Chương 177: Lux Vult (7)

The Summoner outfit almost fit him. Composed of white and violet robes whose style reminded Simon of Fablan's eastern practices, with a red trouser-skirt hybrid held up by a black sash, it included various accessories such as beads incorporated into gloves, feathered brooches incorporated into his hair, and various golden ribbons. A splendid diadem shaped like an open eye merged with the rising sun sat on his forehead, the Summoner Crestone shining in its center.

And yet Simon couldn't shake the pervading feeling of wrongness in his body and soul. The Summoner didn't exactly reject him like the Paladin or Merchant, but it felt ill-fitting anyway. The Summoner: The binder of spirits, contractor of demons, and vessel of otherworldly powers, who borrows the power of mighty familiars to achieve miracles. Strength E, Vitality C, Agility D, Perception C, Magic S, Intelligence A, Charisma A, Luck C.

Innate Perk: Summon Eidolon (Active): You can channel a single eidolon you have contracted with as if you were a Visionary, manifesting an avatar to fight by your side. Innate Perk: Contract Master (Passive): You can form summoning contracts with any kind of extraplanar creatures, like eidolons, demons, qlippoths, or elementals as if you met the prerequisites.

Innate Perk: Breaching Legions (Passive): The Summoner's conjuration spells and abilities can breach through anti-teleportation effects and overpower dimensional boundaries on a successful magical check. Innate Perk: Planar Adaptation (Passive): You are at home in strange worlds beyond dimensional boundaries. Your Class outfit protects you from all harmful environmental effects from other planes you visit and will sustain you as if you were a native of that plane.

Level 1 Summoner Perk: Summoning Arts I (Passive): You can learn and cast Tier I spells of the Necromancy, Diabolism, Chronomancy, Astromancy, Conjuration, Ritual, Shamanism, and Prayer schools of magic.

"Isn't your husband dashing, Mother?" Norbelle asked her mother. The three of them had gathered atop one of Frightwall's towers alongside High Confessor Mastemo for an eidolon test, the pale Watermoon shining above their heads.

"You should keep him close, or someone will steal him away…"

"I trust he will think with the head on his shoulders rather than the one between his legs," Euphemia said icily. She had been in a vicious mood since the dinner concluded.

"Lest he lose both." Says the woman daydreaming about marrying one of my generals, Simon thought.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Norbelle–""With pleasure."

"–but a magical check is a clash between two spellcasters' powers, right?"

"Yes, a magical check is a contest of strength where the attacker must overcome the defender," Norbelle confirmed.

"The outcome is determined by their level difference, each individual's magic stat, buffs, and Perks. It's how I dismissed your dark eidolon during dinner."

"So there's a chance of failure," Simon concluded.

"If you're weak, yes." That didn't suit Simon well, especially since Silk had managed to escape a Domain whose holder was stronger than her, which meant the Rogue's ability to bypass magical protections was superior to the Summoner's. Still, Overlord had S-ranked magic and he was approaching level seventy, so he might be able to punch through Domains or similar effects… One thing after another, Simon thought.

For now, the purpose of this exercise was to see how his dark visionary powers interacted with the Summoner Class.

"Come to me, Carbuncle." He tried to call upon the Summoner's power to call Carbuncle to his side in his normal eidolon form… only for an error message to immediately pop up on his System screen. You have not formed a contract with this eidolon. Euphemia immediately guessed the issue.

"You cannot perform a normal summoning?"

"His Majesty's Overlord Class may be interfering," Mastemo suggested. Simon frowned in confusion at this turn of events before he realized the issue. He had formed a dark eidolon pact with Carbuncle, the Devil-Mirror, which was now engraved in the Abyss itself outside of time. However, an eidolon contract was beholden to the Worldsoul instead, and he hadn't signed any of those.

In short, he couldn't summon a normal eidolon without going through the standard procedure all Summoners and normal Visionaries had to go through, and he would likely need to consume Contract Master to become capable of doing that. Moreover, the Summoner Perk didn't mention dark eidolons, most probably because the concept didn't exist when the elves created the Crestones. He had to run a test. I'm sorry, Carbuncle, Simon thought as he steeled his resolve.

It displeased him to torment someone who had been kind to him in the past, but necessity called.

"When the curtain of darkness falls on a world devoid of light, the black mirror shall show your true self!" Simon chanted.

"Reveal thyself, Carbuncle the Devil-Mirror!" Then poor Carbuncle materialized once again, crouching in fear.

"Please, not again…" he pleaded with Simon as miasma began to consume him.

