Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

"Status."

[Race:] Human

[ID:] Fateless

[Level:] 9

[Class:] Shadow Monarch (SSS)

[Talent:] Primordial Summoner (SSS), Lucky (SSS)

[Summons:] 7/9

[Health Points:] 130

[Mana Points:] 170

[Magical Damage:] 17

[Physical Damage:] 10

[Damage Resistance:] 13

[Attributes:] Strength 10, Agility 13, Vitality 13, Intelligence 17 (+20%)

[Skills:] Shadow Bind(Legendary), Blade Whirl(Epic), Enhanced Senses(Rare), Mana Coating(Rare)

[Attribute Points:] 8

[Skill Points:] 8

[Equipment:] Ring of Darkness (Legendary), Platinum Dagger (Very Rare), Mana Ring(Rare), Iron Necklace (Rare), Backpack (Rare), Iron Boots (Rare), Iron Armor(Rare), ...

Arthur gazed at his updated status window for a moment longer.

"Level 9… so close to 10," he muttered, his voice low and determined. The corner of his lips curled into a faint smirk. "One more push and I'll finally hit double digits. That's when the real fun begins."

With that thought, he turned toward the door. Stepping out of the inn's room, Arthur took a moment to stretch, his muscles loosening as he prepared for another grind in the forest.

Before leaving the inn, Arthur sent Gates a message.

Outside, the village bustled. Players were either trading, flirting with villagers or just gossiping.

Arthur ignored it all, as he strode past the plaza and toward the village gates. He had no time for distractions.

The forest loomed ahead, its shadowy canopy a stark contrast to the lively village behind him. The air felt cooler as he entered, the rustling of leaves and distant calls of beasts creating a symphony that was both calming and foreboding.

"Status," he whispered again, double-checking his progress.

His eyes lingered on his remaining attributes and skill points. "Eight points each… i need to use these soon. But for now, I'll hold off."

Arthur's steps quickened.

Today's goal was clear, reach level 10.

Inside the forest.

Arthur moved with haste, he was no longer worrying about stronger monsters.

He considered himself one of the apex predators inside the village and the nearby forest. He was level 9 with many rare skills and a legendary skill. He was also going to be able to extract another talent/skill from one of his summons in about a day or so.

His choice was Neko's mythical skill, Ninefold Fortune. It was simply such a broken skill that he didn't even need to glance at the other's talents or skills even though they were strong in their own right.

—

<Ninefold Fortune>

<Rank: Mythical>

<Passive>

<Description: Grants an extra life upon death. When HP reaches 0, the user is instantly revived. The revived state removes all debuffs and grants 5 seconds of invincibility. Activation resets all cooldowns. Can only be triggered once per week.

—

"Yeah...that skill is too overpowered," Arthur muttered.

"Hopefully the next time I summon that damn cat, she would have learnt her lesson and stopped being so arrogant."

Arthur hasn't summoned Neko for one simple reason.

Taming.

That's right, he was trying to tame that wild primordial cat and make her drop that inflated ego.
Stay tuned for updates on empire

Arthur's senses heightened as he scanned the surroundings whilst running at high speed. With Enhanced Senses active, every sound and movement around him was amplified. A faint rustling in the bushes caught his attention, and he slowed, crouching slightly.

A large, horned rabbit—its fur mottled and its teeth unnaturally sharp—leapt out from the bush. Its red eyes glinted with aggression as it charged toward him.

"Corroded Rabbit. Level 5," Arthur muttered, noting its stats instinctively. "Easy enough."

As time went on, the monsters also evolved alongside the players. Albeit, their evolution rate was much slower than that of proactive players.

Some players tried to complain about the game being difficult due to the constant evolution of the monsters, but either they were lazy or they just had terrible talents. Arthur had neither, so he was still far ahead.

Without summoning his beasts, Arthur lunged forward, his Platinum Dagger in his hand. The rabbit lunged, but Arthur sidestepped smoothly, driving his blade into its side with precision.

-45 HP

After a few more stabs, the rabbit died without putting up a challenge.

