Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

Sitting down next to James, Arthur felt Ryker's eyes following his every move. His cousin sat across the table, a sneer barely concealed behind his plastic smile. The tension between them was known from their last interactions.

"You chose the good stuff," James said, glancing at Arthur's meal. "The perks of first-class are pretty good right?"

Arthur nodded, aware of how this small gesture would irritate Ryker.

The hierarchy within the facility was rigid—first-class players received the best of everything, from food to accommodations to status.

The fact that Arthur—once the scrawny kid Ryker had tormented for years—now outranked his cousin was a daily wound to Ryker's overinflated ego.

Arthur dug into his food under the watchful eyes of everyone at the table. The steak was perfectly prepared, the vegetables fresh.

He hadn't realized how hungry he was until the first bite.

"Hungry, huh?" James laughed.

"Yeah," Arthur nodded, not looking up from his plate.

A brief silence fell, the kind that preceded someone's attempt to control the conversation. Arthur didn't need to look up to know who would break it.

"I've recently reached level 10," Ryker announced, his voice carrying across the table. "I'll soon be moving to the city, but first I need to take care of a few things at the village. I have responsibilities, after all."

Right on cue, the table erupted with congratulations.

"Level 10? That's impressive!"

"City access is a game-changer, man."

"What's your first move gonna be?"

Ryker basked in the attention, his chest puffing out slightly. "Probably join one of the established guilds."

"I've heard from a few players inside the city that a new guild has been established. Once it was established the guild made a very big fuss in the city and all major guild leaders had to go check it out." Vex said, before taking a sip of her drink.

James nodded.

"The guild leader is currently unknown. But it is said that he is very powerful"

Ryker's eyes lit up.

"Really? I might join that guild. I was thinking of joining a more eatablished one. But joining a guild on the rising might be better."

The conversation continued around them, but Ryker kept steering it back toward levels and achievements, clearly setting up something.

"How about you, Fateless?" Ryker finally asked, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "What level are you at now?"

James glanced between the cousins, his expression neutral but his eyes watchful.

Arthur took another bite of his food, chewing unhurriedly. "Six," he said nonchalantly, after swallowing.

The table went quiet.

"Six?" Vex repeated, sure she'd misheard.

"Yeah," Arthur confirmed, showing no sign of embarrassment.

Ryker's eyes lit up with malicious glee. "Level six? And you're in first-class? That's..." He let out a theatrical laugh. "Well, that's certainly interesting."

James said nothing, but his attention sharpened, studying Arthur's reaction with newfound interest.

"Must be nice," Ryker continued, unable to resist the opening. "Most of us have to grind levels and complete missions to earn our place. Guess some people find... alternative routes."

The insinuation hung in the air. Several teammates shifted uncomfortably.

"Maybe he's got a mission or something important to do," Vex suggested, trying to defuse the tension.

"At level six?" Ryker snorted. "What quality could possibly make up for such pathetic progress?"

Arthur continued eating, seemingly unbothered by the barrage.

Not a flicker of emotion crossed his face—no anger, no embarrassment, not even mild annoyance. It was as if Ryker's words were passing through empty air.

James noticed the calmness. But he could see, Arthur's hands twitch as if restrained.

"What's your village assignment anyway?" Ryker pressed. "Must be something really special to compensate for the... slow progress."

Arthur took a sip of water before answering. "Just a standard starting village. Nothing remarkable."

"And yet you've barely leveled," Ryker pointed out. "Most second class players hit level 10. Whilst first class players had hit it long ago. Makes you wonder why they keep you in first-class."

Arthur shrugged. "You can ask the people in charge. If you have a complaint sbout their choices, raise it to them. Who knows, they might listen to you."

Ryker did not respond to the trap that Arthur had plaved him, but he clearly looked more irritated.

Ryker sneered. "Let me guess—you're someone's pet project?"

The irony of Ryker suggesting nepotism—when he'd only secured his position through his father's influence—wasn't lost on Arthur.

"No strings," Arthur replied calmly. "Also, are you calling the person that recruited me corrupt?"

"Absolutely not. Don't twist my words." Ryker gritted his teeth.

James remained silent throughout the exchange, his eyes never leaving Arthur's face.

"My team cleared the Howling Cavern realm yesterday," Ryker avoided the topic, his voice rising with confidence at Arthur's apparent passivity.

He locked eyes with Arthur. "What exactly have you accomplished at level six?"

Arthur did not give him any attention and simply got up. He had finished his food.

