【41】40
Chen Sia and Eliza widened their eyes.
“That’s strange. I’ve never heard of such a monster.”
“That’s correct. There are no Wyvern-type monsters.”
Warden added as Eliza nodded in agreement.
“It is indeed a monster. One of those monsters eradicated by the Great Heroes during the Era of Catastrophe. Why it has reappeared in this age remains a mystery.”
Hissing-!
Paphnir released its breath.
Dodging the attack effortlessly, Leo spoke.
“And that doesn’t quite seem normal, does it?”
“Indeed… It resembles the side effects when a monster is contracted.”
Eliza stroked her chin.
“Then we will need a strategy. Among us, I know the most about double familiars.”
Eliza stood tall and continued.
“Do you mean to follow my orders?”
“Not what I was thinking, but in essence, yes.”
“Hmph. Laughable.”
Warden chuckled coldly and urged his Griffin into a solo charge towards Riu.
Hissing! BOOM-!
An explosive attack fueled by spirits raged.
Observing this, Eliza clicked her tongue.
“Indeed, this human won’t listen. But you two, please follow my instructions.”
Chen Sia scratched her cheek.
“I agree that Eliza knows most about familiars among us. However, Lord Leo seems to know a lot about this monster, so it would be more sensible to follow Lord Leo’s orders.”
“Hmph, even if this person knows about monster information, I can give more appropriate instructions….”
“Where is this ‘command’ and ‘obey’ nonsense? It’s clear that we can’t synchronize properly in this state.”
Leo grabbed the reins of the Griffin.
“Just go with the flow of the situation and it should work.”
“Just a moment! Are you suggesting some reckless charge? Clearly, you’re not the one to give orders! As the main bloodline of the Hergen family…!”
Before Eliza could finish her sentence, Leo rushed towards Paphnir.
Following Leo, Chen Sia smiled apologetically and charged as well.
Eliza shuddered, trembling alone while muttering.
“I am of the Hergen family main bloodline! Do not ignore my words!”
With fiery eyes, Eliza also spurred her Griffin into action.
Hissing! BOOM!
A powerful explosion engulfed Paphnir.
Once the smoke cleared, Paphnir appeared unscathed.
“Haha… Hahahaha! Incredible! My familiar is truly amazing!”
Riu, who had been pale, broke into a joyous laugh.
“That’s it! With this, I can aim for the top in summoning studies… no! I can even represent the whole year! Yes! I am the best! I’ve always been the best! There’s no way I wouldn’t be the best!”
Clutching his fists, Riu burst into a manic laughter while Warden clicked his tongue.
“Seems like he’s completely lost it.”
“Looks like they’re having trouble too.”
At Leo’s words from the side, Warden sneered.
Goo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!
Behind Warden, a massive lump of earth began to form.
Leo’s eyes widened.
‘Golem magic incantation?’
A massive artificial creature created with magic.
By combining the incantation with earth spirits, a colossal elemental golem emerged.
‘This one’s a monster too.’
While Leo marveled.
The sight of the massive earth golem caused Riu’s face to turn pale once more.
BOOM!
A horrifying sound slicing through the air as the earth golem swung its arm.
“Escape! Get out of the way! Quickly!”
Terrified by the massive attack, Riu desperately issued commands.
However, Paphnir ignored Riu’s command.
KOOO-AH!
Instead, it let out a loud roar.
Just before the earth golem’s arm descended upon Paphnir, it dispersed, falling uselessly to the ground.
Warden blinked in surprise.
“Fear?”
A skill that emits a powerful aura, momentarily disrupting the flow of mana.
Instantly, the Griffins trembled with fear.
‘This Paphnir is a pup. ‘Fear’ is a skill that only adults can use!’
Leo frowned.
‘Even considering the abilities pulled out by the summoner, it doesn’t add up. This Riu’s skill is subpar… what’s going on here?’
Krii! Krii!
At that moment, Fiora in Leo’s inner pocket chirped irritably.
Grrr!
Paphnir’s bl**d-red eyes instantly turned toward Leo.
