  Jin flexed his fingers, sensing the faint pulse beneath his skin before it flowed through his blood onto a piece of paper. He had spent most of his days practising drawing the complex summoning circle. By now – and some amount of blood included – he could get them right even with his eyes closed.

  “Ain’t this funny, Bee?” Jin said, glancing at the dragon lounging on Old Man Sid’s chair, watching a cooking show. “Every Player has mana and soul. Yet, they couldn’t combine and use it.”

  “It is not that they could not use it,” Bahamut answered, his attention still locked onto the show. “Even if they wanted to, they could never.”

  “Why, though?”

  “Because it needs divine intervention as a medium. In your case, mine.”

  “I still don’t understand.”

  “You will, sooner or later. But are you ready?”

  Jin nodded. “I’ve found the perfect spot. High place, right?”

  “The closer you are to the source of cosmic power, the better,” Bahamut said. “After all, what you’re doing is to bridge your world and that of your summon.”

  “So, you need the moonlight for that?”

  “Moonlight, sunlight, starlight. It does not matter. As long as your manasoul well is full, with the summoning medium I taught you and the combination of the cosmic power, you will be able to do what you need to.”

  “And your divine intervention? When does that come in?”

  “Your whole being is my divine intervention.”

  Jin laugh. “Ah, that. I guess you’re right.”

  With that, Jin waited until the opportune time. Seeing that Old Man Sid had yet to return home from work, he left a note detailing where he had gone and why. Otherwise, that old coot would miss the show of a lifetime.

  ***

  Jin’s first choice was the SeComm headquarters. A fifty-story glass behemoth that loomed over Neo-Tokyo like a corporate middle finger to the ACPS’s Empire State Building. But with its tight military-grade security and ‘no civilians above and below the first floor’ policy, that place was a no-go.

  No, for tonight, he needed a quieter place. Somewhere less conspicuous. Somewhere like the abandoned Buddhist-Shinto shrine in Ward 6. Also, the location was perfect; atop the hill, a little over a stone's throw away from Old Man Sid’s house.

  Furthermore, the shrine had been abandoned for years. No heir, no shrine maiden, not even visitors. Except for Jin, who used to frequent this place to wind down after work. And it remained that way even until today.

  By the time Jin reached the place, the old shrine was deserted, save for a couple of stray cats roaming around. With Bahamut guiding the way, he then made his journey toward the inner courtyard.

  “Is this a good place?”

  “It would suffice,” Bahamut replied. “Now, begin as I have taught you.”

  Without wasting any more time, Jin proceeded as told. It didn’t take him long to make the summoning circle, though it left him a little lightheaded. Even when he had been practising drawing it during his free time, doing the real thing with his own blood at the size needed was still challenging.

  But Jin wasn’t going to complain about that. Not when it was so close.

  However, before he could proceed with the next step of the summoning ritual, a beam of light cut through the darkness.

  “Oi, Jin? You there?” Old Man Sid’s voice echoed like a lingering ghost.

  A mischievous thought popped into Jin’s mind, but he quickly shelved it away, fearing that the old man might die from a heart attack.

  “This place gives me the fucking creeps. If you’re here, say something.”

  “Never realise that you’re a scaredy cat,” Jin said. “Thought you called yourself the Bloodless Butcher or something. More like Ball-less Butcher.”

  “Fuck you! Now, where the hell are you?”

  “Just follow my damn voice, will you? I can’t go out and greet you.”

  “The fuck where?”

  “Inner courtyard, you damn coward!”

  “Good. I’m coming over.” It didn’t take long for Old Man Sid to reach the place.

  “By the way, I got good news for you–who the fuck are you?! Where’s Jin?”

  Old Man Sid’s reaction was somewhat unexpected – funny even as his voice cracked like a girl’s – but with what happened to Jin during the day, it was understandable.

  At first, Jin too couldn’t believe how he looked without all that beard and hair. Even worse, the damned barber was almost too comfortable with him, rubbing his cheeks and chin as if he were a figurine or something. And the public? The less he remembered about the ordeal, the better. Being cat-called and harassed every other step was tiring.

  “What do you mean who am I? I’m me. The same ol’ Jin.”

