The participants who won their battles Kai, Kira, and Aldrich all stepped into the door that appeared before them. They had successfully completed their task at the Tournament Realm. Each and every one of them had proven their worth through blood and battle.
The moment they walked through the golden door, everything changed. The world around them shifted.Reality bent and reshaped itself and then they were separated.
Aldrich found himself standing alone in a completely different space. The ground beneath his feet was smooth. Like glass. But it wasn't glass. It was something else. Something that reflected light in strange ways.
The sky above him was not a sky at all. It was a void.it was dark and empty. But filled with floating symbols. Old Ancient markings that glowed with faint light. They drifted through the air like leaves on water.
The air itself felt different here.It was thicker. Like breathing underwater but still being able to breathe. It pressed against his skin. Against his chest not painful.Jus present.
Around him, structures floated in the void. Platforms. Pillars. Fragments of buildings. All disconnected. All hovering at different heights. Some were close enough to jump to. Others were impossibly far away.There were no walls. No boundaries. Just endless space stretching out in all directions.
This was the Ritual Realm.
A place between places. A realm where contracts were made. Where bonds were formed. Where summoners met their summons for the first time.Aldrich stood there for a moment. Taking it all in. His eyes scanned the strange environment. His mind tried to make sense of what he was seeing.And then his system prompted. The notification appeared in front of him. Only he could see it.
[System Notification: Congratulations, Host]
[Achievement Unlocked: Realm of Monsters - Completed]
[Achievement Unlocked: Tournament Realm - Completed]
[Achievement Unlocked: Ritual Realm - Accessed]
[Progress Status: Above Average]
[Survival Rate: 100%]
[Combat Performance: Excellent]
[Host Has Been Granted A Reward]
Aldrich blinked. A reward? His system had given him rewards before. New libraries. New techniques. But this felt different.Another notification appeared again after the first has disappeared.
[System Reward: Rare Item Detected]
[Item Name: Joker Summon Contract]
[Item Type: Summon Doll]
[Rank: S-Class and Beyond]
[Description: A contract that binds a powerful summon to the host. Once accepted, the summon will serve the host in combat and beyond.]
[Accept Item: Yes / No]
Aldrich stared at the notification. A doll? The system was offering him a doll? He frowned. What kind of thing was the system offering him? A doll,?
But then again, the system had never steered him wrong before. Everything it had given him so far had been useful. Powerful and life saving.
He made his decision.
"Yes," Aldrich said.
[System Alert: Command Accepted]
[Initiating Item Transfer…]
[Processing Host Selection…]
[Establishing Connection…]
[Connection Established]
[System Alert: Host Is Initiating Contract With A Rare Summon]
[Summon Type: Joker Class]
[Rank: S-Class and Beyond]
[Essence Level: S-Rank]
[Beginning Contract Ceremony…]
[Contract Binding: In Progress…]
[Contract Binding: 50%…]
[Contract Binding: 100%]
[Contract Successfully Signed]
[Host Has Been Granted: The Summon Joker]
[Summoning Now…]
Immediately, a large gigantic puff of white smoke appeared in front of Aldrich. It erupted from nowhere. It was thick and dense. It filled the space around him completely.Aldrich shielded his eyes with his arm. The smoke was overwhelming. He couldn't see anything. He could barely breathe.
And then, slowly, the smoke began to clear. It drifted away. Fading into the air like mist.Aldrich lowered his arm. And he saw it In front of him stood a rare figure. A summon unlike anything he had ever seen.one would have expected a snake or a animal but it was different It was tall easily seven feet. Maybe eight. Its body was humanoid but exaggerated. Long limbs Theatrical.
It wore a dramatic jester outfit. An oversized ruffled collar wrapped around its neck in gradient shades of purple, pink, and gray. The collar was so large it almost framed the creature's entire upper body.It wore a striped purple and black coat. The stripes alternated in perfect symmetry. On the chest of the coat was a prominent keyhole design. It glowed faintly with a soft pink light.Its pants matched the coat. Striped purple and black. And its shoes were ridiculous. Curled toes that pointed upward. Like something from a fairy tale.
But the face. The face was the most striking part.It was mischievous.Playful almost childlike in its expression. But there was something darker beneath the surface. Something really dangerous.Its eyes glowed pink and it was Unnatural. They stared at Aldrich with an intensity that made his skin prickle.
