Commemorative Character Profiles: The Protagonist and His Summoned Beasts (Act One Conclusion)

Name: 〖Reima Kariya〗 — The Hero who saved another world, and the singularity of its ruin. Race: Human Age: 15 Gender: Male Job: [Summoner] Appearance: Black hair and blue eyes. He was reasonably handsome, for what it was worth. Notes: He was a victim, plain and simple—plucked from his third year of middle school and dropped into another world. Because of his innate aptitude, he became a [Summoner], eventually forging contracts with the strongest entities that world had to offer. To call him the strongest was an understatement. The world he had been summoned to was so absurdly hostile that he was forced to master every discipline just to survive, eventually allowing him to mimic the abilities of almost any other [Job].

He spent three years exploring every corner of that world, eventually slaying the [Demon King] alongside his companions. He was a Hero. But when he returned to the kingdom that had summoned him, they repaid his service with betrayal and an execution. That experience left him obsessed with concealing his true strength in this new parallel world. He viewed himself as a monster—a tool designed only for slaughter.

Name: 〖Luna Managarm〗 — The Moon-Devouring, Deicidal Divine Wolf Race: [Divine Wolf] Age: 16 (Human equivalent) Origin: The twin of [Fenrir] from Norse Mythology. A [Divine Wolf] whose name translated to "Hatred" or "Enemy" in Old Norse. Myth claimed she pursued the moon, [Máni], without rest; eclipses occurred whenever she finally managed to sink her teeth into it. Gender: Female Appearance: A striking girl with silver eyes and pale, silken hair that reached her waist. Her attire consisted of thin, draped fabrics. Unlike her older sister, certain aspects of her physique were quite... generous. Notes: A [Divine Wolf] born with the authority to slay gods and command the moon. Feared for her deicidal nature, she was hunted by the masses until Reima rescued her and her sister. She was his first companion, his first true ally. Her dependency on him was moderate. Her primary ability was the absolute manipulation of cold air.

Name: 〖Sol Skoll〗 — The Sun-Devouring, Deicidal Divine Wolf Race: [Divine Wolf] Age: 16 (Human equivalent) Origin: The offspring of the demon wolf [Fenrir] and a giantess from the [Ironwood]. Her name meant "The Mocker" or "Loud Laughter" in Old Norse. Other etymological interpretations suggested "Noise" or "Delusion." In the [Edda]’s [Gylfaginning], it was said that the sun and moon traversed the sky only because they were being hunted by [Hati] and [Skoll]. Solar eclipses were the result of [Skoll] catching the sun chariot of [Sol] and inflicting harm upon it. Gender: Female Appearance: Golden hair that shimmered like a sunset. She possessed heterochromatic eyes of black and white that seemed to swallow the light around them. I won't specify where, but unlike her sister, she was notably... lacking in certain proportions. Notes: A sun-aspected [Divine Wolf] who had sacrificed everything to protect her younger sister. She spoke in a bratty, "mesugaki" dialect. Reima was the first person she ever truly trusted, and she had followed him ever since. Her power was the sun itself, and her fangs carried the conceptual weight of god-slaying. Her dependency on Reima was, frankly, extreme.

Name: 〖Lycoris Hydros〗 — The Primordial Nine-Headed Dragon of World-Blight, [Equinox Girl] Race: [Arche-Hydra] Age: Secret Origin: A keystone monster of Greek Mythology. She was one of the trials overcome by [Heracles], and even in death, her venom claimed the hero's life. "[Hydra]" was Ancient Greek for "water snake." Some legends suggested she was a manifestation of the goddess [Hera]’s spite. Gender: Female Appearance: She had purple-black hair and amber eyes that felt strangely hollow. She took a particular liking to a black dress Reima gave her—one that resembled mourning clothes—and she refused to wear anything else when meeting him. Notes: The original [Hydra] from the world Reima had been summoned to. Her very existence was toxic; she had spent centuries in total isolation because her presence alone would drown the world in poison. Reima only managed to recruit her by using his massive mana reserves to [Heal] himself through the constant organ failure, eventually building up a forced immunity to her presence. Because he was the only one who could ever touch her, her dependency was absolute. When Reima was "executed," she nearly abandoned all self-restraint to erase the world from existence. She only stopped because she realized Reima would have been disappointed in her.

Name: 〖Algol Gorgon〗 Race: Former Goddess Age: Dig for it, and I'll kill you. Origin: A monster from Greek Mythology and one of the [Gorgon Sisters]. A woman of peerless beauty who possessed the power to turn anyone who gazed upon her into stone. Gender: Female Appearance: A purple-haired beauty in glasses. Everything about her was... substantial. She stood at roughly 210 centimeters. Notes: An "ore-ko" who used masculine pronouns, yet she was surprisingly the most sensible member of the group. She fell in love with Reima because he treated her with sincerity even after she had transformed into a monster. As a former goddess, her love was heavy; she was the type of girl who would petrify the entire world if it meant helping Reima. She also had a soft spot for cute girls. She was known to drink blood—specifically Reima’s. In fact, many of the [Summoned Beasts] had a taste for his blood... but that’s a story for another time.

Future Summoned Beast Teasers:

• The [King of Storms], a sovereign over a legion of spirits and the dead. (The Consummate Butler).
• The greatest giant of Greek Mythology, a monster that made even the heavens tremble. (A princess with a very dangerous mouth).
• One of the [Eleven Calamities]... the primordial goddess who birthed monsters and spoke for dragons. (The Ultimate Mother).
• A metaphor for immortality and the infinite cycle of logic; a pair of serpents presiding over rebirth. (A cruel Shota-Loli duo).
• The beast of the constellation that slew the archer. (A junior-type poisoner).
• The crimson sea dragon that served as the source for a demonic spear. (A total battle-maniac).
• The three-headed dragon-snake with wings that blot out the sun, carrying the world's malice. (A tan-skinned, arrogant beauty).
• The giant fish upon which the bull, the bedrock, and the angel stand. (The Big Sister).

[Afterword]

That was a brief look at the [Summoned Beasts] joining the roster. If any of them caught your eye, I hope you'll stick around to meet them properly.

With this, Act One is officially in the books. It took twenty-four days to get here. I'm genuinely grateful to everyone who stuck with it. This novel was born from a sudden inspiration I had while reading other dungeon stories, and I’ve poured everything I have into it. It’s been the most fun I’ve ever had writing, even when the plot got complicated.

I did learn one harsh lesson: I really should have had a backlog. I was writing these chapters almost in real-time as they were posted. Anyway, setting my poor planning aside, a final request to my readers: if you haven't followed the story or given it a star rating yet, please do. It helps more than you know.

I've loved reading every single comment. They’re the reason I keep pushing forward. Feel free to leave your thoughts on the first act as a whole.

And I know I said Act Two would start on Tuesday. I lied. I’m moving the schedule up. See you sooner than expected.