The Cursed Seal of Submission
My heart pounded like it did right before pulling a ticket in a mobile game. Except for one key difference from your average gacha pull?
'It's guaranteed to be SSR grade!'
The jackpot was already locked in. I nodded eagerly at the system's question about whether I wanted to hatch the Egg Where the Familiar Sleeps.
And then...
Craaaack!
The gray eggshell resting neatly in my palm began to split. A sponsorship message popped up.
Constellation 'Sung Hyun-sook' watches the moment of life's birth with sparkling eyes!
"Mom too? Me too!"
As the cracking sound grew louder and the fissures widened, a brilliant glow poured out from the shell. It was like the game announcing, Behold, the strongest familiar!
I squinted one eye shut and tilted my head back just as—
Shatter!
The eggshell burst completely, unleashing a blinding light that could sear your retinas. My head throbbed from the sheer intensity, but it didn't feel bad at all. Why? Because—
Woof!
No parent in the world gets upset hearing their baby's first cry.
"Ah..."
I let out a soft, emotional sigh and slowly opened my eyes.
There, right in front of me—
Woof! Woof!
'Egg Where the Familiar Sleeps' has successfully hatched!
'Demonic Wolf, Cheonrang' recognizes you as its master!
A fluffy white puppy wolf, small enough that standing on hind legs it might reach my calf, trotted toward me with adorable barks. Cheonrang's grape-like eyes sparkled wide, its thick, bushy tail wagging furiously.
This little guy would be my comrade-in-arms, braving life and death together... or so I'd thought. But nah.
"You're cuteness overload for this world, aren't you?"
Constellation 'Sung Hyun-sook' is melting away!
Woof!
Whiiiine...
"What are you? For real."
I could say with certainty: in my twenty-odd years of life, including my past one, I'd never worn a smile so wide and stormy in a dungeon.
Unlike when you first met, 'Sung Hyun-sook' is secretly thrilled at how small it is!
"...Secretly thrilled? What even is that. Anyway, it's normal, Mom. Didn't I tell you once? 'Familiarization' doesn't revive familiars exactly as they were—it's more like granting them a new life."
In short, they start from the juvenile stage and gradually grow to their adult form. To see that majestic, explosion-of-coolness mega-wolf from the temple, I'd have to wait a bit.
"But that's not bad. It means I can influence its growth from the juvenile stage. Depending on how I raise it, it could end up even stronger than in its previous life. Easily."
Before regression, Cheonghyeon’s flame buffalo familiar had been a case like that. And naturally, I'd raise this one to be way stronger than the Cheonrang I knew.
Far tougher and cooler than when that legion commander bastard abused it.
"You hit the jackpot with your master, buddy."
Whiiiine...
The pup sidled up and rubbed its cheek against my leg. This sly little thing—was it acting cute on purpose?
"Yeah, yeah. I'm your master... Ack!"
My heart hurt so much I thought I'd cough up blood if I kept talking. Time to check its status first.
Skills: ∃∀ФЙŒ Sentiment
Cheonrang is overjoyed to meet its new master!
It looked like a fluffball that'd flop over in a gust of wind, but its stats rivaled a decent B-rank player. With base stats like these, what would it be like fully equipped with familiar gear later?
Perfect. As expected from the king of Wild Island.
Great, but...
"...Why's the skill status like this?"
It was written in total gibberish, like alien script. What the hell?
"Hey, you. Your skills look weird."
Whiiiine?
It tilted its head with big round eyes, like Why ask me?
...No point talking to it.
"If there were no skills, it'd say so. Not display alien crap like this..."
Whiiiine...
I petted its cotton-candy fur to shake off the unease—
Grrr! Grrr!
A monstrous growl shattered the golden healing time. Two red goblins emerged from the bushes.
Perfect timing.
"Looks like it's time for my cute familiar's historic debut."
Whiiiine?
With those stats, two red goblins were chew toys. Did its animal instincts pick up on what I wanted? It locked eyes firmly, like Just give the order!
I pointed at the goblins and yelled.
"Go bite 'em!"
Kyah!
With a cute battle cry... it charged on tiny legs.
Constellation 'Sung Hyun-sook' clutches her heart and drops to one knee!
"It's lethally cute, but blood's about to fly soon, Mo—"
Thwack!
It got hit by a goblin's club and tumbled across the ground.
Yelp!
"Puppy?!"
If reality were a comic, my eyes would be bugging out. What?! Why'd you get hit?!
'C-Completely off-guard?'
Yeah. Born just ten minutes ago—first fight, bound to be clumsy. But its essence was the ultimate wolf. One hit should wake it up for a counterattack—
Thwack! Thwack!
Yeeelp!
"Why are you just taking hits, pup?!"
Cheonrang sprang up and glared fiercely at the goblins.
...And just glared.
It looked like it wanted to kill them but was bound by invisible chains, frozen solid.
"What the hell's wrong..."
Don't just watch—go save it now! 'Sung Hyun-sook' screams!
"I was gonna anyway!"
Stake your life if you must—save that child! 'Sung Hyun-sook' glares coldly!
...Was this the same mom who opposed getting a dog before?
Anyway. I shredded those two red goblins in a way too gruesome for words.
Whiiiine...
"You idiot! Why just glare—why no counter?!"
I scooped it up, bawling like the world had ended. Seeing it tremble and gaze at me shattered my heart to pieces.
Constellation 'Sung Hyun-sook' sends sponsorship to 'Our son♡'!
Sponsorship List: Supreme Recovery Potion
"Hang on! I'll make all the pain go away!"
