《The Last Summoner》


 Chapter 1: Awakening in a Broken World

    I didn¡¯t wake up the normal way¡ªnot to the shrill nagging of an alarm, not to the dread of being late for something I don¡¯t even care about. No, I woke up to screaming. And not the kind you hear from some drunk guy outside a bar. This was different. This was panic.


    "WAAAAAAH!"


    "AGGHHHHH!!"


    I stood frozen by the door, heart hammering against my ribs. The kind of wake-up call that makes you question if you¡¯re still dreaming. What the hell is going on?


    Then¡ªcreak.


    A sickening smell slammed into me before I even saw it¡ªsmoke. Thick, acrid, clawing down my throat, making me cough so hard my chest burned. My eyes stung, my vision blurred, but when I finally forced them open¡ª


    Chaos.


    People ran past, wild-eyed and frantic, their screams blending into one long, horrifying wail. Arms flailed, legs stumbled, bodies crashed into each other, shoving, pushing, trying to escape¡ªfrom what?


    Something was seriously, seriously wrong. And I was standing in the middle of it, half-awake, barefoot, and absolutely unprepared.


    Escaping from what, exactly?


    I took a step forward, closer to the madness. Probably a dumb move, but curiosity has always been a ruthless executioner, and if I didn¡¯t get answers, it¡¯d kill me in its own special way.


    From where I stood, I watched the chaos unfold¡ªpeople running, colliding, scrambling like insects in the wake of an invisible boot. But then I saw it. The part that made my stomach drop.


    Lightning.


    Not from the sky. Not in the way nature intended. It surged through them¡ªwhite-hot veins of energy crackling across their bodies. They seized, convulsed mid-sprint, their screams warping into something guttural and raw. Some hit the ground, twitching. Others kept running like they were being chased by something I couldn¡¯t see.


    I didn¡¯t move. Couldn¡¯t. Just stood there, wide-eyed, mouth half-open, the world tilting sideways around me.


    And then I saw her.


    A woman. Slumped near the front of my building, motionless. Unconscious? Dead? My brain jumped to the worst¡ªbecause, of course, it did. Maybe this was some kind of plague. A freak electrical storm. Hell, a zombie apocalypse?


    Great. That¡¯d be just my luck.


    My hands shook as I forced myself to move toward her. Every instinct screamed at me to not do this. To turn the hell around and pretend none of this was happening. But I crouched beside her anyway, swallowing down the taste of iron and smoke in the air.


    ¡°Hey. Hey,¡± I said, shaking her lightly, tapping her arms and shoulders.


    Nothing.


    ¡°Wake up,¡± I tried again. Still nothing.


    I exhaled through my nose, staring down at her.


    ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± I muttered.


    I knelt beside her, pressing two fingers to her neck. Pulse. Barely, but it was there. Breathing, too. Damn. So what the hell was wrong with her? And more importantly¡ªwas she about to start convulsing with that freaky-ass lightning like the others?


    "What a way to wake u¡ª"


    I didn¡¯t even get to finish the sentence.


    A sound. Low, electric, wrong. Then¡ªlight. Not just light. That light. The one I¡¯d seen before, crawling through people¡¯s skin like living electricity.


    And it was right in front of me.


    My brain short-circuited. Instinct took over. I dropped, hit the ground so hard my skull bounced off the pavement. Pain. Sharp, immediate.


    "Ahhhg!" I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut. Fantastic. If the weird, floating whatever-the-fuck-this-was didn¡¯t kill me, the concussion probably would.


    I forced myself to breathe, slow and shallow, pretending¡ªhoping¡ªI was invisible. That if I didn¡¯t move, it would just¡­ go away.


    Beside me, the light hovered. It didn¡¯t have eyes. Didn¡¯t have a face. But somehow, I felt it staring at me. Studying me. Deciding something.


    I kept my lids half-closed, barely daring to peek.


    It was still there. Watching me.


    Or at least, that¡¯s what it felt like. The thing didn¡¯t have eyes¡ªhell, it barely had a shape¡ªbut I could feel it staring, hovering inches away like it was waiting for me to screw up.


    So I didn¡¯t move. Not a single twitch. I just laid there, next to the still-unconscious woman, hoping if I played dead, it would lose interest and float off to zap someone else.


    And for a second, I thought it might work.


    Then¡ªbecause the universe is a cruel, twisted joke¡ªa goddamn bee landed on my face.


    Yeah. A bee. Of all things.


    I tried to blow it off, subtle, just a quick puff of air through my lips. Nope. The little bastard stayed put, like I was prime real estate. I clenched my teeth, resisting the urge to swat at it.


    Then¡ªsting.


    A sharp, burning jab right on my cheek.


    Pain flared through my face, and I did what any normal, sane person would do when getting stabbed by an angry insect¡ªI flinched.


    And that? That tiny, involuntary movement?


    That was enough.


    The light surged forward. Straight for me.


    It didn¡¯t hesitate.


    No warning. No dramatic pause. Just straight for my mouth.


    I barely had time to process it¡ªone second, I was lying there, wide-eyed and frozen, and the next? The light shoved itself down my throat.


    Cold. Ice-cold. But somehow, also burning. Like a thousand tiny needles pressing into every nerve at once. It spread fast¡ªdown my throat, into my chest, curling around my heart, my lungs, my muscles. Every inch of me locked up, screaming in a pain so unnatural, so wrong, I thought I might actually rip apart from the inside out.


    "AAAAAAHH!!"


    The scream tore out of me¡ªraw, broken¡ªexcept... I knew that sound.


    It was the same scream.


    The one that had woken me up.


    And then¡ªblackness.


    The pain dulled. My body stopped fighting. The world blurred at the edges, slipping, fading, pulling me under.


    And for a split second¡ªright before everything disappeared¡ªI was almost relieved.


    A screen flickered into existence in front of my fading vision.


    [SYSTEM MESSAGE: YOU HAVE AWAKENED AS A SUMMONER.]


    A Year Later.


    I didn¡¯t die.


    Honestly, I expected that light to fry me from the inside out, but nope. Still breathing. Still me. And the weirdest part? Everyone else hit by that freakish lightning? They survived, too. Hell, some of them even acted like this was the best thing to ever happen to them. Like their old lives weren¡¯t worth a damn compared to¡­ this.


    Whatever this was.


    At first, I was terrified. Who wouldn¡¯t be? One minute, you¡¯re normal¡ªwell, as normal as life gets¡ªand the next, you¡¯ve got an ethereal thing forcing itself into your body while people around you scream like they¡¯re dying. If that¡¯s not nightmare fuel, I don¡¯t know what is.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    But fear doesn¡¯t last forever. Confusion? That sticks around. Because as the days crawled by, shit started changing.


    Because I wasn¡¯t the only one who got a message. A lot of people saw that same glowing notification right before blacking out. And when they woke up, they were different.


    They called it Awakening.


    And people like me? The ones marked by the light? We became Awakeners.


    We weren¡¯t all the same, though. The system¡ªwhatever the hell it was¡ªdidn¡¯t just hand out power randomly. We got slotted into categories, whether we liked it or not.


    Some Awakeners became Hunters. Fast, brutal, made for killing.


    Others were Mages. The flashy ones, throwing fire and bending the elements like something out of a fantasy novel.


    Then there were the Warborn. The walking tanks, muscle and raw destruction given human form.


    And then? There was us.


    The Summoners.


    The bottom of the barrel. The class nobody wanted. The ones stuck summoning creatures to fight for them because they sure as hell couldn¡¯t do it themselves.


    And lucky me¡ªI¡¯d landed right in that category.


    Summoners.


    Most of them were already dead.


    Turns out, when the world decides to go off the rails and start spawning dungeons filled with actual monsters, people like me¡ªthe so-called ¡°Awakeners¡±¡ªare supposed to clean up the mess. Because if we don¡¯t? Those things break loose. They invade. They kill. And then it¡¯s game over for the rest of humanity.


    Sounds fun, right?


    Yeah, not if you¡¯re a Summoner.


    We got the short end of the stick. The weakest class. The ones with the lowest survival rate¡ªwhich is a nice way of saying we die the fastest. No one respected us. Hell, they barely even acknowledged us. Because what¡¯s the point? Summoners weren¡¯t warriors. We weren¡¯t tanks. We weren¡¯t spell-slinging powerhouses.


    We were expendable.


    And guess what? Every Summoner before me? Gone. Slaughtered. Erased from existence before they even had a chance to prove otherwise.


    Which meant that, for all intents and purposes, my kind was extinct.


    Except for me.


    People who knew my rank thought it was hilarious.


    "Dead man walking."


    "Useless bastard."


    "Good as dead."


    And a dozen other charming nicknames, all tailor-made for the weakest class¡ªme.


    So I did what any self-respecting loser would do. I ignored it. Lived my life like nothing had changed. Like I wasn¡¯t marked by some cosmic joke of a system. I didn¡¯t get involved, didn¡¯t train, didn¡¯t throw myself at dungeons like some idiot trying to prove a point.


    And for a while, it worked.


    Until someone knocked on my door.


    I opened it to find a tall man standing there. Black hat, black coat, thick beard. He looked like the kind of guy who had "bad news" written all over him. Meanwhile, I was standing there, short, tired, and already regretting answering.


    He glanced at the clipboard in his hands. "Ethan Kael?"


    For a few seconds, my brain spiraled into overdrive. Maybe this was something normal¡ªmail delivery, wrong address, scam artist. But no. Deep down, I already knew.


    This had to do with being an Awakener.


    And I was right.


    By the time I blinked, he was already inside, plopped down on my sofa like he lived here. What the hell was with this guy¡¯s energy? Intense. Unbothered. Almost intimidating.


    ¡°You¡¯re aware that you¡¯ve awakened, right?¡± he asked, flipping through his notes like he was reading my obituary.


    I sighed. No use denying it.


    ¡°Yeah. Five months ago. I¡¯m one of those... Awakeners.¡±


    He barely nodded, like he already knew.


    ¡°Then for the record,¡± he said, tone clipped, all business, ¡°what¡¯s your class?¡±


    The room suddenly felt smaller. I could feel the weight of stares pressing down on me, waiting. Expecting. Like a crowd watching a condemned man at the gallows.


    I could lie. Could bluff my way out of this. But would that even work? They probably had ways of checking, and if they caught me¡ª


    No. Own it.


    I forced the word out through gritted teeth. ¡°Summoner.¡±


    Silence. Heavy. Thick.


    Then came the stare.


    Not the kind that questioned, or even judged. The kind that had already decided. His eyes drilled into me, like he was peeling back skin and searching for something broken inside.


    I met his gaze. Held it. Didn¡¯t flinch.


    But the moment stretched too long, and something ugly curled in my stomach.


    Why does he care this much?


    Then, without a word, he stood. Just got up and walked toward the door.


    And that¡¯s when I knew.


    This wasn¡¯t just some casual evaluation. This was something deeper. Something worse.


    Not that I was complaining. If he wanted to walk out and forget this conversation ever happened, fine by me.


    But just as he reached the exit, he stopped. Turned his head slightly.


    And then¡ªthe catch.


    ¡°You are required to report to the Hunter¡¯s Headquarters to register yourself and get official identification.¡± His voice was calm, matter-of-fact. Too sure.


    Then came the kicker.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t¡­ we will force you to.¡±


    Just like that, the air in the room shifted. My pulse kicked up, my hands went clammy. I wasn¡¯t an idiot¡ªI knew what he meant. This wasn¡¯t a request. It was a warning.


    And suddenly, the whole ¡°ignoring the system¡± thing didn¡¯t seem like an option anymore.


    ~


    By the end of the week, I found myself standing in front of the Awakener Guild.


    A newly founded organization for Awakeners. Which, in theory, meant it should¡¯ve been a chaotic, underfunded mess. But it wasn¡¯t. The place was massive¡ªtowering glass, sleek metal, a design that screamed ¡°we have more money than sense.¡±


    I walked inside, straight to the registration desk, where a woman sat, all business, no nonsense.


    She barely glanced at me before asking, ¡°Name?¡±


    ¡°Ethan Kael.¡±


    ¡°Age?¡±


    ¡°Twenty.¡±


    ¡°Height?¡±


    ¡°162 cm.¡±


    She kept firing off the usual questions¡ªbasic details, nothing complicated. At some point, they took my picture, probably for some official ¡®Congratulations, you¡¯re an Awakener¡¯ badge.


    I answered everything mechanically, my mind already on the exit. The sooner I was done, the sooner I could leave.


    The last step was class identification.


    Apparently, this whole Awakener ranking thing wasn¡¯t just guesswork. They had a special material¡ªsomething looted from a dungeon¡ªthat could officially determine your class. Science? Magic? Some weird fusion of both? No one really knew. But it worked.


    A woman stood beside the thing, guiding Awakeners one by one as they registered for their ID cards. And yeah, judging by the long line of unenthusiastic faces, I wasn¡¯t the only one here under duress.


    ¡°Put your hand close to the circle,¡± she instructed when it was my turn.


    I sighed and did as I was told, pressing my palm against the cold, pulsing surface.


    The moment I touched it, a chill ran up my arm. Familiar. Too familiar. But before I could put a name to the feeling¡ª


    Text appeared.


    I stared. Couldn¡¯t read a damn thing.


    But she could. And unfortunately, so could everyone else.


    ¡°Summoner, F-Rank.¡±


    She said it loud. Loud enough for the crowd behind me to hear.


    And just like that, the murmurs started. Snickers. Scoffs. A few outright laughs.


    I felt her eyes on me¡ªbrief, surprised¡ªbut she didn¡¯t press. Didn¡¯t need to. I already knew what everyone was thinking.


    A Summoner. Weakest class. Lowest rank. Dead on arrival.


    I swallowed down whatever annoyance, embarrassment, and general urge to punch something was bubbling up and reminded myself that this was expected.


    Fine. Whatever.


    I just needed to grab my damn card and get the hell out.


    After hours of waiting¡ªbecause of course it had to take forever¡ªI finally got my ID card. Officially branded an F-Rank Summoner.


    Lucky me.


    But as I turned to leave, something felt... off.


    The weight of stares. More than before. Eyes from every corner of the guild locked onto me, the kind of attention that wasn¡¯t curiosity¡ªit was dismissal. Like I was some defective product that shouldn¡¯t have made it past quality control.


    I ignored it. Kept walking. Almost made it to the exit.


    Until they blocked my way.


    Guards. Arms raised, bodies positioned like I was some kind of security threat.


    What now?


    Then¡ªa voice from behind.


    ¡°An awakened Summoner, I see.¡±


    I turned.


    Tall. White hair. Smirking. I recognized that expression. Mockery.


    I¡¯d seen it a million times before. Could spot it a mile away.


    Two women flanked him¡ªassistants, maybe. And judging by the way he carried himself, the expensive outfit, and the air of absolute smugness, he was someone important. A guild officer. Maybe even one of the higher-ups.


    He looked me over, like I was some kind of rare, pitiful specimen. Then¡ªhe laughed.


    ¡°You actually survived as a Summoner?¡±


    If I could¡¯ve kicked his teeth in, I would¡¯ve.


    But I didn¡¯t. Couldn¡¯t. Because fear was still very much a thing, and even without seeing his status, I could feel the difference between us.


    Massive gap. Like comparing a house cat to a lion.


    So I said nothing. Just stood there, silent.


    He chuckled again, walking past me toward the exit, but just as he passed¡ª


    He leaned in.


    And whispered, voice low, deliberate¡ª


    ¡°You¡¯re done for. That¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Then he was gone.


    And I was left standing there, fists clenched, trying to decide whether to be more angry, afraid, or just exhausted.


    What?


    I blinked, then tried again.


    ¡°Can I leave now?¡± I asked, looking at the guards still blocking my way.


    No response. Not even a glance. They stood like statues, unreadable.


    My gut twisted. Something felt off.


    Then¡ªa voice.


    ¡°The Guild has summoned you.¡± A woman. Cold, impassive. ¡°You must respond before you leave.¡±


    Summoned? The word tasted wrong in my mouth. What was I, a pet? A prisoner?


    I opened my mouth to snap something back¡ª


    CRACK.


    The floor beneath me disappeared.


    Not gradually. Not with warning. Just gone.


    My stomach lurched, my breath ripped from my throat as I plummeted into the abyss. No time to grab anything. No time to scream. Just the gut-wrenching realization that I was falling, and I had no idea how far down this went.


    Darkness swallowed me whole.


    THUD!


    I hit the ground hard.


    Pain exploded through my lower back, shooting up my spine like a firework gone wrong. I barely stopped myself from screaming, biting down on my lip so hard I tasted blood.


    What the hell was that?!


    I groaned, rolling onto my side. Where the hell was I now?


    A test? An initiation? Some kind of hazing ritual?


    Or was this about my class?


    My gut twisted. It had to be.


    Forcing myself upright, I turned my head¡ªand that¡¯s when I saw them.


    Through the dim light, just barely visible, six individuals sat across a massive table.


    They weren¡¯t talking. Weren¡¯t moving.


    But they were watching me.


    ¡°Hey. Come here.¡±


    A man¡¯s voice. Firm. Commanding. He gestured for me to approach, like I was some lost dog waiting to be leashed.


    For a moment, I just stood there. Small. That¡¯s how I felt. Small, uncertain, scared.


    Because I had no idea what was waiting for me on the other side of that room.


    Would they test me? Judge me? Kill me?


    Hell if I knew. But standing there like an idiot wasn¡¯t an option. So I moved. Limping. My waist? Probably dislocated. Legs? Not feeling great either. But I walked anyway.


    The man who called me over didn¡¯t waste time. ¡°For the sake of your curiosity, I¡¯ll be direct¡ªyou¡¯re the first Summoner to ever get a license.¡±


    I clenched my jaw. He was probably right. Most Summoners were dead. That¡¯s why.


    Another voice joined in¡ªa woman¡¯s this time. Low, steady. Unimpressed.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve seen a Summoner.¡±


    There was something in her tone. Not excitement. Not relief. Something else.


    Then the man spoke again. ¡°Do you know how to summon?¡±


    The question hit harder than I expected.


    I felt my fingers curl into a fist, shaking slightly from the sheer weight of the moment. The way they were looking at me. The air in the room felt heavier, pressing down like an invisible hand at my throat.


    Did I know how to summon?


    Absolutely not.


    I hadn¡¯t even tried. Never bothered. Never cared. I had spent five months doing everything I could to not be part of this new world.


    I didn¡¯t answer. Just shook my head. Barely.


    A few of them laughed. Others murmured, voices low, saying things I couldn¡¯t quite catch¡ªbut I knew damn well they were talking about me.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even learn how to summon?¡± Another man spoke, his tone unreadable.


    I still couldn¡¯t see their faces. The room was too dark,the only light flickering weakly from the center. But I could hear them. Clearly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Silence. Then, from somewhere in the group¡ªa snicker.


    ¡°What a useless bastard.¡±


    This time, it was a woman. But her voice? Young. Too young.


    I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry.


    The room got quieter. Sure, there were still whispers, but the weight in the silence was different now. Heavier. Tense. Like they were reaching some kind of unspoken agreement.


    Then the first man spoke again.


    ¡°We want you out of this world.¡±


    ¡­What?


    Something cold slid down my spine. My skin prickled like a swarm of invisible insects had just crawled over me. The air in my lungs felt too thick, too sharp¡ªlike I was suffocating on implications.


    He said it so casually. Like it wasn¡¯t a death sentence. Like it was just a fact.


    ¡°¡­Me?¡± My voice felt distant, detached, like I wasn¡¯t the one speaking. I pointed at myself, needing to be sure.


    The same woman from before¡ªthe one with the disturbingly young voice¡ªanswered.


    ¡°Summoners like you shouldn¡¯t even exist.¡±


    Fuck.


    I was dead.


    I knew it before they even said anything else. I was already dead.


    But then, the deeper voice¡ªthe woman with the lower tone¡ªspoke next.


    ¡°We¡¯re not animals, though. We won¡¯t kill you here.¡± A pause. Then, with a dry chuckle, ¡°We don¡¯t want a bastard like you dirtying the floor with your blood.¡±


    Gee, thanks for the courtesy. Really thoughtful.


    My hands started shaking. My whole body, actually. My mouth felt like sandpaper, my pulse too loud in my ears. This was it.


    ¡°Lucky for you,¡± the first man continued, ¡°we¡¯ve decided to send you somewhere instead. Somewhere you can¡­ test your skills.¡±


    Somewhere?


    I felt the tiniest shred of relief. It didn¡¯t mean I was safe. But at least it wasn¡¯t a knife to the throat right here, right now.


    Then he stood up.


    Walked toward me.


    And whatever tiny relief I had? Gone.


    I felt sick. Actually sick. My stomach twisted, bile rising, my body screaming at me to run¡ªbut my legs wouldn¡¯t move.


    He stopped just in front of me, looking down like I was something pathetic.


    ¡°But you really are unlucky to be a Summoner.¡±


    I barely had time to process it before his fist caved into my face.


    THWACK.


    Pain. Deep, raw, instant. A brutal explosion behind my cheekbone, rattling my skull.


    My body swayed. Legs buckled. My vision splintered, everything turning dark at the edges.


    But for one second¡ªjust one¡ªI stayed conscious. Just enough to taste blood, to feel my lip split, to hear his amused exhale like this was some kind of goddamn joke.


    And something inside me snapped.


    Not rage. Not fear. Something colder. Heavier. A feeling that lodged itself deep in my ribs, whispering¡ªremember this.


    Then¡ªblackness.


    The smell was off.


    Damp. Earthy. Not familiar in the slightest.


    The ground beneath me? Hard. Cold. Like stone. Or worse¡ªdirt that¡¯s been undisturbed for a long, long time.


    I didn¡¯t expect to wake up. But I did.


    And the second my brain caught up with my body, panic slammed into me.


    Where the hell was I?


    I pushed myself up, eyes adjusting to text the darkness. My breathing was too loud in the silence, my pulse hammering behind my ears. A cave? A dungeon? Some pit they threw me into to rot?


    I had no answers. Just the memory of those bastards saying they¡¯d ¡°send me somewhere.¡±


    So this was it, huh?


    A place to test my skills. Or¡ªmore realistically¡ªa place for me to die.


    It felt like something straight out of a bad fantasy novel. A dungeon. The kind I¡¯d seen on TV, where monsters lurked in the shadows, waiting. The air was thick, suffocating, like the place itself was alive. I could hear the faint skittering of insects, the distant drip of water.


    And me?


    I couldn¡¯t move. Fucking frozen.


    Then¡ªa notification.


    The same glowing message I saw when I first awakened.


    [YOU ARE ENTERING A DUNGEON.]


    [WARNING: YOUR SUMMONS WILL TRY TO KILL YOU.]


    ¡­What.


    What the actual fuck?

