You are Summoned

My vision cut out as the pain in my head increased. When I could finally see again, I was somewhere different. Every time I had been summoned before; I was floating in nothingness waiting for a countdown timer to tick away. This time, I had my body from the get-go, instead of waiting for the portal to open.

Looking around, I could see I was in a room of some sort. It was a large, rectangular space with rough-hewn, wooden floors and walls. There were no doors or windows and other than me, there was nothing in the room. Was this where I was supposed to be summoned to? Where was the portal and the voice that gave me instructions?

“Welcome Rico Kline, and congratulations again on passing your calibration and trial summons,” a feminine voice called out behind me. There was nothing in the room with me before, but now there was a figure cloaked in a white gown that covered her body and face completely. The voice was familiar, though.

“Minerva?” I asked, pretty sure the voice was from my previous advisor.

“Yes, I believe that is the moniker you selected for me,” Minerva replied.

“Cool, I was wondering if I would talk to the same person each time, I’m glad it’s you, Minerva,” I said. While Minerva was frustrating to deal with, it was better dealing with her each time instead of some other advisor that could possibly be even worse.

“Our time here is brief, before you ask any further questions, I must explain how things will work while you are here,” Minerva said. Message heard, I needed to shut up and listen.

“Sorry, go ahead,” I replied.

“Your summoning will progress differently now that you’re out of the calibration trial. When summoned, you will start your journey here, in a personal space set aside for you. When a summoning request arrives that fits your parameters, a portal will open on the far wall. Once the portal opens, step inside to begin your duty,” Minerva said. I waited while she paused, just when I was about to ask her a question, she continued.

“Instead of a single summoning, you will fulfill multiple summonings before you are returned to your world. While you will face multiple summoning sessions, you will also be granted a longer time to reside back in your home world once you do return. I will pull up your current status and explain some things,” Minerva said. She waved her hand and the odd status screen appeared again in front of me.

Rico Kline, Summoned Being.

Tier 0, Rank 0.

Experience/experience needed for next rank: 1/10.

Summoning points: 1.

Skills: None.

Abilities: Linguistic adaptation interface.

Gear: None.

Armory: Locked. You must reach tier 0, rank 5 to unlock the armory.

“The first thing you will notice is, of course, your name and title. Some beings have exceptional skills or abilities and will gain a class before starting the summoning process. People from your world rarely fit into that category and are typically just categorized as summoned beings,” Minerva said, once again pausing. I wasn’t going to let this pause go to waste.

“May I ask a question now?”

“Only if it pertains to the information I just dispensed,” Minerva replied.

“It does. I was wondering if it’s possible to attain a title or class in the future?” I asked.

“Yes, it can be done, through hard work in the world you are summoned to as well as back in your home world,” Minerva explained. Before I could get another question in, she jumped back into her explanation.

“Your tier and rank are measurements of how far you’ve progressed as a summoned being. It is also used to determine the type of summonings you may be eligible to participate in. As you have likely already noticed, your rewards follow not only the tier of summoning, but also your performance. Your current experience and what you need to attain the next rank are always displayed for you.

“As you complete each summoning, you may, or may not, be granted summoning points. These points will be utilized at a later time, and I cannot expound further on them until you reach tier zero, rank five,” Minerva advised.

“What happens when I reach a higher rank and tier, do I get some kind of reward for that? Will your system empower me or something?” I asked.

“You will be rewarded for each summons you complete, I cannot expound further at this point,” Minerva replied.

“Why can’t you ‘expound further’, is there some kind of rule, or do you just not want to?” I asked, more than a little concerned over the vague answers I was getting to my questions.

“I cannot at this time, that is all you need to know. Do you have any other questions pertaining to the information regarding experience, tiers, and ranks?” Minerva asked. So, it looked like she was restricted by the system that controlled things from giving me the whole picture right now. With her emphasis on the word “time” I figured my questions would be answered eventually.

“No more questions about that,” I replied after trying to think of something else to ask.

“Very well, below the summoning points are listed your skills, abilities, and gear,” Minerva said, pausing in case I wanted to ask something, which I most definitely did.

“How do I get all that stuff? Is there gear issued like in the army, or can I bring things from home?” I asked.

“In the future, you may, or may not be granted the ability to bring preferred weapons and gear from your home world. Other items will become available to you when you reach tier zero, rank five. Until then, there is a rather small chance of being rewarded with an item during your summons. This is a rare occurrence, but usually happens at least once before a summoned being attains tier zero, rank five,” Minerva answered.

“Got it, maybe get some item to drop in the world I’m summoned to, otherwise I have to wait for tier zero, rank five to learn anything else. Oh, let me guess, that last thing about the armory is also restricted for now,” I said with frustration.

“Correct,” Minerva replied without expounding.

“What happens now? Can I ask more questions about the whole process?” I asked. I appreciated a quick rundown on my status screen thing, but I had so many other questions to ask.

“As always, our time is limited, and you will be summoned shortly,” Minerva replied. She didn’t say that I couldn’t ask questions so I figured I might as well dive in.

“Why is the time all screwy. I spent a while in that cavern when I was summoned last time, not to mention the time before and after the portal opened. Why did only a minute pass in my world?” I asked.

“That is a valid question, and one that is a little difficult for me to answer in terms that you would understand. I’ll try to keep it simple. The worlds you are summoned to are mana rich, and the act of you passing through the void into these realms creates a rift in the fabric of reality. This rift awaits your return.

“When you are sent home, your passage closes the rift. Traveling through this rift in both directions returns you to your home world nearly the time and place that you left. There may be times when this is not true, and some of our summoned beings will experience extreme time differentials, but that is a rare occurrence and often only when…Oh, our time is up. Please step through the portal,” Minerva said, her last point, one that I was very interested in, was cut off as a blue portal opened on the far wall.

You are Summoned!

Instead of a voice this time, the words You are Summoned appeared in front of my vision. Knowing the routine well enough by now, I stepped through the portal without hesitation. Something horrible probably awaited me on the other side, but I was confident that I would eventually return in one piece.

Your summoning parameters are as follows:

You are being summoned by a tier 0 magical item, that is currently under the control of Urghat the Vile.

Summoning tier, 0.

Rewards level, minuscule.

This summons is combat related, Prepare accordingly.

Forced compliance is active.

No compatible gear has been found in your armory. A facsimile of your current attire will suffice for a tier 0 summoning.

All that information hit me, and I somehow absorbed it in the fraction of a second that stepped through the portal. This wasn’t like the other times when I was summoned. Normally, I would step through from the portal a mage opened. This time my being was turned into mana vapor that was hissing its way out of a crack in a small stone statue. As more of me escaped the statue, my body began to take form and I could look around.

“Oh no, not another orc,” I thought to myself as one of the savage creatures looked down on me.