DXD: MY SUMMONERS WAR DIMENSION

After helping me drink some water, Mom explained everything patiently.

Apparently, I had a fever of 41.9°C.

Mom heard me coughing and came to my rescue in time, taking me to the hospital with Ai-chan.

And, strangely enough… Today was Wednesday, the same day I was attacked by the beast.

However, if what Mom says is true, she brought me to the hospital early in the morning. In other words, I didn't even go to school, let alone that cursed forest…

'Was all that a vivid dream?'

But it all felt so real…

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I woke up later feeling hungry and thirsty.

I ate bland porridge and drank plenty of water.

Since I had sweated a lot, Mom helped me clean off the sweat.

I still felt incredibly weak. Even though my fever had gone down, Mom said I still had a temperature of 39°C.

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I didn't even notice when I fell asleep, but when I woke up, the clock read 10 p.m.

Mom was still by my side, sitting in an office chair and holding my hand.

I felt a bit better now.

I gently shook Mom, and her eyes slowly opened. She smiled tenderly.

"You're awake." Her voice was soft. "Are you hungry? What time is it?"

"10 at night," I replied, pointing to the clock.

Mom looked around for something, but then her eyes fixed on my legs. Following her gaze, I saw Ai-chan lying at the end of the bed, using my leg as a pillow. She drooled slightly while sleeping deeply.

Mom chuckled softly.

I laughed too, but soon started coughing. Mom leaned over and gently rubbed my back.

"There, there, there..."

The sensation took me back to my childhood. This was how she cared for me whenever I got sick.

The movement of the bed seemed to wake Ai-chan.

She slowly sat up, rubbing her left eye with her little hand and murmuring, "Good morning."

When she fully woke up, her behavior was different. She didn't seem as scared of me as before. With her childish, concerned voice, she asked:

"Are you okay?"

"Mm, I am," I replied with a smile.

She smiled back, her tired eyes closing, but then she suddenly fell forward and went back to sleep as quickly as she had woken up.

Mom looked at me, trying to stifle her laughter.

After everything that had happened, this scene brought an unexpected pang of happiness.

'In the end, was it really just a dream?'

But my joy soon gave way to something more unsettling. When Mom left to get me something to eat, I noticed something that terrified me.

'Why can't I feel Horus anymore?'

I tried to bring up my status, but I couldn't.

A dark thought crossed my mind:

'A price… I went back in time, and the price was the Summoning Dimension and everything I gained from it?'

I didn't know how to handle this revelation. Fear? Happiness? Anxiety? Sadness? Anger?

Emotions swirled within me, confusing and overwhelming.

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Monday night.

I was about to go to sleep.

Before sleeping, I found myself wondering once more if everything that happened was just a dream.

It had been a week since I first entered that strange dimension.

The fact that it had disappeared entirely, though it seemed to have allowed me to live, left a bitter taste in my mouth that wouldn't fade.

Now that I knew of the supernatural's existence, there was no way I could feel at ease.

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{Ah, you're back! I was waiting for you! Let me show you your daily schedule!}

"..."

'H-How?'

I tried to open my mouth. I wanted to ask, I wanted to speak, but nothing came out.

I simply didn't understand.

Was this a dream?

Was I so shaken by the loss of that dimension that I was dreaming of it again?

But this time, it felt so real…

The familiar voice, a holographic page floating in front of me…

Everything felt exactly as I remembered.

'Did I really return?'

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[WARNING! WARNING!]

[You have 30 seconds to choose a representative monster to be linked or one will be selected at random:]

[Fairy] | [Martial Cat] | [Harg] | [Werewolf] ....

[Super Armed Girl (Locked)] | [Magic Lady (Locked)] ....

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I don't know exactly what was happening, but among the choices that appeared, I wanted to pick a 4-star one, but it was locked. Among the 3-star ones, I literally wasn't going to choose Werewolf. I hate them with all my strength!

There was the Light Elf Guard, but it was also locked...

Time was ticking. Thirty seconds wasn't enough to evaluate all the monsters I had.

And, even though I was still confused, I went back to choosing the Water Fairy.

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[]

Reward: 5x Mystic Scrolls | 50,000 Mana Stones.

[Collect]

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As soon as I chose, I felt my bond with the Water Fairy, and then a page appeared.

I clicked on collect.

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[]

Please head to the Summonhenge to summon Monsters.

[Go to Summonhenge]

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When I clicked, I felt my surroundings shift slightly, and now I was in front of the summoning hexagram.

If this were a while ago, I would have felt a bit hesitant. However, I was so happy now to have returned to this dimension that I didn't even care.

I clicked Summon, without expecting anything in return.

[1: (Water) Lv.1 Inugami ★★★] - [2: (Fire) Lv.1 Imp Champion ★★★] - [3: (Fire) Lv.1 Harpy ★★★]...

Suddenly, a burst of light filled with lightning crackling around the hexagram. And then, I saw it.

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[(Water) Lv.1 Nezuko Kamado [★★★★★] (New)]

Max Level: 35 | Type: HP

HP: 6,600 | Attack: 339

Defense: 380 | Speed: 101

Skill:

[Consecutive Scratches (1/5)]: Attacks the enemy twice and decreases their Attack Power for 3 turns with a 35% chance each.

