"It is done."
While Kaine stared at the magical floating words in front of him, Helena let out a slow sigh as she noticed the last bit of the Severance Scroll’s glow fading away.
Kaine stared at the floating messages in front of him, then he looked at Helena, who picked up the Severance Scroll with this disappointed look on her face.
She couldn’t see the messages.
Kaine realised it and before he could think any further, Helena took out a translucent orb.
"Give me your hand."
Kaine looked at the orb.
He knew what it was.
An Appraisal Orb.
That made him look at her.
So she came prepared for a scenario where he would reject her. He wasn’t surprised, his mother liked to prepare herself for every situation.
He looked back at the Orb, then at her.
This was her last bit of hope and perhaps... even his.
"Kaine."
Helena called again.
"Your hand."
Kaine nodded and placed his hand on the orb.
"Do not resist."
She instructed, Kaine nodded.
The orb lit up for a very short moment, then, that light disappeared and together with it, the last bit of hope in Helena’s eyes disappeared as well.
Unranked.
In this world, Summoners were classified by their Ranks.
First Rank, Second Rank, Third Rank, all the way to the Seventh Rank.
A person enters the First Rank when they form an Aspect. From there, they train that Aspect, strengthen their Companion and develop the bond between them. Every major evolution of the Aspect pushes the Summoner into the next Rank.
And it was extremely difficult to move up the Ranks, even in the Zone they lived in, which was considerably strong and had tens of thousands of Summoners, the number of Fourth Rank Summoners could be counted on one’s hands.
A visit from a Fifth Rank Summoner here becomes a reason for celebration where every single family in the zone, including Valcrest, tries everything in their power to leave a favourable impression on him.
As for Sixth and Seventh Ranked Summoners, no one in the history of their zone has ever seen one.
Then there were the Unranked.
People who never participated in the Summoning Season because they could not afford a Summoning Scroll, Mana Stones or the resources required to raise a Companion.
And people who did summon... but failed to awaken an Aspect.
As far as the world was concerned, there was very little difference between the two, after all, neither had any supernatural power.
They were useless on a battlefield where monsters and Ranked Summoners decided everything.
And now...
Kaine was one of them.
"You were warned."
Helena spoke as she slowly removed the Orb from his hand.
"Me, your father, Master Orven, Instructor Darran, even the Physicians warned you, they told you this was exactly what would happen."
Helena looked at him.
"You had another opportunity, Kaine."
Kaine didn’t give her an answer, he couldn’t even listen to her since his mind was overwhelmed with multiple [Ding!] sounds while his vision was filled with a long list of floating messages.
Helena didn’t react to that, she just stood up as if her business here had ended.
"Your advancement allowance ends today. The medicines and resources reserved for your training will be reassigned. Any further treatment for your Companions will be charged to you."
She spoke in a far more formal tone than before.
The transition between a worried mother who wanted the ’best for her child’ and someone who was giving him an official notice was almost a little too quick.
Kaine didn’t care, he just stared at the multiple messages in front of him.
[Congratulations, Kaine Valcrest.]
[You are the first candidate to fulfil all conditions required to awaken the Infinite Return System.]
[Qualification rewards are now available.]
...
[Ding!]
[Unique Authority Unlocked: Infinite Return.]
[Every lasting improvement in your companions’ condition will contribute to your growth. Restoring their bodies and power will grant permanent increases to your attributes. Significant recovery milestones may trigger physical evolutions and unlock abilities derived from the companion you helped restore.]
...
[Ding!]
[Companion Assessment Unlocked.]
[You may now examine your companions’ physical condition, damaged sources of power, and recovery progress. Each assessment will identify the obstacles preventing recovery and the requirements for overcoming them.]
...
[Ding!]
[Recovery Plans Unlocked.]
[Individual treatment plans are now available for all registered companions. Each plan divides recovery into stages, beginning with immediate survival and progressing toward the restoration of damaged organs, lost body parts, and dormant power.]
