Weakest Summoner

Chapter 5: The Second Summon

The dungeon exploded with blue light.

Kael stood at the center of the ancient chamber with one hand raised.

A summoning circle spread beneath his feet.

It was unlike the simple ritual circle he had used during his Awakening.

This one was enormous.

Ancient symbols rotated around its edges.

Runes floated in the air.

And at its center was the image of a crown surrounded by beasts.

The Ironroot Guardian stopped.

Its crimson eyes fixed on Kael.

Luna stood beside him, growling.

Ronan struggled to rise.

“What is he doing?”

Mira stared at the summoning circle.

“I don't know.”

Gareth lowered his bow.

“This isn't ordinary Summoning magic.”

The ancient spirit of Aurelius smiled.

“Begin.”

Kael swallowed.

His entire body trembled.

He didn't understand what he was doing.

But the system had given him a choice.

And he had chosen.

A new notification appeared.

---

Emergency Summoning Initiated.

Target: Ironroot Guardian

Required Material: Compatible Monster Core

Available Core: C+ Unknown Beast

Compatibility: 71%

Warning:

The resulting creature may differ from the original species.

Proceed?

YES / NO

---

Kael stared at the final question.

He didn't hesitate.

“YES.”

The summoning circle erupted.

BOOOOOOM!

Blue energy shot toward the Ironroot Guardian.

The creature roared.

It charged.

Kael raised his hand.

“Stop!”

The guardian froze.

For one impossible second, its enormous body remained suspended in the air.

Then black energy began pouring from its armor.

The creature screamed.

Its body started breaking apart.

Ronan's eyes widened.

“What the hell is happening?”

Mira covered her face from the energy storm.

“It's being dismantled!”

Kael stared.

The guardian's body dissolved into thousands of glowing particles.

Its armor disappeared.

Its six legs vanished.

Its crimson eyes turned into streams of red light.

Everything was pulled toward the summoning circle.

Then—

Silence.

The chamber became completely dark.

Kael lowered his hand.

A small glowing object floated before him.

A crystal.

The system appeared.

---

Monster Essence extracted.

Original creature destroyed.

New summon formation beginning.

---

The crystal cracked.

CRACK.

A pulse of energy spread across the chamber.

CRACK.

Another.

Then—

BOOM!

The crystal exploded.

A creature emerged.

At first, it was only a shadow.

Then the light disappeared.

Kael stared.

A wolf stood before him.

But this wasn't Luna.

Its body was larger.

Its fur was black with dark-blue markings.

Two curved horns grew from its forehead.

Its eyes glowed crimson.

A long, armored tail moved slowly behind it.

Kael opened his mouth.

“That's…”

A status window appeared.

---

New Summon Created

Abyssal Iron Wolf

Species: Mutated Summoned Beast

Rank: C

Level: 1

Strength: 42

Agility: 31

Vitality: 48

Intelligence: 14

Mana: 60

Skills

Ironhide

Creates a powerful defensive layer over the body.

Abyssal Fang

A bite attack capable of damaging creatures several ranks above the user's level.

Dark Roar

Releases a shockwave infused with dark mana.

Regeneration

Slowly restores physical damage.

Summoner's Bond

Strength increases according to the Summoner's growth.

???

Locked.

---

Kael couldn't speak.

The creature slowly lowered its head.

It looked at him.

Kael felt something inside his mind.

Not words.

A feeling.

Recognition.

Loyalty.

The creature was waiting for his command.

Kael cautiously extended his hand.

The Abyssal Iron Wolf lowered its head further.

Kael touched its forehead.

The system appeared.

---

Contract established.

Abyssal Iron Wolf has accepted Kael Arven as its Summoner.

Summoning Slot #2 occupied.

Bond Level: 1%

---

Kael smiled.

“Welcome.”

The wolf opened its mouth.

A low growl escaped.

Luna immediately walked forward.

She sniffed the new creature.

The Abyssal Iron Wolf looked at her.

For several seconds, neither moved.

Then Luna barked.