[You have slain Corroded Rabbit (Level 5)]

[Backpack(Rare) has been dropped]

The notification flashed in his mind, but Arthur didn't linger. He quickly bent down, retrieving the loot drop.

As others complained about the increasing difficulty, Arthur grinned. After all, the higher the level of the monsters he killed the better the items it dropped.

"Not bad," he said, tucking it into his inventory. "But I need bigger prey if I want to hit level 10 fast."

Deeper in the forest, Arthur began to pick up the pace. His summons worked tirelessly in the background, clearing smaller mobs that crossed their paths.

Notifications flooded his mind.

[You have slain a level 6 Wolf ]

[You have slain a level 7 Wolf ]

Arthur smiled faintly. "They're doing a good job, as always. Let's keep this momentum going."

He paused briefly, his hand resting on the hilt of his dagger. In the distance, the faint growl of a larger beast caught his attention. His Enhanced Senses tingled, alerting him to something powerful nearby.

Arthur's steps grew silent as he slipped deeper into where the sound was coming from, moving like a shadow among the trees. His senses take in every sound, the growls of wolves mingling with the unmistakable clash of weapons and shouts of humans.

"Humans," he muttered, his voice barely audible, laced with curiosity. "It's been a while since I've seen anyone this deep in the forest. They must be quite strong compared to other players,"

He crouched low, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his dagger as he inched closer. With each step he took, his eyes scanned the surroundings for any hint of an ambush or stray wolves.

When the scene came into view, his lips curled into a smirk.

Ahead, a large pack of wolves—six of them, their fur painted with red.

The wolves were locked in a fierce battle against a group of players. The wolves moved with the coordination of seasoned hunters, darting in and out with vicious teamwork that made the players in front of them have trouble.

The players seemed to struggle despite their higher numbers, their formation breaking as the wolves pressed their attack.

"Stop moving around! Stay close to each other, protect each other's back!" A voice sounded from between the group.

Arthur's gaze swept over the group, and for a brief moment, his eyes narrowed. Then, recognition flickered in his expression, and a smirk appeared at the corner of his lips.

"It's you guys," he murmured, his voice dripping with amusement. "Heh, what are the odds?"

The group in question was none other than the remnants of John's so-called "elite" team—the very players who had ambushed Arthur not long ago under John's orders.

He recognized their faces immediately, though their current state was far less confident than when they'd cornered him.

Two players were already down, their bodies flickering with the faint glow that preceded their forced logout. The remaining players started gathering together, barely holding the line as the wolves pressed their advantage.

One of them, a burly man wielding a greatsword, shouted orders. "Hold the line! Focus on the stronger wolves over there!"

Arthur's smirk widened as his gaze shifted to the pack leader—a large black wolf with piercing red eyes and a scar running down its side.

"Reminds me of Alpha," He muttered silently, staring at the wolf with low, menacing growls.

The larger wolf moved with a ferocity that made it clear it was no ordinary wolf.

"Level 7," Arthur muttered, analyzing the alpha. "That's a tough one for them. No wonder they're struggling."

For a moment, Arthur considered his options. He could watch from the shadows, letting the wolves finish off the group. It would be poetic justice, after all. Or… he could intervene, and turn the situation to his advantage.

His fingers tightened around the hilt of his dagger as he weighed the possibilities.

"How can I let the wolves have all of the fun," he whispered, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Time to get my revenge,"

The wolves let out another vicious snarl, and one of the players screamed as they were pinned beneath the pack leader's claws.

Arthur summoned Hank and Borak with a flick of his wrist. The dark summoning portal swirled open in front of him, and from its depths emerged Borak and Hank.

"Alright guys, here is what I want you to do..."

After explaining his plan to Hank and Borak, Arthur stepped out from the shadows.

Rustle

"Careful, our flank!" John barked, still locked in a desperate battle with the large wolf. His greatsword clashed against the beast's claws, sparks flying as he strained to hold his ground. He was unable to look behind him, so he told the other players who were supporting him.

Several players turned to face the new arrival, their weapons trembling slightly in their hands. Their expressions morphed from confusion to dread as they realised who was in front of them.