...
[Ding!]
[Restorative Recipes Unlocked.]
[Each recovery stage includes recipes, ingredient requirements, and preparation instructions for the necessary treatments. Additional recipes will become available as your companions recover enough to receive them.]
[You must obtain the ingredients, prepare the treatments, and provide the required care.]
...
[Ding!]
[Recovery Rewards Unlocked.]
[Successful restoration will award Recovery Points alongside permanent attribute gains.]
...
[Ding!]
[Recovery Shop Unlocked.]
[Recovery Points can be used to buy medicines, catalysts, materials, and equipment from the Recovery Shop. The Recovery Shop possesses resources unavailable in your world, allowing you to prepare treatments your world cannot reproduce.]
...
[Ding!]
[Your Companion Space has been modified into an environment designed to support the recovery of registered companions. Basic recovery beds and condition-maintenance functions have been installed. Medicines and treatment materials may be stored within the Sanctuary and retrieved through the System.]
[Additional facilities and improvements may be purchased with Recovery Points.]
[Note: Host cannot enter the Sanctuary.]
...
[Ding!]
[Soul Throne Growth Unlocked.]
[Your Soul Throne may now expand as your companions recover. Their restoration will gradually increase its capacity, allowing it to sustain the power they regain.]
...
[Ding!]
[Initial Support Granted: Emergency Stabilisation Kit.]
[Contents: Three stabilisation treatments, individually prepared for your registered companions.]
[These treatments will stabilise their damaged bodies and suppress pain for seventy-two hours. They will not repair the underlying damage.]
...
[Ding!]
[Initial Support Granted: First-Stage Recovery Recipes.]
[The first treatment plan for each companion is now available. Completing these treatments will begin genuine restoration and generate your first recovery rewards.]
...
[Ding!]
[Initial Support Granted: First-Stage Catalyst Set.]
[All ingredients unavailable in your world that are required for the first stage of treatment have been provided. The remaining ingredients must be obtained locally.]
...
[All qualification rewards have been issued.]
[Begin Initial Assessment?]
[Confirm Y/N]
...
Kaine read all the messages carefully, Helena turned around.
"Try to rest."
She spoke calmly before she walked out of the room and quietly closed the door behind her.
And Kaine, who was now left alone in his room, kept staring at the floating messages.
He was confused.
He tried to look away but the floating messages followed his vision and appeared right in front of him no matter where he looked.
That was... annoying.
Kaine could instantly see how that would be a disadvantage in a spar, but at this moment, that did not matter.
What mattered was what the messages were saying.
’I can... heal them...?’
He stared at his three sleeping companions. The mention of him getting stronger as they recovered didn’t even matter, what mattered at this specific moment was that they could be recovered.
Kaine’s eyes fell on the last message again.
[Does Host wish to begin Initial Assessment?]
[Confirm Y/N]
And the moment Kaine thought about confirming, the messages disappeared and three new panels appeared in their place, each floating above one of the women.
Kaine’s eyes moved towards the Dragon first.
[CONTRACTED COMPANION]
[Name: Serathiel]
[Race: Dragon]
[Grade: Legendary]
[Strength: 1.8]
[Agility: 0.7]
[Defense: 3.2]
[Vitality: 1.1]
[Perception: 2.4]
[Mana: 0/2]
’Legendary...?’
That made Kaine blink.
Just like Summoner Ranks, there were Seven Companion Grades.
Common.
Uncommon.
Rare.
Elite.
Superior.
Epic.
And finally,
Legendary.
Rare Grade Companions were already enough for someone to be considered a genius within their Zone.
Elite-Grade Companions were even rarer.
Anything above that usually did not stay here for long.
If a Superior-Grade Companion appeared, the Summoner would almost certainly be recruited by one of the larger Safe Zones and the families would accept such an offer with wide smiles on their faces, after all, the resources, protection and connections provided in return were simply too valuable to reject.
