Having built Cat-Dog’s home, it was now time to move on to other tasks.
“Haa, I don’t want to work… I just want to rest…”
Physical labor always proved exhausting.
“…Well, perhaps it’s fortunate that I’m only doing physical work, after all.”
Having played a variety of games, I knew many featured dark storylines.
For instance, there was a game where the surface world was seized by aliens, like NiXX, or one where summer vacation was stolen and a zombie virus spread, leaving the school overrun with the undead, like ZomXXXX School…
What if, by some unfortunate turn, I had entered one of those games with a grim narrative, risking my life in the process?
“If I had been transported into ZomXX… I’d surely be bitten and turned into a zombie the moment I arrived… Ugh… The mere thought sends shivers down my spine…”
Such reflections made me realize how fortunate I was to have entered the world of ‘Everyone’s Summoner’.
…That wasn’t to say I enjoyed physical labor, however.
Of course, ever since I transformed into this body, my strength and stamina had surpassed what I possessed as a man, making work considerably easier and more enjoyable. It was also vastly more comfortable than the tasks I endured in the military.
Yet, when I sparred against my summoned beings, I inevitably lost.
“For a Summoner to be weaker than their own summoned beings, what a completely feeble and useless Summoner I am…”
…Though, to be fair, perhaps it wasn’t that I was a feeble and useless Summoner, but rather that my summoned beings were simply too powerful.
Still, merely lamenting wouldn’t make me stronger than my summoned beings. I needed to snap out of it and get back to work.
“Since Cat-Dog’s home is complete, I suppose I should build Aengmu’s house next, shouldn’t I?”
I planned to construct Aengmu’s house as an Electric-type dwelling.
“This spot should work, right?”
I decided to utilize the expanded land from my previous endeavor.
Oh, and I also decided to expand the next plot of land immediately. This time, it would take 24 hours.
“…Should I just use a Universal Document (TL Note: A rare item that can instantly complete tasks or provide resources)?”
While it was a task that would eventually resolve itself with time, negating the absolute need for the document, the wait was simply too long.
The thought of those two tiny workers merely expanding land for an entire day filled me with a strange sense of guilt.
‘I never gave it a second thought when it was just a game, but seeing them in reality, I can’t help but feel sorry for them…’
I hadn’t even known such beings existed in the first place…
Moving on…
“I don’t know who you are, but you’ve been following me for a while now, haven’t you? What’s your identity?”
While I was conversing with Tsundere, someone had been staring intently at me. Seeing that same individual now pursuing me, it was clear this was some entity targeting me…
“…Kkyu?”
“Huh? A dragon…?”
…Or so I thought, but then I saw an adorable little dragon?
Judging by its appearance, it seemed to be a baby dragon.
“Little one, are you lost?”
“Kkyu? Kkyuu! Kkyu!”
“Where are your parents?”
“…Kkyu? Kkyuu?”
…It seemed we couldn’t communicate.
If it were one of my summoned beings, I would understand what it was saying just by its cries.
However, since this child wasn’t one I had summoned, I couldn’t comprehend its words.
“Is there no way to understand it…?”
“Ah, I found… Summoner-nim?”
“Wandering Merchant? What a coincidence to meet you here!”
“That child, please give them to—”
“No.”
“…Pardon?”
“I said no.”
I refused the Wandering Merchant’s request for the young dragon.
She surely intended to do something ill to the child.
“What do you plan to do with them once you take them away?”
“No… I’m taking them because they’re my child.”
“…Really?”
“Kkyuu! Kkyu kkyu!”
Seeing the little dragon nod its head and attempt to move away from me toward the Wandering Merchant, it seemed to be true.
“Ahem… I seem to have misunderstood. Go on, then.”
“Kkyuu!”
“Yes, yes, my Dora. Come to Mama.”
So, her name is Dora…
Dora is quite a pretty name.
‘At least it’s better than any name I’d come up with…’
“Ah, Summoner-nim, would you perhaps like to raise a dragon yourself?”
“A dragon?”
“I actually have another Dragon Summoning Stone, but I can’t use it myself.”
“Ah, is it because of the rule, ‘[A Summoner cannot summon more than one of the same summoned being]’?”
[A Summoner cannot summon more than one of the same summoned being.]
Even if an incubation stone for an already existing summoned being is placed in the incubator, it only increases the power of the original summoned being, rather than creating an additional one.
One might wonder what good increasing a summoned being’s power does in a game like this, but it allows for acquiring items through combat.
With extreme luck, there’s even a very low chance of obtaining a Universal Document.
…Of course, this was content I rarely engaged with. It wasn’t particularly enjoyable, nor was it necessary unless I specifically needed materials.
Putting that aside, my answer to the Wandering Merchant’s offer of raising a dragon was already decided.
“No, thank you.”
“Alright, then this egg… Pardon?”
“I said no. Dragons didn’t even exist in the first place, did they?”
“Oh my, Summoner-nim, have you forgotten who I am? I’m an entity who knows this world is a game, after all!”
“Yes, and that’s precisely why I’m even more reluctant to accept it. What if it’s a bugged child, or something similar?”
“…If that were the case, wouldn’t Dora here also be abnormal?”
Huh? Is that so?
…Is it really fine? What if this child is actually a bug-generated being, or perhaps even dummy data from a canceled development?
