Elysa's Summoning and the President's Pursuit
Elysa Eugene silently gazed down at Ragiel's corpse. Just moments ago, the bastard had been cackling madly, calling people "sacrifices." Now, he was slumped like a marionette with its strings cut.
...What the hell.
He'd definitely blocked it. He'd been the one controlling the blood wolf. Yet he hadn't expected it to end so anticlimactically. Right as he'd braced for battle, Ragiel had just keeled over.
The surroundings were deathly quiet. The survivors stared back and forth between Eugene and Ragiel's body, barely daring to breathe. Their eyes held more fear than relief.
Eugene furrowed his brow slightly.
At that moment, the ring on his finger vibrated faintly.
Master.
A familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"...Aria?"
Yes. The cleanup is finally done.
"Cleanup?"
A bug tried crawling inside you, so I burned its soul to ash.
"A bug? What are you talking about?"
Exactly what I said. One little bug was trying to burrow into Master. I took care of it.
Only then did Eugene understand why Ragiel had collapsed so pathetically. Given his earlier ravings about possessing bodies, he'd clearly been attempting to infiltrate. Aria must have intervened, incinerating the bastard's soul outright. That explained the result.
Eugene let out a soft breath.
"...So that's possible too, huh."
Master's inner world isn't something just anyone can peek into.
Eugene looked down at Ragiel's corpse again. It felt a bit hollow, but since it was resolved, the outcome wasn't bad.
"Hm...?"
At the spot where Ragiel had died, a familiar yet subtly different energy rippled. It resembled a Polluted Core. But it was clearly something else. A dark crimson glow pulsed like a heartbeat. In form, it was a small crystal akin to a core.
"...A Polluted Core?"
Similar, but not quite.
"Not quite?"
Yes. It's from the same lineage, but the essence differs. If a Polluted Core is an artificial byproduct, this feels more like a fragment infused with some entity's power.
Eugene stared silently at the dark crimson mass. It did resemble a core. But the closer he looked, the more distinct the texture became. It wasn't mere murky corruption. Beyond the pollution, something else was mixed in.
...Power related to that one.
The being Ragiel had obsessively invoked until the end. The source that drove him to madness with talk of sacrifices and apostles. Whatever was contained here was likely a piece of that power.
"So it's dangerous, then."
For an ordinary human, yes. But Master is different. Your stature rivals no one. Just feed it to the shadow like last time.
No reason to doubt Aria's word. Eugene bent down, picked up the fragment, and tossed it toward the shadow at his feet.
Krunch.
The shadow swallowed it whole.
Rose more than I expected.
It spoke to how formidable Ragiel had been.
"...What."
A voice came from behind. Eugene looked up to see the survivors staring at him with stiff expressions.
"Eugene... what are you...?"
Han Ji-hyeok spoke first, blood trickling from his shoulder. He alternated between Eugene and the shadow at his feet, eyes wide with disbelief.
But the words didn't continue. Questions must have piled up. His true identity. Why hide such power. What were that monstrous wolf and shadow. A mountain of curiosities, yet they stuck in his throat.
Park Dojin was the same, heaving ragged breaths without averting his gaze. Kang Mina stared with a mix of fear, relief, wariness, and confusion.
Silence fell.
Han Ji-hyeok broke it. He stood dazed for a moment, then let out a weary chuckle, as if the sheer unreality drew out hollow laughter.
"Ha... for real."
He rubbed his face and met Eugene's eyes squarely.
"Shocked? Hell yeah. Honestly, I still can't process it. But... you saved us. That's fact."
Eugene regarded him silently.
Han Ji-hyeok shrugged.
"Thanks."
Short and sincere.
Park Dojin nodded in agreement. Kang Mina added cautiously,
"Scary's scary... but we owe you our lives, Eugene. Truly grateful."
Silent Lee Hyeon-su lowered his crossbow and nodded.
Eugene watched them. Moments ago, terror had dominated their eyes. Gratitude? This vibe was unfamiliar. He'd even considered abandoning them.
Yet...
Eugene scanned the surroundings. The wounded heaved breaths; bloodstains marred the floor. Spilled water couldn't be recaptured. Threats now wouldn't stop rumors from spreading.
Finding a fix was laughable at this point, but sitting idle wasn't an option. He needed a way. To prevent the rumors.
A way...
One entity flashed in his mind. The guardian who loved butterflies.
Elysa...?
Precisely, Crimson's aide on the first floor. A humanoid guardian specialized in mind, hallucinations, and perception distortion.
Her.
The blood wolf was mighty, but still a beast—top A-rank at best. Guardians differed. That title wasn't handed out lightly; they were heroic representatives of their floors.
And beside such guardians stood aides. Vice-commander equivalents.
The one Eugene needed now was among them. Ruler of the first floor. The blood beast tamer Crimson. And her steadfast aide, Elysa.
Elysa might pull it off.
Blurring memories, twisting perceptions, smashing recollections like dreams. Child's play for her.
