Heroine Creation: All My Summons Are Custom Made

⸢ Phoenixfire Mage classified as Mythic Advancement ⸥

⸢ Base Creation Cost: 11,900 CP ⸥

”That’s a whole lot of CP.”

⸢ Analyzing Narrative Depth... ⸥

Lancet folded his arms.

The hard work was already done. It wasn’t as difficult as he had earlier expected. Lancet already had the image of the woman in his head, her face on paper. And when it came to her background story, the more he wrote, the more ideas swept into his head.

Lancet read about Phoenixes and a rare mythical type known as God Phoenixes that appeared around when Gehenna first struck.

There was not that much story used with them, and the author had mostly created them to make his world’s bestiary seem cool and sophisticated.

Combining that with the fact that there weren’t canon stories for how most bastion cities were built, Lancet found himself another free estate to build a character.

All that remained was turning those pieces into something the system would accept without robbing him blind.

He liked the name Solaris. He had come up with it after going through Flamea, Cinder, Asha, and even just Phoenix. He didn’t know why he was so stuck on her name having to do with fire but it just felt fun to create names that were on brand.

He didn’t want to think too much for a last name so he rested on the first thing that came to mind. Ashen. Wasn’t too bad, he thought.

Lancet then added her appearance from the sketch beside him. He took his time with the feather-crown above her brows and the other details that made her seem like an actual Phoenix in human form.

After that, he moved to the family and Event block.

Lancet had an idea of her story, so he started with notes first and more ideas flooded into his skull as he scribbled.

Next, he focused on making every part support the next instead of stuffing the field with tragedy for the sake of it. House Ashen’s betrayal explained the Phoenix’s rage. Solaris’s unstable childhood explained why she understood dangerous Fire Mages.

Her first death proved how far she would go for Cinderhold, while the second proved that raw power and fury were not enough.

Unexpectedly, that last part mattered most.

You see, Lancet needed a reason for why she would actually listen when he offered a slower plan. Her failure would make her realize she couldn’t do it all her way, especially in a world that had evolved massively in the past fifty years.

He also added that her coffin, connected with the broken Phoenix Statue now sat inside the Awakener Supreme Museum. Convenient, yes, but not forced.

Carrion Spire would gladly donate the remains of a failed rebel and call it history. It was a good way to ’get rid’ of the Solaris problem: put her in a place where powerful Awakeners were gathered so if she were to reawaken, they would stop her immediately.

Best part, it was all masqueraded as an act of tribute to knowledge! The bastion city’s donation to the greatest Awakener Academy in all five kingdoms.

Lancet filled the Motive and Personality blocks next.

Obviously, Solaris wanted Cinderhold back, the Phoenix restored and everyone tied to its sale punished. Lancet made sure not to soften that.

She could be warm, patient and good with frightened people, but she was not harmless and certainly not forgiving.

Frieda would be a transaction at first. Solaris would train her because Lancet promised help with Cinderhold, not because she instantly saw herself in some crying student.

No mushy bullshit like that.

If that changed later, it would happen through time. He selected Anti-Hero, then gave her the Class Fire Mage and the Advanced Class Phoenixfire Mage.

Lancet already knew the kind of fire Solaris wielded and what made it different from ordinary Fire Magic.

His job now was making sure the system understood the connection between the Phoenix, her control problems, her usefulness against Gloom and the reason she could teach Frieda.

He kept the abilities that served those ideas, cut anything that only sounded grand, and made sure nothing contradicted the life he had written for her.

He finished with the Minor Details.

Baking, maps of Cinderhold, stone fireplaces, ordinary birds, her habit of calmly naming what part of a person’s soul she intended to burn. Small things, but enough to make her feel like someone who existed when she was not fighting.

Lancet leaned back when the final field closed and looked over the full sheet.

Yup, Solaris was very well looking like one of his more powerful Heroines. Spectra was the most powerful, if he had to scale up the top of his head.

Then Astensia.

The third place would have to be contested between Thor and Solaris. The idea of fire and thunder clashing to decide which was greater kinda got him excited.

This Architect Class was the best ever.

Apart from the actual power itself, just doing all of this, creating real people and giving them personalities and stories of his choosing... Gosh was it fun!

The goodest thing now was Solaris evidently had a place in his roster, a purpose beyond helping Frieda and a future tied to his own plans. That was exactly what he wanted.

Now it was left for the system to judge him.

⸢ ... ⸥

⸢ ... ⸥

⸢ ... ⸥

The first result appeared.

⸢ Complexity: A-Tier ⸥

Lancet’s brows rose. ”Good start.”

⸢ Character Backstory: S-Tier ⸥

He sat straighter.

⸢ Personality: S-Tier ⸥

⸢ Motive: S-Tier ⸥

His smile began to spread.