The Abyssal Iron Wolf lowered its head.

Kael blinked.

“Are you two already getting along?”

Luna wagged her tail.

Kael laughed.

“Good.”

Then the ground shook.

Everyone remembered the real problem.

The guardian was gone.

But the dungeon itself had reacted to the summoning.

Aurelius looked toward the ceiling.

“The seal has broken.”

Kael frowned.

“What seal?”

The ancient spirit didn't answer.

Instead, he looked at the newly summoned Abyssal Iron Wolf.

“That creature should not exist.”

Kael looked confused.

“You created it.”

“No.”

Aurelius's expression became serious.

“You did.”

---

The Guardian's Final Secret

The chamber began collapsing.

Stone rained from the ceiling.

Ronan raised his shield.

“We need to get out!”

Gareth shouted:

“There's another passage!”

He pointed toward the eastern wall.

A c***k had opened.

Mira helped Ronan stand.

“Move!”

Kael recalled the Abyssal Iron Wolf.

The creature dissolved into dark particles and entered his summoning mark.

Kael stared.

“You can return to my shadow?”

A notification appeared.

---

Summon recalled.

Abyssal Iron Wolf is now resting in the Summoning Realm.

Summoning Realm unlocked.

---

Kael's eyes widened.

“Summoning Realm…”

Aurelius watched him.

“You will understand later.”

Kael frowned.

“You keep saying that.”

The ancient spirit smiled.

“Because you are not ready.”

Kael was about to respond when—

BOOM!

A massive piece of stone crashed between them.

The ancient spirit flickered.

Kael reached toward him.

“Wait!”

Aurelius looked at him.

“Remember this.”

His voice echoed through the chamber.

“Never allow anyone to convince you that you are weak.”

Kael froze.

Aurelius continued:

“The world fears what it cannot control.”

His body began disappearing.

“Your summons are not your weapons.”

Kael stared.

“They are your companions.”

The spirit vanished.

The chamber went dark.

Kael stood silently.

Then Luna nudged his hand.

Kael looked down.

He smiled.

“Let's go.”

---

The Hidden Corridor

The group ran through the eastern passage.

Behind them, the chamber collapsed.

They ran for several minutes before reaching a large underground hall.

The walls were covered with ancient murals.

Mira stopped.

“Wait.”

She pointed toward the wall.

Everyone looked.

The mural showed a man standing beneath a crown.

Around him were dozens of monsters.

Dragons.

Wolves.

Giants.

Serpents.

Birds.

Even creatures that Kael had never seen.

But the most interesting part was the final image.

The man was not controlling the monsters.

He was standing beside them.

Ronan stared.

“This doesn't look like Summoning magic.”

Kael walked closer.

At the bottom of the mural was a sentence written in an ancient language.

Kael couldn't read it.

But the moment he touched the wall—

the system translated it.

---

“The true Summoner does not command life.”

“The true Summoner gives life another form.”

---

Kael stepped backward.

“What does that mean?”

Mira shook her head.

“I don't know.”

Gareth stared at Kael.

“You do.”

Kael looked at him.

“No.”

Gareth narrowed his eyes.

“You're lying.”

Before Kael could answer, the dungeon shook again.

A deep rumble came from below.

Ronan looked at the floor.

“That's not a collapse.”

“What is it?” Mira asked.

Gareth slowly raised his bow.

“Something is moving.”

---

Beneath the Dungeon

Far beneath the first floor, something enormous opened its eyes.

It had been sleeping for centuries.

Chains covered its body.

Ancient magical seals surrounded its prison.

One of the seals suddenly shattered.

CRACK.

The creature lifted its head.

A voice echoed through the darkness.

“The successor…”

Another seal broke.

“…has awakened.”

The creature smiled.

“And he carries the First Summoner's mark.”

---

Back on the First Floor

Kael opened his status.

Something had changed.

