The Extra System: Summoner of Shadows

The healer let out a scream of horror as she backed away from the corpse, tripping and falling in the process. Cedric could feel Ember trembling through his grip on her forearm, but he knew this was just the beginning.

[A summoning magic circle has activated using the blood sacrifice.]

The system warned him, and Cedric snapped his head toward their surroundings. A magic barrier appeared around the clearing, trapping them inside. Shadows rose to cover the barrier, forming elaborate walls of darkness. Cedric then understood what was happening.

'A dungeon summoning…'

Once summoners reached a certain level, they could create dungeons as their domains. The type of dungeon depended on the affinity of the summoner, and this was one of their most dreaded abilities. It was also the reason the world hated them.

[You have been summoned to the Dungeon of Wraithshade. Defeat the dungeon master in order to leave the dungeon. A sub-arc has begun.]

[You have encountered the Veilborn Order.]

[Hidden Title Unlocked: Masochist of Elaris.]

Cedric was still processing the walls rising around him as he read the notifications. He no longer questioned why the system was telling him about this summoning. Memories surfaced in his mind when he read the name of the order he encountered.

The Veilborn Order was the name of a major group in *Records of Elaris.* The main character would have many fallouts with them because their goal was simple: revive the summoner class. Their methods, however, were ruthless and brutal.

As long as power could be obtained, the order would pursue it regardless of the sacrifices made. A millennium of hatred toward summoners had birthed this obnoxious group, driving them to sacrifice anything to summon stronger monsters.

Cedric held Ember tightly, fearing he would lose her during the summoning. She looked at him with frightened blue eyes that made him feel guilty for dragging her into this. Their bodies began sinking into the shadows as the group tried to fight them, but it was already too late. The summoning had begun.

[You have entered the dungeon.]

That was the last notification Cedric received before darkness engulfed their world. Their bodies were then transferred to a different dimension in a ritual called reverse summoning, which allows the summoner to bring challengers to their domain.

In the next instant, Cedric fell to the ground. His body slammed against the hard floor of a dimly lit room as dust scattered. There was no Ember in his hand anymore; he was alone in an underground room.

"…That hurts," muttered Cedric as he rubbed his body while looking around. "Am I already inside the dungeon? That was a smooth trip."

Cedric rose from the ground, dusting himself off as he inspected the small room he found himself in. There was nothing inside except a door that likely led to the rest of the dungeon. This place was called a Starting Chamber.

"I should have been more careful, but who would've known that a summoner would appear here?" he muttered, rubbing his head before pulling down his hood. However, he kept his mask on. "Veilborn… what a nasty coincidence. But it's no wonder they seek the Trial of Shadows. Ancient trials have always been a favorite of theirs."

The dungeon might look intimidating at first glance, but Cedric wasn't fazed. The moment he realized his opponent was a summoner instead of a mage, it made killing him a lot easier. However, he was still far from capable of handling the dungeon alone.

"Good thing dungeons are the best places to raise one's level," Cedric muttered as he began stretching and preparing. "The bad thing is I lost my sword when I killed the Dire Wolf. How am I supposed to fight?"

Cedric thought about it for a short while before deciding to use his summoning magic. It was the only option he had at the moment. Although the Link was still weak, he could start by summoning weaker monsters.

"Before that, I think I obtained a crazy title before I was transported here," muttered Cedric as he opened his system. The blue hologram somehow calmed him inside this eerie dungeon. "This has to be a joke…"

[Titles: Vain Prince, Deadbeat Son, Masochist of Elaris]

Cedric stared at the titles with a twitching brow. It pissed him off that these three titles seemed to insult him. As he understood it, the first title came from his reputation. The second title came from his level. As for the third, he could only hope the system would provide an explanation. It did, unfortunately.

[Masochist of Elaris (Unique Title): When you find two peaceful cities at a crossroads, your first instinct is to grab a shovel and start digging for a third, just to spice things up. Your enjoyment of pain and suffering will grant you twice as much benefit from your suffering.]

"What the fuck does that mean? Are you asking me to become a masochist?" Cedric began cursing because this system was clearly trolling him. "First, it was the puppeteer skill, and now I get a masochist title? Raise your hands, system!"

Of course, the system did not have hands. Cedric collapsed on the ground, defeated once again. His entire life had turned into one big joke because of this damned system.

"Wait a second, let me think about this for a moment," Cedric muttered, sitting cross-legged on the ground. He held his chin in a pondering stance. "I get double the rewards for my suffering. Does that include training? The system calls me a masochist, but… maybe…"

Cedric was almost losing his mind. Inside this godforsaken dungeon, he was trying to convince himself to embrace the title of masochist. This damned system was trolling him. Death didn't seem as scary anymore.

"But who am I to judge the orientations and pleasures of others?" he mused, adopting a more accepting worldview. "As long as I get double the rewards, what harm is there?"

Despite his attempts at acceptance, he still felt humiliated by the system. He tried to rationalize why the system had given him this title. It literally mocked his choices, labeling them as 'digging his own grave.' Cedric had to admit that he did indeed seem to choose difficult paths just for his own enjoyment.

"Thoughts, begone! Begone!" Cedric shook his head and stood up. "Time to distract myself with some dungeon-hunting. As long as I don't run into the final boss right away, I can survive. But first… I need to summon."

The skill, [Lesser Summon], activated as blue mana wrapped around his hand. The mana lit the room, revealing its poor structure. The dungeon owner had clearly skimped on making his dungeon sturdier.

A magic circle appeared on the ground as Cedric felt a third of his mana disappear. A few moments later, a figure began to materialize above the magic circle. It was as tall as Cedric, wearing armor and wielding a long spear.

[You have summoned a level 20 Armored Golem.]

[Armored Golem is attempting to break the contract.]

Cedric suddenly felt a throbbing pain in his head as the golem tried to destroy the contract between them. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't happen. However, the previous prince had neglected the Link, which would have strengthened Cedric's control over the summoned creature.

"Not a chance in hell I'm letting you," Cedric muttered through gritted teeth, glaring at the golem. Its helmet covered its entire face except for a few slits from which blue lights emanated. "Fight for me!"

[Reader Mindset (X) has strengthened your willpower and control over the summoned creature.]

[Armored Golem is impressed by your strong will and decides to follow you.]

[Time until the unsummoning happens: 10 minutes.]

"A measly ten minutes for a third of my mana?" Cedric stared at the golem with wide eyes. "You better be worth it, Golem!"

And so, the dungeon dive begins.