Chương 48: 1-47 Heart of a Summoner

"Just ask her already." Zippa was almost roaring with laughter at Josef's latest antics. But he was having none of it. After all, if a snake can figure out how to shoot water bullets, then so could he. No, he definitely didn't need help to create his new spell. Especially not from that overly smug noodle, who promptly made a show of firing another glob of water at one of those disgusting creatures, after his own attempt had fallen short of even reaching the nasty thing.

Grotito Crawler - Level 26 Unsurprisingly, they had overtaken the giant bugs on the earlier floors as Josef's least favorite monster, especially after they revealed a certain special ability of theirs. Once, when an unlucky Rachse had been hit by a stray needle and was sucked dry as a result, not only did they have to endure the nightmarish slurping noises of the process, but also with some newly spawned, giant mosquitoes, or as they were called, Grotito.

Grotito Nymph - Level 19 Their levels were pretty low compared to everything else on this floor, but the half dozen that popped from eggs under the crawler's skin and dropped from the ceiling still gave Josef the chills. Thankfully, he was nowhere near that horrifying ordinance, and Zippa incinerated the whole batch before the newly hatched monsters could shake off the mucus from their wings and take to the air.

Even if the threat of those creatures wasn't massive, Pretzel's new spell could effectively save them time by getting them off the walls early, which usually disabled them, as their unshapely bodies couldn't turn themselves upright after falling to the ground. While Josef called it a water bullet, the actual speed and power of the spell weren't anywhere near the real thing. However, it was enough to pack a punch and heavily bludgeon a fleshy target, even if it would be mostly useless against armor.

Now if only he could figure out how to give his own magic that much acceleration, so he could step beyond the realm of chucking slightly annoying water balloons.

"Fine…," he grumbled. How could he fall behind a newborn snake when it came to casting spells? That was impossible! After finishing their current encounter, he went to Pretzel, administered copious amounts of head pats, and barely opened his mouth before she immediately cut off his attempt at asking for a free handout.

"Carry me for the rest of the dungeon," she demanded with a predatory glint in her eyes.

"You don't even know how deep this place goes." Her posture immediately deflated under his counter.

"Five floors," he offered instead.

"Too little!" Pretzel's tail slapped the ground repeatedly in rejection.

"Make that ten."

"Until the next boss floor." They had just taken the stairs down to the fourteenth floor, Josef having spent two entire floors trying to figure it out himself. The familiar hissed in contemplation, scratched her chin with a tail tip, and finally decided, "I also want to curl up around you tonight."

"Deal," they decided. With a delighted hiss, she threw herself at Josef and wrapped around him until she was tightly attached and rested her head on his left shoulder. She first aimed for the right one, but a territorial bunny got there first and fended her off with a kick. He had no idea how they were supposed to split up his shoulder real-estate once Nibbles was back with them, but that was a problem for future Josef.

"Did you just get extorted by your own familiar?" Zippa wheezed, short of breath after chasing down an adult Rachse while laughing at the poor human. Josef rolled his eyes at the jab, deciding against deigning that lizard with an answer. However, as he was about to turn away with a huff to get his answers from Pretzel, someone else decided to cut in.

"This matter is truly a bit strange, I concur." Aifreed stepped closer, inspecting Pretzel with intrigue.

"For a familiar to act against their summoner's wish, they have to be remarkable individuals. Tell me if I pry too deeply, but would you mind enlightening me as to where you found this wonderful creature? How did you come to tame her?" He sounded genuinely fascinated. It took Josef a moment to recall that taming magical creatures was in fact something he could do with his Summon Familiar spell, as he had never had a reason or chance to do so. Were all the creatures in the dungeon potential candidates for taming?

His mind drifted to the grotesque crawler on the wall and imagined endless armies of mosquitoes filling the hallways as he used magic to act as an infinite blood supply. It took him a moment to swallow the rising bile. No matter how much power there was to be gained, some lines should never be crossed.

"I didn't tame her. She was born from my own affinity and magic." A supportive hiss accompanied his words, as Pretzel agreed with him. When the knight's steps faltered for a single moment, Josef knew that he had somehow given away too much.

"Well, what a surprise! I don't recall ever seeing a magical construct this expressive, and that is not even considering its willfulness." Aifreed's words lacked some of their usual grace, and it appeared as if he was in contemplation while he spoke.

"You must have an astonishing amount of Charisma, young man, to create something so lifelike." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Charisma?" The word tumbled out of his mouth before his brain understood that the knight was probing him.

"I mean, what has Charisma to do with the… quality of a familiar? The books said nothing about that" There, just blame the general lack of information among the common folk.

"Such details can indeed be difficult to come by without a proper backer. I apologize if my question was impertinent." The knight pondered for a moment.

"Let me offer my apologies by extending what knowledge I have on the matter.

