I Became the Weakest Summon of the Genius Summoner

Chapter 31. Blessed Race

When I looked back at it, thinking 'not bad', I noticed it was spinning around in place, probably feeling a bit more confident thanks to Lee Yeon-hee's compliment.

"Then, cower!!"

Chirr-

The armored beetle immediately retracted the outer shell it had extended and crouched down flat on the floor, pressing its belly as close to the ground as possible.

The floor was vibrating slightly, likely because of the sound it was emitting.

I guessed it probably couldn't use its ability consciously like that normally and that it would automatically activate when it was under attack.

"Wow, it's really stuck to the ground; flipping it over won't be easy. And the shine of its shell makes it hard to grab by hand too."

Of course, the flat terrain here wasn't the same as the bumpy paths inside a dungeon, but it was a feature that could compensate for its weaknesses in its own way.

"But since it's all for self-protection, it's a bit ambiguous. Let's take it with us for now."

Nod-

We decided to check it out tomorrow and she went to her room while I spent my time practicing as usual.

* * *

After testing the armored beetle with her partner, Ilwol, Lee Yeon-hee went straight to bed, burrowing under the blankets.

Gazing at the ceiling, she let out a big sigh.

'I couldn't control the kobold. After all... do I need to raise this stat?'

Dominance: 3

This dominance was a stat she had never heard of before.

Even necromancers, who raise corpses to fight, didn't have such a stat. It was probably unique to the summoner class.

'Honestly, I don't even have enough stats to invest in magic power, so I was just going to let this one slide...'

She could barely manage with Ilwol, her first summon, but not being able to control even a kobold was unacceptable to her.

'Let's raise it next time I level up and see if there's a difference.'

With that thought, she pulled the blanket over her head, blinking absentmindedly, when memories of Ilwol suddenly surfaced.

In excitement over acquiring an artifact, she burst into a dance of joy, turning a few circles, only to find herself in a strange tension with Ilwol.

And then, his skeletal hand approached. When that cold hand gently stroked her face and firmly gripped her chin, she didn't understand why her face flushed red and heat surged within her.

'Ilwol... you're such an intriguing creature...'

A companion and friend who continually provided her with new experiences.

"I'll protect you..."

* * *

The next day, we discovered unexpected effects when summoning the armored beetle during a battle.

"It seems to have a provocation effect?"

The monsters were strangely drawn to the armored beetle, which was cowering.

It was the opposite of the effect we had envisioned, and Lee Yeon-hee had to maintain a reasonable distance from the clacking creature during the fight.

Chirr-

'Is it because of that sound? Is the vibrational sound it makes while cowering annoying them?'

Whatever the reason, the effect was beneficial.

The Big Boar kept ramming its shell against the armored beetle's exoskeleton, but the sturdy shell withstood even the Big Boar's horns.

Squeeeal-!

Of course, it wasn't entirely without damage, and in the end, it died, leading to the summoning being canceled. Nonetheless, its performance was satisfactory.

As for the kobold that had worried us, its previous angry demeanor had vanished, and it dutifully acted as Lee Yeon-hee's bodyguard with a vacant expression.

No matter how blindly it attacked, the kobold, drawn by the armored beetle, could at least attack monsters from behind.

Thud-!

Its inherent strength was significant, so as long as it hit, the damage was substantial.

'At this rate, the Big Boar dungeon should go smoothly.'

We practically lived in the Big Boar dungeon for another week. Lee Yeon-hee went up one level, and I went up two.

=====

【Skeleton Soldier Ilwol - Lv.18】

Strength: 49
Agility: 50(+6)
Stamina: 53(+6)
Intelligence: 24
Magic Power: 47(+6)
Resistance: 1
Sense: 21
Recovery: 5

=====

Once again, I raised agility, Stamina, and magic power, continuing my steady journey towards becoming a jack-of-all-trades.

Lee Yeon-hee reached level 21, and the color of the summoning scroll she received turned brownish, indicating an upgrade in the level-up reward quality.

"Oh~ and now I can't summon the skeleton soldier anymore. It's a shame I'd like to strengthen Ilwol."

Though she expressed discontent, it seemed that summoning scrolls like those for the armored beetle or slime were no longer needed, despite their utility.

As her incantation, beautiful and melodic, filled the room, the second gray summoning scroll shone.

