The Dimensional Summon
I muttered to myself in a daze, “No more… it won’t fall… ugh!”
“What the heck is this…”
I stared blankly at my phone.
There were already dozens of posts.
Countless YouTube videos had flooded in with thousands of comments.
“Ah… he must’ve filmed yesterday’s fight and uploaded it.”
I had figured it would get out eventually.
But I never imagined I’d become famous overnight.
It felt strangely burdensome.
I would’ve preferred if I had some power worthy of this kind of spotlight.
“…I’m just a non-Awakened who chops things up with a sword.”
It helped that the opponent was weak.
Goblins were the weakest monsters out there.
Even if it had been an Ogre or a Werewolf, I wouldn’t have been able to fight alone.
“Ugh… it was just noisy.”
Ten years had passed and South Korea still loved trends.
It would probably stay popular for a moment, then disappear.
Until then, I’d live quietly.
I thought that and stood up.
“Ah… I slept so well for once. Hmm?”
I stretched my arms and noticed a large bundle on the entrance table.
It reminded me of the reward I received after clearing the gate yesterday.
“Here’s your share, sir.”
“What is this?”
“Heh, look at this. You don’t know? It’s mana stone. This is money.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you? You were the one who cleared it safely. Seven-tenths of the mana stones from this gate belong to you.”
“Seven-tenths?”
“That’s already reduced. Everyone wanted to give you more, but I stopped them because they said your fighting spirit inspired them.”
The guild master handed me the bundle and went home.
I hadn’t had time to check the contents because I was too tired yesterday.
I opened the bundle out of curiosity and found a pile of dark, glowing stones inside.
“This… is a mana stone?”
Mana stones were the main energy source in the other world.
In this world, they were discovered in monsters and gates.
“Were these monsters really from the other world?”
The mana stones in front of me confirmed my suspicion.
I had no solid proof, so I couldn’t know for sure.
I let the thought drift away and stood up.
“Well, I can sell these and make money.”
***
The Mana Stone Exchange.
It was like a gold exchange, trading physical mana stones for cash.
Since mana-using Awakened appeared, this world had advanced rapidly with mana-based civilization.
The energy source, mana stones, now held more value than gold.
“Oho, you look young but gathered this many. Hmm!”
The middle-aged man at the shop scanned my face and the bundle.
“Heh, lucky you won the jackpot.”
“Hmm…? You know, you reminded me… isn’t this the non-Awakened who solo cleared the gate near here yesterday?”
My face had already spread.
The shop owner studied my photo carefully, then checked it against the video on his phone.
“Yeah, yeah! My goodness, a celebrity came to my store~”
It was quite a fuss.
I gave a vague reply and moved on.
“Heh… it wasn’t just me. Thanks to other Awakened helping.”
“Aigoo! From the video, it looked like you did it almost solo! The others nearby were just extras?”
The owner traded the mana stones while saying that.
“Let me see… 100 million won.”
“…”
He sorted through them and suddenly said 100 million.
“100 million? These mana stones.”
“This amount… that’s worth that much?”
“Ehh? You don’t know current prices.”
He gestured to today’s mana stone price.
It was roughly 100 million.
“Insane… 100 million just for clearing a D-rank gate?”
Normally, only guild members got paid based on contribution.
But the guild master who fought with me yesterday calculated 70% for me.
“The money’s in your account. Check it.”
[Cash deposited. Amount: 99,000,000 won]
He deducted 1% fee, and 99 million sat in my account.
“Thank you, boss!”
“Thank you? You earned it.”
My head lowered automatically.
With this money, I didn’t need to work day labor for a while.
I could live comfortably without spending wildly.
“Chicken? How many birds? Hehe.”
I laughed foolishly and stepped out of the shop.
“Well, I’ll be going. I’ll bring more mana stones next time.”
“Yep. Just don’t push yourself too hard! I know you’re not ordinary, but you’re a non-Awakened.”
“Alright.”
Non-Awakened sometimes wandered near gates hoping to collect mana stones that monsters dropped.
Many died that way and the news covered it often.
The owner was probably worried I’d get too ambitious and end up dead.
But that wouldn’t happen.
“My current level is the best I know.”
D-rank or below was appropriate for me now.
Higher was impossible.
Yesterday I cleared the D-rank gate only thanks to the other Awakened’s help.
If I had tried alone, it would’ve been dangerous.
The sword I borrowed yesterday was an artifact that extracted mana from mana stones for monster hunting.
With normal weapons, I couldn’t even scratch them.
“Too bad. If I could use 10% of my hero powers…”
I could smash A-rank gates too.
It was a bit sad, but I gave up.
