Dark Fantasy Guide for the Summoner - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 10.
The Road into the Forest III
‘Beast God?’
I scan my surroundings, but there’s nothing obvious to see.
Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen similar wording before.
‘……Could it be referring to a Divine Beast?’
If so, that makes this even stranger.
A Divine Beast is something I’ve never encountered in the forest myself—not once.
The odds of meeting one right now, before I’ve even entered the forest yet, are effectively zero.
‘A Hidden Class…….’
I set aside the unsolvable problem and shifted my thinking.
A Hidden Class is quite literally a hidden profession.
Explained that way, it sounds impressive and overpowered, but that’s not entirely the case.
At least in this game, a Hidden Class is a double-edged sword.
‘The Necromancer is exactly that.’
The Necromancer is a Hidden Class within the Dark Mage job line, and it carries fatal drawbacks as formidable as its strengths.
The moment my identity is exposed, the Favorability of most NPCs plummets and they turn hostile.
That’s a far worse penalty than it sounds.
‘In the end, if I want to sustain long-term exploration of the forest, interaction with NPCs is indispensable.’
Even if I can deploy undead to handle various tasks, I can’t exactly ask them to repair or craft equipment, can I.
“Those bastards……. Where the hell are they hiding?”
“Show yourselves now and I might let you live.”
Dorman’s Party’s voices carry toward me.
They’re getting closer, spouting words that won’t persuade anyone.
I ran through their average level, their numbers, the quality of their gear, and calculated my odds of winning.
‘About ten percent.’
Even being as optimistic as possible, that’s all I get.
Which means I have no more choices.
I’ve never heard of the Beast Master profession before, but whatever it is, once I complete the class change, I’ll have at least one more strategy available…….
[You have changed your class to Beast Master.]
That alone is reason enough to press ‘Y’ in this situation.
After completing the class change, I examine the magical beast again.
[Do you wish to tame Lv.19 ‘Blade Weasel’?]
Yes again.
[Attempting to tame Lv.19 ‘Blade Weasel’.]
[Your current Favorability with this target is 61.]
[Taming success rate: 61%]
[The Dice of Fate begins to roll…….]
‘Damn.’
So there’s a success rate for taming too?
Sixty percent isn’t low, but something about it feels ominous.
In PoP, any action modified by probability is decided by a twenty-sided die.
Which means if my success rate is 61%…….
‘I need to roll at least an 8.’
The odds aren’t bad, but somehow the dread settles in anyway.
[Dice result: 6]
[Taming has failed.]
Damn. I knew this would happen.
‘What now?’
What now is I need to stay calm first.
Don’t panic. Expand the scope of my thinking.
Now that this is reality, maybe I don’t have to rely solely on the system’s “taming” mechanic to control a magical beast. What if I could train it by offering food, building a bond, analyzing its nature……?
If I could master the creature’s traits and condition it through those means…….
[The trait Beast’s Friend activates.]
What is this now?
[Attempting to tame again.]
[Rolling the Dice of Fate once more…….]
⁝
[Dice result: 19]
[Taming has succeeded.]
[A high number came up on the Dice of Fate.]
[Additional stats are granted to the Magical Beast you’ve tamed.]
At the same time, a status window appeared before me—but it wasn’t mine.
Blade Weasel
Level: 19
Grade: Magical Beast | Race: Beast-kind
Stats
Strength: 7 (+10) Agility: 22 (+10)
Endurance: 8 (+10) Magic Power: 1 (+10)
Spare Points: 0
Skills
,
Traits
,
The format looked oddly familiar.
This was…….
‘A companion NPC’s status window.’
This was showing up for a Magical Beast?
That meant it wasn’t just taming—I could actually develop it the way I would a companion NPC.
‘No, wait.’
It was more than that. The fact that a Spare Points field existed meant I could even direct how the beast’s stats developed.
Compared to my companion NPCs, whose levels could rise but whose stats were assigned at random, this was practically a cheat.
In this wretched game, any expansion of my choices was always good news.
“K—Kaindel…….”
A faint voice cut through my gamer’s reverie.
Right. This wasn’t the time to stand around analyzing things.
“Come here.”
I beckoned the two of them closer before continuing.
“I’m going to explain the strategy now. There’s no time for me to repeat it, so listen carefully the first time.”
“B-but your younger sibling is injured right now…….”
“I treated them with a Potion. There shouldn’t be any external wounds, should there? Besides, if we keep going like this, we all die.”
“……!”
The mage stared at me with trembling eyes. They still hadn’t fully grasped the situation, which irritated me a little, but…….
I took a steady breath, reminding myself that I was boosting the morale of an NPC whose mental fortitude had dipped.
