Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Awakening as a Summoner (2)
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How many people wake up in the morning to be greeted by a stunning beauty with enormous breasts dressed in a maid outfit?
Even if you begged your girlfriend for that kind of event, it'd be a tall order—and you'd need a girlfriend like that in the first place.
That's just a fantasy.
But it's not impossible.
At least, compared to the wild imaginings running through my head right now.
"Um."
"Yes, Master."
"Wh-who are you?"
"......."
I'd used polite speech since she was a stranger, but she furrowed her brow as if it deeply offended her.
Even her twisted eyebrows looked beautiful, which made me realize just how crazy I must be—but no matter how I scrutinized her face or figure, I couldn't think otherwise.
She looked like someone you'd see at a cosplay event, the kind with such perfect synchronization that people would whisper, "Real-life Elaine, holy crap."
"Who do you think I am?"
"Elaine Blacksteel?"
"My, you know me well, Master."
"......."
The person herself confirmed it.
At the same time, my gaze involuntarily drifted toward my computer, tablet, and smartphone.
This situation—
"I waited for you to realize on your own to avoid confusing you further, but it seems you'd only get more bewildered if I stayed silent. So, allow me to explain."
Before I could even process the worst-case scenario flashing through my mind, this "Perfect Maid" thrust her face right up to mine.
"I am Elaine Blacksteel, summoned to this world in response to your [Summoning] ability."
"......That."
I cautiously raised my hand toward Elaine.
"I summoned you?"
"Yes. I appeared in response to the ability you awakened: Summoning."
Elaine proudly placed her hand on her chest and puffed up with pride.
"And while you were unconscious, Master, I finished cleaning the entire house."
"?!!?"
I bolted upright in bed without thinking.
"Wh-what...!"
The room was spotless.
The clothes I'd tossed around planning to deal with over the weekend, the cans piled up for later recycling...
It looked just as pristine and clean as when I first moved into this officetel. That's when I remembered this Elaine character's "setting."
The flawless Perfect Maid.
A thorough head maid with no gaps in any field.
And she was—
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ "A '5-star grade' character from the mobile social game." "!!"
As she said with her own mouth, that's exactly what she was.
A second-dimensional being from a game world that couldn't exist in reality.
A character brought to life by an illustrator, 3D modelers coding her form, existing within the confines of a single game.
"Your smartphone was password-protected, so I couldn't use it, but your computer had no password. I borrowed it briefly while you slept."
"Wh-what...!"
"For now, could you turn on the TV... no, open YouTube and check the live news?"
"......."
Was the world conspiring to deceive me?
Was this cosplayer named Elaine just messing with me?
"From your expression, you still don't believe it."
Elaine stood up.
She struck a pose facing the window, forming a V-sign with one hand and pressing it to the side of her eye.
"If that's the case, then—[Cleanliness Death Beam]!"
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Cleanliness Death Beam Annihilates filth with piercing gaze. (In-game ultimate with cut-in)
"Ah, no. Stop."
Just as I stopped Elaine, something golden definitely flashed in front of her eyes.
It was unmistakably her in-game ultimate technique—complete with a cut-in— a ridiculously simple skill that exterminated enemies with her glare.
A legacy character that had once driven severe inflation in the game.
Later overshadowed by new characters amid the power creep, but she maintained her relevance with constant support from specific allies.
And the very first character I'd dumped all my bonus rewards into, fully investing in every equipment tier—a fully geared, fully reinforced beast.
That's the kind of existence she was.
...Calling her a "character" over and over started to feel awkward, even embarrassing.
"Got it. I'll check the news for now. What the hell is going on?"
"While you search, I'll mention lightly: about a million people worldwide have awakened."
"...A million?"
"Yes."
The moment I opened YouTube, instead of algorithm recommendations, I saw a live news channel notification I occasionally watched.
[God's Blessing! 1 Million Awaken Worldwide.]
"...For real?"
"Yes. It's real."
"And I'm one of those million?"
"Yes. It might not be visible to me, but your 'system' should show your awakener number."
"......."
How do I do this?
Say "status window" or something?
Apparently not many awakeners saw it that way, and scanning the live news comments showed no mentions of checking the system—
"Huh?"