 Chapter 2: Unique Summon

    I tried to move, groaned instead. "Ahh." Pathetic. Even my pain sounded weak. I forced myself upright, back pressing against something rough¡ªstone, cold and uneven.


    I let my head fall back against the wall, swallowing down the nausea clawing at my throat. Alright. Think. I had two options¡ªsit here and wait for whatever bastard decided I wasn¡¯t dead enough, or get my shit together and figure a way out.


    Not exactly a hard choice.


    But first, I needed to move. And that¡­ might be a problem.


    "Those bastards."


    The words slipped out through gritted teeth as I forced my body upright. Every inch of me ached¡ªmy head throbbed, my ribs felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to them, and my legs? Barely working.


    I used the cave wall for support, bracing my arm against the cold, uneven rock. My mind was still spinning, caught between the pain and the simple, infuriating fact that those pricks just dumped me here like trash.


    And then¡ªI heard voices.


    Low chatter. Footsteps.


    I blinked, straightening as best I could. Five¡ªno, six¡ªfigures entered through the cave¡¯s entrance.


    My first thought? Shit.


    Because they weren¡¯t just random hikers who took a wrong turn. These people looked like they belonged here. Two in full armor, heavy and intimidating. Three in light cloaks, moving like they barely made a sound. And one carrying a staff.


    Awakeners.


    My stomach dropped. Because that meant only one thing.


    I was literally in a dungeon.


    "That''s why I said we should raid higher-level dungeons," one of them muttered, clearly in the middle of a complaint.


    Then they saw me.


    For a second, we just stared at each other.


    And yeah, I definitely stood out. No armor. No weapons. No fancy cloaks or magical artifacts. Just me, in my sweatshirt and pants, looking like some idiot who wandered in by accident.


    In their eyes, I was either a trespasser¡­ or some crazy bastard doing yoga in a dungeon.


    "Hey¡­ uh¡­ you lost?"


    The guy with the massive armor¡ªbeard, broad shoulders, and a sword the size of my torso¡ªpointed his blade at me. Warborn. Had to be. The rest of his party just stood there, staring. Wide eyes, slightly open mouths¡ªlike they couldn¡¯t quite process what they were seeing.


    To be fair, I probably looked insane.


    I shook my head, trying to keep my voice steady. "No. I''m¡­ I¡¯m not. Just resting for a bit."


    Resting. Seriously? That¡¯s what I went with?


    Out of all possible explanations, I chose resting. As if this was a nice little vacation spot and not a goddamn dungeon. Why didn¡¯t I just tell them the truth? That the Awakener Guild tossed me in here like garbage? That I had no gear, no plan, and exactly zero fucking clue what I was supposed to do?


    Yeah. Real smooth.


    The guy with the messy green hair snorted. "Yeah, man, looks like you just set up camp in here. Real cozy."


    He had to be a Hunter. Or a Mage. Or some other class that didn¡¯t involve getting repeatedly punched in the face.


    The others chuckled. I forced out a laugh, too. The kind of awkward, half-assed laugh you make when you¡¯re desperately hoping people just move on.


    but then....they didn¡¯t.


    "You¡¯re probably an Awakener," the bearded guy said again, eyes narrowing. "You wouldn¡¯t even be able to step inside if you weren¡¯t."


    Shit. Right.


    I forgot about that part. Only Awakeners could enter dungeons. No exceptions.


    Which meant, whether I liked it or not, I¡¯d just confirmed that I was one of them.


    And considering my own rank, this was probably an F-rank dungeon¡ªthe lowest level, the weakest threats, the worst loot¡ªthat meant these guys weren¡¯t exactly high-rank either. Maybe F. Maybe E at best.


    I nodded. No point in lying¡ªI was caught. "I am actually."


    The bearded guy squinted. "What¡¯s your name?"


    "Ethan Kael."


    A scoff from one of his party members. "suddenly a friendly guy?" He nudged the bearded man''s armor like this was all some joke.


    The leader hummed, taking a slow step forward. "Ethan, hmm?" He eyed me up and down like I was a puzzle missing half the pieces. "You raiding this dungeon? You look like hell¡ªbruises everywhere. This place that rough?"


    Oh. He completely misunderstood.


    How the hell was I supposed to explain this? ''Actually, I got tossed in here like trash. No gear, no clue, no choice.'' Yeah. That¡¯d go over great.


    I settled for a blunt, "uhmm...no?"


    His eyebrows raised. "No, huh?" His party exchanged glances, some looking amused, others just confused.


    I sighed. Fine. If I was going to say it, might as well rip the bandage off.


    "to be honest I wasn¡¯t raiding. I actually got thrown in here."


    That got his attention. His expression shifted¡ªcurious, skeptical. "Thrown? By who?"


    I hesitated. Then, "The Awakener Guild."


    And instead of concern¡ªthey laughed.


    Not just a chuckle, not a nervous laugh¡ªa full-on, deep-bellied, can¡¯t-believe-this-shit laugh.


    Even the bearded guy covered his mouth, shaking his head. "The Awakener Guild?" He was barely keeping it together. "And what the hell would they want with you?"


    I clenched my jaw. I had half expected them to be shocked. Maybe even a little worried. A tiny part of me¡ªstupid, hopeful part¡ªthought they might even help me.


    But no.


    They were the same.


    All the same.


    I exhaled slowly, forcing my voice to stay even. "I''m a... Summoner."


    The moment the words left my mouth, the laughter died.


    The air shifted.


    Their faces changed¡ªnot in the friendly, amused way they had before. No, this was different.


    Not fear. Not respect.


    Just¡­ that same look. The one that meant I didn¡¯t belong.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Silence. Loud, crushing silence.


    Then¡ªlaughter.


    The bearded man just laughed right in my face. Not the kind of laugh you share with someone. No, this was different. Mocking. Final.


    And then¡ªhe clapped a hand on my shoulder.


    I flinched.


    Not out of fear. Out of instinct. His touch was heavy, firm, carrying a weight that sank straight to my bones. Made my body tense, my stomach twist.


    Then he leaned in, voice dropping to something lower. Something meant just for me.


    "Don¡¯t even try."


    Then, just like that, they turned and walked deeper into the dungeon, like I wasn¡¯t even there.


    I let out a shaky breath. My fists clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms. I wanted¡ªfuck, I wanted¡ªto slam my fist into the cave wall. Anything to vent the frustration bubbling in my chest.


    They were intimidating. That¡¯s what it was. They felt bigger, stronger. And me?


    I felt small. Like I wasn¡¯t even a person¡ªjust some nameless, worthless thing people looked past.


    And yet¡­ why?


    I got it¡ªSummoners were weak, useless, bottom of the barrel. But why the hate?


    No¡ªwhy did the world even change?


    Why did this game-like nightmare even exist?


    Why the hell did I have to be a part of it?


    "Goddammit!"


    The word ripped out of me as I slapped myself across the face. Hard.


    Because right now? Right now, I needed to wake the hell up.


    Frustration boiled inside me, but before I could even finish stewing in it, a glowing notification screen blinked into existence.


    > [Welcome to the Dungeon]


    [Rank: F]


    [Expected Monsters: ???]


    It just appeared.


    Timed perfectly with the party¡¯s entrance.


    So even though I wasn¡¯t part of their raid, I was still considered inside? Forced into their run whether I liked it or not?


    Fantastic. This just kept getting better.


    I exhaled through my nose and ignored it. Didn¡¯t even bother acknowledging the damn thing. Instead, I sank back down onto the cold cave floor, legs stretched out, fingers idly flicking small rocks across the dirt.


    The screen didn¡¯t vanish. It just lingered, waiting.


    I didn¡¯t care.


    For once, I let myself do nothing. Just sit there, stuck in my own head, ignoring the flashing reminder that I was very much screwed.


    But that peace? That tiny, fragile moment of stillness?


    Didn¡¯t last.


    Another notification appeared. Brighter. Bolder.


    > [Slaughter Incoming]


    [Warning: Failure to enter the dungeon will result in punishment, including¡ªbut not limited to¡ªlife-threatening traps, aggressive monster ambushes, and the Slaughter itself hunting you down.]


    ¡­The what now?


    I stared at the words. Read them twice.


    And then, very quietly, through clenched teeth, I muttered:


    "damn it."


    I entered the dungeon with the party.


    Not because I wanted to. Not because I had a death wish.


    But because the system¡ªor whatever the hell was running this show¡ªwould kill me if I didn¡¯t.


    The second I stepped inside, another glowing screen materialized in front of me. This one wasn¡¯t just a basic welcome message. It had numbers. Stats. Like something straight out of a game.


    > [Ethan Kael]


    [F-Rank Cursed Summoner]


    Attributes:


    <strong style="font-size: 1.1em">Strength (STR): 5


    Agility (AGI): 4


    Intelligence (INT): 5


    Endurance (END): 3


    Perception (PER): 3


    Binding (BIND): 0


    I stared at it. Blinked.


    And immediately regretted it.


    Not only was I stuck as a Summoner¡ªI was a cursed one. Because, apparently, being bottom-tier garbage wasn¡¯t enough. No, the universe had to level up my suffering.


    And the stats? Horrendous.


    I wasn¡¯t just weak. I was barely above a regular human. Maybe even below.


    And that last one¡ªBIND.


    What the hell was that?


    Before I could even process it, a familiar, gruff voice cut through my thoughts.


    "Hey, Summoner. Don''t even think about doing anything. Just stay put so you don''t get in the way."


    I turned. The bearded Warborn. The same guy who¡¯d been half-friendly earlier.


    Now? That was gone.


    His tone was colder. Dismissive. Like I wasn¡¯t even worth acknowledging.


    And here I was, still trying to figure out what the hell ¡®Binding¡¯ even meant.


    I stayed off to the side, watching them fight.


    Monsters. Real ones.


    The kind I¡¯d only ever heard about. The kind that weren¡¯t supposed to exist outside of nightmares and twisted RPG lore.


    There were Bond Gnawers¡ªrat-like undead freaks that could chew through flesh and bone.


    Small serpents slithering between cracks, spitting acidic poison with enough burn to eat straight through armor.


    And then there were the Hollow Spiders. Weak. Slow. But they didn¡¯t fight alone. They swarmed.


    It was chaos. And I just stood there.


    For a while, I told myself it was because I was playing it smart. That watching was better than jumping in blind. That I wasn¡¯t being useless¡ªI was being cautious.


    But then¡­ curiosity hit me.


    All this time, I never tried. Never once tested my abilities. I hated the idea of being an Awakener so much that I refused to even see what I could do.


    But if this was my reality now¡­


    If this was the only way forward¡­


    Then what the hell was I doing just sitting here while everyone else adapted?


    I needed to adapt.


    I needed to survive.


    "You!"


    A voice snapped me out of it.


    The woman standing next to the bearded Warborn pointed straight at me.


    "Throw me the potion in that bag."


    The timing was just perfect.


    I was about to experiment with my ability, and here she was, barking orders at me like I was some lackey.


    For half a second, I considered saying, "Why don¡¯t you grab it yourself?"


    But instead, I sighed, walked over to the bag, grabbed the potion¡ª


    And threw it.


    Hard.


    Too hard.


    "Shit."


    The bottle soared past her. Way past her. I didn¡¯t even know where the hell it landed.


    "What a real idiot."


    Her voice was flat. Unimpressed.


    The sharp crack of shattered glass echoed through the dungeon.


    I braced myself, half-expecting her to lose her shit, maybe stab me out of spite. But she just waved it off like it wasn¡¯t even worth the effort.


    Lucky me.


    I made my way back to my corner, watching as they continued cutting through swarms of Hollow Spiders. It was like the things just kept coming. And somehow, despite the mess, they actually looked like they were having fun.


    I didn¡¯t care.


    What happened to them? Not my problem.


    What mattered now was the growing itch under my skin.


    I needed to try.


    I had spent months rejecting this Awakener crap. Avoiding it. Pretending like I could just live normally while the world turned into something out of a fucked-up RPG.


    But if this was my life now, I had to at least see what I was working with.


    How did I even summon a creature?


    I had no clue.


    Did I need a chant? A weird pose? A magic circle?


    I raised my left hand, just to see if something would happen.


    Nothing.


    I let out a slow, disappointed sigh. "Haa."


    Fine. Right hand this time. I closed my eyes, focused hard, imagined a creature.


    Maybe something cool. Something strong. Maybe¡ªI don¡¯t know, freaking Spider-Man?


    Still nothing.


    I tried again.


    And again.


    And again.


    At some point, the party started staring. Probably wondering why I looked like a lunatic waving my hands in the air. But I didn¡¯t care.


    They never cared about Summoners to begin with. So why the hell should I care what they thought?


    I kept going. Kept failing.


    Until I was completely exhausted.


    I slumped down, panting, kicking at the dirt.


    "Is this why I¡¯m cursed?" I muttered.


    Frustration burned through me. My fingers curled into fists. My mind raced, trying to piece together anything that would make this work.


    Nothing.


    I clenched my jaw, slapped my own face, trying to think harder.


    What the hell was I missing?


    For the fourteenth damn time, I raised my arms, willing something¡ªanything¡ªto happen.


    No closing my eyes this time. No blind faith. Just me, staring directly at my palm, waiting for a miracle.


    Nothing.


    At least, not at first.


    Then¡ªa surge.


    Like something snapping loose inside my skull.


    My breath hitched as my mind was suddenly flooded with information. Too much, too fast¡ªflashes of creatures I¡¯d never seen, words I didn¡¯t understand, symbols seared into my brain like someone was force-feeding me knowledge straight from a book.


    And before I could process it, before I could even think¡ªthe word came out.


    "Kneel."


    Loud. Commanding. Not something I planned to say. It just happened. Like my body already knew what to do before my brain could catch up.


    The party froze.


    Their weapons halted mid-swing. Heads snapped toward me.


    And then¡ªlight.


    A bright, pulsing glow erupted from the ground where I stood, spreading outward.


    It was working.


    Relief crashed into me, something deep, overwhelming. That feeling¡ªwhen you finally figure out the answer to a question that¡¯s been haunting you. When something clicks.


    I was awakening. Again.


    The glow expanded, forming a massive circle beneath me. Then, golden chains materialized, slithering up from the ground like something out of a ritual.


    And in the blink of an eye¡ªa creature emerged.


    Bound. Wrapped in chains, like it had been waiting.


    The party¡¯s reaction was instant.


    Their battle with the Hollow Spiders stalled¡ªswords lowered, stances stiff, eyes locked onto me like they¡¯d just witnessed something impossible.


    "Focus!"


    The bearded Warborn¡¯s voice snapped them back.


    They turned, diving back into their fight. But not before I saw the looks in their eyes.


    Shock.


    Disbelief.


    And just a hint of fear.


    In front of me, a massive black wolf¡ªno, a Shadow Wolf¡ªemerged from the summoning circle.


    Its entire body was wrapped in chains, coiled tight like it had been restrained for a long, long time. Its eyes were shut. Unmoving. Almost peaceful.


    Then¡ª


    > [WARNING: YOUR SUMMONS WILL TRY TO KILL YOU.]


    I barely had time to process that before¡ª


    THWACK!


    A flash of movement.


    Claws. Sharp. Fast.


    It lunged, a massive paw swiping straight for my throat.


    > [Warning: Binding (BIND) too low. Summons may rebel.]


    What the fuck?!


    I barely dodged. Barely. The claws grazed my neck, leaving a stinging bruise that burned on impact.


    I stumbled back, eyes locked onto it.


    It was breathing heavy, its body tense, muscles twitching like it was holding back something primal. The sound it made¡ªit wasn¡¯t just a growl. It was pure rage.


    Another attack.


    Then another.


    I expected it to obey me¡ªto listen, to follow some kind of command. But no.


    Instead, it came at me relentlessly, its movements wild, unhinged.


    And from the side, I heard it¡ªlaughter.


    "WHAHAHAHA! His own summon is attacking him!"


    The green-haired guy was doubled over, barely able to breathe through his laughing fit.


    "What a defective Awakener." The bearded Warborn sneered, shaking his head.


    Great. Fantastic. I was about to be torn apart by my own summon, and these assholes were treating it like a comedy show.


    I gritted my teeth, stepping back as the wolf advanced, still snarling, still attacking.


    I raised my hands, desperate, trying again. "Kneel!"


    Nothing.


    Not even a twitch.


    The command that had worked before? Completely useless now.


    How the hell was I supposed to calm this thing down?!


    But before I could come up with another plan¡ª


    The ground rumbled.


    A deep, low vibration that shook the entire dungeon.


    Not just me.


    The party felt it too.


    Their laughter stopped.


    And in that brief, heavy silence, I realized something.


    Whatever just woke up?


    It wasn¡¯t my summon.


    We all turned.


    The ground shook beneath us, dust rising in thick clouds. I barely had time to register what I was seeing¡ªstill dodging, still bleeding, my own summon tearing into me like I was its personal chew toy.


    But when my eyes landed on it, the fight with the Shadow Wolf suddenly felt like the least of my problems.


    A towering, six-limbed beast emerged from the depths of the dungeon.


    It wasn¡¯t like the other monsters. Not a swarm creature, not an undead rat, not another one of those mindless dungeon spawns.


    This thing was different.


    Bigger. Meaner. Smarter.


    And judging by the way its glowing red eyes locked onto us¡ªit wasn¡¯t just here to exist.


    It was here to hunt.


    "We retreat! Prepare to run!"


    The bearded man¡¯s voice boomed across the cavern.


    I blinked. Wait¡ªwhat?


    And then¡ªthey ran.


    No hesitation. No last stand. No attempt to even fight.


    They shoved past me, fleeing for their lives, their boots pounding against the stone. One of them¡ªthe green-haired bastard¡ªeven had the audacity to smirk at me as he bolted.


    Right as my own summon sank its claws into my arm.


    Deep. Too deep.


    "Shit."


    I was alone.


    And now, I had company.


    The six-limbed beast moved, its heavy frame shifting into a slow, deliberate jog.


    Then¡ªit lunged. I threw myself to the side, barely dodging. But the air pressure alone from the attack sent me flying.


    Straight into solid rock.


    "AGHHHGG!"


    Pain. Instant. Blinding.


    I hit the ground, coughing, gasping¡ªblood spilling from my mouth.


    My ribs? Definitely broken. Vision? Blurry as hell.


    My arms trembled as I tried to push myself up, but my entire body felt wrecked. Nose bleeding, breath ragged, sweat stinging my eyes.


    Then¡ªa screen appeared.


    > [SYSTEM ALERT: Your Summon is Unstable.]


    > [Override Required ¨C Force Domination Available.]


    > [WARNING: If You Fail, You Will Be Consumed.]


    > [Force Domination: Yes/No?]


    I blinked.


    What?


    The edges of my vision darkened. My body was giving out, my mind slipping.


    But before everything faded¡ªbefore I was swallowed by the blackness¡ª


    One thought pushed through the haze.


    Force Domination? Would it help me survive?


    I didn¡¯t hesitate.


    I pressed YES and then......darkness....


    > [SYSTEM ERROR ¨C FORCED DOMINATION ACTIVATED.]


    > [REWRITING SUMMON LINK.]


    > [...PROCESSING...]

 Chapter 3: Kneel or Die

    "What a pathetic summoner. All of you are."


    The voice¡ªdeep, breathy, edged with something almost amused. Not familiar. Not human. But it scraped against my senses like something that had been waiting a long time to speak.


    That was the first thing I noticed. Then the rest of it hit me.


    The last thing I remembered¡ªsix-limbed, towering, coming for me. And then? Darkness. Now? More darkness. Different, though. Thicker. Heavier. Wrong.


    I swallowed. My throat felt raw. My body ached in ways I didn''t have the energy to catalog.


    Where the hell was I?


    A thought slithered in, unwelcome and immediate.


    Inside the thing¡¯s belly?


    I just wished I wasn¡¯t.


    "Come on. Just give me your body and die painlessly, human."


    The voice again. Smooth this time, mocking, like it was amused by the very idea of me. Amused by humans in general.


    I wanted to answer, but I couldn¡¯t. Not even close. My mouth wouldn¡¯t move. My body wouldn¡¯t move. It was like being strapped into a void¡ªjust my ears and my mind, trapped in black nothingness.


    Who the hell was speaking? And more importantly¡ªwas I dead?


    Then the pain hit. Sudden, sharp, brutal.


    Like something was drilling into my skull, twisting, pressing, cracking my brain apart piece by piece. I couldn¡¯t see it, but I could feel it¡ªveins shifting, nerves screaming, everything inside my head being crushed inch by inch.


    A low chuckle slithered through the dark.


    "Heh. Told you already, human. You''re dead if you don¡¯t hand it over. Stop making this hard on yourself. Just obey."


    I couldn¡¯t scream and....it was killing me.


    [89% Resistance]


    [95% Chance Force Domination Will Fail]


    [You Are Slowly Losing Your Mind]


    And that one wasn''t that great news.


    Force Domination. The last thing I remembered before everything went black. The beast. The fight. The sheer, stupid gamble that somehow kept me alive this long.


    I¡¯d forgotten. Or maybe my brain had shoved it aside, too busy screaming.


    But that notification¡ªit was a clue. If this was all happening because of Force Domination, then that meant¡­


    The voice. The pain. The thing ripping into my skull.


    It was my summon.


    The shadow wolf. The same damn creature that tried to kill me.


    ¡°Fu¡ªfuck.¡±


    That was it. That was the only thought bouncing around my skull, over and over.


    I wanted to scream. Couldn¡¯t. Wanted to fight. Couldn¡¯t. All I could do was take it¡ªlet the pain tear through me while my summon laughed.


    It was infuriating. Maddening. And there wasn¡¯t a damn thing I could do about it.


    At least, that¡¯s what I thought.


    Then the memories hit.


    A sudden flood¡ªsharp, disjointed, blurring in and out. Flashes of something familiar, something buried deep. It was just like before¡ªright before I summoned the wolf.


    Images. Sounds. Fragments of something important.


    And all the while, the pain kept going.


    And the damn wolf kept laughing.


    If I survive this, I swear I¡¯m turning you into grilled meat, you sadistic piece of shit.


    ¡°BWAHAHAHAH! Yeah, go ahead, try and crawl your way out of this¡ªif you even can.¡±


    [89% Resistance]


    [Warning: Failure Imminent]


    The flood of images stopped. Just like that..


    And then¡ªwithout meaning to, without even thinking¡ªI spoke.


    "Hell I will."This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Silence.


    The laughter, that maddening, grating sound that had been drilling into my skull, just¡­ stopped. The relief was instant, even though my head still felt like it was being pried open with a crowbar.


    "How did yo¡ª"


    "How the hell did I even¡­ speak?" I muttered, more to myself than anything.


    It didn¡¯t answer. Just listened.


    So I kept going. Might as well poke the beast while I¡¯m here.


