CHAPTER 7: A HYBRID SUMMON

With a travelling bag in one hand, a plain white hood, and black pants, Godfrey walked through the airport terminal. Among the hundreds of people moving about, he was nothing special. No one spared him a second glance, just as he preferred.

It was better if no one recognized him.

Unfortunately, he had spoken too soon. From the corner of his left eye, he spotted a group of guys and girls pointing at him as though he were some sort of celebrity.

Godfrey shut his eyes and sighed. This was Amazon City, his home, and of course, the place where his title as a shame to his parents was most exalted. With such a stain on his name, why wouldn’t he leave for Manhattan, a place far away from here?

Well, Manhattan hadn’t been much better either. So much for hope.

Lifting his gaze to the screen above the terminal, he raised an eyebrow at the words coming out of the mouth of a female news anchor.

"There has been a spike in the appearance of green gate dungeons all over Amazon City, especially in districts A, B, K, and L. Citizens are advised to be more careful, especially in abandoned areas. There have been reports of missing persons, so please remain vigilant."

Her words made Godfrey squint. Dungeon gates had been part of the world ever since their first appearance a hundred years ago, but that didn’t make them any less dangerous, especially a green dungeon gate.

There were three known types of dungeon gates: The blue gate, nearly permanent, which could be cleared repeatedly without ever closing. Sometimes it even grew larger.

The green gate, far more dangerous, which had no indicators. Anyone could wander into it unknowingly, but unlike the blue gate, they could not leave until the dungeon was cleared.

And the red gate, a city-wide catastrophe. It was a red gate that had once spewed forth a hundred thousand orcs, the same disaster his father had faced.

With these thoughts weighing on him, Godfrey left the terminal and boarded a taxi, which carried him toward his house. Almost everyone in Amazon City knew his street.

After a twenty-minute drive, he alighted before a massive black gate and high walls covered in lush artificial grass.

Lifting his gaze, he found himself staring at the white, two-storey building with vast glass walls and an aesthetic that would have turned the heads of any passerby.

With a beep, the gate slid open, and he stepped into the yard. Before him stretched a ten-foot-tall flower maze that spanned the width and length of the courtyard, the beautiful house lying just beyond.

It was an intimidating sight for most, but not for Godfrey. He had been navigating this maze since he could walk.

The public, as usual, had it wrong.

It wasn’t his father who had made the family rich with a gold-producing summon, the reverse was true. His father’s summon was the Gold-Eater Colossus, a creature that devoured gold in order to grow stronger.

It was his mother who had brought true wealth into the household. Her summon possessed the power to heal all kinds of illnesses and injuries. Even those without limbs had a chance of regrowth if they were treated with the healing water it produced.

As long as his mother lived, that water never lost its potency. Her summon was officially classified as high-tier, but its utility and value made it equal to, if not greater than, a lord-tier summon. The rich came from every corner of the world to beg for her aid.

Desperation, however, bred recklessness. More than once, intruders had tried sneaking into their compound. Hence the maze. After several people were found wandering lost for days within it, most had stopped trying.

Godfrey passed through the shifting maze with ease and emerged on the other side.

Inside, he entered a vast sitting room furnished with black sofas that contrasted beautifully with the pure white walls. At the window stood a brown-haired woman with her back to him. She wore an apron tied around her waist, oven mitts still covering her hands as she held a phone to her ear.

"Director, it’s my son," she said warmly. "He’s on his way here, and I want to surprise him. You know he’s been through a lot."

"Valentina, it’s already been a day!" came the thick, stern reply. "There are important people from across the world here at the hospital, summoners whose lives preserve thousands more. You can’t ignore them for a boy who isn’t even sick!"

Valentina frowned. "He’s my son."

"I’m not saying he isn’t. But you can’t take a week off. The mayor has already sent someone you need to attend to. I expect to see you in a few hours."

The call cut.

When Valentina turned, she froze. Godfrey stood in the doorway, his expression distorted. He had heard everything. With his sharpened senses, and the call set on speaker, how could he not?

"I don’t like how they use you," Godfrey said, his tone heavy.

Valentina softened, stepping close to caress his hair before placing a kiss on his forehead. "I prepared lunch, it’s your favourite."

Godfrey scoffed but reluctantly followed her.

After lunch, he escorted her outside with Victoria, the tall, suit-clad housekeeper whose trousers accentuated her long, powerful legs.

"Victoria, take care of him for me," Valentina said before stepping into her car. The maze shifted, opening a clear path for her departure.

Once she was gone, Godfrey returned to the dining room, Victoria quietly following.

"Will you still be eating?" she asked, gathering what remained of his lunch.

Godfrey shook his head, watching as she carried it away. He hated how his mother was being used, her summon reduced to a tool, her life dictated by others. It could take her days of constant care to regrow a man’s lost limb, and yet she was scheduled without rest, sometimes for months on end.

Was this her price for having a summon that could not fight? Was this why the authorities treated her like property while giving him special privileges, like enrolling in Manhattan without a summon?

Godfrey clenched his fist. His mother was not a slave. One day, everything would be on her terms. But for that, he had to become stronger.

With this thought in mind, he closed his eyes.

The next moment, he stood in his soul space. His eyes lit up at the familiar sight of the endless white staircase, it was still as mesmerizing as the first time.

He appeared in the first chamber, a wide hall of white stone. At its right end sat Mountain, resting upon a stone throne. His shield leaned against the left armrest, his longsword against the right.

When he noticed Godfrey, Mountain rose, armour creaking, before picking up his weapons and kneeling before him.

Godfrey placed a hand on the knight’s massive pauldron. "Stand up, Mountain."

The knight obeyed without hesitation.

Godfrey’s eyes wandered to the walls. Etched into the stone were drawings: a knight with sword and shield, and beside him, a creature resembling a chameleon, its body twisted with shifting colors. There were other drawings of the beast using the abilities of foes it faced, transforming from prey to predator on several occasions.

Ancient texts, unreadable to Godfrey, accompanied the mural, but the drawings alone told enough.

So that’s what it means... alchemically altered.

Mountain wasn’t just a human strengthened to slay beasts. He was the product of something far older, far stranger. The chameleon was a chimera, Mountain himself was a primal, but together, they were something impossible.

A hybrid.

A summon that could never exist naturally.

And ahead of him stood the second door, was it another hybrid?

....

A/N: I hope you enjoy this novel. Support by adding to your library and giving a power stone or two. Thank you.