Rise of the Weakest Summoner

“How long has it already been?” Tina asked curiously.

“About half an hour or so,” Selene replied.

“Forty-seven minutes and thirty-one seconds as of now,” Abyss added nonchalantly.

“Right…” The Summoner girl giggled quietly. “It’s been longer than the last time if I’m not mistaken. I thought it would be the other way now that the cluster didn’t attack us.”

The ladies and Umbra stood together a short distance from the meditating duo and watched as wisps of golden energy coiled around their bodies, coming from the artificial sun a little further into the massive chamber. Thankfully, it hadn’t tried burning them to a crisp with its energy so things were much easier. Still, Asterios and Miria were taking their sweet time absorbing it, even if the girls didn’t intend to rush them or complain, of course.

“Look. It’s flickering more and more. I think they are going to finish soon,” Silvia pointed out.

Her observation was accurate as the floating sphere dimmed considerably in front of their eyes, the tongues of spiritual fumes thinning out. Then, it compressed into itself and disappeared with an echoing pop, breaking the connection with the pair. Everyone got ready for the massive earthquake that should follow, but nothing happened. The princess called for a few flaming orbs to illuminate the dark hall.

“How come the framework of this place isn’t crumbling?” she wondered out loud.

“That might be because the facility is already heavily damaged.” Althea hummed to herself. “With its foundation broken and cut in half, this might already be a defective state. We passed a few tunnels with collapsed ceilings. The big tremor might have already happened when the land was swallowed by the Titan.”

“It’s a very probable explanation,” Abyss supported the theory. “Most circuits were disabled, including the majority of patterns in this chamber. However, with the disappearance of the energy cluster, this place is going to become even weaker. We shouldn’t remain here for too long. Luckily, your friends are back.”

Everyone’s gazes moved onto the duo, and a second later, they gasped in surprise as a powerful spiritual wave exploded from the pair. Shielding their eyes, they saw black mist envelop Miria’s figure in a similar way to how it always did when she was about to assume her beast form. That made them confused since the panthergirl already was in her most powerful state, her skin completely covered by fur and her face shaped into that of a cute but deadly feline.

Their confusion only grew as the spiritual obstruction expanded in volume and size. They watched as it reached the very ceiling, which wasn’t that low, before bursting outwards with another shockwave, this time followed by a deafening roar that forced the ladies to cover their ears. As soon as it passed them and smashed into the walls, they all froze, the resonating battlecry still filling the area.

What stood before them was Miria, but also not. Their friend had grown not just taller but also bulkier, her muscles more pronounced and well-defined. The greatest change was that general size, though. Miria’s new form rivaled that of another bipedal entity they had fought in the past, a Voidtaur. If not even Asterios himself in his draconic shape. 

Additionally, it looked like her hair had been absorbed into her silky smooth fur, her feline head now no longer sporting long dark strands that cupped her cheeks. Yet, it still bore the distinct features of the ferocious yet adorable panthergirl. The last thing wasn’t exactly a change but more of a disappearance. Miria’s clothes had evaporated during her transformation, making their athletic friend appear completely in the nude. Naturally, most of her secrets were hidden away by the black fur, but the distinct shape of her perky chest and the dark tips topping the moderate peaks were unmistakable.

As they all gaped at Miria while completely stunned, the panthergirl gazed back at them with a mix of black, red, and gold swirling behind her vertical pupils, glowing with power. Her ear twitched, a soft grunt tickling it, and she glanced down. Asterios was coming to after her, and looked up briefly, before directing his attention to the front again and swiping down his face.

He immediately made a double take and their eyes met, his wide to the brim. Asterios definitely hadn’t expected to wake up between Miria’s legs. And quite literally at that as she had grown so much he could comfortably stand underneath her without a problem. However, his head would then end up just short of brushing against the apex of her femininity, fully visible from his current angle. Judging by how she stood still while staring at him, clearly blushing heavily under all that fur, she knew exactly what kind of sight greeted him from down there.

Getting up carefully so as not to accidentally tickle her sensitive parts, Asterios was preparing to tease his huge mate a tiny bit, but a strong quake almost caused him to fall again, interrupting him before he even opened his mouth. The sound of something scraping against stone reached everyone’s ears and they turned towards the entrance to the room, jumping closer to the duo and hastily assuming a defensive formation.