Lightning-fast, I uncorked the potion and doused its battered body. For severe wounds, pouring it directly heals faster than drinking.
Soon...
Whimper...
Life returned to its eyes, and it grinned, nuzzling into my arms. I aged ten years...
"You definitely have issues."
Alien skill display, frozen against goblins—Familiarization didn't apply right.
'But the system said hatching succeeded?'
Hatching fine, but Familiarization separate? No clear cause anyway.
"What do you think, Mom...?"
Constellation 'Sung Hyun-sook' has invited a Guest!
"Mom?"
Wait. I'd seen this message before.
Constellation 'Sung Hyun-sook' opens the chat window for Raising Inferior Spirits!
The invited constellation starts chatting while hiding its true name.
Same as when I vowed to cure that holy beast's grandma. The guest was Self-Proclaimed Saint then. Who now?
Strongest Druid: Nice to meet you, son of the noble warrior.
...Druid? Familiar word. Like with the saint, I awkwardly bowed to thin air.
"Uh, hi..."
Strongest Druid: What a polite young man. Must take after his mother's gentle nature.
Mom brought a constellation with heavy lip service...
Strongest Druid: As a druid who reveres nature and loves animals, I had to come. Not to impress Hyun-sook at all—don't misunderstand.
I wasn't misunderstanding, but now I am.
Didn't the guy who 'reveres nature and loves animals' mope for days after getting rejected by a taken woman? 'Sung Hyun-sook' glares!
Strongest Druid: Hyun-sook! Not in front of your son... I have dignity, please...
Anyway. Let's check the pup's state.
Silence hung for a moment.
Strongest Druid: Hm... Indeed. Not in great shape.
"N-Not great? It looks fine on the outside..."
Strongest Druid: The 'outside' is fine. Flawless flesh. The problem's 'inside'.
"Inside...?"
Strongest Druid: Yes. The soul. You seem to have tried familiarizing it by infusing special power into its soul...
I glanced anxiously at Cheonrang, waiting.
Strongest Druid: There's an impurity in its soul blocking power flow. Like a boulder in a stream.
"Impurity..."
Strongest Druid: Precisely, a Seal of Submission etched deep in the soul. A brand, essentially.
Strongest Druid: It can't unleash power or act aggressively toward non-humans without its previous master's orders.
I barely followed half, but that half clicked something.
"So the one who branded it is its previous master?"
Strongest Druid: Correct. Etching a Seal of Submission that deep... Not affection, blatant abuse. Infuriating as one who reveres nature's order.
Me too. Damn bastards. What'd they do to this pup?
"Any way to fix it?"
Strongest Druid: There is. Removing the seal isn't impossible. But...
"But?"
Strongest Druid: The one with deepest bond must enter its soul realm directly. Currently, that's you—no question.
Strongest Druid: Problem: Must be in soul form. I can separate body and soul temporarily, but...
The hesitation meant risks.
"It's fine. Tell me."
Strongest Druid: ...Removing the seal is grueling. Severe soul damage could lead to unpredictables: empty shell forever, or mindless monster.
Empty shell. Mindless monster. Horrors worse than death.
But, "I won't abandon it over unknown risks."
I'd decided that. "I risked my life to make it my familiar."
Backing out now wasted all the suffering. And Cheonrang was worth the risk.
Pre-regression, unleashed from the temple, it toyed with three S-rank players. Chance to have that as my ally this life? Crazy to pass over some vague risk.
Strongest Druid: ...Now I see why Hyun-sook bragged about her son to other constellations.
"...Bragged about me?"
Strongest Druid: Yes. Nicknamed 'Ultimate Dad-Bragger' among some...
Enough nonsense—do your job! 'Sung Hyun-sook' warns with a sinister smile!
Strongest Druid: ...I'll open the path to the Worship Tree now. Hold the child and cross when it appears.
This guy's nice but pitiful. Image of Mom grabbing his collar while helping me...
Anonymous Guest sponsors item, 'Key to the Worship Tree'!
Like the Sanctuary Ticket from the saint. Difference: ticket then, key now.
I grabbed the floating wooden key and turned it.
Crackle!
Space tore, revealing a gate to the back dimension—like entering the sanctuary.
As I picked up the pitifully shining Cheonrang to cross—
One thing bugged me.
"How long will this take?"
Hours okay, but days? Problem, with Jin Soo-hyun and Mad Dog to watch.
Strongest Druid: No worry. 1 hour in soul realm = 10 seconds here.
"Then..."
Time no issue. I sighed in relief and stepped through with Cheonrang.
First sight: a towering tree, top lost in infinity. Sole giant in void-black nothingness.
Overwhelmed, I murmured, "The Worship Tree..?"
Strongest Druid: Sit cross-legged before the trunk, hold the child, close eyes. The tree will guide you to the soul realm.
I did. A wistful ache filled my chest—Pop.
A vast wasteland like world's end stretched before me.
You have entered the 'Soul Realm'!
While in the 'Soul Realm', you cannot benefit from items.
While in the 'Soul Realm', you cannot communicate with your sponsoring constellation.
"What?"
...Druid dude? No heads-up on this.
Damn. Unknown space, no items, no Mom chat. Goosebumps.
"...That's why I'm naked."
No Divine Living Armor, no Pandora's Box. Buck-naked soul.
But heavier than usual... Imagination? Or soul realm gravity?
Everything questionable—then,
"Who are you?"
A heavy voice crushed my eardrums from behind. I whipped around.
"...Holy shit."
Even as a soul, the shock nearly evicted mine.