"Charisma is often first associated with interactions between individuals during social encounters. Such a belief isn't wrong, but it merely scratches the surface of what the attribute covers. When people converse, they do not simply exchange words, but personal feelings and opinions that are rooted in their very being. This is what Charisma enhances, the ability to force your own self on the world around you, leaving a lasting impression.

"Most summoners would create only fleeting images, basic shapes that can fulfill a role, along with simple instructions that resemble thought. The more fantastical the appearance, and the more refined the behavior, the harder it becomes to force that impression upon the world. Most would not bother to even reform the same mindset time and time again, but create a blank mind whenever they cast the spell. Those familiars are little more than the golems some craftsmen can construct."

Josef's mind was spinning for a moment as he took in that new information. Charisma was apparently less about talking in a very glib manner, but more about sounding so confident the other party would instinctually agree? That did check out with what he knew about how to hold a great presentation, but turned into a magical force. Also, this ability to impress your will on the world through sheer belief was supposed to be the core of how magic formed his familiars.

That was awesome in theory, imagination being his only limit in creating something truly awesome, but it left him with one big question. How the fuck did he pull it off while completely ignoring the stat? If it weren't for the extra boost from the Prodigious Healer feat, then it would just about tie with Strength as his lowest attribute. Somehow, he had committed the gravest sin any gamer could imagine. He had dumped his main stat.

"A-ah that's good to know. I had no idea." Josef chuckled nervously.

"There is always more to learn, young man. You do not need to be embarrassed about your ignorance." Aifreed told him solemnly.

"However, I would suggest increasing your Charisma posthaste. A familiar that was created beyond your means could act out during a critical moment, causing great danger to you or your companions."

"O-of course, Aifreed. I will make sure to do that the moment I can." Not. Josef calmly walked away from the elf, soothingly petting the head of Pretzel, who had gone completely stiff during that conversation. He might classify as the world's lousiest summoner, but he would do the exact opposite of what that man had suggested. While the advice was clearly given with good intentions, having only his own safety in mind, he would not heed it.

Dusty and his borderline nightmarish behaviour had already built a strange sense of security within him, letting him know that whenever the bunny was around, the proverbial monster from under his bed, or the dark corner of the bedroom, was on his own side. What did he have to fear while that ferocious little guy chose to have his back?

Then there was his dutiful little Nibbles, who had never once complained about doing all the clinic work for him, even when he was sitting on the side and playing checkers while waiting for his mana to regenerate, or going off to an adventure in the dungeon. How could he shame that rat's commitment by taking away his choice on the matter? Pretzel wasn't even a day old, but she had already gone through a life and death battle with him.

She hadn't shown the slightest hesitation about joining the fray to fight for him, asking for nothing in return. So what if she wanted something for helping him with a spell? There was nothing wrong with that, not that her demands cost him anything. The little murder noodle only wanted attention. If that was the extent of 'trouble' the free will of his familiars amounted to, then he would gladly live with it.

Especially since the alternative, shackling them with the force of his will, felt no different from slavery. That was another line he would never cross, even if it killed him. Even though there was not a single word spoken aloud of his conviction, the intent behind it still reached his familiars through their connection, and their reaction was immediate.

Pretzel promptly tightened her hug to near bone crushing intensity as her head nestled under the crook of his chin, while Dusty, in one of his rare displays of comfort, licked his ear. The bunny didn't even complain when the snake slithered across his shoulder territory while wrapping around Josef.

"Aww, they love you." Zippa cut into their little family moment.

"That looks comfy. Can I also have a hug, little snake?" Pretzel fixed him with a hiss.

"Who are you calling little, you stupid lizard?"

"I think she likes me," he laughed, unable to hear her words, deaf in the face of his impending doom.

"Come on, snakey, give papa a hug." With another hiss and a remarkable display of dexterity, she launched herself off Josef, who barely remained upright from the force involved, and shot straight at Zippa. The two of them entered a bizarre wrestling competition, where one side was trying to choke out the other. One of them was more serious about it than the other, though. Josef was in no rush to break them apart, as he took his time reading a new feat that had entered his notifications a moment ago.

<Heart of a Summoner> It was your prerogative to utilize familiars as you saw fit. You decided that they weren't to be used at all, for their lives aren't your tools. Abandoning the shackles of will, you have chosen the path of cooperation. Rejoice, good souls, for this is your home. Unlocks: 50% of Charisma added to Wisdom. Reduced mana penalty for active familiars. This feat will influence your attempts at taming magical creatures. Feat can be rendered inert should your conviction be in doubt.

Even more so than the Prodigious Healer feat, this one felt like an actual accomplishment, if not by skill or merit, then by strength of conviction. It might just be his proudest accomplishment yet, regardless of the power it would provide him with, and the vibrating rabbit on his shoulder clearly agreed. If the dragons are behind the system, does that mean this was their preferred demeanor towards familiars? Or were… stricter methods of handling just as endorsed?

That made Josef wonder about their exact stance towards all the other sapient lifeforms on this planet, something he would have to research once he got some time. Before that, he had to get some tutoring from his favourite snake.