A Spectre Named Chehwa
After watching Yeonhee quietly like that, all my pointless worries scattered away in an instant.
"Wait! I-I'll just finish eating first!"
When I stared at her, she must have thought I was waiting to be summoned and hurried to prepare breakfast. Sometimes, when I saw her like this, I could feel how much she cared for me. It made me happy, though I always swallowed the words telling her she didn't need to go that far.
Breakfast was nothing more than bread spread with strawberry jam, eaten with a glass of milk. It wasn't exactly a hearty meal, so she might as well enjoy it at a leisurely pace.
Pathetic... No wonder she never gains weight eating like this.
I thought she would look better with a bit more flesh on her bones. Not for any superficial reason, of course—just for her health.
Yeonhee stuffed her mouth full of bread and casually placed six brown summoning scrolls on the table before spreading them out one by one. I had heard her current level was 43. The gap between us had widened a little, but since my own growth had slowed, the difference would shrink again soon enough.
The six scrolls consisted of four obtained through level-ups, one from the Orc Adversary achievement, and one more received as a level-40 bonus. That made six in total.
While chewing her bread, Yeonhee read aloud the message she had received from the Management Bureau. Speaking with food in her mouth wasn't easy, and listening to her required even greater concentration than during training.
The message said that the Orc Warrior we had defeated in the Lizardman Swamp would not be allocated to us. The other side had suggested a joint investigation, but we had declined. We could have provided dozens of pieces of evidence proving we had taken it down, but why waste time on complicated procedures?
When she read the part about the proceeds from the Orc Warrior's byproducts being distributed to the victims at a certain ratio, Yeonhee's expression brightened instead. She seemed to think it had worked out for the best.
— Wangwang!!
"Wangwang, sorry. Can you chew on this for now?"
Whine...
The fairly large quantity of bones I had kept in my inventory had all been used up while making armor. That meant there were no bones left to give Wangwang.
Grrr—
I already told you there aren't any. How many times do I have to say it, you pig?
Crunch—
Wangwang glared at me discontentedly before finally starting to gnaw on the scraps of bone Yeonhee had given him. He hadn't grown any larger, but the magic stones he produced were gradually getting bigger. If all it took to pull your own weight was eating all day, I wouldn't mind being reborn as something like him.
Huff— Huff— Huff—
Off to the side, No. 1 and Deonni were doing push-ups with ecstatic expressions, while Ran lay sprawled across Wangwang's back, trying to sleep.
Peaceful.
Yesterday's fierce battle already felt like a lie. Couldn't we just be allowed to live like this forever?
Damn interferers...
I resumed my training, manifesting Fireballs in my hands. A short while later—
"I'm done eating! Everyone! I'm going to summon a new friend now, so don't go making a huge fuss when they appear, okay? Especially you, Deonni!"
"Krrk?!"
After firmly warning her summons, Yeonhee began chanting the incantation from the upgraded brown summoning scroll she had obtained upon reaching level 40. The scroll had a more luxurious texture than the grayish-brown ones and was larger in size, so the chant was longer as well.
As long as it's not a zombie...
I had encountered zombies in the tombs of the Ent Forest Dungeon, but those had been nothing more than pathetic trash. The zombies that would appear from now on would be the real deal—much higher stamina, and some even capable of leaping about. Once they surrounded you, they were nothing but trouble.
Even so, the reason I didn't want Yeonhee to summon zombies was simple.
They're disgusting...
It was nothing more than instinctive revulsion. It felt odd coming from a former weakest skeleton soldier, but zombies were... just like that. Fighting alongside creatures with eyeballs dangling from their sockets or pus dripping from their bodies didn't paint a pretty picture.
Everything else about them was decent enough. In fact, they might even be better than Orc Warriors when used as meat shields. The only question was whether they would properly follow orders.
Come out, Orc Warrior!
As Yeonhee hoped, I wouldn't mind if one or two aerial monsters appeared as well. Something like a Neos Harpy. Neos Harpies were a smaller variant of harpies, sometimes called baby harpies. They could only attack by diving with their claws or dropping rocks from above, but the fact that they could fly gave them plenty of utility.
The absolute best would be if something like Ran—an otherworldly spirit—was summoned. A high-ranking spirit, maybe?
While I was spinning all sorts of hopeful fantasies, Yeonhee finished chanting the summoning incantation she had spent several minutes on. Finally, something began to ripple in the air.
"Hoo— Haa— I wonder what'll come out?"
Yeonhee looked visibly nervous as well, using a summoning scroll for the first time. The rippling presence in the air gradually took shape...
"Huh?"
Aha...! So this was possible...
[Hwaaaah—]
Thick black smoke billowed like heat haze, twisting and turning as it formed a humanoid shape. Though it sketched out what might have been a face, there were no features—no eyes, nose, or mouth. The swirling smoke, however, had formed a pair of arms with clear definition. When No. 1 stepped closer, the creature swung its blade-like arm to ward him off.
Spectre...
The first summon to emerge from the brown scroll was the undead monster known as a Spectre.
"Uh... So that's... a ghost?"
Easy to mix them up.
But ghosts specialized more in mental attacks, whereas Spectres came equipped with Energy Drain as a passive skill and engaged in physical combat. They were a different kind of nuisance compared to ghosts.
Just brushing against those arms drains your health.
