CHAPTER 38: SUMMON

Azel now sat in his room at the inn, his back against the wooden headboard of a surprisingly comfortable bed.

It wasn’t as comfortable as the one from the royal palace years ago, that was probably the maximum of comfort but it was better than his bed back at home.

The events of earlier still played in his mind. He really had a lot of bad luck, all he had wanted to do was to stop at the town for the night and then continue to Starbloom tomorrow.

Hours had passed since then.

The mayor had thanked them personally, showering them with praise and promises of rewards: a cash bonus, discounts in shops, and free services within the town.

Lorraine had looked shocked, Gerome relieved, and Azel? He just wanted a room where he could finally breathe.

Crowhollow Town didn’t even have an Adventurer’s Guild despite being large enough to warrant one.

He didn’t understand what the mayor was doing with their funds, but it wasn’t his problem. It was a good town, they ought to have a GUILD here, as long as there were willing people to become Adventurers, they could defend the town far better than any gate guards could.

What he couldn’t ignore were the desecrated corpses littering the streets earlier.

Unfortunate Adventurers who had tried to engage the Shadow Wraith without proper strength or preparation... they’d been devoured until only scattered bones and bloody scraps of flesh remained.

Azel had felt his stomach lurch at the sight. He had killed before, yes — but this was different.

Monsters didn’t kill cleanly.

They treated humans like food, like toys to be broken apart.

That was the nature of this world, one he was still adjusting to.

And it reminded him of a fundamental truth:

You could never feel empathy for a monster.

If you did even once, you were at the risk of being consumed.

After all, Fall Of Ares wasn’t like all these run off the mill academy games, it was dark effortlessly... The goblins here were easily as bad as the ones in goblin slayer.

He pushed those thoughts aside, shaking his head.

The sooner he got stronger, the fewer times he’d have to see that kind of carnage.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he pulled up the glowing System interface.

"Alright," Azel muttered, his voice low in the quiet room. "Let’s see what I got."

The first window materialized in front of him.

[Item: Magic Crystal]

[Rank: 4]

[Description:]

[A condensed fragment of mana — born from the dying heart of a monster. It hums softly in your hand, almost alive, like a faint echo of the creature it once was. When consumed, its warmth spreads through the body, seeping into your veins, mending flesh, hardening bone, and filling you with a surge of vitality and raw magical energy, as though a piece of that creature’s strength now beats within your own heart.]

Azel stared at it thoughtfully.

He wasn’t a mage, not yet, so this wasn’t for him.

But Lorraine... yes.

He’d seen her talent firsthand in real life.

In the game, her wasted potential had haunted him more than he realized.

If she had someone to guide her, someone who believed in her enough to help her grow, maybe her fate wouldn’t have ended in tragedy.

"This one’s yours, Lorraine," Azel murmured.

He stored it back into his inventory. Then his eyes slid to the next item.

[Item: Ghost Ore]

[Rank: 3]

[Description:]

[An ore kissed by phantoms, its surface cold as a grave and pale as bone. Within it, spectral energy thrums restlessly, yearning to break free. Forged into a weapon, it can slip between worlds — solid to spectral striking down even that which dwells untouchable in shadow.]

A grin tugged at Azel’s lips. "Ghost Ore? Perfect."

In the game, Ghost Ore had been a rare mid-tier resource, practically essential for clearing early spectral-based quests.

A ghost-imbued weapon was a shortcut to dealing with incorporeal enemies — and having it this early? It was a gift.

He stored it away for later.

Now came the part he’d been looking forward to.

"Fate Tickets..." Azel smirked. "But first..."

His eyes landed on the final reward.

[Item: Summoning Card]

[Rank: ???]

[Description:]

[A fragment of destiny woven into form. Within it sleeps a soul bound by oath and covenant, waiting for the one who dares call it forth.]

Azel blinked. "...A summon, huh?"

Summons were rare even in the game, obtainable only in obscure hidden quests or by completing insane challenges.

He had never unlocked one in his playthrough, though he’d heard stories from other players on the forum, summons that could rival heroines in power, acting like allies — or in some cases, companions with their own growth systems.

It was a similar process to summoning heroes in some online games.

"Well," Azel said, holding the glowing orange card. "Let’s see what this is about."

[Would you like to use ’Summoning Card’?]

"Yes."

The card floated out of his palm, hovering before him.

Lines of white energy traced over its surface, forming intricate runes as the room dimmed.

Then it shone.

A light burst forth so bright Azel had to shield his eyes.

The glow engulfed the room completely, swallowing every shadow until it felt like the world had been reduced to pure radiance.

When it finally dimmed, Azel lowered his arm and blinked.

A girl stood in front of him.

She looked no older than six, with hair like soft pink silk cascading to her waist.

Her dress was black, trimmed with white lace, simple but elegant, like something out of a gothic fairy tale.

Her bright violet eyes met his as she tilted her head slightly.

Then she smiled sweetly.

"Papa?" Her voice was soft, melodic, like a gentle chime.

Azel froze.

"...What?" he said flatly.

The girl stepped closer, clasping her hands in front of her dress, her gaze unwavering.

"Papa," she repeated, voice filled with childlike certainty, as if she were stating a truth as clear as the sky.

Azel stared at her, utterly dumbfounded.

’What the fuck?’

The System pinged.

[Congratulations! You have successfully summoned ’Lillia’, Descendant Of The Witch Queen]

[Bond Level: 0]

[Type: Attack/Support]

[Special Trait: Soul Connection]

[Lillia recognizes you as her parent.]

Azel’s eye twitched.

"Witch Queen?"

He was sure he had seen something like that before but his memory bugged him, he couldn’t exactly wrap his head around it.

The pink-haired girl — Lillia beamed at him, stepping forward and hugging his waist like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Papa," she murmured happily, as if declaring ownership over him.

Azel stared down at her, frozen in place.

"Oh, this is going to be a headache," he muttered.