"I don't want your power… it feels so cold…"

"There's no helping it," Simon replied. The only options were Culebre, whom he intended to summon next anyway, and Vayan, who would immediately go on a rampage. I need your power to save your Sanctuary. It's a small price to pay to protect your home. Carbuncle covered his eyes in horror as he transformed into his mirror self, to Euphemia's disquiet, Norbelle's glee, and Mastemo's fascination. Simon expected another dreadful vision to follow his summoning, yet reality remained intact.

Did summoning Carbuncle once already allow the universe to recover? If so, then calling Culebre next might not end the reign on the spot as he feared…

"Incredible," the High Confessor said as he studied the mirror.

"I recall no records mentioning such a phenomenon."

"This is blasphemous, Your Excellency," Euphemia complained. Seeing eidolons so thoroughly corrupted seemed to rattle her to her core.

"The Light wouldn't tolerate this."

"Then how do you explain this?" Simon asked as he waved a hand at an empty spot.

"Lightstone, burn that which offends thee! Kindling!" A pillar of holy flames descended from the heavens, leaving Euphemia speechless and Mastemo rather pleased. As for Norbelle, she watched the fires die out with a pleased smirk.

"This is impossible…" Euphemia found herself speechless and stared at Simon as if he had grown a second head.

"How did you…"

"I do not know," Simon admitted.

"The Light Megalith answers my prayers, but only when I am not wearing the Overlord armor." He glanced at Mastemo.

"I was hoping you could enlighten me on that front."

"It is a most astonishing development, but I see it as a sign that the Dark serves the Light in its own way, and that your inheritance of the Overlord Class was preordained," Mastemo argued. He peeked into the mirror. His reflection showed a view of all of Brimir's people singing their praises to the Light in unison.

"Yes… why else would our most sacred Megalith dote on you as it does us, and then point you to ally with Her Grace against the heathen Louis? The Overlord is our god's instrument on earth, so that the wicked may know fear."

"Your light blinds you, Cleric of disaster," Carbuncle said.

"There is only one master of the world, and that is His Dark Majesty, lord of all he sees!"

"Certainly a tool such as yourself wouldn't see beyond your purpose," Mastemo replied dismissively.

"This might be the key to undoing the fratricidal schism that split us from our brothers across the Dragonsea." At least Carbuncle's vision confirmed that the High Confessor was every bit the devout fanatic he claimed to be. Not only was he unshaken by what he saw, but his reflection was just one worshipper among many. Mastemo would apparently be content as a normal citizen in the heaven he sought to create. This reassured Simon, in a way.

He had feared the demon inside him and his association with the Cobweb meant he was under fiendish influence, but he appeared painfully honest in his aims: to convert all people on Brimir to the worship of the Light. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Simon also noticed he had taken the discovery that the Overlord could use Light Megalith Prayers far more calmly than the last time, probably because he hadn't yet glimpsed at Abraxas and since Simon had been honest with him from day one. Still, he wasn't sure if he should share his suspicions about the power actually granting his Prayers. He doubted Mastemo would believe him, and the people of Lore wouldn't tolerate him examining the Light Megalith.

"Let's see what you will surprise me with…" Norbelle moved in front of Carbuncle, but her reflection was black like a starless night.

"Mirror, mirror, show me my heart's desire."

"I will not," Carbuncle replied.

"What?" Norbelle pouted in disappointment.

"Why?"

"Because it would offend the master." The dark eidolon of unpleasant truths marked a short pause before adding,"Pervert."

"One day, I will bind you myself and then you will learn manners, one polish at a time." Norbelle turned back to Simon.

"What are you waiting for? You said you could summon another of these creatures. Did you dare lie to your little sister?"

"I'm the very picture of honesty," Simon replied as he gathered his breath. Here it comes.

"When silence offers no respite, death's trumpets shall herald your end! Sing my praise, Culebre Chainpiper!" A great pressure fell upon his shoulder as the Abyss attempted to fulfill his contract with it. The Summoner Crestone suddenly became quite heavy to wear, miasma pouring out of it. A headache as terrible as the one which struck him when he wore the Minotaur Crown a few reigns back struck him. He sensed a new connection open up, one that used his Class rather than himself as a focus.

Culebre's slimy, sleeping form materialized in front of him, to the shock and surprise of all witnesses.

"Huh?" Culebre awoke from his nap, right as miasma began to consume him whole.

"Huh, where am I? Is it feeding time agai–" Culebre transformed into the darkest version of himself in a raging cacophony, and so did the universe. Shadows covered the world and blanketed the sky in a pitch-black night kept alight by blue auroras. Frightwall's lake turned into a sea of ice, and Marthrone became a gloomy mockery of its former self; a silent ruin whose houses' windows glowed with otherworldly light, its streets quiet and empty.