"See you around guys." He said, locking eyes with everyone but Ryker and his goons.

' I don't know how you fooled them,' he thought grimly. 'I know you, Arthur. The runt who couldn't even defend himself on the playground. Whatever game you're playing, you can't maintain it forever.'

Arthur walked away, depositing his tray at the collection point.

As he headed back toward his quarters, Arthur filed away every detail of the interaction. Ryker was predictable—a known quantity, easily manipulated. But James's silent observation had been unexpected and potentially concerning.

'He isn't usually like this. He had defended me last time. But he didn't this time around. Something is wrong. Does he suspect anything?'

Arthur thought as he swiped his card to his dorm room.

'Well, it doesn't matter. Showing a different character now would only make them suspicious. All I can do is keep going.'

Arthur logged into Armageddon.

The familiar blue light enveloped him, world shifting from sterile facility to the village room in an instant. The transition felt smoother each time, as if his consciousness belonged more in the game than in reality.

"It's been a few hours since I logged out. The team should have already started making their way toward the mountain," he muttered, orienting himself.

He reached out with his mind, establishing the telepathic connection with his summons.

'Hank, I want you to head towards...'

'Yes, master, I'm close. I will be there shortly,' Hank replied, his mental voice eager as always. 'Should I go alone?'

Arthur considered the request. Sending just one scout would minimize the chance of detection, but after thinking about it for a while. He decided against separating the fellow from Aether and Skyla.

'My summons are much more powerful than the warriors. They can easily avoid detection.' He thought to himself.

'You can go with Skyla and Aether. But the main thing is for you guys not to get caught at all.'

'Alright, master,' Hank replied.

Arthur moved to the window, looking toward the mountain in the distance. His warriors would be halfway there by now, unaware they were walking into a test rather than just a mission.

Theodore would have organized them effectively—he had good instincts for leadership. Jasmine would be protected in the center, her healing abilities too valuable to risk. The twins would be scouting ahead, their coordinated skills perfect for early detection of threats.

A few minutes later, Hank's telepathic message rippled through Arthur's mind.

'Master, I'm there. I can see the warriors you are talking about.'

Arthur settled into a chair, closing his eyes to better focus on the connection.

'Good. Activate your clairvoyance skill. I want to see.'

Hank's vision flooded into Arthur's mind—a hawk's-eye view from high above the forest path. The sixteen warriors moved in formation beneath the canopy, visible in patches where sunlight broke through the leaves.

Their organization was better than Arthur had expected. Theodore had arranged them in a diamond pattern—scouts at point and flanks, heavy fighters forming a protective perimeter around the support classes.

'Circle lower,' Arthur commanded. 'I want to hear them.'

Hank's mental acknowledgment came with a sensation of diving. The hawk spiraled downward, settling on a branch just above the group, careful to remain hidden among the leaves.

"—at least another hour before we reach the western ridge," Theodore was saying, consulting a rough map. "We should rest soon. No point arriving exhausted. We have already fought a lot of monsters."

"We've barely been walking," Cain protested, his twin nodding in agreement.

"Pace isn't about distance," Theodore replied patiently. "It's about sustainable energy management. Five-minute water break, then we continue."

'He understands conservation,' Arthur noted with approval. 'Good.'

The group settled beneath a large oak. Most took the opportunity to check equipment or consult with teammates, but Jasmine moved between them, examining for signs of fatigue or minor injuries that might worsen.

'Swing right,' Arthur instructed Hank. 'Where are Skyla and Aether?'

Hank's vision shifted, focusing on a clearing several hundred meters away. Skyla circled high above, as she maintained a wider surveillance perimeter.

Below her, a surprising sight—Aetherion, in his smaller form, was sprawled on a large boulder, seemingly napping.

Yet his ears twitched at every sound, his apparently casual pose belying his alertness.

'He's learning subtlety,' Arthur thought, impressed by the dragon's restraint.

'The big one wanted to eat a wild boar,' Hank reported, a hint of disapproval in his mental voice. 'I told him it doesn't taste nice.'

'They really don't,' Arthur praised. 'Now, back to the warriors. Has Theodore sent any scouts ahead?'

Hank's vision swung back, then extended forward along the path. Two figures moved silently through the underbrush—the rogue Nyla and the ranger Kell, maintaining visual contact while checking for threats.

Arthur nodded to himself. Theodore wasn't taking any chances. He'd deployed his resources effectively, maintaining security while preserving strength for the real challenge ahead.