I Became the Weakest Summon of the Genius Summoner

Chapter 9. Duplicating Mana Stone

The creature was much smaller than the medium-sized mole crickets I'd seen in the dungeon, and when it nestled in her arms, it disappeared almost completely.

'So this is what they mean by a cute one next to another cute one.'

The scene was definitely heartwarming, so I found myself staring at the two in a daze.

"Ilwol, do you want to pet him too? Aww - his fur is unbelievably soft."

I was a few steps away but her question made me unconsciously take a step forward.

'Huh? My foot's moving?'

Maybe it was because of her words just now. Either way, I moved forward and gently placed my hand on the creature that looked like cotton candy.

Woof-woof!

'Will she name it Woof-woof?'

Knowing her naming sense, that was highly likely.

'Clearly, just touching it doesn't let me feel anything.'

In the end, I focused my senses to pet the puppy, and I faintly experienced the sensation from when I was human. Surprisingly, the creature was so overjoyed by my touch that it slobbered everywhere.

After petting it a few times, I noticed her watching the furball with a serious expression again.

'This feeling of déjà vu...'

"How about naming him Woof-woof?"

'I knew it... In my previous life, you had an inexplicable charm, but as a child, you were so predictable.'

Woof-woof!

The puppy didn't seem to mind, so in the end, its name was decided as Woof-woof. I imagined that now, its status would read as "Mole cricket Woof-woof", and the thought amused me, making my shoulder bones jiggle slightly.

"Huh... Ilwol is definitely different. I can feel the mana draining. It might be hard to hold him as I sleep..."

She seemed genuinely disappointed as she pouted and continued to pet Woof-woof.

"By the way, do you think Woof-woof would have any skills? Hm?"

Lee Yeon-hee held Woof-woof while closing her eyes and rolling her eyeballs side to side.

'I'm curious too... I bet digging skills are certain.'

No, that would be a trait. It would run passively, to begin with.

"Oh... Our Woof-woof has only one skill! Hehe, I'm so pleased!"

... Huh? Does he duplicate mana stones?

A skill to duplicate mana stones, which are now widely used as a source of energy? I distinctly heard her say 'produce', but in my head, I understood it as 'duplicate'.

"He seems to have a liking for monster bones. It says that if he eats a certain number of bones, he excretes a mana stone. Why?"

Rather than questioning the mechanism, shouldn't I think about why Woof-woof keeps drooling at me?

"Seems like Woof-woof really likes you, Ilwol. He keeps staring at you. Come on, play together!"

'Of course, he'd be excited since there's a delicious bone right in front of him...'

Woof! Woof! Pant, pant!

The creature broke free from Lee Yeon-hee's hand, ran to me, and started licking my finger bones.

And a moment later.

Crunch, crunch—

"No, woof-woof! Don't eat Ilwol, you'll get scolded!"

'I appreciate it, although the word 'scolded' is a bit off.'

Woof...

Feeling dejected, the creature returned to her embrace and wagged its thick tail slowly.

"Hmm... But weak Woof-woof might find accompanying us in the dungeon a bit tough... I'll have to save monster bones and feed him once. Maybe hidden skills will emerge as his level increases, hmm—"

'I doubt there will be any more skills for that cheeky little creature, but logically speaking, that's correct. The ability stats increase drastically every 5 levels, and sometimes new skills or traits are generated.'

"Woof-woof, for today, stay in. Mom will call you when she gets some bones, okay? Hehe."

Woof! Woof!

Woof-woof spun in a circle, panting excitedly.

"Kyaa! So cute!"

Regardless, seeing her smile made me feel satisfied as well.

"I haven't counted exactly, but I've defeated about 700 to 800 goblins. If with Ilwol, we can defeat at least 20 a day, then achieving the milestone in 10 days should be possible, right?"

"Clack-clack-clack!"

"Tomorrow, let's ensure Ilwol returns alive too!"

She clenched her fists tightly and steeled her determination. And this time, as she prepared to sleep, she didn't unsummon me.

"I'm not ready to sleep with you in the room yet, Ilwol, so hang out in the living room, alright?"

Nod—

'Well, I wouldn't want to sleep in the same room with a skeleton that has deep shadows in its eyes either.'

I quickly acquiesced and stood quietly in the living room, checking the abilities.

=====

Protector

- Shares half of the damage received by the summoner.

=====

'The trait "Protector"... This is a really beneficial trait.'

To maximize this trait's effect, I either needed more summoned creatures to share the damage or increase my own stamina.

'I shouldn't neglect my stamina.'

Though I had 98 lives, if Lee Yeon-hee perished, the chances of my own obliteration were high.

The top priority had to be her safety, after all.

As I stretched my senses to monitor her condition and passed the time with my creaky body moving back and forth, there were moments when the sound of her quiet weeping made a part of my heart ache.

Yet, there was nothing I could do.

As morning dawned and before heading to the dungeon, she sent me back into the spatial storage saying,

"See you later~"

'Even if she was revealed as a summoner, carrying something like me around outside wouldn't do.'

Time passed in the gradually familiar darkness of the space, and eventually, the portal opened again.

"Roar!"

...?

"Puhuhu– did I surprise you, Ilwol? Hmm? Were you surprised?"

Did she stretch both arms wide to mimic a tiger?

Faced with her adorable expression, I resisted the urge to touch her cheek and looked around.

'Hmm—this isn't the same point as last time.'

It seemed that since there were Hunter Bureau staff stationed at the dungeon entrance, last time she had summoned me far from the entry point.

Although this time we were a bit farther away, the entry-exit portal was faintly visible within sight.

Because single-floor dungeons like the Goblin Dungeon have the same entrance and exit, it's relatively easy to encounter people near the entrance.

Rustle—

'Three people...'

Just like now.

- Hey?! That's the summoner girl...
- Huh? She's wearing a robe, how can you tell?
- You don't see the skeleton next to her, idiot?
- I heard she's really pretty, why is she covering up...
- Should I try talking to her?
- Stop spouting nonsense and just move.

Fortunately, the party of three men we encountered after walking a few steps didn't mess with Lee Yeon-hee.

But that was thanks to us being near the entrance.

Who knew what might've happened if we met them deeper inside.

"Phew... It's always nerve-wracking meeting people..."

Once she established a safe distance, she took a deep breath and held my hand tightly.

I wondered if internalizing the chill of bones offered any comfort, yet seeing the color return to her face made me nod in acknowledgment.

'To think she managed all on her own...'

In her past life, she mentioned in an interview with a newspaper that, as a rookie hunter, what frightened her more than monsters were the occasional confrontations with other hunters.

Looking at the cold sweat beading on her forehead, there was no doubt about it.

Shuffle-shuffle—

After walking along the grassy path for about 40 minutes.

"It's a cave. Doesn't seem too big... Ilwol, can you survey inside somehow?"

The small cave at about 2m high, framed with an open clearing in front of it, looked promising.

Without any threats other than monsters, ordinary bats or numerous living creatures would dwell within, so I approached the entrance and unfolded a sensory net into the cave.

The colorless net extended a bit beyond 10m and caught several life forms imbued with mana.

'Five slimes...'

Signalizing her, I gestured in the air with both hands to depict a round shape.

"There are slimes?! Can you tell how many?"

To her question, I immediately displayed five fingers.

"Five... Are they clustered together?"

"Clack-clack!"

"They're not clustered... Good. Monsters have been scarce today, so let's at least catch these."

She retrieved two torches from her inventory and handed one to me, and together we entered the cave.

=====

Torch infused with Magic Power

- As the ultimate success of 'Jinhyun', the alchemist, this torch burns brightly with minimal mana, making it a popular choice among novice hunters.

=====

'It's been a while since I've seen these.'

I hadn't used them after joining the White Knight guild; the nostalgia was hitting hard.

Slither—

Due to the small size of the cave, it took just a few steps before slimes, slowly slithering up the smooth walls toward the ceiling, came into view. On the ground lay corpses resembling bats strewn and decomposed.

'Looks like we interrupted a meal.'

TL's Corner:
Woof-woof, the bane of Clacky's existence.