Translator: Cryus

I really should do my research beforehand.

I could only groan in exasperation as I peeked at the party member recruitment board in the Bar of Encounters.
My application was rejected yet again.
Not a single party recruited me as a member.
I was at fault for taking member recruitment for granted, but no one left me any notes either.
It would"ve been a miracle if anyone took a single look at my application.
And it would"ve taken a kind soul to explain to me why I got rejected.

I chose Summoner as my job.
My race is Human, and my highest stats are Intelligence and Spirit, which are just about average, I think.
At first, I didn"t know why everyone avoided me as if I was an obstruction.
I simply didn"t know.

It was a little late, but I searched the beta test forums for AnotherLink Saga Online to find out why I didn"t meet the requirements.
Overall, Summoners are simply seen as red flags.
Evaluations of Summoners such as 『burden』『hindrance』『instant death』『pointless』 are all over the forums.
Yesterday, I had to kill time by playing alone for a few hours.

That"s why I didn"t get the opportunity to look up information like that, and I never thought about gathering information in the first place.
The only thing I can say is that I didn"t do my homework.
Seriously, are there any other players who picked this job at all?
I screwed up.

I turned my attention away from the party recruitment board to another chat board, and got even more fed up.
It went something like this:

Red Flag Jobs ★2
1. Minakami
I discourage anyone with a lack of patience from posting on this thread.
Long chunks of text are going to be a bother to everyone, so please don"t do that.
Let"s continue the thread calmly.

Past Threads:
Red Flag Jobs ★1
※ Refer to archives

———————————-（Omitted）———————————-
121. Conrad
The latest update was a slight buff in bows that were horrible in beta.
Having a magic+bow user as a rear party member is veeeeeeeeeery impressive!

I never thought I would see a Summoner on the job rankings though lol
WOOOOOOOOOOW!!!
Thx for sacrificing yourself lolololol

122. Komatai
Don"t say that lol
This sample is invaluable lol
We"re already out of beta and in the main game though lol

123. Moko
As expected, there"s only one of them here lol
But that means this guy"s the number one Summoner, right?
Also you guys should keep it cool, you"re burning him too much lol
I guess I should too

124. Akane
Are you a m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t?
You stayed as a Summoner until the end of beta?

125. p.a.w.n
I looked it up.
There were 12 players when they announced the end of beta. Among them were 2 solo players.
Obviously they were farming instead of doing raids.
Maybe they left the party because they gave up on the remaining 10 players who were underleveled lol

126. Klauser
All job promotions were sealed during beta after all.
Maybe the job promotion wouldn"t have been so bad?
It"s gonna take a while so idk for sure…

127. Guren
I"m interested in taking summoned monsters on a walk though.

128. zin
>>127
Thx for top team.
None of the initial summons looked like monsters iirc.
I"d rather be surrounded by fluffies lol
Also what"s with this game? No one has cleared the first area yet.
Progress report pls

129. Kuukai
I made a Summoner to try it out, just cos.
I gave up.
I didn"t even know that bows had been buffed.
So I made a new warrior-type bow user lol
It"s tough to squeeze into a party of 6 as a Summoner.
If you really want to, you"d have to be way overleveled.
Not that the system would let you into the party anyway lol
Even with a normal party, you"d be carrying them.
There were complaints to the GMs about the job being c.r.a.ppy during beta, but looks like they didn"t fix anything.
Also it"s convenient to hear TUEEEEEE when they use bows lol

130. Sora
Besides that, it"s really sad when the only parent cla.s.s that appears in character creation is Farmer

131. Tsutsumi
>>130
I can"t understand those guys who keep saying they got Merchant.
It"s Craftsman jk

132. Crowe
>>131
Thx dwarf

133. Kokuyou
>>129
I just read the tutorial threads. Thx for your comments.
You wouldn"t choose Summoner if you read the comments there in the first place…
They"re half a.s.sed in combat and gathering and production.

134. Cocoa
Why don"t you stop being so harsh?>>all

135. Sora
Let"s talk about the production line for cars then

———————————-（Continued）———————————-

I see.
Summoners are red flags, I see.
We"re no longer in beta, and I did create my character and walked around town without knowing better.
The first parent cla.s.s I saw during character creation was Summoner.
Obviously I would choose it because it was available.
It seemed rare too.

…
They didn"t have to go that far though.
It never feels good to be made fun of.
…Sob…

This is Lemut, the Town of Beginnings. I leave the Bar of Encounters and check the Adventurer"s Guild.
This is where players can settle all kinds of affairs such as selecting their race and job.
In comparison, the Bar of Encounters is much more specialized in forming parties and gathering information.

A Horned Rabbit was hunted yesterday, and is currently on display at the window. Its horn and skin are for sale.
I"m lost in thought while watching the NPC salesman automate his job.

What should I do?

I can kill time by enjoying the gameplay, and I don"t really want to interfere with other players right now.
It"s really inconvenient when there"s no one I can consult though.

