[46]Etzel stared at the three rewards.A combat skill.A Rare spear.And—a tiny F-Rank summon.The Sylvan Wispkin floated inside the thirdreward field, wings shifting nervously behind her.She looked at Etzel.Then at DK.Then back at Etzel.Her expression suggested she had alreadydeveloped concerns about both of them.Etzel pointed toward the three options.“One of these is clearly lost.”The Wispkin’s eyes narrowed.DK looked at her.“Perhaps she understands you.”Etzel glanced at the timer.“That would be unfortunate.”The Wispkin crossed her tiny arms.“Oh, she definitely understood the tone.”Etzel’s smile disappeared.Time to think.Actually think.He opened the first reward.
┌────────────────────────────────────────┐│ [REWARD OPTION 1] ││ Title: Predator’s Interval ││ Type: Combat Skill │└────────────────────────────────────────┘
The description expanded.A technique designed for the moment afteran opening had already been created.Not an attack that made one.Not a way to discover weakness.It compressed the transition betweenmovement and committed offense, allowing the user to exploit a short-livedopportunity before it disappeared.Etzel read faster.Immediate synergy came to mind.Witness.Find a real Flaw.False Line.Force a decision.Create an opening.Then—Predator’s Interval.Strike before the opponent recovered.“That fits me.”“Yes,” DK said.Etzel glanced at him.No hesitation.Which made the choice worse.He continued reading.Then found the cost.
| SYSTEM NOTIFICATION | |
| Warning | Physical strain scales with degree of action compression. |
| Warning | Excessive use may cause muscular tearing, tendon damage, joint stress, or loss of motor control. |
Etzel nodded slowly.“Still good.”“Dangerous.”“Those are not mutually exclusive.”Very good.Possibly excellent.He could already imagine situations wherehalf a second decided everything.The Carrion Mantle.The Raptor.Rhel.An opening was useless if he reacted tooslowly.Predator’s Interval solved exactly thatproblem.Etzel looked at the second reward.That was the problem.It solved another one.One he had wanted solved for a long time.Etzel opened the weapon description.
┌────────────────────────────────────────┐│ [REWARD OPTION 2] ││ Title: Graveglass Spear ││ Type: Rare Weapon │└────────────────────────────────────────┘
The spear rotated slowly in the blackreward field.The shaft looked almost metallic, thoughthe System description identified a layered composite around an unknown mineralspine.The blade was narrow.Long enough to thrust.Broad enough near the base to cut.Balanced slightly behind the head.Etzel imagined changing direction with it.False Line.Recovery.Shortening grip.Extending again.His current spear could do those things.This one looked as if it had been designedfor them.More text appeared.
- High structural durability.
- Improved spiritual-energy conductivity.
- Adaptive grip balance.
- Edge retention: High.
Etzel stared.“I love it.”“You have not touched it.”“Love does not require physicalpossession.”DK considered.“That explains several problems.”Etzel looked at him.“That felt targeted.”“It was an observation.”“Worse.”The spear was not legendary.Not an artifact that would carry him forthe rest of his life.That almost made it more attractive.It was simply—good.A real weapon.Something he would not need to replacebecause the shaft warped after the wrong block.Something suited to the fighting style hewas actually building.He wanted it badly enough that looking awayphysically annoyed him.Etzel forced himself toward the thirdchoice.“All right.”The Sylvan Wispkin was still staring athim.“Convince me.”DK looked at him.“She cannot speak your language.”“I’m creating pressure.”The Wispkin’s eyes narrowed further.Etzel opened her details.
┌────────────────────────────────────────┐│ [REWARD OPTION 3] ││ Title: Sylvan Wispkin ││ Type: Summon ││ Rank: F │└────────────────────────────────────────┘
Etzel almost moved on.Then another line appeared.
[Potential: A]He stopped.“Oh.”DK looked toward him.“What?”“Not nothing.”Etzel read.The first ability appeared.
| ABILITY RECORD | |
| Title | Verdant Mend |
| Type | Support — Restoration |
| Effect | Current Effective Restoration: 5% |
The expanded description was more importantthan the number.Verdant Mend did not regenerate missinglimbs.It did not reverse lethal organdestruction.It did not magically erase injuries.It amplified natural physical and spiritualrecovery, helping damaged tissue stabilize and repair more efficiently.At F-Rank?Approximately five percent effectiverestorative support.Then:
[Rank Growth: +4% per Rank increase.]Etzel calculated quickly.F.Five.E.Nine.D.Thirteen.C.Seventeen.B.Twenty-one.A.Twenty-five.Etzel’s expression changed.DK noticed.“Healing?”“Yes.”That single word carried weight.Neither of them had a proper healer.Potions existed.Medical treatment existed.But those cost money.And access.And registration often helped with both.A summon who could heal—even modestly—changed the value of every dangerous fight.Etzel kept reading.Second ability.