[Triple Spinning Kick (1/6)]: Attacks the enemy 3 times, stunning them for 1 turn with a 30% chance and decreasing their Attack Bar by 30%. Increases your Attack Bar by 30% if the target is stunned after the attack. This attack will deal more damage based on your MAX HP (reused in 3 turn(s)).

[Unique Physique (Passive) (1/5)]: Decreases your HP by 15% at the start of each turn; generates a shield equal to 20% of your MAX HP for 2 turns upon attacking an enemy on your turn. Instantly counterattacks with [Triple Spinning Kick] if you are attacked during the enemy's turn while under the shield. [Automatic Effect]

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'1, 2, 3, 4, 5...'

I definitely didn't count wrong. It's 5 stars!

Nezuko is a young, fair-skinned woman with slender features and sharp nails, shaded from light pink at the base to reddish-pink at the tips. Her long, black, wavy hair reaches below her waist, with a flame-orange gradient below her elbows, worn to the left side. Her soft pink eyes have gentle edges and a Persian rose shade near the pupils, slightly tilting toward the sides of her face, framed by long lashes.

She wears a light pink kimono with a hemp leaf pattern, light pink lining, and a short white ruffled skirt for mobility, secured by a red-and-white checkered obi with orange and green details. Over it, she dons a dark brown haori reaching her calves and zōri with pink straps over white tabi socks, protected by black kyahan-like bands. She completes her look with a pink ribbon on the side of her hair and a bamboo muzzle in her mouth, held by a red strap.

Although she seemed a bit odd, especially with a bamboo piece in her mouth, she had a striking and adorable appearance.

I still had one more Mystic Scroll, but I didn't use it, closing the page and heading to the monsters' page.

'...'

'Where is Horus?'

Yes, I know. I know that.

Deep down, I suspected. Nothing comes without a price, but I still held onto a little hope. Something like only my bond with him was broken.

But opening the monster page, after searching meticulously, although it was clear from the beginning... Horus was gone.

Even the runes I used on him were gone too.

'So this is the price...'

It also made sense to me after thinking for a bit why I couldn't enter the Summoning Dimension before.

Without a bonded monster, I must not be able to use this dimension, and since the cooldown with Horus hadn't ended, I couldn't return here.

However, the time ran out, and I had to choose a new monster to bond with.

Maybe that's it. I was almost certain that was the case.

But knowing that didn't make me happy at all.

I liked Horus. After all, he was my first 4-star monster...

Still, I cheered up at the thought of the 5-star monster I had obtained.

When I went to her and tried to bond...

Besides the 7-day waiting period I was warned about, there was also a lock icon next to her.

'Does this mean I can't bond with her?'

I went to check the others, and except for the 4-star monsters, the rest didn't have a lock icon.

This confirmed one thing.

Losing Horus wasn't the only penalty.

Now, I was restricted to 3-star monsters.

While I was doing these things, 10 minutes had passed, and I earned another 5 Mystic Scrolls, totaling 6 available for use.

[5: (Water) Lv.1 Golem ★★★] - [6: (Fire) Lv.1 Salamander ★★★] - [7: (Water) Lv.1 Fairy ★★★] - [8: (Fire) Lv.1 Assassin ★★★★] - [9: (Water) Lv.1 Epikion Priest ★★★] - [10: (Fire) Lv.1 Imp Champion ★★★].

I even got a 4-star monster.

I don't even know what to say. Is it my lucky day?

But then why can't I feel that happy?

I even got a 5-star monster...

I earned a new Summoner Token again. I could very well exchange it for 20 Mystic Scrolls, but I didn't do that. Instead, I exchanged it for a set of runes.

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[<6-Star Legend Rune Set>]

Description: 6-Star Violent Legend Runes x6. Equipping 4 pieces of this set will grant the Monster a 22% chance to gain an additional turn.

[New Summoner Token -1 (Buy)] | [Close]

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After clicking buy, I clicked "Yes" to confirm.

I took the best runes, being the 4-piece Violent set, and placed them on the Water Fairy. The correct thing to do might be to equip them on the Super Armored Girl or even on Nezuko, who is 5-star. However, it's the Water Fairy I'm bonded with, and her strength reflects on me, so even if it seems like a foolish and selfish action, it doesn't matter. I would still choose to do it.

[Kabir Ruins]

The next unlocked map is, as the name suggests, in ruins.

In the very first stage, I saw three Harpies, even one awakened.

{Awakened Monsters: Monsters that have undergone a baptism by receiving a name that significantly increases their strength, potentially unlocking new powers and evolution.}

I was already kind of missing the cheerful and sweet voice I used to hear when entering this dimension.

About awakening, I kind of already knew about it from reading earlier. An example would be the Water Fairy, who, upon awakening, gains the name "Elucia" and unlocks the skill [Sleep Spell]. From what I've seen—though it doesn't show much since it's just a small icon displaying only the face—she even undergoes an appearance change upon awakening, and she has 2 awakenings.

Putting that aside, I replaced the Pierret with Nezuko and clicked [Start Battle].

I was the one to start, using the first skill, spinning and sending a "Water Cyclone," finishing off the central Water Harpy, leaving the two Wind Harpies on the sides, and I gained another turn thanks to the Violent runes.

I couldn't kill the Wind Harpy with my attack, but the Super Armored Girl simply finished both after my turn ended.

I got three turns in the next stage, finishing off two Water Harpies, and the Super Armored Girl fired three shots, taking down the Wind Harpy.

In the final stage, it was basically the same—there wasn't even a chance to see Nezuko in action.