Isaac and Vale reached Fortified City 50 just as the sun was reaching the peak.
The air was cool, and the streets near the center were already busy with workers setting up new construction sites.
The plaza they stopped at was wide and open, a space surrounded by tall buildings belonging to the top three universities in the city.
It was clear this place was important, considering how many guards and officials were stationed nearby.
"This is the spot?" Isaac asked, glancing around.
Vale nodded. "Yes. The universities used to manage it together. Now it’s yours to build the Summoning Altar."
Isaac looked at the open space again.
The layout made sense.
The three universities were known for their research on magic, civilization, and combat.
Having the altar near them was smart.
The summons that came from these altars weren’t always predictable.
Some were intelligent. Some were wild. Others were barely sentient at all.
There were cases of young men and woman being summoned, and other times, monsters older than kingdoms appeared.
Depending on their intelligence, those who could learn were usually sent to one of the three universities for a crash course on human language, culture, and how their city worked.
Combat lessons weren’t needed.
Summons already understood their own powers and fighting methods.
There was also the matter of security.
Not every summon came out peaceful.
Some were violent or carried dark instincts.
The three universities nearby acted as safety nets, ready to send powerful awakeners to suppress anything dangerous that came through.
Isaac stood with Vale and Ruby at the center of the plaza.
The materials had already been unloaded. Fifty workers waited for orders, standing in neat lines.
A familiar prompt appeared before Isaac.
[Would you like to build the Summoning Altar? Please select the materials and people.]
A grid appeared on the screen. Isaac selected the workers and the pile of shimmering resources beside them.
[Confirmation received.]
[Estimated time until completion: 2 hours.]
"Two hours, huh? That’s faster than I expected," Isaac said quietly, crossing his arms.
He watched as the ground began to glow faintly, patterns of light forming beneath their feet.
"Is there a pattern for what kind of summons we’ll get?" he asked.
Vale rubbed his chin. "It depends on several things. The Lord’s race, Affinity, and Talent all matter. Your citizens’ traits also influence the outcome. You might summon beings similar to your people, or something that complements them."
"So, no chance I summon a fish-man or something that needs water?" Isaac joked.
Vale shook his head. "No. The system won’t allow that. It tailors summons to your city’s environment."
Isaac nodded and glanced at the glowing construction.
The topic of summons was fascinating, even after all his research.
No one really knew where the summons came from.
Some claimed they were spirits of the dead, reborn through the system.
Others believed they were people from distant worlds, their memories wiped after accepting some mysterious system quest.
There was also the theory that the system simply created them, and they were souls formed from energy and given life.
Professor Catherine and Leora had both told him that even the strongest Lords didn’t know the truth.
The summons’ origin remained a mystery.
Isaac made a few quick trips between his farm and the plaza while the altar was being built.
Teleportation still felt new to him, like stepping through a curtain of air that rippled around his body.
But he enjoyed it. It was fast, efficient, and oddly relaxing.
Two hours later, the altar was complete.
[Summoning Altar Level 1 has been constructed successfully.]
[Lord EXP +10]
More notifications followed one after another.
[Summoning Altar has been built. You have received 10 free Summoning Tickets.]
[Summoning Altar Level 1: Allows summon of up to Low-rank species, Champion rank, and SSS-rank Talent. Ten free daily summonses can be done. Each additional summon costs 1 Gold Coin.]
[Upgrade Materials Required: Administrative Core (x5), Blessed Marble (x100), Spirit Steel (x5000), Mana Thread (x50).]
[Upgrade Conditions: City Hall Level 2, Lord Level 5.]
The building stood tall and elegant, carved from pale stone that shimmered faintly under sunlight.
Blue runes ran along its base and sides, forming a faint glow that pulsed like a heartbeat.
Two large doors marked the entrance, each engraved with symbols of the system glyphs.
Isaac walked toward it and smiled slightly. "Looks better than I expected."
Ruby nodded, crossing her arms. "It looks... expensive."
"Why are you surprised?" Isaac asked, looking at her.
"It’s my first time seeing this," Ruby said, shrugging.
Isaac nodded, and opened the system panel.
"Let’s use all ten tickets."
[Consumed Summoning Tickets x10.]
[Commencing Summoning.]
The doors of the altar began to glow.
Light gathered at the center, swirling into a storm of color that pulsed like liquid energy.
The air trembled, and faint echoes filled the plaza, like whispers in a foreign language.
Then, one by one, figures stepped out.
When the light faded, ten beings stood before Isaac.
The first was a tall man with faintly blue skin and sharp eyes, dressed in simple armor.
