The Titan that appeared in front of us resembled the statues surrounding us, although it's more accurate to say that all those statues resemble this Titan.
"Whoa... it's... asking what I want. What do I do?"
Yuki, taken aback by its sudden appearance, didn't know how to respond. Even though she was familiar with the supernatural from our previous world, seeing it with her own eyes was an entirely different experience.
"Aren't you curious? Why don't you ask it to demonstrate its abilities?"
"I'll try."
I didn't know anything about the telepathic bond between Titans and their Seekers, but the moment Yuki closed her eyes in concentration, Gar-Ghoul flapped his wings and took to the air.
I knew a lot about physics, and flapping a pair of wings shouldn't allow a body just slightly larger than a human and seemingly made of stone to fly. But then again, magical metaphysics are fascinating.
After making two loops in the air, he landed and looked toward the room entrance. He opened his mouth, and as if it made perfect sense, water poured out, drawn like a charmed snake from his jar and straight into his mouth. Once the flow stopped, he closed his mouth and expelled the water forcefully.
"He can fly and breathe water?! Damn, that's my cutie! What more can you do?"
Yuki, exhilarated by her Titan's performance, unconsciously nudged him again, which caused him to move towards me. Instead of walking, he used the sudden thrust from his wings to propel himself at me. I was quick enough not to be taken by surprise, retrieving a wooden spear from my inventory as we hit the floor.
He bit into the spear, and while it saved me from a neck injury, he thrashed around in an attempt to break it, his wings and tail flapping wildly.
"Wait! No! Stop! Don't attack! Come back!"
With another impressive jump, he returned to Yuki, ready for his next command.
"Well, that could have gone better."
My attempt to lighten the mood went unnoticed by Yuki as she rushed over to inspect any injuries on my body.
"Are you hurt?! I'm sorry, I didn't know he would do that. Can you get up? Do you need help?"
Despite her worry, I couldn't contain my laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Why are you laughing? This isn't a joke!"
"Hahaha, sorry, but this feels a lot like you lost control of your dog outside and were reassuring me that he's a good boy, and this was the first time it happened—only your 'dog' is a bit bigger than the average dog."
After ensuring I was okay, she snickered at the comparison and became chirpier than before.
"Yes, mine is just better. It can fly and breathe water."
"It's also made of stone, just to point that out."
"True, it's better in every way."
"Anyway, did you gain any skills when you summoned him?"
"Yes, two to be precise: [Seeker] and [Titan's Bond]."
"Good. Remember to train them; I'm sure you'll like the results. The second one, in particular, should help prevent incidents like before."
"Okay, I understand the second, but what about the first skill?"
"You should read the descriptions of both. Seekers are what this world calls people who know about Titans. They are called Seekers because they search for lost and ancient secrets… or so I think. I don't quite remember everything about this show. Well, anyway, look around you. Do you see something strange in this room?"
Yuki paused for a moment, glancing around.
"...I'm sure there's something else going on. You wouldn't ask if nothing was happening. Is it the number of statues? No, you wouldn't ask if it's something I know nothing about, so what is it…"
She walked around the room, looking left and right—and demonstrating she was better than gamers by looking up.
"...I think I've got it. [Seeker] also leveled up, which means I'm probably heading in the right direction."
"Yeah, you're right. Skills tend to level up during moments like those. They can level up in other ways, but usually there are 'greater experience gains while successful.' Trust me, I've tried."
It was amusing to think I leveled up [Mathematics] while screwing up a series of calculations. It was funny to think it leveled up to level two when I wrote 1+1=3.
"So, anything related to researching history is out, and I know nothing about hidden rooms or caves, which only leaves us with the statues. There could be something related to the number of them, but I noticed all of them were holding an item in both arms… except one."
"Good, you're right. Is there anything else?"
She looked at the gargoyle in question and then noticed something.
"Gar-Ghoul came here."
The Titan, who minutes before was ready to attack me, was now following Yuki's orders without issue.
"Can you send some water into this broken ampoule?"