Its mouth was stretched into a wide Cheshire grin. Like it had been carved that way. The teeth were white.On its head was a jester's hat. Purple and black. With dangling ornaments that jingled softly whenever it moved.The summon stood there Unmoving. Staring at Aldrich waiting for his command.
The system prompted again.
[System Alert: Host Has Successfully Summoned Joker]
[Combat Capability: Exceptional]
[Specialization: Locked]
[Loyalty: Bound to Host 50%]
[Transferring Knowledge to Host…]
[Knowledge Transfer: 10%… 30%… 60%… 90%… 100%]
[Transfer Successfully Completed]
[Host Now Understands Joker's Abilities]
Aldrich's mind flooded with information. He understood now. He understood what the Joker could do. What it was capable of.This summon was powerful. Really powerful.
Aldrich stared at the giant summon that had just appeared in front of him. A slow smile spread across his face. "It seems I've gained a summon," Aldrich said. "This is what this realm was meant for?"
He looked the Joker up and down. "Well, I hope you're strong, Joker."
The Joker's grin widened. It tilted its head slightly. But it didn't speak. It just stared.
Aldrich waved his hand. "Dismissed."
The Joker's body began to fade. The mist around it grew thicker. And then it was gone. Vanished. Returned to wherever summons went when they weren't needed.But Aldrich could still feel it. A presence in the back of his mind. A connection. The Joker was always there. Waiting. Ready to be called upon at any moment.
Meanwhile, at another part of the Ritual Realm, Kira had appeared in a completely different space. Her environment was different from Aldrich's.The ground beneath her feet was soft there was grass real grass. Green and lush.
Around her, trees grew. Their leaves rustled in a gentle breeze that came from nowhere. And in front of her, two small creatures sat. They were lion cubs. But not normal lion cubs. Their hides were golden. Literally golden. They shinned in the light like polished metal.Kira knelt down beside them. She reached out her hand. The cubs approached her cautiously sniffing.She petted them gently. They purred. A deep rumbling sound that vibrated through the air.
She had already made a contract with them. The ritual was complete. These were her summons now.And then, just as she was petting the cubs, a sound echoed through the space. Heavy footsteps One after the other. THUD. THUD. THUD.
Kira looked up. Her eyes widened.A giant monstrous lion approached. It was massive. Easily fifteen feet tall. Its hide was also golden. But this one's hide was scarred. Battle worn. It had seen war.The lion stopped in front of Kira. It lowered its massive head.
Kira reached up. She placed her hand on the lion's head. She petted it. The giant creature closed its eyes.This was her summon. Her protector and Her partner.Back in Aldrich's part of the Ritual Realm, the space around him began to shift again. The floating platforms moved. The symbols in the void glowed brighter.And then, in front of him, something appeared. A gate a gigantic gate.
It was old. Very Ancient. The stone was weathered creaked. Covered in moss and vines. But it still stood. Carvings covered every inch of the gate. Symbols. Words. Languages that Aldrich didn't recognize. They told a story. A history. Something that had been here since the very beginning.
This was the 1000 Year Gate. It had been in existence since the founding of the Royal Kingdom. Since the first king took the throne. Since the first war was fought.The gate had stood here, guarding the entrance to the Royal Kingdom, for a thousand years. And it would stand for a thousand more.
The gate began to open slowly.The stone groaned. Dust fell and Light poured through the growing gap a bright light shined through it was Inviting and almost blinding.And beyond that light, Aldrich could see it. A vast city. A living world of beauty. Buildings that stretched toward the sky. Streets filled with people Gardens, Fountains, Life.
It was the Royal Kingdom.
Aldrich took a deep breath. He stepped forward. His foot crossed the threshold of the gate.Around him, others were doing the same. Other participants who had successfully made their summon contracts. They walked through the gate together. All heading toward the same destination.This was it. This was where Aldrich's real story would begin. In the Royal Kingdom. Among royalty, Among power, Among secrets.
But there was one thing Aldrich didn't know. One crucial piece of information he was missing.He didn't know that he would have to act as someone who wasn't the prince of the Royal Kingdom. He didn't know that the body he inhabited used to belong to Prince Solomon Aurelius. He didn't know that everyone in the kingdom would recognize his face.He didn't know any of it.And that would make things very, very complicated.