'If it's intermediate-rank again, let's go buy a lottery ticket, Lee Yeon-hee.'

Soon, a rather solid creature stepped out of the portal.

It was a lizardman, standing on two legs, wielding a machete-like weapon that had seen better days.

Although it appeared primitive, with only the vital areas covered, its nearly 2-meter frame and muscular build reminded one of a barbarian.

'It's a Lizardman? Are these only low-rank?'

Seeing Lee Yeon-hee's calm reaction, I guessed it wasn't of an intermediate-rank.

'Then it's probably the best among the low-rank. When these guys gather, they're incredibly bothersome.'

Especially near bodies of water or on rainy days when their stats increase, making them tough to deal with.

They have a knack for handling weapons and possess strong willpower.

'Come to think of it, they were among the main troops when we fought against the Orc commander, right?'

Reflecting on that memory, I found parts that were somewhat puzzling.

Currently, when the summoning incantation is recited, the summoned creature appears entirely randomly.

Does this mean that in the future, Lee Yeon-hee would be able to choose a specific summon?

'If such an ability is to manifest... the Lizardman would be the best choice. Although maintaining it will need to be mana-efficient, most likely...'

Lee Yeon-hee sat quietly with her eyes closed for several minutes, then opened them again.

"Certainly, the mana consumption for a Lizardman is low. Summoning them requires more than twice as much as Woof-woof, but maintaining them is about the same. That's amazing."

In other words, its cost-efficiency was good. The Lizardman's capabilities were so well-known, they hardly needed mentioning.

"Lizardman..."

Leaving Lee Yeon-hee to consider a fitting name, I stood next to the Lizardman.

Slurp- Slurp-

When I approached, it flicked its thin, snake-like tongue, assessing me.

(Let's fight... Where's the enemy... Where can I bathe?)

The notorious battle-hungry Lizardman seemed eager, swinging its machete around.

(Hey, if you swing that around carelessly, you might damage your master's precious room. Be careful.)

(Enemy... Where's the enemy... Where can I wash myself?)

'He doesn't understand. Why is it talking about bathing right after being summoned?'

Just then, Lee Yeon-hee approached and laid a hand on the Lizardman's arm.

"Lizard No.1. Your name is now Lizard No.1, got it?"

'Hmm? You're numbering them? Does that mean?'

"I've manifested an ability that allows me to select a specific summoned creature within each summoning scroll rank to increase its probability. For the time being, I think focusing on the Lizardman with the brown scroll is the right choice. What about you, Ilwol?"

"Clack-clack!!"

'Ooh- So it manifested at level 20 already. I don't know how much it increases the probability of summoning a specific creature, but it probably means the chance of summoning a designated creature is really high.'

Most classes travel a predetermined path without second-guessing, choosing one of the given paths.

In other words, apart from investing in attributes and the occasional lucky ability manifestation every five levels, there isn't much that's in their control.

However, Lee Yeon-hee acquired the ability to specify her summons at will, something possible only for summoners with such custom abilities.

"Hehe, it has two traits. It's reassuring."

'Ooh, what does it have? I'm curious!'

"The passive traits are... 【Irma's Blessing】, which increases agility the wetter my body gets, and 【Pithef's Favors】, which increases stamina recovery the longer battles last. Having both a blessing and a favor... isn't that overpowered? Right?"

'Their ancestors must have treated those who bestowed blessings and favors well.'

"And the skill is... as it's well known, paralysis. It secretes a bodily fluid that causes paralysis."

I glanced at its weapon.

The machete, with its edge chipped, was glistening with liquid, which seemed to be the bodily fluid produced by its own body.

Though not highly active as a skill, it fitted perfectly the nature of these creatures who favored close-combat.

I could almost see the Lizardman licking its tongue while applying the bodily fluid to its machete before battle.

Lee Yeon-hee was considering how to manage it while ordering the Lizardman through various movements.

I too ran a simulation in my head about a potential skirmish with a Lizardman.

'One-on-one, I can handle it, but I'll take quite a hit. Two at once is a bit much.'

The next day, we were able to verify the Lizardman's capabilities upon entering the dungeon.

Upon encountering two Big Boars, with me handling one, and the Lizardman handling the other, keeping them in check, and with the kobold and Lee Yeon-hee attacking from mid-range, we could easily take them down.

TL's Corner:
Nothing to say. New summon?