Self-Summon [Demon Summoning/Evolution LitRPG]

“I call top bunk!” Despite his enthusiasm, Gawk’s clear declaration was a bit off. It was likely due to Tongues finding the best equivalent word, but the beds weren’t actually bunks. They weren’t connected or even on the same sides of the room, but one was up higher than the other. It kind of looked like a big gourd with a hole in the middle, hanging on the wall with a hole at the front, reminding her of those cave-style covered cat beds. He was just able to squeeze right in with his shell and hunker down. Admittedly, it looked fairly cozy, and Gelic was a bit envious, but it’d be too small for her regardless.

What remained was closer to a human bed. Really, it was kind of like a big long slab, similar to a coffin that didn’t open. When she touched the top, it was that same squishy stone material that made up her pillows, so she expected it to actually be pretty comfy. But sadly, she didn’t need it, and turned back to Ba who was standing at the door. “I, uhm, probably won’t be here very often. So you can give my spot to someone else.”

“That’s not how it works here,” he stated first. “This is your bed, your room, for however long you’re in the Cult, unless we move you to another after a Rank up. Even if you never use it, this space is yours. It will always be here for you if you need it. Same for the rest of the office. This is your home by right, regardless of whether you see it as such. You’ll find that quite a few of our members aren’t currently using their rooms. About half are out on summons, most of them Bound and likely will be for a while. The others… some on jobs I’ve given them. The rest, who knows, if they don’t want to share, I don’t pry.

“Take a minute or an hour, get settled and explore the office if you wish. Just don’t go into the other bedrooms without permission. You’re both welcome to depart at any time for any reason. I just ask that you check in with me if you do, especially if it will be for a while.” The man, or rather, Demon wearing a man’s costume, turned and walked back down the hall, leaving them be.

Gawk briefly left his mini-cave and buzzed around the room, looking in every nook and cranny, amazed at every little thing. It would seem he was just thrilled about having a proper place to call his own after his living situation was up in the air. Gelic had just hopped onto her own bed, watching him, until she unconsciously ended up laying back, guided by the comfort.

“Oh, gonna take a nap?” He suddenly asked and then continued even without a response. “That’s a good idea. I’ll take one too!” He then squeezed back into his bed and was asleep within literal seconds, and she actually saw his eye covered by a lid for once.

She didn’t really intend to take a nap, or even stay beyond this, but she found the drowsiness from the trial taking her, consumed by the squishy rock. And most of all, what was really lulling her away, was how safe she felt. The sense of belonging, damned if it wasn’t infectious. If she wasn’t constrained by another world, by other responsibilities, other dreams, there was honestly a growing part of her that would be tempted to stay here for good. Give the Cult and Demon life a genuine shot, become a proper denizen of Hell.

But… she had Cherub who was family to her that she couldn’t abandon. And, as much as she was still anxious about it, she had her other family ties to repair. It was something she genuinely wanted to do, for now at least, until her mother gave her a reason otherwise. While her ambitions and connections laid with her old life, there was still something nice about having this as a backup, so she could spirit away if needed. And she’d get back to her lifeplan right away… well, maybe after just a little nap.

◆◆◆

Ah scuff. Gelic lurched upward in her bed. How long had she been asleep for? Fortunately, there was actually a clock in her Cult bedroom, the first proper one she’d seen in hell. It was on rolling rings that were half embedded into the wall, rotating vertically. According to the time it showed, it was 19:63. But had it really gotten that late? Actually, something was off. 63? In her world, the hours reset at the fifty mark.

[Would you like to enable the Clock feature?]

Huh, yes, of course! Why wasn’t it on by default?

[Many Demons do not like to deal with the construct of time]

Okay, yeah, fair. She definitely wouldn’t if she had the choice. At the top of her DGS screen, there were now two times. HST (Hell Standard Time) and Casniem Circle Time, the latter of which showed it was 16:42. Okay, yeah, still pretty late. Her world had twenty hours in a day, so it was currently early evening. What’s Hell's Time scale?

[25 hour days, 100 minutes each]

Ugh, that was going to be annoying to keep track of, especially because watching them currently, Hell minutes were ticking faster than Casniem minutes. Part of her wanted to ask the DGS for comparison scaling, or buckle down and math it out, but she’d just woken from a damned good nap, and didn’t want to ruin it. What mattered is she knew the relative times, so that would be helpful. Were those the only two times she could see, though. What about other worlds?

