Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: The Summoning of Gyeon dal-rae
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The cooldown for Random Summon lapsed today.
Joo-hyuk had been moving since morning.
He went to the public bathhouse.
He meticulously scrubbed himself clean.
Trimming his nails was a given.
He changed into fresh underwear.
Keeping dirt far, far away.
After going to the bathroom to completely empty his insides, he didn't eat any food.
'Ms. Nam Ga-eun said she was tackling the 63rd floor today, right?'
I hope it goes well.
It will go well.
Player Nam Ga-eun will conquer the 63rd floor.
And I will meet a good new Summoned Being.
With about an hour left until the cooldown.
He drew fresh "jeonghwasu" (purified water) and placed it in the living room, sitting primly and praying with a devout heart.
It was just water from the water purifier, but it was still purified water, right?
Savage Gobang and Kosak joined him.
They paid their respects to the purified water on either side of Joo-hyuk.
Since their Summon duration was over 7 hours, it was fine to call them out early.
Moreover, thanks to accumulating 5-star reviews recently, Gobang's duration had also increased by an hour.
"Don't worry too much. It'll be a good one. What, do you think another weirdo like him will show up?"
"I think Gobang is good, though?"
"Huh?"
"What's wrong with Savage Gobang? Thanks to him, how many floors did we get S++ clear records on?"
At that, Gobang grinned.
"Gobang praised by summoner."
"...D-don't get cocky! You bastard!"
"Assassin jealous."
"You're funny. I was praised way earlier than you!"
Honestly, he wished for an LSSR, a Legend Special Super Rare, but he knew that was greed.
A realistic goal was SR, Super Rare.
A bit more greedily, SSR like Kosak, Special Super Rare.
Just SSR is pretty good, right?
Just look at Kosak.
Incredible pride.
He habitually says SSR, SSR.
"The Summoned Being's profession is important too... I'd like it if someone related to divine power came, if possible."
"I think so too. The 61st floor is still far off, but it's fine to get one ready in advance. A healer is essential for a party, right?"
A healer.
Now that I think about it, we really do need one.
The acknowledged nobility of any party.
With Gobang as the tank, Kosak as the DPS, and a healer?
"Right. If it's a healer, they could give healing skills to Gobang, who faces monsters bare-handed."
"Huh? Why waste precious heals on Gobang? That guy has considerable natural healing, he'll recover on his own if left alone."
"A warrior does not fear wounds."
Well, it's not wrong.
Gobang has near-troll-level regeneration.
"Or to Kosak?"
"I don't need it either. Just wrap it with a bandage. Kosak is 'shut up and bandage'. I always carry ribbons and bandages. Want to see?"
"...No. I don't need to see."
Then why on earth do we need a healer?
"We need a dedicated healer for Summoner Bong alone. Even if divine power is overflowing, we shouldn't waste heals elsewhere."
"..."
"And whenever you're bored, call them and ask for a heal. Health in reality is far more important than safety inside the Tower. Hehehe."
If you mapped Kosak's brain structure, my own safety would probably take up over 99% of it. At this level, it's genuine madness.
"Ah! It's time."
"Th-this is the moment."
The moment of the Random Summon had finally arrived.
Joo-hyuk took a deep breath.
He cleared his throat,
closed his eyes,
and enunciated clearly.
"Random Summon!"
Whoooosh!
A gathering swarm of light.
This time too, Kosak,
"Dugudugudugu..."
"Don't do that."
"Yep!"
A human shape became visible.
Please! Even if not a healer.
At least SR or above.
'...Tsk, what if it's Rare?'
If greed goes too far, even possible things won't happen.
We can just enhance the grade later.
Pop pop pop!
The light swarm completed its human form.
Indeed!
"Thank you for summoning me."
Uh...,
"This maiden, Gyeon dal-rae, though lacking, swears to devote all her strength to assist Young Master Bong."
Joo-hyuk blurted out without thinking.
"It's a woman."
"A woman indeed."
"What do we do?"
"What should we do?"
"W-well..."
The appearance of a woman in the living room.
Somehow, her attire looked familiar.
Typical Eastern, no, Korean style.
To be precise, it felt like a woman depicted in old Korean paintings.
White mourning clothes with braided hair, yet she looked somewhat youthful.
Comparing to now, she looked like a middle or high school student in her mid-to-late teens.
She also carried items.
In one hand, a bluish sword, in the other, a cluster of bells, and on her chest, a mirror made of metal.
'...The sword is probably a weapon, but what are those bells and mirror?'