Of course, that barely happened.
The last known Superior-Grade Companion summoned within their zone appeared more than a hundred and twenty years ago.
As for Epic and Legendary...
Those were... stories, no one here had ever actually seen one.
Until now, that is.
Kaine was looking at her right now.
He kept staring at the unconscious Serathiel, he knew her Grade would be high, how could it not be? She was a Dragon but...
Even in his wildest imagination, he expected Elite, perhaps, if he was being unreasonable, Superior.
But Legendary...?
His gaze remained on the word for another second, soon, however, another screen appeared.
[CONDITION: CRITICAL]
[Dragon Scales: Extensively stripped; remaining scales fractured. Repeated removal damaged the tissue responsible for producing new scales.]
[Dragon Blood: Severely depleted; blood production impaired. Remaining blood contains insufficient draconic essence to sustain normal bodily functions.]
[Physical Strength: Profound muscular deterioration and exhaustion. Severe malnutrition prevents the rebuilding of muscle.]
[Arms and Legs: Multiple untreated fractures, damaged joints. Repeated breaks destroyed sections of bone and surrounding tissue.]
[Dragon Wings: One wing missing at the root. Remaining wing extensively torn, supporting bones and joints damaged.]
[Dragon Horns: One horn broken at its base; the other partially regrown. Internal mana pathways fractured.]
[Natural Regeneration: Inactive.]
[Dragon Heart: Severely impaired; normal mana circulation has ceased. A small section of the inner heart remains intact but cannot restart without external restoration.]
That made him pause.
This was... much worse than what the Physicians said...
Then, however, Kaine noticed something even more important.
[Full restoration possible.]
That made his heart skip a beat.
"Serathiel..."
He muttered her name softly.
She could recover.
He could heal her.
Kaine clenched his fists. Then, he turned towards the Fox.
[CONTRACTED COMPANION]
[Name: Lysara]
[Race: Nine-Tailed Fox]
[Grade: Legendary]
[Strength: 0.8]
[Agility: 1.2]
[Defense: 0.6]
[Vitality: 0.9]
[Perception: 4.7]
[Mana: 0/3]
Lysara.
He noted her name in his head.
At the same time, he also noticed her Grade.
Another Legendary Grade Summon, Kaine couldn’t believe it, right now, however, what mattered more was the contents of the next screen.
[CONDITION: CRITICAL]
[Fox Tails: Eight tails forcibly removed. Remaining tail severely withered; fur loss and extensive damage along its length.]
[Spiritual Roots: Extensively torn and depleted. Fragments of all eight missing roots remain embedded within the core, too weak to support regrowth.]
[Fox Core: Inactive following prolonged extraction. Internal fractures prevent the accumulation of power; surviving root fragments place additional strain on the damaged core.]
[Illusion Channels: Collapsed through prolonged depletion. Unable to carry sufficient power to form or maintain an illusion.]
[Physical Strength: Severe muscle loss and exhaustion. Body consumes its remaining reserves to sustain essential functions.]
[Blood and Vitality: Critically depleted. Poor circulation and prolonged deprivation prevent wounds from closing properly.]
[Fox Senses: Sensory pathways damaged. Hearing remains functional but uneven; spiritual perception is unstable and easily overwhelmed.]
[Natural Recovery: Severely impaired. Remaining vitality is insufficient to repair damaged tissue without sustained support.]
[Full restoration possible.]
That last line made Kaine smile.
She could recover as well.
Kaine looked at the woman holding the third Summon in her arms.
She barely moved throughout the day except to check on the others. Even now, her hand rested over the blanket covering the woman beside her.
Kaine kept staring at her in silence.
He would heal her and make her better.
He thought inwardly one more time, then, his eyes fell on the woman in Lysara’s arms and as they did, the final panel appeared.
