After about thirty minutes of driving, the vintage sedan returned to the manor.
Hayley and Francesca had a wine bottle on the table and glasses in hand as the n walked in through the entrance.
Hayley then looked up from her seat and said, "I didn’t think you’d be back that fast."
Francesca added her own greeting with a warm smile. "Welco back, Master Ethan."
Ethan nodded at them but didn’t really spare them much ti as he and Eduardo crossed the room’s length to head toward the basent stairs.
Hayley set her glass down and said, "Excuse for a mont, Aunty Francesca."
Francesca nodded with a smile still on her face as Hayley stood and followed behind them.
-
As they reached the basent entrance, Ethan walked in, Eduardo followed close behind, and Percival ca right after.
But the butler heard another set of footsteps descending behind them, which made him turn around to see Hayley making her way down the stairs.
"Miss Hayley," Eduardo said politely, stopping her path with his presence. "I’m afraid you shouldn’t be here right now."
Hayley crossed her arms and tilted her head with a slight pout. "Oh, co on. I’m practically family here."
Percival quickly replied with a mocking grin on his face. "It’s only real ones allowed in here."
Ethan turned around at the sound of their voices and said gently, "We’ll be out shortly, Hayley."
Hayley stared at him for a mont, then nodded slowly. "Wow." Her tone was flat as she looked between Ethan and her brother. "Nice."
Then she turned and walked back up the stairs without another word, though the way she moved made it obvious she wasn’t particularly pleased about being dismissed.
Ethan then turned back around once she was gone and pulled off his coat, then dropped it onto the near table. While he did that, Eduardo stepped forward and handed him the small transparent bag holding the severed finger.
Ethan stared down at it for a mont before whispering to himself, "Let’s see if this really works."
A system ssage materialized before his vision:
[The system detects you wish to summon a spirit]
Ethan replied ntally, "Yes. Using my authority as the Spirit King."
[Since this is your first ti performing a summoning ritual using a catalyst, the system will take control of the process to ensure proper execution]
Ethan nodded. "Carry on."
[Place the catalyst on the ground]
[Cut yourself and allow your blood to fall upon it]
Ethan crouched down and set the bag on the floor, carefully removing the finger and placing it directly onto the surface.
Then he raised his right index finger to his mouth as a single fang extended slightly from his teeth. Then he bit into his fingertip gently but enough to draw blood.
A bead of red welled up imdiately as he extended his hand over the catalyst and let several drops fall directly onto it. The mont his blood made contact with the severed finger, a system ssage flashed:
[Your authority as the Spirit King has been acknowledged]
Right then, his dripping blood began moving on its own. It circled outward supernaturally across the stone floor, tracing different patterns that extended in every direction around the catalyst. The lines glowed red as they ford into an enormous summoning circle beneath him.
The geotric patterns were complex and layered, with symbols etched into every corner and curve of its design. And the light grew brighter until it filled a good part of the basent with an eerie crimson glow.
Right then, Ethan’s eyes took on a sudden glow as well, and suddenly, he knew the words to say. But as he spoke them, there was an eerie tone layered beneath his voice, as if another entity spoke alongside him in perfect unison:
"Let your form serve beneath my command, let your purpose align with mine.
If you accept my Authority as the King Of Spirits and pledge to honor this bond, then answer my summons.
I declare my intent here.
I am the one who bridges the living and the fallen.
I am the one who holds dominion over what lingers beyond.
By the Spirit King’s right,
From the Well of the Undying, I call you forth.
Ascend from the realm where souls rest eternal,
And beco the instrunt that heeds my call!"
Eduardo and Percival were frozen as they watched in pure amazent. For just a second, both of them felt cold chills crawl down their spines, as if sothing unseen had reached out and tugged at their very souls.
Then the circle’s color shifted from red to purple as specks of light began gathering at its center, swirling together until they ford into a humanoid shape. The light solidified piece by piece until it brought forth the spirit form of Joe Sanderberg.
He was in a black suit with his mask covering his lower face. His eyes glowed crimson red, and a faint red aura radiated from his body.
