[The first summon holds significance within your class. Be mindful and Prove your Worth.]

  A sense of unease tugged at Jalen’s thoughts. He hadn’t heard of the system harming players during the tutorial, but everything about this experience felt too intense, almost as if the system itself was watching him. He exhaled, grounding himself. “System, don’t tell me I have to wrestle this little guy to prove my worth,” he muttered, trying to shake off the tension. The salamander simply wandered around, padding softly across the stone floor before curling beside the podium as if it had always belonged there.

  The creature observed him with quiet curiosity, those golden eyes wide and unblinking. Despite its small size, he could sense the potential energy simmering within, a reservoir of fire waiting to be unleashed. It was more than just a creature; there was a connection there, a mutual awareness he hadn’t anticipated.

  “Hey there, buddy,” he said softly, crouching down to the salamander’s level, hand extended. “What’s your story?”

  The salamander hesitated, lifting its head and sniffing his fingers with a cautious curiosity. Then, it nudged his palm with a warmth that went beyond the physical, an impression of loyalty, companionship, and an unspoken sense of protectiveness that went deeper than he’d anticipated. He felt their bond settle, a tether of mana linking them.

  [First Elementary Spirit Familiarity Gained: Fire Salamander]

  [Your spirit’s bond with you will deepen with frequent interaction. Bonds may influence its abilities and synchronicity with your class.]

  Jalen felt a swell of satisfaction as he traced the salamander’s scales with his fingers. “What does it mean, ‘influenced by our bond?’” he wondered aloud.

  Then a soft, timid voice echoed in his mind, catching him off guard. “Hello?”

  Jalen’s hand froze, his breath catching as he processed what he’d just heard. “You… you can talk?” he asked, almost in a whisper, as if a louder tone would shatter the moment.

  The salamander tilted its head, looking as surprised as he felt. “I… I think so?” The voice was soft, hesitant, like a whisper testing the boundaries of silence. “Where am I? And… who am I? I don’t remember… but somehow, I remember you.”

  The creature’s words jolted Jalen from his expectations. A lesser elemental spirit, especially one as low-tier as a salamander, should be mindless, limited to simple commands. And yet here it was, speaking to him, expressing confusion, even a glimmer of familiarity. He was suddenly grateful he hadn’t skipped the system’s prompt earlier about their bond—it was clearly more intricate than he’d anticipated.

  “How… How do you even…” he stammered, trailing off as he looked into its eyes. Its gaze was intelligent, perceptive, even if tinged with uncertainty. The fire elemental curled around his leg, its warmth seeping through his clothes.

  As if sensing his unease, the system chimed in once more:

  [First Familiar Evolution Completed: Flame Spirit Salamander]

  [The first summon has evolved beyond its original form, gaining intelligence, strength, and the ability to communicate effectively.]

  [Note: As your bond deepens, cards will gain new abilities and grow with you.]

  Jalen took a moment to absorb this. “Alright,” he said finally, smiling at the salamander. “I guess you’re not just any spirit. How about a name?” He thought for a moment, then offered, “How about Ember?”

  The salamander blinked, considering, before nodding. “Ember,” it repeated in that soft, timid voice. “Yes… I like that.”

  Jalen felt a spark of pride. “Welcome to the team, Ember.” He crouched to meet Ember’s gaze. “How about a test? Can you make the flame in your mouth brighter? Just enough to light the room?”

  Ember nodded, parting its jaws slightly. A small, steady flame blossomed from its mouth, casting a soft, warm glow over the stone chamber. It was controlled, gentle, more a flicker of warmth than a destructive blaze.

  Then the system chimed in with new prompts:

  [First Familiar Evolution Completed: Ember the Fire Salamander]

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  [Note: The first summon is marked by a unique bond and has evolved into a familiar. As a familiar, it will grow stronger over time, gaining new abilities as your bond deepens.]

  [Conditions for Ember’s Next Evolution:

  ?0/100 enemies defeated

  ?1/15 summonings completed]

  Jalen gestured toward the nearest system dummy, a simple humanoid figure constructed of straw and wood. Ember followed his gaze, tilting his head as though calculating the request. His golden eyes flickered, flames dancing faintly within.

  “Like this?” Ember asked tentatively, his voice soft but curious.

  Jalen nodded, crouching beside him to explain further. “Yes, focus on the flame inside you, Ember. Picture it leaving your body, aiming for that dummy over there. Don’t worry about getting it perfect. Just give it a shot—literally.”

  Ember straightened, his small frame seeming to draw in the ambient energy around him. The warmth radiating from his body intensified as he opened his mouth. He seemed to grow larger to the size of a wolf before releasing a large fireball.