⸢ Lore Attunement: S-Tier ⸥

Lancet fist pumped and pointed at the screen. ”That’s what I’m talking about.”

The next line appeared.

⸢ Applying Narrative Coupon... ⸥

Lancet leaned closer.

The number began to fall.

11,900...

10,840...

9,600...

8,450...

7,300...

It slowed and Lancet thinned his lips as he prayed.

6,750...

Then it dropped once more.

⸢ Final Cost: 6,200 CP ⸥

Lancet stared at the number. Ding! The system gave a bright chime.

⸢ Narrative Coupon Discount: 5,700 CP ⸥

Lancet threw both fists into the air. ”Yes!”

The mattress bounced beneath him. ”Fuck yes! That is what an S-Tier backstory looks like! I knew you had my back, Coupie! We’re friends again!”

Regardless of the price, Lancet’s joy mostly came from vindication. Every time the Narrative Coupon cut down the price of his Heroines based on his backstories, it felt like he’d been given the heavenly sign of approval.

It was like some god had nodded his head and proclaimed that he had impressed him. The feeling was addictively thrilling as it was validating.

Amira’s voice came from the other side. ”Lancet?”

He looked toward his curtain, seeing her figure on her bed. He looked away quickly. ”What?”

”Why the noise? What happened?”

”Oh.” Lancet glanced back at the discount. ”I saved five thousand seven hundred CP.”

Silence followed.

Amira spoke again. ”I don’t know what that means.”

”It means I’m brilliant.”

”I thought something good happened.”

”This is good!”

Min Tu’s voice came from farther across the dorm. ”Be quiet.”

Lancet lowered his voice, though his grin remained. ”Jealous people. All of them.”

He checked his balance.

[ CP: 18,998 ]

[ Creation Cost: 6,200 CP ]

[ Remaining CP after Creation: 12,798 ]

[ Required Archetype Key: 1 Platinum ]

Lancet looked at the remaining total twice. More than twelve thousand CP left.

He had expected Solaris to leave him half-starved. Instead, the backstory had saved him.

Lancet selected finalization.

The full sheet appeared.

⸢ HEROINE SHEET FINALIZATION ⸥

⸢ Name: Solaris Ashen ⸥

⸢ Character Alignment: Anti-Hero ⸥

⸢ Rank: Platinum ⸥

⸢ Class: Fire Mage ⸥

⸢ Advanced Class: Phoenixfire Mage ⸥

⸢ Weapon: Ashen Regalia ⸥

⸢ Motive: Restore the God Phoenix, reclaim Cinderhold from Carrion Spire, recover every stolen body part of the God Phoenix and punish those who profited from the city’s fall. After losing her second life in a premature uprising, she is willing to follow a more calculated path toward independence. ⸥

⸢ Personality: Warm, patient and protective in ordinary life, but territorial, strict and murderous where Cinderhold and the God Phoenix remains are concerned. ⸥

⸢ Event: The daughter of Cinderhold’s traitorous ruling family who carried the reincarnated spirit of the Mystical God Phoenix, turned against House Ashen, died defending the city, resurrected fifty years later and died again during a failed uprising against Carrion Spire. Her sealed coffin and the broken Phoenix Statue now rest inside the Awakener Supreme Academy Museum. Ashen Rebirth will return her to life in two days. ⸥

⸢ Creation Cost: 6,200 CP | 1 Platinum Archetype Key ⸥

⸢ Create Character? [YES] / [NO] / [LATER] ⸥

Lancet’s eyed the juicy YES option.

Solaris was going to be Bound Summon. Which meant she would function like Espel, not like Astensia, Thor, Spectra or Kestrel.

They had died in history, and Lancet had summoned them directly from that past. Their existence in the present depended on him invoking them, so they lived within his Summon Space when they were not outside.

Solaris was different.

He was creating a history in which Ashen Rebirth was already approaching its natural completion. She would not be pulled out of her first or second life. In two days, her own Phoenix power would rebuild her in the present.

She would wake inside the Academy Museum as a living woman.

That made her a Bound Summon.

Like Espel, she would exist physically in the world and could not be stored inside Lancet’s chest. Since the system said so, Lancet himself would act as her catalyst.

She would cost no Grace while living normally, but her battles for him would place a growing strain on his Grace, Constitution and Intelligence.

Her kills would still count toward him and his crest would bind her to his will.

Lancet intended to earn her cooperation before relying on that last part. Forcing a woman who could burn his soul and resurrect after death sounded like a poor foundation for teamwork.

But Lancet’s summons couldn’t directly harm him so there really wasn’t much to worry about that.

He smiled at the button. ”Welcome to my roster, Solaris.”

Lancet selected YES.