Norbelle had become a frozen corpse wailing into infinity, while Mastemo had grown black wings; his Water-Carrier crystal growing out of his mirror mask like a tumor. His maniacal laugh rang louder and louder. Euphemia was the most terrifying. She had become the same kind of pale ghost as Anna, clad in a twisted parody of her Judge outfit.

Her wings were black and their feathers razor-sharp, her blindfold was gone to reveal three pits weeping tears of molten metal, and her crown was made of thorns nailed to her skull. She shrieked at him with all the anguish of the dead, and then reality snapped back to normal without ending the reign. Voice of the Damned and Twisted Reflection Auspices have been activated! Simon found himself facing not one, but two dark eidolons… and collapsing to his knees in front of them.

"Master!" both of his summons said as they rushed to his side in concern.

"It's…" Simon grit his teeth, the strain so great he struggled to string two words together.

"Connection… too much!" Even with the Summoner Class helping him, sustaining two dark eidolons at once was about as exhausting as maintaining an out of control Storm-Father Vayan. He was like a pipe struggling not to break from the ocean of pressurized miasma pouring through him to sustain his servants.

"Yes, it does take a bit of training before you get used to maintaining two eidolons at once," Norbelle said with a wide smirk. She had, of course, failed to mention that detail.

"Practice makes perfect."

"Enough of this," Euphemia decided, while Mastemo held his mask as if suffering from a headache.

"Simon, dismiss one before you pass out."

"Y… yes…" Simon focused on Culebre.

"Dis… dismiss!" The Chainpiper dissipated back into the miasma that created him, and Simon gasped in relief as his mind suddenly cleared. He gasped for air.

"Such power…" Mastemo said after shaking his head. He seemed to have recovered too.

"I could feel it in my bones and soul…."

"You could have warned me!" Simon complained to Norbelle.

"What would it have changed? You would have tried anyway." His sister lovingly pecked him on the forehead.

"Don't worry, Simon, it's nothing we cannot solve. You'll become the world's second strongest eidolon master before you know it."

"Are you sure you're even the first?" Simon grunted back. For all he knew, Elios Magnos had lost none of his gifts in undeath.

"Simon, is that a challenge?" Norbelle stroked his cheek.

"You'll have to flatter me more if you want my knowledge. You're going to be my stepfather soon, and I thrive on parental approval…"

"Enough, Norbelle," Euphemia chastised her.

"What did you see?"

"Besides the fact that Simon has pisspoor miasma control?" Norbelle shrugged.

"What he does is channel an enormous amount of miasma into his summoned eidolons through the summoning bond in order to cause a resonance empowering the creature beyond its normal limits. I'm sure I can do it too, given time."

"You… can?" Simon inquired.

"Of course I can do it too. I'm a Darkblood and a real Visionary." Which she never got bored of boasting about.

"My only issue is that you can naturally channel that much miasma because the Overlord is a vessel of the Abyss' power. I'll have to use my own miasma reserves, and that will take a lot of practice." Simon wondered why she hadn't learned about the reigns' existence if she could indeed summon dark eidolons, before realizing he was approaching the problem the wrong way. Unlike her half-brother, Norbelle had normal Visionary abilities on top of her Darkblood, and eidolons were creatures of the Worldsoul.

The System likely defaulted to 'standard' options when she interacted with them because an abyssal pact was utterly unnatural. In short, Norbelle only really formed standard eidolon contracts engraved in the Worldsoul. She might be able to form an abyssal pact, but only if she learned the option was even possible; and it wasn't even guaranteed since she lacked Simon's innate connection to the Abyss. He sensed icy fingers on his throat, warning him not to give too much away or he would suffer the consequences.

Either way, he had confirmed that he could indeed summon two dark eidolons at once, and thus channel their Auspices. It hadn't ended the reign either, though Simon was beginning to suspect what caused those visions. A dark eidolon's summoning shook reality because it violated causality. It introduced a time paradox in a deterministic universe, since Simon called a creature he had never contracted with in the current timeline. This briefly destabilized time and let him see a glimpse of…

he wasn't sure yet, but something awful. A dark truth hidden behind the hundred reigns' curtain. He could tell he was getting a glimpse of the truth each time he violated causality or ended up struck by the Mana Sword, yet those visions didn't last. Mardok's warnings rang true: unlocking and mastering Dark Visionary powers were two very different things. Lady Junon had suggested he try to unlock his Remembrances by connecting with his predecessors.

