This is too fast... Has it already circled this planet several times...? Or has it been standing still, just moving so fast that my eyes can't keep up at all...? Klein's lips twitched slightly, and he decided to wait a few seconds to see if that "unimaginably fast" would appear again.
He wasn't worried that the summoned Spirit World creature would harm innocent people, because one of its descriptions was that it was a friendly creature, and as long as he forcibly ended the summoning and stopped the ritual, no matter where the "unimaginably fast one" went, it would be immediately sent back to the Spirit World.
A few seconds later, Klein, having received nothing in return, took a breath and spoke in Ancient Hermes:
"I!
"I end this summoning in my own name!"
The chilling atmosphere vanished instantly, the swirling, eerie wind gradually subsided, and the candlelight returned to its normal color.
Klein stepped forward, extinguished the candle, and intended to revise the last sentence of the description, making a second attempt.
As for the phrases "spirits wandering in illusion, friendly creatures available for command," he didn't intend to change them. The first phrase referred to the Spirit World and could only be replaced with a synonym; changing it or not was fine. The second phrase was a prerequisite for Klein to ensure his own safety; otherwise, what had just happened wouldn't have been a funny incident but a horror story.
Hmm... I don't need to use "beyond imagination" to describe "the fastest," but others might not meet my needs. Maybe... I can try a different approach. The messenger doesn't necessarily have to run that fast; normal speed is fine. There are other ways to ensure safety. As long as those malicious guys always ignore it and don't take it seriously... This time, let's try a Spirit World creature with a weak presence... Klein pondered for two or three minutes and then began the ritual again.
After completing the preliminary work, he recited the new incantation:
"I!
I summon in my name:
"A spirit wandering in illusion, a benevolent being that can be commanded, a weak being easily overlooked."
The warehouse suddenly became unusually quiet. There was no Wind Generation or cold within the Wall of Spirituality, and even the color of the candlelight remained unchanged.
Klein waited patiently, watching intently, hoping to receive a good messenger.
After about ten seconds, he sighed, looked around, and said:
"There's nothing here; this description isn't working."
He waited no longer, ended the summoning according to procedure, and extinguished the candles.
To his slight surprise, the candle flame flickered several times at the end.
"Am I overlooking something...?" Klein frowned, then relaxed, putting the matter out of his mind.
He started to think again about how to revise the description, still focusing on the third sentence.
To put it another way, if the messenger is particularly resilient and has exceptional survivability, that's also acceptable. In any case, a good messenger is one that can deliver the message to its target... Klein pondered for a while before launching the summoning ritual for the third time.
Amidst the scents of herbs and essential oils, and bathed in the dim candlelight, shadows flickered across his face, and his mouth opened and closed uncertainly.
"I!
I summon in my name:
"A spirit wandering in illusion, a benevolent being that can be commanded, an extraordinary being with exceptional survival skills."
The candle flames suddenly stretched out, illuminating the altar with a bright, crimson glow.
In Klein's Spirit Vision, skeletons emerged from the ground, stacked together, and transformed into a safe-like creature.
Finally, something visible has been summoned, and it's the kind with extremely high survivability... It looks a lot like a safe, and it looks incredibly durable... Klein breathed a sigh of relief and said in Ancient Hermes:
Would you be my messenger?
The box-like skeletal creature quickly expressed its willingness.
Then, it wriggled the bones beneath it and crawled slowly, very slowly, toward Klein.
It climbed one centimeter in ten seconds.
... This is way too slow... Klein's smile froze on his face.
Although messengers accomplish their missions by traversing the Spirit World, it doesn't mean they don't need speed.
Within the Spirit World, distance and direction are chaotic; the most important thing is to locate and find one's location.
As long as an accurate, clear, and immediate location is provided, such as in the summoning ritual just now, or as a simplified version of blowing a bronze whistle, the messenger can immediately appear inside the altar, no matter where in the Spirit World the messenger is.
When location is not so immediate, and there is only a contractual connection or a previous anchor point, the messenger needs to spend time identifying the location, traversing the Spirit World, and searching for the target, which requires a certain speed.
If it were to deliver a message, the recipient might never see it again in their lifetime... Klein thought helplessly as he watched the safe-like skeletal creature slowly crawling forward.
He let the smile return to his face:
After careful consideration, I think it's best not to trouble you.
Thank you for your willingness.
The illusory creature made of white bones stopped moving, as if it hadn't moved at all compared to before.
Klein quickly dispelled the summons and rubbed his temples.
He was a little frustrated and decided to give up and find a messenger in a less troublesome way. "Open recruitment and selection through interviews!"
Taking a breath, Klein calmed himself and began the ceremony seriously.
Gazing at the quietly burning candlelight, he took a step back and said:
"I!
I summon in my name:
"A spirit wandering in illusion, a benevolent being at my beck and call, a unique being willing to be my messenger."
call!
Wall of Spirituality, the wind suddenly intensified, and Klein's half-high silk hat nearly flew into the air.
The candlelight flickered, swelling to the size of a human head, so pale it seemed to have lost its warmth.
A semi-transparent head slowly emerged as if breaking through a thin membrane, with smooth, light gold hair, blood-red eyes, and a striking and elegant appearance.
"He looks familiar..." Klein muttered silently.
The head popped out completely, but what followed wasn't a neck, but an illusory hand pinching the end of her hair.
