Others Summon, I Forge Beast Armor

While lying in bed with Scarlett, Luke entered his soul space to forge the new Mythic armor.

”Welcome back, Master!” Amigo greeted cheerfully. ”Those cores were amazing! I’m full!”

”I’m glad you enjoyed the feast,” Luke said. ”Let’s see if it did anything for your stats.”

〖Species: Astral Tortoiseling (Mythic)〗

〖Type: Support〗

〖Rank: 1.6 | Potential 9.9〗

”What? Just .2 increase?” Luke asked, scratching his head. ”Are monster cores really all you need to swallow to grow? Eleven cores is a lot just to get a bump in your fortitude.”

”It doesn’t work like that, Master!” Amigo said. ”Monster cores can only do so much for a Mythic beast like me. A summon of my tier needs more than just energy to evolve! You don’t believe me? Check my Potential and see for yourself!”

Luke listened to the turtle and selected the panel. A sheet appeared. It was the Beginner-level list of requirements for Amigo’s evolution.

〖Condition 1: Get the beast to the Genesis Library to study for one month.〗

〖Condition 2: Feed the beast Multivein Leaf every morning for a week.〗

〖Condition 3: Get the beast to consume 1 drop of Sage Ink.〗

”What are these bizarre tasks?” Luke thought. ”They are impossible to fulfill. This must be the penalty for owning a Mythic-grade beast. Who has the time to track down an unknown library, and where on earth is someone supposed to find that specific leaf?”

Luke closed the panel and looked at Amigo.

”Until we have enough resources and connections, we will just have to stick to absorbing regular cores for baseline stat boosts.”

”I understand, Master!” Amigo chirped, but he noticed that his master was troubled. Seeing how challenging it was to evolve one Mythic beast made Luke wary about getting another. But his curiosity got the better of him as he addressed the Mythic Draft Card.

〖Mythic Draft: Dark Dragonlord ”Bellisunder” Wing Guards〗

〖Requirement: 2150 Flame Points〗

”Master!” Amigo screamed.

Luke stopped his hammer in the air. ”What’s wrong?”

”Dra-Dragon...lord?!”

”Yes, I guess our next beast is going to be a dragon. Is that not cool?” Luke asked.

”It is not cool at all!” Amigo yelled back, pointing at the armor. ”Can’t you see it has an original name? Bellisunder! That is Bellisunder!”

The turtle began pacing around the misty floor, his shell shaking anxiously.

”Master, you have to understand. That dragon is one of the fiercest dragons in history! It has two heads, and it burned an entire civilization to ash just so it could lay an egg on their mountain peak! If you bring that thing here, it’s gonna roast us both like marshmallows!”

Luke widened his eyes in surprise. Was that good or bad? A legendary dragon was a legendary dragon, no matter its appetite for destruction.

He looked down at the strange armor piece he had just forged. Two Wing Guards. They were slightly wobbly in shape so that they could fit along the skeleton of the dragon’s wing, and also flexible so they wouldn’t restrict flight mechanics.

”Don’t be so paranoid, Amigo. No dragon is modest,” Luke said. ”Remember I have a Dominant-rank contract quality so Bellisunder here has no choice but to obey no matter how many heads it has.”

〖Success! You have successfully forged a Mythic armor part! Good luck in completing the set!〗

〖Dark Dragonlord ”Bellisunder” Wing Guards〗

〖Type: Beast Armor〗

〖Effect: Grants the wearer increased aura and battle IQ by 500,000% and the pride of the Dragonlord〗

〖Skills: Blessings of Prometheus〗

”What do you think, Amigo? Is the set far from complete?” Luke asked, admiring the armor piece.

”Not really, Master. There’s one more: the breastplate!”

”Then we’ll get it soon enough,” Luke finished. ”Even you need a companion to keep you company.”

”Thank you, Master!” Amigo squeaked, hugging Luke’s leg.

〖System Notice: Congratulations on forging your second Mythic armor piece! Your soul has successfully evolved to Rank D!〗

The next system text flashed with gold lines.

〖Congratulations! You have unlocked access to the Insect World. Kindly locate your workshop, Host!〗

”Insect World?” Luke chorused, confused.

”Master, this must be your very first! Go take a look right now!” Amigo cried excitedly, pointing at a door that had magically manifested in the misty walls of the forge. Luke walked over to it and stepped through, swallowed by light into the unknown.

A second later, the white light cleared, and Luke found himself atop a hill carpeted with flowers under a gentle wind. It was the Insect World. Although the sky looked different and the topography was primeval, the Insect World resembled how Earth used to look before the apocalypse.

A cockroach walking along the hill spotted Luke, and the creature immediately put its six legs into overdrive. Further down, a mother Ladybug held her child closer to her thorax, walking away from Luke with caution. True to its name, the dominant race in this realm was insectoid.

”They seem very wary,” Luke noted, looking down at his own hands.

”They are just surprised, Master. You are a rare sight here,” Amigo said.

Luke continued to look around until he noticed a brick building behind him. It was a workshop—his workshop. A system notification popped up when he tried to open the doors:

〖To unlock the Workshop, the Host requires 70 Reputation Points.〗

〖Current RP: 0.〗

”How do I get Reputation Points?”

〖Option 1: Help a group of traders catch a pest that has been eating their stock. Reward: 20 RP.〗

〖Option 2: Defeat the rogue mantis bandit terrorizing the eastern trade route. Reward: 20 RP.〗

〖Option 3: Forge a piece of armor for free for a citizen in need. Reward: 15 RP.〗

〖Option 4: Clear the blocked water pipeline near the southern farm. Reward: 10 RP.〗

〖Option 5: Meet the Insect Princess and gain her approval. Reward: 40 RP.〗

Luke stroked his jaw, wondering how difficult these tasks could be.

”Will they even give me a chance to speak, or just run away as the cockroach did?” he thought. He was, after all, the only human standing in this world. Who would honestly trust a complete outsider like him?

”Don’t worry, Master!” Amigo said. ”A good number of them already know of your title. Remember, you were blessed with this system, so that means you have a long history behind you that you don’t even know about yet!”

Amigo pointed at a market square near the foot of the hill.

”Look! That is a market over there. We can accomplish Option 1 right now!”

Luke agreed with the plan. While he was walking down the hill, he felt the energy of the environment and realized there was not enough Aeon in the Insect World. The atmosphere lacked power, feeling more like a world of natural life and simplicity.

He soon arrived at the market square and approached a random stall, asking about the traders troubled by pests. The kind seller directed Luke down the street to a guild of traders.

A big beetle was standing outside in the first shop, looking fatigued. When he saw Luke, he bowed slightly.

”Dear Armorer, you have come to help us? Vicious arachnids have been raiding our stores and eating us out of house and home!”

”I agree to help,” Luke replied. ”Guide the way to your storage units.”

The beetle led Luke into the storehouse, making Luke realize that Amigo was right about some knowing him naturally.

”In there, Armorer,” the beetle complained as it backed away to the exit. ”They chew through everything, ruining all our hard work! Please, you must destroy them before they pick our larders clean! I’ll leave the rest to you!”

”Amigo, use your All-Seeing Eye skill to thoroughly scan the storehouse and the ground underneath,” Luke ordered, taking control of the situation.

Amigo’s eyes began to glow as he scanned the store until he spotted a nest beneath the floor. Luke smashed through it with his fist, gripped something slimy, and dragged it out. He found the pest. It was a well-fed arachnid surrounded by a fresh nest of wriggling younglings.

If Luke hadn’t intervened in this matter, these younglings would have grown up and caused more damage to the traders’ stock.

He crushed the mother and her nest under his boots, receiving a small influx of Flame. After that, he walked out and reported his success to the grateful beetle traders.

”Thank you, Armorer! You have our support! Please, take some bread.”

〖Quest Complete! You have earned 20 Reputation Points.〗

〖Current RP: 20/70.〗

”Thank you, but I’ll be taking my leave,” Luke said to the beetle and his colleagues.

As he walked back into the street, Amigo pointed at an alleyway.

”Master, look over there. That grasshopper could be someone in need of armor! We can accomplish Option 3!”

Luke approached the area to find a depressed grasshopper sitting alone on a slab.

”Hello, Mr. Grasshopper, you look sad. What could be the problem?” Luke asked.

”Dear Armorer, I used to be a warrior,” the grasshopper explained. ”But I lost one of my hind legs in a battle. Now look at me. I can’t even perform my duties or leap anymore. A grasshopper that can’t jump is nothing but a burden.”

After his story, Luke felt pity for the grasshopper, so he decided to help it out by auto-forging custom pieces for its legs.

〖Item: Grasshopper Greaves〗 x6

”Here, I have something for you,” Luke said. It was a set of leg armor crafted to protect the insect’s remaining limbs while serving as a mechanical replacement for the lost one.

The grasshopper donned the armor on its body and began to celebrate.

”My, my! I can feel my balance again!” it cried, launching itself in the air and landing smoothly. ”I can jump again!”

Some nearby insects crowded the alley, drawn by Luke’s good deed. They began clapping their hands and antennae for Luke, cheering him on.

〖Quest Complete! You have earned 15 Reputation Points for helping a citizen in need.〗

〖Current RP: 35/70.〗

”Hooray! That’s 35 RP! We are halfway there, Master!” yelled Amigo.

But right then, a buzzing sound cut through the air, and all the citizens stopped clapping. Luke looked around for the source of the commotion until he spotted a group of bees. The bees surrounded him with serious expressions, their spears pointed at him.

The bee commander buzzed forward.

”Armorer! The Insect Princess demands your presence!”

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A/N: Thanks for reading!