《MY DIMENSION OF SUMMONER》 Chapter 1: Did I Become a Summoner? Who am I? For a moment, as soon as I opened my eyes, I couldn''t even remember my name. And then, the instant I recall that I am Reiji Hoshino, I also feel like... I''m a Fairy? What the hell is happening to me? Yesterday? I think that''s right... Well, when I went to sleep like any other day, expecting to have a normal dream or simply wake up the next morning, maybe even in the middle of the night if nature called... However! When I woke up, I found myself in a situation so inexplicable I don''t even know where to begin describing it. A sweet and cheerful voice echoes in my mind, saying: {It''s just training, no pressure¡­ Let''s go!} Sure, that part, although strange, was far from the weirdest thing. I found myself unable to make many movements while, before my eyes, there was a dirt road surrounded by short grass and a few pine trees on the sides. And, a few meters away, there were two boars¡ªone red and the other golden-brown. In my peripheral vision, I saw what looked like a hellhound, its fur a dark wine-red color and its eyes glowing golden. Then, that same hound lunged toward the golden-brown boar and bit it twice¡­ But they weren''t simple bites¡ªthey were the type with special effects, where only the massive teeth appeared, like giant dentures clamping down on the boar. And then, I saw the boar disappear as the hound returned to its previous position. [13 Seconds] While trying to grasp what was going on, I noticed an hourglass, initially counting down from 60 seconds, steadily decreasing each second. Instinctively, I felt I needed to attack before the last grain of sand fell. Don''t ask me how, but I felt as though I could use some kind of power and even knew its name and effects. [Water Cyclone: Attacks the enemy 3 times with a swirling storm of water. Freezes the enemy for 1 turn with a 20% chance.] [Purify: Removes all harmful effects from an ally and restores their HP. The amount recovered is proportional to the Attack Power. (Cooldown: 3 turns).] I didn''t know what would happen when the time ran out, and fearing the worst, I chose the first skill: Water Cyclone. "Whoosh!" Balancing on one foot, I found myself spinning like a ballerina as some kind of power swirled around me. But when I took the position, what I saw wasn''t what I expected from a skill named Water Cyclone. Instead, it looked more like a manifestation of a blue light pillar¡ªthough I could hear the sound of water in the process. [Critical!] As soon as I attacked, letters appeared, saying it was a critical hit, and the red boar met the same fate as the golden-brown one. Shortly after, fireworks exploded before me, and a holographic panel appeared in my vision. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [VICTORY!] [] [Max Energy: +2] | [Crystal +5] | [Mana Stone: 53] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Overlaying it all, a golden chest with yellow accents and ornaments reminiscent of wealth stood out in my vision. It had two glowing purple crystals on each side and a radiant aura around it, drawing all my attention. For a few seconds, I stood still, just staring. When nothing changed, and my movements remained restricted, I sighed and clicked on the chest. A blinding light emerged, forcing me to close my eyes. When I opened them, the chest from before had disappeared, replaced by a screen with some descriptions. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [[Unknown Scroll x1]: A scroll imbued with unknown energy. It summons a monster ranging from 1 to 3 Stars.] [Current Quantity: 1] [Okay] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z When I clicked [Okay], the same sweet and cheerful voice from earlier spoke again. {Amazing! That should be easy for a Summoner like you! Even better, you don''t need any practice! You got a Summoning Scroll! Looks like it''s your lucky day! Hmm... What kind of monster will you summon with this scroll? I''m curious~} My vision went dark the moment she finished speaking in my mind. It took a few seconds before I could open my eyes, feeling as though something had yanked me abruptly before coming to a sudden stop, leaving me slightly dizzy. I rubbed my eyes, which had only been able to perceive black-and-white shadows until they slowly began to focus and gain clarity. And then, I saw it: a tower, trees, stone walls surrounding the area, a sort of portal, and, directly in front of me, a circular structure with stones positioned at its edges, forming a square. In the center was a glowing triangle. Around the triangle, a circular relief held an energy that swirled incessantly. Everything seemed both plausible and illogical at the same time. However, until I completed whatever was required of me, my movements remained restricted. Not to mention, I felt as though I had somehow merged with the creature that allowed me to use magic. Before my eyes, a blue holographic screen with orange borders appeared. On the right side of the screen, some text read: []. To select, a few options appeared, including the same scroll I had just received as a reward. When I tried to click on the other options, I realized they were unselectable. The only available choice was the Unknown Scroll. [Summon: 300 Mana Stones] My balance showed 2,977 Mana Stones and 5 Diamonds. Realizing I couldn''t progress without clicking "Summon," I decided to go ahead. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [You can summon a monster between 1 and 3 Stars using the Unknown Scroll. Do you want to summon? [Yes] | [No] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z An obvious arrow blinked over "Yes," and it was clear I couldn''t click "No." So why offer choices when I didn''t truly have a choice? The moment I clicked "Yes," beams of energy shot out from the tip of each stone, converging at the center and intensifying the glow of the triangle. The light grew so bright it forced me to squint.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Exactly two seconds later, the glow subsided, and something miraculously appeared in the center of the triangle. At the same time, a holographic page materialized in front of me. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [(Wind) Lv.1 Wandering Knight [¡ï¡ï]] Max Level: 20 | Type: HP HP: 1,590 | Attack: 82 Defense: 82 | Speed: 97 Skills: [Stone Shock] | [Wave Shock] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z When I clicked [Okay], the familiar voice echoed in my mind once more: {Ah, it''s a [Wind Wandering Knight]. Now you have 3 monsters with different attributes. This allows you to take advantage of attribute relations during battles.} As soon as she finished speaking, another holographic page appeared, displaying a chart illustrating elemental advantages. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [- Elemental Relationships] [Fire -> Wind -> Water -> Fire] [Light <-> Darkness]: They are stronger against each other. [Close] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z I clicked "Close," and the voice echoed in my mind again: {It''s as easy as playing rock, paper, scissors! Water beats fire, fire beats wind, wind beats water, and so on¡­ Oh, I almost forgot! Durand left something for you. This is a [Rune], which you can equip on your monster. It has the power to make them stronger.} The voice faded, and a new page appeared, organized in square grids with icons, each accompanied by a description below: [Battle] | [(New) Monsters] | [(New) Missions (5)] | [(New) Shop (1)]. Although it displayed several options, only one was available for selection. A clear arrow pointed directly at the grid for [(New) Monsters], indicating it was the only possible choice. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [] [{Info}]: [Skill] [Awaken] [Rune] (Arrow) [Artifact] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Water Fairy [¡ï¡ï¡ï] Exp: [230 / 640 | 35%] Type: Support Level: 1/25 ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Attributes: HP: 2,280 | Attack: 133 Defense: 170 | Speed: 103 Crit Rate: 15% | Crit Damage: 50% Resistance: 15% | Accuracy: 0% ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [Fairy] | [Hellhound] | [Wandering Knight] | [] | [] | [] | [] | [_]¡­ ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z An image of a Fairy appeared on the left side. She had long blue hair, slightly drooping, pointed elf-like ears, and blue eyes. She wore an elegant blue dress with white decorative details near the hem, emphasizing a water theme, and a sheath resembling a four-pointed flower. ''So, it''s her¡­'' I thought. It became obvious to me that it was thanks to this Fairy that I could use magic. So, I presumed I was somehow interconnected with her. Setting my doubts aside, I continued observing. On the opposite side were the selection grids, and among them, the [Rune] option had the same arrow forcing me to click on it. Upon clicking, a new grid appeared with four options in the bottom corner, while at the top corner was a six-pointed star, each point numbered from 1 to 6. Clicking on the [Rune] option that was blinking brought up several more grids, and among them, one had the arrow indicating I should click: [Energy]. When I clicked, I saw a stone shaped like an irregular hexagon with softly rounded edges. At its center was a white letter [E] highlighted against a dark brown background, contrasting with the lighter outline around it. Clicking on what I assumed was the [Rune], a new page appeared, overlaying the previous one, with a dark brown background and orange options. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Energy Rune (1) [¡ï Rune (E)]: Attack +3 | [Normal] Options: [Equip] (Arrow) [Enhance] [Sell] Set Effect: 2 Runes [E]: HP +15% ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z When I clicked [Equip], another smaller page popped up. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [Would you like to equip a Rune? (Equipped Runes will be bound to the monster.)] [Yes] | [No] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Once again, the options were "Yes" or "Yes"¡­ So, naturally, I clicked "Yes." {Great! Rune engraving is complete. Can you feel the difference? And that''s not all! You can also upgrade your Runes through Rune Enhancement! Now, try Rune Enhancement.} I wanted to speak or at least transmit my thoughts to her, but I couldn''t. I still found myself trapped in this automatic effect that forced me to select the highlighted options. Once again, I had to click on the rune occupying position number 1 of the six-pointed star and then on the enhancement option. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [] [Energy Rune (1)] | : Attack +3 -> +6 | Mana Stones: 2,677 [Power (Selected)] [Enchant (gray)] [Reassess (gray)] [- [+1] +] [Cost: 50 Mana Stones] [Enhance] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Sighing, I clicked "Enhance." Immediately, a sound played while a light swirled around the rune. {I knew you could do it! Great job!} When she said that in my mind, I felt like a child who had just taken their first step. {Did you know all Runes are divided into sets? They become stronger when you complete a Rune set.} Her voice sounded slightly regretful as she continued: {It would''ve been great if Durand had given you a complete Rune set! They say a monster is only as strong as the Runes it has equipped.} ''Durand again... Who is this person anyway?'' Of course, my questions were destined to remain unanswered as her sweet and cheerful voice went on. {Well, we can''t do much except try to obtain them ourselves. Now, we need the Enhancement Circle. It''s absolutely necessary if you want to improve your monsters. Monsters level up and evolve through the Enhancement Circle.} Her voice in my mind became more excited: {Are you ready to summon a building this time?} She laughed: {Hehe~ Don''t be nervous!} ''Who''s nervous? Who?'' I thought. ''I just want this to end! I want to go back home!'' But did she hear me? Of course not. She simply brought back the previous page, where the [Shop] option was highlighted with an arrow. When I clicked it, a new page expanded before my eyes. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [] 1: [Normal] 2: [Building]: [Building]|[Decoration]|[Tree]|[Plant] [Expand Arena (Locked ¨C Unlocks at Lv.8) - (5,000 Mana Stones)]|[Enhancement Circle -(1,000 Mana Stones)]|[Magic Shop (Unlocks at Lv.6)-(2,000 Mana Stones)]... [Energy: 94/94]|[Mana Stones: 2,627]|[Diamonds: 5] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z I clicked on the [Enhancement Circle], then on buy. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [Icon] - [A circle where you can improve the quality of a monster. With the high conductivity levels of Epikion natural stone and Orihalcons, it minimizes side effects when using magic. [Monster Enhancement]|[Monster Evolution] [Buy]|[Cancel] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z When I clicked [Buy], a flash of light, even brighter than before, blinded me. I felt the ground tremble as a sharp sound echoed, accompanied by construction noises. Soon, everything stopped. The first thing I noticed was a new structure. Similar to the Summoning Circle, the Enhancement Circle appeared more elaborate. At its center was a hot pink six-pointed star, surrounded by a glowing double-circle emitting a bright light. Unlike the Summoning Circle, this one had a sort of pedestal, to which I was automatically directed. Around the Enhancement Circle was a low golden barrier. In the middle of each section connected to the Circle, there was a raised area with a pointed, glowing blue crystal. {That wasn''t so hard, was it? Now you can enhance your monsters!} she said again in my mind. {First, try enhancing the Hellhound. I''ve prepared the enhancement materials you''ll need!} Three options appeared before me: [Enhance], toward which the arrow pointed, [Info], and [Modify]. Clicking [Enhance], new options emerged, and a grid displayed a total of four monsters available for selection. Among them was the Hellhound, which the arrow kept insistently blinking at. When I clicked it, a "+" sign appeared, allowing me to select another monster. I chose a monster that resembled a mushroom with a dome-shaped blue cap, eyes, a mouth, and arms that ended without hands. Once selected, I clicked [Okay], and the mushroom monster appeared in place of the "+" sign. Then, the enhancement option became available, costing 600 Mana Stones. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [Perform enhancement now? (Material monsters will disappear.)] [Yes] | [No] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z When I clicked "Yes," the Hellhound appeared in the magic circle, glowing. Shortly after, the Hellhound''s profile was highlighted before my eyes. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [(Fire) Lv.2 Hellhound [¡ï¡ï]] | [EXP: 55.4%] Level: 1 -> 2 HP: 1,140 -> 1,170 Attack: 124 -> 126 Defense: 70 -> 71 Skills: [Bite] | [Double Attack] [Okay] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z I clicked [Okay], and the sweet, cheerful, and enthusiastic voice echoed in my mind: {Congratulations! The Hellhound leveled up! You can always level up your monsters through battles, but you can also use the Enhancement Circle to speed up the process. Evolution can make your monsters even stronger, but that''s not important for now. I''ll tell you about it later.} I thought I was done, but her voice spoke again: {I think that''s all! The rest is¡­ huh? A message from Durand! Let''s read it!} ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [Missions] 1) > [Investigate the Garen Forest. (!)] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z ''Mission?'' I thought. ''And Durand again¡­'' I clicked the red blood-colored (!) with an arrow pointing at it. {The Garen Forest is a dangerous place, so make sure you''re prepared for the adventure before investigating it.} Her voice sounded pensive. {It used to be such a peaceful forest¡­ What could have happened?} As soon as the voice faded, the bar with the [Battle] option was highlighted, with an arrow pointing to it. A map then appeared, with each location identified by a different name. Only the Garen Forest was unlocked, and an arrow pointed directly at it. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [] [[Info] | [Level: Normal] (v)] Outskirts [3 Energy (Battle)] South [3 Energy (Battle)] East [Locked] Paths [Locked] North [Locked] Plateau [Locked] Valleys [Locked] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z I clicked on Option 2 (South), and then a grid with three spaces appeared. The Fairy and the Hellhound were already occupying two of them, leaving the last one empty. I clicked on the Wandering Knight, who took the remaining spot. After confirming, my vision blacked out, and soon I found myself in an area similar to where I had awakened in this place, which oddly resembled a summoning battle game. Before me, I saw two mushrooms resembling the one used as material to strengthen the Hellhound: one with a red cap and the other with a light brown cap. In the middle stood a Large Red Boar. The Hellhound attacked first, biting the light brown-capped mushroom twice and eliminating it. The surviving mushroom retaliated with an energy orb, hitting the Wandering Knight. Then, it was my turn to attack, as the same hourglass from before appeared, this time counting down 30 seconds. In my mind, I selected Water Cyclone, extending my right hand in a "stop" gesture. "Whoosh!" "Bang!" Automatically, I spun, and the pillar of ''blue light'' struck the mushroom, instantly eliminating it. {That big monster in the middle¡­ I think it''s the boss!} She said this and fell silent immediately after. ''Urgh!!!'' The instant the Hellhound attacked the brown-capped mushroom, the blow wasn''t enough to eliminate it. I was hit by an energy orb, unable to defend myself, and felt an indescribable pain. However, despite the pain, I couldn''t produce any sound, groaning silently in my mind. All of this was completely illogical. When my turn came, I took a deep breath and healed myself. Afterward, the Wandering Knight was attacked by the Red Boar, receiving a headbutt. I looked at him and noticed his health bar had decreased slightly. I had no time to think as the Hellhound lunged forward, delivering two bites to the red-capped mushroom, eliminating it. Now, only the Red Boar remained, which clearly seemed stronger. Even the sweet and cheerful voice had commented on it. When it was my turn again and I was unable to use healing, I chose Water Cyclone. The sound of water was produced as three consecutive explosions echoed. I watched as the Red Boar''s health decreased only slightly. The Wandering Knight attacked but was counterattacked, leaving him with half his health. The Hellhound struck next, and once again, I used Water Cyclone, spinning lightly on one foot as I cast it. With less than 10% of its health remaining, the Wandering Knight attacked again, further reducing the Red Boar''s life but was counterattacked again, barely surviving. Shortly after, the Hellhound charged forward and finished the opponent. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [VICTORY!] [] [Max Energy: +2] | [Crystal +5] | [Mana Stone: 424] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [(Lv.2) Fairy ¡ï¡ï¡ï]: Level UP!] +766EXP | [(Lv.3) Hellhound ¡ï¡ï]: Level UP!] +766EXP | [(Lv.2) Wandering Knight ¡ï¡ï]: Level UP!] +766EXP ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z I clicked on the chest, similar to the one that had appeared the first time, and after it glowed, before I could see my reward, my vision darkened. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z When I opened my eyes, I could barely see. It was dark, and I felt something soft... Yes, like my mattress and pillow! "Ah, ahh..." Clearing my throat, I had never been so happy to do something so simple. Sitting up in bed, supporting myself with my hands, I vividly remembered everything that had just happened while my eyes adjusted to the darkness of my room. ''What was all that?'' I thought. ''Was it a realistic dream?'' "Reiji, wake up! It''s almost time for school!" Mom''s voice came from the stairs, just like every other morning. "I''m awake, Mom!" After responding like that, I dragged myself out of bed and headed for the light switch. When I turned it on, I froze. "What the hell?!" "Watch your language, young man!" Reflexively, I replied, "Sorry, Mom!" My mind was a whirlwind. As I thought about going to the bathroom, I felt the same sensation I had experienced before in my dream. Whatever it was, that wasn''t the most important thing. What truly mattered now was that I felt capable of using the two abilities of the Water Fairy! Chapter 2: Singles Meetup? [Monday, 7:34 AM.] I put on my school uniform, consisting of a black blazer with white accents over a long-sleeved white button-up shirt with vertical lining, a black ribbon at the collar, and matching black trousers. I let out a deep sigh as I finished getting ready. What have I become? That was the question I had asked myself countless times before making my way to the bathroom. In front of the mirror, I sighed again, but this time for a different reason. My eyes remained a deep blue, framed by long lashes, while my messy black hair was the same, with side bangs reaching just below my ears. Thin eyebrows completed the picture. Everything was exactly as it should be. ''At least my appearance hasn''t changed...'' I thought. ''At least there''s that...'' As for the possibility of using powers now, I still needed to test it. Of course, I wasn''t about to try that inside the house. Even though one of the two available abilities had healing and debuff-clearing effects, I had no clue what kind of impact it might have in the real world. Actually, am I even capable of using them? Wouldn''t I need something like magical power? Sitting on the toilet, I got lost in my thoughts. After several unsuccessful attempts to find something that could guide me better, I decided to try saying "Status." I nearly fell backward when a holographic page appeared right in front of me. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Summoner: Reiji Hoshino ¨C Lv.3 Bonded Summon (7%): Water Fairy [¡ï¡ï¡ï] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z I clicked on the Water Fairy icon, and a more detailed page expanded. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Water Fairy [¡ï¡ï¡ï] Type: Support Level: 2/25 ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Attributes: HP: 2,310 | Attack: 135 +6 Defense: 172 | Speed: 103 Critical Rate: 15% | Critical Damage: 50% Resistance: 15% | Accuracy: 0% ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Skills: [Water Surge (1/8):] Attacks the enemy three times with a spinning water storm. Freezes the enemy for 1 turn with a 20% chance. [Purify (1/6):] Removes all harmful effects from an ally and recovers their HP. The recovery amount is proportional to the Attack Power. (Cooldown: 3 turns). [Leader Skill:] Increases the Resistance of allied monsters by 20%. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z "Wow!" My heart pounded with excitement. This was concrete proof that I had ceased to be just an ordinary person and become something more. Even though it marked 7%¡ªlikely the percentage of my bond with the Water Fairy and the amount of power I could use from her¡ªit was still incredible. "Knock! Knock!" "Reiji!!" After two knocks on the door, Mom called out, complaining, "How long are you planning to stay in there? Haven''t I told you not to use your smartphone in the bathroom?" I blushed at that, as it was true. Once I got used to it, I could hardly go to the bathroom without my smartphone. Well... This time, I managed because I got lost in thought, thanks to what happened in my "dream." After cleaning up, I washed my hands at the sink. When I opened the door, I saw Mom with one eyebrow raised, giving me a slight scowl. Mom is very beautiful. Her eyes are blue, a little lighter than mine, and she has long black hair that falls over her slender figure. Despite this, her ample chest draws attention, especially considering she''s 35 years old. She''s the kind of mom I''m proud to have. I didn''t close the holographic page on purpose. I wanted to see Mom''s reaction the moment she saw me. However, I quickly realized that, although she looked at me accusingly, she didn''t seem to notice the page. I couldn''t take this lightly. If Mom could see it, other people probably could too. I didn''t know what might happen in that case, but I had a strong feeling I wouldn''t be safe if it became known. "Hey, are you listening to me?" I snapped back to reality when I saw Mom snapping her fingers in front of my face. My eyes refocused, and I gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Mom. I was thinking about something¡­ What did you say again?" "Heavens." She sighed. "As I said, my distant cousin was arrested for theft, and her daughter has no adult she can rely on. Since I''m her only relative, they contacted me." "They want you to take custody of her daughter until your cousin gets out of prison?" I asked. "And you''re going to accept, Mom?" "We haven''t discussed all the details over the phone yet, but I plan to accept," she replied. "Even though I feel nothing for that woman¡­" "Watch your language, Mom." She shot me a stern look before continuing, "The child isn''t at fault for having a mother like her. And since she''s my relative and is about to be sent to an orphanage, I can''t let that happen." "Well, do what you think is best." I smiled and added, "You''re the best mom in the world. I''m sure you''ll do what''s right for that little girl." Mom reached out, pinched my cheek, and, smiling, said, "Sweet talker." "By the way, Mom," I asked, "How old is she?" "I believe she''s ten years old." ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z "Heading out now, Mom." I yawned as I stepped out of the house. While walking to school, I couldn''t help but close my eyes against the sunlight. Today, the sun felt particularly brighter and more irritating. Are my eyes becoming more sensitive to sunlight? In that dream world, I experienced some flashes of light. Maybe that''s why. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Kuou Academy, a private school. Currently co-ed, the institution was exclusively for girls until a few years ago, which explains the predominance of female students. Over time, the number of boys increased, but girls still outnumber them. I''m in the second year of high school, where the ratio of girls to boys is 7 to 3. In the third year, the difference is even more pronounced: 8 to 2. Even today, girls hold more influence in the school. The Student Council is mostly made up of female students, including the student president, who is also a girl. By the way, I may not be the most handsome guy, but I have some confidence. After all, I get plenty of glances from girls and even a few love letters.Stolen story; please report. Still, when you''re in the same class as Yuuto Kiba and Makoto Sunakawa, you''re destined not to be the most popular guy in the room. I arrived at the classroom and sat at my desk. As always, there were girls surrounding Kiba''s desk. "Hey, Reiji. Yamato wants to organize a little meetup between some guys and her friends. Basically, a singles meetup. You''re coming, aren''t you?" The tall, muscular guy with thick lips, short black hair, bushy eyebrows, and prominent sideburns speaking to me is my childhood friend and neighbor, Takeo Gouda. He has the build of an athlete and was part of the judo club before entering high school. "Huh?" I replied, pursing my lips. "Your girlfriend''s friends? They''re first-years, right?" "Yep!" Takeo answered loudly. "Sigh¡­" Makoto, sitting nearby, let out a deep sigh. Makoto is a very handsome, slim guy with messy blond hair falling over his forehead, brown eyes, and an expression that''s always blank or stoic, but he showed some reaction to my comment. Makoto is considered so attractive that every girl Takeo liked ended up falling for Makoto instead. Worse still, he saw firsthand how they would badmouth Takeo and even mentioned it to me a few times back then. Having grown up witnessing the ugly side of many girls, he never showed much interest in relationships. Of course, my reason was different. I like older women. For example, Makoto''s older sister, who''s now in college, has always captured my attention¡­ "I don''t know," I replied vaguely, knowing how persistent Takeo could be if I turned him down outright. "Come on, it''ll be fun," Takeo said, placing his massive hand on my shoulder. "Yamato said the girls are all pretty cute." Hearing that, Yamato''s image came to mind. I had a good impression of her. Yamato is a beautiful, petite, and charming young girl with shoulder-length reddish-blonde hair, bangs falling over her forehead, and large brown eyes. Of course, the fact that she''s pretty isn''t why I had a good impression of her. The reason I liked her was because she''s Takeo''s girlfriend and how it all started, which really impressed me. I wasn''t there that day, but I heard the story afterward from Makoto. One Saturday afternoon, Takeo and Makoto went out to see a movie. On their way, they saw a girl being aggressively approached by some delinquents who were using the old trick of inviting her to "have fun at karaoke." Even after she firmly refused, they didn''t back off. That''s when Takeo stepped in. Not to brag, but Takeo''s presence alone is intimidating enough. Even though it was a group of three delinquents, when faced with Takeo¡ªwho looked like a locker or even a bear¡ªthey got scared and ran off, shouting, "You''ll regret this!" After that, instead of thanking Makoto¡ªwhich happens often since whenever Takeo helps someone and Makoto or