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Stay-at-Home Summoner Chapter 3

Awakening as a Summoner (3)

Elaine’s unsettling story aside, the world is currently in utter chaos.

 

“Yaaahoooo!”
“I awakened! I really awakened!!”

 

Even the sounds coming from outside this studio apartment I’m living in prove it.

A million people worldwide have awakened, referred to as “God’s blessing”.

 

Beyond those shouting on the roadside about their newfound abilities, there must be plenty more.

 

The news, the internet, social media, and community boards are flooded with people showing proof of their awakening.

 

“…”

 

And yet, among them all, I haven’t heard of anyone awakening an ability like mine.

 

Tsk…”

 

Summoning.

Not just summoning any otherworldly entities, but specifically summoning characters from a mobile game.

 

It’s a situation that should clearly be called an “abnormal phenomenon”.

I should probably report it to the Awakened Management Bureau and explain what’s happening—

 

“Master, would you like some fruit?”
“Oh, thank…this much effort?”
“Yes, Master. You’re quite busy gathering information right now.”

 

Elaine held up a rabbit-shaped apple slice toward my mouth.

If this were a scene from a drama or manga, it would’ve been the classic “say ‘Ahhh’” moment, but with Elaine, it felt more like she was pointing the end of a fork at me.

 

“…”
“My apologies, Master.”
“It’s nothing to apologize for. I was just…lost in thought for a moment.”
“Thoughts….”

 

Hearing my response, Elaine removed the apple slice from the fork and held it with her hand instead.

 

“What were you thinking about?”
“…The Valentine’s Day event, where you destroyed monsters with a fork.”

 

Given that she knows she’s a character from a game, I couldn’t avoid talking with Elaine, who falls under “my ability”.

 

Might as well confront it head-on.
No point in dancing around or overthinking it.

 

“You calling me ‘Master’—does that come from my ability? Or is it something tied to the game?”
“…”

 

I pointed at the launch button for the game where Elaine should have originally existed.

 

Although Elaine wasn’t the main avatar of the PC client, the central character of the game, she’d appear in the character selection screen upon launching the game.

As the game’s player, I was—

 

“Do you prefer being addressed as ‘Commander’?”

 

The leader of a mercenary corps.

Elaine, as the maid, joined the group and referred to the main character as “Master”.

 

“I prefer calling you Master.”
“Why?”
“Because as your servant and perfect maid, how I address you is a significant part of my role.”
“That’s…”

 

Click.

 

“It’s not because you’re worried that other characters might get summoned and form a ‘corps’, is it?”
“…”

 

Elaine fell silent at my question.

Bringing up something so direct might have been risky, but I couldn’t just let it go unasked.

 

“From what I can tell, I might be able to summon others aside from you….”
“Am I lacking in some way?”

 

Elaine quickly offered the apple slice toward my face again.

 

“I will make up for anything I lack. Master, you only need to relax here in this house.”
“…”
“So please, don’t…”

 

Would “soft on the inside” be the right phrase?

She seems flawless and perfect on the surface, but her delicate nature is revealed in the event stories.

 

“…Hah.”

 

It’s complicated.
My in-game experiences and this new reality keep overlapping, leaving my head in a constant state of confusion.

 

“Alright, fine. One last question.”

 

I launched the game and, with a serious face, pointed at the screen.

 

“I played as the female commander. Am I still ‘Master’ to you?”
“…Ahem.”

 

Elaine turned her head, blushing slightly, as I pointed at the post-login screen.

 

I figured as much.
After all, I—

 

“Ah.”

 

Wait.

 

“Hold on a second.”

 

I had completely forgotten that I left the female commander in her recently released swimsuit skin.

 

Click, Click.

I swiftly removed the skin, replacing it with the default look of a warlike female character befitting the mercenary leader.

 

“So… even though I played as a female character in-game?”
“That’s how I’ve decided to interpret it.”

 

Elaine replied, clasping her hands together as if in prayer.

 

“When God descends to the mortal plane, the distinction between male and female is of no significance to God. The choices you made while fighting alongside me were undoubtedly yours, Master.”
“…”

 

While there were some choices in the game, the protagonist’s decisions were largely shaped by the developers’ scenario writers—it was, after all, a mobile gacha game.

 

“I understand your concerns, Master. If that’s the case, why not think of it this way?”

 

Elaine looked at me with a serious expression.

 

“From now on, let’s create it together—our story, yours and mine.”
“…Ahem.”
“Master, do I feel like just another character speaking to you through event dialogue?”

 

Elaine placed her hand gently atop mine.

 

“I am here, alive like this. Even if I was summoned by your ability, I’m a person who can serve you and be of use to you in any way.”
“…Yeah.”

 

A person.

 

“At least I didn’t summon one of the androids or demonic machines.”
“…Master?”
“Elaine, I’m truly glad it was you who was summoned.”

 

Why was I even hesitating?
Elaine wasn’t pointing a knife at me or trying to kill me. And even if she had such thoughts, my job would be to make sure that never happened.

 

“Elaine.”
“Yes, Master.”
“There’s a very important mission for you starting now.”
“Please tell me. I will handle it perfectly.”
“First, though….”

 

I gestured toward her maid outfit.

 

“You have to hide the fact that you’re Elaine.”
“…?”