In just a moment, the head of one ugly eel popped out of the passage’s opening, barely fitting in it. The rest of the monster followed it as the shadowy beast rushed into the chamber, releasing furious shrieks. Its yellowish eyes locked onto the group and it hissed like a snake.

“Seems like this place wasn’t full of only weak monsters.” Selene chuckled wryly. “It looks rather angry. Do you think it enjoyed basking in the glow of the fake sun?”

“No doubt.” Silvia nodded, floating a little bit higher in her flaming form. “Let’s take it down quickly before we—”

“I’ll handle it,” Miria cut her off with a ravenous grin. “There’s so much energy coursing through my body it feels like every bit of me is tingling. And I really want to test my new strength.”

“Then go and have fun.” Asterios ruffled the fur on her leg, peeking up at his eager mate.

She in turn patted him on the head as if he was a small doll and giggled to herself from making him stumble. Crouching down, she lunged forward and got on all fours. The mist swirled around her again, and in a blink, she turned into a panther, retaining her impressive size, charging straight at the eel.

Selene raised a brow at Asterios but he shrugged dismissively. “Wasn’t me. Looks like she can now do this on her own. I’m honestly curious what she’ll show us.”

And so, everyone’s attention was back on the upcoming fight. The serpentine monster slithered through the air like its relatives earlier and lunged at the feline before it, its jaws splitting wide. Miria avoided the bite and sank her own fangs into its tough black hide. The monstrosity hissed in agony and flailed around.

The panthergirl tried to jump away before it coiled itself around her, but she bumped into the ceiling, cursing herself internally. Her new size was awesome, but inside a limited space, it was going to be troublesome. Even she knew that much. The tightening grip of the eel’s elongated form starting to squeeze her was proof enough.

Wasting no time, Miria morphed back into her new humanoid form and growled viciously as she made use of her hands and feet to loosen the bindings holding her down. With a surprising show of strength, she achieved that feat easily and began pounding her fist into the monster’s head while choking it with her other hand. They rolled around as they brawled, growls and hisses coming out of the violent tumble.

Finally getting the upper hand on the slimy bastard, Miria pinned it down under her knees and clawed at its long body, dodging the small lunges and bites aimed at her muzzle. She paused briefly when something moved in the edge of her vision and she found two girls, Tina and Silvia, ahead of her. Instantly realizing that she had ended up in the middle of her friends, Miria became painfully aware of the direction in which her butt was pushed out. Taking a peek down her nude front and between her muscular thighs, she found it facing her beloved mate out of everyone else.

“Master…” An embarrassed whine left her lips. “Don’t... look…”

Asterios smiled apologetically but couldn’t listen to her request. In the end, he wanted to be ready to take action if she needed his help, and Miria understood it well. As much as she appreciated this, it still didn’t change how shameful of a display she was putting on in front of him and her sister-mates.

The cause of all that tried to yank itself free and she snarled at the daring eel. Channeling all her embarrassment into her strength, she rolled to the side and smacked its skull against the pavement, hearing it crack alongside the floor. Roaring fiercely, she threw its body away from them. It smashed into the wall with a powerful thud and tremor, creating a deep indent in the white stone. Yet, the dazed beast struggled back into the air with wobbly movements.

“Why is its hide so tough? Even my sharpened claws can barely scratch it!” Miria complained while getting on her feet. “I would like to see how you deal with this!”

She swung her arms to the sides and tensed her posture, growling loudly. Suddenly, her fists went up in flames, pure crimson fire licking the air above them. And it was only her hands, the rest of her arms remaining untouched by the vicious heat that had clearly come from Asterios. Roaring in a challenge, she swiped her claws in front, sending ten merciless blades of inferno at her opponent.

“Impossible…” Althea whispered, covering her mouth in disbelief. “She didn’t…”

That caught Ast’s attention and he frowned at his mentor. “What’s the matter?”

“The mark…” the Dragon lady pointed at Miria’s back.