  The fireball streaked through the air, its brightness casting sharp shadows against the chamber walls. It hit the dummy dead center, exploding into a brief, fiery bloom. The straw figure was incinerated almost instantly, leaving behind a smoldering husk of charred wood and ash. The heat washed over Jalen, but it was oddly tempered—warm, but not scorching, as if Ember was instinctively protecting him from the full brunt of his power.

  Ember blinked, stepping back, his flames dimming slightly as he shrank back down to his smaller form. “Did I… do okay?” he asked, his voice uncertain.

  Jalen let out a low whistle, his lips curving into a grin. “Okay? Ember, that was incredible! You’ve got some serious power in you.”

  The salamander perked up at the praise, his tail swishing in slow, fiery arcs. “I felt… strong. Like the flame wanted to listen to me. But it’s still hard to aim,” he admitted, lowering his head slightly.

  “Don’t worry,” Jalen assured him, placing a hand on the salamander’s warm back. “That’s what training is for. You’ll get better with practice. And trust me, we’re just getting started.”

  The system chimed in again:

  ? 1/100 enemies defeated]

  ? 1/15 summonings completed]

  The system’s prompts lingered in Jalen’s mind as he glanced at the smoldering remains of the straw dummy. Ember, now circling him with a faint glow of pride, was proving to be more than he could have hoped for. The little salamander’s curiosity seemed endless, its wide golden eyes scanning the room as if hungry for more challenges.

  “One down, ninety-nine to go,” Jalen muttered under his breath, his tone both amused and determined. Ember tilted his head, the faint ember-like flicker of his tail casting soft shadows.

  “Ninety-nine?” the salamander asked, his voice tinged with concern. “That’s… a lot.”

  Jalen chuckled and crouched beside him again. “It’s not about how many we take down, Ember. It’s about growing stronger with every step. Every flame you unleash gets sharper, brighter, and more precise. We’re in this together.”

  That reassurance seemed to calm the salamander, who gave a firm nod. “Together,” Ember echoed, his voice small but resolute. The simple word sent a ripple of warmth through Jalen, more profound than any system feedback.

  The chamber shimmered faintly as new dummies materialized—five this time, evenly spaced around the circular room. Each one seemed slightly sturdier than the last, their wooden frames reinforced with strips of metal. Above them, the system projected an instruction:

  [Test of Precision and Coordination: Destroy all targets without damaging the surrounding area.]

  Jalen raised a brow. “Looks like the system’s raising the stakes already. You ready, Ember?”

  The salamander took a step forward, his tail flicking behind him. “I’ll try,” he said, his voice carrying a quiet determination.

  Jalen knelt beside him again, his hand resting lightly on Ember’s back. “Let’s break this down. You don’t need to incinerate them like before. Try smaller bursts—aim for the wooden sections and avoid the metal reinforcements. Think of it like… threading a needle with fire.”

  Ember looked up at him, his golden eyes narrowing in concentration. “Smaller bursts… Okay.” He padded forward, his small form suddenly radiating a controlled intensity. The flames along his body flickered as he opened his mouth, gathering energy into a tiny, concentrated orb of fire.

  The first fireball launched, no bigger than Jalen’s fist. It sailed through the air with precision, striking the first dummy square in its wooden chest. The flames burned brightly for a moment. Before fizzing out the system gave an important piece of information.

  (Dummies are immune to fire under tier 2. Try another way.)

  Jalen blinked as the system prompt floated before his eyes, glowing with a faintly smug hue. “Immune to fire? Seriously?” he muttered, glancing at Ember. The salamander looked equally perplexed, his fiery tail dimming slightly as his head tilted.

  “I… can’t burn them?” Ember asked, his voice laced with confusion. “But I’m a fire spirit. What else am I supposed to do?”

  Jalen rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The system’s challenges weren’t just about brute strength—they were tests of creativity and adaptability. He’d have to think outside the box. Standing, he began pacing, his boots echoing faintly on the stone floor as he examined the dummies. Each was reinforced with bands of metal, glinting dully under the chamber’s light. The wood was likely standard, but the metal was the key. It had to mean something.

  “The system slapped me on the face with the solution. I swear it was getting tired of me. Use melee attacks or summon a different elemental creature. You are a deck master not a summoner.”

  Jalen stared at the system prompt, its words taunting him with their smug clarity. A deck master, not a summoner. The reminder stung, but it also forced him to refocus. His class wasn’t about relying solely on one companion—it was about adapting, strategizing, and using everything at his disposal.

  But he had nothing else in his arsenal. Not yet. Just Ember, the fiery salamander who had already given his all. And now they were facing dummies immune to fire.