「Excuse me, I am a Summoner, and I would like some advice with regards to going on an adventures…」

I don"t know where to start, but I try asking the aging NPC salesman.
Tutorials only explain the details, so they won"t be much help here.
What I want is advice that suits my playstyle.

「Are you going on an adventure? Well, I can give you some advice if you don"t mind it being lengthy?」

Oh.
That"s great news.
In fact, why hasn"t anyone else said something like that?
He"s writing something on a piece of cloth or paper.
I take the note. It looks like a map of the outskirts of 『Lemut』, the Town of Beginnings.
Hey.

「…Is this outside the town?」

「Sort of. There are many contacts for other jobs within the castle, but that"s the only one I know for Summoners.」

Summoners are discriminated against to this degree, I see.
The other players behind me are looking at me like I"m an eyesore.
Both literally and figuratively.
It feels like they were about to chase me away.
===
「Don"t lose my note!」

Hearing him from the window, I thank him before retreating quickly.
I don"t know what to do with myself.
===
I check the Training Ground before leaving the town.
There are too many people here as well.
It"s only natural that it"s so popular, since players are able to gain a certain amount of experience through training.
They"re all killing time before all of their party members are recruited, so there are many players switching in and out.
Even then, the queue is simply too long.
I should get out of here too.
===
I should head to the outskirts of town soon.
===
There are stalls lined up in the central part of town.
There are just about as many players in the area.
Players have green triangles pointing down on their heads.
It"s kind of a strange sight to behold.
Most likely there are many more players hunting outside town.
I still don"t see the stalls managed by players.
Are they really so backed up on funds?
Now I have to rely on NPCs to obtain food and items.
I purchase 5 potions and replenish my supply of 2 portions of portable food at one of the stalls.
Potions cost 30 Dyns each.
Portable food costs 60 Dyns each.
I earned 400 Dyns yesterday and spent 100 Dyns at the inn, so now I"m almost broke.
I 【Appraise】 each item. This is roughly what the description is like.
===
【Recovery Item】Potion HP+8% Recovery Grade C Rarity 1 Weight 1
An ordinary potion. Restores a small amount of HP.
Leaves a bitter aftertaste when you drink it.
※Cannot be used repeatedly. Item cooldown is 10 minutes.
===
【Food Item】Portable Food Satiety+30% Grade C Rarity 2 Weight 1
Dry food that is light but somewhat filling.
Convenient to carry around. Warning: Effect is reduced by half if you don"t take it with water.
※Can be used repeatedly. But be careful not to overeat!
===
The only other items in my possession are a water bottle and a rucksack to hold items. I just purchased them yesterday.
I have to earn enough money to be able to afford a night at the inn.

It looks like I can"t carelessly use my potions repeatedly.
Since item cooldown exists in this game, I can"t afford to do anything risky.
And it looks like the item cooldown doesn"t just apply to one item at a time.
Still, I"m not confident that I can make it alone to the designated spot on the note without potions.
There"s a possibility that I"ll fall into a Starving state if I leave without preserved food.
It"s going to be difficult to get through the Beginner"s Prairie in the first place. I really wish someone could give me some advice here, even if it"s from an NPC.
It"s a chicken and egg problem.

Even then.
I can"t tell if this game is being friendly to players or not.
I"m the type of person who would rather not rather not read the stipulations of an insurance policy.
In my opinion, having too much information is a waste of time in a way.
Overall, VRMMO games are all pretty similar. It may have been my mistake to think this way.
There are so many virtual games now. The only other type of game I"m experienced in is shooting games.

I thought that having Summoner as a parent cla.s.s during character creation was a rare thing.
I didn"t think that they would have so few status spells either.
That"s why I chose Summoner as my job.
I never thought that it would be a red flag when forming parties.
I curse my luck and sigh.
===
Leaving that aside.
I"m going to do some hunting on the way to my destination.
It"s been a little more than a day since the game started, but people are already wandering around the outskirts of town.

The only weapon I have attached to my waist is a Beginner"s Rod. I equip it on my right hand.
It"s the starting weapon for Summoners.
I"m examining its status, which I didn"t bother with yesterday.
===
【Weapon: Staff】Beginner"s Rod AP+0 M・AP+0 Power 2 Durability ∞
A weapon that can be used to deal physical damage or cast spells. Its power is very limited, however.
A piece of equipment that helps players get accustomed to the use of rods.
===
Oh?
Rods are not only meant to deal physical damage, but also supplement magic.
As a starting weapon, it does nothing to physical or magic attacks. Zero.
I tried hitting a monster with it yesterday, so I know firsthand.
I was just hitting it though.

I"m using a Summoner skill.
Simply by selecting a spell from the list, my avatar begins to chant automatically. What a friendly setting.

「Summon Monster!」

As I finish chanting, a list of monsters I can summon appears on a separate virtual window.
There"s only one option for me though.
I select that option.

