Dark Fantasy Guide for the Summoner - Chapter 15

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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 15.
Forest of Eternity
Name: Kajen (?)
Level: 15
Job: Mage (?)
Trust Level with Subject: 41
Stress: 44
Stats
Strength: 6 Agility: 4
Endurance: 6 Mana: 9
Talents
Physical: ▓▓ Mental: ▓▓
Artistic: ▓▓ Intuition: ▓▓
Skills
,
Traits
, , ,
▶ Kajen harbors a special secret. It can be revealed once Trust Level with the subject increases.
Name: Cria (?)
Level: 15
Job: Spirit Summoner (?)
Trust Level with Subject: 23
Stress: 29
Stats
Strength: 4 Agility: 7
Endurance: 6 Mana: 11
Talents
Physical: ▓▓ Mental: ▓▓
Artistic: ▓▓ Intuition: ▓▓
Skills
,
Traits
, , ,
▶ Cria harbors a special secret. It can be revealed once Trust Level with the subject increases.
Not all information has been revealed.
Judging by the footnotes, they seem to be hiding a few secrets as well.
‘So their names were aliases.’
This much aligns with my expectations.
The problem is the question marks appearing after the Job field too…….
Of course, as the footnote says, I’ll naturally find out once I raise their Trust Level, but thinking through that process made me sigh involuntarily.
‘If their names really are aliases, they could be nobility after all.’
Unless they’re nobility, there’s little reason in this world to hide one’s true name.
They could be major criminals, but given how naive these two are, the odds aren’t high.
‘Hmm. Or they could be illegitimate children.’
Illegitimate children of noble houses.
It’s a common enough trope in fantasy settings.
‘And they have four traits each.’
True, some of those might be penalty traits, but even accounting for that, it’s impressive.
The number of traits fundamentally indicates an NPC’s potential.
Separately, what bothers me is their stat distribution.
In fact, I have a basic threshold—or formula—for distinguishing useless companions from viable ones.
[Sum of all stats = Level × 2]
That is, if both of them are Level 15, they should be hitting at least 30 total, but regrettably, both fall short of the benchmark.
Compared to other companion NPCs at the same level, they’re measurably weak.
‘Many traits, pathetic stats.’
This is the typical stat distribution for a late-bloomer companion archetype.
If I could check their Talent grades, I’d be able to make a more accurate assessment…….
‘That’ll probably unlock once Trust Level breaks 50.’
Still, I need companions.
Especially now that I haven’t obtained the Spirit Summoner job class yet.
At this point, there’s simply no choice—we have to press forward.
* * *
What makes a party truly function?
Without question: the Tank.
I won’t hear otherwise.
Ignorant fools dismiss Tanks as mere meat shields, but they couldn’t be more wrong.
Without a front line, you can’t even form a basic formation.
A party of only Dealers.
A party made up solely of Healers.
Just hearing those words makes you sense something is terribly off.
A party composed entirely of Tanks, on the other hand, stumbles along well enough.
Slowly, perhaps, but steadily—and most importantly, stable enough to face enemies without shattering.
‘The deeper we venture into the forest, the less our damage will land, that’s true.’
But we won’t reach the forest’s midpoint for some time yet, so it’s a problem for later.
In any case, why do I keep hammering on about the Tank’s importance?
It’s simple.
Our party doesn’t have one.
“…….”
I can’t believe such a doomed party exists, and yet here we are—that’s our reality.
You can scrape by with few Dealers.
You can even substitute for a Healer’s role using potions and medicinal herbs to some degree.
But the absence of a vanguard is something you simply cannot ignore.
So then—
“Keindle. Here you are.”
What else is there to do?
As the all-rounder of this party, I have to stand at the front.
“Much obliged.”
I took the metal object Kajen offered me.
A makeshift shield fashioned from the train wreckage.
“I refined the outer plating of the train’s access door. You should be able to grip it by the handle section.”
Makeshift, perhaps—but only up to a point.
The shield looked surprisingly well-crafted.
Ragged Shield
A shield patched together from train wreckage. Its defensive capability is more than adequate to its appearance, though its weight leaves something to be desired.
