“She stood there, high and mighty, scanning the crowd with her cold, piercing eyes like an ice queen, but then...” Viktor’s words trailed off as he couldn’t contain himself anymore and broke into uncontrolble ughter. “But then... when she spotted her son, she immediately strode over, wrapped her arms around him, and gave him a tight hug. Right in front of, like, half the town.”

  Sebekton guffawed, his ughter booming like a thundercp. “Poor guy,” he said as he clutched his stomach, still ughing hard, his shoulders heaving with each burst. “I bet he was hoping the ground would open up and swallow him whole.”

  “Yes, Cedric looked like he was about to die from embarrassment right there,” Viktor said, recalling the boy’s reaction as he wiped a tear from his eye.

  “Cedric, was it?” Sebekton asked, trying to suppress another ugh. “That’s the d with the sword and shield who led the charge into our ranks to save that blonde-haired woman, right, Master? I was preoccupied with the gnoll, so I didn’t really pay much attention to him. But he looked like a fine warrior.”

  “He is,” Viktor agreed. “Cedric, and his companions, are much more capable than their appearances suggest. What they ck is experience, and they’re gaining it very quickly.”

  “Can’t wait to cross bdes with them again,” the Crocodilian said, a predatory gleam briefly fshing in his slit-pupiled eyes.

  “Yes, you might meet them again someday. But be careful, Sebekton. They might surpass you if they continue to grow at this pace.”

  “I always enjoy a good challenge,” the Guardian said with a grin. “Besides, I’m getting stronger as well, thanks to the weapon and equipment you gave me.”

  “Speaking of weapon,” Viktor asked. “Celeste told me that you wanted to keep the old ability on your axe.”

  “Well, yes. When the bde of my axe is wrapped in that light, it becomes bigger and sharper. It’s a good thing, I’ll admit. But... since it cuts through everything so easily, there is no resistance, no feedback, no weight behind each strike. It feels... off.” Sebekton scratched the bony ridges on top of his head. “It’s like swinging something weightless. Efficient, yes, but too efficient. It makes me uncomfortable. I want the impact. I want to feel my strength cshing against something solid, not just empty air.”

  “I see.”

  “I’m sorry, Master,” Sebekton said, looking down at his feet. “You just wanted to upgrade my axe, but...”

  “It’s fine.” Viktor waved a dismissive hand. “A weapon is only as strong as the hand that wields it. Its power means nothing if it doesn’t suit you.”

  Not to mention, that bde of light only stayed active for a short while before flickering out, after which it had to be covered to recharge. Hardly convenient in the middle of a fight. With a sword, one could at least return it to a scabbard. But doing the same with an axe was extremely awkward and impractical.

  Viktor shifted his gaze to the metal pte on Sebekton’s chest. “But you have no problem with your armor, right?”

  The Crocodilian ughed, thumping the pte with his massive fist. “Of course not. There’s no warrior who wants to turn down good protection.”

  “Good.” Viktor nodded, then turned to Celeste. “Well, I think it’s time to get to today’s main event. Is everything ready?”

  [Yes, Master. We can begin the summoning process at your command. Would you like to proceed?]

  Since the new Guildmaster turned out to be Cedric’s mother, the possibility that she was in cahoots with Clovis was quite low. Not entirely out of the question, but low enough not to warrant pursuing for the time being. That meant he could now focus on the next pressing matter: choosing his second Guardian. He had asked Sebekton to join him so he could weigh in with his opinion. The two would be working together, after all, so it would be best if they got along from the start.

  “Yes, let’s get started.”

  [Understood. Initiating summoning procedure...]

  Just like the st time, a glowing circle began to take shape on the floor. It gradually spread outward until, in a sudden burst, it fred up and flooded the entire room with radiant light.

  [A candidate is arriving. His terms are... He wants to be bestowed with as many mutations as possible during his stay.]

  “What?”

  That was... weird. While he knew that, eventually, he would have the ability to mutate his Guardians, much like he could with the “Mutate Lesser Minion” skill he already had, it was a power that required careful consideration. Not many Guardians were willing to have their bodies changed, and some might even demand a term that explicitly forbade such alterations. Yet here stood someone who actively requested mutations, and not just one, but as many as possible.

  As the light faded, the newly summoned candidate came into view. He was a towering man, standing nearly as tall as Sebekton. His thin lips were twisted in a permanent grimace, while his bulging eyes twitched erratically as they scanned the room, jumping from Sebekton to Celeste to Viktor, in that order. His entire body was a canvas of blue ink. Strange tattoos were etched across his clean-shaven scalp, his stern face, his thick neck, his muscle-packed torso, all the way down to his feet. Though cd in little armor, he carried two rge axes strapped to his back.

  “Are you... my Master?” he asked, staring hard at Viktor as if trying to intimidate him.

  Viktor chuckled. This wasn’t the first time someone had tried to py this game, and to be honest, this man’s gre was nothing compared to Nephra’s.

  “Maybe,” he said ftly. “I haven’t accepted you yet.”

  Realizing that he didn’t flinch, the man bowed. “I am Ma’kruk, at your service.”

  “Tell me, Ma’kruk, why do you want mutations?”

  “To make me stronger, Master. I seek more power to defeat my enemies once I’m back home.”

  “And your enemies are?”

