Summoning failed

Ethan's eyes darted to the lifeless bodies of Scarface and the wiry man, their still forms lying just feet away. A thought—wild, reckless, and utterly desperate—flashed through his mind.

Summon them.

He had never attempted summoning dead humans before. Could he even do it? Would the system allow it? He didn't know, but he had no choice. If this gamble worked, it could turn the tide of the fight.

With trembling fingers clutching his sword, Ethan forced himself to focus. He willed the system to activate, mentally commanding it to summon the freshly fallen bandits.

For a moment, nothing happened. The carriage driver, seeing Ethan on the ground, smirked and began to close the distance. But then, with a faint shimmer of light, both Scarface and the wiry man's bodies twitched.

The driver paused mid-step, his smirk faltering. "What the—?"

It was Ethan's turn to smile. It had worked! His plan had worked! He was able to fucking summon other human beings! This means-

His thoughts froze when scarface's lifeless eyes opened. The wiry man followed suit, his limbs jerking unnaturally as they rose to their feet. 

But the two of their gazes were not blank like the summons before. Instead, there was madness in their eyes. Pure madness. A gaze filled with resentment, sadness, anger and agony.

Before Ethan could even rejoice in the success of his gamble, it was clear that something was wrong. These two were not like the others before. Be it shadow or the goblins, they were able to resurrect with a much calmer mental state. 

On the other hand… these two… looked as if they were about to explode with madness and rage. Their faces were twisted in an expression of pure hatred and torment.

"You are not-" The carriage driver opened his mouth and before he could finish Scarface lunged at him with reckless abandonment. The wiry guy also mirrored his actions. 

Both of them moved with an unnatural strength and fury. Their eyes burned with unbridled rage, their twisted faces more monstrous than human. They closed the distance with terrifying speed, their movements erratic but unnervingly effective.

"What the hell—" the driver snarled, raising his dagger to defend himself. Scarface's body collided with him, driving him back several steps. The wiry man followed, clawing at the driver's arms, his fingers unnaturally strong.

Ethan scrambled to his feet, gripping his sword tightly. The sight before him was horrifying.

The wiry man let out a guttural scream, his hands locking around the driver's throat. Scarface tore at the man's chest with his bare hands, the movements uncoordinated but relentless.

"Get off me!" the driver bellowed, swinging his dagger wildly. 

He managed to slash Scarface across the face, but the summoned man didn't flinch, his focus locked on his target. The wiry man shoved the driver hard against the ground and the both of them climbed onto him, rabidly attacking him with their bare hands.

The driver's defiance faltered as he struggled against their relentless assault. His dagger lashed out, slashing Scarface's cheek and embedding into the wiry man's shoulder, but it was like trying to stop a flood with a bucket. 

Blood sprayed across the forest floor as the two undead summons clawed and bit, their raw strength overpowering the driver's dwindling resistance. Within a matter of seconds, the carriage driver's body slumped onto the ground lifelessly.

The two immediately stopped. The next moment their heads snapped back to turn toward Ethan and their twisted gazes locked onto him.

Their faces, contorted with rage and agony, seemed to emanate a primal hunger. The driver's lifeless body was proof of their sheer ferocity, and now their attention had shifted entirely to their summoner.

"Shit," Ethan muttered under his breath, gripping his sword tightly. His mind raced as he willed himself to stay calm. He had summoned them, but they were clearly not under his control. Whatever force he had unleashed was far beyond his understanding.

Scarface's lips curled into a snarl, a guttural growl rising from his throat. The wiry man's jerky movements became more deliberate as he staggered toward Ethan.

"Dismiss!" Ethan shouted.

For a moment, nothing happened. The two took another step forward, their expressions unrelenting. Ethan felt his heart pounding in his chest as he prepared for the worst.

Then, with a flicker of light, the system responded. Scarface froze mid-step, his form shimmering faintly. The wiry man let out a guttural hiss, his body flickering in the same ethereal light. 

A second later, both figures dissolved into nothingness, their twisted snarls echoing faintly before silence reclaimed the clearing.

Ethan collapsed to his knees, his sword clattering to the ground beside him.

[Ding! Summoning unsuccessful. Entities human being and human being have been removed from the summoning list]