    "You know, for a summon, you''re kind of an ass. What happened to the whole loyal to your summoner thing? Maybe try acting like a normal summon for once?"


    I wasn¡¯t trying to piss it off. Not really. But it was the only thing I could say, the only thing that made sense.


    Why the hell was my own summon trying to kill me?


    [80% Resistance]


    [Resistance Decreasing]


    Huh. Interesting.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why, but pissing it off seemed to be working. Every time I provoked it, that resistance percentage ticked down.


    Not that it made the pain any less unbearable.


    "Argh!"


    It tore through my skull again¡ªsharp, deep, relentless. And then, finally, the damn thing spoke again.


    "Trying to escape, human? You won¡¯t. Seems you¡¯re mistaken."


    It kept talking.


    But something had changed. The pain¡ªit was still there, still gnawing at my skull, but it was fading. Slowly, barely noticeable at first, but enough. Enough to make one thing clear.


    This was connected to the summon¡¯s resistance.


    And that meant I could fight back.


    "Hey."


    This time, I spoke with purpose. Pushing through the ache, forcing the words out like they had weight.


    "Do me a favor and shut the hell up."


    Silence.


    Not just a pause. A complete void. No laughter. No breath. The presence that had been pressing against me, suffocating me¡ªit stalled.


    And then,


    [75% Resistance]


    There it was. Dropping again.


    "You¡­ human¡­ how can you talk back?"


    I couldn¡¯t see its face¡ªnot that I needed to. The shift in its voice was enough. Gone was the smug, mocking tone. Now, there was something else laced in¡ªsurprise. Maybe even hesitation.


    It was holding back.


    Yeah. That made sense.


    At the end of the day, this thing was just a summon. If I pushed back hard enough, I could win. If I didn¡¯t? Well, then I was as good as dead.


    [Decreasing Resistance to 50% will enable "Force Domination."]


    Fifty percent. From seventy-five. That was a hell of a gap.


    How the hell was I supposed to drop it that fast?


    Talking worked, sure. Challenging it, pissing it off, making it doubt itself. But would that be enough?


    Only one way to find out.


    "Sit."


    ¡­Oh.


    Oh, shit.


    That was not the clever power move I¡¯d been going for. What the hell kind of command was that?


    Too late to take it back now.


    "You think you can make me sit, you bastard?!" the summon snarled. "Don¡¯t think you can tame me with words, you insolent¡ª"


    [77% Resistance]


    Damn. That was embarrassing.


    And to make it worse? The resistance percentage just increased by two percent.


    Great. So lame pet talk was a no-go.


    Fine. Time to adjust.


    "You know, you¡¯re not actually that strong, you overgrown Chihuahua. Your attacks earlier? Barely an itch. Honestly, making you sit would¡¯ve been easy if I actually tried."


    Yeah. That was better. Right? Had to be.


    There was a beat of silence. Then¡ª


    "What did¡­ you just call me, human?!"


    Oh, there it was. The reaction I wanted.


    "You keep calling me ¡®human¡¯ like it means something. Like it¡¯s supposed to insult me." I let out a slow exhale, voice flat. "Hate to break it to you, but I don¡¯t give a shit. Not even a little. And if I had to guess¡­ you¡¯re losing your mind over that right now, aren¡¯t you?"


    Was that too much? Too harsh?


    Nah. Screw that.


    If I was going to die, I¡¯d do it pissing this thing off as much as humanly possible.


    [67% Resistance]


    [Dropped significantly]


    Oh, this was working.


    And damn, was it satisfying.


    "Just be honest. You¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you?"


    No response. Not a word. Just shaky, uneven breaths. Nervous. I heard it. Felt it.


    Good.


    "If I make it out of this, that means I win. And if I win¡­ what happens to you then?" I let the question hang for just a second before twisting the knife.


    "I¡¯m going to own you."


    It sucked in a breath like it was about to spit something back¡ªdidn¡¯t get the chance.


    I cut it off. Didn¡¯t give it room to regain control, to think, to fight.


    "That¡¯s not even a threat. That¡¯s a fact. But hey, I¡¯ll give you a choice."I kept my voice steady, deliberate. "Fight me and lose everything. Or submit¡­ and survive."


    [65% Resistance]


    ¡­


    [64% Resistance]


    ¡­


    [63% Resistance]


    There it was. Dropping. Slow, but steady.


    "I will¡­ kill you," it spat, but the words lacked the bite from before. "Submitting to a human is¡ªnothing but a joke. I will¡­ kill you¡­ I will¡­"


    No.


    It wanted to believe that. But I could hear it now, clear as day.


    The fear.


    At this point, it felt like I was talking to myself.


    I knew that tone. Fear. That barely-contained tremble in its voice, the uneven breaths. I didn¡¯t need to hear its heartbeat to know it was there¡ªhammering, frantic.


    And the pain? Almost gone. Not completely, but nothing close to what it was before. No more white-hot agony ripping through my skull. No more feeling like I was about to crack apart.


    I was winning.


    "You think I need you?" I let the words drop, sharp and cold. "I don¡¯t. I¡¯ll summon another. And another. Until I find one that obeys. You? You¡¯ll be nothing. Forgotten. Dead magic in a world that doesn¡¯t care."


    I let that sink in before delivering the final blow.


    "Unless¡­ you kneel."


    [56% Resistance]


    ¡­


    [54% Resistance]


    ¡­


    [52% Resistance]


    ¡­


    [50% Resistance]


    [Force Domination Activated]


    Effect: Resistance will drop by 1% per second.


    Not barely. Not almost.


    I did it.


    "I won¡¯t obey! I¡¯ll tear your head o¡ª"


    The thing¡¯s snarl cut off, swallowed by a scream of raw agony.


    ARGHHGGHHH!


    [Resistance dropping significantly]


    [Summon undergoing forced taming]


    [Summon transforming]


    And just like that, the darkness vanished.


    I opened my eyes. Everything was a blur, light bleeding into the edges of my vision. My head pounded, my body felt like I¡¯d been put through a grinder, but I was alive.


    And then¡ª


    WHAT THE FUCK?! My heart nearly stopped.


    Right in front of me, staring down at me, was the six-limbed beast. The same one from before.


    Smiling.


    I barely swallowed the instinct to flinch, my hands twitching, breath hitching. It wasn¡¯t attacking. It wasn¡¯t laughing. Just watching me. And I didn¡¯t like the way it looked pleased.


    I forced myself to breathe. Focus.


    I had won.


    Somehow.


    Beside my bloody, wrecked body, my summon stood¡ªdifferent. Before, it had been nothing but a black void, pure darkness given shape. Now? Now it had something. A red diamond embedded in its forehead, thin streams of crimson smoke curling from its body. It was bigger, too.


    More intimidating.


    [Successfully tamed a summon]


    [Healing effect of summon activated]


    [Experiencing accelerated recovery]


    [Temporary attribute buff applied]


    [Received "BIND" points for taming a summon]


    Strength (STR): 5 ¡ú 9


    Agility (AGI): 4 ¡ú 7


    Intelligence (INT): 5 ¡ú 8


    Endurance (END): 3 ¡ú 5


    Perception (PER): 3 ¡ú 7


    Binding (BIND): 0 ¡ú 15


    While I was busy checking out the notifications, the beast across from me started laughing.


    Low. Rumbling.


    It sent a sharp, crawling sensation down my spine. I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t at least a little freaked out. Whatever this thing was, it wasn¡¯t normal.


    Meanwhile, my summon just stared at it. Silent. Focused.


    It wasn¡¯t talking anymore like before, but there was something there¡ªsome invisible thread connecting us. I could feel it. And more importantly, it wasn¡¯t trying to kill me anymore.


    [Shadow Wolf has ranked up]


    [F-Rank ¡ú D-Rank]


    Damn. That was a serious jump.


    Impressive.


    But also¡­ slightly concerning.


    My summon was now stronger than me. And yeah, that wasn¡¯t the easiest thing to swallow. But still, I had to admit, this was a win.


    Not that I was about to let it get cocky.


    You goddamn wolf. The second I get a chance, I am grilling you. (just joking, I probably didn''t have a chance at all)


    [Amaruq]


    [Shadow Wolf]


    [D-Rank]

 Chapter 4: Dead Men Don’t Stay Dead

    That smirk of yours is creepy as hell.


    And before I could even process it¡ªbefore my brain could so much as register what was happening¡ªit lunged.


    Yeah. The beast. The six-limbed monstrosity.


    Damn.


    Those arms were long. Too long. They swung wide, carving through the air like scythes, smashing jagged rocks into dust. I barely had time to react. It was fast.


    But Amaruq¡ªmy summon¡ªwas faster.


    It had been right beside me just seconds ago, but when the attack hit? Gone. Evaded. No way it died that easily. Not at D-Rank. It had to be tougher than that.


    Which left me with one question:


    Should I run?


    Just let my summon handle this?


    My brain was fried, running in circles, grasping at half-formed plans. I had just survived one near-death experience, and now here I was, again, staring down something that could crush me like a bug.


    And then¡ªit moved again. Arms rising for another strike.


    I spotted Amaruq, standing across from me now, still locked onto the beast. Still watching.


    It was huge. Bigger than my summon by a long shot. And a part of me, the rational part, was screaming¡ªtelling me this was a bad idea. That this wasn¡¯t a fight we could win.


    But I didn¡¯t have time for rational.


    "HEY!" I called out.


    Nothing. No response.


    Amaruq didn¡¯t even twitch.


    Oh, great. Perfect. What a fantastic summon.


    I tried again, louder this time¡ªloud enough that even the beast turned its ugly head in my direction.


    "HEYYY!" I shouted, voice raw, desperate.


    Nothing.


    Panic surged, chest tight, pulse hammering.


    "FUCKING LOOK AT ME, DAMN IT!"


    I was about to die, and my own summon wouldn¡¯t even turn its damn head.


    Finally, its name surfaced in my mind. Should I call it?


    Absolutely.


    "Amaruq!" I shouted.


    Its head snapped toward me.


    So it does listen when called by name. Good to know. Not exactly groundbreaking, but hey, my brain was running on fumes at this point.


    GRDDDDDGHHH!


    Shit.


    The beast lunged again, its massive arms carving through the ground like it was butter. The sheer force sent debris flying, razor-sharp chunks of rock cutting through the air.


    I barely dodged.


    Barely.


    A sharp sting tore across my side, and when I glanced down, I saw it¡ªa gash from one of the damn rock shards.


    Not fatal. Not yet.


    "KNOCK HIM OUT!" I roared at Amaruq, still standing there, watching, like this was some damn spectator sport.


    For a split second, I swore it hesitated.


    Like it was thinking.


    Or maybe just deciding whether or not to listen.


    I sucked in a breath, trying to steady myself. My hands were shaking, my body screaming at me, but I wasn¡¯t dead yet.


    "What a goddamn hassle." I muttered, voice ragged.


    But then it looked at me again. Not with fear.


    With hesitation.


    Not the should I run? kind of hesitation. More like should I even bother helping you?


    A knot tightened in my gut.


    "A summoner treating summons as a tool? Not new."


    A voice.


    Not spoken. Not heard.


    It was inside my head.


    I swore a second ago, I had just been staring into Amaruq¡¯s eyes, locked in some silent standoff. And then¡ªthis.


    I snapped my head around instinctively, scanning for someone else, but there was no one.


    It was him.


    Amaruq.


    Speaking. Through my damn mind.


    "What did you just say?" I muttered, barely audible.


    No response.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Because in the next second, he moved.


    Fast.


    Too fast for my eyes to track, just a blur of red smoke tearing across the battlefield.


    Even the beast struggled to react, its massive frame lagging behind as Amaruq closed the distance in an instant, weaving through its oversized arms like they were nothing.


    I should have been watching. Should have been focused on the fight.


    But my mind was stuck.


    Using him like a tool?


    Wasn¡¯t that the whole point of summons? Weapons. Extensions of a summoner¡¯s will. Power you controlled, not questioned.


    So why the hell did it feel like I had just gotten checked?


    I turned back to the fight. Or rather, to Amaruq tearing into that thing while it flailed like a blind idiot, trying to figure out where the hell he even was. It couldn¡¯t see him. Neither could I.


    One second, he was there. The next¡ªgone. Vanished. Poof.


    My hands shook. Shit. Did he just ditch me?


    Before I could spiral, he reappeared¡ªnot where he¡¯d been, but on top of the damn beast¡¯s head, claws raised. And then he struck.


    The sound was wet, brutal. He ripped into it, shredding flesh like it was nothing, red smoke curling out from that diamond lodged in its forehead. The thing let out this awful, guttural noise¡ªa death rattle, really¡ªbefore collapsing under its own weight.


    THUD.


    The ground shook. The impact sent a sharp crack through the air, so loud I had to clamp my hands over my ears.


    And then there was silence. Just me. The corpse. And Amaruq, striding toward me like some kind of demon out of a nightmare, his claws dripping.


    Holy shit.


    [You have receive Binding points]


    I swallowed hard, staring at him.


    Did I just summon a monster?


    "Let me rest now."


    That damn voice again. Not out loud¡ªjust in my head, pressing into my thoughts like it belonged there.


    "Rest?" I echoed, blinking. "How... how do I do that?" My voice came out uneven, which pissed me off. He was just standing there, silent, watching me, and somehow that was enough to make my nerves knot up. I couldn¡¯t even meet his gaze.


    "Just give a command. Tell me to rest. Hurry up."


    I swallowed, nodded stiffly, then lifted a shaky hand like I was about to bless him or some shit. "Uh... Please rest. Because if you don¡¯t, I might actually drop dead from stress."


    Silence.


    Then¡ª"That''s it?" His tone was so dry it could''ve started a drought. "That¡¯s all you¡¯ve got?"


    I exhaled sharply, waving off the tension. "Yeah, yeah. Here I go."


    "Hurry up, human."


    Fine. Whatever. "You may now rest in peace." I muttered it under my breath, mostly just to get it over with.


    He didn¡¯t respond right away. Then, with a sigh that somehow managed to be both exhausted and deeply unimpressed, he said, "Are you serious?"


    I winced. "Yeah, whatever, just¡ª"


    "No. Just say ¡®rest,¡¯ human. That¡¯s it and we¡¯re done for today."


    Even he was embarrassed for me. And honestly? Fair. I¡¯d botched the simplest command twice. Hell, maybe I just wasn¡¯t cut out for this.


    "REST."


    Finally. Took me long enough. Amaruq had to all but spell it out for me, but hey, at least I wouldn¡¯t be stuck here all day fumbling over basic commands.


    The moment the word left my mouth, he was swallowed by a swirl of white smoke¡ªsoft, shifting, almost hypnotic. There were flecks of light in it, shimmering like distant stars. Magic. Pure and simple. And, yeah... I¡¯d be lying if I said it wasn¡¯t beautiful.


    A message flickered into my vision:


    [Summon Resting]


    [Calling summon while resting will result in rebellion]


    Huh. That¡¯s good to know. So this ¡°force domination¡± thing wasn¡¯t exactly a full leash. If I pushed too hard, my summon could snap right back at me.


    I thought about what Amaruq had said earlier¡ªhow I was treating him like a tool. Maybe summoning wasn¡¯t just about barking orders. Maybe it needed... something else. Some kind of bond.


    Not that I had a damn clue how to build one.


    I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. Maybe I¡¯d been an idiot to assume I could just rely on a skill like force domination and call it a day. Maybe this whole thing was way bigger than I thought.


    But for now?


    For now, I was still... somewhat alive.


    A few days passed.


    I stayed put. Not because I couldn¡¯t leave, but because I wasn¡¯t about to crawl out of here weak and half-baked. I had barely survived, and that did something to me¡ªwoke something up. If I walked back out there, I¡¯d do it stronger.


    So I trained. Experimented. Pushed my limits.


    I started with my attributes. Strength was the first thing I tested, fighting off the weakest monsters in this dungeon¡ªpathetic little red ants, barely above average. Turns out, at my current level, I wasn¡¯t much stronger than a normal human. Probably weaker than some. My swings felt sluggish, my grip unsteady, and the sword I¡¯d scavenged barely did any damage. Every fight reminded me how fragile I was.


    Then there was Binding¡ªthe stat that mattered most for a summoner. The higher the points, the stronger the creatures I could summon. More points meant more control. Too low, and I¡¯d be stuck with weaklings¡ªor worse, my summons would resist me entirely. Binding was everything for someone like me.


    I ran test after test, figuring out how to push my limits. And it paid off. Even if the gains were small, they were mine.


    [Ethan Kael]


    [F-Rank Cursed Summoner]


    Attributes:


    Strength (STR): 5 ¡ú 9


    Agility (AGI): 4 ¡ú 8


    Intelligence (INT): 5 ¡ú 6


    Endurance (END): 3 ¡ú 7


    Perception (PER): 3 ¡ú 5


    Binding (BIND): 15


    One last thing I learned¡ªBinding doesn¡¯t increase unless I use my summons.


    Sitting around? Useless. If I wanted to grow, I had to keep summoning Amaruq, which was my only current summon, keep fighting, keep pushing. Maybe even build something close, like bond.


    Summoning had limits. No surprise there. At my rank, I could only summon one. Just one. No clue how that would change as I leveled up, but I assumed it¡¯d get better.


    Which meant¡ªfor now¡ªI had to make this work with Amaruq. The same summon I¡¯d called a freaking chihuahua. Yeah, turns out he wasn¡¯t some harmless little sidekick. In battle? He was a damn monster.


    Now, I was sitting next to him after a grueling workout, sweat clinging to my skin, trying to catch my breath. I had only summoned him to talk, but from the way he slumped next to me, looking thoroughly unamused, I could tell he wasn¡¯t thrilled about it.


    I glanced at him. "Tell me something... do you even know why you all exist? Or why the world suddenly turned into this massive, chaotic mess?" It was a question that had been nagging at me for a while.


    Amaruq shook his head, slow and deliberate. "No. I have no memories of that."


    That threw me. Not the answer itself, but the way I heard it. The whole telepathy thing? It was actually kind of useful. No awkward language barriers. No miscommunication. Just thoughts, direct and clear.


    "Not even a single one?" I pressed.


    "No, human. Not even a tiny bit."


    I waved him off. "Can you refrain from calling me ¡®human¡¯? Just call me Ethan, you know, that''s my name and it¡¯s not that hard to pronounce."


    He nodded. At least he listened.


    "Care to share anything useful about summoning?" I asked after a stretch of silence.


    Amaruq let out a dry chuckle. "Heh. Doesn''t figuring it out by yourself great idea to start?"


    I exhaled sharply. "Yeah, no. I just want something useful¡ªyou know, actual knowledge. So quit dodging and spill."


    He tilted his head slightly, like he was considering it. Or just messing with me. Probably the latter. "Where¡¯s the fun in just telling you outright?"


    I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Amaruq."


    "Fine." He stretched lazily, like he had all the time in the world. "You probably don¡¯t know this, but summons like me come from the Void¡ªa place of nothing. Just darkness. No time, no space, just... existence. But higher-level summons? Different story. Some come from realms of their own. Creatures like me. Gods. Other things."


    I frowned. "So summons don¡¯t all originate from the same place?"


    "That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying, huma¡ªEthan."


    I nodded, filing that away. It was... decent information. But honestly? I¡¯d expected more. Something about the summoner class itself, how it actually worked. Maybe even a trick or two.


    Guess I¡¯d have to figure that part out myself.


    I stood up, exhaling. "Guess I better get moving."


    "That would be wise. Now, let me rest."


    I raised a hand. "You¡¯ve been helpful. Thanks." Then, without hesitation¡ª"REST."


    Amaruq vanished in a swirl of smoke, leaving me alone with my thoughts.


    Now what? I¡¯d been stuck in this low-level dungeon for days. Staying here wasn¡¯t going to get me anywhere. Growth meant risk, and this place was starting to feel like a dead end.


    I ran a hand through my hair. "Screw it. Might as well push forward."


    Oddly enough, I hadn¡¯t seen a single adventurer in all the time I¡¯d been here. The last group I spotted had bolted the second they saw that six-limbed freak of a beast. Since then? Nothing. Which meant, intentionally or not, I¡¯d been soloing this place.


    Well¡ªnot completely solo.


    I glanced around. Right. Almost forgot about Amaruq for a second.


    I started walking.


    The first time I set foot in this dungeon, I was terrified. Now? I wouldn¡¯t say I was fearless, but I¡¯d grown. Enough to push through the suffocating silence, even as my brain kept whispering that something could jump out and kill me at any second.


    But I walked anyway.


    You¡¯d think a dungeon would change after being raided¡ªshift, reset, do something. But it didn¡¯t. It stayed exactly the same. Monsters didn¡¯t respawn. Once they were dead, they stayed that way. When a dungeon was cleared, a new one just showed up somewhere else. Like the world itself was spitting them out endlessly.


    And you could see it. The evidence was everywhere.


    Shattered weapons. Rusted armor. Broken staves. Bloodstains, long dried to a sickly crimson. Even bones, scattered and half-buried in the dirt¡ªsome from monsters, some probably from the people who weren¡¯t fast or strong enough to make it out.


    I exhaled sharply. "New Earth, huh? What a bad time to be alive."


    I kept walking. Nowhere in particular¡ªjust forward.


    The only sounds were my own footsteps and the occasional rustle of insects skittering through the darkness. But then¡ªsomething changed. A different sound beneath my foot. Not stone. Not dirt. Something else.


    I barely had time to register it before¡ª


    WOAH¡ª!


    The ground gave out.


    It wasn¡¯t slow. No warning. One second, I was standing¡ªthe next, I was falling. Like the earth had just decided to open up and swallow me whole.


    FUCK. THIS. DUNGEON.


    THUD.


    The impact knocked the breath out of me. Pain flared up my side, but I was alive. My hands pressed against cold, flat stone¡ªsome kind of platform.


    And then, the smell hit me.


    Rot. Decay. The kind of stench that sticks to you, burrowing into your lungs, making your stomach churn. I gagged, clamping a hand over my mouth. Jesus.


    I waved my hand in the dark, trying to feel for anything¡ªwalls, objects, a way out¡ªbut there was nothing. Just blackness.


    And then¡ª


    KRRKK.


    My foot crunched against something. Something brittle. I looked down.


    A skull.


    A human skull.


    SHIT.


    I damn near jumped out of my own skin. My heart was hammering, breath coming too fast, too sharp¡ªbut my body wasn¡¯t listening. Instead of moving, I collapsed, legs giving out beneath me.


    Not onto solid ground.


    Onto bones.


    Another sickening crunch beneath me, sharp edges digging into my palms as I caught myself. My ass hurt, but that wasn¡¯t the problem.


    The light from above¡ªthe faint glow seeping through the hole I fell from¡ªfinally gave me a better look at where the hell I had landed.


    And I wished it hadn¡¯t.