[CONTRACTED COMPANION]
[Name: Nerys]
[Race: Shadow Demon]
[Grade: Mythic]
[Strength: 0.6]
[Agility: 1.9]
[Defense: 0.4]
[Vitality: 0.7]
[Perception: 6.8]
[Mana: 0/5]
Kaine suddenly stopped as his face turned grave.
Shadow Demon.
He had never once heard of that race before, but he had heard about demons.
There were recorded cases of a Summoner Summoning a Demon and in almost every single case, that Summoner turned against Humanity.
Many still wonder whether it was because the Demons corrupt their Summoners or were the Summoners true nature was to betray the Humanity all along, but one thing that could be said for sure was...
Demons were something to look out for.
There were also reports about how Demons and their Summoners were hunted widely across different zones a few decades ago and the positive difference it made.
The reports constantly mentioned how Demons were cruel, vicious, dangerous and entity of pure evil but...
But then Kaine’s eyes fell on Nerys, tucked under Lysara’s arms, almost as if she was hiding from the entire world, even when she was sleeping.
He remembered the way her body shuddered in sheer terror when she heard they might be sent back, the way a simple command from a servant made her immediately pull her hand away and lower her head. The way she looked at him every time she woke up, waiting for instructions before she allowed herself to sleep again despite being exhausted.
Nothing he saw resembled the creatures those records described.
Of course, this did not mean the records were wrong, nor did Kaine claim he knew what a Shadow Demon was.
He had barely spent a day with Nerys, he didn’t nearly have enough time to decide what sort of person she was, but the time he spent was enough for him to decide one thing.
He wasn’t going to judge her simply because the word Demon appeared beside her race.
He would judge her by her actions.
And so far...
All he had seen was someone terrified of almost everything around her.
Kaine’s gaze returned to the panel.
[Grade: Mythic]
This was another thing he had never heard of.
There was no Mythic Grade.
Then...
What was this?
Were Demons graded differently? He hadn’t heard of that, at the end of the day, demons were summons as well. They were graded the same way all summons were.
Then...
What was Mythic Grade...?
Could it be... something higher than even the Legendary Grade...? Something the entire world didn’t know about.
Kaine let his imagination come up with all these scenarios, soon, however, that stopped as the next screen appeared.
[CONDITION: CRITICAL]
[Shadow Core: Critically damaged but still active at a minimal level. Generated power remains trapped within the core and cannot safely reach the body.]
[Core Channels: Almost completely destroyed. Residual binding seals obstruct surviving channels and continue damaging attempts at natural repair.]
[Physical Form: Unstable. Uneven distribution of shadow essence causes parts of the body to lose substance involuntarily.]
[Shadow Essence: Severely depleted through repeated extraction. Remaining essence is insufficient to maintain both physical stability and recovery.]
[Shadow Travel: Inactive. Pathways required to enter and move through shadows are fragmented; attempted activation may cause loss of bodily cohesion.]
[Concealment: Uncontrolled. Damaged concealment pathways intermittently erase the body’s outline without concealing its presence.]
[Demonic Horns: Both horns fractured. Damage disrupts the regulation of power within the Shadow Core.]
[Physical Strength: Extreme muscular deterioration and exhaustion. Physical movement further strains the body’s unstable form.]
[Natural Regeneration: Suppressed by residual binding seals. Remaining regenerative activity consumes essence without successfully repairing damaged channels.]
[Full restoration possible.]
He smiled at the last line again.
Nerys could recover as well.
Kaine also noticed something else.
Residual binding seals.
Seals that obstructed her surviving channels and suppressed her natural regeneration.
Kaine’s face turned ugly, to think that escaping that hell still did not end everything done to her.
He stared at the small figure curled beneath the blanket and he... calmed himself.
The damage in all their cases was worse than what the physicians described. There were injuries beneath injuries, broken structures that prevented other parts from healing, but each panel ended with the same words.
[Full restoration possible.]
And for now, that was all that mattered.