Monster Slayer: Weapon Summoner

The first thing I saw when I woke up was the sky. It was dark. Blacker than the color itself.

I got off the ground and stumbled on my feet a little. I felt a bit dizzy. I glanced around my surroundings and discovered I was standing in the middle of some kind of forest. There were trees, rocks, and boulders. Other than that, I couldn’t make out much else as the darkness made it pretty hard to see.

The moon light pouring down from above provided some illumination, but it was only restricted to my immediate environment.

I was standing in the center of a forest clearing and I had no idea how I got there. Not only that, but I couldn’t remember anything as well. Not how I got there, not even what I was supposed to be doing. Heck, I couldn’t even remember my own name.

As I stood there not really sure what to do next, I suddenly felt a sharp pain emanate from within the lower back of my head. I gritted my teeth in pain then placed my left hand over the back of my neck.

“Cranial integration complete.” suddenly came a robotic feminine voice from within the insides of my skull.

“What?” I asked confused. “Who said that?”

“Analyzing host and starting up system settings. Please stand by.”

“What the…”

I franticly searched my surroundings despite knowing fully well that the voice was coming from within my head.

” Whose there? Show yourself.” I demanded, but there was nobody else around.

“Analysis complete.” the computerized voice continued. Suddenly, a blue menu screen appeared in front of my face obstructing most of my vision.

I almost tripped on a rock because of it.

“What the hell…” I said, trailing off as I took notice of the information displayed on the menu screen.

_______________

Basic Info Heading.

Name: Hunter.

Age: 22.

Hight: 7 2.

Weight: 360 pounds.

Class: Monster slayer, weapon summoner.

Level: 1.

I was a bit confused by what I was looking at but I continued reading.

Skills Heading:

Combat level: 5%

Weapon summoning: level 1.

Available Weapons and Items Heading:

Bow.

Arrows.

Sword.

Dagger.

Special Abilities Heading:

Consumption: unavailable.

Transformation: unavailable.

Weapon summoning by voice: available.

AI companion: active.

AI capability: at 5%

_______________

It was only when I finished reading that I somewhat understood what I had been staring at.

“Are these my stats?” I whispered to myself, not really sure who I was asking.

“affirmative.” the voice in my head responded almost immediately. “Host seemed to have not suffered any immediate complications from cranial integration.” she continued. “However, current bio signs indicate slight dehydration and minimal starvation. You must be hungry. And thirsty.” the AI said this last part with a cheer in her voice as if we were longtime friends who knew each other.

“Who are you?” I asked plainly, with out a hint of amusement in my voice.

“I am Rachel. Your personal surveillance and combat assisted Ai companion.”

“how are you in my head?” I asked, eagerly looking for answers.

” Via the chip which was inserted at the base of your skull.” she replied.

I tried blinking a few times to clear the menu screen that was still obstructing my vision but it didn’t work.

“Would you like me to close out the window for you?” Rachel asked.

“Yes.” I replied.

The blue menu screen carrying my info disappeared a second later and I once again had a clear view of the trees around me. But I still had no idea where I was, or what I was meant to be doing.

“Rachel.”

“Yes.”

“Where am I?”

“One moment please. the AI replied as she went about gathering information on my where abouts. There was a slight pause before she resumed talking again.

“Scans indicate that you are somewhere within the southern region of Dumaria. In the slayer’s forest.”

I immediately recognized the address. The slayer’s forest was notorious for harboring some of the most frightening and dangerous monsters on the continent. But why was I here. Only professionals were allowed to venture into the forest and even then, they don’t go in alone. Although I was carrying a few weapons in my inventory, I didn’t have any armor on. I only had on a pair of jean shorts and no shoes. I didn’t even have on a shirt.

I was ill prepared to be standing where I was at the moment, so before I could try to figure out anything else, I needed to get out of there. However, just as I was about to ask Rachel for directions back to town something happened.

“Warning.” Rachel’s voice boomed from within the inside of my head. “Hostile creatures inbound.”

A chill ran down my spine but I forced myself to remain level headed and focused. I glanced around my surroundings once more but I couldn’t find anything. Neither was I able to hear anything running through the forest brush towards me.

“Where are they?” I asked Rachel, my eyes locked on the trees as I searched for the approaching danger. I don’t know why but, in that moment, I felt like I was doing what I was meant to be doing.

“ETA is 40 seconds.” Rachel said.

I didn’t have much to work with but I needed to be ready.

“Bring up menu screen.” I asked Rachel. I didn’t have any armor so I needed to pick out a weapon that will serve as both an offensive and defensive tool. A blue screen suddenly appeared in front of my face, and my eyes immediately drifted over to the available weapons and items section.

_______________

Available Weapons and Items Heading:

Bow.

Arrows.

Sword.

Dagger.

_______________

“ETA is now 28 seconds_” Rachel warned, her voice starting to sound worried.

“How do I pick out a weapon?” I asked calmly, my eyes hovering over the bow and arrow. With it, I had the option to switch between a defensive and offensive strategy while keeping my distance. With the sword and dagger, they both required me to engage in close combat. And since I didn’t have any armor on, I couldn’t even consider choosing them. Then Rachel answered my question.

“Just say the name of an item you want from your inventory.” she said.

I scrolled a little down my menu screen. To the special abilities section.

_______________

Weapon summoning by voice: available.

_______________

So that’s what that does.

“ETA is now 15 seconds_” Rachel warned again, sounding even more panicked than before.

I took a step back then held out my left hand.

“Bow.” I said, and suddenly a bright light engulfed my hand before quickly dissipating, leaving something behind.

I was now holding a black bow in my left hand.

“Arrows.” I said again. This time, the same bright light engulfed my back and quickly dissipated as it did before. I now had a quiver strapped to my back with a bunch of arrows stuffed inside.

Looking at the weapons I was now holding, I smiled. I didn’t even know why.

“ETA is now 3, 2, 1.”

Suddenly, there was a loud screeching as several creatures flew out of the shadows and came to a halt in front of me. They were several feet off the ground and were flapping their wings to keep them suspended in midair. There were three of them at first, each one sporting the same horrific characteristics as the remaining two. Glowing red eyes, a giant head that resembled the head of a bat, blood red wings that possessed razor sharp claws at the tips, and a tiny body.

Blood bats.

That’s what they are called.

A window carrying necessary information about their modes of attack suddenly appeared in a corner of my vision.

Blood bats.

Attack modes:

Acidic fireball spit.

Single diving slash.

Double diving slash.

Aggressive swarm.

Battering ram.

_______________

“Close window.” I said to Rachel after I had finished reading up on the blood bat’s attack modes. The blue menu screen disappeared and I readied myself for battle. I took an arrow from the quiver resting on my back then nocked it on my bow. I lifted the bow and arrow as I drew back on the string. Squinting, I took aim on one of the creatures flapping their wings in front of me. Flames and smoke were starting to billow up from its mouth and I figured it was the one most ready to shoot acid fire at me. It drew its head back as if it was about to spit and I saw my opening. I released my grip and the arrow shot forth and punched right through the creature’s throat spraying blood.

“Nice shot.” Rachel said in my head, and I watched as the creature fell towards the ground a second later. However, I didn’t have time to check my stats as two of the creatures remained. I nocked another arrow from my quiver and readied myself to shoot another one down. But I wasn’t fast enough. A ball of acid fire rushed down towards me and I barely dodged out of the way at the last second.

“That was close.” Rachel said.

I turned to snag a quick glance at where I just stood a second ago, and I saw the splash from the acid fire had already started to eat through the ground. That almost could have been me. I turned my attention back towards the remaining creatures and lifted my bow and arrow to shoot another one down. I fired, and the one on the left dropped towards the ground.

“Only one left.” Rachel said, starting to sound excited.

I nocked another arrow and aimed it at the last creature. I waited for it to expose its throat. Then I fired.

Blood and acid sprayed out as the arrow zipped through the air and struck the creature in its neck. It plummeted towards the ground a second later.

“And that’s the last of them.” My AI companion said delighted. “You should take a look at this.” She brought up my stats which then proceeded to take up my entire field of vision. Everything was as it was before except with the addition of two new variables and two value change.

_______________

Basic Info Heading.

Name: Hunter.

Age: 22.

Hight: 7 2.

Weight: 360 pounds.

Class: Monster slayer, weapon summoner.

Level: 2.

EX P: 3.

Silver coin: 6.

Skills Heading:

Combat level: 8%

Weapon summoning: level 1.

Available Weapons and Items Heading:

Bow.

Arrows.

Sword.

Dagger.

Special Abilities Heading:

Consumption: unavailable.

Transformation: unavailable.

Weapon summoning by voice: available.

AI companion: active.

AI capability: at 5%

_______________

So I had gone up a level and acquired experience and combat points. “That’s cool.” I said. Also, by slaying the three blood bats I had gained three silver coins as well. Although it wasn’t super impressive, it was still quite the sum.

“Close window.” I said to Rachel, and the blue menu screen disappeared a second later. I still had the black bow I had summoned in my hands and after a quick glance over my shoulder I discovered I had nine arrows left. Despite the fact I had survived my first encounter without so much as a scratch, I still needed to get out of there as soon as I could. Not all of my fights were going to be as easy as the one I just had, and I wasn’t about to test my luck. I was about to call up Rachel and ask for directions out of the forest when something else happened.

“Warning.” Rachel’s voice boomed in my head once more. “Multiple hostiles inbound for this location. More blood bats. They are coming.”

“Shit.” I said, reaching for another arrow and nocking it.

“How many are they?” I asked Rachel, lifting my bow and arrow and pointing it to the night sky.

“They are six this time.” Rachel replied. “With one really big one.”

“Then they are seven.” I said to Rachel, squinting and taking aim in the direction of the tree line where the last three blood bats had emerged from.

“Well wise guy,” Rachel said, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. “They are coming from behind you. Not the front. And ETA is 3, 2, 1”