    I went still. My throat dried up, my chest tightened, and my hands? Shaking. My legs refused to move. It was like my body had short-circuited.


    Because right in front of me¡ªstacked high like garbage waiting to be burned¡ª


    Human skeletons.


    Piles of them.


    Like a mass grave someone forgot to cover up.


    I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe, forcing my brain to work. The walls¡ªthere were carvings on them. Deep, jagged marks. The ground had them too, like someone had scratched their last words into the stone itself.


    I hesitated, then read the words aloud, barely above a whisper.


    "They... sent us here... to die."


    Fuck.


    I stayed where I was. Sitting. Trying¡ªand failing¡ªto steady my breathing.


    Then, slowly, I shifted to my knees, eyes locked on the pile of bones in front of me.


    What the hell happened here?


    A mass execution? Some kind of purge? My gut twisted. No¡ªthis wasn¡¯t random. This had purpose. And if I had to bet?


    This reeked of the Awakener Guild.


    Like what they tried to do to me.


    I clenched my jaw, my thoughts spiraling. Were these... summoners? Had they been like me? Had th


    ey been sent here to die?


    My hands wouldn¡¯t stop shaking. No matter how hard I tried to ground myself, to think rationally, my body wasn¡¯t cooperating.


    "Stop. Just... stop." I gritted out, gripping my wrist, trying to force my fingers still.


    It wasn¡¯t working.


    Then¡ªmovement.


    My breath hitched.


    From the pile of skeletons¡ªsomething moved.


    I wasn¡¯t imagining it.


    Something was in there.

 Chapter 5: Survival is an Ugly Thing

    Skkkkrshh.


    Something moved.


    I wasn¡¯t imagining it. Something shifted in that pile of bones.


    But I didn¡¯t move.


    Not out of courage¡ªout of sheer, frozen disbelief. The air was thick, pressing down on me, the darkness stretching too far in every direction. My instincts screamed at me to look, to react, but my body wasn¡¯t cooperating.


    Instead, I muttered under my breath, barely above a whisper. "The hell did I just walk into?"


    I reached down, fingers closing around a small rock. Without thinking, I hurled it straight at the pile. Hard enough to make an impact. Hard enough to get a reaction.


    Because if that was an undead¡ªif that was some dungeon boss waking up¡ªI needed to be ready.


    My hand hovered near my summoning mark, heart pounding. I could call Amaruq now. I should call Amaruq now.


    But maybe¡ªmaybe¡ªit was just a rat. Or some random scavenger.


    That was the thought keeping me sane.


    Except deep down, I already knew.


    It wasn¡¯t a rat.


    I clenched my fists, forcing my legs to move. One step closer. Just enough to see.


    KRRRRK!


    FUCK.


    My heart nearly exploded out of my chest. The sound¡ªsharp, grating, unnatural¡ªripped through the silence, making every hair on my body stand on end.


    I saw it.


    A hand.


    Not just bones anymore. A real, human hand pushing up from the pile like something straight out of a nightmare.


    I didn''t move closer. Not yet. Caution. Or hesitation. Maybe both.


    The light from above barely touched it, but I saw enough.


    The skin¡ªor what was left of it¡ªwas shredded, raw. Wounds covered the wrist, deep and jagged, like it had been clawing at something for too long. The nails were shattered, fingers trembling violently.


    And it wasn¡¯t a monster¡¯s hand.


    It was human.


    The bones around it shifted, tumbling away, revealing the figure buried beneath them. Slowly, painfully, it pulled itself free.


    And then I saw him.


    Not an undead. Not some mutated dungeon creature. Just... a man.


    Barely breathing. Sunken eyes locked straight ahead, unfocused. Skin stretched too tight over his bones, maggots crawling through open wounds along his arms. Rotten. Dying.


    The smell hit me all at once. My stomach twisted, a sharp, instinctive wave of nausea rising in my throat. I swallowed it down.


    Then¡ª


    "You... one..."


    A whisper.


    Barely audible. His voice was wrecked, hoarse, breaking apart before the words even fully formed.


    He was alive.


    I stepped closer, drawn in despite myself. The man was slumped, barely holding himself up, his breath shallow. I leaned down, trying to catch his words, trying to see his face in the dim light.


    "Hey... uhm." My voice came out rougher than I intended. My pulse hammered, but I held my ground.


    His lips moved, cracked and dry. "You''re one..."


    "Sorry, what?" I caught only fragments, his voice raspy.


    His throat worked, like it hurt to even form words. He tried again, forcing the sound out. "You''re... one of them?"


    I frowned. The words were clearer this time, but they didn¡¯t make sense.


    "One of who?"


    His eyes lifted to mine, hollow, desperate. And then¡ªbarely more than a whisper¡ª


    "Awakeners."


    He caught me off guard. Not just by speaking¡ªbut by forcing himself to look at me. His voice scraped out, raw and broken, and the way he moved... it hurt to watch. Whatever happened to him, it hadn¡¯t been quick.


    And judging by the state of him, he was probably an Awakener too.


    "Why?" My voice came out steadier than I expected.


    "How... did... you even... end up down here?"


    Hell if I knew. One second, I was walking. The next¡ªpoof¡ªI was falling. My back still throbbed from the impact.


    I didn¡¯t answer.


    I just stared at him. At his wounds. His legs¡ªhalf-rotted, flesh peeling, maggots writhing in open sores. His skin was turning to something that wasn¡¯t skin anymore.


    This was, hands down, the most horrifying thing I¡¯d ever seen.


    "Don¡¯t be... surprised, kid." His voice rattled, barely holding together.


    Yeah? And why the hell wouldn¡¯t I be surprised? A half-dead man, breathing in a pile of skeletons, talking to me like this was just another Tuesday.


    I swallowed. "No, seriously. How, mister? How the hell did you end up down here... with all these bones?"


    I sent his question right back at him. Because I needed to know.


    He didn¡¯t answer. Didn¡¯t need to. I could hear it in his breathing, see it in the way his body sagged, hollowed-out and brittle.


    I grabbed the water bottle I¡¯d swiped from the river outside this dungeon and shoved it toward him. ¡°Here.¡±


    He latched onto it like a drowning man, his hands shaky but desperate. Yeah. He¡¯d been thirsty for a while.


    "You need food?" I asked, already thinking about what I could hunt. The guy looked like he hadn¡¯t eaten in weeks.


    But then, as I started to stand, he lifted a hand¡ªslow, weak, telling me to stop. ¡°This is more than enough.¡± His voice was dry, brittle. He raised the bottle slightly, his fingers barely keeping hold of it.


    I frowned. ¡°You need something to eat, or else you¡¯ll d¡ª¡±


    "I¡¯m gonna die, kid. I know." His words were flat. Matter-of-fact. No fear, no denial¡ªjust the truth, bald and bare. He took a breath, like he had to force the next part out. "Besides... eating doesn¡¯t help anymore. Every time I eat... I just puke it out. My stomach won¡¯t take it."


    I sat down beside him, knees bent, hands clenched. I forced myself to stay still. To not shove food down his throat even though he clearly needed it.


    He exhaled, slow and shaky. Then, "What¡¯s... your name?"


    "Ethan." I watched him drain the last of the water. "What about you, mister?"


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Reese."


    We sat there for a beat, the silence settling between us. Then¡ª¡°So, you raiding this dungeon?¡±


    I let out a short breath, something close to a laugh. "Not intentionally, but yeah. You could say that. You''re not wrong."


    "Someone force you?" His voice had weight to it. Like he already knew the answer.


    I thought about it for a second. "Yeah. That¡¯s probably the best way to put it."


    Another pause.


    I glanced at him. He was staring right at me, his expression barely shifting, but something about his eyes¡ªwide, surprised¡ªmade my stomach tighten.


    Then, he spoke. "We suffered the same fate, Ethan." His voice was quiet. Heavy. "The only difference... is that you survived."


    "Same fate?" I glanced at him, curiosity sharpening into something colder.


    His words stuck with me. Suffered the same fate. My mind turned it over, dissecting it. The Awakener Guild¡ªwere they involved in this? Had they thrown him down here, just like me? Or was this place a graveyard for more than just him? The skeletons scattered around us weren¡¯t just coincidence.


    "I was thrown... here." His voice dragged, but the weight behind it hit hard.


    And there it was. Confirmation. My jaw tightened. My fists clenched. If he was tossed down here¡ªthen who the hell did it? And more importantly¡­ was it the same people who threw me?


    His eyes flickered toward me. ¡°And you... were forced.¡± A rough breath. ¡°That means... we¡¯re on the same page.¡±


    Same page? I almost laughed. Mister, have you looked at yourself? You¡¯re knocking on death¡¯s door with one foot in the grave. But sure, let¡¯s call it that.


    I knew what he meant, though. And he wasn¡¯t wrong.


    "You a summoner?" I asked.


    His eyes went wide. For a second, I thought he stopped breathing, and I almost checked to see if he¡¯d finally keeled over.


    Then¡ª¡°Yes¡­ how did you¡ª¡±


    "You said you were thrown. So maybe you were right. Maybe we really are on the same page."


    His fingers twitched. ¡°What¡­ do you mean?¡±


    "I was thrown down here too. Not by accident. Someone made sure of it."


    His whole body went still. Then, finally¡ª¡°So¡­ you¡­ you¡¯re a summoner like me?¡± His voice came out strained, broken by a cough.


    "I am.."


    I hadn¡¯t even noticed my hands had stopped shaking. Talking to him, putting the pieces together¡ªit steadied me. For a moment.


    But if he told me the same guild threw him down here, I might just lose it. Hell, I might blow this whole damn pile of skeletons apart.


    No. Stupid thought. I wasn¡¯t that reckless.


    I just¡­ I just wanted to believe he got dumped here for a reason. Maybe he was a criminal. Maybe he deserved it. Because if he didn¡¯t¡ªif he suffered the same fate as me¡ªthen that meant this whole thing was worse than I¡¯d thought.


    "Awakener¡­ Guild?" His voice barely made it out.


    And just like that, my hands started shaking again. Not from fear. From rage.


    I could let Amaruq tear them all apart. Just give the order, let the blood spill. It would be easy.


    No. Not yet. Acting on impulse now would be idiotic.


    "Is that who threw you down here?" My voice was tight.


    He nodded, slow. "You¡¯re right¡­ kid."


    I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles popped. "Then, was it for the same reason?" My foot shifted, bones crunching under the weight.


    He exhaled, long and shaky. Then¡ª¡°Did they ever brand you weak? Useless?¡±


    Did they?


    Did they ever even see summoners as people?


    The way they talked, the way they acted¡ªlike we were some mistake that needed fixing. Like we didn¡¯t belong in their so-called new world.


    Bastards.


    "So that¡¯s why, mister?" My voice was quieter now. But the anger¡ªit didn¡¯t go anywhere. It just sank deeper, settled in my bones.


    I didn¡¯t expect to find another summoner, especially this close. But I wasn¡¯t surprised he got thrown down here for the same reason I did.


    "How long have you been here?" I asked.


    He let out a rough breath. "I don¡¯t know¡­ a week, probably."


    Then, suddenly, he gagged¡ªhis whole body lurching forward. Blood hit the ground, dark and thick.


    Shit.


    A week. He¡¯d been down here, like this, for a week? How the hell did he even last that long?


    He wiped his mouth, breathing shallow.


    "This might¡­ surprise you, kid¡­ but tell me something¡­" He swallowed hard, forcing the words out. "Do you hate this new world?"


    That stopped me.


    Damn.


    I exhaled, steadying myself. "I do. I don¡¯t want to be part of it. If I could reset everything¡ªwipe it clean, even if it meant losing all my memories¡ª" my jaw clenched, "I¡¯d do it."


    He let out a weak, dry chuckle. "Hmm¡ªyeah. I hate it too. But it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s probably always gonna be this way. Kid, you need to kno¡ª"


    His words cut off. His body sagged.


    "Hey." I leaned forward, shaking him slightly. No response.


    I checked his breathing. Still going. His fingers twitched slightly, moving against the dirt.


    He was unconscious.


    Reese''s Pov


    I wanted to do more. Be more. A better husband. A better father. But I was drowning¡ªjobless, scraping by with part-time scraps that barely kept food on the table.


    I told myself I¡¯d come to terms with it. That this country was a lost cause, rigged against people like me. The only thing keeping me upright was them¡ªmy wife, my daughter.


    Until the day they weren¡¯t.


    She left when she got the chance. Took our little girl and walked out. I didn¡¯t blame her. What kind of man lets his family starve? I was nothing. Less than nothing.


    I thought about ending it. Even had the rope ready.


    But then¡ª


    The light.


    It came out of nowhere, hanging in the air like it had been watching. And then, before I could react, it moved. Straight for me.


    I barely had time to gasp before it shoved itself down my throat.


    My vision blurred. The world tilted.


    I woke up in the same spot I¡¯d blacked out. Nothing felt different. Just the same empty ache. I told myself it was a dream¡ªa bad one.


    And I let it go. For a week.


    Spent most of it drunk. Didn¡¯t sleep. Picked up smoking again, even though I¡¯d quit for my wife and daughter. But they weren¡¯t here anymore, so what did it matter?


    The worst part wasn¡¯t the drinking or the filth I let pile up. It was the quiet. No wife to hold. No daughter¡¯s laughter. Just an empty apartment and the kind of loneliness that seeps into your bones. I thought about ending it. A lot.


    Then someone knocked on my door.


    A woman. Someone I¡¯d never seen before.


    She said I was an Awakener. I had no idea what that meant, but she explained¡ªslow, patient. They wanted me for an experiment. Nothing invasive, just my presence, she said. And they¡¯d pay.


    I hesitated. But money¡ªmoney meant a chance. Maybe if I had enough, my family would come back.


    So I said yes.


    For the first time in weeks, I felt something¡ªhope, relief, the smallest flicker of joy.


    Then the experiment began.


    They led me to a white room, twenty others already waiting.


    At first, it seemed harmless. Then the syringes came out. We were strapped down, needles piercing our skin. They called it a test. Said it was safe. Said we wouldn¡¯t feel a thing.


    They lied.


    Days turned to weeks. Weeks to months. We were locked inside that room, our numbers shrinking. One by one, people died. Paranoia set in. I stopped trusting faces. Stopped trusting time.


    Until there were five of us left.


    "God, save me." Someone whispered it in the dark. Could¡¯ve been me. Could¡¯ve been anyone.


    Then everything went black.


    I woke up in a dungeon.


    No walls, no exits. Just monsters waiting to tear me apart. And they did.


    I ran. I fought. It didn¡¯t matter. They caught me, ripped me open, left me bleeding.


    I tumbled into a pit¡ªdeep, black, air so thin it felt like I was drowning. I landed in a pile of bones.


    I was alive. Barely.


    No food. No water. Days blurred together. My body wasted away, but my mind wouldn¡¯t let go. I wanted to live. Needed to.


    So I did what I had to.


    I ate my own flesh.


    Drank my own sweat.


    Devoured maggots.


    Just to survive.


    I hadn¡¯t seen sunlight in¡­ I didn¡¯t know how long. Days. Weeks. Maybe longer. The air was thick, stale¡ªwrong. My lungs ached for something fresh, but there was nothing. Just darkness, the walls pressing in, the weight of slow death settling over me.


    I was rotting.


    Starving.


    But my mind wouldn¡¯t let go. Not yet.


    My wife. My daughter.


    I could see them¡ªclear as day. My wife¡¯s tired smile, the way she used to tuck her hair behind her ear. My little girl¡¯s laugh, the way she used to squeeze my finger like she¡¯d never let go.


    I just wanted to see them. One last time.


    Before I di¡ª


    Ethan''s POV


    Hah. This was either my dumbest idea yet or pure genius.


    I had Amaruq carry Reese on his back, hauling him out of this damn dungeon. Figured if the guy was gonna die, might as well let him see the sun first. Felt like the least I could do.


    "Who is this man, exactly?" Amaruq asked, clearly not thrilled about playing pack mule.


    "A summoner. Like me."


    "A summoner, hmm?" His ears flicked back. "Do you plan on actually healing him? Because those wounds are festering."


    Oh. Right. Healing. Amaruq had that, didn¡¯t he?


    "Wait¡ª" I turned to him, grinning. "You know healing, right?"


    "I do. But it depends if you can actually command m¡ª"


    "Great! Then let¡¯s heal him! What the hell are we waiting for?" I threw my arms up.


    "It¡¯s not that simple," he muttered.


    Yeah, well. I¡¯d try anyway.


    I raised my hand toward Reese¡¯s mangled body, focusing on the deep, infected slashes. This should be easy.


    "What do I say?"


    "Just command it."


    "Alright." I cleared my throat. "HEAL!"


    And then¡ª


    A notification popped up.


    [Low Intelligence]


    [Healing Command Requires Higher Intelligence Attribute]


    I stared at it. Then nearly punted the closest rock straight into the abyss.


    "You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me."


    Amaruq didn¡¯t even try to hide his smugness. "Told you."


    I exhaled sharply. "Okay. What if you just do it directly?"


    He huffed. "That¡¯s impossible. Only high-level summons can heal directly, huma¡ªEthan."


    Great. So now I needed brains to keep someone from dying? What a joke.


    "What a freaking attribute." I clapped my hands, frustration boiling over.


    "Are we done here?" Amaruq huffed. "Or do you plan on dragging this out?"


    If healing Reese wasn¡¯t an option, I had to stick with Plan A¡ªget him out of this damn dungeon, let him see the sun one last time. Not that it fixed anything. And screw this system. Apparently, I needed to grind for XP just to have basic intelligence. What a joke.


    "Yeah, yeah. Let¡¯s just go."


    We headed for the exit, stepping into the open air. And for once, the world outside wasn¡¯t trying to kill me. The sky was clear, the sun was rising, and the clouds looked like they were putting on some kind of show. Almost peaceful. Almost enough to take the edge off my irritation.


    Amaruq dropped Reese under a large tree, a little ways from the dungeon entrance.


    "That¡¯s it, Ethan. I¡¯m done. Let me sleep." His tail flicked in annoyance. "Not sure why you even needed me. You could¡¯ve carried him yourself."


    "Oh, so now you¡¯re complaining?" I muttered. "What a personality, Ruk."


    I froze. Ruk?


    Huh. Guess I was sick of saying his full name every damn time. Whatever. It worked.


    Amaruq¡¯s ears twitched. "Weird human."


    "What was that?"


    "Nothing. Let me rest."


    I clicked my tongue. "Tsk. Why don¡¯t we talk, huh? Build some bond or whatever?"


    "Next time." He was already settling in. "I just carried that half-dead man on my back. I am tired."


    Aaaaaaaand there it was.


    I sighed. "Fine. You win."


    "REST."


    And with that, he was out.


    I¡¯d been sitting here for hours, waiting for this guy to wake up. And he still hadn¡¯t.


    If Ruk was awake, at least I¡¯d have someone to talk to. Instead, I was stuck alone, bored out of my mind, flicking small stones into the dirt. Worse, my brain decided now was a great time to dredge up thoughts about my ex.


    What the fuck.


    I resisted the urge to shake Reese awake. He needed the rest. Hell, I just hoped he was having a good dream.


    Apparently, I hoped too soon.


    "ARGHHHHH!"


    The sudden scream made me jump, sending one of my rocks flying.


    "Goddamn it!" I swore, heart still hammering.


    Reese sat there, gasping, his breath ragged. Like he¡¯d just clawed his way out of something awful.


    Great. I¡¯d literally wished for him to have a good dream, and the universe served up the exact opposite.


    I moved toward him, kneeling. "You okay?"


    His eyes cracked open, and his first instinct was to shield them. Probably hadn¡¯t seen light in so long that it burned. But I could still see it¡ªhis face, his hands¡ªfrozen in shock.


    Like he was looking at a miracle.


    "Where am... I?" His voice was hoarse, barely holding together. His eyes, wide and unfocused, darted to me after he stopped shielding them.


    "Outside."


    He blinked, taking it in. The open air. The sky. The sunlight. Then, his gaze flicked back to me. "Did you... lift me out here?" He coughed, blood staining his lips.


    "No. My summon did. Ruk."


    I grabbed a fresh water pouch and held it out to him. He didn¡¯t take it. Instead, he lifted a trembling hand¡ªstopping me with just a flick of his fingers.


    "Kid, I... I can¡¯t... move my hands." His voice was barely there, choked between coughs. "And they¡¯re... filthy... I..."


    I said nothing. Just listened.


    He exhaled sharply, then slowly, so slowly, raised his hands toward the sun. Light kissed his battered skin, and for a second, his fingers curled, like he was trying to hold it.


    "I may never... be able to say how... thankful I am..." His breath rattled. "To see the sunlight again. To breathe fresh air."


    He inhaled, or tried to, but it only made him choke¡ªmore blood spilling down his chin.


    I shifted closer. "Hey... I could take you to a hospital. They might be able to help."


    He shook his head, the movement sluggish. "No... there''s no need, Ethan..." His lips twitched¡ªsomething close to a smile, but not quite. "Just let me have this. That¡¯s more than enough."


    I let him be. He knew. Knew he wasn¡¯t walking away from this. The infection was eating him alive.


    If I¡¯d gotten here sooner¡­ would I have been able to save him? Would I have even tried?


    "You have a family?" His voice was weak, but the question came out of nowhere.


    I nodded. "Yeah. But my parents are separated."


    He coughed, body shaking with the effort. I felt my concern twist tighter in my gut.


    "A... sibling?"


    "No. Only child." I hesitated. "Maybe you should stop talking. Save your strength¡ª"


    "I''m okay, Ethan. Don''t worry... It''s just nice, once in a while, to have company."


    I nodded. Slowly.


    Silence stretched between us before he spoke again. "You said earlier... you hated this new world."


    I didn¡¯t answer. Just listened.


    "But you don¡¯t know. You think you do, but it¡¯s worse than you imagine."


    I raised a brow. Readied myself. Because when a dying man starts talking like that, it means whatever he¡¯s about to say is going to stick.


    "I figured." I exhaled. "Is this what you were trying to tell me before you passed out?"


    "Yeah... and listen..."


    My fists clenched at my sides. Slowly. Almost on instinct.


    Why?


    Not fear. Something else. My hands always started shaking when shit got tense.


    "The Awakener Guild..." His voice cracked, but he forced himself through it. "They¡¯re just... aghh... they¡¯re just the root."


    Root? What kind of root? No¡ªwait. I got it. Someone¡¯s pulling the strings.


    I¡¯d heard the theory before, but hearing it from someone who¡¯d been left to rot down here? That made it real.


    He swallowed hard, struggling to get the last part out.


    "There¡¯s someone more powerful behind them... and they¡¯re experimenting. Planning to eliminate summoners."


    His breath hitched. His body trembled.


    "But I don¡¯t have a reason... to tell you why."