He obeyed and used his powers to direct a gentle, slow flow of water from the entrance of the room into the broken ampoule, guiding it toward the bowl on the table.
"Yes, you'll be a fine seeker. Now, recall your Gar-Ghoul, and we'll take another break before continuing our exploration."
"But we already had one... well, it doesn't matter. Come back, Gar-Ghoul."
Just as it had formed, the Titan became a stream of light before returning to the gem on its amulet.
"Now let's—huh. I... what..."
As soon as the Titan returned, Yuki started to slouch, and I had to catch her as she fell like a pup with its strings cut.
"I feel... weak... what is happening?" she asked, her voice faint.
"Nothing serious, don't worry. You can just think of it as suffering from mana deficiency. Take a nap; don't worry, I'm here," I reassured her.
"Thanks, Onii-chan..."
As soon as those words escaped her lips, she fell into a deep sleep, drifting off into the realm of dreams. I prepared the sleeping bag for her, knowing that sleeping on the ground wouldn't be good for her back after all.
---
**(Yuki POV)**
Since I was a toddler, I have had health problems. The doctors called it asthma. I was always short of breath and couldn't play with other kids, and sometimes my cough would get so strong that I had to stay in bed.
Sure, I am better now and have no problems at all, although my family still worries about me. But that's not the point.
You see, because of those health issues, I couldn't go outside to play with other kids and was often confined at home. However, I was lucky to have my Onii-chan with me, and even Ayano stayed with me, even if she was a little strange even back then.
Then came the divorce, which meant my dearest friend would never come home again. I know it was the situation that forced this, and I understand it, but that didn't mean I was happy about it.
To help with my sadness, he gave me a small phone, an old model with no color. It meant we weren't separated—just physically distant. We kept in touch, and I didn't feel alone anymore. Our reunions became even better!
As I got healthier, my family started to take away some of my freedom. Still, I loved them and accepted it. I wasn't a kid anymore, and I could live with that. I wasn't even that sad.
When I thought everything would continue like that, Onii-chan surprised me. He gifted me the greatest present he could give: "Would you like to go on an adventure with me?"
He had real-life cheats—not simple magic or superpowers, but amazing abilities. He offered me a chance I had never had before. Freedom.
Time passed in a blur as I anticipated having the best time of my life until it finally happened. I got the adventure I longed for, and it was better than I had imagined, although it was also dangerous.
I received some powers, and he gave me a Titan—a strange creature sealed inside a pendant that followed my orders. Together, we explored places I never thought existed.
"Why can't we use a torch to light up the area? It's quite dark here…"
After we entered a secret door (OMG, how cool was that?), we continued down a man-made path with stone bricks and walls.
"Can you see what's written on the wall?"
I looked where he pointed, but the lack of light made it hard to discern the letters.
"It's... French? No, I should be able to read it then…"
"It's Ancient French, and it's much different from the modern version. Here it says that 'only the worthy can light the way.'"
This wasn't the first time he had done this—explaining just enough to help me reach the answer on my own.
"Sorry, but I have no idea what that means."
"Hmmm, here, give me your hand."
He took my hand in his larger, warmer one and guided it to a spot on the wall. I had always liked physical contact with him.
"This is... a stone? Maybe a crystal?"
"Yes, this crystal works like a lens to direct light, and there are many more like it."
Why would there be so many? Unless...
"It's a trap—one made for those who are not seekers."
"Yes, specifically for anyone using light who is not supernatural. When triggered, it will open a trapdoor beneath us, probably leading to a pit of spikes."
Oh, no! And here I was, ready to light my torch without a second thought.
We continued like that until we came across a wooden door. The moment we opened it, we were blasted by light.
Once we adjusted after the long trek in the dark, I realized we were in an ancient space furnished with candles and bookshelves.
"Here we are, Yuki. This should be an ancient secret base of old seekers."
He then looked directly at me and smiled.
"And today the secret should be brought to light..."
I have always liked his smile, but recently... I'm starting to like it a bit too much.