Awakening: I Became a Legendary Spirit Summoner

[The Juggernaut has now been released inside the city.]

[Do not attempt to fight it.]

[Good luck.]

That was the final system message.

It appeared just moments after the required 500 awakeners had passed through the [Ascension Door], marking the completion of the fifth floor's core trial.

And with that, a final, ominous rule was added to the city-wide death game they were trapped in.

The rule didn't explain much.

It didn't give the creature's level.

It didn't describe its appearance or provide any footage.

No hints. No warnings. No way to prepare.

All it said was: the Juggernaut had been released.

"Juggernaut…" Celeste murmured under her breath, expression flat but eyes cold, "That means it's something that could probably kill half the awakeners in this city by itself."

"Mm," Karl nodded grimly.

He didn't like the way the system had phrased that message.

It hadn't said to be cautious.

It hadn't offered any kind of strategy or explanation.

It had outright told them not to fight it.

That was a rare thing—even the most brutal boss fights usually came with a window to prepare as they were of appropriate level.

This… this was different.

This was the system telling them flat-out: it's futile.

Run. Survive if you can.

Karl, someone who usually wanted to test his strength against anything and everything, found himself hesitating.

He didn't know why, but something about that announcement had stirred a very specific instinct deep inside him, one that screamed danger.

"Let's not test our luck," he said, his tone low but serious, "We grab the fragments, we finish this floor, and we leave, that's the only goal."

Celeste agreed with a nod.

Her posture already shifting as she prepared to run.

They weren't the only ones thinking this way—across the city, thousands of awakeners had gotten the same message, and nearly every single one of them was bolting in the opposite direction of wherever that thing was.

Nobody wanted to stay.

The air had changed completely.

It felt heavy, like a mist of death had descended on the city, coating the ground and sinking into their bones.

And then, barely ten minutes after that first warning…

[100 awakeners have been slain by the "Juggernaut".]

[It has powered up.]

Karl's eyes widened in disbelief.

That thing had killed one hundred people already?

In under ten minutes?

He wasn't naïve—he knew there were monsters in this tower strong enough to wipe out groups.

But in the lower floors, this was a massacre. A calculated, relentless purge.

Worse, it had a progression system of its own, like a player.

The more it killed, the stronger it got.

Monsters evolving by killing humans wasn't unheard of, but it was rare.

Usually, that kind of growth only came with time, or specific quests.

Not something that could happen on a rampage mid-trial.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Swash!

Explosions echoed through the distant alleys as Celeste launched a wave of [Mana Missiles], clearing a narrow path through a swarm of low-tier monsters.

She followed that up with a well-placed [Fireball], scorching the ground and turning the rest of the charging enemies into ash.

Karl, staying close behind, used the momentum to dash forward, collecting the [Fragments of Key] and [Spirit Orbs] left behind by the slain monsters.

He wasn't going to waste time or resources—not with that thing now hunting in the background.

His spirits were also doing their part.

The [Duskforged Golem] and [Dire Duskfang] remained close, guarding Karl and Celeste.

While his faster spirits—like the [Shadow Assassin Lizard]—moved through the outskirts of their 300-meter limit, taking down any stragglers that threatened their escape route.

"Don't let any of them get away," Karl ordered as more monsters began to flee after realizing they were outmatched, "Kill everything."

"If you can, try to grab the fragments yourselves."

He hadn't tested it before.

His assumption had always been that only he could pick up [Fragments of Key] and [Spirit Orbs], since his spirits couldn't normally interact with loot.

But that line of thinking had a flaw—just because he couldn't collect Spirit Orbs through them didn't mean the fragments worked the same way.

Slash! Slash!

The [Shadow Assassin Lizard] raced ahead, cutting down a [Decaying Hound] and a [Screeching Banshee] with brutal efficiency.

As the bodies collapsed, glowing orbs floated up—Spirit Orbs, as expected.

But then... one of the fragments also shimmered into view.

Karl focused.

"Grab it."

The lizard extended a claw, carefully touching the fragment's surface—and instantly, Karl received a notification.

[+1 Fragment.]

He grinned. It worked!

