1. Dragged into a War
'Just what are you exactly?' My voice echoes in the emptiness of the dark space I just found myself in, as I stand before a hexagon-shaped, deep-blue-colored floating rock ten times my size. The rock emits an alluring glow, the kind that attracts the eyes immediately.
It pays no mind to me. I was just on my bed playing Zenless Zone Zero, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself no longer lying on my bed but in a vast darkness.
[Countdown complete, the cycle of 1,000 years has been completed]
[2,000 individuals have been chosen as Summoners]
[You have been selected as one of 2,000 participants of the Summoners' War]
[All Summoners will now be teleported to Arstrea]
[The winner of the Summoners' War will gain the ultimate title of "The Grand Summoner" and one wish.]
Whoosh—
The vast darkness is no more. I am now standing atop a curved cliff. I gaze downwards upon the fantastical plane below, extending for miles beyond what my eyes could see. Whimsical winds fill the environment. There are multiple suns in the sky, each burning brightly, and floating rocks spread sparsely across the sky.
I stand in the sunlight as it falls softly on my skin. I am just trying to organise my thoughts. 'Did I just get isekai'd?' I place my hand over my head, rubbing it in a disturbed manner. "What are those lights?" I see numerous lights of different colours descending from the sky. After a while, they all stop.
[All 2,000 Summoners are now present in Arstrea]
[World feature: Live Chat has been unlocked]
[The Summoners' War will officially begin in: 10]
[9]
[8]
[7]
[6]
With each number, I hear my heart skip a beat.
[5]
[4]
[3]
[2]
[1]
[Domains have been assigned to each Summoner. Protect your domains]
[Each Summoner has been given a guide]
[Due to your ability set, the guide has failed to install]
My ability set? I don't understand a thing I just heard.
Bing!
A screen displays before me, similar to the ones on PCs.
"What the fuck is going on?"
"This has to be a prank."
"You have to be kidding me, my starting supplies are just a D-rank catalyst and an E-rank artifact. Absolute trash."
"Woohoo, my domain is A-rank and it grants B-rank catalysts every 48 hours."
"My starting supplies are peak, but my domain is D-grade with a useless buff."
"Whoa! We can take over other Summoners' domains, amazing!"
The messages keep on coming. I guess this is the live chat that was mentioned earlier. Isn't it stupid to reveal your domain ranks to other people since this is a war? They can use that information against me in battle. 'I am already thinking like I'm fighting a war.' I don't get what is happening right now at all.
[You look quite disturbed, Revet-san. Can I call you Revet-san?]
A vindictive feminine voice rings in my head, similar to the ones in TV announcements.
"Who are you?" I ask.
[I am Aria, your personal assistant]
"Like some kind of AI? But earlier, I thought my guide failed to install."
[Don't compare me to those insignificant pieces of trash! Pardon my language. I am far more rare and unique than some washed-up third-rate guide. There's only a handful of personal assistants in existence.]
"I get it, I get it. So I have access to premium-grade services, that's reassuring. And of course, I don't mind you calling me Revet-san."
[Okay, Revet-san. What would you like to know? I could recommend some strategies.]
"What exactly is this place?"
[I can only grant you limited pieces of information based on my archives. But as I level up, you gain access to more info. This is Arstrea, the sacred land in which the
Summoners' War is held every 1,000 years.]
"It isn't much, but it helps. What's up with the domains, artifacts, and catalysts?"
[A catalyst is needed for a summoning ritual. The grade of the entity summoned depends on the rank of the catalyst. Just think of an artifact as a tool that enhances the abilities of you and your Summoners.]
[All summoning can only be carried out in the presence of your domain core. Before you ask what a domain core is, consider it the heart of both you and your domain. Why don't you try touching the ground?]
I think she's trying to say if the core is destroyed, I die too. I bend down, touching the grassy floor. I can feel it resonating with me.
[Domain: Heavenly Peak]
[Level: Tier One]
[Rank: ??]
[Buff: Ladder to the Heavens.
Description: ??]
[Core Life: 100/100]
[Domain Introduction: If a Summoner is killed in battle, they revive using 25 percent of their domain's core life. If the core of a Summoner's domain is destroyed, they lose their lives. A Summoner can also transfer their domain to another Summoner, losing all rights to the domain and becoming a subordinate of the Summoner that holds their domain's core. After a core transfer, a Summoner is no longer eligible to claim the Grand Prize and is considered removed from the Summoners' War.]
[Upgrade Requirements: Spirit Energy
[10/10], Stone [0/100], Wood [0/100] ]
This is just like all those isekai animes I watch, the setting I mean.
In a nutshell, I have two options: either die or become someone else's servant and drop out of the war. The rewards are quite tempting, especially the one free wish, and they didn't state any limitations. I could ask for infinite wealth or the cure for my mother's illness, maybe both.
"What's with all the question marks?"
[I am sorry, I am currently unable to provide an answer to your question, but check your attributes for further info. Just say 'status' in your mind.]
Before I jump to conclusions, "Status."
[Summoner Rank: Unranked]
[Level: 1. Increases alongside domain level]
[Starting Supplies: ?? Rank Catalyst, ?? Artifact: Wainer]
[Spirit Energy: 100/100]
[Summon Capacity: 0/??]
[Abilities]
Legendary Assistant: ??
Summon Link Lv. 1: Gains the abilities of summons
The Legendary Assistant skill should be referring to Aria. Though there's still a couple of unanswered questions, not to mention the question marks, I have a better grasp of the situation.
"By the way, where's my domain core?"
[Stretch forth and say 'Core Reveal']
I stretch my hand forward, and a green, round-shaped gem appears floating in front of me, radiating green light.
Stump! Stump!
A legion of about 100 skeletons are coming out of the forest. The war just started, and someone has already gotten this many summons.
[Revet-san. Intruders.]
Intruders already? And I just got here!