---

Kael Arven

Class: Summoner

Rank: F

Level: 5

Strength: 12

Agility: 13

Vitality: 11

Intelligence: 15

Mana: 42

Summons

Luna — Azure Fang Wolf

- Rank: E+

- Level: 7

- Bond: 20%

Abyssal Iron Wolf

- Rank: C

- Level: 1

- Bond: 1%

Skills

- Summoning

- Shared Growth

- Shared Senses

- Monster Archive

- Summoning Realm

---

Kael stared at the two names.

Luna had been his first companion.

The Abyssal Iron Wolf was his first powerful summon.

But he could feel that something was missing.

His class still said:

F-Rank.

Kael frowned.

“Why am I still F-Rank?”

Mira looked at him.

“What?”

“My rank.”

“You defeated a C+ monster and created a C-Rank summon.”

“So?”

“You're still technically an F-Rank adventurer.”

Kael sighed.

“That's ridiculous.”

Gareth laughed.

“Maybe the guild is afraid to promote you.”

Kael looked at him.

“Why?”

Gareth's smile disappeared.

“Because they don't know what you are.”

---

The Return

Several hours later, the group finally reached the dungeon entrance.

The stone doors opened.

Sunlight flooded the corridor.

Kael stepped outside.

He took a deep breath.

They had survived.

The Ironroot Dungeon had been cleared.

At least the first floor.

Ronan looked at Kael.

“You saved us.”

Kael shook his head.

“We all fought.”

Ronan smiled.

“You summoned the thing that saved us.”

Kael glanced at his hand.

The summoning mark glowed faintly.

Luna stood beside him.

“She's the one who saved me first.”

Ronan nodded.

“Then you have a good team.”

Kael smiled.

“Yes.”

Mira approached.

“Kael.”

He looked at her.

“I need to ask you something.”

“What?”

“When that second creature appeared…”

She hesitated.

“What exactly did you summon?”

Kael thought about the question.

Then he answered honestly.

“I don't know.”

Mira stared at him.

For some reason, that answer frightened her more than anything else.

---

Elarion Adventurer's Guild

The party returned to the guild that evening.

The officials were waiting.

One of them stood immediately.

“You cleared the first floor?”

Ronan nodded.

“Yes.”

“And the Ironroot Guardian?”

Gareth answered.

“Defeated.”

The official looked surprised.

“How?”

Everyone looked at Kael.

Kael sighed.

He already knew what was coming.

The official turned toward him.

“You summoned another creature.”

“Yes.”

“What rank?”

Kael hesitated.

“C.”

The guild hall erupted in whispers.

“A C-Rank summon?”

“Impossible!”

“He's F-Rank!”

“How did he get it?”

The official stared at Kael.

“Show me.”

Kael opened his summoning menu.

The Abyssal Iron Wolf appeared.

The guild crystal activated.

Blue light filled the room.

The result appeared.

---

Summoned Creature

Abyssal Iron Wolf

Rank: C

Classification: Unknown

Origin: Unknown

Creation Method: Unknown

---

The guild official's face became pale.

“Unknown origin…”

He looked toward another official.

“Send a message to the capital.”

The second official nodded.

“To whom?”

The first official whispered:

“The Royal Academy.”

Kael heard him.

His expression changed.

“What does the Royal Academy want with me?”

The official looked at him.

“Nothing.”

Kael knew immediately that he was lying.

Then—

DING!

A system notification appeared.

---

Hidden Quest Unlocked

The First Summoner's Legacy

Objective: Discover the truth behind the ancient Summoner.

Progress: 1/7

Reward: Unknown

Failure: Unknown

---

Kael stared at the message.

Seven.

There were seven hidden objectives.

He closed the window.

Nobody else could see it.

Outside the guild, the sun disappeared beyond the horizon.

Kael looked toward the distant mountains.

Something was waiting for him.

Something ancient.

Something that knew his name.

And somewhere beneath the Ironroot Dungeon, the creature imprisoned for thousands of years began breaking its chains.

CRACK.

One chain shattered.

CRACK.

Another.

A deep voice echoed through the darkness.

“Come, little Summoner.”

Two crimson eyes opened.

“Bring your army.”

......