Ke-ee-aaaah!
It opened its mouth wide and rushed toward Leo.
Calmly soothing the trembling Griffin, Leo ascended skyward.
Warden caused a spirit explosion.
BOOM! BOOM!
Despite taking the full brunt of the explosion, Paphnir did not change its target.
As if they were sworn enemies, Paphnir wildly chased after Leo.
‘Is it sensing the phoenix’s energy?’
Phoenixes and monsters have opposing attributes.
Driven by that power, Paphnir revealed a fierce animosity.
“Leo Flove! Be prepared!”
‘The contractor’s sentiments seem to have influenced it.’
Leo glanced back.
The distance rapidly closed.
‘If it targets me alone, it might be easier to finish this surprisingly.’
Leo glanced at Fiora fussing in his arms, then tightened the reins of the Griffin.
Flap-!
Keeeeeiaaaak!
The Griffin roared as it flapped its wings powerfully, accelerating.
Keeeeeaaaak!
Paphnir screamed and pursued Leo at an alarming speed.
“Just a moment! Lord Leo! If you go too far away…!”
“Are you receiving some kind of familiars’ blessing? Why are you going alone? We should fight together—there’s not even enough of us!”
Chen Sia and Eliza were bewildered, trying to join in.
Leo and Riu rapidly disappeared from sight.
-Oh! What is happening here! Riu, why have you suddenly violated the rules…!
-Hey! Idiot! Is now the time to commentate?
Startled by the commentator Runba, Yura rushed and kicked his buttocks, snatching the microphone.
– Summoning study assistants! Prepare the flying familiars immediately! Emergency! The match is suspended!
Yura shouted loudly.
The students began to chatter as professors gathered around Yura.
“What’s wrong, Yura?”
Sedgen narrowed his eyebrows and asked, causing Yura to speak urgently.
“I don’t know exactly how this happened, but it’s certain that Seun Riu has contracted a monster!”
“What?”
The professors’ expressions immediately changed.
“Isn’t that strange? Seun Riu isn’t the type of student who would pull such a stunt!”
Pulling out a crystal orb from her bosom, Yura continued.
Though the audience magic screen had been turned off, the magical crystal in Yura’s possession kept broadcasting the video.
At Yura’s words, the homeroom teacher of Class 3 spoke seriously.
“Actually, throughout the semester, he did show signs of inferiority… However, the same could be said for other students. Things didn’t get this serious.”
All Lumeran freshmen feel a sense of inferiority at the beginning of the semester.
Having always been the best as children, they inevitably confront students better than themselves in Lumeran.
Some students recognize this and work harder; others refuse to accept it and grind their teeth.
Seun Riu belonged to the latter category of students.
However, as Yura had pointed out, he was not the type who would pull such an extreme stunt.
“Loss of anger control, loss of reason… The actions displayed by Riu are typical of someone who’s contracted a monster.”
The professors’ expressions hardened immediately.
“But a monster capable of affecting a summoner to this extent would be an upper-tier monster, wouldn’t it?”
Responding to Halind’s question, Sera, who had been staring blankly at the screen, cautiously spoke.
“Could the wyvern hybrid that Riu is riding be a monster?”
“…!”
“…!”
The professors jolted in shock.
“Surely… Can’t be…”
“Then it must be an unprecedented, unknown species of monster?”
Observing the agitated professors, Yura spoke.
“Right now, the most critical task is to intervene with Riu…”
At that moment, Riu started to chase Leo on-screen.
“Hold on! Hey! Leo, it’s dangerous to go alone! Quickly, switch the screen!”
Seeing Leo vanish at an alarming speed, Yura panicked.
The magic professor took the sphere hesitantly from Yura and attempted to manipulate it, but his face turned pale.
“It seems they’ve gone beyond the range of the magic.”
“Argh!”
Yura summoned a Black Wyvern using her magical energy.
“Assistants, let’s go! Find Leo and Riu students immediately!”
“Understood!”
Leo flew at an incredible speed, refining his senses.