Percival’s eyes went wide in shock as he stared at the figure standing before them. He whispered, "Woah..."
Ethan stared at Hitman X for a mont before letting out a short laugh. Then he raised his head and laughed a bit more before finally turning his gaze back toward Joe with satisfaction on his face.
He stepped forward, extended his arm toward Joe’s face, and pulled away his mask before speaking in a condescending tone, "Now don’t you like it a bit more close and personal, Hitman X?"
--
A few monts later...
Joe was still standing on the summoning circle without saying anything as Ethan stared at his summon profile in contemplation:
[Na: Joe Sanderberg]
[Title: Hitman X]
[Race: Human]
[Classification: Villain]
[Summon Class: Legendary]
[Potential Rating: Emperor]
[SKILLS: (Incomplete)
∙ Precision Shot - Enhanced accuracy at extre ranges of 3,000 ters]
[Passive Skill: Killer’s Instinct] - Heightened awareness of threats and optimal positioning for eliminations
[Ultimate Skill: ??]
[Special Weapon: ??]
[Summon Background:
Forr mber of the League of Assassins. Notorious for never missing a shot. Responsible for dozens of high-profile assassinations including Isaac Hargreaves. Killed after a citywide manhunt was set on him]
"Hm..." Ethan muttered.
It said his skills were incomplete, and both his ultimate skill and special weapon were listed as unknown.
Ethan’s best assumption for why things were this way ca down to one thing.
His special weapon.
Eduardo walked forward at this point, and Percival instinctively followed close behind him.
In fact, the werewolf moved closer toward the spirit of Hitman X and stared at him curiously with equal parts fascination and unease on his face.
Eduardo then asked, "Is sothing the matter, Master Ethan?"
Ethan nodded, then walked forward toward Joe himself, prompting Percival to move aside with a remark, "You summoners are scary as hell... so does that an I could be summoned this way soday?"
Ethan shook his head in amusent but instead of replying to Percival directly, he addressed Hitman X:
"Your weapon," Ethan began. "The one I assu you shot with. Where is it?"
Joe replied calmly, "My body wasn’t buried or burned along with it, and as such, it cannot be here with ."
"I see," Ethan said thoughtfully. "So we have to bury your body along with the weapon for you to access it here... hmm."
He paused before asking another question: "Any idea where it is now?"
Joe shook his head slowly. "I died with it in my hands... but that’s all I know of it."
"Hm..." Ethan muttered again before continuing: "Speaking of which, the mana seeping from you suggests you’re Legendary class... which ans you died while having achieved the peak of an S-tier Ranger talent level."
He narrowed his eyes slightly as he asked: "Who then was powerful enough to have killed you?"
Joe replied: "I can only rember his face and description but I do not know his na... However that man... was above anyone at S-tier peak."
"Soone of Grand Class?" Ethan asked imdiately.
"I can’t say for sure," Joe said quietly, "but he cannot be compared to an S-tier."
"Hm... I see," Ethan nodded.
Percival shook his head in disbelief and groaned: "Man how the fuck are you even keeping your cool in this situation? I an this guy tried to kill you... and his group is currently trying to kill you! How haven’t you attacked this spirit form of his already?! Urgh!"
Ethan smiled at that question before answering calmly: "For starters... I already got more than enough payback."
He gestured toward Joe’s spirit form: "And him standing here right now is proof of that."
Then Ethan’s smile turned into a grin as he added: "And about his friends...That’s one reason why he’s here."
He took another step closer toward Joe until they were only an arm’s length apart:
"Because you... Joe Sanderberg... will be telling every goddamn thing about that silly group of yours... and where the fuck we find those bastards."
---
A/N:
So, we also hit 300 tickets, thank you guys! You don’t know how much I appreciate. Now I owe 4bonus Chapters, which would be posted after the mass release co 1st Of April.
New tickets and powerstones goal also begins on the 1st.
If you haven’t, kindly join the discord on my profile, and consider a book review as this would suggest to new readers to try this out. Thank You
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