The second was a woman with long black hair and faint smoke rising from her shoulders.
Another had the head of a wolf but a human body.
Two of them were transparent.
They had ghost-like figures that shimmered in and out of focus.
One crouched low to the ground, covered in scales that glinted faintly green.
Another was clearly from a hell species, with small horns and red eyes that flickered like embers.
And then, at the end of the line, a skeleton in a tattered robe stepped forward.
Its bones were pure white, and the air around it seemed to move on its own, like invisible wind.
A system screen appeared before Isaac.
[Summon Status Screen]
Name: Orin
Species: Wind Skeleton Mage
Species Rank: Low Rank
Talent: Wind’s Sovereign (SSS)
Awakener Rank: Champion
Classes: Wind Mage, Elemental Manipulator, Rune Scholar, Season Caller
Loyalty: 62
...
Name: Lira
Species: Infernal Human (Half)
Species Rank: Low Rank
Talent: Flame Vein (A)
Awakener Rank: Master
Classes: Fire Caster, Elemental Combatant, Brawler
Loyalty: 59
...
Name: Talvor
Species: Ghost Warden
Species Rank: Low Rank
Talent: Soul Binding (S)
Awakener Rank: Champion
Classes: Spirit Guardian, Barrier Maker, Ferryman of Souls, Cursemancer
Loyalty: 61
...
Name: Rem
Species: Wolfkin Warrior
Species Rank: Low Rank
Talent: Beast Instinct (B)
Awakener Rank: Master
Classes: Fighter, Tracker, Guard
Loyalty: 57
...
Name: Kero
Species: Blue-Skinned Human
Species Rank: Low Rank
Talent: Aqua Surge (B)
Awakener Rank: Elite
Classes: Elemental Adept, Scout
Loyalty: 60
...
Name: Sella
Species: Smoke Spirit
Species Rank: Low Rank
Talent: Veil of Shadows (C)
Awakener Rank: Elite
Classes: Assassin, Infiltrator
Loyalty: 54
...
Name: Marn
Species: Lesser Hellspawn
Species Rank: Low Rank
Talent: Burning Claws (B)
Awakener Rank: Elite
Classes: Brawler, Flame Dancer
Loyalty: 58
...
Name: Doro
Species: Spirit Shade
Species Rank: Low Rank
Talent: Silent Whisper (C)
Awakener Rank: Elite
Classes: Scout, Shadow Lurker
Loyalty: 53
...
Name: Vynn
Species: Scaleborn
Species Rank: Low Rank
Talent: Poison Scale (B)
Awakener Rank: Elite
Classes: Venom Fighter, Hunter
Loyalty: 56
...
Name: Arra
Species: Human (Undead Type)
Species Rank: Low Rank
Talent: Builder (A)
Awakener Rank: Elite
Classes: Mathematician, Architect
Loyalty: 60
...
Isaac blinked as the information appeared.
"That’s... a lot to take in."
A few C and B ranks, two A ranks, one S, and even an SSS.
Most were Elite rank, but a few were Master, and two were even Champion rank.
The best thing was one of the champion rank having an SSS rank Talent
Ruby glanced at the skeleton. "The Wind Skeleton looks... odd. He’s powerful?"
"SSS Talent. Wind’s Sovereign," Isaac grinned.
Vale nodded. "That’s a powerful summon. If trained properly, he could become the core of our forces."
The summons stood silently, waiting for Isaac’s command.
Their loyalty levels weren’t bad.
Most hovered between fifty and sixty, which was normal for new arrivals, and depending on their treatment their loyalty could increase or decrease.
Isaac observed the summons.
Each one seemed to understand where they were.
Their calmness showed they had enough intelligence to realize they’d been summoned.
After a few moments, their gazes landed on Isaac.
One by one, they greeted him using gestures from their own species. Bows, hand signs, or other forms of respect.
Isaac stepped forward with a smile.
"Welcome. I’m Isaac Hargraves, the Lord you’ll be serving from now on."
He looked at them, then continued, "You all probably know that a Quest is starting in two days, so I won’t waste time on ceremony. My assistant, Vale, will guide you to your lodgings."
He paused to make sure everyone was listening.
"Those of you with support talents or life-talents will go to the universities nearby. You’ll learn about our culture, how humans work, and how this city functions. After that, you’ll be assigned to your jobs, and you’ll be paid fairly."
He looked at the rest of the group. "Those with combat talents will head to the tutorial dungeon and start farming.
"Your integration into human society and cultural lessons will happen later, once we have more free time.
"Don’t worry, no one here will force you to change who you are. We just want to make sure we can work together without misunderstandings."
