Michael made his way out of the Everlong Forest without any issues, but even then, his expression remained grim.
He couldn't shake the feeling that something had been watching him while he was inside, yet no matter how hard he tried, he hadn't been able to spot anything—or anyone.
Michael didn't think his instincts were wrong.
Perhaps they could be, but with everything going on, he'd rather be overly cautious than dismiss his suspicions.
Even though he and his group of undead had successfully left the forest, they didn't move anywhere near Blackstone Town.
Instead, Michael carefully guided them around it, using his flying insect undead to scout ahead and avoid people.
It wasn't until they reached a secluded spot that he finally stopped.
Since leaving the forest, he had turned his flying mount to a land-based one, ensuring that he wouldn't need to dive down from the sky upon arrival.
Climbing down from the black griffin, Michael wasted no time in storing as many undead as he could fit into his storage space before summoning Lucky.
Even though he would only be leaving the Land of Origin for a brief moment—just seconds or minutes—his body would remain defenseless in this world, which left him feeling uneasy.
So, he summoned Lucky for added protection.
With both Lucky and the black griffin by his side, Michael finally felt a sense of security.
Leaving behind a few mental commands, he emphasized one above all: if they encountered something they couldn't handle, they were to carry him away immediately.
Once everything was set, Michael sat on the ground in a lotus position and connected his consciousness to his body in the real world.
Soon, a pair of green eyes flickered open.
"This method of movement is such a hassle. We can't even protect our bodies ourselves. I wonder if that changes with rank advancement."
Michael muttered in frustration as he stood up. He couldn't help but feel irritated.
His intelligence, while not making him a genius or giving him an extraordinary memory, allowed for a monstrous level of thought processing.
It was one of the reasons why learning wasn't difficult for him—as long as he spent the necessary time—and why he could keep up in battles where dozens of exchanges happened within a second.
With that level of brainpower, he felt that if it were possible, controlling two bodies simultaneously, though challenging, shouldn't be impossible.
However, the consciousness-switching method between the Land of Origin and the real world didn't work that way.
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Michael, who hadn't bothered dismissing the undead in his room—since she would continue her work once he was done here—leaped out of his apartment window.
It was bright outside.
The streets weren't as empty as they had been in the early morning when the city resembled a ghost town, but the people were still spaced out, leaving plenty of blind spots for Michael to do what he needed.At first, no one noticed anything unusual, but as time passed, someone couldn't help but ask,
"Aren't that guy's summons looking a bit... more than before?"
Even in the real world, the general public referred to Michael's undead as summons. This was unavoidable. The ability to summon and dismiss magical beings fit the role of a summoner more than it did a necromancer—at least in the eyes of the general public.
Then, more questions followed.
"Why are those figures grey?"
"Yeah, they look like those beautiful female summons, except they're male... and kind of scary for some reason."
"They do look intimidating."
"Is it just me, or do they actually look oddly good-looking?"
For a brief moment, conversations erupted left and right as people speculated about his summons. Then, as expected, phones came out. Some started recording, others took pictures.
And just like that, Michael found himself indirectly famous on the internet again.
His summons—especially the strange-looking ones—were the main attraction, drawing all the attention.
From start to finish, Michael never once revealed his face.
Even if he had wanted to, it was already too late.
By now, he was back in the Land of Origin, soaring through the skies on his undead griffin as he hurried to catch up with the flying ship carrying Mage Lian and the kingdom knights.
Michael and his undead griffin sped through the sky at an extremely fast pace.
After a few flying experiences, Michael no longer had any real limits when it came to flight.
Because of this—and the fact that he was in a hurry to make it back to the ship on time—he didn't spare a single thought about his current speed or altitude.
Fortunately for him, after a while of flying, he spotted a familiar flying ship in the distance.
As he drew closer, his heart relaxed—it was indeed the ship he had left behind.
At the same time Michael spotted the flying ship, some of the sharper and more observant occupants aboard also noticed him.
The first was Mage Lian, who had already sensed Michael before anyone else.
The reason wasn't anything complicated.
The combined aura of both summoner and summon was so powerful that it practically screamed to be noticed.
The moment Michael reached the top of the flying ship, he dismissed his undead griffin into his storage space and gracefully landed on the deck, where the knights stared at him in awe.
Michael waved and nodded to those who greeted him as he made his way toward Mage Lian.
"Are you done with your issues, Sir Mic?"
"Yes. Thank you very much for waiting."
Michael was genuinely grateful.
Though he would always prioritize his undead, only heaven knew if he would ever again have such a conveniently smooth connection with the natives of this world as he did now.
It was something worth treasuring.
"It's okay," Mage Lian said with a smile. "Since Sir Mic is here now, there's no need to wait any longer. Aye, go full speed!"
He shouted the command to the knight stationed in the driving section on the ship's roof, and with that, the vessel surged forward at maximum speed.