Boundless Evolution: The Summoning Beast
Chapter 56: Summoning Contract Signed

Chapter 56: Summoning Contract Signed

Bennet gave a firm nod in return, "Good. Then we will conduct the contract now."

Saying this, he pushed himself off from the desk and moved towards the centre of the study.

With a practised grip, Bennet grasped the edge of the heavy carpet covering the study floor and pulled it back, the fabric folding over itself with a soft rustle as it revealed what was under it.

Beneath it, the faint outlines of what looked like an old summoning circle lay etched into the cold stone, its intricate markings dulled by time but still unmistakable.

The sight of it carried weight- this was not some hastily drawn sigil, but an ancient contract site that any bystander, from one glance, could tell it had a great and long history.

Bennet then walked back to his desk and retrieved a small container from one of the drawers, its lid opening with a soft metallic click.

Inside, a fine silver powder shimmered and with a deep breath Bennet dipped two fingers into the powder before making his way to the vague circle and began to trace the lines, reinforcing the long-faded symbols with renewed clarity.

Ash’s eyes traced the intricate patterns, his gaze narrowing as he noticed something particular in the circle. Within the two outer layers of the delicate lunges of the summoning circle, there were small, engraved figures, subtle yet distinct.

They weren’t mere decorative carvings- they were inscriptions of... summons?

His fail flicked as he crouched down, getting a better look at the figures. Some depicted large beasts, others more humanoid forms.

And among them, his eyes caught a particular carving- a sleek, poised cheetah, captured mid-motion as if frozen in time. There was an undeniable familiarity to it, a connection forming in his mind as he recognised it.

’This one... was Darius’s summon?’ he asked, glancing up at Bennet who had just about finished writing out the whole circle.

Dusting the excess powder from his fingers, Bennet gave a slow nod, "Yes. That was his partner, Lux- loyal, fierce, and carried the Valen name with honour."

He then gestured to all the other depictions of beasts and spoke, "This circle has been used for countless generations by my family, and each summon that you see here swore loyalty to House Valen and became the family summon, thus leaving their mark here. Yours will join them soon."

Ash’s gaze narrowed with curiosity as he observed the past summons of the Valen family, ’And this cannot just be broken?

Bennet met his eyes and nodded, "Only under extreme circumstances. A family contract is stronger than an individual pact. It can only be undone by either mutual agreement or the complete dissolution of the Valen bloodline."

Ash nodded before stepping forward in the circle, ’Let’s get this over with.’

Bennet straightened his postures as he took in a slow inhale. He raised his hand as he circulated the aether in his body and a faint glow began to emanate from his palm. The aether swirled around his fingertips, bright yet controlled, raw energy pooling in his grasp like liquid light.

Then, Bennet bent down as he reached out and touched the very top of the summoning circle with his glowing finger. The response was immediate.

A sharp pulse rippled through the room as the circle came to life. The once-faded lines that had been re-outlined by the silver powders began to ignite and glow in cascading waves of silver and blue energy, spreading outwards onto the whole circle like veins of molten metal.

The figures of past summons, once still and unassuming, shimmered to life, their engravings illuminated as if acknowledging the ritual in progress. The inscriptions flickered briefly, and Ash could swear he felt something- a lingering presence, echoes of those who had stood here before him.

Bennet’s voice then rang clear in the enclosed space, "Ash, do you accept this contract to bind yourself to House Valen? To serve, to protect, to grow, and stand as an extension of our family?"

Ash hesitated only for a breath before answering, ’I do.’

A swirling current of Aether wrapped around Ash, weaving itself through his very essence like invisible threads of energy. He felt the magic burrow deep, intertwining with something primal inside him, as though it was not just binding him, but acknowledging him. The connection with House Valen was unlike anything he had experienced before—powerful, yet oddly reassuring.

It wasn’t chains shackling him, forcing obedience. No, this was something more. A tether, strong yet flexible, securing him to a place without trapping him. It carried weight, a sense of belonging he had never expected. And with it came something else—awareness. He could feel the faint presence of Bennet and the Valen family in his mind, distant yet unmistakable, like echoes of a bond just formed.

Aether surged outward, the circle’s glow intensifying before finally settling into a soft shimmer. The contract was complete.

Bennet stepped back, exhaling slightly. "It is done. Welcome to House Valen, Ash, the fifteenth House Summon."

Ash flexed his fingers, feeling the residual energy still tingling through his body. A faint warmth spread across his chest, and as he glanced down, he noticed something new—etched faintly into his fur, just above his heart, was an insignia. A crest resembling a curved silver blade intertwined with a crescent moon. It pulsed subtly, as though acknowledging its connection to House Valen.

A strange sensation stirred in his core. He could feel something threading through his Aether, a link that hadn’t existed before. It wasn’t a restriction, but an awareness—a tether stretching across the vast distance between himself and the Valen family. Even now, in the quiet of the study, he could faintly sense Bennet’s presence, a distant anchor in the depths of his soul.

’Feels... different,’ Ash murmured, as he also saw his figure appear among the figures of the other previous summons.

Bennet gave a knowing nod. "Because it is. You’re not a simple summon anymore—you are part of something larger."

[Ding! System Update: Summoning Contract Established.]

[Contract type: House Summon Contract Detected]

[New Signature Ability Unlocked: Realm Passage]

[Realm Passage (Unranked):

Freely traverse between Aegaryn and Terranis at will and arrive at placed arrival points (0/1). (1000AP) (Casting time: 30 seconds)]

[New Trait Unlocked: House Valen’s Bond]

[House Valen’s Bond (Unranked):

Permanently linked to House Valen, allowing a deep instinctual awareness of its members. Members: Bennet, Seraphina, Lucas.]

Ash blinked, the information settling in as he adjusted to the presence of something new within him. It wasn’t just a physical mark or a verbal agreement- this contract had given him a link, a living connection to the family he had just sworn himself to.

He could sense them.

Not through words or Aether manipulation, but through something deeper, something instinctual. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, and there it was—something like a faint pulse, the tether between him and the Valens, like strands of woven silk tying him to their presence.

His attention shifted to the new ability pulsing in his mind—Realm Passage. The knowledge of how to use it was there, woven into his very being. He could feel it like an open door, waiting to be stepped through. He could go back to Aegaryn.

The realization struck him hard, sending a surge of confusion through his body. His entire existence had been shaped by being summoned, controlled, or pulled between realms by forces outside of his will. But now? Now, he had the power to move between worlds on his own terms.

His ears twitched as he turned to Bennet, ’Summons... they aren’t supposed to be able to come and go as they please, right?’

Bennet leaned back slightly, considering his words before nodding. "Correct. A summon can only enter this world when called upon by a summoner. Once here, they may stay indefinitely depending on the aether in the family member who summons it. But never has a summon been able to cross freely on their own. The summoner is always the gatekeeper to Terranis. In regards to the other way around, summons can freely cancel the summoning to return to Aegaryn provided that they have accomplished the needs of the summoner."

Ash’s tail flicked, absorbing the information, "So that means... even if a summon wanted to return to Terranis, they’d have to wait for a summoner to bring them back?"

"Exactly," Bennet’s gaze was sharp.

Ash let the words settle in, the weight of this newfound power pressing against his mind, exciting him to try it out as soon as possible. But at the same time, a tide of thoughts rose in his mind, flooding it faster than he could settle them.

Would this make him an anomaly? Would others fear him, try to control him, or worse, seek to understand how he had broken the rules?

His tail flicked, ears twitching as the excitement of this new skill warred with the cautious instincts carved into him by past experience.