Awakening with two legendary Summons-Chapter 48: Summoner’s Hunt for Cores 3

The large, giant-like bird twitched its head from left to right in sharp, almost mechanical movements. It had no face—no eyes, no beak—yet its grotesque form carried the unmistakable body of a bird. A long, bony neck curved like that of a vulture, and its talons ended in claws so massive they looked capable of ripping through steel.

It stood unnaturally still for a moment, then let out a strange, gurgling noise that rumbled deep from its throat. It turned suddenly, just as Kaela charged from behind, her steps light but lethal in intent.

The bird reacted.

It opened its enormous wings with a gust of wind and flapped once—an act that looked harmless at first. But from its feathers, sharp dagger-like quills shot outward, slicing through the air toward Kaela with blistering speed.

She was faster.

Twisting and weaving, Kaela spun through the barrage, dodging the razor-like feathers as they zipped past her. Her body skidded across the blood-soaked terrain, dirt and wind whipping around her. She didn’t stop.

With one final leap, she reached the creature, thrusting her hand straight into the center of its faceless head with raw, violent power.

A loud, sickening crack echoed through the hills, followed by the grotesque sound of something bursting. Blood exploded outward, along with chunks of tissue and brain matter, spraying across the battlefield. The monster dropped, limp and lifeless.

Kaela stood over its body, panting.

Her hand was drenched in blood, completely soaked in dark red and clotted bits of flesh. She stared down at it—not with pride, not even horror—but a tired sort of resignation.

She hated getting her hands this dirty. She never wanted to fight barehanded. In truth, she wished for a core weapon—something she could wield with control and precision.

But that dream had long since vanished.

When she first tried to take a weapon from the academy’s selection, the moment her fingers gripped the hilt, it turned red hot—so blisteringly hot that it seared into her flesh. Screaming in pain, she had dropped it to the floor, watching her skin peel and blacken.

That had been her second time of trying to wield a core weapon.

And the first time? No different.

’I guess I’ll never be able to use a core weapon in my life...’ she sighed, soft white vapor escaping her mouth with the words. "It’s so cold up here in the hills."

Her eyes drifted to the surrounding terrain—blood-stained ground, twitching corpses of slain beast birds, and jagged rocks protruding like broken bones from the earth. The air smelled of copper and ash.

Then, from the base of the hill, Lina stepped forward, kicking off the final beast bird that clung to her blade. She looked up toward Kaela with steady eyes. Her face was speckled with blood, hair matted slightly against her cheek.

"These things are almost as big as us," Lina muttered, wiping her sword clean on the creature’s feathers. "And they’re just basic beasts. I was really hoping for Apex-class threats here, but I guess this zone’s safer than we thought."

Kaela gave no reply.

She stood still—motionless, as though the battle had taken more out of her than expected. But it wasn’t fatigue. It was something else. Something buried.

Lina frowned. She had always been trying to understand Kaela—ever since they’d become partners. Kaela was cold, quiet, but skilled in a way that didn’t match her shy demeanor. Her every move was too precise. Too calculated.

’She acts like she’s been trained by someone dangerous... or locked away from the world.’ Lina thought, the curiosity gnawing at her once again.

And there was always that one question—why Kaela never took a core weapon. Everyone from the Summoners Class wielded something. Why not her?

Finally, the tension boiled over. Her curiosity demanded an answer.

"Why don’t you use a weapon from the Summoner’s class?" Lina blurted, her tone blunt. "Does killing things with your bare hands make you feel satisfaction or what?"

There was no malice in her voice, but the words came out harsh—unfiltered.

"I’ve been trying to figure you out for a while now, but you just keep getting weirder. At least give me a proper answer. Do you like the blood on you? Is it some kind of thrill?"

Kaela gasped softly at the question, as if struck.

She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came at first. Her head tilted slightly. The silence between them thickened.

Then finally, in a trembling, quiet voice, Kaela spoke.