Suddenly, the girl glared sharply at Kosak and spoke.
"What is that look? How dare you leer at a maiden's body with those lustful eyes? It seems you need to be punished to regain your senses."
"Huh? I didn't look, I, I just happened to glance..."
"Silence! How dare you lie!"
"N-no."
"I warn you in advance. If you harbor wicked thoughts after seeing my beauty, you will not escape divine punishment."
"..."
Frankly, her beauty wasn't quite at that level.
The girl named Gyeon dal-rae now turned her eyes to Joo-hyuk.
'Gasp!'
Actually, Joo-hyuk had also been scanning her from head to toe since earlier.
Aren't you going to say something about that too?
"Young Master may look as much as you wish. Please sit comfortably and admire."
"..."
She doesn't seem like an ordinary person.
Her grade?
'...It's SSR.'
Fortunately, it seems the summon went well.
Just getting SR would be something to be thankful for, but getting SSR is the best.
Anyway, a new Summoned Being was called via Random Summon.
A girl who was short, slender, and even bold.
Her grade was high too.
A whopping SSR, the same tier as Kosak.
Even now, she was kneeling stiffly in the living room, overwhelming the gathering.
Where does that charisma come from?
Maybe it's because her grade is high.
But Kosak is also SSR, yet his behavior is the complete opposite.
There was something different from just the grade.
The Catalog?
The Strict, Solemn, and Sincere Head Shrine Maiden of the Heavenly Empire's Imperial Shrine.
Name: Gyeon dal-rae
Grade: SSR (Special Super Rare)
Type: Shrine Maiden (Human)
Manifestation Period: 5 Hours
Satisfaction Rating: None.
Re-summon Cooldown: 3 Hours (Applied after Summon Release)
Her type is Shrine Maiden.
Did drawing purified water and praying "binaida, binaida" (please, please) in hopes of an LSSR influence the Random Summon?
Ah, no way.
'But the modifiers for the name...'
Strict, Solemn, Sincere.
It was "Strict-Solemn-Sincere."
Looking at the background description, it makes sense.
The source of this girl's charisma.
Her deeds flashed through his mind.
Gyeon dal-rae, who showed talent in talismans, rituals, and incantations.
Entering the Imperial Shrine, serving the greatest shaman of the era as her master, and rising to become the Head Shrine Maiden.
But her younger brother was killed by their uncle.
Enraged, she vowed revenge.
Gyeon dal-rae's uncle was no pushover either.
In preparation for her revenge, he installed all sorts of curse-blocking ritual arrays and 'Sal'-deflecting talismans throughout the palace and even set up people to take the curse in his place.
But Gyeon dal-rae was the Heavenly Empire's greatest Head Shrine Maiden.
She eventually cast the 'Sal' curse on her uncle and succeeded.
However, casting 'Sal' for personal revenge was an act against the heavenly order.
In the end, the 'Sal' she cast returned to her in full.
Ah.
This slender girl has been through a lot too.
At a glance, she seems cute, and her strict-solemn-sincere demeanor was slightly amusing,
Anyway.
'Heavenly Empire?'
The imperial family's surname is Gyeon,
and her clothing color is like that.
"Um, I have something to ask."
"I am humbled. Young Master, please do not hesitate to ask anything."
"The founder of the Heavenly Empire, his name was?"
"Emperor Gyeon Hwon the Great. He defeated the treacherous Wang and Kim clans, expanded the territory to the lands of old Goryeo, and changed the nation's name from Baekje to Cheonje (Heavenly Empire). He was a great figure."
"Huh?"
Gyeon Hwon?
"The same Gyeon Hwon who founded Later Baekje?"
"That is correct."
Could it be...,
'Parallel universe.'
Definitely.
She's not from the same world.
Kosak is the same.
He also said he operated with his former Summoner in a place similar to modern Earth.
In Gyeon dal-rae's world, it seems Later Baekje unified the Later Three Kingdoms, not Goryeo.
Casually asking, the history before the Heavenly Empire was similar to real history.
It seemed the timeline branched off during the Later Three Kingdoms period.
'Being a princess, her charisma is no joke.'
While admiring that,
Grrroowl.
Suddenly, he felt hungry.
He had skipped meals to offer devotion for the Random Summon's success.
Should I order delivery? I'd need to order a lot, so it would probably take time.
"Since we're all here, would you all like to have some ramen?"
"Good. It would be even better if it's mild flavor."
"I eat ramen too."
