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Upon learning from Lancelot that Summoned Units were created from the Records of Ancient Warriors, my brother looked utterly surprised.
"Living Records?! I see..." My brother nodded, rubbing his chin. "That's fascinating. So you could be considered Spirits?"
"Not entirely," Lancelot said, shaking his head. "We do not possess the full powers of Spirits, such as becoming intangible. Now that we have been summoned, we can die like any other person. However, we are utterly devoted to the Territory our Master protects. We were created for that sole purpose."
"That's... well, thank you," my brother said with a nod.
"You're welcome," Lancelot replied. "Now, Master, please give us your orders. Is there something to guard? An enemy to defeat?"
"You're eager, Lancelot, but not just yet, my friend," I said. "For now, I want to help you and your soldiers grow even stronger. I possess a Trait called 'Evolution.' If you'll allow me to use it on you and your men, you may become far more powerful... or so I hope."
"I see. Then please use it without hesitation," said Lancelot. "Does anyone want to go first?"
"Me."
"Me!"
"I'll do it."
"Me too."
The other Wolfmen were all bursting with eagerness, so I chose the most cheerful among them and touched his forehead, activating the Trait once more.
"Evolve."
The Wolfman glowed with brilliant light. Golden flames enveloped his body, followed by blood-red ethereal energy. In seconds, his body doubled in size, reaching nearly four meters tall.
His arms grew even thicker, his long fur became wilder, and he gained sharper eyes—along with a third eye on his forehead that overflowed with immense power.
[You have used your Trait: [Evolution (? Rank)] to evolve the [Wolf Beastman – Tier 2] into the [Mystic Wolfman Warrior – Tier 4]!]
[The [Mystic Wolfman Warrior – Tier 4] Unit has awakened the [Wolf Spirit Aura] and [Warrior Rage] Skills.]
"Tier 4?!"
Not only I, but the other Wolfmen and even Lancelot stared in shock, their mouths agape in disbelief as they watched their comrade transform into a towering, far stronger giant.
"Incredible!"
"Our master might be the greatest ever!"
"T-This is amazing!"
"Wow...! Just wow!"
"Master, me next!" Lancelot rushed toward me with desperate urgency. "I cannot allow my soldiers to evolve into stronger versions than myself, can I?"
"Hahaha, I see you're eager," I laughed. "That energy is a bit tiring, but sure. Let me do it for you too."
I evolved Lancelot, and a similar transformation began. He absorbed the divine flames and blood-like energy, growing enormous, nearly five meters tall, an absolute giant.
Golden armor formed around his body, and his crude spear transformed into one forged of gleaming gold, embedded with spirit jewels. A crown of gold adorned with red jewels appeared on his head, along with a red horn on his forehead.
Right beneath that horn sat his third eye. His fur had turned a deep, vibrant red like the other Wolfman's, streaked with golden highlights that gave him a truly regal appearance.
He emanated a powerful, commanding aura.
[You have used your Trait: [Evolution (? Rank)] to evolve the [Wolf Beastman – Lancelot – Tier 3 (Hero Unit)] into the [Red Fang Wolfman Paladin – Lancelot – Tier 5 (Hero Unit)]!]
[The [Red Fang Wolfman Paladin – Lancelot – Tier 5 (Hero Unit)] has awakened the [Wolf Paladin Aura], [Golden Sun Shield], [Super Wolfmen Rally], and [Golden Sunflare Spear Art] Skills.]
"UOOOOHHH! Lord Lancelot has become so strong!"
His soldiers erupted into thunderous cheers as their leader towered over them like a true colossus. The wolf smiled with pride, gazing at me with deep gratitude before kneeling and lowering his head.
"Thank you, Master! With this strength, I am more than confident I can help you!"
"Hm... What we're facing is an army of hundreds of Orcs, along with several powerful Generals," I said. "We'll need more units with us. But your strength will be greatly appreciated. I'm sure you could take on some of their strongest."
"Is what we are facing truly that dangerous?!" Lancelot asked, visibly alarmed.
