Now, the creature was inside me, but I needed to summon it into Kyrine's chamber.

Instinct guided me, and I pushed my arms forward, allowing my fingers to begin moving of their own accord, like a pianist pressing the keys of a shadow piano. Mana poured from my center and into the hot tub. The water started to bubble, and then a head popped above the surface.

The summoned Dragonling let out a screech before it leaped from the water. It landed on my chest, opened its mouth, and licked my face. It was about the size of a terrier and almost as energetic. It slithered around my body like a hyperactive snake.

Kyrine laughed. “I haven’t seen one of those for so very long.”

“I’ve never seen one,” I said as I grabbed the creature and let it perch on my shoulder. “I can’t wait to see what it might become when it evolves.”

I recalled the Green Dragon from the interview barely an hour ago. Could I manipulate the evolutions of this little Dragonling so that it would become so grand a creature? It seemed impossible. Then again, only yesterday I would have thought it impossible to summon even a Level 1 creature like this.

“The evolutionary path of the Dragonling is entirely your responsibility,” Kyrine said. “This mansion is equipped with training areas where you can increase the attributes of your creatures. Such mechanisms increase a monster’s attributes at a much slower rate than a real battle would, but we will have to make do with what we have.”

“I don’t suppose there will be any real battles any time soon,” I said, feeling a little disappointed. “Not unless we catch any more of those PentaTech soldiers snooping around. I guess you never know though. Maybe we’ll get lucky?”

I began to smile, then I caught myself. Was I really fine with having soldiers attack me just so I could increase the power of my minions? I considered that for a moment.

Actually, yeah, the thought didn’t bother me at all. In fact, it excited me.

Merging with Kyrine had opened up an entirely new world for me. My life would never be the same again. My progression ceiling just got a whole lot higher, and with it, my priorities had changed.

“Can you show me the training stations?” I asked.

“I can do more than that,” she said, standing up and stepping out of the tub. “If you want to finish drying and clothing yourself, I’ll provide you with a detailed tour of the mansion.”

With the Dragonling racing around my legs, I dried off, then went to put my clothes back on.