Astral Point: Summoners Dimensional War

That morning, I woke up to the soft hum of the mechanical systems beneath the floor of my room. The flying castle was never truly silent, but the sound always felt comforting to me. I adjusted my cloak and headed straight to the Main Headquarters. Upon arrival, I saw Luna standing in front of the large map displayed on the control table.

"Good morning, Luna. Are you ready?" I asked as I approached her. She turned to me with a faint smile, the usual serious expression never fully leaving her face.

"Good morning. I've prepared everything," she replied, her hands moving swiftly over the control panel. "We'll depart now."

I nodded, relieved that no lengthy discussions were needed. "Alright. Set the castle on course for our next destination. It's time to pursue our main quest."

Luna pressed several buttons on the panel and turned a large lever, activating the flying castle's travel function. A slight vibration resonated underfoot as the castle began moving slowly, leaving the lands of Esverita behind. The large window in the room displayed a panoramic view of the icy mountains, gradually fading into the distance.

"This journey will take about six days if everything goes smoothly," Luna said, her eyes fixed on the digital map now displaying our route.

"Six days," I muttered, folding my arms. "That's a long time, but at least we can use it to prepare." I examined the route she indicated on the map. A bright line marked the direction we needed to take. "And this is the best route?"

"Yes, it's the safest path based on the latest information. However, we still need to stay alert. Things can change quickly in the skies," she replied firmly.

I gave her a faint smile, admiring her dedication. "Luna, this castle has an autopilot mode. You know that, right? You could rest while I take over."

She gave me a cold but not entirely emotionless look. "I know, but I prefer to monitor things directly. We can't rely solely on automated systems. Danger can come at any time, from anywhere. I won't take that risk."

I couldn't argue with her logic, though I felt she was too hard on herself. "Alright. But make sure you rest in between shifts. I don't want you exhausted when we really need you."

"I'll be fine," she said, focusing back on the map. She marked certain points along the travel route. "Look here. These areas are potential hotspots for aerial attacks. If anything happens, we'll need to adjust our course immediately."

I nodded, memorizing the locations. "Understood. I'll keep an eye on the defense systems if needed."

Luna glanced at me briefly before returning to her work. Standing beside her, I found her seriousness reassuring. On a long journey like this, we could only rely on each other. The flying castle glided smoothly through Esverita's clear skies, heading toward our mysterious destination in the distance. Six days wasn't a short time, but I was confident we could get through it together.

"Navigator," Luna called, breaking my train of thought. "Make sure you're prepared too. This journey could be tougher than we anticipate."

I looked at the journey map spread out on the control table. The bright line marking the castle's route stretched onward, and I knew I had to entrust this task to Luna. She was more skilled in these matters.

"Luna, you take care of this," I said, pointing to the map. "I trust you to keep us on track."

She nodded without hesitation, taking full control of the map and studying it intently. I walked over to a seat near the control system, trying to think of other things. Suddenly, something came to mind.

"Ah, I have 2,000 moondrops," I muttered, opening my system screen. "That's enough for ten gachas. Maybe it's a good time to test my luck."

Luna turned, slightly intrigued. "You're going to summon now?"

I nodded. "But before that, I want your opinion. Do you think our combat team is still lacking?"

She thought for a moment before answering seriously, "If we encounter a high-level dungeon like before, I have to be honest—our team's skills and levels are still too low. Moreover, you have too many support units and not a single pure damage dealer. With that composition, it'll be tough to clear high-level dungeons."

I sighed deeply. "Yeah, you're right. I've been lacking a pure damage-dealing unit. It's a problem I've been aware of but kept putting off."

"Then do it now," Luna said, her tone slightly urging. "Try your luck. We need more strength."

Feeling a mix of excitement and nerves, I opened the gacha screen. The large summon button glowed before me. Taking a deep breath, I pressed it. The screen displayed a dazzling animation, colorful lights swirling before revealing the results one by one.

Common Sword (R). I let out a soft sigh. Not bad, but not what I hoped for.

Elemental Wand (R). My anxiety grew. Still no character units.

Spirit Grimoire (R). "Come on, give me something better," I muttered softly.

Ironspike Spear (R). I bit my lip, frustration mounting.

Finally, a slightly brighter light appeared.

Lantern of Forgotten Souls (SR). Decent, but still not a character.

I stared at the gacha results on the screen, unable to hide my disappointment. "Is this it?" I mumbled in disbelief. "Not a single character unit?"

A stifled laugh echoed behind me. I turned to see Luna standing with her hand over her mouth, clearly trying to suppress her laughter, though her eyes sparkled with amusement.

"What's so funny?" I asked, annoyed.

"Sorry, but your face right now is too amusing," she replied, struggling to stay serious. "I know you were expecting more, but… this is part of the gacha experience, isn't it?"

I sighed heavily, trying to ignore Luna's barely contained laughter. Her face was slightly flushed, and every time I looked at her, she turned away, biting her lip to keep from laughing out loud.

"You know, Luna, if you keep laughing at me, I'll try summoning again," I said half-jokingly.

At that, Luna immediately stopped laughing. "Wait, what? No! Don't be reckless," she said quickly, stepping closer. "Moondrops are hard to come by. We need to be strategic about when we use them. Don't waste them like that!"

I rolled my eyes. "You're too serious. Besides, I feel like this time, I'll get something good. My intuition is rarely wrong."

"Intuition? That's just an excuse," she said, panicked, trying to grab my hand as I prepared to press the summon button. But I was faster.

"Just watch," I said, pressing the button. The gacha animation started again.

"Navigator!" Luna nearly shouted. But it was too late. The screen began to glow with colors different from usual. Rainbow hues spun rapidly, forming a pattern I had never seen before.

"Wait, what's this?" I asked, stunned.

Luna stared at the screen, her eyes wide. "That… that's an SSR animation!" she exclaimed, almost in disbelief.

The rainbow light grew brighter until it finally took shape, revealing a figure slowly emerging at its center. I was just about to admire the result of my gacha when suddenly, several large needles shot out of the light, heading straight toward me.

"What the—?!" I shouted, reflexively stepping back.

Before the needles could reach me, a system screen appeared with a large message: [Warning: Friendly Fire Not Allowed]. The needles shattered upon contact with the screen, their fragments disintegrating like dust.

Luna, who was nearby, gasped in shock and stumbled backward, falling to the ground. "Is that… blood?" she murmured, her face pale.

I stared at the needles that had nearly struck me. "It seems so. But why is blood attacking?"

Before I could process what had just happened, a girl's voice rang out from within the fading light. Her tone was cold and menacing. "I'm not in a good mood. I'll kill anyone who gets near me."

The light faded completely, revealing a young girl. Her long, jet-black hair gleamed, her eyes burned red like fire, and several large needles, seemingly made of blood, floated ominously around her.

I looked at her, confused. "Hey, is this part of the gacha? Why does she look so angry?"

The girl glared at me sharply before raising her hand. The blood needles shot toward me again but were once more blocked by the protective system screen. The same message flashed: [Warning: Friendly Fire Not Allowed].

She growled in frustration. "Why can't I kill you?" she hissed, her tone growing sharper.

I raised my hands, trying to calm her down. "Wait, wait! I don't know what's going on here, but maybe we can talk this out?"

Her piercing gaze felt as though it could freeze my blood. Luna, still seated on the floor, whispered nervously, "Navigator, I think you just summoned something way out of our league."

I swallowed hard, unsure whether to feel proud or regretful. "Seriously, is she a cegil?"

***