Behind the palms were intricately patterned but dark-colored cuffs.
The summoned Spirit World creatures emerged faster and faster, soon appearing fully in Klein's eyes.
This was indeed a familiar "person"—the headless woman standing atop the castle that Klein had encountered on his way to the underwater ruins of Kavithua.
She is no longer as enormous as before, comparable to a castle; she is now just a tall, "ordinary" lady.
Of course, she still only had a cut on her neck, and she was holding four identical heads in her hands.
"Is it... you... summoning... me?" The headless woman, dressed in a somber and elaborate black dress, stood there quietly, her four drooping heads speaking in turn in Ancient Feysac.
They can communicate directly with language... This Spirit World creature is quite powerful... I remember you have a castle... You already have property, why are you "applying" for a messenger position? Klein first sighed, then complained, and then looked at the candlelight behind the headless woman, disappointed to find that no other spirits came out.
He had originally thought that many Spirit World beings willing to become his messengers would flock to him, line up in rows, and wait for the interview. In the end, only one responded.
It must be a problem with the ritual itself. This is a relatively simple and basic summoning ritual; it's impossible to summon multiple targets at once... Klein looked at the headless woman and nodded solemnly:
"Yes."
Before the other person could speak, he added two more questions:
"Are you able to travel quickly through the Spirit World? How are your survival skills?"
The heads the headless woman was holding answered one by one:
"It's okay. Not bad."
As she spoke, she floated up and then quickly fell back down, giving it a demonstration.
Sigh... Klein decided to stop making attempts with uncertain outcomes and asked seriously:
"Are you willing to sign a contract and become my messenger?"
The headless woman's skirt swayed slightly, and her four blonde, red-eyed heads nodded simultaneously.
"Yes. One... gold coin each time."
Huh? One gold coin for each letter delivered? Mr. Azik didn't say that Spirit World beings would have such a hobby... Right, he mentioned that when signing a contract, one should try to persuade and communicate as much as possible. Is this a form of persuasion and communication? Klein was surprised and wanted to immediately cancel the summons.
Wait, it doesn't necessarily have to be me... Whoever summons the messenger pays... Hey, maybe if we communicate well, there'll be a cash-on-delivery option... With his thoughts racing, Klein agreed to the other party's request:
"Good.
Let's sign a contract.
He picked up the dark red, round-bellied fountain pen and the yellowish-brown parchment he had prepared beforehand, and began to write the contract swiftly in the Ancient Hermes, which could manipulate the power of nature.
The format and terms were described in detail by Azik in the letter, concise and powerful, including provisions that the messenger must not peek at the letter, discard the letter, or endanger the life of the contractor. Of course, if the content of the contractor's letter involves the messenger, it must be explained to the other party in advance.
In addition to these provisions, Klein added a clause stipulating that one gold coin could be paid for each letter sent, and explicitly stated that this cost could be borne by either the contracting party or the other party to the letter.
To ensure the validity of the contract, the final part is the revered name of the deity of the domain.
This is a Death's contract, which normally requires the name of the Death. However, this Death has been gone for a long time and no longer responds. Therefore, Azik mentioned that he could use the description of a high-ranking figure in the Death realm or the Underworld itself instead, but the binding force would not be as strong.
Klein undoubtedly chose the Underworld, which had close ties with the big boss:
"The final destination of all death, hidden deep within the Spirit World's Hell, a testament to the inevitable decay of all things, a realm belonging solely to the god of Death."
After these four lines of description, the Ancient Hermes on the brown parchment ignited one after another with a ghastly green flame, casting a chilling and eerie light all around.
After finishing the main text, Klein took out the Azik Copper Whistle, pressed it onto the parchment, and signed it with his current name:
" Gehrman Sparrow."
This doesn't necessarily require a real name, because the aura itself enters the contract. The name is only used for summoning. In other words, you can summon using " Gehrman Sparrow's Messenger," but not " Klein Moretti's Contracted Creature."
After Klein finished signing, the parchment floated up, carrying Azik Copper Whistle and a dark red fountain pen, and flew to the headless woman.
The headless woman, holding a blonde, red-eyed head, bit down on a round-bellied fountain pen and wrote her name:
" Reinette Tinekerr."
The ghastly green flames quickly coalesced, engulfing Azik Copper Whistle and the yellowish-brown parchment.
A few seconds later, the parchment turned to ashes, and the bronze whistle fell unharmed into Klein's outstretched palm.
The four heads that the headless woman Reinette was carrying blinked simultaneously, their forms quickly becoming ethereal and shrinking back into the pale candlelight.
After the contract was made, Klein no longer needed to use the incantation to undo the summoning; he could complete the process solely through his will.
Phew, finally a messenger. "A spirit wandering in the void, a friendly creature that can be commanded, a messenger unique to Gehrman Sparrow "... Hmm, if I get the chance, I'll find Artisan to make an item similar to a bronze whistle, so I don't have to hold a ritual every time I summon a messenger... Klein tidied up the mess in a good mood.
Over the next few days, Bayam gradually returned to normal, but Danitz still failed to receive any telegrams from the " Admiral of Blood " pirate crew.
On Sunday morning, he glanced at the newspaper, then suddenly lowered his voice and said to Klein:
"There's a gathering of Beyonder tonight, would you like to attend?"
P. S.: Monday to the end of the month, please vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets~