A summoner's secret

Chapter 4: A Summoner's Secret

Arjun staggered out of the forest, his body aching from the intensity of the battle and the strain of channeling his mana. The Shadow Wraith floated silently behind him, its form once more a shroud of smoke and shadow. As they neared his small, rundown shack on the outskirts of the slum, he couldn't help but glance at the wraith with a mix of gratitude and curiosity.

"Didn't think you'd be so strong," he muttered under his breath.

The wraith didn't respond, of course. It simply hovered, its crimson eyes flickering in the dim evening light. Arjun shook his head, chuckling softly. Who would have thought that a barely eighteen-year-old slum kid like him would end up with a summon that looked like it belonged in a horror movie?

Pushing the door open, he motioned for the wraith to follow him inside. "Uh, make yourself at home, I guess?"

The wraith glided through the doorway, and as soon as it entered the cramped space, its ethereal form seemed to expand slightly, its shadows stretching and swirling around the room. It hovered over his small table, eyeing an old photograph of his mother and him from when he was a child.

"Oi, don't mess with that!" Arjun said, waving his hands frantically. "That's important!"

The wraith immediately pulled back, the tendrils retracting. Arjun swore he saw a hint of embarrassment in the way it floated back to the corner of the room, as if chastised. He couldn't help but snicker.

"Look at you, a terrifying shadow creature, acting like you just got scolded by your mom."

The wraith tilted its head slightly, and a soft, whispering sound filled the air. If Arjun didn't know any better, he would have thought it was… pouting?

"Alright, alright, no hard feelings," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Just don't go breaking stuff, okay?"

The creature remained still, its gaze fixed on him with an almost curious expression. Sighing, Arjun dropped his bag on the floor and collapsed onto his worn-out mattress. As he lay there, staring at the low ceiling, the events of the day replayed in his mind. The summoning, the battle, the system's voice… it all felt surreal.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the Summoning Shard. It glowed faintly, casting a soft light that filled the room. He twirled it between his fingers, marveling at how something so small could contain such power.

"What even is this system?" he murmured, more to himself than to the wraith. "Summoner's Gacha System… Where did it come from? Why do I have it?"

Curiosity getting the better of him, he sat up and pulled out his old, battered laptop. The thing was a relic from another era, but it still worked—barely. After a few sputtering clicks and whirrs, the screen finally came to life.

"Let's see if there's anything on the net about this system…"

He typed in "Summoner's Gacha System" and hit the search button. As he scrolled through the results, his frown deepened. There were plenty of articles and forums about various summoning abilities, awakenings, and even rare magical phenomena, but nothing—absolutely nothing—mentioned anything even remotely similar to what he had.

"No hits," he muttered, leaning back in frustration. "Not a single one."

That wasn't normal. If this was some kind of widely known or even obscure summoning ability, there should have been something. But the complete lack of information made him uneasy. Whatever this system was, it was either incredibly rare… or it wasn't supposed to exist at all.

Arjun glanced over at the Shadow Wraith, which was now floating aimlessly around the room, examining every little detail. It seemed almost playful, the way it poked at the broken radio on his table or swirled around the rusty fan that hadn't worked in years.

"I guess I should keep this whole system thing a secret, huh?" he said aloud, watching as the wraith stopped in mid-air, its gaze snapping to him. "Can't have people asking too many questions."

The wraith didn't respond—at least not verbally—but Arjun swore it nodded slightly before resuming its aimless exploration of his cramped quarters.

As he sat there, absently rubbing his temples, another thought struck him. He'd read that normal summoners needed a constant supply of mana to sustain their summons. Most people could only maintain one or two at a time, depending on their mana reserves. And yet, ever since he'd summoned the wraith, he hadn't felt any drain at all.

Frowning, he focused on the wraith, trying to sense any link between them. There was a faint connection—like a thread of energy tying them together—but no mana was flowing through it.

"Wait a minute… You're not draining my mana, are you?"

The wraith drifted closer, its eyes glowing softly. It seemed to understand his confusion, but it offered no explanation.

Arjun stared at it, his mind racing. "That's… not normal. Every summoner has to use mana to keep their creatures around. But you… you're just here, no cost to me at all."

He thought back to the system's words. The Summoner's Gacha System provided characters with their own mana, meaning they didn't rely on his. That made his summons independent—completely self-sustaining. Which meant…

"I could summon more than one creature at a time!" he blurted out, a grin spreading across his face. "I wouldn't be limited like other summoners!"

The wraith bobbed up and down, as if agreeing with him. Arjun's grin widened. This changed everything. He might have started with a "weak" summoning power, but if he could summon multiple creatures without worrying about his mana reserves… he could be unstoppable.

But there was still the issue of summoning more creatures. The system required Summoning Shards, and the only way to get them was by completing quests. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the shard still clutched in his hand.

One more summon. One more chance to bring another ally into his fold. And each new summon could be stronger than the last.

He leaned back against the wall, the excitement bubbling up inside him. If he played his cards right, if he gathered a powerful team of summons, he could carve out a place for himself in this world—no, rise above it.

"Looks like we've got our work cut out for us," he said, glancing at the wraith. "But hey, at least I've got you to help me out, right?"

The wraith hovered closer, a low, almost melodic hum emanating from its form. Arjun chuckled.

"Alright, Shadow, how about we grab something to eat? I've got some leftovers somewhere…"

He wandered over to his small, barely functioning fridge and pulled out a bowl of cold rice. As he set it down on the table, he looked over his shoulder at the wraith, smirking.

"Sorry, I don't think you eat, do you?"

The wraith seemed to tilt its head, almost as if considering the question, then floated away to examine an old, dusty book on the shelf. Arjun shook his head, laughing.

"Yeah, didn't think so. Guess it's just me, then."

As he ate, his mind continued to churn with possibilities and plans. The system was a mystery, but it was his. And he'd figure out how to make it work for him—one shard, one summon, one victory at a time.

For now, though, he'd keep his cards close to his chest. No one needed to know about the system, or the power it gave him. Because in this world of awakeners and magic, secrets were just as valuable as power.

And Arjun intended to keep both.