Surely, through the thick hairs trying to hide it, the same patterns that Tia had drawn on Miria’s back while inside his Ancestral Plane were glowing with a golden radiance. The light made itself visible during her erratic movements, the panthergirl currently chasing after the evasive monster while riddling its flesh with deep, instantly cauterized cuts. She juggled between melee strikes and ranged swipes, even throwing in an actual Fireball she tossed at the eel after gathering enough energy between her hands.

“Is there something wrong with it?” He began feeling a little concerned seeing Althea’s overwhelmed expression.

“Not with this particular one, but…” She swallowed thickly. “It’s another of the reasons why Dryads are so sought after by True Dragons. Insane regeneration is just one of them. The more experienced and old individuals are often masters of not just life energy but also soul. In the end, they switch between a spiritual and physical state while living inside their Trees.”

“That much I understand.” Asterios nodded, still focusing on Miria’s fight as much as he could, listening alongside others to the green-haired lady explain things.

“Not many True Dragons remember this now, but in the ancient past, there were some Arch Dryads in their peerage who were forced to come up with ways to strengthen their masters even further. They designed an inscription applied directly to one’s very core, their source. Such a thing, when used on a member of a True Dragon’s retinue, was said to be capable of turning someone with completely no potential into a real genius. Similar to draconic bonds and contracts, it further linked master with servant, directly synchronizing their sources, allowing the recipient to freely use every bit of draconic energy as if they had a perfect affinity with them and without the need of a direct permission,” Althea summed up.

“That sounds way too nice for True Dragons,” Tina commented suspiciously.

“You are right, of course.” The Lesser Dragon chuckled wryly. “It was a double-edged sword, further sacrificing the recipient’s very own existence to their master. The owner could flood the slave with as much energy as they wanted to with such unlimited access, turning the poor individual into a walking bomb. I’m sure you can imagine the scale of havoc an exploding source can wreak.”

Asterios shivered, recalling Grea’s warnings and jokes about such things.

“Or the Dragon could literally descend into the person’s body and use it as their own from a safe distance,” she continued a bit uncomfortably. “For a short duration. No matter how high one’s affinity is, it’s impossible for them to handle a True Dragon’s very existence. But, such a strategy is used exactly for that, to quickly use the strongest moves before the soul and body burn away. A sacrificial pawn, just like the other one.”

“Then Miria…” Selene gazed at her beloved friend worriedly.

“Is safe,” Althea quickly reassured her and the rest of the party. “Her inscription has no drawbacks. No True Dragon would ever apply it like that as the recipient is freely able to use all their power against them, as long as they manage to fight back the draconic influence from the bond, of course.”

“I thought the girls already could draw on my energies freely,” Asterios commented.

“Yes, but that’s just you allowing them to do so, and it’s completely different too.” His mentor waved her finger at him. “They are drawing on your mana to strengthen themselves and fuel their techniques, things they already know and are experienced in. Miria’s senses grow sharper. Selene’s spirituality becomes stronger. Tina’s spells achieve a new level. Silvia’s control over flames rises. And so on. It’s also a separate matter from them gaining your draconic features through exploring the bond and love you share.”

“This is all so sophisticated. True Dragons are too complex.” The Summoner Girl sighed. “But does this mean we can all get that inscription?”

“I don’t know.” Althea shook her head. “You’ll have to ask its creator. Everything I told you I have learned from her anyway.”

A girlish giggle echoed in their minds, making it clear that the perpetrator had been listening in closely.

“I was going to do that later anyway,” Asterios admitted. “Let’s refocus on the matters at hand right now.”

As he said that, Miria appeared before them, using her shoulder to shield him from a desperate attempt at spitting weird acidic darkness at the group to give itself some breathing room as it was getting its ass whooped by the enhanced panthergirl. The eel was on its last legs, which it technically didn’t have at all, its form full of injuries.

“Ugh, I’ve made myself way too big for this place. And do I really have to fight that thing completely naked?” She grunted, her rather large behind hovering over everyone’s faces.

“Allow me to assist,” Umbra joined in.

A cloud of shadow flowed towards her and hugged her muscular figure. A dark toga materialized in its place, clipped at her left shoulder, and tightened around her waist. It hugged her body tightly while fully displaying her shoulders and legs.

“I guess I should have asked earlier.” Miria snickered. “Too bad I can’t use my blades. I would have finished it ages ago.”