《Do you wish to summon Volff, Wolf Lv1?》

The obvious choice is 《Yes》. A magic circle appears on the ground in front of me.
A faint shadow appears in the middle, eventually becoming a solid shape.
It"s the same gray maned wolf that I summoned yesterday.
Since I was given the option to pick a name, I called him 「Volff」.
It was easy because it means Wolf in German.

The green triangle, which acts as a player indicator, shows up on top of the wolf"s head as well.
I use the beginner skill 【Identify】. I can see Volff"s name displayed clearly.
There"s no mistake about it. It"s the same Wolf that I summoned yesterday.
He"s playing right in front of my legs, baring his neck to me.
His fur is actually a little thick, so I wouldn"t call him fluffy.
It"s still more or less inviting, in any case.

I felt my strength fading as I summoned the Wolf.
My status bar shows about a 30% decrease in my MP.
That can"t be helped.
I know that I can recover MP slowly just by moving normally.
MP recovery herbs such as Mana Potions are sold in town, but I can"t afford them yet.

「I"m counting on you today too.」

I call out to my partner, and head to the West Plains with quick and steady steps.
===
According to the note, the person who"s willing to give me advice lives beyond the West Plains, which I explored yesterday.
Specifically, it"s a hut by the lake in the forest.
It looks like it"s going to take a while to get there on foot, but it"s not like I have a choice.
It"s a rather risky investment for a guide.
None of the player advice was suitable for me, after all.

I can see other parties walking down the path outside the town from a distance.
I"m a little envious.
But I don"t feel good when other players make a fool of me just because they see Summoners as a joke.
This should be a good opportunity for me.
===
Volff looks at me with his yellow eyes.
It feels like he"s trying to comfort me.
That"s right, partner.
I have you as my partner.

We"re running across the gra.s.sland.
Volff is following closely while wagging his tail.
Well, I guess it looks just like a dog following its master.
===
By the way.
I look at the skills that were automatically set.
A new window appears when I speak the command Display Skills.
Staff Lv1, Summon Magic Lv1, Wind Magic Lv1, Alchemy Lv1, Cooperation Lv1, Appraise Lv1, Identify Lv1.
For all the exploring I did yesterday, none of my skills leveled up at all.
There"s a section below the display, but there"s nothing written on it.
At the very bottom is a line that says Bonus Points Remaining: 19
I don"t really know if 19 is a lot or very little.
===
The skills section is blinking just as I pay attention to it.
I push the help b.u.t.ton, which brings up another window.

I didn"t know I could do this while moving.
This is what happens when I skip the tutorial.
===
【Weapon Skill】Staff Lv1 (New! Obtained Beginner Skill for Summoner)
A combat skill for basic staff weapons to raise proficiency in rods.
Status attacks, as well as various buffs and weapon skills, may be available upon Lv up.
※This skill will level up according to proficiency in the weapon.
※Certain weapons have Lv requirements.

===
Huh.
It seems like Summoners can automatically learn skills.
Let"s take a look at the next skill.
===
【Magic Skill】Summon Magic Lv1 (New! Obtained Beginner Skill for Summoner)
A magic skill that summons monsters.
Stronger monsters may be summoned upon Lv up.
Summoned monsters count as party members, and will grow stronger as they Lv up.
※The longer a summoned monster is accompanying you, the more experience it will gain, allowing it to grow faster.
※Monster summoning may be restricted depending on the location.
※Summoned monsters will not be permanently lost upon death. However, they will lose experience points, and there will be a countdown before resummoning.
===
Mhm.
I already knew about the restrictions on summoning.
It"s definitely going to be a pain to have summoned monsters counted as party members.
I"m about to read it over again… but Volff howls.
I observe my surroundings… there are 2 black figures in front, slightly to the right. They"re approaching.
【Identify】 shows me red triangle markers on top of their heads.
Monsters.
===
Protagonist???
Race Human Male Racial Lv1
Job Summoner Lv1
Bonus Points Remaining 19

Skills
Staff Lv1 (New! Obtained Beginner Skill for Summoner)
Summon Magic Lv1 (New! Obtained Beginner Skill for Summoner)
Wind Magic Lv1 (New! Obtained Random Beginner Skill for Summoner)
Alchemy Lv1 (New! Obtained Beginner Skill for Summoner)
Cooperation Lv1 (New! Obtained Random Beginner Skill for Summoner)
Appraisal Lv1 (New! Obtained Beginner Skill for Summoner)
Identify Lv1 (New! Obtained Random Beginner Racial Bonus)

Equipment Beginner"s Rod Simple Clothes Cloth Shoes Rucksack

Items Survival Knife Map to Old Summoner"s Hut

Base Stats
Dexterity 15
Agility 15
Intelligence 18
Strength 12
Vitality 15
Spirit 19

Summon Monster
Volff Wolf Lv1