  “The Queen of Rot, and her Pgue Knights. They’re consuming my world, devouring everything until there’s nothing left. If it were just a matter of strength, then I could manage somehow. But the Rot... it corrupts everything. Even the mightiest warrior will succumb if he is exposed too long. That’s why I need my body to change, to alter, to mutate. So that I can survive its touch.”

  Viktor gave a nod. He could see where Ma’kruk was coming from, and in all honesty, the man seemed capable enough and didn’t have any gring fws. A bit insolent, perhaps, but that was not really a big deal. However, the real issue here was that he already had a big guy with a big axe. Adding another would just be redundant.

  “Thank you for coming here, Ma’kruk,” he said. “You’re strong, no doubt. But I’m looking for someone with a different skill set, and you’re not quite who I need right now.”

  The warrior’s jaw clenched slightly, but he nodded. “I understand. Thank you for considering me.”

  “Celeste, send him back.”

  [Understood.]

  The summoning circle beneath Ma’kruk’s feet came to life once more, its blinding light engulfing him completely. When it faded, he was gone.

  “A pity,” Sebekton said. “I kind of liked him.”

  Viktor turned to Celeste. “That man is huge. Do you think he’s really human, or is he from another species?”

  [I think he is a half-giant, Master.]

  “I see,” he said. “Anyway, let’s summon the next candidate.”

  [Understood. Initiating summoning procedure...]

  [A candidate is arriving. Her terms are... She requests the freedom to absorb mana to sustain herself as she pleases. In the way she wants, whenever she wants, wherever she wants.]

  Viktor frowned. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  [Her words, not mine, Master.]

  The circle bled pink and violet mist that curled across the stone floor, carrying a scent so sweet it turned his stomach. From within the haze stepped a figure: lithe, curving, and disturbingly graceful.

  “She looks skinny. I don’t think she’s a warrior. A mage, maybe?”

  “That’s a succubus, Sebekton,” Viktor muttered under his breath.

  Yes, this candidate was undoubtedly a succubus. Curved horns rose above dark, glossy hair. Eyes glowed with a mesmerizing shade of red. Bat-like wings folded behind her back, while a long, thin tail swayed zily as she walked. As for her clothing... well, let’s just say that it was almost non-existent, leaving her smooth, pale purple skin on full dispy.

  “Ah,” she purred with a honeyed voice. “So this is the realm I’ve been summoned to—”

  “Thank you for coming here, dy. You’re strong, no doubt. But I’m looking for someone with a different skill set, and you’re not quite who I need right now. Celeste, send her back.”

  [Understood.]

  “Wait, what—” The succubus only managed a few words before the summoning circle’s light swallowed her whole. A few seconds ter, the only thing that remained was a faint, nauseatingly sweet scent lingering in the air.

  “Master,” Sebekton said. “You haven’t even asked her what she’s capable of, or what she meant by those terms.”

  “No need,” Viktor replied with a dry chuckle. “I know exactly what she can do, and exactly what she wants.”

  [Master, if you are concerned about her trying to charm you, it is actually not an issue. As my master, you are protected from it, just like you were from the songs of the mermaids.]

  Viktor snorted. “Do you really think she needs magic in order to have an effect on me?”

  [When you were still an adventurer, did you ever encounter succubi, Master?]

  “Yes, a couple of times.”

  [And how did you deal with them?]

  “Scorching Winds.”

  [...]

  “What?”

  [Master, that is a Supreme Thauma designed to obliterate armies, and you used it against a single succubus?]

  “Yes. Your point is?”

  “I don’t really follow what you two are on about,” Sebekton chimed in, “but it does sound a bit overkill.”

  [Is there... anything left afterward, Master?]

  “Charcoal,” Viktor replied. “Enough of this. Let’s find our next candidate.”

  That was two thousand mana down the drain. Even though he was willing to repeat the process as many times as needed, an expense was still an expense. He really hoped the next summoning would bring someone he could actually use.

  [Initiating summoning procedure...]

  [A candidate is arriving. His terms are... He wants everyone to stay awhile and listen to him whenever he tells his stories.]

  Viktor blinked. “What?”

  Sebekton tilted his head. “Stories? What kind of stories?”

  They stared as the light gradually faded, revealing the summoned candidate, who stood motionless in the middle of the circle.

  “That is...” Sebekton said slowly. “A corpse?”

  “An undead,” Viktor corrected him. “But it looks a bit different from the ones I’ve seen before. What’s up with all those bandages?”

  [I believe he is a mummy, Master.]

  “Mommy?” Viktor raised an eyebrow.

  [Mummy. A type of undead whose body was embalmed and wrapped in yers and yers of linen.]

  “That seems... excessive,” Sebekton commented. “All that wrapping must have taken days.”

  Viktor studied the undead before him. It was, just as Celeste had said, covered from head to toe in many yers of dusty, tattered bandages. Even its face was partially obscured by the discolored cloth, with some exposed patches revealing ashen, withered skin. Its eyes were closed shut. Was it sleeping, or just, well... dead?

  Then, the creature stirred.

  Its two hands, which had been folding across its chest, began to move. Its head twitched, and the desiccated eyelids parted, unveiling two glowing green orbs.

  “I am... Khenemhotep,” the mummy intoned in a raspy voice. “The High Priest of the Sands.”