"When I was young... my mother experimented on me," she said, her voice low, as if confessing a forbidden truth. "She made me into a Summoner. Not the kind one would read about... the kind she could control. A project. A weapon."

Her hands shook as she continued.

"When I manifested my first summon, the experiments got worse. She... treated me like a beast. Caged me. Forced me to fight, to suffer. To become something I didn’t want to be."

She paused, her lips quivering.

"I can’t touch core weapons because... she made it my weakness. My failsafe. In case I ever resisted."

Lina’s expression softened instantly, the blood in her veins chilling. She had never heard Kaela speak so much in one breath—never with such pain, such fragility.

"So... what happens if a core weapon touches you?" Lina asked gently.

Kaela didn’t answer right away. Her gaze lowered, her hands moving to her shoulder. She slid the sleeve of her gown down slightly, revealing part of her collarbone and chest.

There—etched into her skin—were dozens of scars. Burn marks. Torture. Pain that had been deliberately inflicted and never allowed to fade.

"These aren’t just scars," she whispered. "They’re reminders. Warnings... for people like me."

Kaela stopped speaking and turned silently, then bent over the corpse of the beast bird she’d killed. Without effort, she shoved her hand into its chest and began to search for its core.

Lina remained quiet.

She had learned more than she’d bargained for. And though part of her still burned with questions, she now knew better than to ask them. Kaela’s past was a bleeding wound, and today... she had shown the first glimpse beneath the bandage.

The thought of Kaela’s mother doing such things—twisting her child into something unrecognizable—made Lina’s chest tighten.

She turned to one of the beast corpses nearby and knelt beside it, slipping her hand under its hide in search of its core as well. Her mind drifted—not just to Kaela, but her own past.

She let out a breath. A heavy one.

"Mother..." she muttered, her tone unreadable.

---

Meanwhile, in a deeper section of the hills, Kairos and his teammates were embroiled in a very different battle.

They had ventured further in after collecting the cores from the beasts Carlos had defeated on his own. They hoped for stronger prey, something worthy of their abilities.

What they found instead was a massive flock of tusks.

Dozens of them.

Carlos moved left, Darnell went right, and Kairos took the center. In sync, the three leapt into battle.

Slaughter erupted.

Kairos quickly realized something: he was slower.

Carlos moved like wind, each swing of his blade deadly and swift. Darnell danced through the battlefield with flexibility and grace, killing multiple enemies with single moves.

Kairos had none of that.

But he had something else—his heightened senses and sharp thinking. He could read the movements of the tusks, anticipate their attacks. As one lunged, he ducked, then slashed his claw across its throat. Another charged, and he twisted, plunging his blade into its eye.

Then he decided it was time to try the gauntlet’s new ability.

Taking a deep stance, he braced himself and growled.

"Shadow Swipe..."

Dark smoke erupted from his fist as he launched it forward. The shadow shot outward in a spiraling wave, slamming into a tusk and throwing it backward—knocking several others down with it.

Kairos blinked in surprise.

It worked. Sort of.

But the tusks rose again. Barely scratched. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

’This skill... it’s better suited for humans than beasts,’ Kairos thought bitterly, returning to his claws to finish the job.

The battle dragged on, but finally, the ground stilled. Every tusk lay dead.

Darnell dropped to the ground with a laugh, panting hard. "Damn... that was fun."

Carlos crouched, also winded. "I can’t believe we’re still wasting time on these puny things. We need to find a real hunting ground next time."

Kairos chuckled, wiping blood from his face. "Sure. Let’s go deeper and see if—"

Ding!

All three of their phones chimed at the same time.

Carlos checked his immediately, his expression souring as he read.

"It’s from the base," he said. "Says: ’One hour till nightfall. Return if you value your life. After that, no one gets in. Survive if you wish to stay.’"

He hissed in annoyance.

Kairos and Darnell exchanged glances.

It was time to leave.

For now, the stronger beasts would have to wait as they had to get back on time. The real challenge would surely come... tomorrow.