    I clenched my jaw. "Did they experiment on you?"


    A slow, rattling exhale. "Yeah¡­ and quite a few more. I think it didn¡¯t work, so they just threw us away. Scattered us, kept us hidden from the public."


    Damn.


    So it really was bigger than I imagined. The guilds, the authorities¡ªthe people I thought ran this world¡ªjust puppets?


    "I¡¯m telling you this... for your sake." His voice was barely more than a whisper now. "You have to survive... because being a summoner? It¡¯s not a blessing... it¡¯s a goddamn curse."

 Chapter 6: The Wrong Man at the Right Table

    The man died before sunset.


    We talked a little before then. Mostly about his family. His wife. His six-year-old daughter, Erica.


    He loved them. That much was clear. And I listened¡ªbecause what the hell else could I do for a dying man? I didn¡¯t have the right words. Didn¡¯t know what you were supposed to say in moments like this.


    But silence? Silence felt worse.


    So I stayed. Listened. Let him talk until he couldn¡¯t anymore.


    And even then¡ªuntil his last breath¡ªhe told the truth.


    Not in words. Not outright. But I saw it in his face. The way his eyes welled up but he never let the tears fall. The way he stared past me, blankly, like he was already half-gone. He tried to act tough. But he wasn¡¯t.


    He was afraid.


    And then, just like that, he was gone.


    I dug the grave myself. A proper one. As proper as it could be, anyway.


    "Why are you doing this?" Ruk asked, watching me work. "You just met him."


    I didn¡¯t look up. Just kept digging.


    "I don¡¯t know." I exhaled sharply. "Maybe because, in a way... he was the same as me."


    Yeah. He was the same as me.


    A summoner. Used, then discarded. Branded as useless, but still kept going.


    Maybe that¡¯s why I buried him. Maybe that¡¯s why it mattered. Because if he was just like me, then what happened to him could just as easily happen to me.


    Ruk watched as I patted the last bit of dirt over the grave, then stretched, lazily licking his fur. "What¡¯s your plan now?"


    "I¡¯m heading back to the city." I didn¡¯t bother looking up.


    Ruk flicked an ear. "Didn¡¯t you say the guild threw you out to die?"


    "Yeah."


    "Then why go back? Someone connected to them might recognize you. They might finish the job."


    I sighed. "I get what you¡¯re saying, Ruk. But staying here won¡¯t do me any good. I need to see more of this new world. Figure out how deep this mess actually goes."


    I dusted my hands off, glancing at Reese¡¯s grave one last time.


    "Besides, I¡¯ll keep a low profile. Not going back to my house. That¡¯d be suicide."


    By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, Reese was buried.


    I should¡¯ve felt relieved, I guess. But all I had was guilt. Not the overwhelming kind¡ªjust that dull, nagging weight in my chest. I couldn¡¯t heal him. Couldn¡¯t stop the infection from eating him alive. Too late to blame myself now, though.


    Damn it. If I wasn¡¯t so weak, maybe he¡¯d still be breathing.


    I exhaled, shaking the thought off. "Off we go."


    Ruk grunted. "Let me rest."


    "You just had a break."


    "Yeah, and I just lifted that guy. Again."


    I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you rascal."


    MY FREAKING LEGS HURT LIKE HELL.


    I wasn¡¯t even exaggerating. They were shaking. I¡¯d walked all the way from that dungeon back here¡ªback home.


    Clinton Bay.


    I sighed, rubbing my sore legs as I stared ahead. City lights glowed in the distance, stretching high. Commercial buildings, buzzing neon, streets full of people living their lives like nothing had changed.


    Like the world wasn¡¯t as screwed as I knew it was.


    "Hey, did you hear the news?"


    "Take a picture here."


    "Where should we eat?"


    Voices blurred around me as I walked, slipping through the crowd like a ghost. I kept my head low, moving without drawing attention. No hoodie, no way to cover my face¡ªjust the hope that no one who mattered would recognize me.


    Not that hiding was my only problem.


    I needed money. Badly.


    Ahead of me, rows of restaurants, food stalls, neon-lit stores stretched across the street. People moved in and out, laughing, eating, living their normal-ass lives. Meanwhile, I was out here praying no one saw me, starving like an idiot, and realizing just how much I¡¯d screwed myself by coming back.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Free samples! Free taste right here!"


    "Come on, try it!"


    A stall owner waved at me, holding out a piece of something fried¡ªchicken wings, I think. I waved him off, forcing an awkward smile.


    Then my stomach clenched. Hard.


    Right. I hadn¡¯t eaten at all today. Hell, maybe not since yesterday. What a genius move.


    I walked past, hesitated, then slowly took a step back.


    The guy was still there, still holding out the sample.


    I forced another awkward smile, grabbed it, and walked away like I hadn¡¯t just embarrassed myself.


    Pathetic.


    But hunger didn¡¯t give a damn about pride.


    "Damn, that was good." I muttered, finishing off the last bit of chicken wing.


    Didn¡¯t do much for the hunger, but it was something.


    The market was packed tonight¡ªtoo loud, too busy. I couldn¡¯t afford to stick around. I needed a plan, a way to make some cash. But where the hell did I even start? Earning money wasn¡¯t easy, not when you had nothing. No connections. No experience that mattered in this so-called new world.


    Back before everything changed, I worked a ton of jobs. Fast food, janitor, delivery guy¡ªwhatever kept me afloat after I dropped out of school. Not by choice, either. My parents splitting up forced my hand.


    I made enough to get by. Barely.


    At least they left me the house. Not that it was much of a blessing in the long run. Bills, maintenance, all the crap that came with owning a place¡ªI was constantly one bad month away from losing it all.


    I sighed, shaking off the thought. No use dwelling on the past.


    I turned to leave.


    And then¡ª


    Through the crowd, a glimpse of something familiar. A face. One I knew.


    No. That wasn¡¯t possible.


    I couldn¡¯t be¡ª


    "Ethan?"


    The voice hit me.


    I turned again, slower this time.


    And there she was.


    A woman, late thirties. Healthier than I remembered. Almost glowing. At first, I just thought she looked familiar, but no¡ª


    She was.


    Mother.


    Shit.


    I turned fast, pretending I didn¡¯t hear her. Walked like I had somewhere important to be. Like I wasn¡¯t seconds away from bolting.


    But then¡ª


    A hand caught my wrist.


    I stopped.


    Her hand. Mother¡¯s hand.


    "Where have you been?" Her voice wasn¡¯t angry. Just worried. "I¡¯ve been checking up on you, but you never answered."


    Her eyes searched my face, and for the first time in years, I felt like a kid again. Caught in a lie I hadn¡¯t even told yet.


    I couldn¡¯t tell her the truth. Couldn¡¯t say I¡¯d been thrown into a dungeon to die. That I was an Awakener. That I¡¯d been hiding it from her this whole time.


    How the hell was I supposed to spin that?


    My mouth opened before my brain caught up. "I¡­ I was looking for a new job." The words stumbled out, unsteady.


    Her gaze sharpened.


    "Look at you. You look like you haven¡¯t eaten in days. Have you?"


    "Ye¡ª"


    Right then, my stomach betrayed me. Loud. Like it was screaming liar.


    She sighed. "Come on. Let¡¯s get dinner."


    I should¡¯ve refused. Should¡¯ve walked away.


    Instead, I let her lead the way.


    I sat in a nice restaurant, sticking out like a sore thumb in my dirty sweatshirt and worn-out pants. Mom either didn¡¯t notice or just didn¡¯t care. Meanwhile, I could feel the eyes on me. The kind of stares that made you second-guess whether you should even be here.


    The place was warm, quiet. The kind of spot people came to for comfort, not just food.


    I glanced at Mom.


    She and Dad split years ago. I thought they were fine¡ªhappy, even. Then one day, just like that, they were done. Divorced. They asked me to choose: Mom or Dad.


    I chose neither.


    I thought maybe that would make them stay. That if I didn¡¯t pick a side, they wouldn¡¯t leave. But they did. Left me with Grandma in the house until she passed. And then, for years, it was just me.


    I wasn¡¯t angry. Not really.


    I just... thought it was unfair.


    "Tell me," Mom said suddenly. "Your favorites are still black coffee and strawberry shortcake, right?"


    I nearly choked.


    Why the hell would she say that out loud?


    I nodded, shifting awkwardly. "Mom, what are you even doing in the market this late?"


    "Oh, I was meeting someone, actually. And then¡ªcoincidence!¡ªI saw you. Figured you might want to meet him."


    "Him?"


    Who the hell was him?


    Before I could press further, a man walked up behind her. Tall. Well-dressed.


    Mom turned, smiling. "Oh, there he is!"


    The guy leaned in, kissing her on both cheeks. Friends? Old colleagues?


    "Ah! Wesley, this is Ethan¡ªmy son I told you about."


    The man turned to me. Good-looking. A little too put-together.


    "Ethan! So you¡¯re Ethan." He grinned, extending a hand. "Nice to finally meet you."


    I stared at him. Something about him put me on edge, but I shook his hand anyway.


    Then Mom dropped it.


    "Ethan, meet Wesley¡ªmy fianc¨¦."


    For a second, my brain blanked.


    Fianc¨¦?


    This guy?


    I wasn¡¯t mad. Not really.


    Just... completely blindsided.


    We sat at the table¡ªme on one side, next to Mom, while Wesley took the other. His expression gave away nothing, but I could feel him analyzing me.


    Sizing me up.


    Did I look like a homeless guy to him? Probably.


    Did I care? Not really.


    What did bother me was the instinct screaming at me to run. My gut twisted. My hands started shaking again. Something about this whole setup felt wrong.


    "Heard a lot about you." Wesley finally spoke.


    Shit.


    Mom smiled like this was some heartwarming moment. Like she thought it was nice that her fianc¨¦ was taking an interest in her son.


    Yeah. No.


    The man sipped his drink, casual as hell. I forced myself to do the same, taking a slow sip of my black coffee.


    And then¡ª


    "Wesley actually works for the Awakener Guild. He¡¯s a talent researcher."


    GODDAMN IT.


    I almost choked. Nearly spit my coffee all over the damn table.


    I knew this was bad, but I never expected to be this bad.


    Are they hunting me already?


    Did the guild know I survived? Did they send him?


    My grip tightened around the fork and knife as I sliced through the cake. Forced myself to act normal. Stay casual.


    "That¡¯s great. Actually, that¡¯s amazing." I forced the words out, keeping my tone steady even as my hands shook slightly.


    Wesley smiled, taking another sip of his drink. "Yeah, really. It¡¯s enjoyable work."


    Enjoyable. Right. Hunting down people like me.


    And then, just when I thought this couldn¡¯t get worse¡ª


    "Ethan, you should let him help you find a job. Isn¡¯t that a good idea?"


    Mom. What the hell.


    I let out an awkward laugh, hoping Wesley wouldn¡¯t take the bait. Don¡¯t agree. Don¡¯t freaking agree.


    "I could write you a recommendation if you want."


    AAAAH, HELL NO.


    I swallowed down the panic, keeping my expression neutral. "I¡¯ll think about it."


    Mom frowned. "What¡¯s there to think about? He could definitely help you."


    Woman, please.


    I stabbed another bite of cake like it owed me money.


    "I¡¯ll definitely think about it, Mom. I¡¯ll let you know."


    I stood, taking one last bite of the cake before pushing my chair back.


    Mom frowned. "Okay, but where are you going?"


    "Thanks for the dinner mom." I glanced at Wesley. "Sir, nice meeting you."


    I gave a quick bow¡ªtoo quick¡ªthen turned and walked. Fast. Straight for the exit.


    The second I stepped outside, I exhaled sharply, dragging in a breath I hadn¡¯t even realized I was holding. My hands weren¡¯t shaking anymore, but only because I forced them not to.


    I should¡¯ve never accepted Mom¡¯s invitation.


    I moved toward a quieter part of the street, away from the worst of the crowd. Guilt gnawed at me for leaving so suddenly, but it didn¡¯t matter. Staying there? Staying near him? It felt too dangerous.


    And the worst part?


    Of all the people in this city, of all the women in the damn world¡ªWesley had to end up engaged to my mother.


    I gritted my teeth. If he ever found out I was an Awakener, it wouldn¡¯t just be bad¡ªit¡¯d be game over.


    "Damn it." I kicked the ground, sending a loose pebble flying.


    I didn¡¯t even finish the damn cake.


    No, just kidding. But honestly? If ditching the rest of dessert was the price of avoiding him, it was worth it. Even if it meant showing that side of myself to Mom.


    I felt bad. Not for leaving, but for leaving her without an explanation. She probably thought I was just being my usual distant, unreliable self. She had no clue what was really going on.


    Once I stepped outside, the city swallowed me whole again.


    People everywhere. Different voices, different lives, all blurring together into the constant hum of Clinton Bay.


    I needed to move. Get the hell out of this market before I ran into another Awakener Guild worker.


    I walked fast, hands in my pockets, mind racing.


    Should I risk going back to my house? Grab my savings?


    No. Too risky.


    Even if no one was waiting for me there, it was only a matter of time before someone checked.


    Stick to the plan. Lay low. Get some cash. Maybe take on a few raiding jobs, something under the radar.


    I pushed through the crowd, weaving between people too busy with their own lives to notice me slipping past. Eventually, I broke free, leaving the market behind.


    Now I was here.


    A quieter part of the city. Dark streets. Only a few dim lights flickering above. Barely any people. Perfect.


    I needed to think.


    Raiding wasn¡¯t a bad idea. It was risky, sure, but it had its advantages¡ªmoney, experience, a way to grow stronger. But there was always the chance I¡¯d run into someone who recognized me.


    Low odds. But not zero.


    "Ugh." I muttered, shaking my head.


    I was exhausted. I needed a place to crash. That was problem number two.


    But just as I started figuring out my next move¡ª


    "HELP!"


    A sharp, desperate scream.


    A woman¡¯s voice.


    My whole body tensed.


    The sound cut through the quiet, hitting me harder than I expected. My fingers twitched. My breath caught. For a second, my brain blanked.


    Then came the thoughts. The hesitation.


    Should I check it out?


    It was just one word. Help. That meant trouble. That meant getting involved.


    But my hands were shaking now. Why the hell was I hesitating? I¡¯d faced death. Twice. And here I was, frozen over a scream?


    Then, suddenly, I moved. I ran toward the sound, scanning every alley I passed. But nothing. No one.


    "Please¡­ please shout again." I muttered, my eyes darting through the shadows.


    Then I saw it.


    A dead-end alley, wedged between two buildings.


    Dark. Empty. Except for them.


    I pressed my back against the w


    all, breath steadying as I took in the scene.


    A man, his hand clamped over a woman¡¯s mouth.


    She was the one who screamed.


    And him¡ªhe had something in his other hand.


    The dim light barely caught the edge of it, but I knew what it was.


    A knife.


    Pressed right against her throat.


    "Don¡¯t shout," the man hissed, his voice low and sharp. "Or I¡¯ll damn well cut your neck, bitch."

 Chapter 7: A Knife, A Wolf, and A Girl

    My arms felt numb, but my hands? Steady.


    The bastard was taking his time, probably enjoying the fear in the woman¡¯s eyes. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he actually did something.


    Not happening.


    "Kneel."


    And then, like a shadow slipping into the night, he appeared.


    Ruk.


    I wasn¡¯t just using him¡ªokay, maybe I was¡ªbut rushing in with my current strength was a damn death wish. I needed him this time.


    "What is it this time, Ethan?" He sounded unimpressed. Annoyed.


    I didn¡¯t speak. Just pointed.


    The man. The knife. The woman.


    Ruk exhaled sharply. "What a pain. You seriously can¡¯t handle that?"


    Not the point.


    "That¡¯s why you¡¯re here." I muttered.


    Then, without another word, Ruk leaped¡ªscaling the building beside us in a single motion, his form vanishing into the dark.


    I had no idea what he was planning.


    Didn¡¯t matter.


    As long as he got it done.


    Summoning Ruk was the easy choice. The safe choice.


    But as I crouched there, hidden in the shadows, something gnawed at me.


    I could¡¯ve jumped the guy myself. I thought about it. But I hesitated. My mind got tangled in numbers¡ªattributes, stats, power levels.


    Why did that even matter?


    What if this wasn¡¯t some "new world"? What if there were no levels, no abilities, no damn system to measure strength? If I saw someone being attacked in the old world, would I still have stepped in?


    Probably.


    So why the hell was I standing here, watching from a safe distance?


    I exhaled sharply and glanced up. Ruk had already moved¡ªsilent, efficient. He was on the rooftop now, watching, waiting. I could guess what came next. He¡¯d drop down, end this fast.


    And yet, guilt crept in.


    I hadn¡¯t even tried to save her myself.


    Just summoned Ruk. Let him handle it.


    And the worst part? I was scared.


    Not just of the guy with the knife¡ªthough yeah, there was that too¡ªbut of what would happen if I screwed up.


    I didn¡¯t even look directly at the bastard, afraid he¡¯d spot me, afraid he¡¯d lash out at the woman or me before I could react.


    I clenched my jaw.


    Then¡ªshouting.


    Loud. Angry.


    My head snapped toward the noise.


    The bastard had grabbed the woman again¡ªhard¡ªhis fingers digging into her arm as she struggled against him.


    My hands clenched. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, loud enough that I almost didn¡¯t hear her sharp, panicked cry.


    I could feel my breath shaking.


    And in that moment, something twisted inside me.


    What kind of person am I?


    I was standing here, watching a crime happen¡ªand what? Just letting Ruk handle it like some detached observer?


    No.


    Not this time.


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    I had to move.


    Before it was too late.


    This wasn¡¯t going to end well.


    I knew that.


    But the bastard was gearing up to do worse, and my body moved before my brain could catch up.


    My legs kicked into motion¡ªquick strides turning into a full sprint.


    Before I even thought about it, I was already throwing my weight forward, ramming into him like some reckless idiot.


    Elbow first.


    Which, in hindsight? Terrible idea.


    The guy barely moved. Solid. Muscled. Like slamming into a damn brick wall.


    FUCK. BAD PLAN. BAD PLAN.


    Then¡ª


    A blur. A shadow above us.


    Ruk dropped.


    Fast. Heavy.


    Before the guy even realized what was happening, my summon slammed into him, driving him straight into the pavement like a goddamn meteor.


    No struggle. No sound. Just out cold.


    I exhaled.


    "I loosened him up for you." I muttered.


    then I exhaled, Relief flooded through me.


    But under it¡ªdisappointment.


    I actually didn¡¯t do a damn thing.


    As I rushed toward the woman, I got a better look at her.


    Younger than I expected. Probably around my age, early twenties at most. But that wasn¡¯t what caught my attention.


    Her eyes¡ªwide, unfocused.


    Her head shook slightly, body trembling.


    And her breathing¡ªragged, uneven. Too fast.


    Shock.


    I crouched down, scanning her for injuries. No wounds. No bruises. Nothing visible.


    Good. That¡¯s something.


    But she wasn¡¯t okay.


    She just sat there, frozen, locked in the moment that almost happened.


    I hesitated before slowly reaching out, resting a hand lightly on her back. A small, reassuring gesture.


    "It¡¯s....over." My voice was quiet.


    She flinched. Hard.


    Damn. She was terrified.


    I pulled my hand back.


    "Holy shit¡ªuh, I mean, thanks. Seriously. That was¡ªyeah. Thanks." Her voice was unsteady as she looked at me, then slowly shifted her gaze to Ruk.


    I nodded. "You need a hospital or something?"


    She shook her head, already reaching for her bag on the ground. "No...no.. I¡¯m fine."


    Her hands were still shaking.


    As she bent down, loose papers scattered around her. I moved to help pick them up.


    Not just papers¡ªposters.


    ¡°Hiring Party Members. F-Rank Dungeon Raid.¡±


    So that¡¯s what she¡¯d been doing. Handing these out, looking for people.


    She bowed slightly. "I don¡¯t know how to properly thank you¡­" Her hands fumbled inside her bag, pulling something out.


    A small bill.


    Ten dollars.


    "Would you¡­ uhm¡­ accept this?" She held it out, palm trembling.


    I stared at it, then glanced at Ruk. He sat off to the side, completely uninterested in what was happening.


    Tempting, but I¡¯m holding out for a solid twenty.


    Just kidding, I couldn¡¯t take it.


    I waved a hand. "Nah. Don¡¯t worry about it. And actually¡­" I pointed at Ruk. "He¡¯s the one who knocked the guy out. You should thank him."


    Ruk¡¯s ears perked. He turned his head slowly, giving me a look.


    She turned to Ruk, who was still sitting, now completely staring at me like I¡¯d personally offended him.


    "Uhm... thank you!" She bowed her head toward him.


    I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. Not at her¡ªbut at him.


    Ruk probably had no idea how to handle gratitude. I could feel the irritation radiating off him. He wasn¡¯t built for this appreciation nonsense.


    Good.


    He did save her, after all. And honestly? I was grateful too.


    Then she looked at me. For some reason, I smiled¡ªawkwardly.


    "Are you¡­ a summoner?" she asked.


    That caught me off guard.


    I nodded, half-expecting the usual reaction¡ªmockery, disgust, some offhand comment about how summoners were weak.


    But she didn¡¯t look disgusted.


    She didn¡¯t even look surprised.


    Instead¡­ she looked almost excited. Maybe even relieved or impressed.


    Weird.


    Yeah. So, in case it wasn¡¯t obvious, I didn¡¯t take the money.


    Instead, she insisted on treating me to a meal. I tried to turn her down, but she was stubborn.


    Which is how I ended up back at the night market, sitting across from her, eating ramen.


    When she asked what I wanted, I just blurted out ramen, because, honestly? I was hesitant.


    But I was also starving.


    So here I was. Eating with a girl Ruk just saved.


    I just hoped my mother and her fianc¨¦ weren¡¯t out for a second dinner.


    The last thing I needed was to bump into them while eating ramen. Again.


    I took a bite, then glanced up. "So¡­ you from here?"


    She nodded. "Yeah. But I live farther out, different district. Just came here for work."


    "Handing out posters?"


    She blinked, then glanced at her bag, still stuffed with them. "Yeah¡­ you got me." She let out a small laugh before shaking her head. "Wait, I haven¡¯t even asked your name yet. That¡¯s rude of me."


    "It¡¯s fine. You can just call me Ethan." I took another bite. "And you?"


    "Raine. You can call me Raine."


    Raine.


    Not a name I heard often. A bit peculiar.


    I leaned back slightly, watching her. "So, you in a guild or something?"


    Had to make sure. Couldn¡¯t risk her being tied to that guild.


    She hesitated for a few seconds before answering. "Actually, yeah. I manage an independent guild."


    That made me pause.


    Oh.


    Not what I expected. But at least it wasn¡¯t the Awakener Guild. Thank god.


