He tried to break the tension, but before he could say anything else—
SHLACK!
A metallic blur sliced through the air. A severed eye landed inches from his feet, split clean in two. Blood splattered across Daion's face, making him grimace in disgust.
"Sorry, buddy."
The leader of the group smirked slightly and offered him a hand. Daion hesitated, then took it, pulling himself to his feet.
"Well, well. Another summoned one."
Daion wiped the blood from his face. "Yeah. Just got here."
"Nice," another fighter chimed in—a short, wiry guy with a yellow-tinted gauntlet similar to Daion's.
Interest in him didn't last long. As soon as the fight ended, the group dispersed, absorbing the Omega energy from the slain creatures. The leader gave Daion a glance.
"You can keep those two. You made for a decent distraction."
Daion crouched beside the remains, placing his hand over them. The absorption began immediately.
Gh…!
Once again, searing pain tore through his body. Like thousands of fiery needles stabbing into his core. But this time, he was ready for it. When it was over, only bloodstained dirt remained. Daion stood, shaking his hands to ease the lingering sting.
That's when he noticed the group whispering among themselves, sneaking glances at him. A familiar, uncomfortable feeling settled in his chest.
"…Uh, hi?" he tried.
They instantly fell silent, staring at him with sharp, analyzing eyes. Daion cleared his throat.
"I was just hoping you could, I don't know, give me a few pointers?"
The tension only thickened. Then, finally, the leader sighed and stepped forward with a relaxed smile.
"Alright, cut the new guy some slack."
He turned to Daion and gave a casual nod.
"Name's Jack. I guess I'm the captain around here."
He gestured to the spear-wielding girl.
"And that's Haruka, our deadly beauty."
Haruka had fiery red hair and striking pink eyes that matched the gemstone on her spear. Her armor covered her torso, but a battle skirt left her sides exposed—clearly for mobility. Unlike the others, her gauntlet was sleek and minimalistic, almost decorative.
"Don't let her resting bitch face fool you. She's alright once you get to know her."
Haruka scoffed. "Charmed."
Jack ignored her and pointed to a hooded figure lurking in the shadows.
"The brooding guy over there? That's Minjae."
Minjae wore a dark jacket with the hood pulled low, twin daggers gleaming at his sides.
"And last but not least…" Jack motioned to the wiry kid from before. "That's Finn. Our Little Rookie."
Finn gave a small, knowing smile—clearly used to the nickname. Finally, Jack turned back to Daion.
"And you? Got a name?"
A brief pause.
"I don't know," Daion admitted. The group exchanged wary glances.
Realizing how that sounded, he quickly added, "I mean… I don't remember."
Jack narrowed his eyes.
"Amnesia?"
Daion nodded.
Jack sighed. "A bit cliché, don't you think?"
Daion forced a smile. "Yeah, well… you can call me Daion, I guess."
Jack stretched his arms, then smirked.
"Well, since we're all acquainted, I guess we can show you the ropes. Summoned ones have to look out for each other, right?"
Daion nodded.
"I guess so."
Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all.
The group began gathering their things. Jack pulled out a crumpled list and crossed off a few items with mechanical ease.
"Oh, right," Haruka murmured suddenly.
Daion noticed her staring at him with an intense curiosity, as if she had just remembered something important.
"Hey, pretty boy, who's your patron god?"
Daion blinked, caught off guard. The atmosphere shifted instantly. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to him, their eyes filled with curiosity and expectation.
He carefully considered his answer. His mind flashed back to the idiot who had dumped him in this world without a single explanation.
"Definitely some asshole."
The group exchanged glances.
"An asshole?" Jack repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You don't know their name?"
"No. He didn't even bother to tell me why I'm here."
"Sounds like a great guy," Finn muttered sarcastically.
"Right?" Daion shot back in the same tone.
Haruka clicked her tongue. "So, you haven't checked your stats yet."
"My what?" Daion frowned.
