SSS-Ranked Summoner: Only I Summon All Heroes And Heroines Of Legend-Chapter 42: Ryka’s Confession
Altair sat alone in his dorm room, Finn had left an hour ago to grab dinner with some classmates, leaving him with a rare moment of solitude.
He exhaled slowly and raised his hand, summoning his interface with a thought.
The familiar translucent screen materialized before him, glowing softly in the dimming light.
He opened his character details.
---
[CHARACTER PROFILE]
[Name: Altair Elfender]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Summoner]
[Tier: C++]
[Mana Pool]: 900/900
[Health Pool]: 900/900
[Experience Points]: 49,000
--- 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Total Contracts Formed: 4
- Delilah [Bound] - Tier C++
- Heracles [Bound] — Tier: S
- King Arthur Pendragon [Bound] — Tier: A
- Miyamoto Musashi [Bound] — Tier: A
ABILITIES
- Codex Authority (S): Access to Timeless Records. Summon legends from across all historical timelines.
- Summoner’s Authority (C+): Capacity to maintain multiple high-tier summons simultaneously (Requires increased bond strength and mana capacity).
- Borrow Skill (Lvl 1): You are able to borrow skills from your summons. You can only borrow skills from summons within or below your tier level.
- Bond Skill (Lvl 1): You are allowed to bond mentally with your summons. At current level, you can feel their mana and receive fragmented thought information.
SPELLS
- Silencing of the Hour (A)
- Judgement of the Eternal Blaze (B)
- Seven Suns (B)
- Haze of the Lost Seasons (D)
- Silver Needle (C)
- Orodynthion Light Shield (C)
EQUIPMENT
- Codex Aeterna Heroica [Soul-Bound Artifact]
- Sands of Time [Acquired Artifact]
- Blue Azuri Ring [Acquired Artifact 1/5]
---
Altair stared at the numbers, particularly the experience points counter. 49,000 XP.
The last three months hadn’t just been productive—they’d been transformative. One full tier increase from Master Oz’s final test alone, plus countless smaller achievements that had steadily filled his reserves. Combat drills, magical theory breakthroughs, successful spell castings, endurance milestones—all of it had added up.
But there was a weight pressing on his chest that had nothing to do with stats or levels.
His mother’s letter.
It sat in his desk drawer, the red wax seal of the Elfender family crest broken. He’d read it once, weeks ago, and hadn’t touched it since. The contents were simple enough—an insistent summon home during the emergency break.
But it was timing that bothered him.
His family hadn’t reached out once since he’d arrived at the Academy.
And now, they wanted him home.
Altair shook his head, forcing the thought away. He’d deal with that on his own timing. Right now, he had more immediate concerns.
He focused back on his interface, his eyes settling on two particular skills.
Bond Skill (Lvl 1) and Borrow Skill (Lvl 1).
Both were interesting, seeming like they had potential. But he’d barely scratched the surface of what they could do.
"System," he said quietly. "How much XP does it cost to level up these skills?"
The interface flickered, and text appeared.
---
[SKILL UPGRADE COST: 2,000 XP PER LEVEL]
---
Altair did the math quickly in his head.
2,000 per level wasn’t terrible, but it would add up fast. Still, if these skills could give him an edge in the exams—or more importantly, against whatever threats were still out there—it was worth the investment.
He made his decision.
"Upgrade Bond Skill to Level 6."
The interface pulsed.
---
[BOND SKILL: LVL 1 —> LVL 6]
[-10,000 XP]
[EXPERIENCE POINTS: 39,000]
---
"Upgrade Borrow Skill to Level 3."
---
[BORROW SKILL: LVL 1 —> LVL 3]
[-4,000 XP]
[EXPERIENCE POINTS: 35,000]
---
Altair felt a subtle shift in his awareness, like a door opening somewhere in the back of his mind. The connection to his summons felt... clearer. More defined. He could sense them now, even though none were currently manifested—faint presences residing in their domains within the Codex.
But he wasn’t done yet.
He needed to understand what these upgrades actually meant in practical terms.
"System, explain the effects of these level increases. What’s the difference between Level 1 and Level 6 Bond Skill? And are there any major milestones I should know about?"
The system responded immediately.
---
[SKILL EFFECTS VARY BETWEEN SUMMONS]
[HIGHER-TIER SUMMONS MAY RESIST OR LIMIT CERTAIN BOND FUNCTIONS REGARDLESS OF SKILL LEVEL]
[MAJOR MILESTONES OCCUR EVERY 10 LEVELS]
---
Altair frowned. So even if he maxed out these skills, a summon like Heracles might still have natural barriers that made bonding difficult. That made sense—legendary beings wouldn’t just surrender their autonomy completely.
But the milestone system was interesting.
Level 10 must unlock something significant.
He made another decision.
"Upgrade Bond Skill to Level 10."
---
[BOND SKILL: LVL 6 → LVL 10]
[-8,000 XP]
[EXPERIENCE POINTS: 31,000]
---
The moment the upgrade completed, Altair gasped.
It felt like a floodgate had opened in his mind.
The vague presences he’d sensed before suddenly crystallized into distinct consciousnesses. He could feel them now—really feel them. Delilah’s sharp, calculating mind. Heracles’ boundless warrior spirit. Arthur’s steady, noble resolve, and Musashi’s serene focus.
They were there, waiting just beyond the veil.
And then the notification appeared.
