The day the random summoning cooldown ended.
Juhyeok started moving early in the morning.
He went to the bathhouse.
Scrubbed himself thoroughly.
Trimmed his fingernails and toenails—basic stuff.
Changed into brand-new underwear.
All impurities, far away.
After completely emptying his system in the bathroom, he didn't eat a single bite of food.
'Nam Ga-eun said she's challenging the 63rd floor today, right?'
Hopefully it goes well.
It will go well.
Player Nam Ga-eun clears the 63rd floor.
And he meets a good familiar—someone new and excellent.
With about an hour left until the cooldown ended,
he refreshed the bowl of purified water in the living room, sat neatly, and prayed with a solemn heart.
Calling it "purified water" was a stretch since it came from a water purifier, but still—it was purified, wasn't it?
Barbarian Gobang and Kosak joined him.
They prayed to the bowl of water at Juhyeok's sides.
Since the summon maintenance time was over seven hours, calling them early was fine.
On top of that, thanks to recently accumulating five-star ratings, Gobang's maintenance time had increased by another hour.
"Don't worry too much. Something good'll come out. No way some junk like Algobang shows up again, right?"
"I like Mr. Gobang, though?"
"Huh?"
"What's wrong with Barbarian Gobang? Thanks to him, how many floors did we clear with S++ records?"
Gobang grinned.
"Gobang acknowledged by summoner."
"…D-don't get cocky, you punk!"
"Assassin jealous."
"Don't be ridiculous. I was acknowledged way earlier than you!"
Honestly, he was praying for an LSSR—Legendary Special Super Rare—but he knew that was greedy.
A realistic goal was SR.
If he got a bit more ambitious, SSR like Kosak.
And SSR was already incredible.
Just look at Kosak.
His pride was through the roof.
Always going on about SSR, SSR.
"The familiar's class matters too… If possible, I hope someone related to holy power shows up."
"I think so too. The 61st floor's still far off, but pulling one in advance isn't bad. A party needs a healer, doesn't it?"
A healer.
Now that he thought about it, they really did need one.
The universally acknowledged noble of party compositions.
Gobang as the tank, Kosak as the damage dealer—and add a healer?
"Right. If they're a healer, they can even use healing skills on Gobang, who fights monsters barehanded."
"Huh? Why waste heals on Gobang? That guy's got insane natural regeneration. Leave him alone and he'll heal himself."
"A warrior does not fear wounds."
Well, that wasn't wrong.
Gobang practically had troll-level regeneration.
"Then maybe on Kosak?"
"I don't need it either. Bandages are enough. Kosak is shut-up-and-bandage type. I always carry ribbons and bandages. Want me to show you?"
"…No. I don't need to see that."
Then why was a healer necessary?
"A healer exists solely to heal Summoner Bong. Even if holy power is overflowing, it must not be wasted on others."
"…."
"And whenever you're bored, call them and ask for healing. Safety in the tower is important, but health in real life matters way more. Hehehe."
If you mapped out Kosak's brain, Juhyeok's safety would probably take up over 99% of it. At this point, it was genuine madness.
"Ah! Time's up."
"Th-this is the tense moment."
Finally, the moment of random summoning.
Juhyeok took a deep breath.
Cleared his throat.
Closed his eyes.
And enunciated carefully.
"Random Summon!"
Whoooooosh!
A mass of light gathered.
Kosak started again—
"Dududududu—"
"Don't do that."
"Preheating!"
A human silhouette appeared.
Please! Even if it's not a healer.
Just SR or higher.
'…Tch, even Rare is fine.'
If you get too greedy, nothing works out.
He could just upgrade the rank later.
Pop!
The light coalesced into a human form.
At last!
"Thank you for summoning me."
Uh…?
"I am Gyeon Dallae. Though lacking, I swear upon my life to devote all my strength to serving Young Master Bong."
Juhyeok blurted out without thinking.
"She's a woman."
"She is a woman."
"What do we do?"
"What do we do?"
"W-well…"
The woman standing in the living room.
Her attire felt strangely familiar.
A classic East Asian—no, Korean—style.
More precisely, she looked like a woman from an old Korean painting.
White mourning clothes and ribboned hair, though she looked rather young.
By modern standards, she looked like a middle-to-high-school-aged teenager.
She was also carrying personal belongings.
In one hand, she held a bluish blade.In the other, a bundle of bells.And against her chest hung a metal mirror.
'…The blade looks like a weapon, but what are those bells and the mirror?'
At that moment, the girl shot Kosak a sharp glare and snapped,
"What is that look? How dare you rake the body of a respectable maiden with such slimy eyes? Do you need to be struck by chidogon to come to your senses?"
"Huh? I wasn't looking! I-I just happened to glance—"
"Silence! How dare you spew such blatant lies!"
"N-no—"
"Let this be a warning. If you harbor impure thoughts after seeing my beauty, you will not escape heavenly punishment."
"…"
Honestly, she didn't seem that beautiful.
The girl named Gyeon Dallae then turned her gaze toward Juhyeok.
'Gasp!'
To be fair, Juhyeok had also been scanning her from head to toe for a while now.
Was she going to scold him too?
"You may look as much as you wish, Young Master. Please, sit comfortably and admire."
"…"
She was definitely not an ordinary person.
What was her rank?
'…SSR.'
Thank goodness. This pull was a success.
Even SR would've been a blessing—SSR was amazing.
Either way, a new familiar had been summoned through random summoning.
A small, slender, bold girl.
And her rank was high.
SSR—on par with Kosak.
Even now, she sat upright on her knees in the living room, overwhelming everyone present.
Where did that kind of charisma come from?
Maybe it was because of her rank.
But Kosak was also SSR, and he acted completely differently.
There was something else—something beyond rank.
What did her catalog say?
Name: Gyeon Dallae
Rank: SSR (Special Super Rare)
Type: Shaman Maiden (Human)
Manifestation Time: 5 hours
Satisfaction Rating: None
Resummon Cooldown: 3 hours (applies after dismissal)
Her type was shaman maiden.
Did all that purified-water praying and fervent begging somehow influence the random summon?
Nah. No way.
'But that modifier in her title…'
Strict.Dignified.Serious.
She was the very definition of stern and severe.
Reading her background made it all make sense—where her charisma came from.
Gyeon Dallae was the daughter of Mu Jong of the Celestial Empire. From a young age, she showed deep interest in shamanism, the empire's state religion, and became a shrine maiden of the Imperial Shrine. After her father passed away, her young brother ascended the throne but was murdered by their uncle, who then usurped the throne. Enraged, Gyeon Dallae performed a ritual of lethal curse, sending killing intent (sal) toward her uncle. Though she succeeded, the backlash of defying the heavens caused her own death as well.
Her life flashed through Juhyeok's mind.
Gyeon Dallae, gifted in talismans, rituals, and incantations.
Entering the Imperial Shrine, serving the greatest shaman of her era, rising to become the chief shaman maiden.
Then her brother was killed by their uncle.
Consumed by rage, she swore revenge.
But her uncle was no ordinary man.
Anticipating her retaliation, he filled the palace with warding formations and talismans to deflect killing curses, even preparing human substitutes to take the backlash.
Yet Gyeon Dallae was the greatest shaman maiden of the Celestial Empire.
She ultimately unleashed sal upon her uncle—and succeeded.
But using lethal curses for personal revenge was a violation of heavenly law.
The curse she cast rebounded upon herself.
Ah…
This fragile-looking girl had lived through so much.
At a glance, she looked kind of cute.Her overly stern demeanor was even a bit amusing.
But still—
'The Celestial Empire?'
The imperial family name was Gyeon.
Her attire matched as well.
"Um, may I ask something?"
"I am honored. Young Master, please ask anything without hesitation."
"The founder of the Celestial Empire—what was his name?"
"His august name was Emperor Gyeon Hwon. He defeated the treacherous Wang and Kim clans, expanded the realm to include the lands of old Goryeo, and changed the nation's name from Baekje to Celestial. A truly great sovereign."
"…What?"
Gyeon Hwon?
"You mean that Gyeon Hwon, the founder of Later Baekje?"
"That is correct."
No way…
'A parallel universe.'
It was certain.
She wasn't from the same world.
Kosak was the same—he had mentioned fighting alongside a previous summoner in a place similar to modern Earth.
In Gyeon Dallae's world, Later Baekje must have unified the Later Three Kingdoms instead of Goryeo.
When he casually asked further, history prior to that point was mostly the same.
The timeline seemed to diverge during the Later Three Kingdoms period.
'No wonder her presence is overwhelming—she's royalty.'
As Juhyeok was marveling—
Grrrrk.
Suddenly, he felt hungry.
He'd skipped meals while praying for summoning success.
Should he order delivery? With this many people, it'd take a while.
"Well, since we're all here… how about some ramen?"
"Sounds good. Mild flavor would be even better."
"I eat ramen too."
"What about you, Ms. Gyeon Dallae?"
"To be picky with food would violate propriety."
One pot wouldn't be enough.
Where was the big pot again?
The steamer he used to boil bossam should work.
He took it out, filled it with water, and was about to place it on the induction stove when—
That was when it happened.
"You wretches!!!"
Gyeon Dallae's voice exploded.
Kosak and Gobang both jumped in shock.
"How arrogant for mere summoned beings. You insolent fools—how dare you allow Young Master to prepare food with his own hands? Will you not rise at once?!"
Kosak and Gobang hesitated, half-standing, half-crouching.
"I-I'm SSR,"
"And what of it?"
"Among fellow SSRs, shouldn't you at least speak politely—"
"Hah!"
Gyeon Dallae looked at him with utter disdain.
"So you are a fool who does not know his place. Does being SSR give Young Master reason to cook for you? Insolent cur. Shall I make you a eunuch so you learn humility?"
She slightly raised the bundle of bells.
At the same time, a chilling aura spread through the room.
Something was very wrong.
Kosak sprang to his feet.
"You too!"
Gobang also hauled his massive body upright in one swift motion.
Kosak hurried over to Juhyeok in a panic.
"I-I'll cook the ramen. P-please hand it over quickly."
"O-oh, yes. Please do."
How could such authority come from such a small body?
And what's with those two?
They couldn't move—absolutely frozen.
Come to think of it, weren't Kosak and Gobang hanamja too?
Juhyeok was no different.
With an awkward expression, he quietly sat down on the sofa, watching Gyeon Dallae's mood.
"Young Master Bong."
"Y-yes?"
"How many hardships you must have endured. You may set your worries aside now. I shall properly discipline these underlings."
He hadn't really endured many hardships, though.
Kosak frantically dumped fifteen packs of ramen into the steamer pot and started boiling them.
A little later—
"…It's like the Han River."
"I'm sorry. I've committed a mortal sin. I failed to control the water."
The broth was pale and overflowing.
You couldn't even see the noodles.
And yet Kosak wasn't watching Juhyeok's reaction—he was watching Gyeon Dallae's.
'He's been completely overwhelmed.'
There was no helping it.
He'd just eat this time and either cook himself or teach them next time.
Gobang also seemed starving.
He grabbed his chopsticks and was about to scoop up the ramen—
"YOU MISCREANT!!!"
Good grief!
My heart nearly stopped.
What now?
"How dare you raise your chopsticks before Young Master? You shameless brute—just as your looks suggest, little better than a beast. A disgrace. Utterly disgraceful."
Gobang flinched, hastily set his chopsticks down, and bowed his head deeply.
The atmosphere around the table turned icy.
At this rate, it was hard to tell whether the ramen was going down his throat or up his nose—this would never end.
"…I don't really care about formality, but when it comes to eating, it should be enjoyable. Who cares who eats first?"
"Ah!"
Gyeon Dallae's face flushed slightly.
"This maiden has overstepped without knowing her place. I have committed a sin deserving death before Young Master Bong."
"It's not that serious."
"However! The crimes of these underlings are clear. Please behead me together with these two."
"…"
This was driving him insane.
Let's just eat first.
Juhyeok scooped up ramen with a ladle.
And put it into his mouth.
Only then did Kosak and Gobang start eating as well.
Starving, they slurped the noodles down—
"YOU TWO!!!"
This is madness.
All three froze mid-bite.
"You have both crossed the line of table manners. In what world do you make noise while eating noodles?"
I did too, though.
"Judging by your behavior, it is plain to see how much worry Young Master has endured because of you. Noodles are to be bitten and cut with the teeth. Slurping—such vulgar creatures, no different from the Wa barbarians."
Ahh!
One mountain after another.
But they couldn't even argue back.
Maybe Gobang, sure—but shouldn't Kosak at least put up some resistance?
He couldn't even stand up to this fragile-looking girl?
When they were both SSR?
Turns out those two were hanamja as well.
'I'm already exhausted.'
Are all summoned beings like this?
Why isn't there a single normal one?
After finishing the ramen, Kosak and Gobang cleared the table themselves and even washed the dishes.
Now what?
"Um…"
"Please speak, Young Master."
"Do you want to go into the tower with me?"
"This maiden shall serve with all her loyalty. Please issue your command."
With a new person added to the party, it was time to check her abilities.
How did a shaman maiden fight?
As the catalog said—did she hurl sal, killing curses, at monsters?