An item information window had appeared, and with it—
The system had officially recognized this as ‘equipment,’ regardless of how it was made.
“Ah, and do be careful—the bottom edge remains sharp, as it wasn’t polished properly.”
“The bottom edge?”
The lower end did indeed look unusually keen, as Kajen had warned, but rather than worry me, it actually pleased me.
In a pinch, it looked like I could wield it as a weapon, much like a kite shield.
“It’s a pity, really. If I’d had proper tools, I could have crafted something far superior.”
“This is more than enough.”
Yes, it’s heavy—but its value is undeniable.
With my current Strength stat, I shouldn’t have much trouble carrying it for extended periods.
“I’m back.”
Cria returned at just that moment, bearing her own haul.
She’d made one final sweep around the train, searching for anything that might prove useful.
“That’s quite the collection.”
“E-everything here is practical.”
“What are you going to do with a torn Bear Doll?”
“It has stuffing inside.”
“And?”
“……Wouldn’t it be easy to light on fire?”
I hadn’t thought of that.
Now that she mentioned it, our mage apparently can’t even cast Fire, the most basic spell.
“And, um, also—it’s useful for storing fragile things inside the doll. Glass bottles, for instance.”
“We can carry it with us?”
Cria nodded.
The doll itself wasn’t particularly large, so I saw no reason to object further.
As for her other finds…….
‘Bandages, Disinfectant, a few Knives, and provisions.’
There were other wearable armor and weapons, but I couldn’t afford to carry things I wouldn’t use.
The real treasure among our haul was undoubtedly the food.
Food amounted to little more than bread and dried meat, but if rationed carefully, it would sustain us for days.
With three mouths to feed, at least there was that small mercy.
‘The rest, we’ll have to scavenge from the forest.’
The Forest of Eternity held nearly everything.
“Ready?”
“Yes, all set.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
The Forest of Eternity.
A place where countless dangers and threats lurked, yet where corresponding rewards invariably awaited.
We had finally stepped into the game’s main stage.
* * *
Dense woodland stretched in every direction as we walked.
We’d entered just as dawn broke, so it wasn’t pitch-dark, but it wasn’t bright either. The canopy here was simply too thick, too layered.
About ten minutes into the Forest of Eternity, I glanced back and spoke.
“Kajen.”
“Yes!”
“You don’t need to be so tense.”
“Understood!”
……
What was this, a new recruit on his first watch rotation?
In fact, this was already the third time we’d had this exchange.
‘If he doesn’t loosen up, he won’t last a day.’
The Forest of Eternity was undoubtedly dangerous, but that didn’t mean every location and every moment demanded vigilance.
Playing through, I’d sometimes gone nearly a month of game time without encountering an enemy.
At those moments, the game’s genre would shift temporarily. From hardcore roguelike to something closer to a relaxing gathering sim.
‘Though admittedly, we’re not quite at that point of comfort yet.’
What was clear was that Kajen’s caution was excessive.
Had he heard some rumor about the forest?
That it was some demonic realm where death and threat descended without mercy……?
Well, that wasn’t entirely untrue, but still.
“……if you only look at it this way, it’s just a beautiful forest.”
Cria murmured softly.
Following her gaze, I found myself struck anew by the forest’s majesty.
Sunlight filtering through the leaves created waves of green with each breeze, and only the tiniest rays that succeeded in passing through every layer could touch the forest floor. It resembled light beams breaking through storm clouds, and there was something almost sacred in the sight.
“Why does the Kingdom stake its very survival on this forest……?”
Cria’s murmuring continued.
I’d noticed recently that she had a habit of talking to herself at the most random moments.
‘Does she not know the King’s policies?’
That might suggest she wasn’t nobility, after all.
Or perhaps she was playing dumb.
In any case, there was an unspoken rule against interrupting someone’s muttering, yet I chose to answer anyway.
“It’s not purely a place of danger.”
“……Hm?”
“Ferret. Can you bring me that?”
I woke the Ferret, who had been resting on my shoulder.