“I understand your concerns about potential issues. However, you needn’t worry, as that’s not the case. The Dragon attribute was only introduced in the most recent update, you see?”
“…What?”
“My appearance before Summoner-nim to deliver this Dragon Lady’s Summoning Stone is also one of the reasons for that.”
“Then why didn’t you just give it to me earlier? Why now?”
“…I forgot while I was delivering daily necessities.”
“…Hey.”
“Ahem, let’s just overlook such a minor detail, shall we?”
I wasn’t sure if it was truly a minor detail, but I decided to let it go for now.
A Dragon Lady… I wondered what she would look like in human form.
“Ah, you’re curious about her human form, aren’t you? Here, I’ll give you the compendium, so you can take a look later.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Receiving the Dragon Lady’s compendium, I immediately opened the book.
“A Dragon Lady… it reminds me of an anime character…?”
“…Pardon? What did you say?”
“Ah, nothing at all.”
While a similar concept anime character had come to mind, her appearance was entirely different.
“So, you’ll be raising the Dragon Lady, won’t you? Well, it’s not as if you have the option to refuse.”
“Well, one of them should be fine, I suppose…”
The Wandering Merchant handed me the Dragon Lady’s Summoning Stone, which I accepted and cradled in my arms.
The Summoning Stone was larger than I had anticipated.
“Bambbakapam! The Summoner has received the Dragon Lady’s Summoning Stone from the Wandering Merchant!”
“Pfft, what’s with that way of speaking…?”
“Ehehe… I’ve always wanted to try that…”
By the way, I felt as if I had forgotten something…
“Oh, that’s right! Aengmu’s house!”
“Oh my, were you in the middle of working?”
“I completely forgot while talking to you! I’m leaving now!”
“Ah… Yes… Go on and work then…”
Forgetting that I was still cradling the Dragon Lady’s Summoning Stone, I dashed toward the location where Aengmu’s house was to be built.
“…Oh, right, I haven’t put it in the incubator yet.”
I then headed to the incubator, placed the Summoning Stone inside, and returned to the site where Aengmu’s home would be constructed.
“The materials needed to build an Electric-type house are… 50 copper…”
One might think that merely 50 copper would suffice, but acquiring copper in this game was notoriously difficult.
Mining for copper was required, a task even more tedious than dungeons, and the specific copper needed for construction rarely dropped, making it a constant headache.
A mine where gems were more common than copper! If such a place existed in reality, becoming rich would be merely a matter of time.
The advantage of this content was that it was one of the places to obtain Universal Documents. The number of Universal Documents acquired from the mine far surpassed those from dungeons, and the exchange shop system had virtually no usage limit, making the mine known as the ‘hope of free-to-play users’.
Of course, I never bothered with it out of sheer laziness. Compared to the time spent mining, it was simply more efficient to purchase a ‘truckload’ of Universal Documents.
For reference, a ‘truckload’ of Universal Documents cost 50,000 won (TL Note: Approximately 40-45 USD, depending on the exchange rate).
“I really don’t want to go to the mine, so I’ll just use Universal Documents this time…”
Since mining truly required days of just chipping away at rocks, I decided to simply rely on the power of the Universal Document.
“The number of Universal Documents needed is 20… Done!”
Upon placing 20 Universal Documents into the material storage, 50 copper instantly materialized, and Aengmu’s house was complete.
“Aengmu, this is your house… Ah.”
I had been about to declare it Aengmu’s house when the realization struck me: I had left Aengmu back at my own home.
“I have to go back home again?”
“Oh? Summoner-nim, whose house is this?”
“Ah, Phoenix. What excellent timing! Could you take me to my house for a moment? I completely forgot to bring Aengmu…”
“Aengmu…? Ah, is that the name of the summoned being who will live here? Alright. Climb onto my back!”
“You have to go slow this time, ooooh!?”
Slowly! Go slowly!
****
With Phoenix’s help, I brought Aengmu back from my house.
…Couldn’t I have just asked Phoenix to bring Aengmu to me?
“Aengmu, this is your home.”
“Chirp! Chirp! My home! My home! Chirp chirp!”
Aengmu’s adorable, excited chirping made it feel as though all the previous troubles had simply vanished.
Ah, it was truly healing.
“They’re cute.”
“Right? They’ll probably transform into their human form tomorrow. I bet that form will be adorable too.”
“Aengmu, be a good bird, won’t you? Come perch on Unnie’s (TL Note: A Korean term used by a younger female to address an older female, or by a female to refer to herself as an older sister figure.) shoulder—”
“Chirp chirp! No! Chirp chirp!”
“Oh, you don’t want to…? Alright, then…”
“Chirp chirp! Too fast! Scary! Chirp chirp!”
…Those were the exact words I’d uttered while riding on Phoenix’s back, weren’t they?
“Phoenix, I’m sorry.”
“Ahahaha… It’s I who should apologize…”
“…Should we go back?”
“Yes…”
Returning home, I immediately headed straight for my bed.
Incidentally, Phoenix also helped me on the way back. This time, they flew slowly, which was a relief.
“So much happened today. I’m truly exhausted…”
I had built Cat-Dog’s house, received the Summoning Stone for a new attribute summoned being, the Dragon Lady, and even constructed Aengmu’s home.
It had truly been a busy day. Now, I needed to sleep…