---
DING
[CONGRATULATIONS: YOU HAVE REACHED THE FIRST MAJOR THRESHOLD FOR BOND SKILL]
[TELEPATHIC COMMUNICATION STRENGTHENED]
[YOU CAN NOW SPEAK WITH YOUR SUMMONS THROUGH THOUGHTS AND REACH THEM EVEN BEFORE THEY ARE SUMMONED]
---
Altair sat back, excitement spreading through him.
This was huge.
He could communicate with them directly now. Not just sense their presence or feel their emotions—actually talk to them. Get their input before summoning. Coordinate strategies in real-time during combat.
And most importantly, he could make informed decisions about who to summon for specific situations instead of guessing and hoping he’d made the right call.
His mana pool could still only comfortably sustain one S-rank summon at a time, so efficiency mattered.
This skill eliminated wasted summoning situations.
He closed his eyes and reached out mentally, testing the connection.
Delilah?
A response came immediately, smooth and amused.
Well, well. Look who finally figured out how to knock properly.
Altair couldn’t help but smile. Even in his head, her voice was theatrical.
Heracles?
Young summoner. The response was solid, warm, like a hand placed firmly on his shoulder.
Arthur?
Young lord. The tone was formal but genuine. I am always at your service.
Musashi?
There was a pause, then a quiet, meditative response in Japanese.
Kimi no kokoro wa seicho shite iru. Yoi kizashi da. (Your heart is growing. A good sign.)
Altair opened his eyes, exhaling slowly.
This changed everything.
He glanced at his remaining XP—31,000. Still a healthy reserve. He’d hold off on upgrading Borrow Skill for now. The Bond upgrade had proven its value immediately, and he could cast spells independently anyway. If he needed more combat versatility, he had four legends to call upon.
Better to save the XP until he was certain where to invest it next.
He dismissed the interface and stood, stretching. His body still felt different after three months of intensive training, it was denser, and more responsive. Even putting on his Academy uniform this morning had felt smaller, the fabric a bit tighter across his shoulders and chest.
His phone buzzed on the desk.
He picked it up and saw a message from Ryka.
---
Ryka:Hey, can we meet before the group study session? Around 6? There’s something I want to talk about.
---
Altair checked the time. It was 5:15 PM. They were supposed to meet at the library at 7.
He typed back quickly.
---
Altair: Sure. Where?
Ryka: You know that spot near the training grounds? The one with the stone benches behind Caldron Hall?
Altair: sure.
Ryka: Okay, is that alright?.
Altair: Sounds good
Altair: Hope, there isn’t a problem though?
Ryka: No, but I’ll rather talk about it in person
Altair: Okay then
---
He slid his phone into his right pocket and grabbed his jacket.
---
The spot Ryka mentioned was quiet this time of day.
It was tucked away behind one of the auxiliary training buildings, a small courtyard with stone benches arranged around an old fountain that hadn’t worked in years.
Altair arrived a few minutes early and sat on one of the benches, watching the last rays of sunlight paint the sky in shades of orange and purple.
He heard footsteps behind him.
"Hey."
He turned to see Ryka approaching, her hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket. And he noticed, there was something different about her expression—it was quite softer than usual. Not to mention her looks, hair styled pretty and light make-up done, this wasn’t the regular Ryka.
"Hey," Altair said, standing. "What’s up?"
Ryka sat down on the bench, and he settled beside her. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Just two people watching the sunset together.
Finally, Ryka broke the silence.
"I wanted to thank you."
Altair glanced at her. "For what?"
"For everything." She kept her eyes on the horizon. "When I first came here, I didn’t have anyone. My family’s name opened doors, sure, but it also put up walls you know. People either wanted something from me because of who I was, or they stayed away because they were intimidated."
She paused.
Hnhnnm. She chuckled softly at the thoughts of a memory.
"And then you approached me. Just... walked up and started talking like I was a normal person. With absolutely no regard for my status."
Altair didn’t know what to say, so he just listened.
"You treated me like a friend," Ryka continued quietly. "Not a Drakenheart. You saw the girl behind it all. Just... Ryka."
She turned to look at him now, her crimson eyes reflecting the last light of the day.
"And for the first time in my life, I felt ordinary. You might think it’s stupid, but that’s a feeling I’ve longed for my whole life."
Altair felt his muscles tense.
"Ryka—"
"I like you, Altair."
The words hung in the air between them, she was naturally blunt and honest.
"I know the timing is probably terrible," she continued, a faint smile touching her lips. "With exams coming up and everything else that’s been happening. But I couldn’t keep it to myself anymore."
She reached over and took his hand.
"You’ve been there for me. You’ve stood beside me through everything, from the Herald’s attack, to the training and through every thing else. Somewhere along the way Altair, I stopped seeing you as just a friend."
Altair’s mind was racing, but his body pressured him to stay.
She locked eyes with him, drew her gaze to his lips and then back to his eyes.
It was clear what she wanted, and Altair leaned in to her, gazes fixed.
Ryka met him halfway, her eyes closing as their lips touched.
The kiss was tentative at first, careful, like they were both testing the reality of the moment. But then the intensity spiked. Altair’s hand moved to the back of her neck, and the kiss deepened, becoming something more urgent, like they had both been deprived for so long.
The kiss lasted for some seconds.
And when they finally pulled apart, both of them were breathing a little harder.
Ryka laughed softly, her forehead resting against his shoulder. "Well. That was..."
"Yeah," Altair agreed, grinning.
They sat there for a moment longer, the world around them forgotten.
Then Altair’s phone buzzed violently in his pocket.
He groaned and pulled it out.
A message from Finn.
---
Finn: Dude, where are you? It’s 7:15. We’re at the library waiting.
"Shit!"