    Still¡ªher? Running a guild?


    I raised an eyebrow, trying to make sense of it. Maybe she was a big deal. But then¡­ if that were true, why the hell was she out here, personally handing out recruitment posters?


    That didn¡¯t track.


    "You have your own guild?" I asked, trying to piece it together.


    She nodded, absently running a hand through her dark blue hair. "Not¡­ exactly mine. It was my father¡¯s. He handed it over for me to manage, so yeah."


    That explained a lot.


    A manager personally recruiting members? That meant the guild wasn¡¯t big. Probably barely holding on. Independent guilds had it rough, especially ones without solid backing.


    "It¡¯s weird." I muttered, finishing another bite.


    She blinked. "What is?"


    "Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m just curious. You¡¯re technically the boss¡ªor...uh.. at least the manager. So why are you the one handing out posters?"


    She chuckled, rubbing the back of her head, almost embarrassed. "Look, I know how this sounds, but yeah, my guild¡¯s barely hanging on. I mean, not barely-barely, but¡­ okay, fine, yes. It¡¯s bad."


    So I was right.


    I grabbed a napkin, wiping my lips. "But you¡¯ve got a functioning party at least, right?"


    She nodded. "Hmm, yes. but actually...the problem was we need more people to keep it running."


    "How many Awakeners do you have right now?" I asked, not because I was interested¡ªjust curious.


    Her answer came quick.


    "Five."


    "Five? Isn¡¯t that more than enough to raid a dungeon?" My tone came out sharper than I expected.


    Raine shook her head. "No, no, actually. The Awakener Guild requires party groups to have at least six members before they can enter a dungeon."


    That caught me off guard.


    I hadn¡¯t known that. Then again¡­ it made sense. I¡¯d seen party groups before, most of them rolling in squads of six. I just never thought much about why.


    So the guild wasn¡¯t just controlling Awakeners¡ªthey were setting rules for even independent guilds?


    Freaking bastards.


    "And.. if you don¡¯t follow that rule?" I asked.


    Raine hesitated. Blinked.


    Then her expression shifted¡ªsomething uneasy in the way her lips pressed together.


    "Independent guilds¡­ we have to sign a contract with the Awakener Guild at the start. The system registers it. If we break the rules¡ª" She exhaled. "They know. And they will come down on us for it."


    "Hmm? Sounds like something they¡¯d do." I muttered, sipping the last of my noodles.


    Raine glanced up, eyebrows raised. "What?"


    I waved it off. "Ah, nothing."


    No need to tell her what I really thought about the Awakener Guild.


    The conversation lulled after that. She kept eating, taking slow, careful bites. Meanwhile, I had already finished my bowl like some starving animal.


    She broke the silence first. "What about you? Are you working or doing anything here?"


    "Nah." I paused, then corrected myself. "No¡ªactually, yeah. I¡¯m looking for a job."


    Her expression shifted slightly. "Wait¡­ you¡¯re a summoner, right? So, uhm¡­ have you raided a dungeon before?"


    A dungeon?


    Yeah. I was thrown into one.


    Nearly died. Barely made it out. Was even attacked by my own summon at one point.


    I leaned back, exhaling.


    "Only once."


    She looked at me again, and for the first time, I actually noticed¡ªher eyes were blue.


    Not just blue¡ªbright. Sharp.


    Not that I was getting weird about it or anything. Just... surprising.


    "And the wolf¡­ he¡¯s your raiding partner?"


    "That¡¯s true." I nodded. "His name¡¯s Amaruq. But I just call him Ruk, mostly because ''Ruk'' I think is way cooler."


    Raine blinked, then let out a small laugh. "That¡¯s¡­ uh, a unique name for sure!"


    She hesitated, then smiled¡ªawkwardly. "Hey, uh¡­ do you mind if I ask something?"


    I leaned back, giving her a thumbs-up. "Yeah, go ahead."


    And then¡ª


    "ARE YOU INTERESTED IN JOINING MY PARTY?!"


    She screamed.


    Not asked.


    Not suggested. Screamed.


    At full volume.


    In the middle of a public food stall.


    Every single person around us turned to stare.


    I nearly choked on air. "What the hell¡ª"


    My heart was still recovering from the previous near-death experience, and now this woman was trying to kill me with a damn ambush shout?


    I just sat there, blinking. Processing.


    What. The. Hell.

 Chapter 8: The Job Offer I Didn’t Ask For

    Did I hear that right?


    No¡ªwait. Yeah. I definitely did.


    She was still smiling. Blinking like she just dropped the greatest proposal of all time. And worst of all¡ªshe was waiting for my answer.


    Like she hadn¡¯t just screamed her offer into the night market.


    Like half the people here weren¡¯t already side-eyeing us.


    Holy shit, this was embarrassing.


    Not for her.


    For me.


    Because now I looked like the guy casually hanging out with the loudest person in existence. I bet some people were already assuming we were close.


    God, please let no one I know be here.


    I inhaled. Exhaled. Nobody seemed to recognize me. Thank you, universe.


    "So¡ªuhm¡­ you know¡­ that was sudden but, uh¡­" She twirled a lock of her hair awkwardly. "I don¡¯t want you to think I¡¯m crazy, but I actually feel like you¡¯d be a great addition to the party."


    Yeah, sure. Because nothing screams normal like yelling a job offer in public.


    I squinted at her, half-wondering if she was raised in some kind of shouting family¡ªlike maybe dinner conversations at their house were just screamed across the table.


    "PASS THE SALT, DEAR."


    "I LOVE THIS SOUP, MOM."


    "GRANDPA DIED."


    Absolutely terrifying.


    I sighed, glancing at the pile of posters still in her bag. I gestured toward them. "Let me see one."


    She nodded eagerly and¡ªbecause she was clearly on something¡ªhanded me four.


    Four.


    I stared down at the stack.


    "You know, one would¡¯ve been fine."


    "Oh! Sorry, habit!"


    Of course it was.


    I skimmed the poster. Looked simple enough¡ªstraightforward recruitment for an F-Rank dungeon raid.


    "So, you said the party has six members?"


    "No¡ªno, actually, we have five right now¡­ which is why we¡¯re looking for a sixth."


    I leaned back, resting my chin on my hand. "Why ask a summoner, though? You could¡¯ve found a better Awakener."


    It wasn¡¯t just curiosity. It was suspicion.


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    Everyone knew summoners were practically extinct¡ªand the few who did exist were considered useless. Yet here she was, acting like she¡¯d just struck gold.


    That? Suspicious as hell.


    Raine exhaled, crouching slightly as she scratched the back of her head. "Honestly?"


    I arched a brow. "Yeah, honesty would be great."


    "Most Awakeners I offered the job to wanted high pay, and¡­ well, we can¡¯t afford that. So I had to reject them. There are truly greedy ones out there."


    That¡­ actually made sense.


    "And you think I¡¯m any different?" I shot back.


    She hesitated. Her hand stilled.


    Then, with absolute conviction¡ª


    "Because you have that heart!"


    She fucking shouted again.


    In the middle of this goddamn food stall.


    I clenched my fist.


    GODDAMN IT, WOMAN, I SWEAR TO EVERY GOD ABOVE, DO YOU NOT HAVE A VOLUME SETTING?!


    I wanted to slam my head against the table. Hell, maybe even punch it.


    "Heart to save people?" I managed, forcing my voice to stay calm.


    She nodded. "Yeah! And I thought you¡¯d be a great addition to the group¡­ hmm¡­ actually, that¡¯s all I had to say."


    This girl was unbelievable.


    Raine locked eyes with me. "So¡­ you interested?"


    "Honestly, I wa¡ª" Before I could finish, a voice cut through.


    "Uh¡ªManager?"


    Soft-spoken. Hesitant.


    I turned, same as Raine. A kid stood there. Well¡ªnot a kid, but a teen. A few inches shorter than me, bundled up in layers of jackets that made him look way bulkier than he probably was. Dark brown hair, green eyes. Gloves¡ªor maybe hand wraps? Hard to tell.


    And a belt. One stacked with way too many pouches.


    Potions.


    He had potions on him. A walking pharmacy.


    Raine¡¯s whole tone shifted. "Oi, Kai¡ªwhat are you doing here?"


    Now she sounded more like a grumpy older brother than a guild manager.


    He rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "I was just checking on you. No¡ªactually, I followed you."


    Raine squinted. "For?"


    "uh..just in case."


    Huh.


    So they were close. But not exactly friends. More like¡­ employer and employee.


    Oh, right. He called her ¡®Manager.¡¯ So this guy was guild staff.


    Or maybe another recruit of her.


    "How did you even find me here?" Raine asked, arms crossed.


    Kai shrugged. "Uh¡­ I already told you, didn¡¯t I? I just followed you. You know, just in case things got rough. Just in case."


    I blinked.


    ¡­Just in case?


    JUST IN CASE?


    Bro, how many times was he gonna say just in case like he was some kind of budget Batman? What was next? "I train in the shadows¡­ just in case." "I put on three jackets¡­ just in case." "I brush my teeth six times a day¡­ JUST. IN. CASE."


    "You drove all the way here?" Raine asked, exasperated.


    Kai nodded. "Yes. Yes. I apologize. My instinct was telling me it was dangerous to let you wander around this area alone."


    I mean¡­ fair.


    Not that he was wrong¡ªshe was almost fully harassed by some street-rat earlier. Thankfully, Ruk handled that situation before I embarrassed myself even further.


    Then Kai turned to me.


    Like, suddenly.


    His brows furrowed. Okay, yeah¡ªhe was just as confused about me as I was about him.


    "Oh! I almost forgot." Raine gestured toward him. "This is Kai."


    Kai gave me a stiff little wave, awkward as hell. "Hey, uh¡­ so, yeah. Who are you?"


    "I''m Ethan. Pleasure to meet you, Kai."


    I reached out for a handshake, and¡ªtiming it right¡ªhe took it. Firm enough.


    Then he glanced between me and Raine. Eyebrows raised.


    "You two on a date or¡­ uh, something?"


    Oh, hell no.


    Before I could shut that down myself, Raine shot him the most serious look.


    "No."


    Zero hesitation. Flat. Absolute.


    "I¡¯m actually trying to recruit him," she clarified. "And then you came¡­ uh, just in time."


    Kai nodded, slow as hell. "Ohhh¡­ I see¡­ so not a date. My bad. Apologies for assuming. Bad of me."


    He cleared his throat, glancing between us again.


    "Ehem¡­ can I join you two, though?" One hand rested on his back, the other scratching at his nose.


    "Suit yourself," Raine said with a shrug. "Want me to order for you?"


    He waved her off. "No, I, uh¡ªjust had dinner, actually. Just in case."


    Just in case.


    OF COURSE.


    This guy was really committed to his just in case lifestyle.


    I exhaled.


    Then¡ª


    "So. Have you made your decision?"


    Raine¡¯s gaze locked onto me. Kai had barely settled into his seat before she brought it up again.


    I leaned back, rubbing the back of my neck.


    How should I put this?


    Dungeons were dangerous. I knew that firsthand. I¡¯d been thrown into one¡ªleft for dead. I didn¡¯t expect to survive, but I did. Barely. Thanks to Ruk.


    And that? That was the risk.


    But the reward?


    Loot. Experience. Growth. Connections.


    And honestly? I needed the experience. I was behind compared to most Awakeners. If I wanted to survive this new hellhole of a world, I had to adapt.


    Then there was the whole team thing.


    Technically, I¡¯d been in a group before.


    Didn¡¯t count.


    That was betrayal.


    So, the question was¡ªcould I trust these people?


    Or would they leave me for dead the moment things got bad?


    Honestly? Didn¡¯t matter. I was here for opportunity. Even if that meant playing along.


    "Wouldn''t adding a summoner to your party be a crazy move?" I said, leaning back slightly.


    Kai, now seated across from me beside Raine, blinked. Then he looked at her. Then at me.


    "Wait¡­ uh¡­ did I hear that right?" His brows furrowed. "A summoner? You??" He pointed at me.


    I considered repeating myself, but Raine cut in before I could.


    "Wouldn¡¯t that be a great addition, Kai?" She arched an eyebrow at him, challenging.


    Kai opened his mouth¡ªprobably to argue¡ªbut she didn¡¯t let him.


    "Besides, I saw his summon in action. He¡¯s gonna be useful!" She bumped her arm against his shoulder, like she was trying to physically shove logic into him.


    Man, what an awkward situation to be in.


    Kai¡¯s reaction? Expected.


    Surprise? Sure. Disbelief? Absolutely. But disgust? No. And honestly, that was rare. Most people looked at summoners the way you¡¯d look at mold growing on bread¡ªan unfortunate reality, best thrown out immediately..


    These two were different.


    Yeah, they reacted when they found out I was a summoner. But it wasn¡¯t disgust. It wasn¡¯t the usual "oh great, dead weight" look I was used to.


    It was just¡­ surprise.


    Kai, still processing, tilted his head.


    "So¡­ you¡¯re actually a summoner? Just in case I didn¡¯t hear that right."


    I nodded. "I am."


    He stared at me for a second. Then, to my complete and utter confusion¡ªhe smiled.


    Not a smirk. Not an awkward, forced grin. Just a real, casual, genuine smile.


    Like he¡¯d just accepted it. No second-guessing. No judgment.


    And honestly?


    That felt¡­ better than I expected.

 Chapter 9: You Got Five Seconds

    Eventually, they left.


    I was left with nothing but an address¡ªand a choice.


    The business card sat in my hand, the embossed lettering catching in the dim streetlight.


    The Midnight Sons.


    I turned it over, scoffing under my breath. What a name.


    Sounded like some underground cult. Or maybe a biker gang with a thing for dramatic flair. Either way, it wasn¡¯t exactly reassuring. My luck being what it was, this was probably a setup. A scam. Or worse¡ªan actual, legitimate job.


    Still, the offer was there. If I showed up, it meant I was in. If I didn¡¯t¡­ well, they¡¯d figure it out.


    Right now, though? Bigger problem.


    I had nowhere to sleep.


    Going back home was off the table. Too risky. Too many eyes that might recognize me.


    And money? Yeah, let¡¯s not even get into that. If I had any, I¡¯d be flat on my back in a real bed by now, maybe even enjoying the luxury of a hot shower. But instead?


    I was out here. Wandering.


    Looking for an abandoned building. An alley. A quiet corner.


    Somewhere to crash where I hopefully wouldn¡¯t get stabbed in my sleep.


    "Hah¡­ wish I could just get some sleep." I muttered, rubbing my temples.


    The exhaustion was creeping in, heavier than before. I hadn¡¯t even noticed it earlier, but the pavement beneath my feet was damp. Had it rained? Or was I just so out of it that I was hallucinating?


    Where the hell am I even going?


    Home? That was a risk. Too many eyes. Too many questions. But did I really have any better options?


    Then¡ª


    "STOP."


    Not from the streets. Not from some voice in the distance.


    Inside my head.


    Ruk.


    I stiffened. He wasn¡¯t even summoned, yet I could hear him, clear as day. That was new.


    "What?" I whispered, scanning the empty street, heart pounding.


    "Just stop right there."


    I froze, every muscle in my body locked in place.


    My eyes darted left. Right. Behind me. Ahead.


    Nothing.


    No movement. No figures lurking in the shadows. Just an empty street, dimly lit by flickering lamplight.


    So why the hell was Ruk stopping me? And more importantly¡ª What the hell did he see¡­ that I didn¡¯t?


    "Hey¡ªRuk, what is it?" I muttered, my voice low but sharp.


    "Look to your left. Do you see a building?"


    I turned, my gaze landing on an old, two-story structure wedged between taller, more modern buildings. It wasn¡¯t massive, but it had this... abandoned feel. Peeling paint. Cracked windows. A sagging sign above the entrance, half-covered by a tattered sheet.


    "Yeah. I see it. Why?"


    "You need to go inside."


    I frowned. Excuse me?


    "That place?" I scoffed, shifting on my feet. "You¡¯re telling me to walk into some random, busted-up building in the middle of the night? Why?"


    "Something¡¯s in there."


    That made my stomach tighten.


    "Something? What, like a presence? Energy? Bad vibes?"


    "Exactly."


    My eyes flicked back to the structure, scanning for anything out of the ordinary. Just another forgotten building, probably filled with squatters and broken furniture.


    "You sure? ''Cause it just looks like a condemned shithole to me."


    "Do I sound like I¡¯m joking?"


    That shut me up.


    "And if I don¡¯t look at it?" I asked.


    Ruk huffed. "Your choice. But I¡¯m telling you¡­ there¡¯s something weird inside. I can feel it."


    I stood there, staring at the door, mind blank for a second. "Tsk. If this is some kind of shithole, like I said¡ªyou''re helping me clean up."


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    Figured.


    Well, whatever. If this really was hell, then at least I had a witness to my stupidity.


    I stepped forward.


    Knock. Knock.


    Silence.


    No footsteps. No shifting inside. Nothing.


    I exhaled through my nose, glancing around.


    That¡¯s when I noticed it¡ªthe old-looking bell beside the door.


    Oh.


    I stared at it and then I touched it.


    Ding.


    The sound rang out. Not loud. Just¡­ enough. Almost like it was coming from inside rather than outside, which was just creepy enough to make me reconsider my life choices.


    The cold wrapped around me like an old, clingy ex. I stuffed a hand into my sweatshirt pocket, biting back a sigh.


    Damn, it was freezing.


    And, of course, this was the same sweatshirt I¡¯d been wearing since I got thrown into that dungeon.


    Classy.


    But I waited.


    One minute.


    Then¡ª


    The door creaked open.


    A woman stood there.


    Not too tall, not too short¡ªaverage height, I guessed. Purple hair, tied back. Skin tan, Black jacket. And her eyes¡ª


    Her right one? Dark brown.


    Her left?


    Closed.


    A scar ran across it. Clean. Precise. Like someone had intended for it to stay shut.


    And somehow, that made her more intimidating than if both her eyes had been open.


    "Well, don¡¯t you look like a lost kid."


    Her voice had that edge¡ªhalf-amused, half-something else. The kind of tone that made it clear she wasn¡¯t someone you just stumbled across.


    She leaned against the doorframe, smirking. One arm resting casually, like she had all the time in the world.


    I, on the other hand, stood there like an idiot. Hands shoved deep in my pockets. Fingers twitching¡ªpartly from the cold, partly from her.


    Something about her presence had my instincts on high alert. But not in a run-for-your-life way. No, this was something different. Something I couldn¡¯t pin down.


    Then¡ª


    Thud.


    She tapped her fingers against the wooden doorframe. Once. Twice. Slow. Rhythmic.


    "You got five seconds to tell me what you want," she said, tone light but sharp. "Or I start deciding for you."


    Oh, hell no.


    What the hell was I supposed to say? Oh, my summon sent me to this creepy-ass building and now I¡¯m just gonna blunder inside because he said so?


    I was going to kill Ruk after this.


    "Tell her you¡¯re here to look for Cinders."


    Ruk¡¯s voice cut through my head.


    What the fuck is a Cinders?


    No response.


    Fucking typical.


    Meanwhile, she took a step closer. Slow. Deliberate.


    And then she lifted her hand, index finger pointed at her wrist like she was checking the time.


    "Tick." She smirked.


    One step closer.


    "Tock. Three seconds left, sweetheart."


    I swallowed.


    GODDAMN IT.


    "I-I¡¯m here to look for Cinders."


    It came out rushed, like I had just blurted it to save my own skin.


    Well, at least I didn¡¯t get punched in the throat. Yet.


    She stopped mid-step, eyes locked onto me, the smirk wiped clean off her face. The air between us felt tighter, heavier, like the moment right before a storm rolls in.


    And then I caught it¡ªthe smell. Sharp, bitter. Tobacco. She reached into her jacket, pulled out a cigar, and flicked a lighter to life. The flame flared, then settled into a soft glow as she lit up, inhaling slow.


    "You don¡¯t look like you know what the hell you just said, boy."


    Smoke curled from her lips as she studied me, waiting.


    "Yet, here you are."


    Jesus, Ruk. What the hell is this Cinders shit? You could¡¯ve gotten me killed just now. She looks like the type to break kneecaps for fun, and I¡¯ve got a strong suspicion she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to start with mine.


    I kept my mouth shut, but she moved in closer, boots clicking against the floor. Another drag of the cigar, another cloud of smoke thick enough to choke a lesser man.


    "So tell me, sweetheart..." Her voice was low now, smooth in a way that made it more threatening, not less. "Who the hell whispered that name in your ear?"


    I forced myself not to bite my lip, not to shuffle, not to look like I was about to start lying through my teeth.


    Ruk. Ruk, you bastard, if you don¡¯t start talking, I¡¯m throwing you into the next oncoming truck.


    Silence.


    Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake.


    Lucky me. Just the best summon in the world. Top-tier assistance, really. Five stars. Would definitely recommend.


    I exhaled through my nose, ran a hand up to the back of my neck, and forced out, "I¡¯m¡­ seriously looking for Cinders."


    She took another slow drag of her cigarette, exhaled, and muttered, "That¡¯s a great response¡­ for a goddamn fool."


    Cool. Great. Love that for me.


    "But at least," she went on, tapping ash onto the floor, "do you have any money to show me?"


    Ah. That. That, I did not have.


    I shifted my weight, cleared my throat, and gave her my best I¡¯m definitely not broke as hell face. "I, uh¡­ I don¡¯t have anything right now. Just came to look."


    She let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Oh, sweetheart. Then time¡¯s up. Bounce your ass back outta here and come back when you¡¯ve got something real to offer."


    Then, just like that, she turned on her heel, done with me like I was some annoying kid.


    "We don¡¯t run a charity, you know. Come back when you have something to give."


    SLAM.


    The door hit its frame hard enough to rattle my teeth. And just before it shut, I swore I caught the tail end of another muttered insult.


    Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.


    I sighed through my nose, turned back down the alley, and resumed my what-the-hell-am-I-doing-with-my-life walk like none of that had even happened.


    "Hey, Ruk."


    Silence.


    "Ruk?"


    More silence.


    "AMARUQ, YOU...HAAH! DAMN IT."


    Still nothing.


    I dragged a hand down my face. So, let me get this straight¡ªhe dragged me all the way out here, convinced me to knock on the door of what was clearly a den of questionable decision-making, then left me hanging the moment things got dicey?


    Yeah. What a bitch.


    I smacked the wall beside me in frustration as I walked, muttering under my breath.


    The universe really had a hell of a sense of humor.


    After all that absolute shitshow, I finally managed to find a place to crash. A rooftop. Not exactly five-star accommodations, but luckily this one was free rent. No one''s kicking me out, and I¡¯m not dead in an alley. So, win-win.


    The place smelled like old beer and piss. Scattered wood scraps, empty bottles, and a few questionable stains littered the concrete. Real cozy. But at least it was quiet.