| ABILITY RECORD | |
| Title | Sylvan Ward |
| Type | Support — Barrier |
| Effect | Current Barrier Capacity: 5% effective durability. |
Etzel leaned closer.Temporary protective barrier.Absorbed incoming force until capacityfailed.Not absolute protection.Not invulnerability.A buffer.Rank growth:Again—
[+4% per Rank increase.]Etzel looked at DK.Then imagined even five percent extraprotection at the right moment.The claw that opened his shoulder.The Raptor’s wing hook.Rhel’s borrowed strength.Five percent sounded small until fivepercent was the difference between flesh and bone.And at A-Rank—twenty-five.Etzel became quieter.Then the third ability appeared.
| ABILITY RECORD | |
| Title | Verdant Fortune |
| Type | Support — Loot |
| Effect | Natural Loot Quality Chance: +8% |
Etzel frowned.“Fortune?”The description expanded.The effect applied to natural materials andeligible drops produced by monsters and dungeons while the Wispkin participatedwithin the supported bond range.It did not create rewards where noneexisted.It did not guarantee Cores.It did not force drops.And—
[Limited Necromancer Reward Generation: Unaffected.]Good.No ridiculous chest manipulation.Then:
[Rank Growth: +1% per Rank increase.]Etzel calculated again.Eight.Nine.Ten.Eleven.Twelve.Thirteen.At A-Rank.Not enormous.But—every hunt.Every monster.Every dungeon.Every material they would ever collectwhile she was involved.The effect did not need to be spectacularin one encounter.It compounded over a career.Over dozens.Hundreds.Maybe thousands of kills.Etzel stared at the tiny summon.“Annoyingly useful.”DK nodded.“Yes.”Etzel scrolled.There had to be a problem.There was.
- Spiritual Reserve: Low
- Direct Combat Capacity: Minimal
There it was.At F-Rank, repeated Healing and Barrier usewould exhaust her quickly.Her spiritual reserve needed rest torecover.Overuse reduced flight stability,concentration, and support effectiveness.She could be injured.Killed.Her physical body was real.Etzel looked at her tiny frame.“So you’re fragile.”The Wispkin frowned.“Not good in direct combat.”More frowning.“You get tired easily.”Her cheeks puffed slightly.DK spoke.“You are describing yourself several Levelsago.”Etzel slowly turned toward him.“That was personal.”“Yes.”Etzel stared for another second.Then returned to the choices.Now it was difficult.Actually difficult.Good.That meant the chest was doing its job.Predator’s Interval strengthened him.The Graveglass Spear strengthened him.The Wispkin—Etzel’s eyes moved toward DK.Strengthened something larger.He thought about the future of LimitedNecromancer.DK was only the first summon.He knew that.The Ability was not built around onecompanion forever.More would come.Different roles.Different bodies.Different strengths.Different weaknesses.Healing became more valuable with everyadditional summon.Shielding became more valuable with everyadditional body.Loot improvement scaled with every hunt thegroup completed.Etzel looked at the Wispkin again.“The first two scale with me.”DK waited.Etzel nodded toward her.“This one scales with us.”The tiny creature blinked.Etzel looked at DK.“What would you choose?”“It is not my choice.”“That is extremely unhelpful.”DK remained silent.Etzel sighed.“Fine. Different question. Which one do youthink is strongest?”“Now?”“Yes.”“The skill or weapon.”Etzel nodded.“Long term?”DK looked toward the Wispkin.Etzel waited.The knight answered carefully.“I do not know enough.”Etzel grimaced.“I hate responsible answers.”“Then choose what you will regret losingleast.”That—was better.Etzel looked at Predator’s Interval.He wanted it.But he could learn faster movement.Train reaction.Gain other skills.Perhaps something similar would appearagain.He looked at the Graveglass Spear.That hurt more.A proper spear.Right there.One decision away.But weapons existed.Rare ones were difficult to obtain.Expensive.Still—they existed.Etzel looked at the Wispkin.A support summon with three separate growthfunctions and A-Rank potential?He had no idea when he would ever seeanother.Etzel clenched his jaw.