For now, I had money.
I’d enjoy myself.
When I got tired, I’d buy an artifact and hunt mana stones at D-rank gates.
It was risky, but nothing was risk-free.
Gate hunting was the same.
***
On the way back from the exchange, I stopped at a chicken restaurant.
I bought the most popular menu for a 100 million win, added extra sides, and packed beer properly.
“Best home food ever.”
I opened a beer can, took a long sip, and tore off a chicken leg while turning on the TV.
The screen showed a calm announcer.
“Currently, Mir Guild Awakened are facing off against a monster swarm that crossed the ceasefire line. Guild Master Han Dae-jin is personally directing the operation…”
The screen switched to a live view from a helicopter.
Blue-armored Awakened fought monsters with lion bodies and eagle heads.
“Hmm… a Griffin, right? Tough one. The number one guild really is different.”
The Mir Guild.
I had seen news about their operation against monsters invading from the north.
This must be the live broadcast.
“Clearly a higher level than yesterday’s Awakened.”
Just a glance showed their high skill.
They moved with perfect coordination, proving a solid command system.
Individual strength looked strong too.
Among them, Han Dae-jin stood out.
I sipped my beer as the buzz started.
“I used to fight like that in the other world.”
The past life of a hero flashed in my mind.
Hardships always look beautiful in hindsight.
It was tough then.
Now I saw it as just memories and experience.
“…It doesn’t feel real. I went to that world. And came back.”
Ten years there.
Only a few months after returning.
It felt like a distant dream.
The screen showed Awakened protecting each other and fighting monsters.
“Mir Guild indeed. Every member is at least A-rank…”
The announcer’s voice rose with excitement.
I thought of my companions.
They were probably living well.
No demons, no wars.
Living in peace.
“If only one could come to our world…”
The companions I raised for ten years.
When I defeated the Demon King, each was the strongest on the continent.
I even gave them the title of hero.
Now the problem was this world.
“Why today?”
I thought I’d forget and start over when I returned.
But I suddenly wanted to see their faces.
“With them, I could wipe out any monsters, even from Earth.”
Peace and mana stones would follow.
I had decided to hunt monsters for money.
It would be wonderful if I could summon them too.
Sit back, protect peace, earn money.
As I got drunk and daydreamed while eating chicken.
Suddenly, a system window appeared before my eyes.
[Congratulations. You have awakened.]
[ Mana will now flow through your body.]
“Huh?”
The system window floated in front of the TV.
It said I had awakened.
A strange sense of familiarity enveloped me.
“This… is mana?”
It wasn’t the buzz.
It was the mana I had used endlessly in the other world.
[Skill acquired. Dimension Summon]
The only skill I had, Dimension Summon.
My gaze naturally went to the explanation.
[Dimension Summon LV 1]
- Mana consumption: 10
- Allows summoning beings from other dimensions via contract.
- Summoned beings can only act within 100 meters of the caster.
- Currently summonable beings: 1
“No way. This would’ve been useful yesterday…”
I suffered alone against goblins and giant goblins, but it awakened now.
The timing wasn’t great, but awakening was awakening.
And the skill was summoning.
It was exactly what I expected from the world I returned from.
“This… can I summon my companions?”
A mix of expectation and excitement.
I used the skill immediately.
“Dimension Summon.”
[Skill activated.]
[Searching for a being from a compatible dimension.]
[…Activity history from another dimension exists.]
[Recruiting a being connected to the caster from that dimension.]
Messages flashed rapidly on the system window.
If another dimension, then the one I was in.
Was I really expecting this?
[…A being from another dimension accepted the contract.]
[Summoning beginning.]
Flash—!!
With the final message, the system window glowed.
Instead of the window, a human figure appeared.
“Who… who came?”
As the light faded, a clear silhouette appeared.
Golden hair scattered by brilliant sunlight.
Plate armor unlike this world.
The Sovereign Sword I had gifted her once.
“Elysia?”
My first disciple and companion—Elysia.
Elysia slowly opened her eyes, looked around, and spotted me.
“You are…?”
My body jolted.
Was she not recognizing me?
My body and face were different in the two worlds.
It was possible she wouldn’t recognize me.
But my worry was groundless.
“Master… right?”
“Y-Yeah. Long time no see, Elysia.”
Before I finished,
Elysia suddenly burst with emotion.
“Master!! Hwaaang—!! I missed you so much… ugh… I missed you!!”
She stared at my face and let tears and snot flow.
She rushed into my arms.
And naturally buried her face in my chest.
“Now… hic… never again… never… leave… ugh… I won’t leave…!”
She clutched my clothes tightly, refusing to let go.