even I are nearby, it''s rarely Takeo who gets the gratitude¡ªYamato directly thanked Takeo for helping her. From that point on, Yamato, who apparently fell in love with Takeo at first sight, boldly started getting closer to him. Although there was initially a small misunderstanding, with Takeo thinking she was using him as a bridge to get to Makoto, it didn''t take long for the misunderstanding to be cleared up, and the two started dating. Putting their story aside, I still couldn''t get excited about participating in a singles meetup with a bunch of first-year girls. Again, if it were older girls¡ªat least third-years¡ªI wouldn''t think twice about saying yes¡­ Before I could decline, the bell rang, and the teacher entered the classroom. "Everyone, take your seats." "Reiji, think about it and let me know later," Takeo said as he walked away. I looked at Makoto and saw him sigh again. I knew that, no matter how much he hated it, he couldn''t refuse a request from Takeo. Even if he disliked it, he would still go because of him. Oh well. Maybe I''ll go and come up with an excuse to leave halfway through¡­ ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z In front of me, along with Takeo, Makoto, and the other three guys, were six girls. The first had straight, light blonde hair that fell to her shoulders. The second had straight, light brown hair with blunt bangs and a cheerful smile, her eyes closed. The third had curly blonde hair styled into a voluminous look. The fourth was Yamato. The fifth girl had short, straight brown hair cut into a blunt style. Lastly, the sixth had short, wavy gray hair and a shy smile. After leaving school, we met up with Yamato''s friends. "Hello! I''m Yamato, Takeo-kun''s girlfriend. All these girls are friends from my class." After Yamato''s brief introduction, the girls greeted us in unison: "Hello!" While I didn''t react much, the other three guys were visibly excited. "Nice to meet you!" they said together with big smiles. I noticed that Makoto was even more indifferent than me. His expression of boredom and total lack of interest was obvious. Osamu Kurihara, an average-looking teenager with an afro and a slim build, commented while resting his left hand on another guy''s shoulder: "They''re all cute." I felt out of place, like I didn''t belong there. Maybe that''s why my mind began to wander, mostly thinking about what had happened to me in that other dimension. "So, who''s Rinko''s boyfriend?" ''Will I go back there when I sleep?'' I wondered. "This girl fills us with her happiness every day." Ignoring their conversation, I thought, ''I should buy a mask¡­'' "Huh? No, I don''t do that!" "Yes, that''s what people say you''re doing." When I noticed the girls'' conversation winding down, I saw the last girl from earlier ask Yamato, "So, who''s he?" "H-He¡­" I stopped letting my mind wander and saw Yamato approach Takeo, visibly shy. With a wave toward Takeo, Yamato answered her friends, "This is Takeo-kun, my boyfriend." Nervously, Takeo blurted out, "Hello!" I could see in the girls'' eyes that it was hard for them to accept this reality. I don''t know what they were thinking, but it certainly wasn''t anything pleasant. "Ah¡­" One of them said, trying her best not to sound offensive, "As Rinko mentioned, you''re really tall¡­" Another stammered slightly before speaking: "L-Like Rinko said, you have big hands¡­" ''I thought, since they were Yamato''s friends, they''d be different, but I see I was wrong.'' Of course, even with a less-than-great first impression, they could still turn out to be good girls later on¡ªmaybe they just experienced some unmet expectations. And even if that were the case and they were genuinely good girls, they still seemed too green for my taste. So, in the end, it didn''t matter. "Takeo, go on ahead. I need to buy something," I said. "I''ll catch up with you later." "Really?" Takeo turned to me, seemingly oblivious to the awkward atmosphere that had formed, and said loudly, "You promise to come back, right!?" "Yes, I promise," I replied calmly. Takeo nodded and, in his usual booming voice, said, "Then it''s fine!" I noticed the girls looking at me¡ªsome surprised, even blushing¡ªbut I pretended not to notice as I walked away. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z The mask I bought was something that, if I didn''t use it, I could give to my little cousin, the one Mom planned to take care of. So, I picked a Sailor Moon mask. I mainly chose it because it covered my entire face, including the sides, which would be convenient if I needed to use it. As for the embarrassment... well, as long as I wasn''t recognized, it would be fine. "Riiing~!" A message. I finished paying, thanked the cashier, left the store, and checked the message. It was from Makoto, who had sent me the meetup location: [Matsule Restaurant, third floor]. I replied, letting him know I was on my way, and tucked my phone back into my pocket. I hadn''t gone far, so it didn''t take long to get to the address. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z "Hey, you all go to an all-girls school, right?" As soon as I arrived, I heard Osamu talking, asking the obvious: "So none of you have boyfriends?" The girl with chin-length brown hair didn''t even know how to respond to such a dumb question: "Uh... well..." Another girl added, "No, we don''t¡­" I almost burst out laughing when Takeo headbutted Osamu. "Pfft~" "Don''t ask dumb questions to Yamato''s friends!" Takeo said, not moving his large face away from Osamu''s, who turned pale, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "Sorry, sorry," Osamu said in a pitiful voice. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Takeo notice me. Pulling his head away from Osamu, he said, "Oh, Reiji. You''re here. Come, sit with us!" The moment Takeo stopped speaking, I felt several gazes on me¡ªsome of which I really didn''t want. There were envious looks from the three guys, as well as some from the girls, a few of whom blushed as they stared at me. Honestly, I should just get a juice, make up an excuse, and leave¡­ With a polite smile, I approached and sat next to Makoto. Making a slight bow, I said, "Sorry for being late." "Not at all." The one who replied was the girl with straight, light blonde hair that fell to her shoulders. She seemed cheerful, her face slightly flushed. Turning to her friends, she added, "We''re just getting started, right?" "Right!!" The other girls responded in unison, laughing cheerfully. "Hmm?" Idiot number two asked, flustered, unable to read the room: "So none of you have boyfriends?" "No!" They replied in unison. ''Seriously, wasn''t asking once enough?'' I thought. ''And if they did have boyfriends, they wouldn''t be at a singles meetup, right?'' I know some girls, even while dating, attend these events, but let''s be real¡ªthis shouldn''t be generalized or normalized. Much less openly questioned. One of them kindly said, "We don''t have any opportunities to meet them." Another nodded, "Yeah, no chance at all." "Well," the boy with glasses said, "we''re from a co-ed school, but we don''t have any opportunities either." Osamu commented, "All the girls go for the popular guys." ''Why are they looking at me? Honestly, if you want to attract someone, starting with "we''re losers" isn''t going to help. And being jealous of me? Even less so.'' And, of course, they also glanced at Makoto, but he showed zero reaction. As expected, the blank expressions the girls gave them were priceless... ... As their conversation dragged on, my disinterest only grew. "If we have any chances, it''s only during our school festival." Then they started talking about how the girls had run a caf¨¦ during the last festival. Takeo asked Yamato, "Were you part of the caf¨¦ too?" "Alright, let''s switch seats." One of the girls sat next to me. If I''m not mistaken... her name is Ayu, right? Yamato replied. "I made several pound cakes in different flavors." "Oh? I would''ve liked to try them." Seeing Takeo blush as he said this was amusing. "I''ll make one for you tomorrow!" Yamato said enthusiastically, raising her voice. With a goofy expression, Takeo fidgeted and said, "I''ll look forward to it." I thought, smirking a little. ''Watching Takeo''s reactions is more entertaining.'' The same could be said of Makoto. Holding his juice cup, he commented, "I wouldn''t be surprised if you ate the whole cake in one go." I stopped paying attention to them because the girl next to me lightly tugged at my shirt. "Look, my name is Ayu," said the blonde girl with two braids and straight bangs. Her large golden-brown eyes sparkled as she asked, blushing slightly, "May I know your name?" "Reiji Hoshino," I replied. But before I could continue, my smartphone vibrated. "Just a moment, please..." "Okay..." ''Saved by the bell,'' I thought. Pulling my smartphone out of my pocket, I saw a message from Mom: [I''ll be home soon. If you''re not back yet, return as soon as possible!] I frowned. It was rare for Mom to send a message like this. ''What could''ve happened for her to send me this?'' I wondered, slightly concerned. Standing up, I said, "Sorry, something urgent came up. I need to go." "Already?" Ayu was the first to react, looking sad and disappointed. "That''s a shame," said another girl. "Yes, I have to go," I replied. "Is everything alright, Reiji?" Takeo asked. "Yes, it''s about what I mentioned to you earlier," I replied. "Oh, about your little cousin." Takeo nodded, understanding. "Go ahead, then. There''ll be other chances, right?" "Yes!" the girls agreed. Though I didn''t share their enthusiasm, outwardly, I smiled and waved politely as I made my exit. Chapter 3: Ai Hoshino [P.O.V ¨C Third Person] A life so ordinary that there''s not much of interest to say about it. After finishing college, Satoru joined a major construction company and, now at 37 years old, lives alone with zero girlfriends and zero romantic experiences with the opposite