But the issue was summoning her. She was elite, a dungeon powerhouse. Yet he couldn't even fully open the dungeon door. Insufficient.
Still.
Eugene paused, then murmured,
"Aria... Can I summon Elysa with my current mana?"
Yes? Why... Elysa, of all people?
Aria stammered—rare for her. The unexpected name had caught her off guard.
"I need her power now. Possible?"
Aria's voice wavered through the ring.
Why, Master? Is my power insufficient...?
"No. I just need Elysa's help right now."
Silence.
Then, cautiously,
Th-that's... impossible. Master's current mana can't sustain a direct summon of Elysa.
Eugene exhaled shortly. As expected. If Aria said no...
"Figured."
Disappointment flickered—then Aria spoke haltingly, after evident internal struggle.
But it's not entirely impossible. If Master truly desires Elysa... I can make it happen.
Eugene's eyes narrowed.
"There's a way?"
Yes. Use that altar.
His gaze shifted to the altar.
The heart of the vile ritual sustained by devouring people.
Plenty of mana lingers there. Channel it, and you can summon Elysa briefly. Simple: Stand atop it and call her name.
"That's it?"
Yes. Just speak her name. But it won't last long.
Silence again.
Eugene eyed the ruined altar and survivors. Killing was off the table. Letting them go as-is? No.
One path remained.
He stepped forward slowly, ascending the crumbled altar. Faint crimson runes glowed beneath his feet.
Someone behind swallowed hard. Eugene didn't turn.
He steadied his breath, then intoned clearly, deeply,
"Elysa."
Instantly, the "dead" altar's runes blazed crimson, spreading like wildfire.
Hummm.
Dark crimson light engulfed the altar. Runes revived one by one, filling the air with cloying blood and eerie incense.
Fwaaah.
Crimson phosphorescence erupted skyward, scattering dozens of butterflies. Wings of blood-red and black. Stunningly vivid—yet impossible to stare at long.
The swarm circled the altar. In the center, a human silhouette slowly materialized.
Dark crimson hair framed violet-glowing eyes. Fitting Crimson's aide: ornate, yet chillingly alien compared to Aria.
As she fully appeared, the air grew heavier.
Han Ji-hyeok's party instinctively gulped. None dared speak. Just gazing made their minds haze.
Elysa raised her eyes slowly. Then knelt on one knee toward Eugene.
"In response to Master's call, I manifest before you. Our Creator."
Her beautiful voice resonated, laced with enchanting laughter.
Late night. Lights still burned in the Awakener Association's central branch president's office.
An urgent report lay open on the desk.
Choi Cheolseung flipped pages curtly.
"Report."
"The incident occurred inside the D-rank gate, Collapsed Quarry, opened for E-rank Awakener exams."
Choi Cheolseung's finger paused.
"An exam gate?"
"Yes. Deep in the quarry, a mass kidnapping. Evidence suggests abduction and sacrifice ritual simultaneous."
"Sacrifice..."
His eyes darkened. Recent spiking disappearances flashed through his mind. Far from calming post-Black Abyss Gate, incidents had surged anomalously.
Most grating: sacrifice cases. Baeksa Guild types snatching people, followed by shady cults. End times, salvation, chosen sacrifices. Mad ravings weren't new—dismissed as usual lunacy.
No longer.
"Casualties."
"Confirmed dead: 10. Survivors: 13, including 3 critical."
Choi Cheolseung turned the page. Collapsed tunnels. Shredded chains. Blood-soaked floors. Half-ruined altar.
"Survivor statements?"
"Odd, sir."
"How."
"All recall abduction via some light. But final phase? Memories wholly blurred. Who destroyed the altar, how they survived—key parts fogged like mist."
Choi Cheolseung's brow furrowed slowly.
"Memory loss..."
Too uniform for trauma. All identical voids. Suspicious as hell.
His secretary stepped forward, finishing the report.
"President. An anomaly in survivor list."
"Anomaly?"
"One stands out: Eugene. An E-rank exam candidate."
"Eugene? Who."
"Yes. Registered E-rank, no priors. But: unawakened until recently. Awakened, straight to exam. Survived Goblin Den irregular. Now this."
Choi Cheolseung took the file silently. Profile: ordinary. Records: not.
Unawakened. Awakened. Irregular survivor. Timeline screamed unnatural speed.
"Yuseorin requested separate investigation on him too."
"Yuseorin?"
"Yes. Pre-official report, she was already probing this Eugene personally."
Room air sank.
Choi Cheolseung eyed the file.
"Reason."
"Unconfirmed."
His hand halted. Irregular survivor. Quarry kidnapping. Yuseorin's target. Eugene.
Plus Baeksa reports of blood wolf traces.
Pieces clicked. His gaze sharpened.
He bolted up.
"President, where—"
"Be right back."
The man the Association had long sought. Black Abyss clearer shrouded in mystery.
Now, prime suspect: Eugene.
No more delays. Secure him before rivals did.