The Ferret’s gaze turned toward where I was pointing. Its nostrils flared as if measuring the distance, and its whiskers twitched.
It chirped.
The next moment, as if understanding my instruction, the Ferret shot rapidly into the air.
While it was gone, I explained to the two of them.
“Several Discoveries brought from this forest have transformed the very foundations of human history. Mithril, which became the cornerstone of magical engineering; the Wood Record, which supposedly contains all history since the continent’s inception; even the True Word Record, which enabled communication between different races.”
Of course, such items only appeared in the forest’s deepest regions—the lowest tiers.
But that didn’t mean there was nothing worth gathering in the early sections.
A chirp.
The Ferret had returned.
I took the blue leaf it had procured, then gave its shoulder a gentle pat.
The Ferret purred contentedly.
……Was this thing a cat?
“From now on, whenever you spot one of these leaves, secure it.”
“What is it?”
She doesn’t know this either.
It’s painfully obvious she’s only had formal education.
A well-off party wouldn’t need to obsess over gathering scraps like this.
But we’re at rock bottom right now, and this leaf is our lifeline.
“Watch.”
I pulled out a waterskin I’d picked up from the train, then headed for the muddy puddle nearby.
It had formed when a downpour struck a short while ago.
As I filled the waterskin with that murky water, the expressions on both their faces grew even more confused.
“Keindle?”
Into the waterskin filled with muddy water, I dropped a single blue leaf I’d just obtained.
And shook it.
Fairly hard—for about ten seconds.
Then I poured the water inside the waterskin out in front of them.
“Wow…….”
“It’s clear?! Is this water actually safe to drink?!”
I nodded and explained.
“The Blue Leaf. It’s a leaf with purification properties—a single leaf can cleanse up to two liters. And it’s not difficult to use.”
This is the safest way to secure drinking water in the early stages.
“Just one leaf has that much purifying power…….”
“If this is a Discovery, can we register it with the crystal?”
Cria posed a rather sharp question.
“Yes.”
This Exploration Crystal is new as far as I know, so the Blue Leaf probably isn’t registered yet.
I held another Blue Leaf that Ferret had brought to the Exploration Crystal.
Whirr—
The crystal trembled faintly, and a pale aura of light swept rapidly across the Blue Leaf.
And soon after, something liquid-like filled dimly inside the crystal.
[A Discovery has been registered to the Exploration Crystal.]
“……How much did it fill?”
I told her the number visible before my eyes.
“0.1%.”
“Oh……! So if we find 999 more of these leaves, we can return to the Royal Capital?!”
“That would be the case if the Exploration Crystal only filled once with Discoveries. But duplicates don’t count.”
“Ah…….”
Kajen made a disappointed face.
Strictly speaking, however, the Blue Leaf isn’t even our first Discovery.
We should be grateful it filled even 0.1%.
Blue Leaf
Rarity Grade: F
A blue leaf that rarely blooms from the trees of the Forest of Eternity. It possesses excellent purification properties.
After all, this leaf’s Rarity Grade is merely F-rank.
“Oh. Now that I think about it, I’ve wanted to ask something since earlier…….”
“Go ahead.”
“What’s that flower-shaped light beneath the crystal?”
Beneath the Exploration Crystal, a flower-shaped light was rippling, and its form shifted with each passing moment.
More precisely—the petals were slowly crumbling away as time advanced.
“Remaining time.”
“Remaining time?”
“Yes. You could also call it the crystal’s lifespan.”
Exploration Crystals come in different grades, but the one we have is the lowest tier.
Its lifespan is naturally short.
Like a cheap wristwatch made from bargain parts—it won’t keep running long.
“One month.”
I looked at the two of them and spoke.
“If we don’t fill the entire Exploration Crystal within that time, the crystal will shatter and we won’t be able to activate the return spell embedded in it.”
“Then, then what happens?”
What happens, indeed.
“We get stranded in the forest.”
There’s a common phrase used to describe such a situation.
“To put it simply: Game Over.”
Fortunately, they understood the words well enough—both their faces drained of color.

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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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