As soon as I opened my eyes in the morning, I was greeted by a stunning beauty with a voluptuous figure wearing a maid outfit.
How many people experience such a scenario?
Even asking a girlfriend to pull off such an event would be difficult, not to mention you’d need a girlfriend in the first place for it to even be possible.
That’s the stuff of fantasies.
But not entirely impossible.
At least, compared to the surreal situation I find myself in now.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes, Master.”
“W-Who are you?”
“…”
I used formal language since it was our first meeting, but the person in front of me frowned as if deeply displeased by my politeness.
Even so, her furrowed brows looked mesmerizing, making me question my sanity. But no matter how I examined her face or figure, it was impossible not to think that way.
She resembled someone you might see at a cosplay convention, dressed in an outfit that perfectly mirrored a beloved character. A level of resemblance so uncanny it’d spark remarks like, “Whoa, it’s Elaine in real life!”
“And who do you think I am?”
“Elaine Blacksteel?”
“You know me well, Master.”
“…”
She confirmed it herself.
At that moment, my gaze instinctively darted toward my computer, tablet, and smartphone.
This… is this actually happening?
“I was waiting for you to come to terms with the situation on your own, but it seems keeping silent would only confuse you further. So, I’ll explain.”
Before I could even begin to address the worst-case scenarios flashing through my mind, the “Perfect Maid” stepped closer, bringing her face right in front of mine.
“I am Elaine Blacksteel, a being summoned to this world in response to your [Summoning] ability.”
“…Wait.”
I cautiously raised a hand toward Elaine.
“You’re saying I summoned you? You, specifically?”
“Yes. I was called forth by the awakened summoning ability of my Master.”
Elaine placed a hand on her chest, looking proud as she spoke.
“And while you were unconscious, I took the liberty of tidying up your home.”
“?!?”
I shot up from the bed without realizing it.
“W-What…?!”
The room was spotless.
The clothes I had left strewn around thinking I’d clean them up over the weekend, the cans I’d planned to sort out for recycling—they were all gone.
The room now looked as pristine as the day I first moved into this studio apartment.
And with that realization, I recalled the “setting” of this Elaine.
A flawless, perfect maid.
An impeccable head maid capable of handling anything and everything.
And she was—
“A ‘5-Star’ character from a mobile social game.”
“!!”
As she stated herself, that was exactly what she was.
A two-dimensional entity who could only exist in a game.
A character clearly designed by illustrators, coded by 3D modelers, and brought to life in the world of a mobile game.
“I couldn’t access your smartphone because it’s password-protected, but since your computer wasn’t locked, I used it briefly while you were asleep.”
“W-What…!”
“Why don’t you turn on the TV—or rather, YouTube—and check the live news for yourself?”
“…”
Could the world be playing some sort of elaborate prank on me?
Or was this woman, cosplaying as Elaine, trying to deceive me?
“Judging by your expression, you still seem unconvinced.”
Elaine stood up and struck a pose by the window, raising a hand to form a V-sign next to her eye.
“In that case, I’ll have to unleash the [Cleanliness Death Beam]—”
“Wait! Stop!”
Before I could stop her, a faint golden glow shimmered before Elaine’s eyes.
That was unmistakably her ultimate skill from the game, complete with a dramatic cut-in. A simple yet devastating technique where her glowing gaze annihilates enemies.
She was a meta-breaking character who had caused severe power inflation in the game. Though later overshadowed by newer releases, she remained formidable with the help of specific support characters.
And she was the first character I ever maxed out with all my resources in the game—a fully ascended, fully enhanced [Maxed Elaine].
That’s who she was.
…Or at least, that’s who she claimed to be.
“Alright, I’ll turn on the news. Let’s see what’s going on.”
“While you search, let me briefly explain: approximately one million people worldwide have awakened abilities.”
“…One million?”
“Yes.”
The moment I turned on YouTube, it wasn’t the usual recommended videos I saw. Instead, it was a notification for a live broadcast from a news channel I sometimes watched.
[God’s Blessing! One Million People Awaken Worldwide.]
“…Is this for real?”
“Yes, it is.”
“And you’re telling me I’m one of those million people?”
“Yes. Although I cannot see it, there should be a ‘system’ visible to you that might even show your awakening number.”
“…”
What should I do now?
Should I say “status window” or something like that?
There weren’t many awakened individuals talking about it this way, and even in the real-time news comments, there was no mention of any kind of system check.
“Huh?”
Something began to glow on my smartphone.
Not the app currently running, but something in the background, like a hidden app trying to surface.
