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After witnessing Scaly's powerful evolution, my brother and I stood stunned.
"Wait, Tier 5?! The same Tier as Fenrir! And it says I'm his master too?! So Scaly accepted me as well… I had no idea a familiar could have two masters…" I muttered. "Well, I'm flattered. Thank you, Scaly—eugh…"
Before I could finish, a wave of nausea crashed over me. I collapsed into the snow, nearly blacking out. Only the quick gulp of spirit water kept me conscious. Drinking more Mana Potions would only wreck my stomach further, so I let my body regenerate on its own.
"Brun, are you okay?" My brother rushed to my side.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine," I sighed, pushing myself up. "Sorry about that. I get exhausted whenever I evolve something this strong. It drains all my Mana."
"I can tell… I'm sorry for pushing you," he apologized.
"Nah, it's fine. It was my idea," I said with a smile. "Hello everyone, sorry for the commotion. These are our familiars—Fenrir and Scaly! They just evolved. They're still the same loyal guardians, only stronger. They'll protect the village even better now. Ah, and this bird? It's Huginn! Remember my pet raven?"
After explaining the situation and calming the crowd, the three Guardian Beasts drew eager attention. Villagers brought them fresh meat and offered pets and grooming, treating the beasts like kings.
Once we finally slipped away from the crowd, my brother and I headed home. I explained that Scaly had become my familiar as well.
"Oh yeah, I felt it," he said. "My connection with him shifted, and suddenly there was someone else linked to him. That's really rare. Familiars almost never accept more than one master. Scaly must have grown truly fond of you after you helped him grow so much."
"Haha, well, I'm glad," I replied. "He's Tier 5 now too! I wonder if we could fly on them to our destination. It would save us a lot of time."
"I was thinking the same! But… I'm worried about the village. We can't take all three and leave it unprotected. I want Scaly to stay here and guard it while we're gone. I'll feel much more at ease knowing he's watching over everyone. If something truly terrible happens, he can fly people to safety."
"…Right," I nodded. "It would make traveling easier, but protecting the village matters more. Besides, Huginn has Gigantification. Maybe he can grow giant."
"Really?! That would be awesome to see," my brother said.
Once our conversation ended, we made our way to the empty Summoning Sanctuary. I wanted to test the Soul Orb's summoning abilities and recruit some units. Maybe I could evolve them afterward and make them even stronger. The thought excited me.
"Alright, we're here," I said. "Wow, it's already full of dust, huh?"
"Yeah…" my brother replied.
I approached the altar at the center and touched the small crystal ball. The moment my fingers met it, the orb glowed with a brilliant golden light, and the system responded.
[Welcome to the Summoning Sanctuary.]
[Barracks Detected. It is now possible to Summon Units. Maximum Amount of Units Summonable: 0/100]
[Please Level Up both the Summoning Sanctuary and the Barracks to increase the maximum amount.]
[Do you wish to Summon Units?]
"Yes."
[Understood. Do you wish to Summon Available Units or Roll the Random Unit Summon?]
A gacha-style random summon? That brought back memories. Barbarian Conquest was a full game you could buy outright, but special resources also let players roll for unique or powerful units. Real money wasn't an option—the gacha ran purely on in-game currency. Still, players could trade those resources, creating a lively little economy in the early days.
"For now, I'd like to see the available units."
[Understood. Displaying Available Summonable Units.]
[War Wolf – Tier 1] [Cost: 100 SP]
[Wolf Beastman – Tier 2] [Cost: 200 SP]
[Wolf Beastman – Lancelot – Tier 3 (Hero Unit)] [Cost: 1000 SP]
[Sun Lion – Tier 2] [Cost: 250 SP]
[Sun Lion Beastman – Tier 2] [Cost: 250 SP]
[Sun Lion Beastman – Sekhmet – Tier 3 (Hero Unit)] [Cost: 2500 SP]
[Treant – Tier 2] [Cost: 250 SP]
[Dryad – Tier 2] [Cost: 250 SP]
[Gnome Druid – Ellyjobel – Tier 3 (Hero Unit)] [Cost: 2500 SP]
[Available Soul Points: 2,600]
"Okay, so this is what I get…"
Looking at the list, I could immediately tell that this faction was terrible. What even were these units? War Wolves? They were nothing more than Gray Wolves painted red. The Wolf Beastmen were decent enough but offered nothing special beyond their tracking skills. As for their hero, Lancelot, he was competent with a spear and that was about it. From what I remember, he wasn't even stronger than the regular Wolf Beastmen.
Worse still, there were other summonable units that had no place in our tribe: Sun Lions and… Nature Spirits? They must have appeared because of Solaris and Tierra's influence in my territory—an impressive feat on its own.
"Hmmm…"
Still, their cost was outrageous. I only had 2,600 Soul Points, yet they wanted 2,500 for a single Hero Unit? They had to be incredibly powerful, but even so, I doubted they could adequately defend the village.
"What's wrong, Brun?"
My brother looked concerned, but I didn't want to admit the disappointment after hyping up these summons to him.
Hm. I do have Evolution, though. With that trait, I could summon the weaker units and strengthen them myself. Lancelot could also buff other Wolf Beastmen and tribe members. If I evolved him and his companions together, maybe they would become strong enough.
Only one way to find out.
Sorry, Solaris and Tierra. I'll summon your units later when I have more resources.
"Alright, step aside, brother. I'm going to summon quite a few."
I selected Lancelot and several of his units. In the next instant—
FLASH!
A glowing magic circle spread across the altar's wide floor. Massive figures began rising from it as my Soul Points surged out of me and into the summoning ritual.
Six Wolf Beastmen and one hero appeared. To my brother's shock, they were among the most basic and weakest units in the game.
They were towering humanoid wolves standing on two legs, powerfully muscled, with intimidating faces framed by thick gray manes. Sharp golden eyes gleamed beneath crimson auras that flickered around their bodies, accented by streaks of red fur.
Lancelot stood taller and stronger than the rest, though more slender, gripping a crude spear of wood and stone. His eyes were a striking blue.
[You have spent 2600 Soul Points.]
[You have summoned [Wolf Beastman – Tier 2] x6!]
[You have summoned [Wolf Beastman – Lancelot – Tier 3 (Hero Unit)] x1!]
[Hero Units cannot be summoned repeatedly but can be resummoned if slain.]
Hero Units are a special class of powerful units in the game. They can join the player's party as valuable allies, and it's even possible to play as them directly by switching characters. They are far stronger than standard units and possess more skills along with incredible abilities. Above all, they hold the power to boost the parameters of nearby allied units when their types align.
In resume, Hero Units were elite fighters who could join the player's party, be controlled directly, and boost the strength of compatible allied units.
"We of the Crimson Wolfmen Tribe greet the Summoner," Lancelot declared in a deep, commanding voice. He knelt before me, and his warriors followed.
"Thank you for answering my call, Lancelot," I replied, as if greeting an old friend.
"Wow… you really summoned people?" my brother asked, stunned.
"You could call them monsters too," I said. "But yes, these are the summonable units I told you about."
"D-did you guys come from somewhere?" my brother asked, fascinated.
"No. We are Summoned Soldiers," Lancelot answered. "We are memories of ancient warriors given life by the Summoner's power. Living Records."
Even in the game's lore, that was the true origin of summoned units.
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