“You’re awful.”The System did not respond.“I meant you.”He pointed at the reward field.DK said:“It cannot hear you.”“I need someone to blame.”Etzel lifted his hand.Looked at the spear.“That physically hurts.”Predator’s Interval.“Probably going to regret that too.”The Wispkin watched him.Her wings moved faster.Nervous?Angry?Etzel could not tell.He looked at DK.DK said nothing.Good.Etzel exhaled.“The first two make me better.”His gaze returned to the tiny summon.“You make all of us better.”Etzel selected.“Sylvan Wispkin.”The System responded immediately. The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
| SYSTEM NOTIFICATION | |
| Event | Selection Confirmed |
Predator’s Interval fractured into blacklight.The Graveglass Spear disappeared.Etzel watched it go.Silence.Then:“That physically hurt.”DK looked at his shoulder.“Your shoulder is also bleeding.”Etzel gave him a wounded expression.“Different pain.”The reward field collapsed.For an instant, the Sylvan Wispkin vanishedwith it.Then pale green light appeared in front ofEtzel.It expanded.Twisted.Leaves that had not existed a moment beforespun through the air.Etzel raised an eyebrow.The light flashed.Pop.The Wispkin appeared.Immediately lost control.And flew directly into Etzel’s forehead.“Ah.”She bounced backward.Etzel caught himself.The Wispkin caught herself in the air.They stared at each other.“Excellent entrance.”The tiny creature made a sharp series ofsounds.Etzel understood none of the words.But something passed through the Soul Link.Not language.Meaning.Embarrassment.Anger.Confusion.And a very clear—Who are you?Etzel blinked.“Oh.”Another burst of unfamiliar speech.The bond carried more.Where?What happened?Why?Etzel looked at DK.“I think she insulted me.”“Possible.”“She may also have asked where she is.”“That seems more likely.”Etzel looked back at her.The Wispkin hovered at eye level.Tiny.Female, as far as he could tell.Humanlike proportions except for the wingsand slightly elongated ears.Her clothes appeared woven from layeredplant fibers and something almost silk-like.Not decorative.Functional.Her hair was a tangled dark green-brown.She looked less like a cheerful forestmascot—and more like someone very small who hadjust been abducted by reality.Etzel softened his voice.“Etzel.”He touched his chest.“Etzel.”The Wispkin watched.Then pointed at him.She repeated something.Not Etzel.Close enough to be insulting.Etzel smiled.“We’ll work on that.”She pointed toward DK.Then froze again.Up close, the difference was worse.DK towered over her.Silver armor.Sword.Damaged shield.Scarred equipment.The Wispkin slowly looked upward.And upward.DK looked down.She made a very small sound.The Soul Link delivered:Danger.Etzel laughed.DK looked at him.“What?”“She has excellent instincts.”The Wispkin snapped something at Etzel.The bond delivered anger.“Oh, definitely excellent.”Then her attention moved.Etzel’s shoulder.Blood had soaked part of his shirt.The Wispkin stared.Her expression changed.Concern.Then irritation.Possibly at Etzel for standing around whileinjured.She flew closer.Etzel held still.Tiny hands hovered near the wound.A soft green light gathered between them.The System appeared.
| SYSTEM NOTIFICATION | |
| Event | Verdant Mend Activated |
Warmth entered his shoulder.Not the broad internal shift of a Levelincrease.Different.Gentler.Focused.The pain reduced first.Not gone.Then the bleeding slowed.The torn tissue did not close in front ofhis eyes.Good.That would have been ridiculous.But the wound tightened.The edges stabilized.The angry pulsing beneath the skinsoftened.Etzel blinked.“Oh.”DK stepped closer.“Useful.”Etzel looked at him.“You doubted her.”“No.”“I felt it spiritually.”“That was not doubt.”“Your soul is very judgmental.”The Wispkin’s wings slowed.Etzel noticed immediately.The light vanished.She dropped half a meter.Etzel moved on instinct and caught her inboth hands.She stiffened.Then glared up at him.Etzel looked at the System.