"I'm afraid so. But with you here, I believe we have a chance," I replied. "Now, let's evolve the rest."
On average, an Orc Warrior in a large tribe is... Tier 5. There is a reason they are known as the toughest and strongest race of the snow mountains, and why they thrive so easily in such harsh environments.
Their Generals can reach Tier 7 to 8, and if they have a King, he could easily be Tier 9 or even... 10. Tier 10 monsters would pulverize us, but there is no way they possess such overwhelming power. From what I recalled, their army didn't look particularly strong or well-organized.
I suspected many might be slaves or conscripts whose fighting spirit had been broken. They also looked half-starved. Some had been desperately raiding farms and devouring anything they could find.
Still, it was safe to assume there were at least three Tier 7 Generals in that force of one to two hundred soldiers, most at Tier 5, with a few possibly at Tier 6.
This situation was ridiculous. It felt like facing a mid-game army. Tier 5 Lancelot was strong enough to handle most ordinary soldiers on his own, but numbers would eventually overwhelm him. His soldiers, now at Tier 4, were formidable as well; together, they could take on Orcs. The real advantage would come from strategy and, above all, their new Skills.
After evolving them all and taking a short break, I analyzed their abilities through sparring matches in the barracks.
[Wolf Spirit Aura] temporarily boosted their stats by up to 20%, while [Warrior Rage] increased their physical attack damage by 150% for a few seconds with every strike.
Lancelot, however, was on another level entirely. Though I could still fight him evenly, I sensed he held even greater power in reserve, and I pushed him to unleash everything at once.
Even so, I defeated him. With Atlas and my equipment, I was already in a completely different league. I believed I could now face an Orc General on equal terms—if I didn't grow even stronger first.
His Skills were impressive.
[Wolf Paladin Aura] increased his stats by 50% for one minute.
[Golden Sun Shield] let him summon a giant barrier of golden solar flames to protect a wide area while damaging anyone who struck it.
[Super Wolfmen Rally] was especially valuable: a loud howl granted all allied Wolf Beastmen within 100 meters a 30% boost to their stats.
And [Golden Sunflare Spear Art] was exactly as it sounded—a perfected fighting style for his golden spear, featuring rapid thrusts, explosive flame attacks, and more.
He was strong. A truly powerful ally and a reliable guardian.
"If the foes we face prove too strong, Master, let us train!" he declared. "We must keep strengthening these muscles! Let us also hunt monsters. Our levels will rise, and once we hit the right thresholds, we can Rank Up again."
"I know, Lancelot, but we don't have time," I sighed. "They're coming in two months."
"Only two months...!" he gasped. "That is indeed not enough... but we must do everything we can. Why not summon more units? If we can gather an army of one or two hundred and call forth one or two more Hero Units, our chances of victory will increase dramatically!"
"I know," I nodded. "But Soul Points are hard to come by. We'll head to a dungeon with my family soon. Once we return, I promise I'll bring enough to summon you a proper army."
"Hm!" He nodded firmly. "I'll be looking forward to it, Master."
"Alright. Let's quickly introduce you to the village, the elders, and my grandfather so they don't panic."
We stepped out of the Summoning Sanctuary and immediately drew every eye in the village. Panic spread as people saw the giant Wolfmen walking behind me. Some fled, while others stared in shock and rushed over with questions. We answered them as best we could while making our way to the elders' tent.
Once inside, we explained everything about the Summoning Sanctuary. Though some had been skeptical before about summoning allies, seeing the truth left them quietly accepting.
"This is truly shocking," my grandfather said. "But we are desperate right now! And if you are Brunhild's familiars, then you are welcome here. Lancelot, let's train together."
"Thank you, Village Chief," Lancelot replied, nodding with noble grace. "I shall put my life on the line to protect this village—and so will my soldiers."
"Good, good," my great-grandmother said with a giggle. "You truly are our wonder child, aren't you? When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow," I answered. "Ah, right—before that, could you help me with this, Great-grandma?"
I showed her the Ink I had received from the gods. She and the other elders were left utterly speechless.
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