2. I Summoned A God
A legion of skeleton knights clothed in rusted armour, armed with chipped steel swords and low-quality wooden shields, approached steadily from the horizon. Their movements were rigid, unnatural, yet coordinated enough to form a unified advance.
Revet stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down at them with a calm, assertive gaze.
'Quantity over quality, huh?'
Their presence was overwhelming in number, but lacking in substance. Individually, they appeared fragile—easily breakable.
[Revet-san. They are just a couple of weaklings whose only strength is in their obscene numbers. One mystic-grade summon is enough to handle these sore losers.]
They continued marching forward until they reached the base of the cliff. From below, their hollow skulls tilted upward in unison. Red flames burned constantly within their eye sockets, faint traces of it leaking from their mouths like smoke.
"Our master offers you two options," the skeletons chanted together, their voices overlapping in eerie harmony, as if controlled by a single will.
"Surrender."
They slowly raised their swords.
"Or suffer a painful defeat."
[The nerve to threaten us. If only I had a physical body right now, I would have pummeled these wannabes into specks of dust. There wouldn't be anything left of them to return to the underworld. Humph!]
'Everything you said, Aria.'
'Aria! It will take a while for an army of that magnitude to climb a forty-foot cliff. I should use this time to carry out a summoning ritual.'
[As expected of Revet-san. You already knew you could communicate telepathically. All you need to do is apply some blood to a catalyst and channel your spirit energy into it. Just think of it like breathing, but with your entire being.]
Revet paused for a brief moment.
Wait.
There—on the ground.
A pouch lay quietly within the grass, nearly invisible due to how well it blended with its surroundings.
He hadn't noticed it before.
He crouched slightly and picked it up, loosening its tie and reaching inside.
A red, ruby-like gem rested in his palm.
'This has to be the catalyst.'
"Answer immediately, mongrel. Do not waste our master's time."
One of the skeletons stepped forward, distinct from the others. Unlike the rest, it wore proper black armour—intact, structured, and far less deteriorated. Its stance carried authority.
A commander.
They were already growing impatient.
Revet remained unfazed.
It would take several minutes before they could climb up in full force.
He looked down at them again, his expression cold and unmoved.
'Lower-class organisms like yourselves have no right to command me. Tell your master I don't make deals with cowards who refuse to show themselves on the battlefield.'
"You have dug your own grave, imbecile," the commander replied without hesitation.
The legion immediately shifted.
They turned and began advancing along the slope, making their way up toward him.
No more time.
Revet brought his hand to his mouth and bit down on his finger.
Blood spilled out instantly.
A sharp surge of pain shot through his nerves, but his expression did not change.
The gem reacted.
His blood was absorbed into it almost immediately.
Then—
He began channeling his spirit energy.
He could feel it flowing out from within him, like something being drawn out through force and intent, pouring directly into the catalyst.
'Summoning ritual.'
A magic circle formed beneath his feet.
Intricate patterns spread outward, glowing brighter with each passing second.
The gem dissolved into particles of light, merging into the circle.
Blue flames erupted.
Revet stepped back quickly, raising his arm to shield his eyes from the intensity.
[Ladder to the Heavens has been activated.]
The flames began to spiral.
Slowly… deliberately…
Taking shape.
First, a faint outline.
Then, a defined form.
Dark blue hair emerged, flowing slightly with the movement of the flames.
A pair of fox-like ears, covered in blue fur, formed atop the head.
Light-blue eyes opened—sharp, radiant, and filled with intelligence.
Nine tails manifested behind the figure, each perfectly aligned and equal in length.
A dark blue onmyōji-style robe settled over the body.
The flames faded.
A nine-tailed fox stood before him.
[You have successfully summoned the Transcendent-grade entity:
The Nine-Tailed Fox God — Duran.]
[Congratulations on establishing your first Summon Link.]
'A god…?'
Revet narrowed his eyes slightly.
He hadn't expected this—especially not from a catalyst with an unknown rank.
[This is strange. Gods have never been summoned before, according to the information in my archives. Transcendent grades are the strongest summons, but gods have never been part of it.]
"You are right to be awestruck," Duran spoke, his voice smooth yet imposing. "After all, the likes of you could never comprehend a being of my calibre."
His gaze shifted slightly, his tone sharpening.
"Especially she who has been stripped of a physical body and reduced to nothing more than a feeble voice."
[Hey! You freakin' bastard, say that again! I swear I'm going to—]
'Hold your thoughts for now, Aria.'
Revet cut in immediately.
'I don't know how I summoned you, but I did. What matters is this—your master is currently under attack. If something happens to me, it will affect you in some way. God or not… I am still your master.'
Duran stared at him.
For a brief moment, silence lingered.
Then—
"Clever boy," he said, a faint scoff escaping him. "You're using your disadvantageous situation to your advantage."
A smirk formed on his face.
"Intriguing."
"I shall grant you the privilege… of being my master, human."
[Duran has acknowledged you as his master.]
[Bond Level: 2.
Prioritize increasing your bond level with your summons.]
'Bond level?'
Revet noted it mentally, but did not dwell on it.
The situation in front of him demanded immediate attention.
He muttered quietly.
"How do you want them cooked?"
Blue sparks flickered into existence around Duran's hand, dancing like controlled flames waiting to be unleashed.
"Mildly… or to cinders? I prefer cinders."
His glowing eyes turned toward Revet.
'Cinders will do.'
Revet answered calmly.
Showing fear now would only lower his standing.
Duran vanished in blue flames.
Revet's eyes struggled to follow the movement.
In the next instant—
Duran appeared within the legion.
"Fool! There's only one of you and a hundred of us! Do you really think you can wi—"
Slam!
His fist drove straight through the skull of a skeleton knight, shattering it instantly.Hw moved in zig-zag motion leaving blazing trails of blue flames behind as he mercilessly ravaged the undead legion.
Within seconds, nearly half the legion was gone.This wasn't a battle,it was a one-sided execution.
Bam!
A skeleton lunged from behind but it's weapon couldn't touch Revet it's sword began to melt into red hot molten steel . The bones of the skeleton knight disintegrate with leaving a single trace of its existence behind.
He hadn't moved a finger but intense heat that radiated from his body was already devastating enough.
Snap!
Duran snapped his fingers.A river blue flames bursted forth engulfing the entire undead legion . They burned until there was nothing left of them to remember.
"It seems there's a slightly better piece of trash among you," he muttered.
From within the burning remains—
The commander stepped forward,unaffected as he raised his hand .
A dark, viscous energy oozed from his hand as a mucky dark dripped , staining the ground with a dark glow.
"Call of the Undead."
The dark muck started to move as it engulfed the commander spreading towards the fallen undead skeleton knights.
They collided , merging into a singular entity, layer upon layer—taking on a larger and completely unsightly form like something of a child's nightmare.
A massive undead giant stood firmly before duran emitting an eerrie spirit energy.
"You will pay for your insolence!"
The giant roared as it lunged forward.