The Gamer's POV

Chapter 336: Bittersweet Contemplation

Aika lifted her gaze to Cedric, then shrugged carelessly. "I had her register for one of the tournaments in the summons arena. That way, she can work her ass off gaining fighting experience while leveling up our skill."

She paused for a few seconds before adding with a small smile, "You don’t need to worry about her. She’s capable of handling herself."

Cedric slowed his chewing, then swallowed. Despite having a fair bit of trust in his summon, he couldn’t help but feel a bit worried for her.

Well, Aika was right. She was capable of handling herself, and he did not need to worry about her being a nuisance while in the empire because she was a good being. A Kushala.

Speaking of summons, Cedric began to wonder which of his creatures he would like to give life to next.

He knew a fair bit about some of the territories in the second ring and he also knew a bit about some of the creatures there. But the problem was that he had no idea where he would wake up once he crossed that blue bridge. And the creatures in the second ring were a lot more terrifying than anything he had come across in the first.

Cedric took a bite of his thickly buttered toast as he drifted deeper into contemplation.

He couldn’t just bring any of the creatures to life without proper thought. All of his summons had counters to each other and he needed to also put that into consideration.

’Athena is the Kushala that counters the Blight, who is the Klesha of the end and death of all things.’

But upon thinking it over, he didn’t think it wise to make the Blight his next summon.

’I still have a few months before the next eclipse. Rather than bringing a creature to life that I would just have to lock up in my sanctuary, I should bring one that I can register in the tournaments alongside Athena. Someone who isn’t an utter disaster to everyone they come across. That way, they can also help level up the skill.

’Who knows. If I have the summons put in enough work, I might even be able to unlock another slot by the time the eclipse arrives.’

He began to run through the powers of both the Kleshas and Kushalas in his head.

’I’m definitely not going to bring the Duumvir-Exalt right now. I’m not yet powerful enough to subdue it, let alone command it to do stuff in the arena without my constant surveillance or risk it turning on me. I should at least be more than four levels above it before I can think of bringing it to life, so that summon is out.’

He thought about the Monad who was the direct counter for the Duumvir-Exalt. But he felt it wasn’t time to bring the little guy to life, so he ruled it out.

He thought of the Nebulid, who had the power to hide its true nature behind a fog of delusion, and he thought about the creature’s counter, the Hekatid, the being who possessed absolute protection against mind attacks and could see through any deception.

Considering that he wanted a summon he could easily register at the arena right now to help him level up before the next eclipse, he ruled those two out as well.

Suddenly, he remembered the Seraphid.

His mood shifted instantly, his expression dimmed, and he lost his appetite.

He leaned back in his chair and dropped his head back, staring up at the chandelier.

’Seo-yeon...’

For a long moment, the memory of his last conversation with Seo-yeon filled his thoughts, and the images of his dance with her replayed in his mind over and over again.

....He could see her face again, her tears, and just how terrified she was on that night.

When she had reached out for his hand, he could tell that she was desperate for anything to anchor her to reality, to keep her from slipping away completely.

If anyone missed their life more, it was her.

She broke herself piece by piece just to fulfill her duty. And the heavy realization of how she had suffered all those years just to stay by his side pressed down on Cedric now.

At the moment, he still found it really hard to believe that he would never see her ever again.

That her story had really come to a close...

Up above, the beautiful chandelier began to blur, until Cedric couldn’t see it anymore.

He sighed, lowered his head, and rubbed his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Aika asked with a softened, gentle expression, causing him to look across the table at her.

He smiled and tried to blink away the lingering moisture. "Yes. I’m alright."

Almost immediately, a notification popped up.

[You have acquired 5 Karma points.]

[Available Karma points: N3,470 / P210,235]

Aika’s lips parted, but before she could speak, he quickly changed the subject. "I’ve been thinking about which summon I should bring to life. This time, I want us to bring a Klesha, and after much deliberation, I’ve narrowed the choices down to two. The Akuma-Oni and the Aman."

Aika stared at him for a moment, then sighed deeply and closed her book.

She leaned forward, propping her elbow on the table and placing her chin on her palm as she gave him her full attention.

"Between the Oni and the Aman, though, I think the Oni will be a better choice at the moment," Cedric continued, tapping his fingers against the table. "He is easier to control and subdue. At least we know that he will actually try to follow orders even when we are not around. And I’m sure he wouldn’t mind spending the majority of his time in the arena leveling up the skill for us."

Aika looked like she was thinking for a bit, though Cedric suspected that there literally was no thought behind those eyes. Eventually, she shrugged and agreed, "Sounds alright to me."

Cedric picked up a fresh napkin to wipe his hands and pushed back his chair.

"Come on, let’s go welcome him then."