The Extra System: Summoner of Shadows

Ember sat beneath a tree beside the stream, her mind unable to shake the image she had seen in the forest. Prince Cedric, the cowardly prince who had once run away from a Level 1 Boar, was the same man who now sat atop a Dire Wolf, covered in its blood.

The feat itself wasn't what shocked her. It was the expression Cedric had after he defeated a monster clearly stronger than him: triumph, ecstasy, and pride.

Dire Wolves had the skills Passive Regeneration and Shadow Leap, making them tricky, resilient opponents. Cedric was clearly not a warrior, so she couldn't understand how he had managed to kill the monster.

"But why did he have that expression?" she muttered to herself, looking at the stream where Cedric was cleaning himself. Aria had healed his wounds, and Ember had given him some extra clothes she had obtained from the Valorian Palace.

Ember was not unfamiliar with hunting. She killed monsters on a regular basis to grow stronger. However, she had never felt joy from killing them. She had been afraid, apprehensive, or guilt-ridden. After that, she felt numb. 

Aria returned, following the stream, and stood beside Ember, who was still lost in thought. She flinched when the mage waved her hand before her eyes, and Ember looked at her in confusion.

"I scouted the area. There's no one pursuing us," Aria said, then glanced around. "Where is Cedric?"

"Still cleaning himself," said Ember. "He should be done any minute now. Before that… I have a question."

"Is it about how Cedric is behaving?" asked Aria with a knowing smile. Nothing escaped her notice, and Ember felt exposed before the petite woman. "What do you wish to ask?"

"His Highness has changed," said Ember with a frown. "He's smarter, kinder, and… strange. His entire presence has changed too. I want to understand how—"

"Let me offer you some advice, Miss Knight," said Aria, interrupting Ember while staring at the stream. "The world is never as we imagine it to be. The things you think you know may be lies. Cedric is a mysterious man, and from what I've seen in the past two days, he can change his persona in an instant. Discard what you thought you knew about him and embrace the trust he now places in you."

"Trust?" muttered Ember, confused. "I feel like he relies on me less than before. If this keeps up, I'll be the one discarded."

"If Cedric planned to abandon you, he wouldn't have trusted you with his true self, now would he?" asked Aria with a grin. "Find your own purpose instead of depending on him to give you one."

Ember was silent, and Aria sat down beside her to wait. She couldn't understand how a woman as young as Aria could be so wise, but she knew she was right. Cedric had begun showing his true self because he trusted her.

After a few minutes of listening to the rolling stream and the whispering trees, Cedric returned, clean and dressed in fresh clothes. Ember rose to greet him, but he seemed absent-minded as he walked toward them.

[Status Menu] 

[Name: Cedric Everhart] 

[Age: 18] 

[Level: 17] 

[Health: 200/200] 

[Mana: 35/35] 

[Reputation: -371] 

[Class: Summoner] 

[Affinity: None] 

[Physique: None] 

[Titles: Vain Prince, Deadbeat Son] 

[Physical Stats - Allocation Points: 2] 

[Vitality: 20] 

[Strength: 22] 

[Agility: 26] 

[Endurance: 25] 

[Dexterity: 22] 

[Willpower: 16] 

[Intelligence: 35] 

[Charisma: 18] 

[Class Stats – Allocation Points: 4] 

[Attraction: 8] 

[Duration: 2] 

[Projection: 2] 

[Link: 2] 

[Harmony: 3]

Cedric studied his status menu after showering in the river. The lingering euphoria from his victory and survival was further boosted by seeing his rising strength. He had gained two levels from that fight, reaching Level 17 in one go.

As he walked back to Ember and Aria, Cedric mulled over which stat to strengthen. He wished to use his summoning soon to let monsters fight for him, but he couldn't do it without proper control over the creature.

For that reason, Cedric decided to invest his allocation points into Link, which he understood to be his ability to control the monster. As for Duration, it determined how long the summon remained before needing to be called again.

Projection affected how 'real' his summons could be. The lower their levels, the less they could interact with the physical world. Harmony was the ability to exchange information, abilities, or locations with his summoned creatures.

This was the art of summoning.

In theory, once these stats reached a certain level, Cedric could summon monsters that would exist in the world indefinitely. If he summoned two monsters and allowed them to breed, what would happen then? The answer was another Summoning Calamity.

Before the summoners destroyed the ecosystem, monsters mutated from animals. But after the summoners introduced new species of monsters to this world, it wouldn't be surprising to find mythical creatures or beings that normally wouldn't exist, like ghosts.

[Link: 6]

His control over his summoned creature should improve drastically now. A single stat point in his class was worth much more than in his physical stats, so he had high hopes. However, he would need two more levels before he could summon a creature and control it.

"Are you alright, Cedric?" asked Ember with concern, making him add two more points to his agility and close the system. Cedric made a playful spin to show her he was fine, while also marveling at Aria's magic.

"We have the great mage Aria with us. A few wounds aren't enough to kill me with her around," Cedric said with a grin. "I'm fine and will live another day."

"But that was reckless," Ember said after some hesitation. "You shouldn't fight monsters that are clearly stronger than you can handle. What were you thinking?"