His spirits could pick them up.

That changed everything.

That meant while he and Celeste focused on not dying, his summons could be sent out to farm fragments.

So long as they didn't cross the 300-meter distance limit, they could act as collectors, hunters, and scouts all at once.

This was a huge edge. He could be everywhere at once. And so they moved.

Thirty more minutes passed in a blur of attacks, dashes, and narrow escapes.

Karl remained at the front, slicing through any monster that made it past Celeste's fire magic.

His spirits scattered in every direction, gathering fragments and cutting down targets.

The efficiency of their team was terrifying in its own right.

Ding!

[You have reached Level 25. You have gained 2 points for each attribute.]

He let out a breath. Level 25.

He hadn't realized it until the notification hit, but it gave him some sense of relief.

This was supposedly the level needed to survive the next floor—though neither of them knew for sure what was coming.

Still, it felt like something important.

Like he was finally at the threshold.

That didn't mean he was ready to relax.

Karl was already grabbing the last few [Spirit Orbs] he could find, knowing that from here on, most monsters in this trial wouldn't be giving him any more.

Only the [Plague Vermin] might still offer value.

But even then, it wasn't worth the risk when they were so close to finishing.

And finally—

Ding!

[+1 Fragment.]

Karl checked his count and then turned to Celeste with a grin.

"We've got enough."

Celeste's face lit up, "Amazing!"

He didn't even hesitate.

He handed her 25 fragments, keeping the same number for himself.

[Fragment of Key Obtained: 25/25]

[Do you want to craft the "Ascension Key"?]

A panel appeared.

Without wasting a second, Karl nodded.

"Yes."

Immediately, the fragments floated out of his inventory and began swirling around him.

Like shards of glass assembling a stained window, they merged piece by piece, glowing faintly as they locked into place.

After a few seconds, the cracks between them vanished—and a pristine golden key remained, which then sunk into his chest.

[You have obtained the "Ascension Key".]

[Head toward the "Ascension Door" in time to complete this trial!]

He turned to Celeste, who had already completed her key as well.

The look they exchanged was all they needed.

No words. Just an understanding. It was time to end this.

His spirits regrouped.

Some of them were still killing leftover monsters nearby.

But the [Duskforged Golem] and [Dire Duskfang] stood silently at his sides, ever ready to shield him with their bodies if needed.

But right as they were preparing to move, two more system panels popped up, side by side.

Karl didn't need to guess. He already had a bad feeling.

[Over 1,000 awakeners have now passed the "Ascension Door".]

[Be quick!]

And underneath that one, written in crimson red, was another.

[500 awakeners have been killed by the Juggernaut.]

[It has now unlocked "Key Tracking".]

[Number of spots left: 4,738.]

Karl's hands clenched.

He didn't care much about the number of spots left—he knew he was ahead of the curve.

But the second panel was different, as it turned the race into something else entirely.

"Key Tracking," Celeste muttered.

Anxiety leaking through her words. A single drop of sweat trailed down her neck.

Karl took a deep breath, brain working in overdrive.

"First evolution gave it more power, this second one… lets it find us."

"I don't know how exactly, but I'd bet it can now see any awakener carrying an Ascension Key."

"Which means we're targets," Celeste said.

"Exactly."

She nodded, grimacing, "We need to go, now."

Karl didn't argue.

But one question lingered in the air.

"How do we even find the [Ascension Door]?" he asked, "Do we just run and hope?"

"No," Celeste said, "Think about it, say the words in your mind."

Karl raised a brow, "Ascension Door Location?"

And just like that, a glowing translucent key appeared in front of him.

Floating mid-air and pointing in a very clear direction.

He stepped around it.

And sure enough—it always pointed the same way, turning slightly depending on his position.

It was a tracker.

"No time to waste then," he said sharply.

His eyes already scanning the streets ahead.

"We move now, fast, that thing knows where we are."

Celeste nodded.

They both started running.

The spirits close behind.

The golden keys hidden within their chests now burning like targets painted on their backs.

And somewhere, far away, in the heart of the ruined city, the Juggernaut moved.

It had found new prey. And it was coming.