"Tap the center of your gem twice."
Hesitant, he followed her instructions. The gemstone on his gauntler flared with light, and a translucent interface materialized before him. The others gathered around, peering at the screen with interest.
[Summoned Stats]
• Strength: Level 5 (Human)
• Dexterity: Level 7 (Human)
• Endurance: Level 4 (Human)
• Agility: Level 5 (Human)
• Intelligence: Level 6 (Human)
Jack crossed his arms, studying the display.
"Pretty standard stats. Maybe your god grants abilities instead of attributes."
"How do I check?"
Jack pointed to a small option below the stats:
[Check Divine Information]
Daion felt stupid for asking. It was too obvious.
"Great. Now I really look like a clueless rookie," he thought.
With a sigh, he tapped the option.
A new screen appeared:
[Divine Information]
• Patron God: (No Data)
• Rank: Primordial of Gravity
[Effects on Summoned]
• None
[Divine Artifacts]
• Punishment Blade (Rank F)
• Omega Gauntlet (Rank F)
[Summoned Evaluation]
• Omega Energy Absorbed: 24Ω
• Level: 2
• Rank: Novice
Silence.
Then Jack let out a dry laugh.
"No abilities at all?"
Daion clenched his jaw. "Not my fault."
"Nah, of course not. But damn, what kind of luck is that?" Jack smirked.
Haruka tilted her head, thoughtful. The group exchanged uneasy looks.
Meanwhile, Daion felt a cold emptiness in his stomach. That damn god hadn't just thrown him into this world without guidance—he had done it without giving him a single ability.
What the hell did he mean by 'equal conditions'?
His fists clenched in frustration. Jack sighed.
"Well, I guess that makes sense. Your patron god is the Primordial of Gravity."
"And what does that mean? Is he too weak to grant me something useful?"
Daion wanted to believe that. At least then it would make sense. But Haruka shook her head.
"Quite the opposite. He's one of the Eight Primordial Gods of the universe. Actually, he's the strongest one actively summoning heroes."
A spike of anger shot through Daion. Bullshit. The strongest?
If that was true, then why the hell did he have no abilities?
"But for some reason, the few people he summons never receive blessings," Minjae added.
The group shifted uncomfortably. No one knew what to say. Daion didn't know what to feel. Jack clapped him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry too much. Abilities aren't everything."
Daion gave him a skeptical look.
"If you check, you're already level 2," Jack pointed out. "That means you leveled up just by absorbing Omega energy."
Daion glanced at the screen. He was right.
"The sword does feel lighter..."
He exhaled, trying to calm himself.
"If you make up for the lack of blessings with higher stats and combat techniques, you'll be fine," Jack continued.
Daion nodded silently. Jack studied him for a moment, then turned back to his gear. The group was finishing up when Daion spoke again:
"Why are we here?"
Silence. Instant and heavy. Jack and the others tensed.
"What's going on?" Daion pressed. "Why were we summoned?"
Jack let out a slow breath.
"Your god… really didn't tell you anything."
Before he could say more, a noise from the forest made them all snap to attention. Leaves rustled violently. Darkness crept over the landscape.
"For now, let's get back to the city before nightfall," Haruka said seriously. "Unless you wanna be surrounded by monsters."
The group moved at once. Daion followed, still frustrated, but without a choice.
Keeping up with them was hell. They were absurdly fast, gliding through the forest, leaping over roots, dodging obstacles effortlessly. Daion, in comparison, was sluggish and awkward.
After a while, the group came to an abrupt stop. Daion nearly tripped over himself. When he looked up, his breath caught in his throat.
Before them stood a fortified settlement. Towering walls rose over 15 meters high—far too excessive for what seemed to be just a town.
They approached the massive wooden gates. They were low, seemingly unprotected. But Daion felt a chill crawl down his spine. They were being watched. Hidden crossbows aimed at them from the walls above.
Jack turned to him and grinned.
"Welcome to SteelWall."