Creating Summons with an EX-Rank Ability?

Creating summons with an EX-rank ability?

For a moment, the world stopped.

I could only stare blankly at the translucent window floating before my eyes. Somewhere in my head, I understood what had just happened to me—but the dazed feeling refused to leave.

First: I finally had an ability. Second: it seemed connected ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the hobby I loved. And last—the rank of that ability was EX.

"……"

I stared at that final word for a long time before I finally let out a long breath. If the information I knew was correct, the highest rank that existed in this world was S. Not E. EX. A top-tier rank that existed only in talk, only in rumor. Above all else, it was a rank that had never appeared even once until now.

I suddenly realized I was breaking out in a cold sweat. My body was trembling, and my mouth had gone bone-dry. As my sanity slowly returned, the things I needed to do rose one by one into my mind.

The first priority was confirming the ability. If I didn't properly understand how to use it, I wouldn't be able to put it to work in a real fight. At a glance, though, I didn't seem built to clear dungeons myself so much as to clear them indirectly. The strong impression was that I would issue orders to summons and have them fight in my place.

I pulled an energy drink from the fridge, sat down in my chair, and tried manipulating the translucent window with my fingers. It moved exactly the way I'd read about on the Hunter Gallery—the decisive proof that I was qualified to be a hunter, and that I had an ability. A hunter's emblem, visible only to my eyes.

A detailed explanation followed. I read it over and over.

The dungeons that had appeared in this world. The monsters that showed up inside them. You used monster materials to build a life-sized figure. And the most important piece of all—the monster's soul. That could only be obtained by defeating a dungeon's master, the boss monster. With both of those, my summon would be born.

I understood it perfectly!

The moment everything clicked, a new translucent window appeared. Inside it was a space that looked like a workbench. As if possessed, I began exploring that space—while calculations spun through my head at the same time.

How much money would it take to make my summon? How long would it take? If I could make this summon and found a guild of my own… No— I wouldn't even need a guild. Operating alone as a mercenary would be more than enough. Maybe I could even paint a picture where I stayed safe in my room while the summons brought the money in?

As if answering those thoughts, a whole list of figures I could currently craft unfurled before me.

After gaining the ability, I had a new goal: stand at the peak of the hunter world with it. That didn't mean announcing my ability and my rank to the world. Only an idiot would do that. You had to watch out for the threat of dungeons and monsters, but more than anything, you had to watch out for the criminals called villains.

So I moved quietly. I sold my house and moved into the cheapest studio apartment in the city center. I checked whether anyone was watching me—there wasn't. That was how thoroughly I'd been the child forced to hide even at the company, from the chairman who was also my father. Still, if I got found out it would only mean needless headaches, so I stuck rigorously to an alias.

Following the recipes the status window provided, I bought materials. At the same time, I hunted for a usable monster soul. The summon I needed first? One that would loyally want to protect me, and preferably one specialized in agility. In other words, a summon that could serve as my discreet bodyguard.

The summon's heart is most heavily influenced by the monster's soul, right?

Obtaining monster souls was treated like collecting memorabilia, so finding one wasn't hard. But the higher the grade of soul you inserted, the higher the chance of producing a strong summon. If I want a bodyguard for any situation, I have to make at least a B-rank summon!

Ranks ran from the lowest F-rank all the way up to the top S-rank. B-rank sat in the upper-middle tier—the kind of role people compared to middle management. At the very least, a genuine talent who wouldn't get looked down on wherever they went. And more than that, I was an EX-rank ability user. A B-rank summon should be well within my reach, shouldn't it?

I logged into a site that dealt in hunter-related goods and searched through boss monster souls for sale—gem-like things. The small fry soul stones are buyable, but the expensive ones are insanely expensive.

The price didn't stop at "it's a monster's soul." Plenty of them had heavy markups depending on which hunter had suffered what ordeal to kill the boss, or depending on whether the boss had a cool look, a savage look, and so on.

Even if it's expensive, pick a boss monster soul that's strong ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and loyal.

It was my first time, so I wanted to do it well—wanted perfection. Losing track of time as I searched, I finally found a monster soul with decent conditions.

It looked cool enough, but nothing in the write-up particularly grabbed me. The rank was B, and the price was on the cheaper side. I didn't hesitate. I chose this soul.

Then came the materials needed to build the body—plenty of them also obtainable from dungeons. Fortunately, I managed to get everything within the budget I'd set. While waiting for the materials to arrive, I thought about the appearance.

Even as a summon, a human form would be better, right?

A wolf. Restoring the original monster form as-is would be fine too. But if anyone saw that, it might cause problems. So I chose a human appearance that could dodge suspicion entirely, and locked in the concept of an assassin carrying a wolf's soul. Weapons: a dagger, or a knuckle-style weapon studded with sharp spines. I planned to dress her in a tight black full-body suit that cut air resistance to the absolute minimum. And of course the gender was female. That was only natural.

Then, the next dawn—the materials were delivered. I went straight to work.

Following the translucent window's instructions, I inserted the Alpha Wolf's Soul.

Quirks were a one-word summary ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of a summon's habits, traits, and personality. The positive side looked great—but looking at the negative side… well…

Obsession, love starved, unfulfilled desire—what the hell is that?

Still, thinking positively, the odds of betrayal looked low. If I gave her enough attention, I could see real loyalty coming out of it. Either way, I couldn't back down now. I'd already spent a huge chunk of my remaining assets. I couldn't pull out just because it was uncertain, or because I was anxious.

I confirmed the Alpha Wolf's Soul and moved on to building the body.

Naturally, I was about to pick the human form—easiest to keep around.

Was it because this was an EX-rank ability? Or because it was an ability for creating summons? Either way, there was an enormous amount of setup and reading. I deliberated, then deliberated some more—and, weighing the traits, chose Beast-human.

A chime rang, and a tall, vertical translucent window appeared. Purple hair. Purple wolf ears. Arms and legs covered in purple fur. And a fluffy purple wolf tail. Aside from those features, she looked for all the world like a heroine straight out of some game.

A beautiful face on a glamorous figure, wearing a tight black suit that clung to every curve. It was a little far from the lean, agile image I'd imagined—but when my own ability was recommending it, what could I say? Of course I examined the new summon's body carefully, the way you'd study a figure.

In the end I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠locked the form as it was and poured in the materials I'd bought without holding back. Just as a figure has its component materials, I carefully considered each material's properties as I worked.

Was it the years I'd spent making figures? When I pickily chose materials, fed them in, and locked down the form, a positive signal came back. I kept filling in the materials and finished the fine adjustments—and then:

Evening light was spilling through the window, and sweat was starting to bead on my forehead. At last, I was ready to have my first summon. Earnestly hoping for something around B-rank, I nodded.

A flash!

The moment I accepted, a faint burst of light erupted, and a Beast-human summon appeared before me. In that tense instant I said nothing, only looked at the beautiful Beast-human wolf. At first her eyes were closed—but she must have sensed my presence, because her eyelids slowly lifted.

Bright yellow eyes locked straight onto me. And then—

"Awooo~ Awoooo~ Master~ I was drawn by your great power~ I will follow you!"

With a delighted smile, a new translucent window rose into the air.