Because they absorbed the life force they stole, Spectres had low base health but excellent sustain. On top of that, their incorporeal nature meant ordinary physical attacks didn't work on them. Stealing energy to recover while being immune to normal physical strikes—these two traits alone made them the monster that caused the most hunter casualties in the Dungeon of Nargul.
But now they're on our side. Haha—
"W-wait, so that's a Spectre! Ghosts have clearer human forms and are transparent, right?"
Yeonhee quickly recalled the theory she had forgotten and distinguished the difference.
"Whoa— I've never seen this type before. Hey, want to come over here?"
When Yeonhee called out, the smoke—exuding an unsettlingly gloomy aura—slid across the floor and approached us.
[Hwaaaah—]
What is it saying...
I still couldn't clearly understand what the creature was trying to convey. Contrary to its dark first impression, once it stood before Yeonhee, it curled its large body inward, shrinking into the shape of a small child. Of course, it still lacked a face or lower body, but it was much easier to look at.
"Wangwang! It's cute! Can I touch it?"
Shhhk—
Yeonhee reached out to touch it, but her hand passed straight through the Spectre's body.
"Ah, I guess not..."
—!!
When Yeonhee showed a hint of disappointment, the Spectre extended one of its arms toward her.
"Hm?"
Yeonhee stared at the arm for a moment before poking it with her finger.
Poke—
"Whoa! I can touch it!"
Its form grew hazy again shortly after, but it had materialized for a brief moment.
It can materialize while using its skill. The problem is that it's only for an instant, so it's hard to time it right.
After Yeonhee touched it a few more times, the Spectre's form rapidly blurred—proof that it had overexerted itself just now.
"Whoa— You used up all your mana for me? How adorable..."
[Hwaaaah—!]
The Spectre twisted its body like a wrung-out towel, clearly delighted by Yeonhee's praise.
Hmm... Spectres are really good, but they're weak against magic types, so...
Given its clear elemental weakness, it seemed a bit ambiguous to use as a main force. Either way, that was Yeonhee's decision to make.
"Ugh... What should I name it?"
Time returned to normal. Yeonhee rested her chin on her hand, lost in deep thought as if pondering the greatest dilemma in the world.
Naming again, huh.
Recalling her history of naming from the moment she suggested "Ttungi" for me, I tried to predict her choice.
Shorten it to "Pecter"? Based on color, "Blackie"? Since it's all bunched up like a cloud, "Cotton Candy"?
"The way you tried so hard to materialize just now was really moving! So your name will be Chehwa."
[Hwaaaah—!!]
The Spectre seemed to like the name Yeonhee had given it, twisting its body with all its might.
Huh... It's actually a pretty good name.
When she looked at me as if asking for my opinion, I gave her a confident nod.
They say kids grow up fast—looks like her naming skills are improving quickly too.
"Chehwa's number one for now. But we still don't know who'll be the main force yet. Hehe—"
She didn't seem to have any intention of making Chehwa her main summon right away either. Yeonhee looked at the next scroll and began chanting again.
Honestly, out of training and everything else, this is the most fun.
I used to not understand why people watched internet broadcasts, but maybe they watched for this kind of entertainment.
Vwoooom—
This time, an ordinary gray portal opened, and something staggered out from within.
Let's see what we get this time!
"Bweeeeh—!"
Ah... Shit.
The second summon was a zombie.
"......"
Even Yeonhee, who had always looked at her summons with affectionate eyes whenever they appeared, seemed a bit overwhelmed by the sight of a rotting zombie shambling toward her.
"Uh... W-well..."
Guess we'll have to start by mopping the floor. Disgusting, seriously.
The zombie was dripping a foul mixture of blood and pus from its body, leaving a trail wherever it went. I quickly wiped up the mess with a dried rag and spoke to Ttungi, who had been watching the summoning while picking his nose.
Thud—
(Kid, stop acting dumb and go soak this in water.)
Ttungi grinned blankly and took the rag into the living room, making a half-hearted show of wetting it.
Man, that little tormentor... He's going to drive me insane.
"Kweeeh— Uwek—"
"Uh... Th-that... H-hello?"
"Bweeeh!"
"Eugh, your breath stinks."
In the end, even Yeonhee backed away from the zombie. It stood unsteadily on its thin, seemingly breakable legs, staring blankly at her. The exposed muscles twitched as if it was overjoyed to have been summoned.
"I-I'll try summoning one more time!!"
Watching Yeonhee shake her head and immediately proceed to the next summoning made me realize once again that reality rarely went the way I wanted.
Surprisingly, the third summon was also a zombie, and Yeonhee was visibly shaken.
"This can't be happening..."
"Bweeeh!"
"Weeeh!"
If they'd just shut their mouths, that'd be great.
Whether their jaws were damaged or not, the zombies refused to close their mouths. Yeonhee's eyes were trembling visibly now, and she chewed on her lips.
"Hng— N-next!"
Fortunately, the fourth summoning finally brought out the one we had been hoping for.
"Uwooooh!!"
"It's an Orc Warrior!! W-we're saved. Hehe—"
Phew...
At least we had pulled this one today. Whether we fixed the probability starting from the next scroll or tried for two more jackpots, the result was ultimately a success.
"What should I do... Should I just stick with Orc Warriors, or should I open the remaining two?"