Hajin read the hostile comment twice without answering it, leaning forward on his elbows beside the warm campfire stones.
He wondered if speaking aloud carried sound across the dimensional barrier to whatever city the stranger inhabited on Earth.
'Can they hear me through this floating light...? Talking to thin air feels ridiculous.'
He cleared his dry throat and directed his voice toward the glowing letters hovering quietly before his face.
"Hello...?" he called out awkwardly, waving a soot-stained hand at the translucent window.
"Name's Hajin," he introduced himself, rubbing his nose with a sheepish grin. "Where are you watching from?"
The floating interface remained still for several quiet seconds, making him feel foolish conversing with an empty pine tree.
Then the comment feed jumped upward with rapid new text, pulsing with pale green letters across the lower frame.
[ CringeSlayer91: ??? ]
[ CringeSlayer91: AI is getting out of hand lately lol ]
He leaned closer to the floating letters, trying to decipher the bizarre abbreviations used by this unseen planetary observer.
'AI... either an insult, or some secret guild on Earth.'
He rested his chin upon his bruised palm, enjoying the strange conversation despite the sharp ache in his ribs.
"Don't know what AI means, pal," he replied with a dry chuckle, resting his chin upon his bruised palm. "I'm just a guy sitting in mud with cracked ribs."
"Is that some kind of high-tier magic guild on your planet?"
"Sounds like you folks have plenty of free time over there," he added with a grin.
'People across the stars with nothing better to do than watch me starve in a ditch.'
'They talk like scholars who never spent a day holding a shovel.'
[ CringeSlayer91: nah but even for AI this is a bit weird ]
"Weird how?" he asked with an amused smirk, poking the campfire embers with a blackened twig.
"Finish the thought... asking questions costs zero copper."
[ CringeSlayer91: you look like an anime protagonist who got kicked out of his clan ]
"Surprisingly accurate, stranger," he snorted with a self-deprecating grin. "Except the elders stole my coat and stiffed my bounty."
"Do people in your world get exiled into monster woods often?"
[ CringeSlayer91: lmao no, we just pay rent and complain online ]
"Sounds like paradise," he laughed softly, tossing a twig into the glowing coals. "I'd gladly trade monsters for paying rent in a warm room."
The viewer sent a string of laughing symbols across the interface, thoroughly entertained by the cynical boy in the mud.
Hajin stirred the dying embers with a dry branch, enjoying the strange company across the vast cosmic void.
The viewer stopped typing as a sudden notification expanded smoothly over the active Earth comment section.
The ambient temperature around the hollow dropped several degrees, carrying the quiet hush of a forgotten, sacred temple.
[ New Function Unlocked ]
[ Veil Connection ]
He touched the flashing icon, watching the bright window transform into a profound, starless interface.
A chill settled across the rocky clearing, dimming the crackling campfire until shadows lengthened beneath the tall pines.
[ The Veil holds souls unable to complete their interrupted reincarnation. ]
The short description carried immense gravity, revealing that his summoning power reached real people rather than disposable magical constructs.
'The Goddess wasn't a myth... and her domain holds real suffering souls.'
He touched the cold interface, feeling the ancient sorrow vibrating through the dark lettering before him.
[ The Goddess's fall severed the deeper cycle of reincarnation. ]
[ The original soul loom was broken when the higher pantheon allied against her. ]
[ Souls stranded within that broken cycle gather inside the Veil. ]
[ Those souls are female. ]
[ Male souls continue through the remaining standard cycle. ]
He paused in surprise, reading the specific restriction twice with his eyebrows raised in genuine disbelief.
"Only female souls...?" he murmured with an arched brow, studying the bizarre restriction with a mix of curiosity and dark amusement.
"That's an oddly specific limitation for an ancient divine system."
[ CringeSlayer91: harem protagonist confirmed lol ]
"Harem nothing," he scoffed back at the floating text, crossing his arms with a dry scowl. "I can barely feed myself, much less manage a crowd."
"Whoever arrives is getting handed a sword and put to work on monster duty."
'Besides, if they suffered violent deaths, the last thing they need is foolish romance.'
"We survive first, talk later."
[ Your summoning authority connects directly to the Veil. ]
[ Your authority may retrieve only the female souls trapped there. ]
[ Souls within the Veil vary in memory, temperament, and spiritual stability. ]
[ Each soul retrieved requires physical vessel reconstruction and true name stabilization. ]
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, contemplating the immense burden carried by souls trapped outside the mortal wheel of life.
These were not conjured beasts or mindless elemental phantoms, but living beings who suffered violent deaths in their previous lives.
They endured centuries of timeless purgatory, unable to move on to peace while the world above replaced their memory with counterfeit Shards.
'Trapped in timeless darkness... remembering violent deaths while waiting for someone to open the gate.'