| SYSTEM NOTIFICATION | |
| Event | Spiritual Reserve Reduced |
“Right.”Low reserve.Not theoretical.He had just seen it.Etzel lowered his hands slightly.“You’re tired.”She said something sharp.The Soul Link delivered:Obviously.Etzel smiled.“Oh, we’re going to get along terribly.”The Wispkin did not remain in his hands.She pushed herself upright.Wings fluttered.Rose.Wobbled.Etzel reached out.She slapped one of his fingers away.“That was rude.”Another burst of incomprehensible speech.Etzel understood the emotional version.Do not touch me.“Fine.”The Wispkin looked around.Trees.Dead Carrion Mantle.Etzel.DK.Then she searched for somewhere to land.Etzel offered his shoulder.She looked at it.Then at the blood.Rejected.“Understandable.”A rock?Too low.The spear?Unstable.Then her eyes moved toward DK.DK noticed.“No.”The Wispkin tilted her head.DK repeated:“No.”She flew toward him.DK remained perfectly still.“No.”The Wispkin landed on his shoulder.Silence.Etzel pressed his lips together.DK slowly looked sideways.The Wispkin settled between the edge of hispauldron and the side of his neck.Safe.High.Stable.Protected by someone capable of murderingmost things that approached her.She visibly relaxed.DK looked at Etzel.“Say nothing.”Etzel nodded solemnly.“I wasn’t going to.”DK stared.Etzel’s face remained serious.“I was thinking loudly.”For several seconds, DK said nothing.Etzel lost the battle and started laughing.They did not name her.Etzel tried.That was different.“Leaf?”The Wispkin reacted immediately.Anger.“No.”“Glow?”More anger.“Tiny?”She stood on DK’s shoulder.DK spoke.“Stop.”“I need something to call her.”“She has a name.”“She also has a language I don’t speak.”Etzel looked at her.“Name?”He pointed to himself.“Etzel.”Then DK.“DK.”The knight glanced at him.Etzel ignored it.Then he pointed toward her.“Name?”The Wispkin understood something.She touched her chest.Spoke.A short sequence of sounds.Etzel listened.“Sa…?”Her eyes narrowed.“Sae?”More irritation.“Okay, that was worse.”She repeated it.Etzel tried again.Failed.DK said:“Do not rename her because you cannotpronounce it.”“I wasn’t going to.”The Wispkin stared at him.Etzel sighed.“I was considering it.”Her wings fluttered irritably.“Language lessons.”By the time they started home, Etzel’sshoulder still hurt.That mattered.Level Ten had not healed him.Verdant Mend had not erased the injury.It was simply better than before.More stable.Less painful.Likely to recover faster.Balanced.Etzel liked balanced.Mostly.He looked at DK’s shoulder.The Wispkin had fallen asleep.Etzel smiled.DK noticed.“No.”“I said nothing.”“You were about to.”“You’ve become impossible.”The communicator vibrated.Etzel checked it.Maerin.Maerin: Renn has another question for you.Etzel glanced at the sleeping summon.Then typed:Etzel: He can join the queue. I justacquired a tiny medical professional.Three dots appeared.Stopped.Appeared again.Maerin: What?Etzel considered explaining LimitedNecromancer.Absolutely not.Etzel: Long story.Maerin did not respond to that.Instead:Maerin: His question is strange.Etzel’s smile faded slightly.Etzel: What?The reply appeared.Maerin: Can your summon sense the centralsignature?Etzel stopped walking.DK turned.“What?”Etzel showed him.For one moment, neither spoke.Then Etzel frowned.“How does Renn know about—”He stopped.The reports.Rhel.Sector 14.A silver-armored companion named DK.Etzel had been progressively losinganonymity one stupidly documented incident at a time.Still—the wording bothered him.Your summon.Singular?DK?Did Renn mean DK?Probably.Etzel looked toward him.Then noticed movement.The Wispkin was awake.Her head had lifted.She was no longer looking at Etzel.Or DK.She was looking toward the horizon.Toward the convergence region.Her wings trembled once.The Soul Link changed.Etzel felt it.Fear.Immediate.Sharp.He stopped breathing.The Wispkin stood on DK’s shoulder.Her entire body had gone rigid.Etzel stepped closer.“What?”She did not look at him.The bond carried another sensation.Not quite memory.Not recognition in the human sense.Something instinctive.A reaction buried deeper than language.Wrongness.Etzel’s smile disappeared completely.“You feel it.”The Wispkin finally looked at him.Then back toward the distant convergencezone.Her lips moved.One unfamiliar word.Etzel did not understand the sound.The Soul Link gave him the meaning.One concept.Clear enough that he did not needtranslation.Wrong.Etzel froze.He had heard that meaning before.The humanoid standing before the dungeon.Vaelor asking what was wrong.The answer:Still open.Etzel looked toward the darkening horizon.The Wispkin’s wings trembled again.And for the first time since choosing theweakest reward—he wondered what exactly the System hadplaced in his hands.
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