‘The range of the video magic is no longer effective.’
Exiting the influence of the magic was not a mere coincidence.
It was Leo’s meticulous plan.
“Fiora.”
Chirp?
“It’s time to shine.”
Pulling out his familiar from his embrace, Leo grinned, sparking both aura and spirit energy simultaneously.
Hissing!
The feathers of Fiora began to catch fire.
Hissing loudly!
Each feather on Fiora, who was perched on Leo’s palm, stood tall.
Bemused by the change occurring in her body, Fiora opened her wings and turned her head about.
After a while, Fiora started to expand.
Hissing!
As her feathers burned ferociously, Fiora grew, reaching the size of Leo’s torso.
“Doesn’t this make you more like a phoenix?”
At Leo’s words, Fiora proudly lifted her head and elegantly settled on Leo’s forearm.
Fiora had shed her former image of a small red chick, taking on the beautiful form of a fiery bird.
Although she wasn’t yet an adult phoenix, she was emanating a strength far greater than before.
Chirp?
The phoenix familiar, who had shown hostility until recently, revealed a perplexed expression.
“Fly!”
At Leo’s command, Fiora flapped her wings and soared to the sky.
KOOOOAAACK!
Fiora ascended high into the sky, leaving a trail of flames.
Chirp! Chirp!
Rejoicing at her drastically transformed appearance, Fiora chirped.
‘She still chirps like a chick.’
While laughing, Leo noticed something unusual.
Soaring high, Fiora spread her wings and descended.
Hissing!
A more intense flame surged around her body.
Drawing out latent abilities of familiars was a summoner’s expertise.
However, Leo had an additional special ability: strengthening familiars using aura.
Familiars, beings filled with spirit energy, generally could not accept aura.
But Kyle managed to make it possible.
‘I was versatile but unable to reach the ultimate with any ability.’
Kyle had trailed behind Aron and Dwenno in aura capability, Luna in magic, and Lissinas in summoning.
That’s why Leo chose the fusion of abilities as his path:
Auras and magic.
Magic and spirit energy.
Spirit energy and auras.
If they couldn’t attain the ultimate individually, they had to make them similar.
To end the Era of Catastrophe, it was an absolute necessity.
But everyone, including his comrades, said it was impossible.
‘Once pure mana loses its form, it can’t be blended, they said.’
After endless attempts, Kyle succeeded, ascending to the ranks of the Great Heroes and saving the world alongside his companions.
Goo-o-o-o!
The aura wrapped itself around Fiora’s wings.
Wide-eyed, Fiora flapped her wings with even more excitement.
“Ch! What is this bird?”
An irritated Riu exclaimed.
“Destroy it!”
KOOOOAAACK!
Paphnir let out a monstrous roar.
Fiora then charged directly at Paphnir.
Clang-!
“Uh?”
Paphnir was repelled instantly, falling helplessly toward the ground.
Riu also plummeted to the ground, having seemingly lost consciousness from the impact.
“…”
Leo watched in shock as the graceful Fiora flew back toward him.
“What is this? How can she be so strong?”
By using spirit energy to unleash latent abilities and strengthening them with aura, that alone was enough to take down a Paphnir still in its infancy.
But just moments ago, Fiora’s power had far exceeded Leo’s expectations.
In his bewilderment, Leo noticed his aura within Fiora burning even more fiercely.
Leo looked at his palm.
‘The aura I’ve cultivated now belongs to the Zerdinger family. And the Zerdinger family’s aura originates from the power of the phoenix.’
Leo’s eyes sparkled.
‘If the phoenix flames have fused with each other, strengthening the power…?’
This was an effect Leo hadn’t anticipated.
‘Is there still a need to polish and enhance this?’
Just then Leo was thinking.
Flash!
The unconscious Paphnir’s eyes flashed.
Carrying Riu on its back, it flew toward Leo.
Facing Paphnir, Leo tensed.
“Who… are you?”
![[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1743806812-5548-TS-The-Protagonist-is-Conquered.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered")