[By default, you will only see HST and the current local time with any circles you are Bound to. However, any timezone from any world can be added or removed at will except for Hell Standard Time. That can only be removed by disabling the Clock feature]

Looking around, Gawk was gone, so Gelic departed as well, leaving their shared bedroom. Walking back down the spiral hall, it sounded like one of her fellow Cult members was in their room, and she walked by another that actually had their door open. Inside was a pretty generic looking Demon that was doing some sort of weird exercise, which she briefly thought about introducing herself to, but decided against. She wasn’t sticking around, so it was best to not get too involved.

The door to Ba Skin’s office was open, and he was sitting inside at his desk, looking like he was reading something invisible. His own Growth System, perhaps, or maybe some other type of hidden screen like the clerk at the Demon Service’s Office had used. Surprisingly, Crectal was nowhere to be found. From what Gelic understood, spying on the Legion Heir appeared to be her main job, but she supposed it couldn't be done every hour of every day.

“If you’re looking for Gawk, he went to gather his belongings so he can finish moving in properly,” Ba called to her, noticing she was by the door and glancing around.

“Oh, uhh, actually I was just coming to tell you that I’m heading out,” she said, a bit of anxiousness in her voice. Even after only knowing the Demon for a day, it was kind of like telling a parent that she was moving away.

“Do you have a moment to talk with me before you go?” He asked, a bit of an urgent tone in his voice, like he didn’t want to miss the opportunity. Maybe because it was the first time they could actually speak with full privacy. “It won’t take long,” he assured her.

“Uhh, sure.” She closed the door behind her and sat in one of the chairs.

Ba Skin got up from his desk and came around, taking the other, not even properly looking at her. Treating it more like friends who were sitting side-by-side, having a casual chat. “Are you content with your current master? It’s a permanent Bound, right?”

“Uhh, yes, to both.” Gelic didn’t see any real reason to state otherwise.

“Well, if that ever changes, or if your situation ever feels unsafe, let me know. I can’t promise it will be for free, since we deal in proper compensation and exchange, but if you ever feel unsafe or unhappy, let me know. We’ll figure something out.

“What I will offer for free is a bit of unsolicited advice. Assuming you haven’t already spent your Growth Points, I would buy Identity Fraud if I were you. Since you already have Transfiguration, it’s an enchantment for it if you didn’t know. They’re sort of like a matching pair for the complete power.”

“Uhh, yeah, it was already my plan,” she insisted. “But why do you suggest it? I’m curious.”

Ba huffed and settled in for his explanation. “The human worlds are unlike ours. They’re in constant states of change. But one thing that won’t be forgotten easily is you, assuming you stick around in one spot or with one person for too long. Your presence will be expected. If someone is after you, they’ll always know where to find you, and without our protections. No Demon would dare attack you openly in Hell. But out in the worlds, it’s fair game.

“For most, it’s not a problem. Only those who make waves, both good and bad, will find themselves measured and targeted. Let me give you warning, Gelic. It was not through Gawk’s mouth that I first heard your name. You made a wave.

“Word reached my ears of a freshly evolved Puck defeating a Hellion, idle chatter by a sore loser. The name Gelic spread through Hell within seconds. For most, that bit of information likely washed over them, not registering in their minds, since we hear all sorts of things, and a random Puck won’t be of much concern, even if they did something mildly noteworthy.

“But just a bit earlier that same day, there was a bigger rumor of an unnamed Imp who defeated a high level Malignant, almost singlehandedly, when even a Ghoul couldn’t. My suspicion is that you must have lucked out and gotten Toxic early on, which is usually fairly deep in the Weave, a poison that is rarely seen amongst lower-ranking Demons, and the best for straight damage. Coupled with a decently high Pestilence Attunement, enough for you to gain a dedicated Evolution, then it’s no wonder you outclassed everyone there. With enough investment, poison can be one of the most powerful of magics, hence the entire credo of this Cult, but most would rather have immediate gratification.

“It was simple enough to trace back after that. Very few will remember it, though, and fewer will make the connection. Since there was no name at the time, it will be written off as hearsay or a wild rumor by most. Not even Morgo paid any attention to it. But intel gathering has always been his weakness. He spends so much time spying on his own Cult, but is ignorant to much of Hell's other operations. And sadly, the majority are like him, so self-absorbed. There are few like me who log everything away, but be warned that there are indeed a few like me who won’t forget. It’s why I agreed to Gawk’s request to consider letting the two of you join after he mentioned your name.