Even a small edge in survival odds was worth the effort.
“Those things tried to kill us. By now, even you must realize this wasn’t some accident, no matter how slow you are to pick up on things.”
“…….”
“From here on, I’m going to do whatever it takes to survive. Whatever it takes to stay alive. The way I did in the train just now. What are you going to do?”
In the end, these siblings faced the same choice I had faced.
The same way I’d chosen to drive my spear forward of my own will.
“…….”
The mage’s gaze shifted to their younger sibling’s shoulder.
The wound had been healed by the Potion, but traces of blood still remained.
“……I’m okay.”
The younger sibling spoke in a thin voice.
Their voice was still fragile, but there was far more steel in their eyes than in their older brother’s.
The mage’s body trembled faintly as they met that gaze.
“……Kaindel.”
The mage Kajen looked at me with a hardened expression.
“What should I do?”
* * *
After explaining the strategy to both of them, I turned to the Magical Beast.
And just as I’d outlined it to the siblings, I explained the rough strategy to it as well.
“……Do you understand what I’m saying?”
The intelligence of a Magical Beast is far from low.
Though it couldn’t speak, scattered references in the game’s texts revealed that it possessed intellect rivaling that of a sapient being.
According to the lore, an old Magical Beast could evolve through a stage called Rare Beast and eventually become a Spirit Beast, and at that stage, communication with humans through language was possible.
“…….”
Yet watching it gaze up at me with those bright, alert eyes, I felt a knot of worry in my chest.
‘This creature is the core of the plan.’
Concealment and Blade Whirlwind…….
I know the exact power, duration, and range of both skills.
Without him, this operation cannot succeed.
‘No choice. I have to trust him.’
A plan this full of holes was exactly what I hated most, but when I had no better option, exceptions had to be made.
“Go.”
Even so, the way it vanished the moment I gestured suggested it understood well enough.
Once the Blade Weasel disappeared, I immediately crouched low and crawled beneath the train car.
Worming across damp, cold ground, I thought about Dorman’s Party.
‘They have five members total.’
Had the archer withdrawn?
Or had she finished emergency treatment and regrouped?
I knew the Blade Weasel had wounded someone, but without knowing the severity, I had to account for the possibility of arrows still flying.
“……How’s Reina?”
That’s when I heard voices not far off.
“One eye’s gone.”
“……Damn bastards. I’ll kill them all.”
“Hold on. Especially those men—you saw what they look like? Top quality. Should fetch a decent price on the black market.”
“Screw that. And that black-haired bastard. I’m taking one of his eyes too.”
“That much should be fine, right? I’ve heard there are plenty of clients who like that sort of thing.”
Sick bastards.
They were still some distance away.
For some reason it felt like any movement would give me away, so I stopped advancing and waited.
The two, unaware of my position, slowly walked toward me.
Now?
‘Not yet.’
Just a little closer.
My patience burned at that almost-but-not-quite distance, yet I held my breath and waited.
‘Seven steps.’
Now I could see their equipment much more clearly.
Even if only below the knees, I could tell these weren’t Dorman.
They were probably the two who’d been sent to scout the area after receiving the initial order.
‘One of them’s wearing steel-plated boots.’
Those would be hard to cut through with what I had now.
‘Six, five, four…….’
Finally, three steps.
I chose my target and swung the sickle.
“Ahhhhh!”
A scream tore out along with blood.
The one with the severed ankle collapsed, but the other—the one in steel boots—quickly put distance between us and shouted.
“Found him! He’s here!”
Only then did he kick at the train car I’d been hiding under.
Boom!
No matter how wrecked the car was, it was still larger than several ordinary wagons.
Of course it wasn’t going to topple from his kick, but staying hidden in this cramped space wasn’t a long-term solution.
If I got surrounded, I’d be a rat in a trap.
I quickly crawled across the ground and escaped to the opposite side.
Tap-tap-tap!
Footsteps sounded from the other side.
He’d realized I’d gotten out from under the car.
I ran in the opposite direction from the sound, but…….
Whoosh—
The moment I heard the whistle of the arrow, I rolled to the side.
An arrow buried itself in the ground where I’d been standing.
‘Damn it.’
One eye gone, she said?
As I rolled, I caught sight of the archer on the roof of the train car, nocking another arrow. Yeah, bandages wrapped around one eye, but she was still loading.
‘So that’s why she missed?’
Of course, I couldn’t let my guard down.
If her job was Dealer, she’d have at least one or two traits or skills related to the bow, so she might still get bonuses to her aim.
Whoosh.
As another arrow streaked toward me, I dove behind cover.
At the same moment, a new enemy emerged in front of me.
“Found you……. You little bastard.”