The summons bowed again, their gestures filled with respect.
A few of them even smiled faintly.
"Thank you, Lord Isaac," they said in union.
Soon after, representatives from the three universities arrived.
They wore simple robes marked with each school’s symbol.
They greeted Isaac politely before leading away the non-combat summons, which admittingly was only one.
But he was a rare A rank Builder with Architect class.
The progress of infrastructure had been slow in Fortified City 89, but with his arrival, that would change.
Isaac, along with Vale, guided the combat-class summons to the tutorial dungeon.
Near the dungeon, Isaac pointed at the wide fields and camps.
"This will be your area for now. Focus on getting stronger and learning the dungeon monsters’ patterns. I’ll check in later."
After giving final instructions, he teleported back to the city.
He couldn’t help feeling pleased.
An SSS-rank summon right from the start was something many Lords could only dream of.
He wanted to summon more immediately, but first, he had to share his gold coins with Emily.
When he arrived back in the city, he noticed the massive change.
The city wall was finally complete.
[City Wall Level 1 has been constructed successfully.]
[Lord EXP +10]
The structure looked sturdy and modern.
It was sleek, built from smooth, metallic material infused with faint glowing lines that pulsed softly with mana.
The wall was thick—thicker than anything Isaac had seen—and tall enough to block most views of the outside.
At regular intervals, large gates stood open, guarded by stationed posts.
Though there weren’t any mounted weapons yet, he knew those would come with higher wall levels.
For now, even without them, the wall looked strong enough to handle a siege.
Two hours later, another notification appeared.
[Sky Dome Level 1 has been constructed successfully.]
[Lord EXP +10]
Isaac looked up.
The moment it activated, the entire city changed.
The air became fresh, cleaner than anything he’d breathed before.
The mana around him thickened instantly, and he could almost feel it brushing against his skin.
It was like standing inside a living world of energy.
He opened the dome’s settings.
One option caught his attention: Illusion Function.
He could display night skies, sunrises, or even create artificial weather.
"That’s useful. When it rains in two days people would panic. This will solve that problem."
Not long after, he received an invitation from the leaders of the three universities and the heads of several important companies in the city.
The meeting took place in a large hall near the center sector.
The atmosphere was light.
Everyone was smiling, shaking hands, and offering praise.
"Lord Isaac, you’ve truly outdone yourself," said the Chancellor of the Pioneer University.
"The walls and dome alone will increase the city’s survival rate by several folds," another added.
Isaac thanked them politely, keeping his tone calm.
Praise was nice, but he knew most of it came from interest.
These organizations wanted good relations with the Lord who controlled the land.
After the meeting ended, Isaac finally returned home.
Vale was about to leave but stopped for a moment.
He looked back and gave Isaac a firm glare. It was a silent message of obvious meaning.
Isaac only smiled before walking inside.
The moment he stepped into the living room, Emily came running toward him with a bright grin.
"Isaac! You’re back!" she said. "I finished my quest!"
Isaac’s expression softened.
He hugged her and rubbed her head. "Good job, Emily. I’m proud of you."
She beamed at the praise.
Before Isaac could stand, a soft warmth touched his back.
Alice had quietly come out from the living room and wrapped her arms around him from behind.
She didn’t say anything, only rested her head against him and breathed in his scent quietly as if recharging herself.
Isaac smiled faintly.
He raised one hand and placed it on her head.
"I missed you too."
They stayed like that for a moment before Emily stepped back and Alice let go.
Alice went back to the kitchen and started cooking without a word. The smell of food slowly filled the room.
Isaac walked closer. "Do you need help?"
Alice turned her head slightly. "You must be tired. Just rest. I’ll handle this."
Isaac’s lips twitched.
She ignored his reaction, but the corner of her mouth curved ever so slightly.
Isaac sat in the living room while Emily sat beside him, listening as he talked about everything that had happened: the coming danger, Summoning Altar, the summons, and how the Sky Dome changed the entire city.
Emily listened wide-eyed the whole time, asking small questions in between.
An hour passed before the door opened again. Leora, Celia, and Professor Catherine entered the house.
Celia’s usual cheerful smile was missing.
Her face was serious.
Leora, and Professor Catherine had more controlled expressions. Though Professor Catherine looked like she wanted to leave as soon as she set eyes on Isaac.
Professor Catherine sighed as she removed her coat and sat on the couch. "We have good news and bad news."
Isaac leaned forward. "Let’s start with the good news."
"We found the cause of the potential destruction of our city."
Isaac’s eyebrows lifted.
"And the bad news?"
"It’s something that will be very hard to stop."