Chapter 3: Recall

Eclipse felt his darkened vision begin to brighten.

He raised his head and looked ahead.

A room covered in intricate rituals and people in bizarre attire surrounding him.

And a woman with golden hair and eyes, radiating the aura of a powerful figure, staring at him with a mix of confusion.

Faced with this sudden situation, Eclipse could only confront a wave of immense chaos.

‘What in the world happened? Wasn’t I on the verge of death before Fear? And wasn’t humanity entirely extinct?’

“…A person?”

Fortunately, he could understand the language.

‘Wait. How can I understand their words?’

He realized that knowledge had been forcibly injected into his mind.

Language, an understanding of this world.

Such things surfaced in his mind and gradually settled.

As if someone were kindly explaining various things to a stranger in a new world.

Society, culture, even their history.

‘What is this…’

A sudden influx of information brought on a headache.

“Ugh…”

Groaning in pain, Eclipse caught Yusoha’s attention, and she realized he was indeed her Guardian Spirit.

All Guardian Spirits summoned to Earth had been infused with general knowledge of this world upon arrival.

So they waited in silence, until Eclipse fully absorbed the knowledge of this world.

But inwardly, they couldn’t hide their disappointment.

Just a human?

Yusoha recalled her grandfather’s Guardian Spirit and those of the people around her.

The colossal iron tiger, Iron Lumern, whose overwhelming power had built Phantom’s legacy.

And her sister Yudanha’s Guardian Spirit, the majestic giant with a shield, Hidelsher.

Compared to them, wasn’t this too shabby?

No, it’s too early to judge.

Yusoha shook her head.

Her Guardian Spirit hadn’t shown any abilities yet.

With that thought, she looked at Eclipse and channeled her mana.

She needed to at least gauge the level of mana he possessed.

But… as Yusoha checked Eclipse’s mana, she couldn’t help but feel flustered.

‘There’s… no mana? How can a Guardian Spirit have no mana at all?’

In her confusion, she checked again, but the result was the same.

Yusoha felt a hollow disappointment grip her.

The Guardian Spirit she had so desperately longed for was just an ordinary human.

It felt like her own worth had been tarnished.

“Where am I…”

At that moment, Eclipse spoke.

Thanks to the knowledge infused by the world, he understood where he was and what new languages he had acquired.

Fluent Korean flowed naturally from his mouth.

“Another world?”

Yusoha’s expression soured.

The joy that had filled her face began to give way to irritation.

Her soaring expectations plummeted into disappointment.

She glared at Eclipse, his body clad in worn armor.

“Yeah.”

Her words came out curtly, almost involuntarily.

But Eclipse didn’t mind.

Whether someone spoke informally to him or not, he believed understanding the situation was his priority.

“Did you summon me here?”

“Yes. You were summoned by me.”

“I see.”

Yusoha, as if unwilling to continue the conversation, spoke to Eclipse with a scowl.

“I don’t know how a useless being like you became my Guardian Spirit. What could you possibly have wished for to appear before me?”

“Useless? And wished for?”

“Oh, wasn’t that included in the world’s knowledge? Guardian Spirits only appear before a summoner if they have a wish. So, you were summoned to me because you wished for something.”

Yusoha spat out the words, dripping with irritation.

He was, after all, undeniably her Guardian Spirit.

No matter how great her disappointment, she felt obliged to explain the situation.

Eclipse looked at her, dumbfounded.

It had been a long time since someone called him useless.

Moreover, according to Yusoha, he had become her Guardian Spirit because of some wish he held… but he couldn’t comprehend it.

“There’s no mana to be felt. And you’re just a human. Compared to other great Guardian Spirits, you’re utterly pathetic. Hah, to think I poured so much effort into summoning a Guardian Spirit for this.”

A hollow laugh struck Eclipse’s ears.

Though he didn’t know the full situation, he could tell Yusoha didn’t like him.

“So, you’re disappointed because I’m not strong enough?”

“Yes. I can’t even think of where to use a useless being like you. No, maybe as a novelty? A human from another world might have some value. Yeah, that’s it.”

