New Family Members (1)
The Guardian Stone Slab has been activated!
When I summoned Popo.
There was only one stone slab that glowed.
Popo emerged from it.
"Huh?"
I approached in one step.
And I was surprised once again.
Why?
"There are two."
Two stone slabs were glowing.
One large, one small.
I didn't know the difference.
But one thing was clear.
This time, two guardians might be summoned.
Minimum level 25 confirmed.
The second guardian, Mana-Driven Combat Golem, awakens from its long slumber.
The third guardian, Luminas Har, awakens from its long slumber.
"...!"
My guess was right!
Brilliant golden light burst from both stone slabs, and new beings appeared before me.
Thud!
A pitch-black figure emerged with a single streak of darkness.
Its form was made of black iron and magic metal, fully encased in armor engraved with magic runes.
The armor's surface looked like ancient metal, but a red mana glow flowed endlessly within, and a faint energy core pulsed at its chest like a heart.
Its face was an expressionless helmet shape.
Deep-set eyes burned with ceaseless red mana flames, and a dragon emblem was etched above its head.
It exuded an overwhelming, oppressive destructive power, as if awakened from ancient legends!
"But..."
My eyes narrowed.
"Why is it so small?"
It didn't even reach my knee.
This tiny thing was a mana-driven combat golem?
Still, judging by appearances alone was premature.
This was the Dragon's Lair.
Even an ant-sized creature might display Herculean might.
No jumping to conclusions!
"Hello. Nice to meet you."
I greeted it first.
Keron...
Pssshhh!
It uttered a single mechanical sound.
Then the red light in its eyes went out.
Like an electronic device unplugged!
"..."
I blinked and poked it.
No response.
Was it really powered off?
Why couldn't I see its level or name?
Come to think of it, Popo's info appeared about five minutes later, after the "Guardian contract inherited" message.
"Powered off, so no contract inheritance?"
I let out a dry chuckle.
Guardian contract with the strongest and most vicious strategic magic weapon, Archeron, has been inherited.
"...!!"
My eyes widened in shock.
Lv251?
Really Lv251?
I rubbed my eyes and checked again.
Still Lv251.
"Whoa..."
Insane!
I was too stunned to speak.
I knew levels over 100 existed from Popo.
But suddenly a Lv200+ being appeared, leaving me speechless.
At Lv251, it could conquer Earth even ant-sized.
This was the Dragon's Lair, after all.
Don't judge by appearances!
"But why isn't it moving?"
It looked completely shut down.
Was this normal?
I couldn't figure it out.
For now, move it next to Dania.
"Ah!"
Before that.
I turned and scanned the area.
Two guardians were summoned this time.
One was Archeron.
Where was the other...?
"Hm?"
A fist-sized golden furball behind Archeron.
"No way..."
Was that it?
I approached the furball and crouched.
Then poked it with my index finger.
Poke!
"Chu!"
!!!
I nearly fell on my butt.
"Churu-!"
What sound was that?
I stared down at the golden furball in my awkward stance.
Shiiiine-!
A soft golden glow emanated from the small bundle, as if absorbing light.
Wiggle!
The furball slowly unfurled.
Like a flower blooming, soft golden fur parted gently.
Poof!
A round little body emerged.
Whoa.
A familiar sight.
It looked just like the hamster I raised as a kid.
"Chuchu!"
Its cry made tiny ears twitch.
The tips sparkled with golden sheen.
Whoosh!
It lifted its head, scanning around.
Big black eyes peeked through the fur, twinkling like stars in the light.
Full of curiosity. Its tiny nose twitched, sniffing the air.
Poof!
Short legs emerged cautiously from the fur, body fully stretching out.
Small and round.
Golden fur reflected light like a little golden star.
"Chu!"
It spread its adorably pink tiny paws wide, beaming a bright smile.
The air around suddenly felt brighter and warmer.
"Wow."
Its cuteness and charm left my mouth agape unwittingly.
Guardian contract with the all-purpose gatherer of the Luminas Har tribe, Chuchu, has been inherited.
"Whoa..."
This one had an impressively high level too.
If I hadn't seen Lv251 first, I might've fainted.
Ha ha.
It really hit home how insanely high-leveled all the guardians were.
"Chu!"
Chuchu tilted its head at my dazed look.
Right.
"Let's head out for now."
Time to introduce the new family to Dania and Popo.
The frigid Forbidden Zone of the northern hemisphere.
An endless blizzard spread vast silence and menace.
@Grrrrrr-
@Kyaaaaak!
@Kiaaaak! Kiaaaak!
