The Second Summon

The weight of the system notification hummed in Arlan's mind, a quiet whisper of opportunity.

[SYSTEM ALERT]New Summon Slot Available: 1/2A new servant awaits its master. Seek the remains and bind them to your will.

A second summon.

Another piece of strength.

Arlan exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening over his cloak. He needed this. He needed more power, more allies—because if Duskhaven had taught him anything, it was that he wasn't strong enough.

Not yet.

He glanced toward the others. They were sitting around the campfire, talking quietly, their voices hushed under the weight of exhaustion. No one had the energy for laughter tonight.

But they still trusted him.

Still thought he was a summoner.

He had to keep it that way.

Which meant being careful.

The Hunt for a Summon

The night was quiet when Arlan slipped away from camp.

The others had finally fallen asleep, their bodies too drained from days of travel to notice his absence. The forest stretched ahead of him, dark and vast, the air heavy with the scent of damp earth and old wood.

Bones stirred slightly on his shoulder, his glowing eyes flickering. "Master…?" he rasped, his tiny skeletal form clicking against Arlan's cloak.

Arlan hushed him, moving deeper into the trees. He could feel something.

The system had told him a summon was waiting.

He just had to find it.

The pull in his chest grew stronger, guiding him forward. And then—

A body.

A goblin.

Small. Twisted. Humanoid.

Its ragged leather armor was torn, its throat slit. Its fingers still curled around a rusted dagger, as if clinging to the last remnants of battle.

Arlan crouched beside it, his breath steady. A goblin rogue? That could work. Goblins were fast, cunning, and easy to hide. If he could bring this one back, it wouldn't stand out.

He stretched out his hand—

Then froze.

Something was watching him.

The Lingering Spirit

A whisper.

Not a sound, but a feeling.

Arlan turned his head sharply, his pulse spiking.

A figure shifted in the darkness—barely visible, flickering like a dying ember.

A ghost.

It was small, goblin-shaped, its translucent form swaying slightly. Not hostile. Not aggressive.

Just waiting.

Arlan's system pulsed.

[System Notice]Presence Detected: Lingering Spirit.Would you like to attempt a contract?

His breath caught.

A ghost? He had never seen one before. He had assumed his second summon would be another skeleton, something bound to a corpse. But this—

This was different.

He focused, reaching out, letting his magic stretch toward it.

The spirit twitched, shifting uneasily.

"What do you want…?" The voice was broken, fragmented. Not truly words, but thoughts forced into something that barely made sense.

Arlan swallowed. "To give you another chance."

The ghost hesitated.

Then—

Pain.

A sharp pulse of energy slammed through Arlan's chest as the spirit fought him. His magic strained, clashing against the ghost's presence. It wasn't mindless—it was resisting.

It didn't want to be controlled.

Arlan gritted his teeth. "You don't have a choice."

A rasping, hollow laugh. Not cruel. Not hostile.

Just… amused.

Then—

The ghost yielded.

The contract snapped into place, binding them together. Arlan gasped as a second heartbeat settled into his chest, a quiet pulse of something new.

And then—

The ghost solidified.

Not fully. Not like a living creature. But its form became clearer. More defined.

A goblin.

Small. Thin. Wrapped in flickering, ghostly leather armor. Its hollow eyes glowed faintly, dim and unfocused.

It stared at Arlan.

Then—

It spoke.

"Boss…?"

A Name Given

Arlan straightened, still catching his breath.

The goblin rogue twitched, shifting as if testing its new form. Its limbs were shaky, its mind not fully there.

A side effect of his weakness.

He had felt this before with Bones—his summons weren't truly whole. Not yet.

He studied the goblin's faded features. "You need a name."

The ghost tilted its head.

Arlan thought for a moment. Something simple. Something fitting.

"Shade."

The goblin's glowing eyes flickered.

Then, slowly, it smirked. "Shade… Shade… yesss…"

Bones stirred against Arlan's shoulder, clicking his teeth in displeasure. "Not… like… him…"

Arlan exhaled. "You'll get used to him."

Bones did not seem convinced.

Shade twitched again, then suddenly—

He vanished.

Arlan's breath caught. "Wait!"

A whisper at his ear. "Still… here… boss…"

Arlan turned sharply. Nothing.

But he could still sense Shade nearby.

A slow grin pulled at his lips.

This was perfect.

Bones grumbled, clearly displeased with the new addition. Arlan smirked.

"Looks like we have a new friend, buddy."

Bones hissed.

But Arlan didn't care.

Because for the first time in days, he felt like he was finally getting stronger.