Chapter 767: Equipment, Appear—Abracadabra!
The “Monster Summoning Box 4” can summon monsters roaming in uncharted territories—not just north, south, east, or west, but beyond the entire continent, places unreachable by the user. And if you manage to defeat the summoned monster, you can claim its equipment. That was the simple, straightforward explanation I had to repeat over and over. Every time I finished, someone would pipe up, “Clan Lord! Sorry to bother you again, but could you explain that one more time?” It was like the assistant instructor said, “Skip the last chant,” but there was always at least one person who got caught up. In the end, I had to repeat it four times before the clan members finally seemed to understand.
“So, where did you get that thing?”
Nam Da-eun crept up, eyes full of curiosity, pointing at the box.
“I bought it at the User Shop.”
“Oh, the User Shop. I should stop by there sometime. How much does that box cost?”
“One million GP.”
“Wait, one million GP? Seriously?”
“There are four types of boxes—1, 2, 3, and 4. The higher the number, the stronger the monster summoned, so the chances of getting better equipment go up. That’s why the price is higher.”
“I see.”
Da-eun nodded as if she understood, but then a flicker of worry crossed her face. She seemed to be thinking, “What if…?” Of course, in the worst-case scenario, a terrifying monster no one could handle might be summoned. If Ansol opened it, that possibility would skyrocket. But given the box’s nature, the Third Eye, and Hwajeong’s presence, it was mostly just an unfounded worry.
“It’s okay. We have the choice.”
“The choice?”
“Yes. Although the summon is random, if we see the monster and think it’s too tough to handle, we can close the box before the summoning finishes. That cancels the summon.”
“Oh, really? That makes sense. So what happens to the box then?”
“Unfortunately, it can’t be reused. We have to throw it away.”
“Ugh, that’s lame. So it just self-destructs? One million GP down the drain…”
Clack, clack…
Clack, clack…
At that moment, as Nam Da-eun licked her lips prettily, the sound of quick footsteps echoed nearby. Glancing over, I saw a woman with a pure, innocent look striding along the garden’s waterway, carrying herself with an air of weighty confidence. Her half-lidded eyes and aloof gaze gave her a playful yet haughty aura. It was none other than Ansol. Wait a minute—could it be that she…
Name: Ansol (4th year)
Class: Priest of Brilliance (Arousal Secret, Master)
Nation: Free Mercenary
Clan: Mercenary (Clan Rank: S Zero)
True Name / Nationality: Olfactophilia / Republic of Korea
Gender / Age: Female / 24
Height / Weight: 160.2 cm / 48.3 kg
Disposition: Pure / Perverted Libido
[Strength 31] [Endurance 37] [Agility 35] [Vitality 41] [Magic Power 99 (+1)] [Luck 105]
(Remaining Ability Points: 0)
Due to 103 Luck points, unique, special, and latent abilities gain the “Blue Dahlia” effect.
Due to 105 Luck points, Ansol is imbued with the aura of “As You Wish.”
<Achievements (3)>
<Unique Ability (1/1)>
<Special Ability (1/1)>
<Latent Abilities (3/3)>
Angelus Great Holy Spell (Rank: EX)
Blessing of Brilliance (Rank: EX)
Attribute Conversion (Rank: B Plus)
(Remaining Ability Points: 0)
Before: [Str 31] [End 37] [Agi 35] [Vit 41] [Mag 99 (+1)] [Luck 103] (Total: 346)
After: [Str 31] [End 37] [Agi 35] [Vit 41] [Mag 99 (+1)] [Luck 105] (Total: 348)
Divine Punishment
Blue Dahlia
As You Wish
“I heard your explanation well, big brother…”
Suddenly, a deliberately relaxed, noble voice reached my ears. By the time I snapped back to attention, Ansol was already standing right in front of me. Her half-closed eyes remained the same, and she tilted her head slightly, looking up at me with an expression dripping with arrogance. Then, glancing at the box, she covered her mouth with the back of her hand and let out a thin smile.
“A box that summons monsters… How interesting. Very interesting… Heh heh.”
“……”
“Mind if I open it?”
“W-what? Wh-why are you suddenly so cocky? You, Ansol?”
Someone, clearly annoyed by her attitude, shot a sharp retort. But Ansol turned her gaze toward the source of the voice, clicked her tongue, and her eyes sparkled coldly. Then she spoke quietly.
“And who might you be?”
“W-what?”
The sudden nonsense left Gu Ye-ji standing there dumbfounded. Ansol whipped her head around and fixed her gaze on someone else.
“And who might you be?”
“Huh? I’m a vampire…”
Sasagya, who had been quietly munching on jerky, answered absentmindedly. Ansol smirked. Then, pounding her left fist against her chest, she shouted,
“Then! What am I?”
Just then—
“Lucky charm!”
Someone shouted as if waiting for the perfect moment.
“That’s right! I’m the lucky charm… No, wait!”
Ansol jumped in surprise mid-sentence. The timing was impeccable. After a brief silence, laughter erupted everywhere—boisterous and uncontrollable. Lee Yoo-jung clutched her stomach, rolling on the ground, and even Nam Da-eun was patting my shoulder, doubled over with laughter.
“St-stop laughing!”
“Ha ha ha!”
“Who, who said that? Who dared?”
“It was me.”
Heo Jun-young, sitting next to Sasha, stood up confidently as if daring anyone to challenge him. Ansol flinched, shrinking back, then finally burst into tears.
“Waaah… Big brother… Everyone’s teasing me… Picking on me… Waaah…”
“Alright, alright. It’s okay. Let’s just open the box already.”
I patted her back soothingly, and Ansol quickly stopped crying. Rubbing her teary eyes, she picked up one of the six neatly stacked boxes. The laughter around us gradually died down, as if signaling the real start. After a moment, Ansol carefully opened the box, a hint of nervousness in her expression.