    I let out a long breath, staring up at the sky. Was I overthinking this whole "don''t go back home" thing? Maybe. Maybe the guild wasn¡¯t even looking for me. Maybe I was just paranoid.


    But then again, paranoia had kept me alive so far.


    I shifted, using a pile of wood as a makeshift pillow. My body finally started to relax. It wasn¡¯t comfortable, not even close, but at least it was still. Peaceful.


    Then, of course, Ruk had to ruin it.


    "What happened?"


    "Your brilliant plan flopped."


    "You didn¡¯t get inside?"


    "Nope." I exhaled, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "And aren¡¯t you supposed to be, I don¡¯t know, watching through my eyes or something? Why the hell didn¡¯t you hear what that woman said earlier?"


    "That¡¯s not how it works." Ruk¡¯s voice was calm, but I could tell he was holding back an eye roll. "It takes a lot of energy for me to talk to you when I¡¯m not summoned. Keeping an open link drains me, so I shut it off unless it¡¯s important." He paused. "I apologize."


    Huh. So that¡¯s why he went radio silent when I needed him most. If I¡¯d known, I wouldn¡¯t have walked straight into that weird-ass building in the first place. Then again¡­ something about that place still had me curious.


    I waved him off, then stretched my arms over my head. "Kneel."


    Ruk materialized in front of me, his fur bristling slightly from the cold night air. Even for a wolf, he was massive¡ªlarger than life, yet somehow still subtle enough to disappear when needed.


    "Guess I¡¯ll just have to go back later."


    "What did she say?" he asked.


    "Come back when I have money." I muttered, lying back against the rooftop, hands folded behind my head.


    "And what exactly did you sense inside?"


    "Can¡¯t say for sure¡­ but it felt familiar."


    "Familiar how?" I frowned, turning my head toward him.


    "Like¡­ something from my memory, but blurry. I don¡¯t know why."


    Oh, great. Just another thing to add to my ¡®what the hell is going on?¡¯ list.


    I sat up with a groan, my back aching from the cold, unforgiving rooftop. Laying on concrete wasn¡¯t exactly a five-star experience.


    Sigh.


    "Ruk."


    He turned his head slightly but didn¡¯t say anything.


    "What do you think about raiding another dungeon?"


    It was a thought I¡¯d been entertaining for a while. Money, experience¡ªhell, even if the team ended up hating my guts, I could just stick to myself and do what needed to be done. Being in a group wasn¡¯t exactly something I was used to, but if I wanted to survive in this world, I had to start thinking ahead.


    Ruk let out a slow exhale. "It¡¯s your call." Then, without another word, he flopped onto his side.


    Wow. Incredibly helpful.


    "Yeah, thanks for that. Real insightful."


    I woke up with a start, blinking against the morning light.


    Oh, shit.


    I sat up so fast my neck cracked. I forgot to unsummon Ruk. Just passed out like a damn fool.


    I scrambled to look around. Nothing. He wasn¡¯t here.


    "Hey, Ruk." My voice was groggy, still heavy with sleep.


    No response.


    Great. Either he¡¯d gone feral in the streets or¡ª


    "You bastard."


    I nearly jumped out of my skin. His voice rang in my head, low and irritated.


    "You just fell asleep like a rock. Left me hanging. Do you know how much energy it takes for me to stay materialized overnight?!"


    I let out a long breath, rubbing my face. Goddamn, at least he didn¡¯t eat someone.


    "My bad, won¡¯t happen again." I muttered, stretching out my stiff limbs.


    And then¡ªthe smell hit me.


    Oh, fuck.


    Something was foul. Not just foul¡ªferal. Like piss, sweat, and something else. Something worse.


    "What the hell is that?" I groaned, scanning my surroundings. Broken bottles, rotting wood, trash piled in corners. No surprise this rooftop smelled like hell¡¯s back alley.


    Then I looked down.


    My sweatshirt. My pants.


    The same damn clothes I¡¯d been wearing since the dungeon.


    Since the dungeon.


    I inhaled sharply. Wrong move.


    Jesus, I smelled like death.


    I needed new clothes. Immediately.


    This shit I was wearing? Unacceptable. It had seen blood, sweat, near-death experiences, and whatever the hell else had latched onto it. At this point, burning it might be the only humane thing to do.


    But how the hell was I supposed to get new clothes?


    Steal?


    No¡ªI wasn¡¯t that desperate. Yet.


    Maybe the guild had some spare gear lying around. Guilds had resources, right? I could ask when I got there. Worst-case scenario, I¡¯d find some other way.


    I pulled the business card from my pocket, flipping it between my fingers.


    Midnight Sons.


    I glanced at the address.


    Hollis Point.


    ¡­


    Wait.


    Hollis Point?!


    I s


    tared at the card. Squinted.


    Then I flipped it over, like maybe, just maybe, there was some fine print that said, "Just kidding, we¡¯re actually close by."


    Nope.


    It was a whole-ass neighboring district.


    "What the fuck," I muttered under my breath.


    How the hell was I supposed to get there with no money?!


    I stomped my foot against the rooftop, frustration bubbling up. This just kept getting better and better.

 Chapter 10: This Was a Mistake, Probably

    "Hello?"


    "Midnight Sons, how can we help you?"


    "It''s Ethan. I¡¯m accepting the job. Send a ride to the market¡­ and uhh please bring some clothes."


    Yeah, clothes. Because if I had to keep wearing this rotting excuse of an outfit, I was going to set myself on fire.


    The line went silent for half a second.


    Then¡ª


    "WHAT?!"


    Jesus Christ. My eardrum damn near exploded.


    "Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m here," I said, pulling the phone away slightly. Raine was way too hyped for this.


    "Did I hear that right? You¡­ accepted?"


    I nodded, forgetting she couldn¡¯t see me. "Uh, yeah."


    "That¡¯s great! Uhm¡ªokay, I¡¯ll send Kai. Just wait there, alright?"


    "Yeah. Thanks, Raine."


    I hung up.


    Hah. Guess I was doing this.


    The place was packed. Not surprising. People had places to be¡ªwork, school, whatever kept them on the hamster wheel.


    I watched them pass by, their faces telling on them. Rush. Excitement. Exhaustion. A few looked like they¡¯d rather step in front of a moving truck than clock in for another shift.


    And me? If anyone actually stopped to look, they¡¯d see some disheveled guy in reeking clothes, sitting on a public bench like he belonged there. I should not be here.


    I shifted, trying not to breathe too deeply. The stench of my own damn sweatshirt was starting to offend me.


    Should I just leave if someone sits next to me? Ha. Maybe if I glare hard enough, they¡¯ll just know not to.


    But a shower¡ªthat¡¯s what I needed. Hot or cold, didn¡¯t matter. Just something to scrub this dungeon filth off me before I start blending into the pavement.


    "Oh shit, I¡¯m late!"


    "We¡¯ll buy it later, stop crying!"


    "The evil is all around us! They¡¯re slowly invading!"


    Murmurs. Background noise. A kid wailing because his parents wouldn¡¯t buy him something. Some street preacher ranting about apocalyptic doom.


    "Evil is invading"? Buddy, they¡¯re already here. They just learned how to wear suits.


    My thoughts scattered the second the massive LED screen flickered to life.


    A man appeared¡ªsnow-white buzz cut, neck thick as a goddamn tree trunk, tattoos crawling up to his jawline.


    The crowd murmured, the noise sharpening into words.


    "Oh shit, that¡¯s Gideon Holt!"


    "The S-rank awakener?"


    "First time seeing him on a broadcast!"


    An S-rank? Damn. My muscles tensed on instinct. I¡¯d never even seen one on a screen before, let alone in real life.


    And this guy? Looked like he could punch a building in half and barely feel it.


    The camera pulled back slightly, revealing him standing against a dark backdrop, a logo flashing beside him¡ªa bull¡¯s head, an axe splitting it down the middle.


    Warborn Guild.


    Figures. The most ruthless, battle-hungry guild out there.


    Gideon exhaled through his nose, his stare heavy even through the screen.


    "Some of you might be wondering why an S-rank like me is showing up on a news outlet today."


    No shit. S-rankers didn¡¯t do public addresses. They weren¡¯t politicians or news anchors¡ªthey were walking weapons, too busy razing dungeons or cracking skulls to bother with interviews.


    "I¡¯m here to deliver a critical announcement about recent dungeon appearances."


    Gideon¡¯s voice cut through the murmur of the crowd. For a split second, it felt like he was staring directly at me. Which was stupid, obviously, but my spine still locked up like a damn idiot.


    More murmurs.


    "Dungeons? Again?"


    "What a waste of time."


    Most people didn¡¯t care. Most people weren¡¯t walking into dungeons and hoping they¡¯d make it out. I ignored the noise and kept my eyes on the screen. Whether this was truth or propaganda didn¡¯t matter. Information was power.


    "Recently, a new phenomenon has been recorded inside dungeons. We¡¯re calling it ¡®The Hollowing.¡¯"


    Silence.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Even the doubters shut up.


    Gideon continued, his voice heavy. "According to eyewitness reports from multiple raids, The Hollowing can occur in any dungeon¡ªany rank, any location. The danger lies in its unpredictability. Once inside, awakeners won¡¯t realize they¡¯ve stepped into one until it¡¯s too late."


    I leaned forward.


    "The Hollowing swallows the dungeon whole¡ªa void, a black maw that consumes everything inside. Any team caught within it¡­ vanishes."


    A slow chill crawled up my spine.


    "For the first time in recorded history, we are designating an X-Rank threat. This classification surpasses all known dungeon ranks." He paused, letting that sink in. "While The Hollowing appears more frequently in high-rank dungeons, it has been confirmed to occur at all levels. No one is safe."


    X-rank? What the hell was that?


    The highest rank had always been S. That was the peak, the god-tier, the walking disasters in human form. Now there was something beyond that?


    Gideon continued, but my mind was racing.


    "The Awakener Guild will be releasing frequent updates as we investigate this phenomenon. Until then, we urge all awakeners to exercise extreme caution when entering dungeons."


    I exhaled slowly, my fingers tapping against my leg.


    This wasn¡¯t just bad.


    This was "someone definitely f*cked with something they shouldn¡¯t have" bad.


    And if this was some kind of experiment gone wrong?


    Then we were already screwed.


    Several hours later, I made my way back to the market. In the daytime, the place was a ghost of itself¡ªjust empty stalls and faded tarps, nothing like the chaos it became at night. This was where Kai, the human embodiment of "just in case," was supposed to pick me up.


    I waited. For three hours.


    Just as I was considering throwing myself into traffic for entertainment, a black car finally pulled up. The window rolled down, and there he was¡ªKai, in the driver¡¯s seat, looking vaguely apologetic as he waved me over.


    "Sorry, uhmm... it took longer."


    I climbed in, slamming the door harder than necessary. "It''s fine, Kai."


    I glanced at him. "You bring the spare clothes?"


    "Oh yeah, yeah¡ªbackseat. Uh¡­ I didn¡¯t know if my size would fit you, but you can borrow more if it doesn¡¯t."


    I reached back, pulling out a white T-shirt and a hoodie. The guy had packed layers. Thick ones. I looked over at him¡ªand sure enough, he was wearing about six jackets himself.


    Where the hell did he think we were going? Antarctica?


    "You good if we stop by my apartment?" Kai asked. "Raine told me to let you shower first before you change."


    I looked at him again, squinting. "Then why the did you bring¡ª" I stopped. Nope. Not worth it.


    "Yeah, yeah, that¡¯d be great, thanks." I muttered, shoving the clothes into my lap.


    Kai drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, nodding to the beat of the hip-hop track blasting through the speakers. Didn¡¯t peg him as the type.


    ¡°You into this kinda music?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, grinning. ¡°This track? Absolute...fire.¡±


    I leaned back, letting the bass pulse through me. ¡°Yeah¡­ the beat¡¯s solid.¡±


    He pointed at me without taking his eyes off the road. ¡°It¡¯s kinda vibey also...you know what I mean?"


    I settled in, arms crossed, watching the city lights streak past. My thoughts drifted to the raid, to the team. To what the hell I¡¯d just signed up for.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, glancing at his belt, where rows of potion pouches clinked softly against each other. ¡°Noticed those yesterday. What class are you?¡±


    He scratched the back of his head with one hand, the other still steady on the wheel. ¡°Uhm.. a mage,¡± he said. ¡°Well, more of a healer, actually. I focus on support magic.¡±


    ¡°A support?¡± I said, eyeing him. ¡°Hmm.¡±


    He nodded. A support. Most people thought it was a weak class. Hell, I used to think that too. But the more I accepted this whole awakener thing, the more I realized every class had its own kind of power.


    Summoners? Considered useless. A class destined for failure. But only by people who¡¯d never been one. Same for healers. Everyone assumes they¡¯re dead weight¡ªuntil they¡¯re the only thing keeping your ass alive. And if a healer trained in combat too? Yeah, that¡¯d be something terrifying.


    I wasn¡¯t there yet. I still relied on Ruk more than I wanted. But at some point, I needed to stop hiding behind my summon and get strong on my own. I had to.


    I glanced at Kai. ¡°You raided dungeons before?¡±


    He nodded, tapping his fingers on the wheel. ¡°Yeah¡­ four times?¡± He lifted a hand, counting off. ¡°Yeah, four.¡±


    ¡°And what rank?¡±


    ¡°Mostly F-rank, but we hit an E-rank once.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°You guys are all F-rankers, though, right?¡±


    Kai snorted. ¡°Absolutely not. You can¡¯t raid an E-rank dungeon without at least one E-rank member. That¡¯d be suicide.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that until now,¡± I admitted.


    Kai blinked. ¡°Wait¡­ you¡¯ve never studied the system before?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in a dungeon,¡± I said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I ever sat down and read the fine print.¡±


    He let out a soft laugh. ¡°What a badass.¡± Then he shrugged. ¡°Honestly, though? It¡¯s boring... But if you actually learn it, it is worth it.¡±


    For once, I agreed. I hadn¡¯t bothered with the details, mostly because I was too busy not dying. But if I wanted to survive long-term, I needed to get ahead. And knowledge meant advantage.


    ¡°Hey, Kai,¡± I said after a beat. ¡°This is random, but I¡¯m curious.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    I tapped my fingers on the car door. ¡°Do you¡­ actually enjoy this life? This whole ¡®new world¡¯ thing?¡±


    For a moment, he didn¡¯t answer. Just kept his eyes on the road, chewing over the question.


    ¡°At first? No....uhm..no but yeah,¡± he said finally. ¡°Dungeons are terrifying. Monsters are even worse. First raid, I thought I was gonna actually piss.... myself.¡± He chuckled, but it faded fast. ¡°But then¡­ I got my first paycheck. Which was way better than any job I had before.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s about the money?¡±


    ¡°Not just...that.¡± He hesitated, then exhaled. ¡°I needed it... For my sister. She¡¯s been in the hospital a long time. And before I awakened? I had no clue how I was gonna keep paying her bills.¡±


    I stared at him. I don¡¯t know what I expected him to say, but it wasn¡¯t that.


    For the first time in a while, I didn¡¯t have some snarky comment lined up.


    I just nodded.


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m making a ton, I..I apologize for sounding boastful,¡± Kai added, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°But compared to what I used to get? It¡¯s more than enough.¡±


    I had no clue how much an awakener actually made. Maybe it depended on rank, maybe on the quality of loot. Either way, I knew dungeon drops could be sold for cash. The real question was¡ªwhy the hell didn¡¯t the dungeon I got thrown into have anything worthwhile?


    Weapons, sure. But no real loot. No gold. No fancy artifacts. Nothing that screamed, Hey, congrats on surviving hell, here¡¯s your reward. Just scraps. Like someone had already looted the place before I even got there.


    Bullshit.


    The car ride was quiet after that. Kai didn¡¯t seem like the type to push conversation, which I appreciated. It was another hour before we finally pulled up to his apartment.


    His place? Small. But organized as hell. Books stacked neatly on shelves, potion vials arranged in rows, bags lined up like he was ready to pack and leave at a moment¡¯s notice. Guy had a system. I could respect that.


    The best part? He let me shower.


    I needed it. Badly.


    The second I stepped in front of the bathroom mirror, I barely recognized myself. My face wasn¡¯t caked in dirt or anything, but I looked like someone who hadn¡¯t showered in weeks. My black hair was dry as hell, like it had given up on life.


    And my body? There were changes.


    Subtle, but noticeable. My arms weren¡¯t as thin as before¡ªmuscles had started to show, nothing crazy, but enough to prove I wasn¡¯t the same guy who got tossed into that dungeon.


    Still, I was scrawny. And short.


    I looked more like some half-starved street kid than a twenty-something awakener.


    I let out a low chuckle. What the hell was I even expecting? Some dramatic transformation? A new body, forged by hardship and survival? Yeah, no. I survived that F-rank dungeon, barely, and all I had to show for it was a few more muscle fibers and the same tired face staring back at me.


    But progress was progress. Funny how pain fades, but the results stick.


    Kai pulled up in front of a plain, two-story white building¡ªthe so-called Midnight Sons Guild.


    If I hadn¡¯t been told otherwise, I¡¯d have guessed it was a clinic. Or maybe some back-alley accounting firm. A guild? Not so much. Where were the giant banners? The ominous skull insignias? The blatant overcompensation?


    Kai must¡¯ve noticed my expression because he grinned. ¡°Surprised?¡±


    I shook my head. "Nah. It¡¯s fine."


    What did I care? Big, small¡ªit didn¡¯t matter. I wasn¡¯t here to be impressed. I was here to raid, to get stronger, and, frankly, to get paid. If my new ¡°teammates¡± hated me, so be it. I wasn¡¯t looking for friends.


    Kai led me inside.


    The first floor looked more like a waiting room than a guild base. A few tables, some chairs. Cozy. Two doors led to separate rooms, and a staircase wound up to the second floor.


    "This where the whole team hangs out?" I asked, scanning the space.


    Kai scratched the back of his head. ¡°Uh¡­ maybe? Not sure. They might be upstairs.¡±


    Oh, fantastic. Even their own members didn¡¯t know where the hell anyone was.


    He laughed awkwardly, then pushed open one of the doors. A meeting room.


    The door swung open, and Kai stepped inside first. We were about the same height, so I could see past him easily. My eyes landed on someone immediately¡ªa guy with messy silver hair, sprawled out in his chair like he was halfway to sleep.


    "Hey, guys," Kai said, raising a hand in greeting.


    I stepped in behind him, keeping my hands shoved into the hoodie pocket, suddenly hyperaware of how stiff I felt.


    Three people sat around the medium-length table. Seven chairs. Did that mean they¡¯d been waiting for me? Hell no. I prayed they hadn¡¯t. But as their gazes locked onto me, I got the distinct feeling they had. Shit.


    The silver-haired guy barely reacted. Loose black shirt, some kind of cloth sash tied lazily around his waist. Lazy golden eyes. One earring.


    Next to him was a petite woman¡ªlong, wavy blonde hair, bright sky-blue eyes. Her clothes looked handmade, layered with way too many accessories¡ªnecklaces, bracelets, the works.


    And then there was the last one.


    Short, spiky jet-black hair with streaks of red. Messy, but intentionally so. Amber eyes, sharp and focused. She wore a sleeveless jacket with a fur-trimmed collar, and around her neck¡ªa tooth. A whole-ass tooth necklace.


    The three of them stared. Sizing me up.


    And I, like an idiot, stared right back.


    Nope. Don¡¯t meet their eyes. Don¡¯t make this any more awkward than it already is.


    I forced myself to raise a hand, mirroring Kai¡¯s half-assed greeting. Even managed to slap on a smile¡ªthough I was pretty sure it landed somewhere between awkward and please-don¡¯t-kill-me.


    Nothing. Just blank stares.


    The silver-haired guy yawned. Actually yawned.


    "Aren¡¯t you the new recruit the manager¡¯s been talking about?" The blonde spoke up first, voice bright, almost excited.


    At least someone here had energy.


    I nodded. "Yeah, that¡¯s me." I pulled out a chair, sat down next to Kai.


    She seemed mildly interested. The other two? Not so much.


    "Yo, Kai, where the hell is the manager? How long¡¯s she gonna keep me waiting?" The black-and-red-haired one grumbled, voice sharp, brash¡ªlike patience wasn¡¯t something she ever bothered with.


    "Gonna keep it down, Renna? I''m trying to get some sleep here." The silver-haired guy barely lifted his head, words dripping with exhaustion.


    "You lazy bastard, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me Renna?"


    Kai clapped his hands together before things escalated. Did¡­ did he just stop a fight with a golf clap?


    "Guys, uhm¡­ the manager¡¯s probably on her way with Jace," he said, smiling like he¡¯d rather be anywhere else. One hand still awkwardly raised like he was in a classroom.


    I exhaled slowly, leaning back.


    What the hell was this place?


    I¡¯d walked into what I thought was a guild. Instead, it felt like a lunatic asylum where everyone just happened to carry weapons.

 Chapter 11: Welcome to the Party, Try Not to Die

    We¡¯d been sitting here for about half an hour now. Not exactly an eternity, but long enough to remind me how painfully awkward it was to be stuck in a room with complete strangers.


    The dynamic was clear. The silver-haired guy was out cold, slouched in his chair. The black-and-red-haired girl¡ªRenna, I assumed¡ªsat stiff with her arms crossed, radiating pure, unfiltered annoyance. And the blonde one? She just smiled blankly, fiddling with the pile of accessories on her wrist.


    And yeah. That was thirty minutes of pure silence.


    Kai, being Kai, had tried to make conversation¡ªbless his optimistic little heart. Didn¡¯t work. Any attempt was met with short, clipped responses, like they couldn¡¯t be bothered. The only one who seemed even remotely interested in social interaction was the blonde girl sitting next to Renna.


    At least no one was openly hostile. That was¡­ something.


    I exhaled, shifting slightly in my chair. Not tense, not uncomfortable, but definitely not ¡°at home¡± either.


    Then¡ªtap tap.


    Kai nudged my arm, his voice low. ¡°Sorry about the wait¡­ but the Manager¡¯s on her way.¡±


    I turned my head slightly, then let my gaze drift to an empty spot on the table. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Lie.


    This wasn¡¯t fine. This was weird as hell.


    But at least the lack of conversation meant I didn¡¯t have to force myself to act normal.


    The door creaked open after what felt like a lifetime of waiting. Two people stepped in. One I recognized¡ªRaine, her blue hair as messy as ever. The other? Never seen him before. Tall. Sharp blue eyes. Hair dark blonde, cropped short and neat. He wore a high-collared, militaristic coat, and in one hand, he carried a small notebook. In the other? A balloon.


    What the hell? A balloon?


    Great. Either this guy was some kind of lunatic or I¡¯d just met Pennywise¡¯s long-lost cousin.