A twisted smile began to form on Yusoha’s face.

“You’ll be a display piece from now on. I don’t know what kind of person is inside that armor, but a human from another world must have some differences from us. Being from another world is enough to stir up attention.”

She planned to package Eclipse as a guest from another world and present him to the media.

It would cause a storm of interest.

No human from another world had ever been summoned before.

That alone would silence those who looked down on her.

Those who belittled her did so because she lacked a Guardian Spirit.

Even if someone tried to undermine her based on her Guardian Spirit’s abilities, it wouldn’t matter.

She could keep his abilities confidential, claiming they were critical to the guild’s strength.

From there, she could rely on her own abilities to navigate forward.

She had survived well enough without a Guardian Spirit, and her skills were already recognized.

Rather than relying on a mediocre Guardian Spirit, she preferred to hone her own strength.

With that thought, Yusoha didn’t hesitate to continue belittling Eclipse.

Her relentless verbal attacks caused Eclipse’s expression, hidden beneath his worn helmet, to twist.

It was like facing the powerful figures from his old world.

Judging people arbitrarily, treating them as they pleased.

The arrogance typical of those in power emanated strongly from her.

“Foolish.”

“Foolish?”

“Yes.”

“What’s foolish?”

“It’s laughable that someone who lives off the power of mana dares to belittle me.”

Yusoha scoffed at Eclipse’s words.

Human strength had clear limits.

Even humanity’s greatest legacy, firearms, were ineffective against higher magical beasts.

Bullets infused with mana could deal damage, but those capable of imbuing bullets with mana were rare.

To fight with just a human body? Ridiculous.

Even constant training couldn’t overcome the limits of the human body without mana.

Yusoha had lived believing this.

A kind of mana supremacy.

In a society where mana determined everything, it was common sense.

“Eurgh. Parasites, huh? You’re right. Everyone on Earth is a parasite of mana. But you know what? You’re worse than a parasite. You don’t even have any mana.”

Eclipse understood her attitude.

The knowledge infused into him had already made it clear that mana was the measure of power in this world.

But that didn’t justify her behavior.

He recalled the vow he made just before dying to Fear.

He would no longer blindly pursue nobility.

Sometimes, he would need to display his strength.

The version of himself who acted solely for others was gone.

And now, he had been given a new life.

So, he resolved to follow through with his will.

‘I need to teach her a lesson. Letting someone like her push me around will lead to endless trouble.’

With that thought, Eclipse stood up.

The clanking of his armor echoed around him.

“What? Planning to attack me because you’re upset? Without any mana?”

Yusoha laughed as she saw him rise.

Good. At least he wasn’t spineless.

She genuinely thought so.

If he had been groveling, she wouldn’t have considered him worthy of being her Guardian Spirit.

But while she appreciated that trait, his attitude toward her, his summoner, was unacceptable.

She had no intention of tolerating a situation that displeased her.

“What are you all standing around for? Isn’t it your job to handle unexpected situations?”

At Yusoha’s command, the guards stationed in the ritual-filled room swarmed toward Eclipse.

These guards had passed Yusoha’s stringent standards.

Meeting her demanding criteria meant they were highly capable.

Eclipse’s minor rebellion would surely be quelled in an instant.

The guards drew their weapons—some firearms, others mana-infused blades.

Several Awakeners began channeling their mana.

And just as they were about to subdue Eclipse with force.

He took a step forward.

Boom.

The specially designed, sturdy room, built to withstand a rampaging Guardian Spirit, shook violently.

The guards approaching Eclipse stumbled, caught off guard by the unexpected tremor.

“Huh?”

In that moment, Eclipse, clad in worn armor, threw a punch.

Bang!

An invisible strike sent two or three Awakeners flying in an instant.

Of course, he held back to avoid killing them.

This was merely a lesson.

“What the…!”

Shock erupted from the mouths of the Awakeners and Yusoha.

Unfazed, Eclipse lunged at the other Awakeners before they could react.

In a flash, his fists knocked out the entire guard force.