Vwoooom!
The box burst open, releasing a magical circle about two meters in diameter into the air. The white, swirling light of the circle made it clear how the box summoned monsters. It was probably a summoning circle stored inside the box’s magic, calling forth monsters from outside.
“Heh, this is exciting. I wonder what kind of creature will appear?”
Nam Da-eun murmured with light admiration, adjusting her grip on her sword, Seora. The clan members surrounding us all aimed their weapons at the magical circle. The plan was set: as soon as the monster appeared, a carpet bombing would begin. Meanwhile, wisps of white smoke started to seep from the circle.
Then—
“Eeeeeek!”
Just as I thought it would take a while, Hwajeong suddenly let out a sharp scream.
“Hey! Close it! Close it now! Hurry!”
A barrage of unintelligible shouts echoed in my head.
“What’s going on? Why close it?”
“Close it quickly! The summoning’s almost done!”
“Hey, that box costs one million GP!”
“You crazy bastard! Which is more important, your life or one million GP?!”
Though the curses were unfamiliar, Hwajeong’s voice was more urgent than ever. I didn’t have time to hesitate. Though puzzled, I rushed over, grabbed the discarded box, and slammed it shut. (Ansol had already fled far away the moment she opened it.) Suddenly, a pitiful voice whispered in the air: “What a shame…” The magical circle in midair wobbled and dissolved. I thought I caught a glimpse of small white feet before they vanished, but it was gone too quickly to be sure.
Silence returned to the garden. Everyone stared at me with dazed expressions.
“Huff, huff… I thought we were dead…”
“Hwajeong? What happened?”
“It was… a god.”
“A god?”
That made no sense. Seraph had said only mid-dimensional beings could be summoned; summoning higher or lower-dimensional entities was impossible. If it were possible, I would have invested every GP I earned into those boxes.
“No, it’s a god sealed in the mid-dimension. For some reason.”
Hwajeong seemed to read my thoughts and quickly corrected herself.
“A god sealed in the mid-dimension? But is it really that strong? Even gods…”
“That’s just crazy. It’s on my level.”
“What?”
“It’s a god on par with me. The flower of Thanatos, the god of death and destruction. Assuming Nana and Gehenna can unleash their full power, we’d only have a 50-60% chance of winning. And you want to fight a god like that? Dream on.”
The moment I heard those words, a sudden chill ran down my spine, like a cold breeze sweeping along my back. According to Hwajeong, it was a god sealed away in an intermediate dimension due to some unknown circumstances. Still, I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Even borrowing the power of the box, was it really possible to summon a god of that caliber?
“That’s exactly what I’m saying! What kind of person is that? How can an ordinary human summon a god? We had it sealed tight in some super deep place, and yet, here it is—totally caught me off guard!”
“O-older brother?”
Ansol quietly called out to me, inching closer as if sensing something was off. Looking around, I noticed the clan members murmuring among themselves from all directions. I guess it was a relief that these were personal items after all. Either way, I decided to let it slide for now.
“It’s nothing. Let’s just move on to the second box.”
“Huh?”
“And when we open it, run away immediately like before. Got it?”
“Y-yeah…”
Though my voice trailed off, Ansol nodded obediently. Then, as she gently lifted the lid of the second box, a magical circle popped out and spiraled upward. The difference this time was the glow—it wasn’t pure white but a dull yellowish light. Before long, a humanoid dwarf about 1.5 meters tall slowly came into view. Its face was fierce, muscles bulging unevenly, and in its right hand, it held a massive hammer that shimmered with a soft golden glow.
—Oh, that’s Midget Smith, isn’t it?
‘Midget Smith?’
—Yeah. See that hammer in its right hand? That thing’s incredibly rare. Even back in the age of myths, creatures like this were hardly ever seen. Looks like some have survived till now… amazing. Anyway, we just hit the jackpot.
‘So it’s okay to take it down.’
By now, Nam Daeun and Ansol had moved a good distance away. As soon as I snapped my fingers toward the fallen Midget Smith, I leapt backward with all my might. That was the signal to attack. Instantly, dozens of spells, arrows, and other projectiles rained down from all sides, focusing relentlessly on the newly summoned monster. Boom! A massive explosion tore through the spot where it had just stood. I instinctively looked away, then back again. Amid the settling smoke, scattered chunks of flesh and soil stained with red blood, and a gouged-out crater, the golden hammer lay glowing wildly on its own.
“Good.”
I clenched my fist tightly. The strategy was simple: as soon as the summon completed, we unleashed concentrated firepower to take down the monster. Our clan wasn’t weak, and no ordinary beast could withstand such a barrage. It was a straightforward exchange—risk for reward. As I invoked the secret of the Void Grasp, the golden hammer rose, spinning through the air before landing perfectly in my hand.
Ansol then picked up the third box. This time, with a more confident gesture, she opened it. A blue magical circle formed, casting a dark shadow over the ground.
And moments later—
“Grrrrrrrr…”
Something icy suddenly burst forth from the magic circle.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
On the frozen continent where bitter cold storms rage,
today, the monster dad ventures into a place where nothing can be seen.
All for the sake of his family.
“Dear, stay strong!”
“Dad, bring home lots of delicious food today!”
Though it’s tough, thinking of his fox-like wife and rabbit-like children gives him strength.
“Yes, I can’t come back empty-handed. If it’s not here, I’ll search elsewhere. It’s been a while since the kids had meat to eat! Let’s do this!”
With that resolve, the monster dad energetically searches the surroundings once again,
unaware that a bright magical circle hovers right above his head…
To all the readers, Merry Christmas! :)