Cedric was a little surprised at her outburst, having never seen her reprimand him before. He stood there awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "I knew I could win, and I did."

"You used the serpent's poison, right?" asked Aria with a small smirk. "That was some quick thinking on your part, but how did you know it would kill the monster?"

"Because it avoided eating it," said Cedric with a shrug. "In any case, I won. There's no reason to worry. But… I'm hungry, and I'm sure both of you are. Let's find an inn to rest for the night."

Although he explained himself, Ember still seemed a little upset that he had endangered himself. Cedric watched as she avoided talking to him until they reached the main path again. At that time, he had to ask Aria.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked in confusion while rubbing his chin.

"Most people would find it hard to adjust to sudden change," answered Aria with a yawn. "In any case, it's none of my business."

Cedric nodded as he watched the knight leading their way. It might be because of the skill Reader Mindset, but Cedric had not thought of the people around him as actual humans with feelings and the capacity to grow.

For him, everyone he had encountered so far was a character in a novel. His heart was apathetic to most things they did, but that didn't mean he failed to appreciate Ember and her loyalty to him. For that reason, he decided to use his new skill, Puppeteer.

It started to grow dark, and the monsters became more active. Aria had to use a spell to ward them off because they had turned frantic. After a few kilometers of walking, they found an inn.

The sign held a crest for food and a sword, indicating that this inn also hosted adventurers. Cedric and the others wore their hoods to avoid recognition before booking a room.

No one interfered with them, as one would expect from fantasy novels. The innkeeper gave them a room with three beds and a bathroom, just enough for their needs.

Cedric could finally rest after a long day, so he changed into lighter clothes before bed. Aria went down to get them some food, mostly to give the two time to talk.

Instead of initiating a conversation, Cedric took out the items from his bag and placed them inside his ring. Then, he did the same with his bag, shocking Ember further. After that, he sat outside on the balcony's railing while staring at the two moons in the sky. One of them was a crescent, while the other was full.

In his hand appeared the black feather, which he studied with interest. It contained no mana or aura, just a strange ability to make the world a little darker. At that moment, Ember appeared behind him, her expression mixed. Before she could say anything, Cedric began the monologue he had prepared.

"I love this world," said Cedric while looking at the starry night. "Death is the last thing I desire, but what would life be worth if not exciting? Would I live as I desire if I feared death?"

"The strongest man is he who survives," answered Ember while tightening her fists. "You don't need to risk your life just to feel alive."

"The strongest man is he who survives," repeated Cedric with a smile as his emerald green eyes turned toward her. "But the happiest man is he who lives every moment as he desires."

"What is your desire, then?" asked Ember, no longer addressing him with nauseating formality. Her blue eyes stared at him as if he had lost his mind.

"I desire—" muttered Cedric, but he stopped. He did not wish to deceive or manipulate her as a character. His eyes met hers, and his confident smile disappeared. "I desire the entire world."

"The entire… world?" muttered Ember with furrowed brows.

"I desire everything this world has to offer, whether it be wealth, respect, fame, comradeship, love, or the power to protect them all," Cedric came down from the railing and stared her in the eye. "I desire to live as I wish."

Ember could not answer, because she understood what he implied. Her actions and desire to protect him made her a hindrance instead of support. There was no hesitation in his eyes, even after fighting to the death.

"Does that mean… you are going to fight the way you did today?"

"Fighting is a part of how I live now," answered Cedric. "I have lived my entire life without fighting, but that changes now. My fight will not end until I am nothing but bones."

Ember remembered a certain story about the ninth prince of the Aeloria Kingdom. Unlike the other children of the king, his birth was considered a miracle. He was the firstborn of the previous queen, who was deemed unable to give birth.

The king remarried once the truth came out. Because their love remained, the First Queen held an honorary role, living in isolation. Fifteen years and eight children later, a miracle occurred, and the First Queen became pregnant.

The miracle divided the factions, as the First Queen was beloved by countless nobles and influential people. Many demanded that the firstborn of the First Queen should be the crown prince, but the king ended the disputes by choosing his oldest son from the Second Queen.

Ember stood rooted in place as realization dawned on her. The prince was doing his best to grow stronger in order to fight. Did that mean he wanted to seize the crown? Had he hidden his true self all this time, acting deadbeat and incompetent, to fool the crown prince?

Cedric must have acted that way for eighteen years, unable to gain a friend because no one respected him. After being humiliated in Valoria, he must have decided that he had enough. Ember trembled as she stared at the piercing, unwavering eyes of his.

"I have already vowed," muttered Ember as she kneeled before him. "In life and death, I will follow you. From this moment onward, I shall believe in every word you utter and every order you command. Let me fight as your sword and shield, my lord."

…

Cedric, who was using his narrator skill, was stunned speechless. He did not know that the ninth prince had such a troublesome position in the court. After all, he skimmed over most of the memories he saw and did not think too deeply about it.

The misunderstanding of his knight also placed him on the spot. Should he just tell her that he meant he would fight monsters, not princes and nobles? How could he explain to her that he wanted to be an adventurer, not a king!