Theo scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.
’’Seems like I have a lot of explaining to do,’’ he said.
Elise’s gaze remained fixed on the little Galehorn Unicorn, who was now casually flying around the room.
’’Please...’’
Taking a deep breath, Theo began recounting what had happened inside the summoning dimension.
He explained how the ritual had unfolded, how an Ancient Wind Kirin had answered the call, and how he had somehow managed to form a contract with it.
Naturally, he left out a few details here and there, such as its true power and the birth of another Kirin.
After Theo finished speaking, the room fell completely silent.
Elise didn’t even know what to say.
Instead, she simply stood there, staring at the Galehorn Unicorn as she processed everything.
The tiny unicorn calmly floated through the air, occasionally glancing around the room with quiet curiosity.
Finally, Elise let out a slow breath.
’’This... is amazing,’’ she said, looking back at Theo. ’’Congratulations, you really succeeded.’’
Whether it was his Wind Kirin, the successful summoning ritual, or even the fact that he was already halfway to the Gold Core stage... all of them were simply unbelievable.
Theo only smiled.
Seeing his reaction, Elise couldn’t help but laugh.
She slowly shook her head before her expression gradually turned serious once more.
’’If it worked for you,’’ she asked carefully. ’’Do you think it’d work for me?’’
Theo pressed his lips together.
He hadn’t actually thought about that before.
’’I don’t see why it wouldn’t,’’ he said slowly. ’’It worked perfectly for me after all.’’
He lowered his gaze toward the little Galehorn Unicorn.
’’What do you think?’’
The little unicorn slowly drifted to a stop in midair.
Its calm emerald eyes settled on Elise for several long moments.
Finally, it spoke up without hesitating.
’’Provided she fulfills the necessary conditions, there’d be no problem.’’
A flicker of light flashed through Elise’s eyes.
Theo tilted his head slightly.
’’What conditions?’’
The unicorn immediately drifted over on its emerald cloud and pressed a hoof against Theo’s chest.
’’Carving the summoning circle on the heart,’’ it said, bouncing away again. ’’And enduring the pain that comes with it.’’
Its gaze slowly landed on Elise again, studying her carefully.
’’Your potential is already sufficient. Your soul is also sufficiently resilient.’’
’’Should you prepare as thoroughly as my contractor did, your chances of success are high.’’
Elise’s breathing grew slightly heavier.
Years had gone by since she’d broken through to the Diamond Core stage.
All that time, it felt like she’d been crawling forward while cultivating, like she simply wasn’t talented enough.
Now, with her age slowly approaching its prime, where everything would only go downhill... a chance had finally shown up.
She glanced between Theo and the unicorn.
’’How do I carve the summoning circle?’’ she asked immediately.
The little unicorn remained silent for a moment, its gaze falling on Theo.
But Theo also didn’t know!
’The system carved mine,’ he thought. ’And I’ve only skimmed over the carving section inside the summoning manuscript.’
’’Uhm,’’ he muttered, scratching his head. ’’I barely managed to do it myself.’’
Elise’s face fell slightly.
Without hesitating, Theo pulled the summoning book from behind his back.
’’But you can always learn it from here,’’ he continued, smiling.
Elise accepted the manuscript with both hands.
Her fingers gently brushed across its cover before she carefully opened it.
Finally, she glanced back at Theo with a warm smile, one he’d never seen before.
’’Thank you,’’ she said sincerely.
Theo simply continued smiling.
’’You don’t have to make such a big deal out of it,’’ he said. ’’Just think of it as me paying you back a little for everything you’ve taught me.’’
Staring at Theo silently for several moments, Elise nodded once.
She took a deep breath before storing the manuscript away.
’’I’ll study it thoroughly,’’ she said. ’’Once I understand it... I’ll try to perform it.’’
Theo nodded seriously.
The little Galehorn Unicorn also gave a small nod.
’’Should questions arise that the manuscript cannot answer, I shall provide guidance.’’
With that, the conversation came to an end.
Only a few minutes later, Theo and his summon stood outside.
The sun stood high in the sky, a pleasant warmth washing over them.
’’Take some rest when you’re home,’’ Elise said from behind. ’’But first... enjoy your first ride.’’
Theo glanced back with a smile and nodded once.
’’Will do.’’
Beside him, the little Galehorn Unicorn began glowing brightly.
Its size slowly increased, growing until it was roughly one and a half times the size of a horse.
Even so, it did not change its form back to that of a Kirin.
Without a moment of hesitation, Theo climbed onto its back, gripping its mane tightly.
’’Are you ready, contractor?’’ its voice echoed through his mind.
’’Yes,’’ Theo responded lightly. ’’Let’s go.’’
The Galehorn Unicorn gently spread its wings.
WHOOSH!
A powerful gust of wind swept across the courtyard, causing Theo’s clothes to flutter wildly.
For a brief moment, the summon remained perfectly still.
Then, it shot into the sky.
’’Whoa!’’
Theo instinctively tightened his grip as the wind roared past his ears.
The ground rapidly shrank beneath them.
After nearly half a minute, the entire estate had become a small speck below them.
Theo couldn’t help but look around.
The large forests covering the mountains, rivers shimmering under the sunlight, even the city far in the distance... everything looked ten, no, a hundred times better.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
’’This is it,’’ he muttered. ’’Truly incredible!’’
The Galehorn Unicorn didn’t answer immediately.
It glanced back toward the ground one final time, a faint smile in its emerald eyes.
’A small repayment,’ it thought. ’May the fortunes bless you.’
Far below, the last traces of emerald mana quietly settled around Elise before fading from sight.
Finally, it continued climbing until they rose above the clouds, revealing the beautiful open sky.
The roaring wind gradually died down.
Theo slowly loosened his grip on the unicorn’s mane.
The world beneath them had almost completely disappeared behind the sea of clouds.
For several moments, he simply stared ahead.
The endless blue sky... for some reason, it resonated deeply with him.
’No obstacles, nothing,’ he thought, closing his eyes. ’Just complete freedom.’
A quiet chuckle suddenly echoed through his mind.
’’Does it meet your expectations, contractor?’’
Theo opened his eyes and chuckled.
’’Definitely. It’s been a dream to fly freely like this.’’
The answer seemed to please his summon as it simply let the wind carry them forward.
Finally, it turned its head slightly.
’’Where shall we go, contractor?’’
Theo remained silent for a moment, still smiling.
’’Home.’’
The Galehorn Unicorn gave a quiet nod.
Together, they disappeared into the clouds.