"It's time! Let's move!"
One of the men beside Igaris urged, knowing that any delay would allow more Death Knights to swarm upon them from elsewhere.
"Right."
Seizing their chance, Igaris and the others quickly set to work, hauling the sacrificial offerings away under the cover of daylight.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The sounds of battle rang all around as Igaris struggled to move the heavy pig-like carcasses. His gaze drifted repeatedly toward the battlefield, where steel clashed and flames roared, filling him with a burning desire to join in.
He wasn't content with playing a minor role in the group. He was meant for something greater, something far more important.
Yet, he couldn't afford to be reckless and reveal his secrets too soon.
After fifteen grueling minutes, Igaris and others finally finished moving all the resources to a safer location, ensuring they could be retrieved later.
Now, at last, he had some opportunity.
The moment had come to test his Acquisition Ability and uncover the mystery behind it.
With that thought, he quietly slipped away to another section while battling a weaker Death Knight.
He was fighting completely out of their vision.
Now was the chance.
To activate Acquisition, he needed to touch the Death Knight with his own hand.
For that, he had to get close enough.
With that in mind, he quickly thrashed the Death Knight with a wooden log until it was disarmed and forced to the ground.
Then, while it was temporarily immobilized, he extended his hand and touched the decayed armor of the Death Knight, then muttered—
"Let's see.. What's was the command word again?"
"Oh, right. I remember now."
"Acquire!"
The moment the command word escaped his lips, a strange tickling sensation spread under his palm.
Then, he noticed some kind of platinum colored energy, like living tendrils, seeping into the Death Knight.
And after just a second, a notification flashed in his vision.
[ Soulbinding Successful ]
[ Acquisition Successful ]
[ You have Acquired Death Knight (Common) as your Subject. You can choose to grant him a name or let him remain anonymous. ]
—
Igaris remained unblinking as he processed the notifications.
"Huh? It's successful already? I thought it would take more time and effort." he murmured, before proceeding to next notification.
"Hm... I can name it? Will that bring me any benefits?"
Igaris was eager to find out.
But first, he took a look at his newly acquired summon.
And to his surprise, the Death Knight's appearance had changed.
The once lifeless Death Knight now stood before Igaris, no longer an enemy but his very first summon.
Its form had changed slightly. The decayed armor that had once clung to its body like rusted scraps now seemed restored, gleaming faintly under the dim light. Its skeletal frame was still visible beneath the gaps in the plating, but there was an undeniable aura of death and obedience surrounding it now.
It just stood still in silence, resting his arm on the shiny long sword, waiting for his command.
Igaris took a step back, analyzing the transformation. The eerie, soulless eyes of the Death Knight now held a faint flicker of something new. Something mysterious. Perhaps a connection to its new master.
"This is... insane," Igaris muttered under his breath, barely containing his excitement.
He quickly checked the system notifications once again.
"A name, huh?"
Would it provide any benefits? He wasn't sure. But naming things often came with advantages in many games, like boosted stats, loyalty, or maybe even unlocking hidden potential.
His mind pondered through different possibilities.
After a moment, he decided on name.
"I'll call you... Dred."
As soon as he spoke, the Skeleton Knight was enveloped in bright platinum energy for a few seconds, as if it was going through an evolution.
He could also feel something was floating back inside his body in return.
He felt a little stronger, more energetic.
Then a few notifications popped up.
[ Name Assigned: Dred ]
[ Subordinate 'Dred' has been upgraded to Elite Knight. ]
[ You have Acquired "Undead Recovery" as a Return ]
[ Undead Recovery: Allows the user to recover injuries at an incredible rate, even from near death state ]
Igaris's grin widened. "So naming really does come with perks, huh?"
Then, suddenly more information about his first summon materialized before him.
[ Name: Dred ]
[ Species: Undead ]
[ Power Rank: Elite ]
[ Loyalty: 100% ]
[ Abilities: Undead Recovery, Intermediate Swordplay ]
[ Weakness: Sunlight ]
---
"So I can check the progress of my summons. Great. This is exactly what I was missing," Igaris muttered with satisfaction.
After naming it, he didn't miss the visible changes in Dred. The once-common Undead Knight had now evolved into an Elite Knight, just like the twelve Death Knights guarding the summoning ritual.
Dred stood taller, appearing more formidable, with a slightly reinforced skeletal frame and improved armor.
It was undoubtedly stronger than before.
In fact, Igaris doubted he could defeat it in hand-to-hand combat now.
Yet, despite its increased power, Dred remained completely still, without any sign of disobedience or resistance.
"Kneel!"
Igaris commanded calmly, wanting to test its loyalty. He needed to make sure everything was under his control.
And, as expected, Dred obeyed instantly.
It knelt on both knees, gripping its sword before it, mirroring the posture of a chivalrous knight pledging allegiance to its king.
Igaris wanted to test more commands, but just then, a voice reached his ears.
"Igor! Where are you? We are leaving immediately!"
It was Barefoot's rough, hurried voice.
Igaris immediately realized something must have gone wrong. Maybe more undead had swarmed in.
He needed to flee. But what about Dred?
Was it just going to follow him around? Wouldn't it make things more difficult about his intention of secrecy?
"Can I not make him disappear? Let's see..."
"Withdraw!" he commanded, raising his hand toward Dred.
But nothing happened.
"Disappear!"
Still no response.
"Take back!"
No effect.
"Retract!"
Not working.
Finally, on instinct, he called out—
"Dismiss!"
Whoosh!
In an instant, Dred vanished from his sight.
But where had it gone?
He had no idea.
And he didn't have the time to summon it back and experiment further because the growls of more undead were echoing all around him.
Without hesitation, Igaris turned and fled, taking full advantage of the sunlight.