Compelled by curiosity, I minimized the current window and opened my app drawer.
There it was—a mysterious new app.
The icon resembled a glowing magic circle.
‘This… looks familiar.’
It reminded me of a recently released mobile game where players accessed another world through an app.
While that one had an eye symbol, this one depicted golden wings spreading wide.
“…I guess I’m supposed to press this?”
“Yes. If you permit it, may I also take a look?”
“Permit? It’s just a phone…”
“Excuse me.”
Elaine slid next to me, sitting so naturally close that I felt a chill down my spine.
She was clearly pressing close on purpose, as if to emphasize her “existence” to me.
“…Alright, I’m checking it.”
Tap.
[Welcome, Awakened One. Welcome to <Grimoire>.]
A voice emerged—not familiar, yet oddly nostalgic.
[I am your AI assistant, Alice, here to support you as an Awakened.]
Alice.
A suspicious name if I’d ever heard one.
But what was more unsettling was Elaine’s expression as she stared at the screen.
[I understand you must be confused. Sudden awakenings can be overwhelming. So, let me—]
“Master.”
Elaine placed her hand over my phone.
“I will explain this to you.”
“…But this looks like an official system app, doesn’t it?”
“I can handle such things myself. I already have all the necessary information.”
“…Let me at least finish checking this.”
Ignoring her protests, I navigated through the app, speculating that it might display relevant information about me.
[Name: Kim Jin-hyun.]
[Date of Birth: October 10, 2002.]
[Gender: Male.]
A plain and unimaginative profile.
But what caught my eye were the details listed below.
[Ability: Summoning (1/2).]
[Class: Summoner (E).]
The indicators of my newfound abilities.
An E-rank Summoner.
“…Others get titles like Warrior, Thief, Archer, Red Mage, Necromancer, or Healer. Mine’s just Summoner?”
“Master, isn’t Summoner a fantasy-worthy class as well?”
I unconsciously nodded at Elaine’s question.
A Summoner.
And the very first thing I’d summoned was this entity sitting beside me—Elaine.
[Do you have any questions, Master?]
“…”
Elaine gripped my smartphone tightly.
Though I feared she might crush it with her strength, her intent seemed more focused on silencing the AI assistant.
“Elaine. Calm down. If this thing breaks, I’m in big trouble.”
I still had my old phone, but this was a brand-new device, purchased just three months ago. The installments weren’t even close to being paid off.
“Let’s stay calm. Perfectly and elegantly.”
“…I apologize. I nearly made a grave mistake without realizing it.”
Elaine set the phone down.
Though there were no visible cracks, the faint imprints of her fingers on the phone’s bezel felt all too real.
“Before I continue checking this, I have one serious question for you.”
Click.
I turned off the phone screen, flipped over onto the bed, and stared directly at Elaine.
“Am I really your Master?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Yes, on the ‘Oath of the Stars’.”
The Oath of the Stars.
A sacred vow shared by her kin.
In mythological terms, it was akin to an oath made upon the River Styx.
“So… you’re aware, aren’t you? That you…”
I tapped lightly on the screen of my covered smartphone, carefully choosing my words.
“That you’re a character from a mobile game.”
“Yes.”
To my cautious question, Elaine answered without hesitation, her response refreshingly straightforward.
“That is simply the nature of your ability, Master. I find nothing strange about it.”
“Oh…”
“My mission is to serve you perfectly, no matter when or where. That is the purpose given to me.”
“I see. But doesn’t that… feel shocking or unsettling to you?”
If it were me, I’d be utterly stunned.
“To find yourself summoned to another world, only to realize that the world you lived in was a mere game.”
Imagine discovering that the world I lived in was akin to the settings of ‘S*ms’ or ‘Ma=*ple Story’ and that I was just one of the many NPCs populating it.
“It could be shocking. But looking at it from another perspective, wouldn’t it be just as fascinating?”
Elaine formed a V-sign with her hands and gave a subtle, expressionless smile.
“Thanks to the blessings of another god—you, my Master—I was invited to the world created by the gods of my own.”
“……”
“Among all my ‘companions’, only I was specially summoned to stand by your side.”
“…That’s an optimistic mindset.”
“I’m the Perfect Maid, after all. So…”
Elaine’s lips curved into a soft smile.
“I will assist you with everything, Master. Please trust only me. I will do my utmost to help you.”
“Yeah, thank you. I really appreciate it, but…”
There was one thing.
“…What about the others?”
“Master?”
Before I could even clarify my question—
“I’m more than capable of assisting Master on my own…?”
I couldn’t help but gulp at Elaine’s words.