If he pulled a soul back into the sunlight, he would be giving them another life, not summoning a disposable weapon to discard in battle.
He closed his eyes for a moment, understanding the bitter weight of survival better than any pampered noble in the capital.
[ Connection to the Veil Established ]
[ Summon Your First Soul ]
"Right," he breathed, rubbing his palms together as nervous excitement hummed through his channels. "Let's see who's waiting behind this door."
"Don't give me an evil demon queen," he muttered under his breath, closing his eyes to focus. "Just give me someone who knows how to fight."
'Three years of holding out empty palms... this time, answer me.'
He took a deep breath, steadying the nervous excitement that began humming through his newly reconstructed Ring channels.
Three years of failure in the family courtyard faded away, replaced by the calm focus of a street survivor.
[ First Summon: Open your palm, channel mana into the Veil, and focus upon one resonance. ]
He extended his right hand toward the black interface, willing his newly forged Ring mana toward his open palm.
The mana moved with effortless fluidity, coursing through his channels without the agonizing headaches of his painful youth.
Amber light erupted from his wrist, forming an intricate magical circle that rotated slowly in the cool morning air.
A distant choir of sleeping voices resonated behind the light, vibrating like a wall separating life from death.
'Distant and personal at the same time... like a chorus waiting for an open window.'
He maintained the steady flow of radiant energy, guiding his awareness through the vast ocean of drifting spiritual forms.
He closed his eyes and pushed his consciousness through the veil, seeking a single soul that answered his call.
Among thousands of sleeping presences, one sharp, fierce aura flared with the unmistakable fire of an untamed predator.
The rotating circle expanded outward, bending the morning breeze inward until dry leaves swirled around his feet.
A powerful, steady heartbeat thudded inside the radiant sphere, growing louder and faster with every passing second of time.
He watched silver and gold particles coalesce into the distinct silhouette of a slender, athletic humanoid figure before him.
Long pointed ears appeared first through the radiance, followed by a thick tail and messy raven-black hair in disarray.
The divine light imploded inward as flesh and bone finalized their physical form above the damp forest moss.
A girl with lupine features dropped out of the circle, landing on her knees before tipping weakly onto her side.
Every coherent thought vanished from his mind, because the newly summoned girl arrived without a single stitch of clothing.
"What in the world?!" he blurted out, whipping his head away so fast his neck popped.
"Does this divine system not include standard issue clothing?!"
'Of course not... an ancient goddess probably has zero concept of mortal decency.'
"Keep your eyes on the tree bark, idiot... staring will only earn you a pair of gouged eyes."
He instantly turned his head away, keeping his eyes firmly locked onto a tree trunk six feet away.
Faint white scars marked her slender arms and ribs, evidence of brutal battles fought in her previous mortal life.
Her hollow cheeks and trembling breath suggested a soul dragged back from the edge of endless spiritual exhaustion.
'She went through a nightmare... she needs warmth before she freezes.'
"Hey... easy there," he murmured in a gentle tone, keeping his gaze firmly glued to the bark of a nearby pine tree.
"I am not going to hurt you, okay?"
"Just putting my coat over you so you don't freeze in this wind."
He unbuttoned his worn canvas travel coat without looking, stepping backward to drape the thick fabric over her trembling shoulders.
The rough coat covered her scarred frame, shielding her from the biting morning breeze that swept through the hollow.
He knelt beside her with his back turned, waiting for the summoning process to stabilize her fragile physical vessel.
The morning air carried the faint scent of wild berries and mountain pine, radiating gently from her soft wolf fur.
[ Summon Manifested ]
[ Designation Required ]
[ Warning: Unbound summons remain spiritually unstable ]
[ Name your summon to establish insignia and stabilize form ]
He glanced sideways and spotted pale light beginning to dissolve along the tips of her fingers in the grass.
"Hold on... just one second!" he pleaded with urgent panic, turning his shoulder as he saw her fingers starting to dissolve.
"Giving you a name right now... just stay with me!"
'A name anchors her soul to the living world... no time to hesitate.'
"Juna," he declared with calm, grounded authority, holding out his open hand toward the light.
"Your name in this world is Juna."
"Listen to that name and pull yourself back!"
[ Designation Accepted ]
[ True Name Established: Juna ]
[ Insignia Forming... ]
A radiant amber insignia burned onto the center of her chest, displaying the intricate motif of a crescent and broken chain.
The glowing mark drew loose mana inward, steadying her fragile breathing until her chest rose on a deep, calm breath.
The Earth comment feed exploded with a sudden flurry of new messages, blinking furiously beside his peripheral vision.
[ CringeSlayer91: ayo??? ]
[ CringeSlayer91: wait wait wait, is she actually breathing ]
[ CringeSlayer91: bro named her in two seconds flat, what is this speedrun ]
"She was literally dissolving into thin air!" he snapped back at the floating chat window, rolling his eyes in exasperation.
"Forgive me for skipping the poetry..."
[ CringeSlayer91: nah this stream is unhinged ]
[ CringeSlayer91: giving her your coat was pretty smooth though ngl ]
"I grew up in the slums, not a barbarian camp," he muttered defensively with a faint scowl. "It is just basic manners."
He shook his head at the ridiculous text window, choosing to prioritize the living girl over cynical Earth spectators.
He ignored the chat and knelt beside the girl, keeping his hands open to avoid frightening her.
"Juna... can you hear me?" he asked softly, keeping his palms open and low to soothe her.
Her eyes snapped open with feral intensity, locking onto his human face and the iron sword at his hip.
The terror of her past life flared instantly, reminding her of human hunters who slaughtered her pack in the northern mountains.
Her ears pinned flat against her hair as she coiled her legs beneath the coat.
"Wait! I'm not your enemy-!" he shouted, throwing his hands up.
Before he could raise a placating hand, Juna lunged sideways with blinding speed, snatching a large roasted venison chunk from the campfire.
She bolted barefoot into the dense woods, clutching the hot meat and the draped coat as she vanished among the pines.
The speed of her departure left swirling leaves in the hollow, leaving him staring dumbfounded at the empty trail.
"Did my first summon just rob my breakfast," he stared in utter disbelief at his empty skewers. "And sprint into the woods with my coat?!"
[ CringeSlayer91: lol, perfectly valid reaction ]
[ CringeSlayer91: bro just got robbed by his own summon on day one ]
"Laugh all you want, stranger," he grunted, shooting a glare at the laughing chat feed. "That venison took three hours to hunt!"
"And that coat was my only warm layer," he added with an exasperated scoff. "Took two months of salvaging scrap metal to buy that canvas!"
[ CringeSlayer91: she stole your breakfast AND your drip ]
"I am not letting her eat my breakfast in peace," he muttered, dusting pine needles from his trousers. "That meat was seasoned with wild mountain herbs."
[ CringeSlayer91: ten credits says she bites you when you catch up ]
"Keep your money ready then," he retorted with a dry smirk, adjusting his notched sword. "I am getting my coat back before noon."
'Still, running into monster territory with bare feet is complete madness.'
"There are horned beasts nesting up on those crags," he told the floating text. "If she steps into a briar patch, blood will draw every predator in the valley."
'At least her survival instincts are sharp... grab the food, grab the warm coat, and bolt for high ground.'
A glowing thread extended from the Ring around his right wrist, pointing directly toward the shadowed mountain ridge.
The magical tether pulsated with warm, steady light, tracking her location through the dense forest underbrush with absolute clarity.
[ Bond Active: Juna ]
[ Distance: Increasing ]
[ Tracking Target: Active ]
He picked up his notched sword and fastened the scabbard securely against his left hip.
A cynical, amused grin spread across his bruised face as he looked toward the dark woods where she fled.
'Stole my coat and my breakfast... untamed little wolf.'
He knelt by the edge of the campsite where her bare feet churned the wet moss, studying the direction of her frantic escape.
The indentations showed deep toe gouges where she pushed off at a desperate sprint, heading straight toward the rocky limestone bluffs.
Those upper slopes were choked with jagged scree and thorny brambles that would tear bare feet to ribbons within minutes.
A newly summoned runaway wandering panicked through predatory monster woods would draw every hungry beast within three miles.
The bright tether pulsing around his right wrist tugged with quiet, persistent insistence, guiding his steps along the rocky ridge.
Worse, the scent of fresh roasted venison carried on the wind through these woods would draw every scavenger within two miles.
"Not letting my only summon get torn apart by mountain wolves five minutes after waking up," he decided, buckling his notched sword tight to his hip with a resolute grunt.
He dusted off his knees and stepped past the tree line, watching the glowing thread pulse through the morning shadows.
The tether hummed with her frantic, racing pulse, transmitting the raw panic of a cornered beast seeking high ground.
"Run all you like, wolf girl," he muttered under his breath with a sharp, determined grin. "I'm coming for my coat."
"And don't you dare finish that venison before I get there!" he shouted toward the granite bluffs.
'A wild runaway from the northern crags... she probably knows ten different ways to ambush a pursuer.'
"Let's see if your mountain tricks beat southern slum footwork."
He picked up his pace into a swift, silent jog, vaulting cleanly over moss-slicked trunks while keeping his sight locked on the trembling thread of golden light.
He kept his breathing steady and low, letting his newly healed muscles eat up the steep terrain while his ears cataloged every distant rustle among the canopy leaves.
Ahead on the ridge, a snapped pine twig and a fresh smear of mud on gray granite proved she was pushing herself toward the rocky summit.