Level 0 Summoner

It was still early in the day, and Ren wasn't in any rush to head back to the Allen Estate. After all, Emma had just emphasized the importance of using every available moment to prepare for the Academy Entrance Exams. He was determined to make this year different; he wouldn't let himself be turned away again.

Ever since turning fifteen, he'd done his best to gain entry into an Awakened Academy. But his lowly class and inability to level up had always held him back. At first, when his family still hadn't fully understood the limits of his talent, they'd poured huge amounts of money into trying to get him in, but even then, he'd been refused without hesitation. Two rejections and three years later, he knew he'd have to be twice as impressive to stand a chance. His age would already set him apart from most new students, who entered at fifteen, right after awakening their Status. Only the ones considered "hopeless," like him, had to keep trying, year after year.

"Young master," Emma said, her voice pulling him from his thoughts. "Maybe we should return to the Estate. We could make a plan there, and perhaps your parents are worried since you left so suddenly."

Ren let out a dry laugh. "My parents? Worried about me? If I never came back, the guards might not even bother mentioning it."

Emma frowned, as though she wanted to protest, but Ren raised a hand, silencing her. He turned to the small, cute fox trotting beside him and smiled.

"You can go back to your usual form now, Suki. I think it's time we see just how strong you are."

Ren had already seen Suki's stats and knew none of the monsters in this E-Rank area would pose any threat to her. But he wanted to witness her in action. More importantly, he was curious about how experience would be divided between them—something the previous Ren had never cared to investigate.

In a burst of light, Suki transformed back into her original form. She gave him a confident look, waiting silently for instructions.

"Suki, I want to see what you can do. Try taking down some slimes and goblins."

Suki's face brightened, but before she moved, she hesitated. "Could I have a weapon? A dagger or even a small knife would work."

Ren reached for the knife he'd given his skeleton earlier, only to realize he hadn't retrieved it after it dissolved. He was embarrassed, unsure what to tell her.

"I-If you don't have one, that's okay!" Suki said quickly, noticing his flustered look. "I can manage without!"

Her tail wiggled, and her fists clenched just a bit. It was clear to Ren she was eager to prove herself, nervous but determined to make a strong impression.

"Actually, I think I see it," he said, pointing to where the knife lay, glinting in the grass. "Right there, where my last summon fell."

Suki's eyes sparkled, and with a nod, she was off in a flash, her movements so quick that Ren could barely track her. Agility was her strongest trait, and she moved with the speed and fluidity of a true hunter. Within seconds, she'd snatched the knife and was holding it aloft, smiling proudly in his direction.

"I found it! Look!" She shouted as she brandished the knife proudly.

Her rapid movements had already caught the attention of other young adventurers nearby, many of whom stared at her in awe and confusion. Ren sensed their curiosity but also saw their bewilderment—he doubted any of them had ever seen a creature like her.

After showing off the knife, she turned to her first target, a blue slime, the same kind his weak skeleton had struggled to kill. Suki lunged forward and dispatched it in a single clean strike, reducing it to shimmering particles in an instant. A metallic sound rang in Ren's mind.

[-99 Health Points]

Ding!

[Your summon  has killed a Lv.1 Blue Slime.]

[You have received 20 Experience Points and Suki also has received 20 Experience Points.]

Ren immediately opened Suki's Status, hoping to see how much experience she needed to level up. But as he did, the notifications continued to roll in, accompanied by more metallic noises as Suki tore through the field.

The messages soon flooded his vision, making it impossible to check her Status. He gave up for now and simply watched as Suki rampaged through the area, killing goblins and slimes alike before they had any chance to react. Her agility allowed her to dart among the trees and strike down creatures in the blink of an eye.

Some of the other adventurers started to mutter in frustration.

"Who is this high-level Awakened barging into an E-Rank Hunting Ground? Is she just here to show off?" one complained.

"If she keeps going at this rate, there won't be a single beast left for us to hunt today!" another grumbled.

"Ugh, she just killed mine too! I couldn't even see her properly—she's way too fast."

Ren smirked at the comments. Watching Suki easily handle the creatures in this area was a breath of fresh air compared to his earlier, pitiful summon.

The thought of his newfound strength led Ren to a new question. "Emma, what level would you say Suki's power is at? Where would she stand compared to other Awakened?"

Emma rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I'd guess around Level 20. She's strong, but she's nowhere near as powerful as Noah yet. He's still far ahead, especially with all the resources your parents have lavished on him. And the biggest difference is that she doesn't have any skills yet, while Noah has too many to even count."

Ren frowned, her words sparking an idea. As he continued watching Suki, his mind filled with a new goal. He didn't just want to make it into an Academy now. That would be way too easy. He wanted to utterly humiliate Noah in front of their parents. In one month, he wanted to make Suki powerful enough to crush Noah's strength during the entrance exam. Joining an Academy would be easy, but outshining Noah would be far more satisfying.

After a few minutes, Suki returned to where he and Emma waited at the hunting ground's entrance. She was slightly out of breath, her ample chest heaving in her tight combat outfit.

Seeing her return, Ren found himself momentarily captivated by her nice curves. Suki noticed his gaze and smiled. "Do you like my chest?" she asked, completely unfazed.

Ren's face turned bright red, and he quickly looked away, trying to act like he hadn't been staring. Emma, meanwhile, looked less than pleased by his current behavior.

"W-Why would you ask that?" Ren stammered, hoping she wouldn't say anything more suggestive.

"Well… I just noticed you were staring at it a lot. I thought maybe… you wanted to touch it?" She leaned closer, her eyes playful, clearly enjoying his reaction.

Ren then remembered what she had said quickly after coming out of the summoning portal. I'll listen to whatever you tell me! It seemed like she really hadn't been joking. She really would do anything Ren ordered.

Ren immediately moved away from her as he waved his hands in a dismissive manner. "Of course not! I would never do such a thing…" he said, sneaking a quick glance at Emma, who was watching him with a raised eyebrow, judging his every move.

Suki pouted, clearly disappointed, but Ren kept his focus and decided not to humor her further with Emma around, maybe when they were all alone… but with Emma around, watching his every move, it was just weird. Regaining his composure, he called up Suki's Status to see if she had leveled up after all her kills.

[Suki]

[Level 2 | (30/750)]

[Health Points: 130/130]

[Strength: 14]

[Agility: 22]

[Stamina: 12]

[Free Stat Points: 1]

[Skills: None]

"Suki!" he exclaimed. "You leveled up! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Uh… what are you talking about? What is 'leveling up'?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

Realizing she probably didn't know much about the leveling process due to her lack of memories, Ren gave her a quick rundown. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as he explained.

"So, by killing monsters, I become stronger and can gain skills? Is that it?"

Ren nodded. "Exactly. Now, let me add that point into Agility. Tell me if you feel any different."

"Sure," she replied, looking curious.

As he added her Free Stat Point into Agility, a faint golden glow surrounded her body.

"Feel any different?" he asked.

Suki moved her arms and legs experimentally, and her face lit up. "Yeah, I feel just a little lighter. Wow, this is incredible!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious, but Ren knew her lack of skills was still a concern. Skills were essential for her development, and he knew of two ways to get them. The first was straightforward: purchasing Skill Books in shops that could be found in any major cities. The second was trickier—occasionally, leveling up would reward skills or abilities, though it wasn't guaranteed.

And Ren wasn't one to leave things to chance.

"Emma," he called out, "how much money do I have?"

She thought for a moment. "Uh… about 100 silvers. Why?"

Ren frowned, clicking his tongue in frustration. "That's not even close to enough."

He clenched his fist. He'd already lost so much time, and waiting on the hope of luck was a risk he couldn't afford.

"I want to buy a Skill Book for Suki, but that'll take more than what we have."

"We could always ask your father. I'm sure he'd give you enough if he knew about this new potential of yours," Emma suggested, still trying to convince Ren.

Ren let out a sigh, his tone darkening. "I told you before, we're not telling anyone in the family about Suki—not until the Academy Exams. Am I clear? I want to see the look of regret on all of their faces when they finally see her."

Emma's eyes widened at his authoritative tone and the slight hatred in his eyes. She looked at him in surprise, and for a moment, she seemed at a loss for words. Then she nodded, a faint smile of approval on her face. It was the first time she'd seen him assert himself with such confidence, and she could tell he was done letting people walk all over him. She wasn't sure why or how such a change had happened, but she welcomed it with open arms.

"Well," she said, her voice softening, "there is another way. But… it would be dangerous for Suki."

She glanced at the beautiful fox girl, her worry evident.