"You can’t go back there!" Elira grabbed my arm and hauled me deeper into the trees. "You’ll die. They don’t understand— they—" Her words broke off; her hands trembled and her eyes flickered like a struck bird.
"I know," I said. "But it’s my fault. I have to make sure at least the children survive if the monsters come. I must fight. I can’t stand by and watch people die like that." Determination threaded my voice, but doubt knotted behind it.
Am I saying that because I’m still human, or is the monster inside me finding reasons to justify itself?
I didn’t know why, but something kept pulling me back toward the city.
"Give me a little time alone, Elira. I need to think." I crossed my arms as I spoke, forcing my voice steady. I wanted her to believe I needed space to contemplate everything that had happened, but in truth, I only meant to slip away. The system’s reward still hovered unresolved, flashing at random and stabbing into my vision. If I ignored it much longer, I feared it would split my skull.
Just joking. But I couldn’t ignore it any longer. Sneaking away, I made sure neither Elira nor some random villager was close enough to spy on me. I didn’t want a single soul to know about my system powers. If the truth slipped out, it would scream danger and mark me for death.
"I’m ready. Please grant me my reward now." I spoke softly, almost in a hush.
The system screen flickered to life, words weaving themselves into the air like shards of broken glass slowly coming together again.
[Reminder of your rewards: {Random Weapon}; {Random Summon}]
I wondered what they could be. Personally, I liked my current weapon, the scalpel. It was the tool I trusted most, sharp and precise. A spear might help in battle, give me reach, but my style... maybe something faster, something I could strike with while moving.
And the summon... what I wanted was a monster, powerful and massive. I remembered from the book how demons called fiends to fight for them, and how the villainess herself commanded a hydra with ten heads. Its strength enough to erase cities from the map. I could only hope for something even close to that.
"Give me the weapon first," I demanded. The system screen trembled, spilling golden light that gathered into a small sphere. It drifted gently through the air before settling into my outstretched palms.
A small pile of thin, needle-like objects shimmered into existence. My eyes widened as I realized what they were.
"Acupuncture needles? Seriously?" I almost let them slip from my hands—until the metal flared with a soft crimson glow. The needles pulsed, their ends tugging as if they were tethered directly to my fingertips. There were exactly ten of them, each latching onto a finger like living extensions of my own body.
"I can move them!" I gasped. My eyes widened again as the needles rose, dancing through the air at the slightest twitch of my will, like puppets bound to invisible strings.
[Congratulations! You have acquired a new weapon: {Crimson Acupuncture Needles}]
[{Grade}: Rare (Upgradeable);
{Type}: Weapon / Extension;
{Quantity}: 10 (Each needle binds to a fingertip, moving as an extension of your will);
{Range}: 3 meters;
{Penetration}: bypasses soft tissue with surgical precision;
{Control}: linked directly to neural signals; can be guided individually or in formation;
{Passive Effect}: Blood Conduction — absorbs traces of blood and stores them within a hidden pocket for later use;
{Hidden Potential}: ??? (Requires resonance through repeated use.);
{Note}: While these needles are meant to be mere tools of healing, in the right hands, they can carve arteries as easily as they close them.]
I had never actually used acupuncture needles in my life, yet somehow it felt... exciting. I wonder how I look? I giggled at the thought and struck a warrior’s stance, the needles floating around me like obedient blades.
A few slipped, clattering toward the ground, and I almost lost control. Harder than I imagined. Still, that brief moment of fooling around, alone with my new weapon, washed away a sliver of the stress I’d carried these past weeks.
The real problem came after. Where would I store them? They were razor-sharp, and even the slightest push against my skin would sink them deep. Not fatal to me, but irritating all the same.
Then the idea struck. I stacked them together, slid them into my hair, and coiled my locks around them until they vanished within. With just a thought, I could draw them back out to fight.
So I guess this left me with a new hairstyle—my hair tied into a simple bun, sharp enough to kill.
I wished I had a mirror with me, but for now I’d have to trust the process. I didn’t want to walk around with stupid messy hair. God, I missed my brush and my hair essence. No conditioner, no treatment in this world, yet somehow my hair stayed silky smooth. Talk about the unfairness between fantasy and reality.
I shook my head, banishing those thoughts, and focused. Now came the fun part. Summoning.
"Please, give me my summon! And make it grand, please, please!" I felt like a child again, like I was nine years old waiting for a Christmas present.
The system’s letters began to dance, twisting around each other until they flared into a dark crimson, the exact opposite of how the weapon had appeared. A wisp of red light rushed forth, but instead of flying toward me, it darted to the ground... and vanished.
"Huh?" I stared at the dirt in pure confusion. "Did I just... get scammed? What the—" My complaint was cut short by a strange sound bubbling up from beneath.
"Kwee-kwee!" A high-pitched squeal rattled the ground. Something small wriggled upward, digging free.
"Kwee!" A round, chestnut-brown creature shot out, patches of cream on its fur. Dark bat-like wings flared from its back, and tiny fangs glistened in its mouth. Yet the wide-eyed face staring at me wasn’t that of a bat.
It was...
"A VAMPIRE HAMSTER?! Are you kidding me?!" My voice cracked as despair and disbelief collided. No tears came, only a bitter laugh, until the system screen flickered before me.
[Congratulations! You have summoned a Mythic-grade summon — Vampiric Hamster!]