  “The hell. You look no older than my grandson,” Old Man Sid replied, with his flashlight shining right at Jin’s face. “I know there’s something different with how you look, but damn. Not this different even without the damned beard!”

  “Ugh! Put that damn thing away,” Jin replied, wincing away from the glare. “Well, anyway, we can talk about the rest of the stuff at home. Are you ready, Sid?”

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  The old man let out a sigh. “I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but whatever. Show me already.”

  Jin grinned, flexing his bicep as the summoning circle pulsed beneath him, its edges glowing faintly in the dark. The light-headedness from the blood loss was nothing compared to the rush of what was coming.

  “Don’t blink, Sid. I’m about to turn this world upside down. You’re looking at the future world's strongest Player.”

  Old Man Sid rubbed his temples. “Yeah. Yeah. Just get on with it before I change my mind. This place is creepy like hell.”

  And so, the ritual began.

  The air hummed with energy as Jin pressed his palms to the ground, manasoul surging from his fingertips into the summoning circle. At first, nothing much happened except for the faintest shimmer, like the early moonlight reflected on water.

  Then, the lines ignited. A searing blue light erupted outward. Swirling. Dancing. As if the light had a mind of its own.

  Old Man Sid stumbled back, his smirk melting into wide-eyed disbelief. "What in the actual fuck?! You are actually serious, aren’t you??"

  Jin didn’t answer. He was lost in the moment, his voice became a guttural chant as the bluish light flared brighter, casting jagged shadows across the courtyard.

  "O mighty one, hear me! I summon thee, dragon! Strong, unstoppable, a beast of myth and legend. O’ Great Dragon!"

  He roared, his voice echoing like thunder, arms high above as if the creature itself would descend upon him.

  “Ahhh! It’s coming. I can feel it. It’s coming. It’s coming home!”

  A blinding blue pillar shot skyward, flooding the courtyard as if the sun itself had risen from there. Old Man Sid shielded his eyes, mumbling incoherent curses under his breath. Yet, Jin stood his ground, grinning like a delirious madman as the wind howled around them.

  The light pulsed for a few moments as the world held its breath. A towering silhouette appeared in the centre of the summoning circle, partly hidden by the lingering brilliance.

  Yet, it has no wings. No horns. And no limbs nor claws either. Definitely not a dragon.

  Jin’s grin faltered.

  A naga, perhaps?

  If that was the case, then it wasn’t that bad. Right?

  “Hahahaha!!! Y-You call me for this?!”

  Old Man Sid’s laughter betrayed the occasion. He rolled on the ground, clutching his stomach as tears streamed down his face. He shot another glance at the centre circle. Another round of laughter echoed before he gasped for air while pointing at the summoned creature.

  “Jin, you absolute legend! That’s not a fucking dragon. That’s a bloody marshmallow with puppy eyes.”

  Jin stood frozen, his mouth hanging open as if fate itself had shoved its invisible damned fist inside. His grand reveal, his moment of triumph, his culmination of fantastical imagination had turned into a stand-up comedy routine, and he was the punchline.

  “World’s strongest Player, my arse!”

  Jin couldn’t care anymore about Old Man Sid’s taunt. He turned to Bahamut, who was perched under a cherry tree, looking somewhat satisfied.

  “Not a bad first attempt. She will serve you well.”

  Jin’s disgusted look was obvious. “How can a worm serve me?”

  "It is not a worm," Bahamut said, flicking a claw dismissively. "It is a Thousand-Year Caterpillar. Very Rare. Almost impossible to find outside her habitat. And, if you do not act like that laughing fool over there, she will be more useful than you could ever hope for."

  "Useful?!" Jin threw his hands up. "It’s a marshmallow tube! What’s it going to do? Hug my enemies to death?!"

  Old Man Sid howled again. “I’m done. I’m fucking done. You absolute plonker.”

  Jin was about to strangle his best friend to death – or tried to – when a soft yet hesitant voice echoed in his mind.

  “U-um… Are you… My master? Kruk?"

  Jin jolted, nearly tripping over his own feet. "Did – did it just talk? Bee?"

  Bahamut dismissed Jin immediately. “You can clearly hear her. Understand her. So, talk to her. Not me. My role is over. Yours, however, are not.”