sex. Quite pitiful, to be honest. In his words, he left the duty of filial piety to his older brother. For him, dying a virgin might not be out of the question. Mind you, it''s not that he''s unattractive. He''s above average, yet still unpopular¡­ In fact, he confessed his feelings three times in his life but was rejected each time. After that, with his heart broken, he never dared to confess to anyone again. "Senpai!" With a cheerful smile, a young man approached him. And beside him stood a beauty. "Sorry to keep you waiting!" Tamura is a junior at the same company where Satoru works; standing next to him is the company''s renowned "Madonna," the receptionist Sawatari. Quite shameless of this guy to come and ask Satoru for advice about their marriage. And that was the trigger that made Satoru question his own unpopularity. "So, what kind of advice are you looking for?" Satoru asked while greeting Sawatari. "Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Sawatari Miho. Although we''ve seen each other before, this is the first time we''re actually talking, right? It makes me a bit nervous." She said that, but the one truly nervous was Satoru. After all, he wasn''t very good at talking to girls. And with no romantic experience, what kind of advice could he possibly give? "Hi, I''m Mikami Satoru," he said. "No need to be nervous or anything. Sawatari-san is famous among us, so I know who you are even without the introduction. About Tamura ¨C we went to the same university, you know, so we had a lot to talk about. After that, we naturally started hanging out a bit." "What''s this about being famous? Are there strange rumors going around?" "Yes. Like having an affair with Manager X or going on dates with Y-kun ¨C things like that." Clearly, it was all teasing from Satoru. Even so, Sawatari''s face turned bright red, and she looked at Satoru with teary eyes. Feeling he''d messed up, Satoru wanted to apologize. "Senpai, please let it go," Tamura said, laughing. "And Miho, you''re just being teased!" "My bad," Satoru said. "I''m just not very good with women. And, well, the setting doesn''t help much, does it? Let''s grab something to eat and talk over there." "Kyahhhh!" Suddenly, screams echoed, causing confusion. This made Satoru immediately frown. "Move! I''ll kill you!!" a man yelled. It was a man running, holding a large knife in one hand and a bag in the other. However, the direction he was running toward was the real problem... He was running toward¡­ "Tamuraaa!" Satoru shouted, pushing him out of the way, only to become the target himself. "Shnk!" Satoru felt a burning pain in his back. "Tch, damn obstacle!" said the man who stabbed him. Satoru began to collapse, but before hitting the ground, he seemed to see something strange. At the moment of his fall, he saw what appeared to be a relatively tall man wearing a Sailor Moon mask attacking and subduing the assailant. As he fell, strange things started to happen. Even a feminine voice began buzzing in his mind. "Senpai! Senpai!!" "Ta... Tamura... You''re so noisy. It''s not... such a big deal, right? Stop worrying..." "Senpai..." Tamura said. "The blood... You''re losing too much..." "I might be able to help." Suddenly, a voice caught Satoru''s attention¡­ or, more precisely, the mask the man was wearing as he approached. "Are you... a doctor?" Tamura asked, though he seemed skeptical upon seeing the goofy mask the man was wearing. "Something like that," the man replied without elaborating. Then, he simply extended his hand, and something unbelievable happened. As if giving a blessing, this strange guy wearing the Sailor Moon mask did something miraculous: he produced a kind of green light that surrounded Satoru''s body, even stopping the bleeding that wouldn''t cease. He repeated the same gesture twice, in 30-second intervals, and by the third time, Satoru''s condition seemed to stabilize. Moments later, the sound of an ambulance''s siren could be heard, but the strange guy fled before anyone could thank him. "Senpai, senpai, you''re going to be fine, you''re going to make it!" Tamura exclaimed, overjoyed. "I''m going to live?" Satoru found it unbelievable, but it was undeniable that most of the pain he had felt ¨C and even the weakness that had overcome him earlier ¨C vanished as if by magic. In the end, was it magic that the guy in the Sailor Moon mask used? That must be the only explanation, nothing scientific!This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "Move aside, move aside!" Two men in hospital uniforms approached, but then, before Satoru could even be taken away, his body began to glow. [WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!] [Reincarnating... Error!] [Reincarnating... Error!] [Reincarnating... Error!] [WARNING! Plan adjustment required!!] [Reincarnation will now be: Transmigration!] [Transmigration... Error!] [Forced Transmigration...] [Analyzing....] [Successful!] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [P.O.V ¨C Reiji] I was only two steps away from home. My heart was beating a little faster. I had never done something like this before. Although I had helped catch a thief in the past, that didn''t compare to the experience of using healing on someone who was about to die from blood loss. ''By the way, he survived, right?'' Though curious and worried, I couldn''t go back there. Even though I had worn a mask, I was still in my school uniform. Who knows if anyone would be able to recognize me without the mask, with such vivid images in their minds? Opening the door, I stopped thinking about those things for now. "I''m back," I said as I entered. "Mom?" There was no answer. Slipping on some slippers, I walked to the living room and then to the kitchen, even upstairs to the bedrooms¡ªnothing. ''She''s not back yet?'' I was getting worried. ''Should I try calling?'' Since I had been a bit late, I thought she would have already arrived. ''I just hope nothing bad happened...'' Just thinking about it, my heart beat faster. I grabbed my smartphone, preparing to call her. "I''m back." Hearing her voice from downstairs, I sighed as I went down the stairs, and all the lingering fear disappeared as if by magic. ''That''s good,'' I thought. ''More than that, I must be affected because I saw a man almost die right in front of me...'' In the hallway, I saw Mom helping a cute little girl with long, messy blue-purple hair put on a pair of slippers that she had apparently just bought. I noticed that the girl''s clothes were a bit worn, even with some visible holes. "Welcome," I said, breaking the silence. Mom looked at me, her expression wasn''t exactly pleasant. I wanted to ask what had happened, but I didn''t think it would be appropriate with the little girl around. "This must be my little cousin, right?" I asked. "Yes," Mom replied. "Her name is Ai Hoshino. From today on, she''ll be staying with us. Take care of her like I gave birth to her myself, understood?" The last part she said sounded more like a warning. ''So the situation with this girl is worse than I imagined...'' I thought. Mom''s reaction said that. At least, that''s what it seemed like to me. And the way she spoke, between the lines, basically suggested that instead of just "taking care" of her while Ai''s mother was in prison, Mom seemed determined to adopt the girl. I know Mom well enough to realize that. "I will," I said, knocking my fist against the middle of my chest. "I promise I''ll treat her well, like the little sister I never had." "Good." Mom finished helping Ai Hoshino put on the slippers and finally gave a small smile. Crouching down in front of Ai, Mom said to her: "Ai-chan, I''m going out for a bit, but I''ll be back soon. Stay under my son''s care. His name is Reiji Hoshino. Until I return, he''ll take care of you, okay?" "Yes," Ai answered in a soft voice, looking excessively shy. Holding a bag, Mom handed it to me and, tapping it against the middle of my chest, said, "Here are some clothes for her to change into. Show her where the bathroom is and let her take a shower." "Mm." I nodded. "Okay, I''m leaving now," Mom added. "I shouldn''t be gone for too long." When Mom left, Ai seemed even shyer, almost intimidated. Her eyes, with a fascinating gradient from purple to pink, were on the verge of tears. I was surprised to notice something unusual in them: in each eye, there was a glowing six-pointed star. ''Am I seeing things?'' I thought. Shaking my head, I didn''t have time to think about that now; taking care of her was more important for the moment. "Ai-chan, come with me. I''ll show you where the bathroom is," I said. "Ah, yes, I''ll prepare the bathtub. Just wait a moment in the living room." She didn''t respond, but followed me to the living room. "You can wait on the couch," I added, and she nodded, pouting, looking incredibly pitiful. Scratching my face, I didn''t know how to handle this situation. But, well, one step at a time. First, I need to prepare her bath as Mom instructed. Ah, yes, the clothes... I went to the table and opened the bag. ''Indeed, these are new clothes. Mom must have bought them on her way here.'' If I''m not mistaken, Mom must have gone to buy more clothes and daily essentials for Ai-chan, something like a toothbrush and toothpaste. In the bathroom, I prepared everything, from the clothes to the towel. While the bathtub was filling, I took out my smartphone and searched the internet. I wanted to know what the best option would be for a child''s bath. At home, we have some bath essences, but I believe some of them might not be ideal for someone so young... After searching for a bit, I saw that one of the bath essences we have at home could be used: marigold, Mom''s preference. With everything ready, I left the bathroom and went to the living room. "Ai-chan?" I called for her. When I returned, I saw that she had her head down, lightly stirring her slightly dirty fingers. "Did you call?" She lifted her head, looking at me with a bit of fear. ''Am I that scary?'' I thought. I gave my best smile and said, "The bath is ready. You can do the rest on your own, right?" "Mm." She nodded like a little chick pecking at corn. "Follow me. I''ll show you where it is," I said, keeping a little distance since she didn''t seem very comfortable with me being too close. On the way, I added, "The water''s already warm, and I''ve prepared a towel and clothes for you to change into. Let me know if you need anything. In the meantime, I''ll prepare something for us to eat." She didn''t respond. I asked, "By the way, is there anything you can''t eat or something you really hate eating?" "No," she answered softly. A short and direct response, huh... Well, it doesn''t matter. "Here it is." I stopped at the opposite side of the door, signaling toward it. "Make yourself comfortable. Take all the time you need, and if you need anything, just call." She nodded, her head lowered. Even with her lack of reaction, I sensed there must be a reason. Maybe it''s the same reason Mom had been acting so strangely. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z "Itadakimasu." I''m no great cook, but when Mom is busy at the beauty salon, I have to make my own meals. Simple things, like onigiri (rice balls), are easy to make. Since I had leftover salmon from yesterday, I used it as the filling. "Is it good?" I asked. Nibbling, she nodded gently. Now that she had taken a bath and changed into new clothes, she looked like a beautiful little princess. She could even be mistaken for a different person. It was just a simple white dress with pink details and a black belt, but it made all the difference. Before that, she had been wearing old pants and a t-shirt that looked like it was made from dishcloth fabric. When she noticed I was looking at her, Ai-chan seemed terrified and lowered her gaze. I was startled by her reaction, not knowing what to do. I feared that trying to comfort her might make things worse. Sighing, I left the table. "Make yourself at home, I''m going to the bathroom," I announced. As I walked away, I noticed she resumed eating, but a bead of sweat was dripping down her face. My expression wasn''t the best. I went to the bathroom and grabbed my smartphone. [Mom, what exactly happened to this girl?] I sent. Ten seconds later, the response arrived. [Many things... Anyway, take good care of her! I''ll explain everything later, I''m on my way. Oh, and don''t try to impose anything on her. If Ai-chan seems uncomfortable with you, avoid getting too close for now.] [I''ll do that] I replied. I put the smartphone back in my pocket. After flushing the toilet, I washed my hands and left the bathroom. In the hallway, I paced back and forth, unsure whether I should go back to the living room. Damn, I hate feeling like this. I wanted to do something, but I didn''t know how. I didn''t want to think about the worst, but Ai-chan''s reactions were strange: ''Did she suffer domestic abuse from her mother?'' Even if that were the case, I don''t think it''s that simple. Otherwise, Ai-chan''s reactions wouldn''t be so intense. But what do I really know or what can I do? For now, the best thing is to wait for Mom to come back. I''m sure she''ll handle it better than I can. After all, she even managed to make Ai-chan feel comfortable in her presence. Chapter 4: Mystical Scrolls Mom arrived about 14 minutes after sending me that message. A deep sense of relief washed over me when I finally saw her arrive. I know it''s pathetic, but when Mom got here, I felt as if my savior had arrived. "How is she?" Mom asked as soon as she saw me at the entrance. "She''s okay, I think," I replied. "Ai-chan took a bath, then ate the onigiri I made. Now she''s waiting in the living room while watching TV." "I see," Mom said. "I''ll go talk to her and then prepare a room for her. Oh, yes, help me get some things from the car trunk, thanks." Without waiting for my agreement, she patted my shoulder and walked past me. ''Well¡­ This is better than the awkward silence treatment,'' I thought, opening the door. I went to the car, and the trunk was already open. Inside were several shopping bags from a clothing store. ''Just as I thought, Mom went to buy clothes for Ai-chan.'' Picking up several bags, I was surprised by how easily I carried them as if they weighed nothing. Although I admit I''m stronger than most boys my age, since I practiced judo for a good part of my childhood¡­ still, I knew I wasn''t this strong before. ''Is this related to the Water Fairy?'' No matter how much I thought about it, there was no other explanation besides it being connected to becoming a Summoner and being bonded with the Water Fairy. Once I picked up all the bags, I closed the trunk and went back inside. I left the bags on the floor near the entrance to change my shoes and noticed Mom giving me a strange look. "You''ve gotten stronger," she said. "Not bad." "Haven''t I?" I raised an eyebrow playfully at her. "Show-off!" She clicked her tongue and then smiled. However, her smile didn''t last long before her expression grew serious. "Take all that to the room next to mine," Mom said. "I''ve already prepared a few things; for now, it should be enough for Ai-chan to start living with us." "Mom¡­" I asked softly, "Are you planning to adopt her?" "Yes!" Her firm response was all I needed to know. ''Hmm¡­ Mom seems determined. This confirms things aren''t that simple¡­'' Looking at her, I said, "I''ll support you." "No need to overthink it, your father has already approved," she said. "And I just hope you''ll be good to Ai-chan, that''s all. That girl¡­ she deserves to be loved." It''s the second time Mom has said something like this when talking about Ai-chan¡­ ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z After leaving the bags in the room that would now be Ai-chan''s, I went downstairs. On the lower floor, I heard Mom''s gentle voice and Ai-chan''s quiet, childlike voice. Unlike me, Mom was able to hold a conversation with her. She even managed to get Ai-chan to open up to her a little. ''As expected, Mom is amazing.'' I went to the fridge and grabbed a glass of cold water. In the living room, I greeted them with a nod and sat on a zabuton (floor cushion) in front of the table, looking at the TV. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Ai-chan went to sleep around 8:33 PM. Finally, I was able to have a conversation with Mom and better understand Ai-chan''s current situation. Mom prepared black tea for us and gestured for me to sit across from her. I pulled out a chair and picked up the cup from the saucer on the dining table. Mom is the type of person who doesn''t start talking right away. She likes to set the mood. That''s why we spent the next two minutes in silence, just sipping tea, until she finally spoke: "About Ai-chan¡­" I placed the cup back on the saucer. She did the same, clasped her hands together, and rested her elbows on the table as she continued: "Her mother is a disgrace."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The way she said "disgrace" seemed to carry an intention to say something far harsher. Mom''s cold expression was something I had rarely seen in my 17 years of life. "What exactly happened?" I asked. "You didn''t see it." Mom sighed, looking pained and sympathetic. "That little girl''s body¡­ Ai-chan''s body is covered in bruises. And it''s not just that. She suffered domestic violence. While the bruises are horrifying, the worst part seems to be the verbal abuse she endured at the hands of that¡­" Mom held herself back from cursing, and it was evident on her face. She sighed and took another sip of tea to calm down. "What a vile woman," I said. Even though I had only met Ai-chan today, I couldn''t comprehend how a mother could treat such an adorable daughter this way. And now, everything made sense to me. That''s why Ai-chan''s reactions were so intense¡­ "Vile?" Mom laughed sarcastically. "She''s a monster! That thing doesn''t even deserve to be called a ''mother''!" Noticing that she had raised her voice too much, Mom took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling. I could understand¡ªor at least try to¡ªthe reason for her strong reaction. After all, Mom had always been incredibly loving and adored children. If it weren''t for the tubal ligation she underwent after a difficult childbirth that nearly took her life, I probably would have had a little sister or brother by now. That''s why I also understood her desire to adopt Ai-chan. Despite being an adorable child, she seemed so pitiable. There was no way Mom could see a little girl go through that and, having the chance to help, do nothing. Holding her hand, I said, "Calm down, Mom. Now that she''s with us, Ai-chan won''t suffer anymore." She gave me a warm look and nodded. "Mm, you''re right." We talked a little more. In the end, we went through about three cups of tea before calling it a night. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z {Ah, you''re back! I''ve been waiting for you! Let me show you your daily schedule!} As soon as I lay down on my bed to sleep, I found myself awakening once again in the same dimension as before, with a sweet and cheerful voice echoing in my mind. Then, a panel appeared before my eyes. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [Notice] _____ [X] 1: [Complete daily missions: [0/9] | [In progress]] 2: [Exclusive Gift]: [Check-in: 2/30] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z ''Huh?'' I felt less restricted. Instead of the usual arrow pointing to one of the options, I was able to click the X to close the page. Then, I was able to move freely around the area, even seeing the same Hellhound, Wandering Knight, and Water Fairy. It was a small space. It took me only a few minutes to walk across it and stop in front of a small pond with water cascading down like a waterfall. When I looked closer, the name and description of the pond appeared. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [] Description: A pond of unknown origin that constantly gathers Mana. Rumor has it that a large Mana Stone lies at the bottom of the pond. [Mana Stone Production: +420 / 1 hour.] [Maximum Capacity: 2,000] [Okay] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z I clicked "Okay" and saw my Mana Stone balance increase to 53,451. Oh yes, apart from the fact that I had more freedom of movement, another thing happened¡ªa window with information appeared on all sides: left, right, top, and bottom. It even displayed details about my level and name. Curiously, I leaned forward to take a look at myself, and what I saw shocked me. ''I don''t have a face¡­! Instead of my head¡­ it''s a white light screen?!'' I was in shock. Now it all made sense. No wonder I couldn''t say a single word. After all, how could I, if I didn''t even have a mouth? But why this appearance? Should I be worried? However, when I returned to the real world, the only tangible thing that happened was my ability to see my status window and partially use the Water Fairy''s powers. I reached up to where my head should be, and my hand simply passed through, as if trying to grab something that wasn''t there. ''Is this similar to a holographic screen?'' I thought. ''How can I see so clearly, then? And where did my head go? Actually, is this even my body?'' I patted myself down but then realized¡­ While some things felt different, it still seemed to be me. Some kind of phenomenon was occurring, far beyond my understanding. For instance, I couldn''t remove the dark blue hoodie I was wearing or even the white sneakers on my feet. Clearly, these weren''t my clothes. This must also be tied to this strange dimension, just like everything else. I tried my best to calm down. No matter what, I needed to better understand my situation, and panicking wouldn''t help. It took a few minutes for me to get my head straight¡­ Not literally. Afterward, I approached the Hellhound and stood in front of it, with its glowing golden eyes staring at me. I extended my hand and touched its head. Although it felt slightly warm, it wasn''t much different from any other dog. Then I went to the Fairy. When I reached her, I extended my hand toward her, but she dodged, spinning around just as she does when launching her attacks. I feared for my life when I saw her doing that, but fortunately, she didn''t attack me. Sigh¡­ Apparently, she either can''t or doesn''t want to attack me, but she also doesn''t want me to touch her. So, I went over to the Knight. When I approached him, he had a thin smile on his face as he stared at me, holding his large sword with both hands. I backed away. I clicked on the missions tab. When I did, a total of eight missions were available for me to complete, and one was already completed. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [Start of the Day (1/1) [New Summoner Token (Two-Leaf Sprout) +1] | [+50,000 Mana Stones] | [(M) +15] | [] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z I clicked on "Collect." I then saw that the mission points changed to: 15/100. When the previous mission option disappeared, I noticed an obvious (!) icon appear at the top, in green, with the same symbol as the Two-Leaf Sprout, indicating the New Summoner Token. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [(!) Special New Summoner Support] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z When I clicked on it, a page opened, and new options appeared, requiring what seemed to be the New Summoner Token as the currency. There were a total of 15 purchase options, and among them, two caught my attention the most. One was a kit of Legendary Runes, totaling six. If I considered what the voice in my head said, then runes were extremely important. However, I felt even more drawn to another item. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [] _____ [x] Description: A scroll containing an unknown energy. It summons a monster with 3 to 5 stars. Current quantity: 0 Number of purchases: 0/2 [New Summoner Token -1 (Purchase)] | [Close] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z I didn''t think twice and purchased it. I quickly saw that the quantity of Mystical Scrolls I owned changed to 20. And since I had two Two-Leaf Sprout Tokens¡ªpossibly earning one yesterday¡ªI chose to get the set of runes. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [] Description: Swift Legendary 6-Star Runes x6. Equipping 4 pieces of this set increases the Monster''s Attack Speed by 25%. [New Summoner Token -1 (Purchase)] | [Close] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z I clicked "Purchase" and confirmed it. I received a total of six runes with red borders around them. After closing all the windows, I headed to the Hexagram, where monsters are summoned. When I arrived, the [Summon] option became available, and I saw that I now had 20 Mystical Scrolls ready to use. Chapter 5: Unlocking Mystic Scrolls Once there, the [Summon] option became available, and I noticed I now had 20 Mystic Scrolls to use. Each Summon cost 5,000 Mana Stones. Without worrying about the cost, I clicked the button. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [(Wind) Lv.1 Drunken Master [¡ï¡ï¡ï]] Max Level: 25 | Type: Attack HP: 1,995 | Attack: 176 Defense: 145 | Speed: 98 Skills: [Super Punch] | [One More Drink] | [One More Drink] | [Phoenix Kick] | [Leader Ability] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z It looked strong, despite being a short, wobbly old man with closed eyes and wearing mustard-colored patched pants. I clicked "Okay" and moved to the next one. It was another 3-star, named Martial Artist of the Fire Element. The next summon was another Fire 3-star: Battle Mammoth. I clicked "Okay" and tried again. Soon, the glow faded, revealing a 3-star Fire Harpy. ''Another 3-star Fire¡­'' I sighed. Although the name "Frankenstein" caught my attention, I didn''t linger and tried again. A Water 3-star Werewolf... A Wind 3-star Minotaur... A Wind 3-star Martial Cat... Despite its bipedal appearance making it seem cute, I still wanted something above 3 stars, so I continued. Fire 3-star Fairy. Wind 3-star Bearman. ''Ugh... That makes 10.'' I thought, ''What are the odds of getting something above 3 stars?'' Sighing, I kept going, only to get another 3-star Minotaur, but this time a Fire one. Fire Inferno, 3 stars. As the name suggests, it looked like a monster straight out of hell, made of magma with flames replacing its feet, keeping it afloat. As intriguing as it was, I didn''t dwell on it for long and moved on to the next. Another Martial Cat, this time of Fire. "RUMBLE!" ''Whoa, what''s happening?'' Suddenly, as I clicked to Summon again, several bolts of lightning exploded, blinding my vision. Five seconds later, I grinned from ear to ear. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [(Fire) Lv.1 Horus [¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï]] Max Level: 30 | Type: Defense HP: 3,405 | Attack: 236 Defense: 258 | Speed: 101 Skills: [Dominate] | [Defensive Stance] | [Strategic Prevention] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Before me stood an imposing figure: a majestic humanoid bird. Its large, dark wings were adorned with red and golden details, exuding power and authority. It wore a richly designed armor in red and gold, evoking fire, with sharp spikes and details glowing like embers. In its hands, it held a scepter or spear, its tip radiating a golden flame, completing its grand and intimidating aura. ''My first 4-Star,'' I thought, gazing at the creature with fascination. ''And that name, that appearance¡­'' In my mind, the story of Horus surfaced almost immediately. The Egyptian deity, son of Isis and Osiris, was known as the god of the skies, the rising sun, and the mediator between worlds. Of course, I understand it won''t be something so grand. Otherwise, instead of 4 stars, it would have been a 5-star. I had only 6 Mystic Scrolls left. I was hesitant about whether to continue opening them. However, since I had already achieved my goal of obtaining something above 3 stars, I went ahead. The next summon was another Wind Drunken Master. What followed was: [Wind] Lv.1 Inugami 3 Stars, [Water] Lv.1 Lizardman 3 Stars, [Wind] Lv.1 Magical Archer 3 Stars, [Wind] Lv.1 Inugami 3 Stars, and finally, [Water] Lv.1 Frankenstein 3 Stars. Closing all the open windows, I noticed the monster icon flashing with [New]. I clicked it, and the page showing all the monsters I had summoned appeared, with the 4-Star Horus standing out in the first row. The second row featured the Water Fairy, whose icon had a crown-like symbol. ''That must be because she''s my Equipped Summon, I presume¡­'' For the next three minutes, I analyzed the options I had, and soon I found what I was looking for! In Horus''s information, when I clicked on the settings option, there was an option: [Set Monster as Representative Summon [_]]. When I clicked on this option, a "check" symbol appeared, and I clicked to confirm the change.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Immediately, I felt something shift within me. I didn''t fully understand it, but I was certain that this decision would definitely have consequences when I returned to the real world. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Half an hour later¡­ I conducted various tests, including using runes on Horus. During these experiments, I discovered it wasn''t possible to switch the linked monster. A countdown displayed 6 days, 23 hours, and 29 minutes. It became clear that my first switch had been a "bonus event." Now, even if I obtained a monster I considered superior, I wouldn''t be able to make a change until the countdown ended. But I didn''t think it was all that bad. It''s not like Horus is weak, and waiting a week isn''t too much time. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [(Fire) Lv.1 Horus [¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï]] [EXP: [0/640] 0%] | [+] Level: 1 / 30 | Type: Defense HP: 3,405 [+1,468] | Attack: 236 [+144] Defense: 258 [+81] | Speed: 101 [+30] Critical Rate: 30% | Critical Damage: 68% Resistance: 44% | Accuracy: 14% ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Skills: [Dominate (1/7)]: Deals damage to an enemy with a 50% chance to decrease their Attack Bar by 30%. [Defensive Stance (1/3)]: Increases the Defense of all allies for 2 turns and reduces their chances of receiving Critical Hits (Cooldown: 5 turns). [Strategic Prevention (1/6)]: Attacks the enemy target, dealing damage proportional to your Defense. Removes 1 beneficial effect from the enemy with a 70% chance, then applies the Forget effect for 2 turns and the Seal effect for 1 turn, both with a 70% chance (Cooldown: 4 turns). ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Eager to test it out, I clicked on the battle button and then selected Garen Forest. It was my third battle, and I could choose 3 monsters, with Horus being mandatory. ''Is it because he became my Equipped Summon?'' Whatever the case, I already planned to use him. For leadership, I chose the Water Fairy, and for the third slot, I was torn between the Wind Martial Cat and the Fire Martial Cat. In the end, I chose the Wind one since I already had Fire and Water covered. By the way, the reason I chose the Martial Cat was simple: in the awakening option, it showed that she had not only a first awakening but also a second awakening, which I found incredibly strong and adorable. The battle began, and instinctively, I felt the presence and configuration of each ability I had. Additionally, I noticed that while I now used Horus''s traits, my appearance remained the same, with only minor changes to my outfit. I was now wearing the same armor as Horus and wielding his staff in my right hand. In front of my team stood two enemies: monstrous trees with a brownish-green hue, representing the Wind element. (I had noticed some time ago that the colors of these monsters are related to their elements: Wind is brownish-green, Water is blue, and Fire is red.) As a precautionary measure, I assumed a defensive stance, reinforcing the protection of everyone around me. Instinctively, I raised my staff and cast a spell that generated rune-like patterns in the form of rings. They glowed in shades of golden white, enveloping both me and my team. Next, a pair of energy wings appeared and folded around me (the same happened with the Fairy and the Martial Cat). Shortly after, two shields materialized, briefly circling around us: one emitting a green aura and the other, blue. When my buff ended, the Fairy was the next to attack. Even with an elemental disadvantage, the "Water" Hurricane manifested from above, crashing down on one of the monster trees, accompanied by the sound of rushing water. I watched as the monster tree''s health bar almost depleted completely. "Bang!" The same monster tree that had been attacked simply broke off a piece of its branch and hurled it at the Fairy, causing almost no damage to her. When it was the Martial Cat''s turn, I observed her move with incredible speed, dashing across the map and appearing right in front of the Monster Tree, which still had full health. With a series of rapid and precise kicks, she unleashed a devastating attack, causing the Monster Tree to gradually fade away, as if its color was draining bit by bit. ''Has my vision improved?'' I wondered. It was curious. Until now, wasn''t my head supposed to be like a screen? Where exactly are my eyes? My turn arrived, and the timer started ticking. Without time to ponder further, I chose to attack with my first ability: Dominate. Just like when I used the buff, I instinctively knew what to do. Almost as if casting a fishing line sideways, I flexed my arm to move the staff laterally and then swung it forward. A red energy sphere manifested at the tip of the bird-headed staff, with two red magical rings spinning around it. "Bang!" [Critical!] Immediately after, a red symbol of the Eye of Horus appeared, delivering an explosive attack as the eye expanded until it became larger than the monster tree itself. A background music played, and then my vision blinked. The scene shifted slightly, now revealing three monster trees similar to the previous ones, all of the Wind attribute. In the middle stood a Monster Tree that stood out due to its larger size. Strategic Prevention. This seemed to be my most powerful ability, similar to my first one. I firmly gripped the staff, moving it backward and then forward. The casting effect was familiar, but the resulting attack was something entirely new. A total of five red magical rings formed around the Great Monster Tree. Four Egyptian cross-shaped talismans began rotating around the central ring, while an Eye of Horus appeared at the top. Flames erupted from all directions, trapping the monster at the center before detonating into a fiery explosion. "Bang!" [Critical!] ''That was awesome¡­!'' I was ecstatic. The attack was even more powerful than I had imagined. The Great Monster Tree didn''t stand a chance, obliterated in a single blow. All that remained were the two smaller monster trees. My turn ended, and it was the Water Fairy''s turn. Her standard attack was used, but it had little effect, causing minimal damage. Then, the Wind Martial Cat finished off the tree the Fairy had attacked with a single punch. When it was my turn again, I waved my staff, using the first ability to finish off the last remaining monster tree. Fireworks exploded in my vision in the form of a panel, accompanied by background fanfare with trumpets. A holographic screen appeared. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [VICTORY!] [] [Maximum Energy: +2] | [Crystal +5] Reward: [Mana Stone: 360] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [(Lv.2) Horus ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï]: [Level UP!] +766EXP | [(Lv.3) Fairy ¡ï¡ï¡ï]: [Level UP!] +766EXP | [(Lv.2) Martial Cat ¡ï¡ï]: [Level UP!] +766EXP ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z As a reward, I earned a green Energy Rune. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [Repeat (Energy) 3] | [Next Stage (Energy) 3] [Preparation] | [World Map] | [Return] | [Runes] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z I clicked on Runes and immediately applied the rune to the Martial Cat. Afterward, I proceeded to the next stage. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z After many battles, I was finally nearing the end of the map, having just cleared the second-to-last stage. ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [VICTORY!] [Maximum Energy: +2] | [Crystal +5] Reward: [Mana Stone: 404] ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z [(Lv.6) Horus ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï]: [Level UP!] +1074EXP | [(Lv.7) Fairy ¡ï¡ï¡ï]: [Level UP!] +1074EXP | [(Lv.6) Martial Cat ¡ï¡ï]: [Level UP!] +1074EXP ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z When I clicked on the chest and received a rune as a reward, the sweet and cheerful voice echoed in my mind once again: {You''re almost there... Let''s hurry and figure out the reason behind all this chaos before things get worse.} By now, I was used to her scripted lines and didn''t pay much attention, clicking to proceed to the next stage. At first, we faced two Wind trees. It was quick and easy to defeat them. I used only my first skill to finish one, and even the Fairy, despite her elemental disadvantage, almost finished the other with her first skill. The second wave featured a Wind Monster Tree and a blue, Water Carnivorous Plant. Using my first skill, I finished off the Monster Tree. The Fairy attacked next, freezing the blue Carnivorous Plant, which was then finished off by the Martial Cat with a single punch. When the third wave began, I heard a loud wolf howl. The scripted voice echoed in my mind, sounding surprised: {Ah! What''s that? A giant wolf? Be careful!} Her warning wasn''t an exaggeration¡ªthe size of the white wolf, with blue accents and golden eyes, was enormous. Its head alone was as big as me... I had summoned a monster similar to this giant wolf before. If I recall correctly, it was called an Inugami... except the ones I got were of the Wind element. This one seemed to be Water. Since it was my turn (likely due to my speed advantage from using Swift runes), I used the Defensive Stance skill. As soon as my turn ended, the wolf lunged forward in a single leap and attacked me. "Bang!" ''Urgh¡­'' I felt a bit of pain from the hit, but it wasn''t unbearable. It was within my tolerable pain threshold¡ªsomething comparable to stubbing my toe on a door frame. "Bang!" When it was my turn to attack, I used Strategic Prevention, reducing the Giant Wolf''s HP by more than half. The Giant Wolf growled and counterattacked with its massive claw. "Bang!" "Crack!" I felt my defense weaken and realized I had been debuffed with a Defense Break. ''If this had happened on the first hit, I might be a bit worried, but¡­'' I smiled as the Fairy and Martial Cat finished their turns. When it came back to me, I attacked with my first skill, Dominate. When the Eye of Horus appeared and grew, I watched it explode in flames, finishing off the Giant Wolf. The victory screen appeared, but nothing significant seemed to change. When I opened the chest, I received a 2-star Energy rune. {Where did that giant monster come from?} Ignoring the voice in my head, I focused instead on the rewards: [Light] Elven Guardian ¡ï¡ï¡ï, 11 Mystic Scrolls, 1x Angelmon of each attribute, and +150,000 Mana Stones. I was about to head to the Hexagram to summon monsters when my vision started to darken. ''Not now, wait a mome¡ª'' I lost consciousness and woke up back in my room. "..." ¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z¨z Support me and get access to advanced chapters before the free release at: https://www.pat reon.com/WizardKiki