1. Dragged into a War
'Just what are you exactly?'
Revet's voice echoed through the emptiness of the dark space he had just found himself in. Before him floated a hexagon-shaped, deep-blue rock—ten times his size—emitting an alluring glow that immediately drew the eye.
It paid him no mind.
Moments ago, he had been lying on his bed, playing Zenless Zone Zero. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was no longer there—only surrounded by vast darkness.
[Countdown complete, the cycle of 1,000 years has been completed]
[2,000 individuals have been chosen as Summoners]
[You have been selected as one of 2,000 participants of the Summoners' War]
[All Summoners will now be teleported to Arstrea]
[The winner of the Summoners' War will gain the ultimate title of "The Grand Summoner" and one wish.]
Whoosh—
The darkness vanished.
Revet found himself standing atop a curved cliff. His gaze dropped to the fantastical plane below, stretching for miles beyond what his eyes could follow. Whimsical winds drifted through the environment. Multiple suns burned brightly in the sky, while floating rocks were scattered sparsely across it.
Sunlight fell softly against his skin as he tried to organize his thoughts.
'Did I just get isekai'd?'
He placed a hand over his head, rubbing it in a disturbed manner.
"What are those lights?"
Numerous lights of different colors descended from the sky. After a while, they all came to a stop.
[All 2,000 Summoners are now present in Arstrea]
[World feature: Live Chat has been unlocked]
[The Summoners' War will officially begin in: 10]
[9]
[8]
[7]
[6]
With each number, Revet felt his heart skip a beat.
[5]
[4]
[3]
[2]
[1]
[Domains have been assigned to each Summoner. Protect your domains]
[Each Summoner has been given a guide]
[Due to your ability set, the guide has failed to install]
'My ability set? I don't understand a thing I just heard.'
Bing!
A screen displayed before him, similar to the ones on PCs.
"What the fuck is going on?"
"This has to be a prank."
"You have to be kidding me, my starting supplies are just a D-rank catalyst and an E-rank artifact. Absolute trash."
"Woohoo, my domain is A-rank and it grants B-rank catalysts every 48 hours."
"My starting supplies are peak, but my domain is D-grade with a useless buff."
"Whoa! We can take over other Summoners' domains, amazing!"
The messages kept coming.
'I guess this is the live chat that was mentioned earlier.'
'Isn't it stupid to reveal your domain ranks to other people since this is a war? They can use that information against me in battle.'
'I am already thinking like I'm fighting a war.'
'I don't get what is happening right now at all.'
[You look quite disturbed, Revet-san. Can I call you Revet-san?]
A vindictive feminine voice rang in his head, similar to a TV announcement.
'Who are you?' he asked.
[I am Aria, your personal assistant]
'Like some kind of AI? But earlier, I thought my guide failed to install.'
[Don't compare me to those insignificant pieces of trash! Pardon my language. I am far more rare and unique than some washed-up third-rate guide. There's only a handful of personal assistants in existence.]
'I get it, I get it. So I have access to premium-grade services, that's reassuring. And of course, I don't mind you calling me Revet-san.'
[Okay, Revet-san. What would you like to know? I could recommend some strategies.]
'What exactly is this place?'
[I can only grant you limited pieces of information based on my archives. But as I level up, you gain access to more info. This is Arstrea, the sacred land in which the
Summoners' War is held every 1,000 years.]
'It isn't much, but it helps. What's up with the domains, artifacts, and catalysts?'
[A catalyst is needed for a summoning ritual. The grade of the entity summoned depends on the rank of the catalyst. Just think of an artifact as a tool that enhances the abilities of you and your Summons. A domain is your strong hold which holds your domain core and grants you a buff]
[All summoning rituals can only be carried out in the presence of your domain core. Before you ask what a domain core is, consider it the heart of both you and your domain. Why don't you try touching the ground?]
'I think she's trying to say if the core is destroyed, I die too.'
Revet bent down and touched the grassy floor. He felt it resonate with him.
[Domain: Heavenly Peak]
[Level: Tier One]
[Rank: ??]
[Buff: Ladder to the Heavens.
Description: ??]
[Core Life: 100/100]
[Domain Introduction: If a Summoner is killed in battle, they revive using 25 percent of their domain's core life. If the core of a Summoner's domain is destroyed, they lose their lives. A Summoner can also transfer their domain to another Summoner, losing all rights to the domain and becoming a subordinate of the Summoner that holds their domain's core. After a core transfer, a Summoner is no longer eligible to claim the Grand Prize and is considered removed from the Summoners' War.]
[Upgrade Requirements: Spirit Energy
[10/10], Stone [0/100], Wood [0/100] ]
'This is just like all those isekai animes I watch, the setting I mean.'
'In a nutshell, I have two options: either die or become someone else's servant and drop out of the war.'
'The rewards are quite tempting, especially the one free wish—and they didn't state any limitations.'
'I could ask for infinite wealth… or the cure for my mother's illness… maybe both.'
"What's with all the question marks?"
[I am sorry, I am currently unable to provide an answer to your question, but check your attributes for further info. Just say 'status' in your mind.]
Before jumping to conclusions—
'Status.'
[Summoner Rank: Unranked]
[Level: 1. Increases alongside domain level]
[Starting Supplies: ?? Rank Catalyst, ?? Artifact: Wainer]
[Spirit Energy: 100/100]
[Summon Capacity: 0/??]
[Abilities]
Legendary Assistant Lv.1: ??
Summon Link Lv. 1: Inherits the abilities of your summons. The number of abilities inherited increases based on the bond level with summons
'The Legendary Assistant skill should be referring to Aria.'
'There are still unanswered questions…
especially the question marks… but I have a better grasp of the situation now.'
'By the way, where's my domain core?'
[Stretch forth your hand and say 'Core Reveal']
Revet stretched his hand forward.
"Core Reveal."
A green, round-shaped gem appeared, floating before him and radiating a soft green light.
Stump! Stump!
Revet's gaze snapped forward.
A legion of skeletons—around a hundred—emerged from the distant forest. Even from atop the cliff, he could see them clearly.
'The war just started… and someone already has this many summons.'
[Revet-san. Intruders.]
'Intruders really? And I just got here!'