Chapter 4: Summoning Allies
The card appeared in front of me, glowing faintly. I grabbed it and used it right away.
Cracks spread across its surface—just like before—and then a blinding light tore through the cave as a portal burst open.
"Wooooh! Come on, my new friends! Come out!" I shouted, my voice echoing off the walls.
And then they came.
Two massive beings stepped out from the swirling light. The first—towering and rough—was shaped like a man made of solid stone, its body layered like jagged cliffs. Every movement sent dust scattering from its body.
It looked like a walking mountain.
They looked straight at me—then both dropped to one knee.
"Oh… god." I swallowed hard. "These things look so powerful!"
The ground trembled as they bowed, their massive stone heads lowering toward me. Dust drifted through the air, glowing in the faint portal light.
Ding!
[SYSTEM: Congratulations! You have successfully summoned the Stone Golem Twins!]
[Level: 27 | Rank: Common]
Twin golems. My new allies… and maybe my new weapons.
"System, show me their stats," I said, still staring in awe.
The blue screen blinked to life before me.
[Stone Golem Twin]
Type: Earth
Name: None
Level: 27
Health: 910
Mana: 0
Strength: 65
Defense: 182
Agility: 26
Stamina: Infinite
Skill: [Smash]
I whistled low. "Damn… they're tanks."
"Thank you for coming, both of you," I said, still catching my breath. "But I need more allies."
I swiped open the system again. "Let's see… yeah, the imp workers—twelve of them for a hundred points. That'll do."
Points -100
A faint hum filled the air as another set of glowing cards appeared before me, floating in a line. I sighed and smirked. "Time to get some hands for the dirty work."
Then the imp workers appeared one by one, stepping out from small, dim portals that hovered close to the ground. Each one was barely waist-high, with reddish-brown skin, hunched backs, and big yellow eyes that darted around nervously.
They clutched small tools in their hands—pickaxes, shovels, and hammers that looked almost too big for their scrawny arms.
I crossed my arms, watching them gather in front of me. "So these are the imp workers, huh?"
They looked at me, then at the towering stone golems behind me, and immediately dropped to their knees—trembling.
"Golems, stop. Don't scare them," I said as the massive twins loomed behind me, their presence alone making the little imps shake.
The golems froze in place, their glowing cores dimming slightly as they stepped back.
I couldn't help but grin. "Don't worry, you're not for fighting," I told the imps. "I want you to help me build a room for myself—and put some light around the cave. Don't worry, if anything happens, these golems will protect you."
The imps nodded quickly, still looking terrified, their big yellow eyes darting toward the golems every few seconds. But even through the fear, they began to move—hesitant at first, then faster—scratching at the stone floor and clearing rubble with their tools.
I opened the system again and bought a few torches and extra tools.
Points -56
"Here," I said, handing the items to them one by one. "Use these. We'll need some light in here."
The imps flinched as I approached, but when they realized I wasn't going to hurt them, they snatched the torches and started placing them along the cave walls. Warm light flickered to life, spreading through the darkness.
I crossed my arms, watching them work. The golems stood silently behind me, like Wall-sized guards, while the imps scurried around setting up the lights.
For the first time, the cave no longer felt lifeless.
Verg was still resting nearby, his body rising and falling slowly with each breath. His fur looked a bit rough, but his eyes followed everyone's movements.
Seeing him like that made me pause.
I glanced at the golems—massive, powerful, and unshakable.
"…Is this really enough?" I muttered under my breath. "Are these golems enough to protect us?"
The thought lingered in the air, swallowed by the crackling of torches and the sound of pickaxes striking stone.
I sighed. "No, let's not make a mistake here," I muttered. "I can't waste all my points—I need to save them for emergencies."
My eyes shifted toward Verg. "And there's no way I'm sending him out with the golems until he's fully recovered."
I opened the system window again, numbers flashing before my eyes.
[Points remaining: 1,490]
I nodded slightly, feeling a bit of relief. "Good. Still got plenty left."
I scrolled again, eyes darting through the summon list like a kid in a toy store.
Hmm… not this one. Orc? A pig-looking beast? Nah, too ugly. I don't want that thing following me around.
There were so many options—wolves, spiders, slimes, even something that looked like a giant centipede—but most of them were locked. Their icons were sealed with glowing padlocks and ridiculous prices beside them.
Each card had a different color glow, showing its rank. Common (White), Uncommon (Green), and Rare (Blue).
Then there were the others—orange, red, violet, and even black—but all of them were locked tight.
The strong-looking ones—the ones with massive claws, armor, or glowing eyes—were all among those locked cards. Just looking at them made my blood stir.
