1 I've Been Summoned, and it Doesn't Feel Nice

It happened when the new update came through.

He was coming back from school excited to play as soon as he got back home, when suddenly:

"Truck-kun?"

But the truck just passed him by.

"Not this time I guess—"

He barely had time to finish the sentence when his sight blurred and he lost control of himself.

What entered his mind was a loud 'swoosh' sound and a bunch of shades of blue and white.

With a 'thud', Sai could feel the ground again.

He immediately felt pain coursing throughout his body and headache the likes of which only a woman's migraine could compare to… but it only lasted a split second before he regained clarity.

'What the hell was that…Huh?'

In front of him was Aether, the protagonist from the game he loved. Not the cartoon version, but the real life version, 3D.

"Woa, he looks unbelievably handsome…"

"Huh? What is this?? A 3-star character?!" A voice came from Aether. "What the hell are these developers up to nowadays? What a waste of a wish!"

"???" Sai was confused. "Is it a player? Wait, where am I? Why is it so cold in here?"

"Chillex, man. That's just the new update. Look, I just got mine too!" Another voice sounded from Aether's mouth.

"Dang. I wasted all my primogens on him, he better be good!"

"He's just a 3-star, it would make no sense to build him. Just let him rot. In a couple of weeks you will probably be able to get Hu Tao in her re-run…"

"I guess that's true…"

While Aether spoke to himself, Sai was looking around him while trying to hold back the cold.

"I'm in Dragonspine? It must be…"

"Alright, I decided. I will spend all my XP items on him and see what he can do against some mobs." Aether spoke while looking at him. "Sounds fair, you just started anyways… just make sure not to waste much time on him."

"Hehe, alright. Let's go kill some mobs, Sia!"

"No! Wait! I—" Before Sai could finish his sentence, Aether's eyes got cloudy and unfocused, and they both reappeared beneath a teleport waypoint.

"I feel warm all of a sudden… Hiiikkk! A hilichurl boss!" Sai felt his blood draining from his face.

The thing was easily three meters tall, and a menacing pressure came down on him the moment they locked eyes.

It had black fur and mane like a lion's, a pair of big horns and red tattoos on its arms. The others were very short and had dark grey skin, thin arms and legs, and just like the big guy, a tribal mask covering their face.

He didn't even have time to understand what was going on before he felt a strange force making him move towards the nearby hilichurls.

"This is it guys… I'm gonna die for real this time…" He didn't know who he was talking to.

Contrary to his expectations, the force that coursed through him helped him adjust into a battle position. A simple-looking steel sword found itself in Sai's hands as he ran towards his enemies.

"Dull Blade? Where did this even—"

"Hoho! So he complains about using the initial weapon?" The player's voice resounded from far back.

Sai felt strength unknown to him push his legs faster and faster, and finally he was close enough to a normal hilichurl, right on time to hear them roaring in unison.

"Roarr!!!" "Kyaah!"

In just a second, Sai wielded his blade across the whole body of the hilichurl, despite the owner's fear.

It was a five-hit combo sequence, and by the end of it, the hilichurl in front of him was in the brink of death.

"Hik…"

The hilichurl, humanoid monster, looked very afraid of dying in Sai's eyes. Although its eyes were hidden behind a mask, its body wouldn't stop shivering in fear.

Just as Sai forced himself to stop his attacks, a club hit him from behind, sending him flying into the distance.

"Ugh!"

"Shit! It hurts so much! I thought they were weak but they are super strong!"

"'It hurts so much'?? Is he complaining of pain from just a single hit? Hahahaah this character is funny! Bahahaha!" The player's voice again.

By now Sai could deduce that some of the things he said would be understood by the player, or Aether, or whoever he was.

But now was not the time to worry about things like that, for he was surrounded by three hilichurls and a Mitachurl behind them. Behind Sai was a wall of stone, part of the mountain.

Sai could clearly see the hilichurl he had attacked regaining its strength and confidence, although its wounds didn't look like they were healing. Nevertheless, things didn't look bright for Sai.

He quickly stood up and dashed away from the encirclement, despite a strange force compelling him to go straight into the fight.

Once he was out, he looked back to see the four enemies still going for him. It was not an easy sight for a normal human: four weird but super strong monsters running after you with killing intent.

"Damnit, what do I do?"

When he was about to run away again, he was forcefully turned on his heels and sent to fight. It seemed that strange force wouldn't let him go too far.

"Guess I just have to beat them all into submission… But it's easier said then done—"

He said while dashing through the attacks of the hilichurls. Once he was behind one, he quickly unleashed his normal attack combo again.

Once more, the hilichurl was a single step from meeting the creator. All nerves on his brain told Sai to finish it, but his muscles wouldn't budge. He just wasn't ready to kill another being yet.

But holding back the urge took all he had. He didn't see the club but he felt its hit and the feeling of weightlessness that was becoming more and more common to him.

'Thud!'

He fell on the ground again.

"Shit!" The pain was so strong he couldn't breathe properly.

But alarm signals suddenly flared on his mind. 'I attacked two of them to the brink of death, so they probably can't attack again so soon… and I took a hit from the other hilichurl. So who—!!! THE BOSS!'

He desperately stood up, on time to see a giant axe descending on him. With all his left over strength, Sai dashed away for his life.

By a hair's breadth the axe didn't separate his head from his body, but the wind still sent him staggering away into another hilichurl's way.

If his adrenaline wasn't peaking right now, Sai felt he would have peed his pants.