    Raine practically exploded the second she spotted me. "You''re here! You''re actually here!" She pointed, her shout jarring the guy beside Renna awake.


    Renna, the brash one, didn''t bother standing. Unlike the girl next to her, who¡ªseriously?¡ªactually bowed. Renna just leaned back, arms no longer crossed, watching like she was already bored. Meanwhile, Kai gave Raine an awkward wave, because of course he did.


    "Yeah, I made it," I said, my voice dry. I jerked a thumb toward Kai. "Thanks to this guy."


    She grinned, then turned to the others. "Alright, guys! Time for introductions."


    Introductions?


    Before I could roll my eyes, a guy with silver hair stood up. His posture was stiff, almost military-like.


    "I''m Niko. Call me Ghost¡ª it was wayyy better," he said, throwing up a quick two-finger salute. "Hunter class."


    The girl beside Renna spoke next. Softer voice, but steady. "Sienna. Offensive mage."


    Mage, hmm? That made two in this group. Kai, the support mage, and this girl¡ªdefinitely more the burn-things-to-the-ground type.


    Raine nudged Kai, who looked at me like really? before sighing. "He already knows me, so... pass."


    "Come on," Raine groaned.


    "Alright, alright. I''m Kai. Group''s healer."


    Then came the guy with the damn balloon. He finally spoke, voice low, steady. "Jace. Or Jax. Call me whichever." He held out the balloon. "Here. This is yours."


    I blinked. Stared at the balloon. Then back at him. "Mine?"


    "Yeah," Raine chimed in, like this was totally normal. "Every new recruit gets a balloon."


    ...Right. Because that made sense.


    I took it anyway. What else was I supposed to do? Tell Pennywise 2.0 to shove it?


    What the hell was I supposed to do with this balloon? Just stand here, making sure it didn¡¯t float away? Great. Real important job. If I was alone, I¡¯d toss it in a heartbeat.


    "Thanks," I muttered.


    I¡¯d expected¡ªsomething else. Cold shoulders, maybe. Suspicion. Instead, I felt... welcomed. More than I thought I would. But did they know yet? That I was a summoner? Had Raine told them, or was that bomb still waiting to drop?You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    I got lost in it for a second¡ªran circles in my own head¡ªuntil I noticed the pattern. One by one, they introduced themselves, passing the torch, and now... all eyes were on me.


    My turn.


    I pushed myself up, shoved my left hand into my hoodie pocket. It wasn¡¯t tight, loose enough to warm me up, but right now, warmth wasn¡¯t the issue. The weight of their stares was. The way the air felt thinner the longer I waited.


    "I''m Ethan. From Clinton Bay." A pause. The words dried up before they could go anywhere. "Nice to meet you all."


    No¡ªwait. Do I tell them that I''m a summoner? Do I throw it out there? Would it change anything? Would their faces shift the second I said it?


    I¡¯d told myself I didn¡¯t care. That it didn¡¯t matter if they hated me or not. But standing here, feeling the silence wrap around me, I had to admit¡ªit was a hell of a lot easier to say that than to mean it.


    "I''m a sum¡ª"


    Cut off.


    "You already know he''s a summoner, right? Let''s just move on to contracts," Raine said.


    Whoa. So they already knew. She must¡¯ve told them in the five minutes I wasn¡¯t paying attention. And their reaction? Not anger. Not some hatred. Just... indifference. A few looked disinterested, but none of them seemed like they gave a damn either way.


    "That''s what I''m talking about, boss. Bring it on," Renna said, cracking the first real smile I''d seen from her.


    And¡ªwait. Contract? What the hell was that about? We needed a contract to start or something? Since when?


    Kai tapped my arm. "Hey¡­ you familiar with contracts?"


    "Contracts?" I kept my voice low, barely above a whisper. No way in hell I was about to admit ignorance in front of the whole group. "Uh, sort of. I have a vague idea."


    "Yeah, you need to open your screen," he said, nodding toward Raine. She was already interacting with one¡ªsome kind of floating interface, her fingers moving like she was scrolling through options. "You do know how to open yours, right?"


    My brain lagged for a second. Seeing someone else with a system screen was weirdly surreal. It really was like a game.


    "Right?"


    "Oh, sorry¡ªI zoned out. What was that again?"


    Kai raised an eyebrow. "You do know how to open your own screen, right?"


    I nodded, but before I could process anything else, the sharp chime of notifications echoed through the room.


    Ding. Ding. Ding.


    One by one, screens materialized in front of each person here. A familiar sight, but still enough to catch me off guard.


    Opening a system interface wasn¡¯t rocket science¡ªif you were an Awakener.


    For normal people? Forget it.


    To open it, all you had to do was think the command.


    ¡°Open system.¡±


    ¡°Screen, appear.¡±


    ¡°Show me my stats so I can be horrifically disappointed.¡±


    Any phrase worked as long as your brain gave the green light.


    Ding.


    My own screen popped up in front of me. Kai glanced over, nodding slightly. Not like he could see my stats, though.


    The interface had three main menus:


    Profile: The usual rundown¡ªstats, attributes, Awakener ranking. Naturally, I got curious and checked mine. Still bad.


    Inventory: A digital storage space for loot.


    Contract Menu: Now this was the messed-up part. This feature made contracts between Awakeners and employers legally binding. If you broke a contract? You didn¡¯t just lose a paycheck¡ªyou got physically punished. Stat reductions, attribute damage¡­ basically, this thing would screw you over.


    "Who in the alien hell even invented this?" Niko muttered, still half-asleep.


    "Prolly your mama." Renna shot back without hesitation.


    Damn. Did she just said "Your mama"?


    If someone hit me with that, I¡¯d probably have to throw hands. Or, more realistically, sulk in silence.


    "I wasn''t even talking to you," Niko grumbled.


    Raine sighed, already exasperated. "Guys, can we not?"


    "We¡¯re not fighting." Renna shrugged.


    "She started it," Niko argued, scanning the room like he was searching for backup. "You all heard it."


    I, meanwhile, was too smart for this bullshit.


    Instead of getting involved, I pretended to be deeply invested in my system screen.


    Because survival rule number one: Never, ever get in the middle of someone else''s stupid argument. Especially if you just met.


    "So, where exactly are we raiding?"


    The guy with dark-blonde hair¡ªwait, what was his name again? Jack? Juice? No, definitely not Juice. Jace. That was it.


    "There''s an F-rank dungeon inside a train station," Raine said.


    Niko, half-awake but still listening, arched a brow. "Inside a train station? That''s a first."


    Sienna nodded. "Actually, my sister raided one inside a train station before."


    I sat back, quiet. Not like I had much to add.


    They all had this easy familiarity, this energy that came from being used to each other. I was the outsider. And honestly? Not the first time. The feeling sat heavy, but I¡¯d survived worse.


    Raine turned to Sienna. "And? What did she say about it?"


    "She said it was an easy clear. Looted the place without much trouble."


    Jace leaned forward, rubbing his chin. "It was F-rank, right?"


    Sienna nodded. "Yeah. Standard low-tier dungeon."


    "So, another boring raid?" Niko sighed, dropping his hand onto the table like the sheer weight of existence was too much to bear.


    Across from him, Kai sat quiet¡ªa rare blessing in this group. At least someone else knew how to shut up and listen.


    "I doubt it''ll be boring." Sienna leaned back, eyeing me. "We''ve got a new member. Might actually be interesting for once."


    Whoa. These guys are F-rankers? The way they talk, you¡¯d think they were speedrunning dungeons for fun. Confidence is one thing, but this? This is straight-up boredom.


    Then again, Kai did mention there¡¯s an E-ranker in the group. Renna? Jace? Should I ask? Hell no. Maybe later.


    "Ethan, stand still for a sec." Raine¡¯s voice pulled me from my thoughts. "I need you to stay put."


    "Why?"


    "Just registering you to the contract." She was already flipping through her interface screen, Kai peeking over to help.


    "Let¡¯s hurry this up." Niko muttered, slouching deeper into his chair.


    Ding!


    > [A guild is trying to form a contract with you.]


    [Accept? [?] [¡Á] ]


    I tapped Accept.


    Ding!


    "See the contract?" Raine asked.


    Kai leaned in. "Go to the Contract menu."


    I scrolled through, and¡ªdamn.


    <hr>


    MIDNIGHT SONS RAID CONTRACT


    Contract ID: MS-005


    Employer: Raine


    Employees: Renna, Kai, Sienna, Jace, Niko, Ethan


    Objective: Clear the designated dungeon and retrieve all loot.


    I. TERMS OF AGREEMENT


    1. Compensation: Each employee receives 10 gold upon successful completion. If the mission difficulty escalates, additional pay may be negotiated.


    2. Loot Distribution: Items are assigned based on Merit Score Calculation (Combat, Support, Risk, Team Performance). Unauthorized looting is prohibited.


    3. Conduct & Obligations: Employees must fulfill their roles. Desertion, sabotage, or failure to comply will result in penalties.


    II. BREACH & PENALTIES


    Employer Breach: Failure to pay results in System Lock (48 hours) and asset seizure equal to the owed amount.


    Employee Breach:


    Desertion: -20% stat debuff (72 hours).


    Sabotage: -30% stat debuff (72 hours), temporary contract ban.


    Loot Theft/Betrayal: Marked as "Contract Fugitive" (lawful bounty issuance).


    III. SPECIAL CLAUSES


    Dungeon Rank Escalation: If the dungeon rank increases, terms are re-evaluated in real-time. A majority vote (4/6) decides whether to continue or terminate.


    Death Clause: If an employee dies, 20% of the employer¡¯s assets transfer to their registered beneficiary.


    Contract Termination: Requires a unanimous decision before completion.


    IV. SIGNATURES


    ? Raine (Employer)


    ? Renna


    ? Kai


    ? Sienna


    ? Jace


    ? Niko


    ? Ethan (Pending...)


    > [NOTICE: Violation of contract terms will trigger automatic enforcement measures.]


    <hr>


    Damn. So this is what a contract looks like. No wonder Niko looks half-dead¡ªbet he doesn¡¯t read half this crap before signing.


    First off¡ª10 gold? That¡¯s $5,000 when converted, depending on the exchange rate. A month¡¯s salary for one raid? Hell, I¡¯d take that.


    But the loot? That¡¯s a whole different system. Apparently, it''s distributed based on participation. Which means¡ª


    Each and every one of us actually have to put in effort.


    Shit. The consequences in this contract weren¡¯t just for show. -30% stat debuff for sabotage? System lock for unpaid wages? Yeah, this wasn¡¯t something you broke without serious fallout.


    At least I didn¡¯t have to worry about backstabbing. Not unless someone here was unhinged enough to tank their own stats for the thrill of screwing me over. Which, looking at this group, seemed... unlikely.


    Probably.


    "This contract looks fine." Jace closed his screen like he¡¯d done this a hundred times before.


    Renna leaned back, arms crossed. "Alright, cool. So when¡¯s the raid?"


    Raine glanced at the group, then at me. "Tomorrow."


    She paused. "Morning."

 Chapter 12: Sink or Slaughter

    Tomorrow morning?


    Great. That left one question¡ªwhere the hell was I supposed to sleep?


    What, was I supposed to drag my ass all the way back to Clinton Bay, then come right back here at sunrise?


    "So¡­ I have to go back and then come back again tomorrow?" I asked, hoping that didn''t sound as pathetic out loud as it did in my head.


    Renna let out a laugh¡ªso I guess it did.


    "No, of course not," Raine said, which was a relief.


    Niko, still half-asleep looking, raised a lazy hand. "There''s a free bed in my room. You can crash there."


    "Right." Raine nodded. "Besides, going back and forth would be exhausting. Just stay here until tomorrow."


    "Ting!" Sienna chimed in like a damn service bell. "Boss is so right!"


    So this is what it feels like¡ªbeing in a party.


    Weapons strapped in, tension thick in the air.


    Renna, of course, had some oversized axe that looked like it could split a car in half¡ªfits her personality. Niko, the human houseplant who barely moved last night, had a pistol strapped to his hip. Sienna clutched a staff. Jace¡­ what the hell was his class again? Did he even say? I glanced at him¡ªnothing. No weapon, no gear. Kai, at least, had potions jingling in his belt pouch.


    And then there was Raine busy doing something. Also no weapon. No gear. I¡¯d assumed she¡¯d be coming with us¡ªdumb assumption. Turns out, some Awakeners didn¡¯t actually have to do Awakener things. They could just¡­ manage. That was an option?


    "Hey, newcomer," Renna called out, her voice sharp. "You got a weapon?"


    I shook my head. "Nope. Should I?"


    She smirked. "I think a kitchen knife might suit you best."


    Laughter. From everyone.


    Hah. Hilarious. In my head, I¡¯d already elbowed her in the face. In reality, I forced out a dry chuckle. Good one. Really. Top-tier comedy.


    "Wait, seriously?" Kai asked, frowning. "You''re not bringing anything?"


    "Does the guild have a weapon stash or something?" I asked, pausing. "Might as well grab something if there is."


    If there wasn¡¯t a weapon stash, I was actually going to grab a kitchen knife. Not even joking. Not like it¡¯d do much, but literally it was much better than bare fists. Then again, why the hell would I listen to Renna? She¡¯s insane.


    Kai nodded, which meant yes¡ªthere was a stash. Good. He led me down a narrow hallway, past a door that stuck for a second before he shoved it open. Inside, the so-called armory was¡­ underwhelming. A few racks lined the walls, filled with weapons that had clearly seen better days.


    Alright..


    A dagger? Too short. Would have to get up close. I wasn¡¯t fast enough for that. A longsword? Nah, too heavy¡ªI¡¯d probably throw my back out trying to swing it. A spear? Decent range, but the weight distribution felt awkward in my grip.


    That left me with¡­ a short sword. Not too heavy. Not too long. Balanced.


    Good enough.


    Kai watched as I picked it up. "Sorry, our weapon selection isn¡¯t the best."


    "It¡¯s fine. First time using a sword anyway."


    His eyebrows went up. "You¡¯ve never used a weapon?"


    I shrugged. "I mean, I know the basics. They made us train with sticks in school."


    Which was true. Self-defense drills, mostly just a formality. Not exactly dungeon-tier combat, but¡ªat least I know which end to hold.


    ¡°GUYS! TIME TO MOVE!¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Raine¡¯s voice erupted, thus making Kai and I halted mid-step, our eyes snapping to her.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re ready,¡± Renna called back, her tone laced with impatience.


    I tightened my grip on the sword in my hand, the weight of it grounding me. Did I really need this? Would I even use it? Probably. I should be helping Ruk more. The logic was easy¡ªobvious, even¡ªbut a part of me wished I could just be down there myself instead of letting my summon do all the work.


    Yeah, I wasn¡¯t even here just to spectate.


    Renna, Jace, Sienna, Niko, Kai, and myself.


    Six of us, packed into a beat-up car. Technically, Raine had reserved this dungeon for us, so we did. Lucky for us, no other awakeners had claimed it. Then again, this was bottom-tier¡ªa weak-ass F-rank. Not exactly prime hunting ground.


    Still, I¡¯d only just learned that places like this weren¡¯t actually shut down, even with a dungeon sitting right in the middle of it. Regular, unawakened people couldn¡¯t see dungeons. To them, it was just another day, another stop on their routine. They went about their business, oblivious, but the moment they noticed us¡ªreally noticed us¡ªit all changed.


    We were the anomaly. The spectacle.


    ¡°The hell?¡± A man¡¯s voice drifted from the throng of bystanders.


    ¡°Those are awakeners, right?¡± someone else muttered.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably raiding,¡± another voice chimed in.


    ¡°I¡¯m late,¡± a woman hissed, pushing past the gathering crowd.


    The whispers rippled through them, a quiet hum of fascination and unease. Some stood on tiptoe for a better view. A few cheered. Most just stared, trying to make sense of what we were. What we did.


    Because this¡ªthis¡ªwas an awakener¡¯s job: clear the dungeons, keep the monsters contained, make sure the world didn¡¯t go to hell. And right now, that duty rested on us.


    We stood in front of the dungeon¡¯s entrance, unmoving. A gaping dark entrance shimmered where there should¡¯ve been nothing, an absence in reality itself. And the unawakened? They saw none of it. Just a bunch of kids staring at thin air.


    "Alright, let¡¯s get our asses moving." Renna hefted her axe onto her shoulder.


    "Haaah." Niko let out a slow, lazy yawn. "Can we wrap this up quick? I need a nap."


    "You just woke up, you dick."


    "Don¡¯t even start, Ren."


    And here we go¡ªround five of their never-ending bickering, before we¡¯ve even stepped inside. Meanwhile, the other three¡ªSienna, Jace, and Kai¡ªstayed quiet. Too quiet. Sienna had this eerie smile glued to her face, she either loved this or was about to snap and murder us all. Probably just her natural resting psycho face. No offense.


    Jace took the lead, walking straight toward the entrance. We followed. Was he the leader? No clue. Didn''t really matter. What did matter was the fact that I still had no damn idea what his class was. Dude didn¡¯t carry a weapon. No staff. No sword. Nothing. Still suspicious as hell.


    "Oh, shit, they¡¯re raiding!"


    "Get a video, man!"


    The crowd buzzed behind us, their voices fading as we crossed the threshold into the dungeon¡ªan invisible doorway only awakeners could see.


    And just like that, the world outside vanished.


    Ding.


    [Entering Dungeon]


    [Contract Now Active]


    A notification flickered in my vision. The exit was gone¡ªsealed the moment we stepped in. The distant hum of the train station? The murmurs of bystanders? Gone.


    The place looked... familiar. Too familiar.


    Rock walls. Stale air. The kind of dim light that didn¡¯t seem to come from anywhere but somehow still let you see.


    It was just like the first dungeon I got thrown into.


    "Want some potions?" Kai¡¯s voice cracked a little. "Just in case."


    "Save ¡®em." Jace didn¡¯t even look at him.


    "We haven¡¯t even started, Kai. Why do you look like you¡¯re about to pass out?" Niko said, eyeing him.


    And yeah¡ªKai looked bad. Sweaty, pale.


    I reached out, gave his shoulder a light tap. Didn¡¯t even think about it, just did it. "We stick together."


    Why the hell did I say that? Sympathy? Fear? My own nerves clawing their way out? My hand trembled just thinking about it. Was Kai like me.. trembling in tough situatios? Or was he dealing with something worse?


    The first wave hit.


    A pack of bone-thin wolves, their ribs nearly bursting through what was left of their flesh. The kind of creatures you didn¡¯t find in nature¡ªjust here, in these twisted places.


    I didn¡¯t summon Ruk. Didn¡¯t move, either. Just stood there, frozen, watching as my teammates tore through them.


    Jace stayed put. So did Kai.


    But the others?


    Renna was a damn wrecking ball, her axe cleaving through bones. Niko¡ªsomehow still looking half-asleep¡ªmoved fast, his pistol snapping off clean, precise shots. And Sienna¡­ well, she got there eventually. Missed a few spells, then nailed the last one.


    Didn¡¯t matter. They won. Fast. Efficient. Like they¡¯d done this a hundred times before.


    "They¡¯re good, huh?" Kai muttered.


    I exhaled. "Yeah. They are."


    But my attention shifted to Jace. Still quiet. Watching. Calculating.


    "Hey, uh¡­" I hesitated. "What¡¯s his class?"


    Kai followed my gaze. "Jace? He¡¯s a mage."


    A mage? Without a staff?


    My mind clicked. I¡¯d seen something about this on the news. Mages who cast without staffs¡ªthose were the elite ones. The naturals. The ones who didn¡¯t need a crutch.


    So Jace was one of them.


    Which meant... he was probably the E-ranker here.


    "Should we start moving?" Jace¡¯s voice cut through the silence. "You know, loot distribution¡¯s based on contribution."


    Oh. Right.


    Shit. I¡¯d completely blanked on that little detail. If I didn¡¯t pull my weight, I¡¯d walk out of here empty-handed.


    No loot. No damn point in being here.


    My brain had been stuck in neutral since we got in here, my body locked up. Come on, idiot. Move.


    "Shit¡­" I muttered under my breath, forcing my legs into motion just as the second wave of wolves came tearing through the dark.


    ---


    [Ethan Kael]


    [F-Rank Cursed Summoner]


    Attributes:


    Strength (STR): 9


    Agility (AGI): 8


    Intelligence (INT): 6


    Endurance (END): 7


    Perception (PER): 5


    Binding (BIND): 30


    "Fuck¡­ looking at my stats makes me want to vomit."


    My grip tightened on the hilt of my sword, but before I could even swing¡ª


    SWISH.


    Renna barreled past me, her axe carving through the nearest wolf.


    "Hey! This one''s mine!" she barked, practically shoving me aside.


    I was 90% sure there was nothing in the contract about hoarding all the kills, but at this rate, Renna was gonna walk away with everything while the rest of us fought for scraps.


    "This won¡¯t work," I muttered under my breath.


    I clenched my sword, considering my options. Did I really want to do this? Keep hiding behind him?


    The wolves lunged. Shit. No time.


    I lifted my arm. "Kneel."


    The air split, the summoning circle flaring to life. A moment later, Ruk materialized¡ªa hulking mass of fur and muscle. It had been a while since I¡¯d summoned him. Maybe he got some decent rest.


    Maybe he¡¯d be a little less pissed off this time.


    "Summon me for puppies huh?" He said..no.. I was definitely wrong.. he sounded like he was pissed off.


    Kai stiffened. "Is¡ªis that your summon?"


    I nodded.


    Jace¡¯s eyes locked onto Ruk. "That¡¯s a big wolf."


    Couldn¡¯t argue with that. Ruk was massive, even for a summon. Maybe the system had a thing for dramatic size increases, or maybe summoners just got extra compensation for being wildly underpowered. Either way, he looked more like a small bear than a wolf.


    "HEY! MORE COMING! MAYBE MOVE YOUR ASSES?" Renna¡¯s voice tore through the dungeon.


    I glanced over¡ªshe, Sienna, and Niko were still cutting down the wolves. Meanwhile, we were standing around like we were about to start a damn book club.


    I pointed at the incoming pack. "Ruk, exterminate your cousins."


    He shot me a glare. "What cousins?"


    "Forget it." I waved him off. "Just kill them."


    He let out a low, annoyed huff before lunging forward, tearing into the wolves. Damn, he was getting moodier.


    "Might as well join in." Jace finally spoke, lifting his hands.


    I eyed him warily. "Uh¡­ aim carefully, unless you¡¯re trying to friendly-fire those three."


    "What?" He frowned, confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"


    Before I could clarify, something bright materialized in his hand.


    Wait.


    Wait, what the fuck was that?


    Light pulsed, forming solid shape¡ªshifting, morphing¡ªthen stabilizing into a weapon.


    A bow?


    No¡ªa bow and arrow, made of pure light.