I once toyed around with being an elemental summoner; it’s not difficult. The problem is that for the most part I can’t stand low-class spirits. One look at them brings back memories. Unpleasant ones.

- Nicholas Freeey

Groggily, I opened my eyes for the second time in this life. I felt weak, so weak that I’m amazed that I even woke up. Even my injuries from the day before didn’t affect me so badly, what is going on?!?! By the time I finally managed to slowly drag a paw over my eyes and wake up enough to see I couldn’t understand what was happening. Just yesterday I woke up in a nice room with a gigantic mutant-wolf waiting for me and had a fire woman burn then heal me! Yet, now I’m in a dark, dank cave. What the hell is up with this life?!?!

Finally, I noticed hundreds of small, purple blobs were attached to my body, slowly expanding as they sucked the very essence out of my body!

‘NO!!! I REFUSE TO DIE AFTER I FINALLY GOT A BODY!’

I swiped my foreclaw ferociously at one that had stuck to my belly. It just absorbed the blow and sprung back, unaffected.

‘What the hell? How am I supposed to kill these things?’

Then, I realized that they were sucking lightning essence out of me. How could these low-class slimes possibly compare to my ability to control lightning essence after millennia in the elemental sea?

‘If they want to suck out my essence, fine.’

I used the slimes’ own absorption powers against them, directly sending lightning essence into their bodies, then forcing it to spark.

*pop* *pop* *pop*

Endless popping sounds seemed to deafen my sensitive hearing in the silence of the cave. As the sounds finally faded, I managed to stand up with difficulty. The feeling of my energy slowly draining away finally went away, and I was able to begin recovering. Concentrating, I was able to feel the scant Lightning Essence in the air. I began to absorb it, replenishing my body.

Now that I no longer hurt like hell, had giant mutant-wolf monsters trying to kill me, and the slimes were dead, I finally had the chance to check my new body out. I was a little over a foot and a half tall with dirty, shaggy purple-blueish hair that was currently covered in purple goo and was in serious need of trimming. I still felt weak, my body was emaciated and my muscles seemed to have trouble even holding my body up. All four of my paws had claws that would extend at will. Curious, I extended my right forepaw and scratched the ground with my claw. It left a visible cut in the hard stone.

‘How the hell did the slimes take that?’

Then, I noticed that the essence that the slimes had stolen from me was slowly leaving their dead bodies. I closed my eyes, sitting down and focusing on absorbing the lightning essence. To my amazement, the essence restructured my body. Muscles quickly regained their firmness, the constant nagging of hunger left and my belly was no longer distended. Closing my eyes, I used my soul to examine my body.

‘My god, no wonder I felt so weak earlier.’

My body was made almost entirely of lightning essence, but when I examined it closer I found that it also had minute amounts of both fire and water integrated into it. Even as I stood there, examining myself I could feel the surrounding lightning essence all congregating inside of me. The feeling a spirit gets as he absorbs a massive amount of elemental essence is indescribable to a human. It is akin to the feeling of satisfaction a human feels after an orgasim, but much more intense. I lost myself in the feeling for a long time. Sadly, moments like that can’t last forever. I regained my senses a while later, wondering what had happened to end my blissful moment. Using my sould, I figured out that I had actually absorbed all the lightning essence in the cave!

*Sigh…*

‘I guess it’s time to figure out where the hell I am.’

With my strength returned to me, I began to search for an exit from the warren of tunnels. Lost and confused, I wandered aimlessly from place to place. Occasionally I’d run into more slimes, but they were easily dealt with now that I knew how to kill them. More excitingly, I ran into some crab like creatures covered in a hard shell. When I tried to explode my essence inside of them nothing happened, as if they didn’t feel it at all. Thankfully, my claws were sharp enough that with some effort I could pry open their shells and kill them. Many hours later, I saw the flickering light of a fire ahead. Cautiously, I approached the flames.

From the distance, I began to hear two voices. “Do you think that pup is still alive?”

“Nah, with all those slimes sucking on him he can’t have survived for more than a few hours. We should go collect the bounty soon. I can’t believe those stupid birds didn’t even post a guard on his room!”

“We’re rich! His energy was so concentrated, I wouldn’t be surprised we can sell those slimes for millions!”

“Screw that, I’m using my share to evolve.”

“Lucky! If only I was a lightning spirit. Then, I too could become a high-class.”

At that point, I’d heard enough. Somehow, these fools had managed to kidnap me and were planning to let those slimes absorb my energy for money! Previously, I had never felt anger. Boredom? Loneliness? Excitement? Depression? Yes to all of those, but never before anger. Now, I was in a full blown rage, and I wanted blood!

Slowly, I snuck up on the fire. As I got closer, I was able to actually sense the essence inside the body of those two spirits with my soul.

‘What? These weaklings tried to kill me?’

I couldn’t believe it, those spirits didn’t even have as much essence as I did when those slimes were sucking me dry! No longer cautious, I raced the final twenty yards to them, using my paws to chop the purple one in half in one blow.

“AHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

A scream fit to wake the dead split the air. The red one instantly jumped to his feet, then froze in terror as I glared at him. As the first one died, I could feel the lightning essence escaping his body. Instinctually, I opened my mouth and directly ate the lower half of the creature I’d just killed. I could feel his body breaking down into lightning essence as it entered my stomach. It took less than 30 seconds for his body to be completely digested, the lightning essence he was composed of quickly spreading throughout my body. The speed at which my body absorbed the food bespoke of a terrible need for energy, why else would my body need such an efficient means of digestion?

The entire time that I was chowing down on his friend, I had been glaring at the other creature that had been talking about how he wished he was a lightning spirit. He just stood there, his legs quivering as he stared at me in terror.

“PPPPPlease spare me! I had nothing to do with this! What would I have to gain by hurting a lightning spirit such as you?”

I just stared at the creature standing infront of me, trying to figure out what he was. He was short, only half a foot taller than me with stubby legs and claws. With a couple of short, hard looking horns coming out of his hairline, combined with his ugly face he was the least appetizing meal I’ve ever seen. Not to say I didn’t eat him, he tried to use me as feed for slimes!

I think he must’ve seen the look on my face as I tried to decide what part of him to eat first, because he stopped begging for his life. I could feel fire essence start gathering on his palms as he shoved them towards me. He unleashed a bright red fire that rushed towards me, singing the tips of my hair. Again, my automatic reactions kicked in. The lightning essence inside of me suddenly rushed to my hair and formed a barrier of crackling thunder. The pitiful fire couldn’t even harm me, and I rushed forward directly beheading him with a swipe of my paws.

Sitting down, I ate the fool raw just like I had eaten his friend. The first time, I was so consumed with anger that I never even tasted it. This time, I got a good taste and it was disgusting. One swallow was enough for me to be done with this one, it tasted like singed sewage. Not only that, but his skin was hard and leathery. Unlike the lightning spirit I didn’t digest him immediately, as if my body wasn’t quite sure what to do with the fire essence it was made of.

Pondering, I closed my eyes to try and figure out what was wrong. Using my soul to search, I realized that fire essence doesn’t react like lightning essence. I had spent several millenniums observing lightning essence but I had never seen fire before I woke up in that room with the mutant-wolf monstrosity. Yet, somehow there was some fire essence already present in my body earlier today. Slowly, I felt the same sensation that I feel when absorbing lightning essence of my body strengthening. So, despite the disgusting taste I decided to eat all of that foul creature. Anything that will make my body stronger is worth doing.

Yawning, I decided to take a nap next to the fire. It had been a long day, and at least it was warm….

‘I better not wake up in a different place again!’

Was the final thought to run through my head as I drifted off.