Something started flashing on my smartphone.
As if, behind the running apps, another one was signaling— the screen flickered.
Drawn in, I swiped down to the app drawer, and there it was: an unfamiliar app.
Something like a magic circle, sparkling.
'I've seen this somewhere.'
It resembled one of those recent mobile games where you enter another world via the app icon. That one had an eye motif; this had golden wings spread wide.
"...This the one to tap?"
"Yes. If you'll permit, may I check too?"
"You don't need permission..."
"Pardon me."
Elaine slid over and sat beside me.
She pressed her hip right against mine so naturally that a chill ran down my spine.
It felt deliberate, like she was imprinting her "existence" on me firmly.
"...Let's check it out."
Tap.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Welcome, Awakener. Welcome to <Grimmore>. I am the AI supporter assisting you, Awakeners: Alice. A voice I'd never heard before—no, somehow familiar— emanated from it.
Alice.
A suspicious name by any measure, but Elaine's expression beside me was far from normal.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ I understand you're confused in many ways. Sudden awakening must be disorienting. So— "Master."
Elaine covered the smartphone with her hand.
"Allow me to explain."
"...This looks exactly like a system support app."
"I can handle that much. I already have all the info perfectly."
"......For now, just this one check."
Guessing the Grimmore app's UI, I navigated to what should be my profile screen.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 👤 Name: Kim Jin-hyun 📅 Birthdate: October 10, 2002 ⚥ Gender: Male ✨ Ability: 'Summoning' (1/2) 🎭 Position: Summoner (E) An utterly dry, bland profile.
But the info below was exactly what I'd been looking for.
The marker of my ability as an Awakener.
E-rank Summoner.
"I hear others get fantasy names like Warrior, Thief, Archer, Black Mage, Necromancer, Healer..."
"Isn't Summoner plenty fantastical, Master?"
To Elaine's question, I nodded without thinking.
Summmoner.
The one I'd summoned was right here beside me: Elaine.
[Do you have any questions, Master?]
"......."
Elaine gripped the smartphone tightly.
For a moment, I feared she'd crush it with superhuman strength, but it seemed she was just trying to silence the AI. A chill ran down my spine anyway.
"Elaine. Calm down. I'll be in real trouble without this."
I had my old phone, but this was a top-model bought just three months ago—still tons of payments left.
"Let's stay calm. Perfectly, flawlessly."
"...My apologies. I nearly made a mistake without realizing."
Elaine set the phone down.
No cracks, but the faint handprints on the bezels on both sides were surely just my imagination.
"Before we go further, one serious question."
Tap.
I turned off the screen, flopped backward onto the bed, and looked at Elaine.
"Am I your master?"
"Yes."
"For real?"
"Yes. I swear it on the 'Oath of the Stars.'"
Oath of the Stars.
The vow of her clan.
Like the oath on the River Styx in myth.
"Then... you know? That you're..."
I tapped the covered smartphone and opened my mouth cautiously.
"A character from a mobile game."
"Yes."
To my overly careful question, Elaine answered with disarming frankness.
"Because that's your ability, Master. I don't find it strange at all."
"Uh..."
"My ironclad rule is to serve you perfectly, anytime, anywhere. That's the mission given to me."
"I see. But, you know... doesn't that shock you or anything?"
If it were me, I'd be floored.
Summoned to another world, only to learn the world I lived in was inside a game.
What if my world turned out to be something like Heart of Iron or Mary's List, and I was just an NPC in it?
"It could be shocking, but conversely, couldn't you see it this way?"
Elaine made a V-sign with both hands and smiled blankly.
"That I was invited to the creators' world—the world that birthed mine—thanks to the grace of another god: you, my Master."
"......."
"There were many other 'companions,' but only I was specially summoned to your side."
"......Optimistic mindset."
"I'm a Perfect Maid, after all. So..."
Elaine smiled faintly.
"I'll help with everything. Just trust in me, Master. I'll do my utmost."
"Yeah. Thanks. I appreciate it, but."
One thing.
"...What about the others? Not just you?"
"Master?"
Before I could voice my doubt—
"I alone am more than enough to serve you...?"
At Elaine's words, I could only swallow hard.