"Damn, "I'll get you guys someday."
I kept scrolling. "Man… so many choices, but none I can afford." I rubbed my chin, moving faster through the list.
Then my eyes caught on one card.
It wasn't flashy, but something about it just clicked the moment I saw the name. My pulse quickened, a grin slowly forming.
"Oh… this one." My lips curled wider. "Yeah, you'll do nicely."
The card glowed faint white as I tapped it.
"Alright, System—buy this one."
Points -220
I used the card without hesitation.
Light flashed—and just like that, a group of figures stepped out of the fading portal.
They stood tall, skin a dark shade of green with tough, scale-like armor that glimmered faintly under the torchlight. Each carried a spear, their movements sharp and disciplined as they formed a clean line before me.
Their slit yellow eyes locked onto mine, unblinking.
Ding!
[SYSTEM: Congratulations! You have successfully summoned the Lizardman Troops ×8]
[Level: 15–19 | Rank: Common]
I couldn't help but grin. "Well, damn… you guys look serious."
In perfect sync, they dropped to one knee, spears striking the ground in unison.
The echo filled the cave—heavy, powerful, commanding.
I crossed my arms, nodding in approval. "Good. From now on, you serve under me."
With this, I could finally start clearing the rest of the dungeon until we found the entrance. "Stand up, Lizardmen! We need to clear this cave!" I shouted.
The Stone Golems rumbled, the imps scurried, and the lizard troops snapped to attention.
"Grrrrr… wait. What's that? My stomach?"
"Grrrrr…rrrgh!" it growled loudly, echoing embarrassingly through the cave.
I froze. "Shit… I'm hungry!"
Damn it. I hadn't eaten anything since being summoned here—probably almost a full day. My face burned as I realized everyone was staring. The lizard troops, the golems, even Verg—all eyes on me while my stomach made that ridiculous noise.
"Oh… crap."
"Hehe!" I smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of my head. "Ah… I'm just a bit hungry, hehe. No worries, continue what you guys were doing."
The Stone Golems rumbled softly, the lizard troops straightened their stances, and the imps scurried around, still busy with their tasks. I needed to eat first, but… damn. I had twenty-three summoned creatures now. They probably need food too.
I remembered seeing Verg devour that goblin we defeated earlier—efficient, brutal, and… well, kind of horrifying. I definitely couldn't do that.
"System, let me see what food you have."
Then the system popped up, and I stared at it. What…? Only this?
"Who the hell's gonna eat this?" I narrowed my eyes. "Do you think I'm some kind of military soldier or something?"
I scrolled through the list again—dried food, a bunch of canned goods, some water, and a few pieces of hard bread. Is this it?
"Seriously? Is this all you've got?" I exclaimed, waving my hands. "You told me your store system had everything I could possibly need! And this… this is it?"
I shook my head, disbelief written all over my face. "C'mon… there's gotta be more than just this for someone who's been dragged into another world!"
"Fine, whatever! Just give me the bread and some canned food. And water—don't forget the water," I added, waving my hand impatiently.
The items materialized in front of me. I grabbed a piece of the hard bread and a can, twisting the lid open with a grunt.
I took a bite. Ugh… the taste was awful—bland, stiff—but… bearable. Not great, but it would fill my stomach. I washed it down with a gulp of water, sighing in relief as the dryness eased.
"Man… I haven't eaten anything since being summoned here. Finally…" I rubbed my belly, letting myself enjoy the simple, meager meal for a moment.
"Good." I stood up. "Everyone listen. All the imps stay here. Verg, protect them," I commanded. "Lizardmen and the golems—we go clear the tunnels."
Verg started forward, tail flicking, eager to follow.
"No, Verg," I said firmly. "You're not going. You need to rest and keep them safe. Leave this to us, okay?"
He gave a short, chuffed growl, eyes locked on me, then finally lowered his head slightly in acknowledgment.
With that settled, we started walking toward the dark cave.
"It's time to kill those ugly goblin bastards!"
To be continued...
Author's Notice - Update Schedule
Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading the first 4 chapters of my story!
I want to be upfront with you all, regular chapter updates will begin on January 1st, 2026.
The reason for the delay is that I have important work commitments and business obligations through the end of the year that require my full attention. Rather than rush chapters or update inconsistently, I'm choosing to focus on work now and return with a proper, consistent update schedule in the New Year.
During this time, I'll also be writing ahead to build up a chapter stockpile so I can deliver quality content regularly once updates begin.
Please add this story to your library and follow for notifications! I promise it'll be worth the wait.
Thank you for your patience and support! See you January 1st!
[Arenxz]