Eerie shrieks like wails pierced the icy gale.
The ground began to rumble.
Thud thud thud!
"They're coming!"
"Damn... A wave right when the General's away."
"We're burying our bones here! We'll hold this line with our souls until the General returns!"
"Ugh, yeah. Die once, die twice—let's do this!!"
Alexei Volkov.
His direct subordinates, the superhumans.
They steeled themselves for desperate resistance until Alexei returned.
The prelude to a life-or-death battle began.
"Kerrrrk..."
"Gah!"
"Kill!!"
"Kyung!"
"Kwaaaak!"
"Damn! Yoroko, that Snow Wolf bit your arm!"
Screams of superhumans and monsters mingled, turning the battlefield to chaos in an instant.
The fierce battle raged for hours.
"Huff, huff."
"Fuck. We really might die here."
"Should've visited my parents last vacation..."
"Damn it! Why think of dying already? Just a bit longer... the General will come!"
The shouting superhuman glanced back.
Toward the inner castle.
Alexei Volkov's location was now a massive ice fortress engulfing even the castle.
An unprecedented phenomenon.
They'd worried at first, but reached one conclusion.
- The General's breaking through the wall.
The reason they were certain?
The chilling mana residue from the ice fortress matched Alexei's.
So they believed.
When that ice fortress crumbled.
A reborn Alexei would emerge.
"Though we'll probably die first."
Harway.
Alexei's right-hand man.
The Lv73 superhuman chuckled bitterly at his blood-soaked, immobile left leg.
"Grrrrrrrr."
A chilling howl.
From the massive Snow Wolf leading this monster wave.
That was the problem.
A normal wave, they could've held without the General for days.
"The waves are getting stronger."
Even if they survived this one.
The next might overwhelm them.
Still, they had to.
They were humanity's first line of defense against these nightmares.
They had to hold with everything they had.
That was their duty.
"Everyone, steel yourselves for death...!"
He raised his voice for battle prep again.
Huh?
The massive ice fortress at the inner castle twitched visibly.
"Wha!"
"The ice fortress!"
No illusion.
All the troops shouted it.
Then.
Fwooooosh!!!!
A pillar of pure white light shot from the ice fortress into the sky.
BOOOOM!!
The ice shattered, revealing a superhuman radiating overwhelming presence.
"Good work, everyone."
Alexei Volkov.
His voice carried a newfound titanic power.
BOOM———!!!
One punch.
A third of the monster wave blanketing the front vanished.
Earth-shaking might!
In that moment.
They all realized.
Alexei Volkov.
Had successfully reached the Lv80 realm called heaven.
That day.
Breaking news flooded from around the world.
News of Alexei reaching Lv80.
Many celebrated like it was their own victory.
Then more breaking news.
Madoje!
He propelled Alexei and Hong Seolhwa to Lv80!
The demonic wall. Lv80.
The legendary realm only heaven permits!
To enable that ascent.
Was Madoje a god?
Thus.
With Madoje revealed as the key to Alexei's Lv80.
Madoje's name exploded as the hottest topic in the superhuman world.
At that moment.
"Kids, say hi. New family members."
I was introducing the newcomers to Dania and Popo.
"Chuchu?"
Chuchu in my arms.
It rustled its golden fur, eyeing Dania and Popo.
"Popo?"
Popo tilted its head.
Then.
"Chuchu?"
Chuchu tilted too.
Left, then right.
Synced perfectly, tilting the same way.
What were these guys doing?
Did they click that fast?
"Chuchu!"
Chuchu hopped from my arms, toddling to Popo.
"Popo-!"
Popo welcomed it with a ∩_∩ smile.
"Chuchu!!"
Chuchu beamed back brightly.
Aww, the cuties were getting along great.
But Chuchu's ability... gatherer, right? What could it gather?
Could it go outside the lair and fetch stuff?
If it could gather seeds like Seondo peaches, that'd be huge.
I glanced at the Seondo sprout.
Oh! Already as thick as my forearm.
Lv36
Already Lv36.
I thought my leveling was fast, but this was untouchable.
I turned and set Archeron, still in my arms, next to Dania.
Kkyu-ung... Ar?
"Huh? You know this guy?"
Kkyu! Yeah. Arkeron! Golem that guards the house!
Oh.
As the lair's owner, maybe.
Dania knew Archeron.
Then perhaps?
"Do you know why it's not working properly?"
Kkyu-ung. Dania knows!
"...!"
Dania even knew why Archeron wasn't moving right.
"If you know how to restart it, tell me?"
Kkyuuu- That's...
"That's?"
My eyes widened at Dania's next words.