*Ding!
[System Upgrade: Initiating…]
[System Activated.]
[Choose your summoning]
[Undead] [Demonic] [Celestial] [Elemental] [Prehistoric] [Mechanical] [Constructs]
"Summoner…" he whispered under his breath. And his gaze was fixed on the options laid out before him. "What type of summoner do I want to be, huh?"
As if he knew what to do with operating the system, he pressed on the undead and held for two seconds. A new pop-up opened up, displaying the details.
[Undead]: Summon the undead. For every monster, every human, you generate an undead servant that carries fifty percent of the peak strength that the original body carried. You have complete control over the undead summons.
"Oh… This seems tempting…" Lin Fang's eyes lit up for a second, but then his face darkened, "No, this will only make me a killer. Killing monsters and humans are different. Let's not take this path."
He closed down the window and then clicked on demonic.
[Demonic]: Summon the demons from the underworld to do your bidding. The stronger the demon, the weaker your control and the more corrupted your soul will become.
"No, definitely a No."
[Celestial]: Summon the angels from the celestial realm to do your bidding. The stronger the Angel, the weaker your control over them and the more purified your soul will become, guiding you in the path of celibacy.
"Ugh… celibacy? Seriously… they want me to become a priest or something. Nope."
[Elemental]: Summon the elemental spirits from the spirit realm, depending on your element. Note: Elemental spirits only amplify the user's strength.
"Hmm… more than a summoner, this is like being a hunter, I guess…"
[Prehistoric]: Summon prehistoric animals and use them to do your bidding with absolute control over their minds.
"Hmm… as in dinosaurs? That's cool. No side effects either."
[Mechanical]: Summon futuristic robots and androids to create an army. Note: The androids all carry AGI systems and are hence capable of overriding your authority at any given moment.
"Ugh… this is all going to be like I-robot now. And no one in the world would take it as summoning power. It is easy to get attention from the public and those powerful figures, and I'm not strong enough to face their designs. Nope…"
[Constructs]: Summon Golems and titans from various elements.
"Hmm… this will be a good choice. But there is only one flaw: construct summons are typically land-based. They can't fly or swim. However, it is easier to use them."
Going back to the original notification screen filled with options, Lin Fang stared at them, specifically at two: Constructs and Prehistoric.
"Golems or the dinosaurs. Which one… Hmm…"
After thinking a bit, Lin Fang's finger stretched forward and clicked on one option.
*Ding!
[You chose the Prehistoric summoning ability]
A blinding flash of light filled the screen, but it vanished as quickly as it came. Lin Fang staggered back a step, clutching the side of the desk. He started breathing heavily.
Meanwhile, on his palm, a glowing mark in the shape of a small crescent moon had appeared. It pulsed faintly, golden-white, before it disappeared into him.
While he was still in thought, another screen flickered to life in front of him, followed by a series of notifications.
"Hmm?"
When his eyes fell on them, Lin Fang couldn't help but smile, not just out of habit, but something more.
It was hope. To look forward to the future. To change his fate of being a loser.
[Congratulations. You have received the Newbie Summoner Package.]
[Contents: 1x Direwolf (Summon Token), 1000 Store Coins, 1x 11-Draw Summon Ticket]
[System Feature: Lottery Wheel] – Unlocked
[Inventory] – Unlocked
[Main Quest: Updated]
[Side Quests: Added]
"Oh, a direwolf, right off the bat? This is... finally starting to feel like a proper system."
A new panel appeared, displaying his current quest log as he clicked on the notification, Main Quest-Updated. It redirected him to the Quest Panel entirely.
Main Quest: Bind the System to a store location.
Reward: Exchange Feature
Side Quests:
Side Quest 1: Obtain the first monster. Reward: Summoner's shop unlocked.
Side Quest 2: Raise a monster to Level 10. Reward: 100 coins.
"Based on the main quest, it looks like the system is encouraging me to be a store owner, after all," he muttered, smiling faintly. But then it was momentarily replaced by a frown. "But why does this system care about the store?"
Throwing those time-consuming thoughts away, he proceeded to tap the Direwolf pup summon token glowing in his inventory.
A gentle burst of light erupted in the center of the room, like fireflies converging into form.
And then a small black-furred puppy with a rounder face, short snout, and a pair of oversized eyes materialized in front of him. It blinked with a tilt of its head and let out a tiny sneeze.
"Ack! You little…" Lin Fang burst out laughing at once. "You're too cute!"
The direwolf pup waddled over and sat beside his leg, looking up expectantly.
Lin Fang squatted down, reaching out to its head and caressing its fur. "Alright then. I'll name you… Black."
*Ding!
[You completed Side Quest 1.]
[Summoner's Shop] - Unlocked.
[Side Quest 1 - Updated]
[Monster named: Black]
[Please choose a core attribute for this monster.]
Options Available: [Fire] [Water] [Thunder] [Earth] [Shadow] [Light]
He paused, blinking in surprise, "Hmm? I didn't know that the system was going to offer an element to choose, too. Is it because they originally didn't have any element, as dire wolves used to be normal animals in the past?"
"Fire increases the power. Choosing water or earth element is useless. Thunder is the most optimal for the wolf, and darkness is not a good one. Light and Wolf don't go together, but… it gives you an assurance."
Lin Fang's finger hovered over a couple of options, but in the end, it landed on Light.
*Ding!
[Attribute set: LIGHT]
[New Species: Direwolf added to Shop]
[Growth Pill is added to the Shop]
"Uhh... what? An addition to the summoner's shop?"
Summoner's Shop – (Lv. 1)
Direwolf Egg
Grade: Legendary
Max Level: 50
Cost: 100 coins
*
Growth Pill
Effect: Raises the companion's level by 1–10
Cost: 500 coins.
*
Lin Fang gawked at the sight of the details at once. "Legendary? Level fifty? That's King Tier! The ones I sold before… didn't even reach past twenty! Man, I struck it rich." His heart pounded in excitement. Those low-tier eggs had sat for years in his dusty shop like discounted furniture. Not a single one had this kind of Potential.
He tapped on the Growth Pill for more details.
*
Growth Pill – One-time use
Raises monster level by 1–10 instantly, based on the current level.
Only usable on monsters below Level 30.
Can only be usable on monsters of legendary grade or below
*
"Okay, that's amazing… but I need to be smart." He looked down at Black, who was now attempting to nibble on the corner of the rug. "Maybe I should let you level naturally for now. After all…"
His eyes drifted down to the coin balance: 1000 Store Coins.
Below the coin count was an icon labeled Coin Exchange, but it was grayed out. He tapped it.
[Function Locked.]
[Coin exchange requires Store Binding. Please complete the Main Quest to unlock currency features.]
"So I have to bind the system to a store next. Right..."
He leaned back against the desk, watching the wolf pup roll over and yawn.
"Looks like we're going to need a new shop… one that suits a summoner."
He smiled to himself with renewed energy. All that miserable life he led for years, struggling with debts and relationships, nothing came to his mind. The only thing that is on his mind is to look forward to the future, using every chance to redo his life.
In excitement, he momentarily forgot that he was making someone wait downstairs. When he finally realized, he hurriedly went downstairs to complete the transaction right away.
In the meantime, Chen Yu was already prepared with the electronic contract draft.