Without even drawing the broken greatsword on his back, he fixed his piercing gaze on Yusoha.

A look of astonishment flashed across her arrogant face.

She couldn’t believe what she had just seen.

Who were these guards?

They were among the top mid-tier Awakeners in Phantom, having passed her rigorous standards.

Yet they were utterly crushed without a chance to resist.

That meant she stood no chance against him either.

But as his summoner, she couldn’t allow herself to fear her own Guardian Spirit.

Yusoha cloaked herself in her mana.

Metallic weapons began forming around her.

But Eclipse waited until she finished summoning them.

A glint flickered in his eyes.

Yusoha unleashed her mana-forged weapons at him.

The solid, mana-infused weapons shot toward him.

But with a single punch, Eclipse shattered them all.

“Ugh.”

Blood trickled from Yusoha’s lips, likely from overexerting her mana.

“Is that all?”

Eclipse approached her.

Yusoha tried to back away, but it was futile.

He grabbed her by the throat.

“Urk…!”

A groan escaped her constricted throat.

He pondered what to do with this insolent girl.

‘Perhaps it’s best to just kill her.’

In his experience, people like her caused trouble if left unchecked.

Her age didn’t matter.

Those with such vile natures judged and devalued others arbitrarily.

And such people were the ones he despised most.

So, wouldn’t it be better to deal with her now?

Just as he tightened his grip on her throat.

“Kh… haha…”

Yusoha laughed.

She couldn’t believe what she had seen.

Guardian Spirits typically lost much of their power upon being summoned to Earth, bound by the world’s laws.

Yet he possessed such strength.

Moreover, if it stemmed purely from physical power, he might not be an ordinary human.

In that brief moment, Yusoha acknowledged her mistake.

She was arrogant, but not so foolish as to deny clear evidence.

He was not useless.

He was strong enough to crush her in an instant.

And the fact that such a formidable being was her Guardian Spirit filled her with elation.

That was why she laughed.

And if such a being desired her death, she would gladly accept it.

“…Why are you laughing?”

But Yusoha didn’t explain why.

How could she admit that summoning such a being had relieved her inferiority complex?

How could she confess her life riddled with insecurity?

She had no desire for cheap pity.

She lived and died by her pride, and being pitied was an insult, a humiliation.

So, she laughed and said to Eclipse.

“If… you want to… kill me… do it. You… have the right.”

Eclipse stared into her eyes, her face turning blue from lack of air, yet still defiantly speaking.

And he saw it.

No trace of cowardice, no fear.

She was ready to accept her death.

Even at that moment, her characteristic arrogance didn’t waver.

Despite her life hanging by a thread.

Her attitude was unlike that of typical power-hungry figures who shed their arrogance and groveled before death.

It was innate arrogance.

Eclipse found her intriguing.

In that moment, he recalled what she had said earlier.

That Guardian Spirits are summoned because of a wish.

He remembered what he had wished for when facing Fear.

To no longer live blindly by nobility.

To live with arrogance at times.

That was his vow.

“Ah.”

Eclipse realized.

It wasn’t the arrogance that crumbled under submission he sought.

He wanted to learn what true arrogance was, the kind that held firm in any situation.

He wanted to learn it from someone who lived such a life.

And now, the perfect example stood before him.

He released his grip on Yusoha’s throat and let her fall.

“Cough, cough!”

Gasping for air, she took deep breaths to compensate.

Her eyes were filled with questions.

“…Why did you spare me?”

“You were right.”

“Right about what…?”

“I had a wish.”

“Ah.”

The moment he mentioned his wish, Yusoha recalled her own words and spoke.

“What did you wish for?”

“Your innate arrogance. Teach me what that arrogance is.”

“Arrogance…? Why?”

“You don’t need to know why. Just teach me that arrogance, and I will use my strength for you.”

Looking down at Yusoha, who stared at him with a puzzled expression, Eclipse smiled.

Of course, hidden beneath his worn helmet, she couldn’t see his face.

In this absurd situation, all Yusoha could do was nod.