The mountains were silent, the distant echo of Happy the Harpy's screech fading into the horizon. Rocky stood atop a jagged cliff, the wind whipping his hair and shadows flaring faintly around him. The empire lay behind them, safe for the moment, yet the weight of Carbrarra's generals and the looming Demon Lord pressed heavily on his mind.
Sylvia adjusted the grip on her sword, her golden eyes scanning the valley below. "We bought the city time… but we can't keep fighting like that. Not if the next General is stronger."
Risha hovered beside them, her crimson eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Then it's time. You need to understand the full extent of your power, Rocky. Not just your speed… not just your adaptive aura. The Summoner's System has more to offer. You've been surviving, but now it's time to master it."
Rocky exhaled, his fists clenching as he felt the lingering energy of the previous battles pulsing within him. "I've been relying on instinct… on copying and adapting. But if we're going to survive the Demon Lord's generals, I need to understand exactly what I can do."
At that moment, a faint glow appeared before him, shimmering into existence like a ghost made of light and code. A translucent interface floated in the air: the Summoner's System.
The system hummed softly, ancient and intelligent, and words appeared in midair:
"Summoner Rocky, Level: Legendary | Adaptive Aura: Active | Summons: Risha (Bound), Others: Available | System Core: Unlocked"
Rocky stared, a mixture of awe and realization flooding through him. For months, he had been fighting, surviving, and adapting—never fully aware that a structured system governed his power. The Summoner's System was more than a tool. It was the framework behind his growth, the key to controlling and mastering the power he had been intuitively wielding.
Risha floated closer, wings folding neatly. "See? You've been working with just the surface. This… this is the heart of your potential."
Sylvia's eyes widened. "A system? Like… a game interface?"
Rocky ignored her question, focusing entirely on the interface. The words shifted and glowed brighter as he reached out with his hand. Menus opened, skills listed, summon slots revealed, and upgrade paths shimmered like stars.
"Adaptive Aura: Copies enemy abilities, learns from combat."
"Summon Slots: 10 maximum. Bound summons gain synergy bonuses."
"System Boost: Increases efficiency of all summoning abilities when unlocked."
Rocky's mind raced. Every fight he had endured—every adaptive reaction, every afterimage, every mimicry of a summon's skill—had been guided by this system without his full awareness. The Summoner's System didn't just track power; it enhanced it, optimized it, and allowed growth at an exponential pace.
Risha smirked. "And here's the fun part—most summoners don't even realize their system's core until after a few battles. You, Rocky, just unlocked it under fire."
Sylvia frowned, still holding her sword defensively. "So… what does it mean? That he can get stronger faster than any normal warrior?"
"Yes," Risha said simply. "And if he masters it fully… the Demon Lord's generals won't just be opponents—they'll be lessons for him."
Rocky's fingers traced the air, touching the floating options and reading the glowing text. Summons: Available. Core Boosts: Active. Adaptive Intelligence: Fully Engaged.
A realization hit him. His aura, his adaptive speed, even the ability to copy Risha's skills—everything had a foundation in the Summoner's System. It wasn't just survival instinct. It was a tool to manipulate power, to evolve, to grow beyond mortal limits.
Risha's voice broke through his thoughts. "You need to test it. Start small. Copy abilities from the environment, from me, from the remnants of Happy's feathers, anything that teaches your system how to optimize your reactions."
Rocky exhaled, aura flaring, and focused. He reached out with his senses, drawing in the energy of the wind whipping past the cliffs, the residual energy of the battlefield, and the faint echoes of Happy the Harpy's feathers that still lingered in the mountains. His body reacted instantly, afterimages forming instinctively as his adaptive aura absorbed the inputs.
"Feel it," Risha urged. "The system isn't just numbers. It's feedback, experience, instinct. Let it guide you."
Rocky moved through the mountains, leaping from jagged cliffs, shadow afterimages flaring with each motion, integrating every piece of environmental energy. Rocks shattered midair as he caught them, debris dissolved under his aura, and his adaptive speed increased incrementally, faster than before, more precise.
Sylvia watched in awe. "I've never seen anything like this… he's… becoming something else."
After an hour of intense focus, Rocky stopped atop a cliff, breathing heavily, aura rippling across the mountains like liquid fire. He felt it—a deep understanding of the Summoner's System, a connection between his body, his summons, and the latent power that had always guided him.
Risha nodded approvingly. "Good. That's the first step. Now, bind more power, expand your summon slots, and prepare for combat with precision. Happy won't wait, and the other generals are already on the move."
Rocky closed his eyes, focusing, feeling the interface within him instead of before him. He could see paths of energy, potential growth, summon synergy bonuses, and adaptive reactions mapped in his mind like constellations. His body and mind were synchronizing with the system, unlocking speed, reflexes, and intelligence that no normal summoner could hope to achieve.
"This is… incredible," he whispered. "I can feel everything… anticipate attacks… adapt instantly… not just copy, but predict, evolve, and optimize."
Sylvia placed a hand on his shoulder, concern mixed with awe. "Just… don't push too far too fast. You're already amazing, Rocky."
Rocky smiled faintly, determination burning in his golden eyes. "I won't fail. Not against Carbrarra's generals… not against the Demon Lord. I'll master this system, master my summons, and protect everyone who depends on me. This… this is just the beginning."
Risha stretched her wings, grinning. "Good. Because mastering the system is only the first step. Next… you'll test it in real combat. Happy isn't done with the empire, and neither are the other generals. The real battle is coming, and you need to be ready to surpass limits you didn't even know you had."
Rocky clenched his fists, aura blazing. He could feel the Summoner's System pulsing like a heartbeat in his chest, guiding him, feeding him knowledge, teaching him the rhythm of battle, the flow of power. Every motion, every summon, every strike would now be optimized, adaptive, and devastating.
The mountains were silent once more, but the winds carried whispers of what was to come. Happy the Harpy's screech still echoed faintly in the distance, a reminder that the first General was still out there, and the war had only begun.
Rocky looked to Sylvia and Risha, determination radiating from him. "We train, we adapt, and next time… we fight on our terms. No one threatens the empire while we live. No one. And this system… this power… it's ours to command."
Risha spread her wings, smirking. "Good. Let's make sure Carbrarra regrets ever sending his generals after us. First step… mastering the Summoner's System. Next step… total domination."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the mountains in red and gold, Rocky's aura blazed brighter than ever. He had awakened to the full potential of his path as a summoner. The first General, Happy the Harpy, awaited, but the boy who had once survived Lucifer was no longer the same. He was ready.