Dark Fantasy Guide for the Summoner - Chapter 8

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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 8.
The Path to the Forest I
Consciousness returned slowly.
……Had I blacked out? For how long?
My ears rang with a dull ache, and my vision swam in shades of grey.
I spat out dust mixed with prayer and began checking my body’s condition.
‘No pain, at least.’
But relief came too early. I’d heard that severe injuries could announce themselves with delayed agony.
Sure enough, a few seconds later my entire body throbbed as if beaten.
‘Hah.’
Still, I found myself relieved.
The pain felt like bruising mostly, and movement didn’t seem to strain anything critical.
Then, through the dust and dirt, a massive shape came into focus.
‘……Damn thing.’
Finally dead.
I exhaled as I looked at the octopus’s corpse.
Its formal name was the Strangling Black Octopus, if I remembered right.
The creature had been so enormous that I still wasn’t entirely sure it was gone.
‘I’m pretty sure I saw a death status message.’
Though I think there were a few other messages that appeared as well—
“Ugh…….”
My body swayed.
A sensation close to anemia. As I rechecked my condition, I noticed my ribs felt damp.
I reached down reflexively and found—blood. So much blood.
My bandages had soaked through; the bleeding must have reopened from violent movement.
‘And I tumbled around plenty, taking hits here and there.’
Now that I realized it, this was what true pain felt like.
The ache I’d written off as mere bruising ballooned into something fierce.
I swallowed hard against the groan rising in my throat.
A Player had priorities that came before first aid.
‘First, the items…….’
The octopus’s body was dissolving into dust, and when it faded entirely, two items remained in its place.
A whip that looked like a tentacle, and a gemstone.
Tentacle Whip
Rarity: Unique
Never breaks. Won’t hurt much even if you get hit by it, but it might make you angry, so be careful.
A Unique-rarity item?
‘No wonder it was such a pain in the ass.’
This octopus had been a Boss Monster.
Unique-rarity items only dropped from Boss Monsters.
But why was the item description written like that?
‘If it doesn’t hurt even when you get hit, it doesn’t seem like a weapon at all.’
……Was there a use I didn’t know about? Or was this just the developers playing a prank?
I turned my attention to the next item with mixed feelings.
Unlike the Talent Gemstone I’d found earlier, this one had a bluish tint to it…….
If this one came from a Boss Monster, I could guess what it was.
Trait Awakening Gemstone
Rarity: Grade 4
Awakens a random Trait of D-Grade or higher.
‘Just as I thought.’
This was a jackpot haul.
The Trait Awakening Gemstone did exactly what its name said—it randomly awakened a character’s Traits…….
In PoP, Traits mattered far more than ordinary stats or talent values.
At least in this game, they were the factor with the most profound impact on how you developed your character.
‘Though it wasn’t exactly a safe item to use carelessly.’
The Trait that awakened was random, as the description stated.
One of hundreds, thousands—or more—of possible Traits would pop up at random.
What if a Trait awakened that contradicted my build entirely?
‘That’d be a ruined character right there.’
Of course, that was only if I used it as-is.
Trait Awakening Gemstones upgrade into higher-tier items when synthesized with specific materials. In extreme cases—
if you use a sword as the component, it becomes a …….
if you mix in a fruit that raises intelligence, it transforms into a .
‘Of course, gathering the materials is a bit of a grind.’
Still, it’s far better than just using them as-is, so I’m holding onto them for now.
“Phew…….”
A Talent Gemstone at the tutorial stage, a Trait Awakening Gemstone, and even a unique item to boot. Is this really the Instant Death Route?
Among all the playthroughs I’ve done, this is honestly one of the best starts on record.
Once I’d gathered all the items, I pulled bandages and disinfectant from my bag.
I was about to attempt some overdue first aid——
“K-Keindel… urgh.”
The Mage’s voice reached my ears.
So he’d managed to survive as well.
“Are you alright?”
“M-my leg won’t move……. Can you help me……?”
Something felt off about this.
I followed the direction of his voice and found the Mage pinned beneath an iron cage, one leg trapped underneath.
“Hmm…….”
It looked bad. The cage’s edge had dug deep into his thigh, blood streaming steadily, and it wasn’t the kind of situation that would be solved by simply moving the cage aside.
“H-ugh, m-moan, g-gah…….”
The Mage was drooling and weeping from the pain, yet his trembling voice pushed through.
“K-Keindel… in my left bag…… there’s a potion…….”
A potion?
I rushed to open the bag and checked—sure enough, there was a potion inside.
Glug.
Three bottles, in fact.
“I’m using one for myself.”
“W-what……?”
“I’m hurt too, and I can’t muster the strength.”
The Mage, momentarily taken aback, fell silent once I showed him the bloodstain soaked through my side.
“Y-you should only use just one…….”
Picky little thing, aren’t you.
I immediately uncorked a potion, peeled away the blood-soaked bandage, and poured it directly onto the wound in my side.
Ssshhhhhhh—
“Ngh…….”
My head tingled sharply.
It felt like pouring sulfuric acid rather than a potion—in the world I came from, I would’ve screamed like a fool.
Simultaneous rapid regeneration and wound sterilization will naturally come with this level of pain.
Gulp.
I poured half into the wound and tossed the remainder down my throat.
It seemed more effective than spreading it across my whole body.
My entire body then felt like it was struck by a sledgehammer—but the agony faded quickly.
‘……that’s incredibly effective.’
I must have taken bruises all over, because everything now felt perfectly fine.
It was dreadfully painful, so I’d prefer not to use it unless necessary.
“Keindel…… now…….”
“Got it.”
Pressed by the Mage’s urging, I lifted the iron cage.
The fairly heavy cage rose far more easily than I’d expected.
I hadn’t noticed until now, but my body seemed considerably lighter.
