I was ecstatic to say the least. I was embarrassingly average in my original reality, like a random npc just going through life without much thought. I knew my place and that was that. But when I received such a promising ability… I couldn't help but smile.
"The main downside is exhaustion, Evil servants? I'm not trying to be a hero anyways who gives a shit about what their moral alignment is? So long as they serve me and are loyal to me… All that matters is skill." Upon saying this, I looked into the two different ways of summoning that were presented to me.
The weekly summon takes a total of 20 minutes while the Monthly summon requires a whole hour or even more of focus and attention when I do it. I had some potions that could aid in recovery so I wasn't scared.
"If I'm doing this then I'm doing the Monthly summon first!"
There were risks like Mana exhaustion which could lead to temporary paralysis, while Internal Energy can easily be regained through meditation. Exhausting all of my mana and internal energy for a whole hour would be equivalent to more than just exercising for a long time.
"But for the described summons… why wouldn't I do it?"
And so, with my potions ready I pressed the button.
A purple magic circle formed at the foot of my bed. And I felt the energy drain from my body as I instinctively walked towards it. In my head I could hear words from a language that I didn't understand but I knew that I needed to repeat after them.
I was chanting words, as if in a trance. My body shook as I tried my best to keep on standing. A biting pain covered my entire body, it was the mix of mana exhaustion and whatever else this skill was draining. I chugged a potion but the small amount of mana that did return meant nothing in the face of the magic circle that wanted to take everything that I could give.
"But this is going to be worth it." I told myself, The smile never left my face.
Lightning began to crackle, it's been over an hour since it all began.
Someone finally answered my call.
The air in the room shifted, after the lightning stopped a dark figure stood on top of the summoning circle.
The air in the room shifted. After the lightning stopped, a dark figure stood at the center of the summoning circle.
Heat rolled outward in slow waves. The floor beneath the circle had cracked, glowing faintly red as if something molten pressed against it from below. The figure straightened to his full height, towering and broad, his demonic frame wrapped in blackened armor fused directly to his flesh. Veins of molten light pulsed beneath obsidian skin, moving slowly like lava trapped beneath stone.
Two curved horns swept back from his skull, etched with runes that burned dimly with infernal magic. His eyes ignited as he opened them, burning a deep orange, sharp and calculating rather than feral.
This wasn't a mindless demon.
Power settled into the room, heavy and deliberate, as if the air itself recognized his rank.
Brago looked down at the summoning circle first, then at me.
Chains of glowing sigils hovered around his arms and shoulders, not binding him, but marking contracts of dominance. I could feel it instinctively. This demon was a spellcaster, not one who relied on raw strength alone. The magic clinging to him was structured, practiced, and old.
"I have been summoned," he said, his voice low and steady, like stone grinding beneath molten rock.
Each word carried weight.
Fragments of understanding flooded my mind as the contract finalized. Brago was a high class demon who had taken centuries to reach his standing. He was a veteran of infernal wars, a summoner of lava born elementals, and a master of spells that enslaved both demons and humans alike. Entire armies had once moved at his command, bound by infernal contracts etched into their very souls.
He had been the right hand of a Demon King.
His gaze sharpened slightly as he spoke again.
"I am Brago. Former general and enforcer of my king. I fell in battle against a Hero who broke through flame, dominion, and command alike."
The heat in the room flared briefly at the memory.
"I acknowledge the summoning contract," Brago continued, lowering his head just enough to be respectful, but never submissive. "Until this summoned existence ends, my magic, my summons, and my obedience are yours."
My vision swam as the last of my mana was torn from me. My legs finally gave out and I collapsed onto the bed, barely conscious, chest rising and falling in ragged breaths.
Worth it.
Even as darkness crept in at the edges of my sight, I could feel it.
I had succeeded.
A four star summon on my very first Monthly use.