"What about Ms. Gyeon dal-rae?"
"Being picky about food goes against etiquette."
A regular pot wouldn't be enough.
Where's the big pot?
The steamer pot used for boiling bossam would do.
He took out the pot, filled it with water, and was about to place it on the induction cooker when...
That was the moment.
"You wretches!!!"
Gyeon dal-rae's voice exploded.
Kosak and Gobang were startled.
"How dare you, mere Summoned Beings, be so arrogant and insolent! Are you fools who need to be taught a lesson, how dare you leave the Young Master to prepare food with his own hands! Can't you get up?"
Kosak and Gobang stood up awkwardly, half-rising.
"I, I'm an SSR,"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Using informal speech between fellow SSRs is a bit..."
"Ha!"
Gyeon dal-rae looked at him with a contemptuous expression.
"Now I see you're a fool who doesn't know his place. Does you being an SSR give reason for the Young Master to prepare food? Insolent wretch. Should I make you a eunuch to regain your senses?"
Gyeon dal-rae casually raised her cluster of bells.
A chilling energy was felt simultaneously.
Something felt off.
Kosak jumped up.
"You too!"
Gobang also quickly raised his large body.
Kosak hurriedly approached Joo-hyuk.
"I will boil the ramen. Qu-quickly, give it to me."
"Uh, yeah, yeah, go ahead."
How does such dignity come from that small frame?
But why are they like that?
They can't move a muscle.
Come to think of it, aren't Kosak and Gobang just ordinary guys too?
Joo-hyuk was no different.
He sat awkwardly on the sofa, sneakily watching her mood.
"Young Master Bong."
"Yes?"
"How much hardship have you endured? Now, set your worries aside. I will properly educate these underlings."
I didn't have much hardship,
Kosak frantically started boiling 15 packets of ramen in the steamer pot.
A moment later.
"...Is this the Han River?"
"I'm sorry. I have committed a mortal sin. Failed to control the water."
The broth was extremely watery and plentiful.
You couldn't even see the noodles.
And Kosak was watching not his, but Gyeon dal-rae mood.
'He's completely lost the initiative.'
It can't be helped.
Let's just eat this time, and from next time, I'll boil it myself or teach him.
Gobang seemed hungry too.
The moment he picked up his chopsticks to scoop up ramen in a hurry,
"You wretch!!!"
Goodness!
My heart almost stopped.
Why again?
"How dare you pick up your utensils before the Young Master? You shameless beast, no different from an animal, just as you look. Disgraceful. Disgraceful."
Startled, Gobang hurriedly put down his chopsticks and bowed his head deeply.
The dining atmosphere turned icy.
At this rate, you wouldn't know if the ramen was going down your throat or your nose. This is endless.
"...I don't really care about formalities, but at least when eating, we should eat happily. What does it matter who eats first?"
"Ah!"
Gyeon dal-rae's face flushed slightly.
"This maiden acted out of place and ran wild. This maiden has committed a mortal sin against Young Master Bong."
"It's not a mortal sin."
"However! The sins of these underlings are clear. Please behead this maiden and these two wretches together."
"..."
This is driving me crazy.
Let's eat first.
Joo-hyuk scooped up ramen first with a ladle.
And put the ramen in his mouth.
Only then did Kosak and Gobang start their meal.
Out of hunger, they began slurping! Slurping! inhaling the ramen,
"You wretches!!!"
I'm going insane.
The three people froze solid in the middle of eating ramen,
"You two have both crossed the line of table manners. What kind of barbarian makes noise while eating noodles?"
I made noise too.
"Seeing your behavior, I can clearly imagine how much Young Master Bong must have worried and suffered. Noodles should be taken in one bite and bitten off with your teeth. Slurping? Lowly creatures, no different from savages."
Ah!
One mountain after another.
Yet they couldn't even retort.
Forget Gobang, but shouldn't Kosak at least resist a bit?
Can't he beat that seemingly frail girl?
Even though they're both SSR.
Turns out, those two are just ordinary guys too.
'I'm already tired.'
Are all Summoned Beings like this?
Why is there no normal person?
After finishing the ramen, Gobang and Kosak cleared the table and even did the dishes themselves.
Now what?
"Um..."
"Please speak. Young Master."
"Would you like to enter the Tower with us?"
"This maiden will assist with all her heart. Please give the order."
Since a new person has arrived, let's at least check her abilities.
How does a shrine maiden engage in combat?
Like the Catalog description, does she cast 'Sal' (Death) on monsters?