  Jin heaved a sigh before turning his attention to the creature, now fully revealed to him. It was longer than he expected – standing up, the creature was even taller than him – its body a pile of fluff so white and pure as if it were made from strings of clouds. Its eyes were big, round, and stupidly cute. Like a puppy if puppies were made of marshmallows and silk.

  The caterpillar – or earthworm, Jin didn’t care as he was about to make up his mind – wobbled ever so slightly, threads of shimmering energy floating around it like glow-in-the-dark cobwebs.

  “I was told that you’re a Thousand-Year-Old Caterpillar? Are we right?”

  "Y-yes, master! I-I am!”

  “I’m not yet your master. Not yet.”

  Jin’s voice was cold. Almost dismissive even as he scrutinised the creature yet again. Their gaze met once more, but this time, his heart skipped a beat. Beautiful. Filled with innocence, if there was such a thing.

  But what was this little feeling boring through his heart right now? It was the same when he first met Viridiana.

  And speaking of the carbuncle, she never showed herself once when the summoning started. He tried asking Bahamut, but the so-called God-Emperor directed Jin’s attention toward the Thousand-Year-Caterpillar’s tip of the tail without muttering a single word.

  And there she was, curled up beside the summoned creature, purring her heart out without any hint of care nor sense of danger. That traitor.

  Jin shook his head, but the small smile he had on his face spoke of something else. If his carbuncle trusted the caterpillar, maybe he could learn to do the same, too.

  “You got a name or something?”

  “Catter’everoddel’himuk, master!”

  “Damn. How do you expect me to remember that?” Jin said, rubbing his chin. “And I’m Sasaki Jin. You can call me Jin, by the way.”

  “S-so, are you m-my master now, Master Jin?”

  Jin didn’t say anything as his attention was now fixed on the Player Status Screen. The numbers glared back at him:

  [Summon Owned: 0/6]

  Another important System Message was blinking at the status screen’s corner, but he paid it no heed for now.

  “Six, huh?”

  That was his limit at his current level. Bahamut alluded that the numbers would increase as he levelled up. But at Level 1, he had to be prudent. Ruthless even. Yet the images and the voices of his late wife, Elyzabeth and their daughter, Eleana, kept racing in his mind.

  What would they think?

  “Well, the first time is always a trial and error, right?”

  “Trial… and error, Master? Do you… want to test m-my powers?” The summoned creature’s voice cracked. “I-I can do many things. A-Amazing thing. S-so please. D-Don’t send me back.”

  This was the most pivotal moment in the summoning ritual – whether the summoner himself wanted to dismiss or keep the creature he summoned. If he decided to keep the creature that he summoned, only then would its full status and skills be revealed to him. Otherwise, the Thousand Year Caterpillar would be sent back to where she came from, and that was the end of it.

  “Remember, Jin,” Bahamut’s words before the summoning ritual began echoed in his mind. “Every beast you summon is unique. You will never summon the same creature twice. Even in a million attempts.”

  Heh. No pressure. Jin was already a sucker for cute things. Especially a pitiful-looking one.

  Jin stared at the blinking System Message notification before tapping on it. A text box appeared:

  << Will you accept this summon: YES or NO >>

  Exactly as Bahamut said. No species type. No name. No abilities shown either.

  “Hope this pays off,” Jin said as he gave his decision.

  The screen flashed:

  << Summon Owned: 1/6 >>

  << Congratulations, Summoner. Catter’everoddel’himuk, The Thousand Year Caterpillar is now bound to you >>

  Old Man Sid came over and slung his arm over Jin’s shoulder. "So, you’re keeping it after all, huh? Jin, you idiot-"

  Before he could finish his words, the Thousand Year Caterpillar let out a tiny squeal of joy and accidentally tangled herself in her own threads, toppling over like a fluffy marshmallow stack.

  "M-master! Thank you, thank you! I’ll stay… with you forever, Master! Kruk!"

  Jin pinched the bridge of his nose, but he couldn’t help smirking. "Yeah, yeah. Just… try not to trip over yourself. We've got a long road ahead of us."

  And that long road began a few days later from tonight, according to Old Man Sid after he handed Jin his new ID.

  Player’s mandatory training classes.

  And after passing that, Jin would be qualified to undergo the Neo-Tokyo Security Commission’s Player Assessment and Evaluation Examination.