"My lord, please have a look."
Exel picked up a dark-shimmering stone from the ground.
"This, my lord, is called an abyss stone." Exel bowed, anticipation evident in his eyes.
"My lord, an Abyss Stone is a crystal-like item harvested from the remains of slain monsters or creatures within the Endless Abyss. Lords use these stones to summon units into their Domains. The larger the stone, the rarer its origin, and the more powerful the summon. Smaller stones are far more common and typically yield weaker or lesser beings," he paused.
"This one, my lord, is the size of your thumb. It must be fairly decent." Exel faintly smiled before he continued. "Abyss Stones are quite rare, my lord. You are lucky to have gotten one in your first kill."
"I see, thank you for your explanation." Kreig's voice was distant, though his eyes tendered at the thumb-sized stone on his hand.
It was dark, as if bathed by moonlight.
'Is it because of the environment?' he thought.
"My lord, please keep the stone intact and don't break it. Then, use your lord skill as you will to summon a unit." Exel explained politely, letting go of a bow as he stared at the stone in interest.
"I see, thank you, Exel.
"My first actual summon, huh," he muttered in a whisper.
"Please be a combat type then..."
The stone shook as he willed his summon skill. It hovered still in the air for a few seconds and then stopped. After a few more seconds, the stone shook again, and then it shattered into fragments. The fragments were then slowly enveloped by dark clouds, isolating the space where the stone had broken, and then they vanished.
The fragmented stone slowly accumulated into a single mass, gradually forming a human figure.
Exel and Kreig didn't hide their surprise and anticipation. Not only because of the scene, but also because of how crucial the summon will be for their next step.
Swoosh—
A strong gust of wind resonated with the summon, and dust filled the air, causing the two to voluntarily cover their eyes.
Then—
"Are you the one who summoned me?"
A voice stirred the air; as if the wind resonated with it, the intensity gradually lightened.
'A woman?' Kreig and Exel turned their eyes to each other, their murmur echoed in a space of utter silence.
"Indeed," Kreig replied, dismissing the awkward silence, his voice affirmed as he slowly raised his guard. The voice, though soft, tingled his senses.
'Something feels off...' he thought, feeling a strong sense of danger at the glance of the woman whose figure he couldn't see.
Enveloped by a shadow, the woman opened his lips.
"I see... then don't expect you to control me!" The woman then leaped out of the sea of clouds, her hand clenching two deep-dark daggers.
"Tchh—, I knew it!" Kreig pushed Exel away, then swiftly unsheathed his sword.
Clang—
The impact of the sword clashing echoed through the whole domain, causing a slight tremor in the ground where Kreig remained standing.
'Tchh, she's strong!' His senses cried out, goosebumps traveling down his body.
The woman pounced on him the moment the specks of clouds vanished; her body was slender, and her skin, though exposed, remained covered by some sparkling threads.
Kreig, however, remained focused on the daggers that her palm desperately clenched.
He leaped behind to regain distance, and then shifted his gaze to the woman's body.
Indeed, her figure was slender, skin exposed under the dawning sun, but more importantly, her fiery gaze that pierced her very mask was much more visible, now that he gave it his attention.
A strange feeling assaulted his skull, subtle yet enough to shake him for a moment. However, he dismissed it quickly as he braced himself for the woman's assault.
"HA ha ha! Interesting!" The woman spoke wildly as her weapon slowly reached Kreig's defenses.
"Tchh! Be thankful I'm injured, or else I would've subdued you already!" Kreig clicked his tongue, his tone hinting at mockery, and he decided to make a bluff.
The moment the woman had almost breached his defence, she kicked Kreig in his stomach, causing him to lose his balance.
"Injured, you said?" The woman chuckled.
"Fine then,"
Gushhh—
Kreig's eyes shut, his heart thumped like drums as blood spilled over his body.
'I...can't feel anything?'
His eyes widened as the warm blood dripped from his cheeks, slowly, his gaze turned to the woman whose figure stood still.
Her hand, holding a dagger, was drenched in blood. But more importantly,
"She stabbed her thighs!?"
Kreig's thought flared on him as he swiftly regained control over his situation. He jumped out of the woman's control.
"Why did you stab yourself?" His question pierced the deafening silence he, himself, felt. His hands are trembling, even though he desperately stops his fidgeting, the strength of the woman far exceeds his.
"HEhe, didn't you say you are injured?" The woman chuckled, her eyes crazed even more.
'Bloodlust,' Kreig thought.
"Now, we're fair, right? Plus... I have a handicap with two stabs on my thigh, kekeke haHAhhha." The woman's laughter covered the air, her body trembled, not from fear, but from an imminent excitement.
'S-shit, I summoned a crazy bitch!!' he thought, his face warping into a strange smile.
"Haaa... I see," He chuckled.
"What's your name?" The fierce eyes of the woman lingered on his face.
"My name...hmmm," he paused, slowly removing dust from his body.
"Don't you already know it, though?" He chuckled.
"I wouldn't have asked you if I did," she laughed, her head shaking disapprovingly.
"But I'm your lord, though?"
"Bastard!"
Pshhhh—
Her movement caused the ground to burst despite the fresh wounds on her thighs. Dagger clenched up, ready to kill, aimed at Kreig's head.
However, Kreig didn't move and remained frozen still. He entered a stance, his one foot at the front, while the other kept behind to keep his balance.
'Tchh—I got summoned by another trash again!'
"Let's see what you've got!" Kreig's voice interrupted her thoughts, his eyes gleaming with a strange greenish substance that was quickly dispelled.
"DIE!"