‘Ah.’
Come to think of it, I think I saw a message saying my level had gone up. What’s my level now?
Thump.
Once I’d moved the cage aside, the Mage finally examined his own wound.
“Mm…….”
Then, his complexion growing pale, he turned to me.
“S-sorry, but could you pour some potion on me……?”
This guy’s something else.
Well, I’d already incurred a debt of one potion bottle, so I obliged without complaint.
Ssshhhhhhh—
“Gaaaaaahhh……!”
The whelp’s dramatics.
Though admittedly, the pain would match the severity of the wound.
‘Wonder if this potion will actually heal him completely?’
Unlike my relatively minor injuries, the Mage’s leg was nearly severed.
Yet to my surprise, fresh flesh sprouted rapidly across the wound, pushing away torn fabric, metal shards, and blackened blood as it mended.
‘Don’t tell me…….’
I checked the potion out of curiosity.
Superior Potion
A potion that restores a large amount of health.
So it really was a Superior Potion.
A consumable that fills HP by over fifty percent in an instant…….
‘This isn’t something someone at his level should have.’
Not just one bottle either — three of them.
Just what kind of character is this guy?
“Keindel…….”
A faint breeze brushed past, and suddenly the Younger Spirit User stood behind me.
“You’re unharmed.”
“Yeah…….”
Though she wasn’t entirely whole.
Blood dripped from her forehead where she’d taken a blow.
“Ugh, cough…… You…… you’re alive…… I, please…… drink this…….”
The Mage, seeing her condition, handed over his remaining potion.
That timid creature had seemed to suggest she use only one bottle, leaving the rest for her sake.
So this is what they call brotherly affection?
‘……Anyway, what now?’
Normally, after a train derailment, waves of Demonic Beasts would flood the area — but those creatures had been completely annihilated in our battle with the squid.
So we’d managed to buy ourselves some breathing room?
‘Fat chance.’
With a bitter laugh, I retrieved the sickle.
“……Keindel?”
“I’m going to scout the perimeter. Stay here. Try not to make any noise.”
“Ah, understood.”
This wasn’t a situation where we could afford to relax.
There could still be living creatures — Demonic Beasts — lurking about, and it wouldn’t be unusual for other threats to emerge.
I moved cautiously through the rubble, scanning as I went.
“Cough…….”
Damn dust…….
The train had flipped with such violence that visibility was still obscured.
The dust limited my sight, but it would affect any enemies equally. Now was the time to move.
Rustle.
The moment I sensed movement, I dropped flat.
Chin nearly scraping the ground.
Ridiculous posture, but I had no luxury for dignity.
Grrrrowwwl……!
A Demonic Beast’s cry?
Feeling an odd familiarity, I moved carefully toward the sound’s origin.
‘That’s……?’
A shadow.
The squid I’d killed.
‘How is it still alive?’
The system confirmed its death, and I’d watched the body turn to dust and scatter.
After closer observation, I understood what this shadow was.
‘A severed part, operating independently.’
No main body — just a single severed tentacle, thrashing about in desperation.
Likely, once separated, it was recognized by the system as an independent entity.
The particularly annoying mob type in PoP.
‘Finishing it shouldn’t be difficult, though…….’
Left alone, it would die soon enough, but there was no reason to leave a potential threat unattended.
Yet despite that logic, I didn’t act immediately.
Screech! Caw-caw-caw!
There was already something locked in fierce combat with the octopus tentacles.
A creature thrashing its claws with brave defiance despite being coiled like a rat caught by a serpent.
[Lv.19 ‘Razor Weasel’]
The face was familiar. Definitely one of the Demonic Beasts that had fought alongside me against the shadow back on the train.
Crack, crack-crack……!
Even with only one tentacle remaining, the octopus exerted such tremendous pressure that bones creaked audibly from the weasel’s small frame.
The weasel thrashed with its claws and snapped its jaws in pain, but none of it seemed to have much effect.
“…….”
I watched the struggle, then stepped in at the right moment and severed the octopus tentacle with a clean stroke.
Slash!
The Mantis Sickle lived up to its reputation.
The octopus tentacle split neatly in half and fell to the ground with a wet slap, writhed a few times, then vanished in an instant.
Caw-caw-caw!
Released at last, the weasel rolled across the floor several times, then fixed its gaze on me.
Every fur stood on end, bristling sharp.
I kept my grip on the sickle and locked eyes with it in turn.
But the creature, which had been snarling moments before, suddenly tilted its head in confusion.
Chirp……?
Each time its black nose twitched, the long whiskers extending from its snout trembled visibly.
After a moment, it began creeping slowly toward me, so I raised the sickle defensively――
……!
The weasel skittered backward and scampered off toward the wreckage of the shattered train.
It perched atop the ruins and looked down at me…….
Whine…….
Its eyes were wide as saucers, bulging with shock.
It looked so startled that I felt an inexplicable stab of guilt.
Then.
Whoosh!
In a heartbeat, it disappeared beyond the train wreckage.
“……What?”
A Demonic Beast fleeing.
It wasn’t unheard of in the game, but something about this felt different.
I peered into the darkness after it, but the weasel didn’t return.
‘Should I pursue it?’
The thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I shook my head.
This wasn’t the time to take risks. I needed to get back.
I carefully scanned the surroundings and made my way back to where the siblings were waiting.
But then.
“Keindel! You’re back! Over here!”
“Ah. Is that him?”
The atmosphere had changed completely from when I left.
Louder, more chaotic. When I’d departed, only the two siblings had been here, but now the headcount had grown.
A man I’d never seen before grinned and addressed me.
“……So you’re the leader of this party, I hear. That right?”
I checked the nameplate above his head, and a laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
“Hah.”
What a damned ridiculous game this is.

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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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