 

Absolutely.

Never.

I will not open R18 illustrations with Elaine’s tag on X.

 

Nor will I let anyone know about Elaine’s existence.

 

If someone does find out….

 

‘The otaku community worldwide would do unimaginable things to me.’

 

Especially Elaine fanatics.

 

‘Or I could get hit with a copyright lawsuit. The game developers might legally come after me.’

 

Elaine standing before me was far too much like Elaine for anyone to think she was just some random summoned otherworldly entity.

 

“Listen carefully, Elaine.”

 

I held her hands firmly and struck a serious pose.

 

“From this moment on, you’re not Elaine. You’re someone cosplaying as Elaine—a cosplay hunter, got it?”
“…”
“So—”

 

Bzzzz.

My smartphone vibrated.

The sound wasn’t the usual emergency alert tone from the government.

 

[Attention all awakened individuals.]
“…Alice?”
[In five minutes, 300 towers will rise across Earth.]
“…!”

 

Suddenly, the words I had only briefly heard during my awakening flashed through my mind, along with memories of Alice.

 

Humanity’s awakening level is far too low.

Thus, we will awaken as many humans as possible.

 

Which essentially meant—

 

– You’re not ready yet!!

 

The godlike entity was performing miracles to boost humanity’s power, compensating for our lack of preparation for the impending disaster.

 

Therefore—

 

[Good luck to all awakened individuals.]
“…Elaine.”
“Yes, Master.”

 

I needed to know.

 

“How much of your power can you use? Can you fight?”
“Master.”

 

Elaine pointed at the game I had just opened—more specifically, at the world it depicted.

 

“Have you forgotten what my base class is?”
“…Battle Maid?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Elaine.

 

“Cleaning up filth is what I do best.”

 

She smiled brightly.

 

* * *

 

Had the gods blessed humanity to withstand the trials they would face, or had they granted their blessings because humanity wasn’t capable of withstanding the impending catastrophe?

 

Whichever the case, the world was in a state of emergency.

Especially in areas where the “towers”, considered a trial for all of humanity, were about to emerge.

 

“Hey! Move back! Stop livestreaming here!”

 

Agents in black uniforms shouted at the crowd gathered in the square.

 

Despite their warnings, the crowd ignored them, too engrossed in taking photos and videos with their smartphones, flashes going off incessantly.

 

“Damn it, when are the Hunters sending someone out here?!”
“The tower won’t do anything until the monsters start spilling out of it. Until then, it’s just a tower.”
“Team leader!”

 

The lead agent shrugged, gesturing toward the glowing, holographic-like tower above the fountain.

 

“At least the people are behaving. No one’s crossing the line or trying to touch it. Remember back in the day? There were those who’d run their hands over the tower or dive inside before it opened.”
“Yeah, and the ones who did either lost their hands or outright died. If civilians overhear you, this will come back to bite us later.”
“Relax. They’re too busy watching tower-related livestreams or filming their own videos to care.”

 

The team leader chuckled dryly, pointing at the throng of citizens beyond the makeshift police line—crudely fashioned from duct tape, not even proper barricade tape.

 

“The ones really in trouble are the Awakener Management Bureau. Think about it: a million people worldwide just awakened. How many do you think awakened in Korea?”
“…A hundred?”
“Come on, this is Korea. A hundred’s way too low. It’s got to be thousands, maybe tens of thousands.”
“…Anyway.”

 

One of the field agents pointed forward.

 

“Looks like we’ve got our first cosplayer.”
“…Oh.”

 

Step, Step.

The crowd parted as a lone figure walked forward, effortlessly jumping over the tape—a maid.

 

“Excuse me—”
“I’ve just awakened.”
“Uh, okay.”
“Yes.”
“Your name?”
“…”

 

The maid, with her black hair and golden eyes, closed her eyes briefly before speaking.

 

“Elaine.”

 

She introduced herself with calm confidence.

 

“…Ugh.”

 

The team leader covered his face with one hand and reached forward with a device resembling a metal detector.

 

As the device scanned Elaine, it lit up with a bright blue glow.

 

“Cosplaying and awakening, then immediately volunteering to tackle the tower? Hunter, you’re…impressive.”
“…”
“Hunter certification complete. However, you’re not yet registered—”
“Register me as Elaine. I will enter the tower. Then…”
“Uh, wait!”

 

The team leader swallowed hard, his face lighting up with anticipation.

 

“Are you…are you doing that?!”
“…”

 

Elaine, expressionless, turned toward the tower and began walking.

 

“For my master.”

“Kyaaah! Wow, I got goosebumps!! Wow, even the voice is perfect! The synchronization is amazing!”

“Team leader….”
“…”

 

Whoosh.

The tower, located near the fountain by the studio apartment, shimmered into existence.

 

And the black-haired, golden-eyed maid was the first to enter.

 

* * *

 

“…Thank god it’s Seoul Cosplay World Day.”

 

Without a proper outfit, I might’ve had to send her out in men’s clothes.

 

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Stay-at-Home Summoner

Stay-at-Home Summoner

집구석 소환사
Score 7.6
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Released: 2024 Native Language: Korean
The Age of Hunters, where humans climb the Towers. The characters I summoned from a gacha game ascend the tower.

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