“From your end, joining a Cult was one of the best things you could do to shield yourself further. It will remove some, but not all, attention. But just the association will dampen any further waves, with Zebub sharing the spotlight, taking much of the credit. If you wanted otherwise, we could arrange it, but I don’t get that feeling from you. The Puck who wants to be an art Demon, and likely wants a simple life to go with it. Am I correct?”

“Uhh, yeah,” she admitted.

“Explains why you’re not keen on staying then, and I can respect it. Yet something tells me that you’re not done making waves. Just consider the optics when you do. Odds are, you’re entrenched where you are with your current master. Too late to change your identity unless the pair of you relocate entirely. But if you ever need a break or to hide yourself, or want something done discreetly, consider being someone else when you do. Of course, that doesn’t apply here in Hell. We want your accolades tied to us, the good ones at least.”

“And as one last reason to get it, that would make you eligible for the Hero worlds. And I think you’d make a good candidate the next time there’s an opening. Actually… no, never mind. Maybe when you’re at least a Hellion. Forget my ramblings. But yes, for the other reasons, I highly suggest purchasing the enchantment as soon as you can.”

“Okay, thanks for the advice.” It wasn’t bad either. She definitely intended to hide her Demon self when dealing with humans, but had never really considered becoming another Demon entirely. Could she Transfigure into other Demons? Probably, and could be something to practice in the future. Definitely the kind of thing that’d help if she had more museums to rob. “I should be heading back to my master for now, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. Oh, but your hospitality has been great. It’s nothing against you or the Legion.”

“I understand, don’t worry,” Ba assured her. “This was never part of your plan, and you don’t yet know how best to leverage it. That’s alright. That’s my job. I was serious when I said I’d look into bettering your future, even if that is with art or whatever. It may take a while, since such opportunities would be harder to find, but I’ll keep tabs. And if you ever have other goals to work toward, reach out to me first, and I’ll see what I can provide, for a fair trade, of course.”

“Thanks, Ba.” She tried to smile to the best that her bug mask would allow, lifting her proboscis slightly, likely accompanied by her eyes glowing a bit brighter. “Even if it wasn’t part of the plan, I’m glad I got to join up with you. Oh, and uhh, could you let Gawk know when he’s back, and tell him he can message me anytime.”

“Of course, farewell Gelic. I’m sure we’ll meet again sooner than you expect.”

Cryptic… but well, he was a Demon. “Alright, bye!” She waved a claw and cast Return.

Within minutes of returning to her apartment, after feeding an insistent Cherub, Angelica awayed to the bathroom and stared at the mirror, back in her human form after spending her GP.

[Transfiguration has been enchanted to Masquerading Transfiguration]

Ugh, she didn’t fully expect it to work, but she really wished she could see her own scry as other Demons or Summoners would see it. However, next to her Alias in her DGS screen now was:

[Fake ID: Human | Angelica Hallow]

Interestingly, it wasn’t censored, like her True Name was, even though it was the exact same thing. Which made sense and was more assuring. Only a Demon would have it obscured if it was their name. This was as it should be, how a normal, unassuming, non-magical human would be presented. Not a Demon, not a Summoner, just a basic boring human. Perfect. So she pulled out her phone.

『Hey mom, I should be free for the next few days starting tomorrow. Let me know if there’s a good time for you to meet up.』

Since it was still fairly early in the evening in her world, she could have suggested a late dinner, but this would give her more time to prepare, both physically and mentally. And of course, she got a response within minutes.

『Good to hear. It would have been rude of me to push the reservation for yet another day. Meet me for lunch tomorrow here.』 The message came with an accompanying address for a restaurant.

Just like her… Angelica sighed. She shouldn’t have expected anything else, and responded back the expected and simple:

『Looking forward to it』

And that’s when she was hit by hindsight, realizing she might have sent the initial message a touch prematurely. Friiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiits. She’d forgotten to account for the Detect Falsehoods Skill. Knowing her mother, if she had a Bound Demon, there’s a good chance they’d have that Skill. Definitely how she was called out so many times in her youth for lying. And since Corticia was a High Summoner, she could have Bound a pretty powerful Demon, probably around a Daemon. Could she fool a Daemon? That was definitely a very important question.

Grr. Should she go back and ask Ba Skin to help her test it? No, well maybe as a backup, since she’d just made a big stink about not returning anytime soon. However, she did know another Daemon who would be happy to share any faults he spotted, one she’d been meaning to visit again since Merlina could now finally come to life very soon.

Spoiler

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