“Try this,” Selene shouted from the side.

Glancing in her direction, Miria saw something already flying towards her. It was rather small compared to her current size so she prepared to catch the weird black razor, slightly confused, when the spinning object suddenly expanded. Her eyes widened as it elongated while revolving through the air and she grabbed the pommel of a perfectly-scaled sword with a slightly curved tip.

“Wait…” Her brows rose in surprise. “Isn’t this the artifact weapon Master used after the undead dungeon?”

She grinned to herself, feeling it resonate with her much more than in the past. The flames covering her fists sizzled out of existence as she took a battle stance with the sword by her side. The violet edge lit up before fire swallowed it whole, quickly condensed into an extension of it. Compared to Ast’s red and amber combination, this one was pure crimson, relying only on his energy. It didn’t look perfectly stable with multiple tongues licking the air as the surface shimmered, but for someone with no prior experience, it was still astounding.

Wasting no more time, Miria dashed after the wounded serpent, leaving a half-melted trench in her wake as the tip of the sword grazed the floor. The monster looked utterly frightened by this point and wanted to run where it had come from, but an arc of ferocious energy interrupted its escape. The blood-hungry panthergirl was next to it in a blink, swinging the glowing blade with pure glee. Her opponent dodged here and there but she slashed it into pieces, creating deep marks in the walls.

With one last effort, reduced to one-third of its previous length, the pitiful monster spat in her general direction and slithered toward the darkness of the nearby passage. More offended than hurt, Miria gripped the weapon stronger, fanning the flames greatly. She cleaved horizontally from side to side and a massive wave of fire surged forward, covering the entire width of the chamber. It evaporated her enemy in a flash before digging into the white blocks further than they could see, splitting them in half.

Silence descended upon the vast hall as she made sure that it wasn’t simply playing dead somewhere out of her sight. Confirming her kill, Miria turned towards the group and beamed at everyone. Two insanely powerful leaps later, she landed in front of them and started hopping up and down gleefully.

“Did you see that, Master?! I was able to copy your move! And I’m so much stronger! This is incredible!” she gushed at him excitedly.

“Yes, I can see.” Asterios chuckled warmly. “That and much more thanks to your energetic delight.”

Noticing where his eyes were directed, Miria stopped immediately and squeezed the flapping fabric that was Umbra closer to her tummy, no doubt blushing furiously for flashing them her privates. Black mist swirled around her figure a moment later and she shrunk down, reappearing before him in her usual size, shape, and even wearing her full gear once more.

“I will need to think of something for when I shift into that new form.” She looked aside bashfully. “My current clothes can’t stretch that much.”

“Oh, you are back to normal?” He examined her curiously, roaming his gaze over the same Miria with which he had sat down in front of the cluster earlier. “I thought we would need to get used to your new appearance.”

“No, no, no!” She waved her arms between them. “The urge to transform was just so strong that it affected even my spiritual form in Tia’s home! I much prefer being the shorter one, Master! Or are you bored of my lean body already?”

Asterios stepped into her personal space and embraced the uncertain feline affectionately.

“You know that’s not going to happen ever,” he insisted, smooching her rounded ears with a myriad of kisses while his palms explored her exquisite fur and athletic physique beneath it. “Whichever form you assume, the slim and deadly one or the buff and strong one, I will always appreciate this gorgeous body of yours.”

“Ehehe~” Miria purred into his cheek lovingly. “I don’t think I can easily expand my muscles without growing in size so you might be stuck with this form of—”

The ground shook, interrupting her. Everyone’s attention snapped to the exit, where massive cracks began forming, running outwards the fissure dug out by the panthergirl’s blow. Things were getting more and more shaky by the second.

“Uhhh… I don’t want to interrupt, but I think we should take this outside…” Tina chuckled quietly.

“I’m going to be the first one at the gate this time!” Miria announced and jumped out of Ast’s arms.

After two steps, she dove into a patch of shadows as if she were jumping into a pool and disappeared.

“That little…” Asterios snorted and plunged into the ground too.

The remaining ladies exchanged glances before turning to Umbra, who snickered in amusement and transferred them through his own ability, chasing after the pair who had gotten the head start.

Miria was going to be quite sassy for a while, wasn’t she?