Steel-plated Leather Boots.
So it was him.
‘Nelson, wasn’t it?’
One of the two men Dorman had ordered to scout the perimeter at the start.
I maintained a safe distance and spoke.
“That’s cold. What about your injured comrade? If you leave him alone, he’ll bleed out.”
“He won’t die from that. Once I take your head, it’ll make a proper get-well gift.”
Watching someone speak of murder so casually made my skin crawl.
But this was probably the universal way of thinking in this world.
A world where death and killing were commonplace.
So then…….
The strange one wasn’t him. It was me. I was the one who needed to change.
Wheee!
“Ugh……?”
The moment wind whipped from somewhere, Nelson’s eyes snapped shut instinctively.
‘Sylph.’
It seemed I’d instructed her to stir up dirt and sand to create the gust.
Before Nelson even finished closing his eyes, I drove off the ground and swung my sickle into range—and Nelson stumbled backward, drawing his sword in the same breath.
Screech!
‘Damn.’
His eyes were really closed?
One step faster and his throat would’ve been cut.
My reach was longer, but the sickle was an unfamiliar weapon, making it awkward to wield.
In that fraction of time, Nelson forced his bloodshot eyes open and fixed me with a glare.
‘Shit.’
The surprise attack wasn’t going to work out.
I pulled the Tentacle I’d bound at my waist and swung it. It wasn’t ideal as a weapon, but—
“Gah……!”
it was certainly effective for wrapping around an opponent’s ankle.
“Shit! What the hell is that!”
The moment Nelson crashed to the ground cursing, I sprinted forward and kicked at his wrist.
Clang!
The sword in his hand flew far across the ground. His reflexive punch drove straight into my ankle.
“Ugh…….”
His Strength stat must be fairly high.
For an instant, my ankle felt like it was shattering, but the Leather Boots I’d looted held firm enough to take the blow.
I gritted my teeth against the pain and swung the sickle.
Crack!
The mantis sickle drove deep into Nelson’s skull. Blood sprayed in all directions with a sound like a melon splitting.
The sensation still felt alien enough to make my skin crawl, but there was no time for reflection.
‘How far away are they?’
He’d called out my location loudly. That meant his allies were probably already close by.
……Let me take stock of the situation.
The archer couldn’t fire properly—
one of them had a severed foot—
and I’d just finished off another.
‘That leaves two.’
First, there’s Dorman, the party leader.
I already understood his combat style.
What troubled me was the last one. An enemy with no intelligence on him yet.
‘A thief? A mage?’
Or possibly…….
I ran through the worst possible matchups in my mind, then glanced around.
“…….”
Unnaturally quiet.
What’s this?
They’d have the advantage if they struck while I was exhausted.
‘Something feels off.’
An ominous silence caught in my throat.
Originally I’d planned to find a place to hide or recover my stamina while waiting for them to arrive—but something told me that would end badly.
Just as I was about to move, I felt multiple presences closing in from behind.
“Well, you look pleased with yourself.”
……
“Nelson…… tch. Dead, then.”
Dorman.
The problem was that only one figure had stepped into view—and even so, I could see four of them.
‘This is the worst.’
The first one’s leg, the one I’d slashed at the ankle with my sickle, had healed without a trace. The archer’s eye, too—he’d thrown off the bandage long ago.
I realized the worst possibility I’d imagined had come to pass.
‘Of course it was a Priest.’
The fourth one’s class was a Healer.
While I’d been fighting Nelson, Dorman had been healing his injured comrades.
“Surprised? Didn’t expect there to be a Priest?”
I let out a long breath, facing four enemies now.
“Two Tanks. Two Dealers. One Healer.”
“Huh?”
“No reason to be shocked. That’s the most basic party composition there is.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“And one more thing. That sigh wasn’t because I’d lost hope. It’s because my win rate just tanked after I’d finally scraped it back up.”
Dorman smiled wickedly.
“You mad bastard. Win rate? That’s what, one percent?”
“Fifty.”
“What?”
It had been seventy before. Now it was fifty percent.
The moment Dorman’s face twisted in disbelief, the Dark Mage’s voice rang out.
“Light!”
“Now!”
All four of them closed their eyes at once, as if on cue.
I’d expected as much.
These men were veteran Delvers, tested in countless dungeons.
They wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice—and if they were stupid enough to do so, that would be our problem instead.
“Go!”
If they hadn’t been, my strategy would have failed.
At my cry, the Blade Weasel dropped Concealment and lunged from behind Dorman’s group.
Eyes blazing with fury, the Blade Weasel’s claws flashed with lethal edge.
Skritch-skritch-skritch-skritch!
The Blade Whirlwind tore forward.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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