Chapter 7: Chapter 7 — Something Interesting
[System Notice! The zone boss’s soul has been successfully processed. Consuming remnant ether...]
[Summoning the Great Orc Warrior: Domack!]
Whoosh... flash!
After the intense battle against the horde, we decided to take a well-deserved rest at the entrance of the catacombs to catch our breath. It was in that moment of calm that I chose to press the floating button and claim the boss we had just defeated.
Minutes before, I admit I tried to interact with the remains of the common skeleton warriors to see if I could add them to my army, but Samira stopped me with a logical explanation: those bone soldiers were nothing more than empty puppets created by the corrupt power of a necromancer. All that original power flow was concentrated and imbued directly into Domack’s soul.
The system began doing its thing. A vortex of dark particles and golden flashes emerged from the ground, materializing the boss’s silhouette.
Vwooosh...
What completely dropped my jaw was seeing the drastic changes of his new purified form: his overall size had increased considerably compared to his zombie version, and his skin, which before looked like a sickly, putrid green, had now transformed into a textured grayish tone, almost like compact volcanic ash. It was as if his entire enormous muscular body had been forged and marked in the very core of an extinct volcano.
Domack appeared wielding a colossal solid iron club that made Dorko’s look like a toy. Immediately, the system released a mental announcement that made me puff out my chest with pride:
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have obtained a Boss-Rank Summon: Ash Orc Domack — Rating: 8 Stars]
Damn, I had really hit the fucking jackpot in this dungeon. Now my personal lineup consisted of two brutal front-line orc warriors, a sexy and ultra-powerful five-star MILF guarding me, and Runi’s tender elemental support. I was assembling a dream team.
The gray colossus fixed his spectral eyes on me and, with a movement that made the stone slabs rumble, knelt down on one knee.
Thud... rumble...
"You... are my master?" Domack asked, with a voice so deep and grave it vibrated through my teeth.
"Yes, I am," I answered immediately, forcing all the confidence possible into my tone of voice.
The great orc bowed his head solemnly, maintaining a reverence so strict and silent it felt eternal to me. After a few seconds, I couldn’t help feeling a bit of secondhand embarrassment.
Come on, in my previous life I was a simple office worker who lived on instant noodles; I’m not a king, an emperor, or some kind of God of this world. Having gigantic guys who can split rocks kneel before me every other moment still felt fucking weird. I guess I still haven’t gotten used to the hierarchy of a gacha summoner.
Thinking back, the first time with Samira took me completely by surprise due to her overwhelming beauty. Dorko had simply knelt the first time without saying a single word, which made things a bit awkward. And Runi... well, Runi just spun around in the air and smiled at me in the most tender and kawaii way in the world when we sealed the spiritual contract. Each one had their own style.
...
"Wow... it’s the first time in my life I’ve seen an orc with that pigmentation," Samira commented, breaking my internal monologue as she walked around Domack, evaluating him with an analytical gaze. "His warrior aura is truly impressive, master."
"Really?" I said, arching an eyebrow somewhat surprised. As much as I squinted, I couldn’t see anything more than an enormous gray orc kneeling before me. I assumed it was some kind of energy or spectrum invisible to ordinary humans.
"Can you help me see it?" I asked her, turning toward her with curiosity.
Samira smiled sideways and took a step forward, placing her right hand gently on the center of my back.
Zzzt...
Instantly, I felt as if a subtle bolt of static electricity ran down my entire spine, extending straight toward my optic nerves.
My vision completely overturned, acquiring a kind of spiritual X-ray filter. The physical outlines of the crypt dimmed and I could see with absolute clarity the ether forms of everyone present. In the exact center of Domack’s chest floated an immense, dense ball of blazing red energy, which gave off violent bursts of heat that surrounded him like an invisible armor of pure martial force.
"So... this is the true power of aura," I murmured in wonder, contemplating the energy flows.
"Well, how does it look, master?" Samira asked near my ear, in a singsong tone.
"It’s simply impressive," I answered with total honesty.
...
While we rested, I took the opportunity to mentally review the quick class Samira had given me about the logic of this world. According to her, what differentiates the types of power is not the origin, but their practical application. Basically, everything boils down to five great branches:
Spirit Magic: It is responsible for making pacts that combine the spirit’s ether with the user’s soul, making the abilities of both grow mutually. It is strongly tied to the metaphysical, the elemental, and cooperative growth.
Elemental Magic: It is limited to the pure use of the elements of nature (fire, water, air, and earth). Although Samira mentioned that there exist unnatural variants or theoretically non-existent elements that appear from time to time in mutant mages.
Summoning Magic: There’s not much occult science to it. It allows the user to spend their magical power reserve —whether mana or ether— to bring creatures to the physical plane. Scholars debate whether they come from other existential planes or if they are simple constructs, but for me, it’s cool enough not to care about the background.
Spell Magic (High Magic): It allows the user to use verbal enchantments and runic languages to channel the power of an ancient being or an entity with whom a contract is already held. It’s the classic magic of chants, very similar to the destructive fire bow I manifested with Runi a few hours ago.
Aura: This is not magic. It is a manifestation of purely physical and vital power that martial warriors use to amplify their bodily capabilities. From elite knights to legendary martial artists, an expert aura user can split mountains in half or, according to the myths of ancient heroes, even slay gods with their own hands.
Of course, there exist many more subtypes and strange branching energies in this isekai universe, but let’s be completely honest: are you really willing to read four entire pages of pure technical and boring infodumping right now?
I’d better keep explaining them to you as I discover them and beat the crap out of monsters.
...
After a while, I stood watching my two tanks. I had already given Dorko the glorious nickname of Big Boy. I had the fleeting temptation to name Domack "Big Boy 2.0", but after thinking about it for two seconds, I realized how stupid and simplistic it sounded, so I opted to leave him his imposing original name: Domack.
"Hey, Big Boy!" I called toward the corner of the room, where Runi and Dorko were gathered.
Both were focused on preparing a quick snack using the meat rations we had cooked earlier, which I kept intact inside the system’s dimensional space.
"Yes, master?" Dorko responded, tilting his green head with a confused expression.
"Starting today, Domack will be your official vanguard partner. I want you two to coordinate well in battle," I ordered, pointing at the imposing ash orc.
"Understood, master," Dorko answered, nodding with a grunt of satisfaction, as he exchanged a look of warrior respect with his new gray colleague.
...
With our stomachs full, our minor wounds healed, and our strength completely restored after the rest, we stood up, ready for action. I deactivated the spiritual vision, gripped my catalyst again, and we set off toward the stairs leading to the second floor of the Goldfish Dungeon...
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