Repeating the Dark Visionary ritual while tying it to the previous Overlords might let him pierce the veil keeping the truth of the reigns hidden from him, and maybe help him channel two eidolons without the mental strain… He had to do some research. It's nothing I can't solve with practice, Simon thought as he grabbed the Summoner Crestone. Being capable of summoning up to two allies in battle, no matter the reign, was simply too good to pass up." Devour Crestone."

His shadows consumed the Summoner Crestone and feasted on its spirit. He didn't receive any experience from this act—likely because he had already consumed many Noble Classes already—but memories did flood his mind. He found himself in the ruins of a crumbling castle whose roof had collapsed on itself. Elios stood by his side alongside a hooded Rogue, surrounded by corpses. Their foe knelt in front of them, clutching his crystal even as his body slowly decomposed into miasma.

He hadn't much changed from the present day, being still a faceless man whose subtly wrong appearance unnerved all onlookers. Valravn.

"It's over, Uncanny Twins," Simon said, though his voice belonged to a woman.

"You've lost."

"Shortsighted mortals… fear can never die." The dying demon raised a finger at his slayers.

"Helel will kill your sleeping beauty of a goddess, and then she'll bring me back with a wave of her hand…"

"Your mistress will never reach the Mana Goddess' cradle," Elios replied.

"Your efforts will be for naught."

"We shall see about that… Helel is not like us… she's unstoppable." Valravn turned his faceless visage at a lacerated corpse. A familiar Crestone glowed in its severed hand.

"That Ranger of yours… the elf who wielded his Crestone before him was the better swordsman… did Mithras kill him?" Elios scowled.

"Erlking retired and entrusted his Crestone to his successor."

"Of course he did… right on time too… else he would have probably died to me today." Valravn chuckled darkly.

"Fortuitous timing… don't you think?" Elios bristled.

"What are you implying?"

"Don't listen to him, Elios," Simon said, magic coursing through his eyes.

"He's deceit made flesh, and all his words are lies!"

"You blind sheep… you still don't see the strings that pull you?" Valravn said, miasma pouring out of his skin.

"You've spent centuries waging this war… We've slaughtered you and so many of your kindred, piling human bodies upon bodies, and yet during all this time…" Valravn's whisper of a laugh echoed long after his body crumbled to dust.

"How many elves have actually died fighting us?" The vision faded away, the memories filling Simon with a new power. Innate Perk: Summon Dark Eidolon (Active): You can summon one additional dark eidolon to serve you. Interesting. Simon knew Devour Crestone somewhat adapted the Perks, since Inventory scaled with Overlord levels rather than Merchant ones, but it was the first time it changed one's name.

He guessed that summoning normal eidolons might be entirely impossible for him due to his connection with the Abyss. And what should I make of that vision? Simon wondered. He knew better than to believe anything Valravn said after having been betrayed by him so many times, and he had been clearly trying to sow distrust in the Noble Heroes' hearts, but Simon suspected his words had succeeded in instilling doubt in his ancestor. Doubts that Mardok had no doubt exploited later on.

Odd that the Noble Crestones keep showing me information related to Elios… are they trying to tell me something?

"I hope you enjoyed stealing your dear sister's birthright, because I'll never let you borrow it again," Norbelle said as she plucked a Vassal Crestone from her robes—the Druid, from what he had gathered—and then used Noble Refinement to transform it into the Summoner.

"Unless you marry me, of course, because then what's yours is mine…"

"What is wrong with you, Norbelle?" her mother wondered out loud.

"I should never have allowed your father within ten feet of you…"

"Mother, I'm just trying to spare you a marriage you don't want by making a personal sacrifice," Norbelle replied with a falsely innocent smile.

"Besides, imagine the children Simon and I would have. Pure-blooded, blonde, magically perfect… Visionaries."

"The princess is not entirely wrong," Mastemo commented, though he quickly clarified his thoughts when he noticed Euphemia's horror.

"While I will never celebrate an incestuous wedding, Your Grace's union with His Majesty—that of the Light and Darkness—would no doubt yield powerful offspring."

"Two talented children were enough, Your Excellency." Euphemia met her daughter's gaze.

"Since Cocagne will send a delegation to the coronation and festival, you are free to stay here and leave with them."

"Fine by me," Norbelle replied.

"Queen Remedia won't bring her son and husband with her to Frightwall, so it will be an extended vacation." Simon froze.

"Remedia is coming?"

"I have foreseen that she will, though it's quite risky for her to leave her country for Frightwall." Norbelle maliciously grinned at Simon.

"She must have something very important to discuss with our new Overlord…"