Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

The corner of Arthur's vision shimmered briefly as he glanced at his coin balance.

[Coins:] Gold: 36 | Silver: 61 | Bronze: 3

A smirk curled on his lips, his steps gaining an extra bounce. "I'm rich," he muttered under his breath, letting the words linger as if they tasted sweet.

"Making money in this world is almost too easy." His mind drifted to the payments of Charlotte's treatment, a small cosy house and maybe even a taste of something exotic to eat.

He felt like the game's world was bending to his will.

But that thought fled the moment he arrived at John's weathered, ramshackle house. As usual, the drunkard sat slumped in his favourite spot, cradling a bottle in his gnarled hand. The scene was familiar, yet something was off.

Arthur's stride slowed, his sharp eyes narrowing.

John didn't move, didn't even glance up. Usually, the old man's lazy demeanour snapped into focus the moment Arthur appeared. Not this time. His head hung low, the bottle barely gripped in his trembling fingers. Enjoy exclusive content from empire

'What's eating at him?' Arthur wondered, his curiosity sharpening like a blade.

Then, as realization struck, his lips curled into a sly grin. 'Wait. Don't tell me he actually checked… Did the truth sober him up?'

Arthur closed the distance and tilted his head. "So? Did you check if I was right?"

John's bloodshot eyes flickered up briefly, annoyance and resignation flashing in them. He sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging further. "Yeah… That damn serpent is ep—"

"Okay, okay!" Arthur raised a hand sharply, cutting him off. His gaze darted around, scanning for anyone who might be too close.

"No need to announce it to the whole damn world." His tone dropped to a near whisper as he leaned in, glancing over his shoulder.

'This idiot's gonna blow my identity if he keeps yapping about an epic monster,' Arthur thought grimly. Straightening up, he folded his arms, the smug grin returning. "Now, John, tell me… Do you still think triple the usual rate is too much?"

John's frown deepened as he shook his head. "Triple? No. If anything, it's a bargain." He paused, his gaze hardening. "But tell me something, kid. Are you sure you can take it down?"

Arthur shrugged casually as if the question bored him. "Of course I can."

The older man leaned forward, his weathered face darkening. "What makes you so damn confident?"

Arthur didn't answer immediately. Instead, he tilted his head, letting the silence take over just long enough to provoke John's unease. Then, with a lopsided grin, he replied, "Just a hunch."

The nonchalance in Arthur's voice sent a chill running down John's spine. His grip on the bottle tightened as an unsettling memory surfaced—a strange, white cat with golden eyes perched on Arthur's shoulder during their first meeting.

Back then, John had known it wasn't just some harmless pet. He couldn't gauge the thing's strength at all, and the way it had stared at him... It wasn't natural.

'That cat…' John thought, his stomach sinking. 'Is it strong enough to kill that serpent? No wonder he's acting so damn cocky. Because he doesn't look near strong enough to kill the pseudo-elite serpent, let alone the epic one.'

John let out a defeated breath and lowered his gaze. "Alright," he muttered, his voice heavy. "I'll be waiting."

[Ding! Quest Updated!]

[Ding! You have Accepted the A-Level hidden village #420 quest: Help John Kill the silver serpent that killed his young daughter. Quest duration: Four days. Reward: 3 Rare Skill books & 15 Gold Coins. Failure: You will lose -80 reputation points in the village, and most villagers will despise you greatly.]

Arthur gave a small nod after reading the new quest details and turned to leave, but then he stopped, glancing over his shoulder with a grin sharp enough to draw blood. "Oh, John?"

The old man looked up, his wary expression unchanged.

"You'll have its fangs soon enough, so make sure you have my reward ready," Arthur said, his voice calm and assured.

Without another word, Arthur walked away.

John sat there, gripping his bottle, his thoughts swirling like storm clouds.

—

Arthur stepped beyond the village's edge.

[You have left the safe zone, you can now be attacked.]

The cool air of the forest greeted him, carrying a faint scent of moss and pine. His eyes swept the area around him before his hand flicked through a subtle gesture using his talent.

In the next instant, the unseen tether connecting him to Sylvaris snapped, banishing the colossal serpent back.

'I would summon Sylvaris to hang out, but he needs to stay hidden,' he mused, his thoughts as calm as his movements. 'Sunless too. They're my aces. No one sees them unless it's life or death.'

Instead, he had a simpler plan. One far more suited to the task at hand.

"Time for a bit of chaos, and a lot of farming," Arthur muttered, a crooked grin tugging at his lips.

The familiar summoning portal appeared in front of him by a nearby tree and in a burst of light, Borak emerged, his hulking body brimming with wild, untamed energy. The massive boar shook his tusks, his eyes shining with intelligence.

Arthur's grin widened. "Same drill as always, Borak. Grow your little harem, subjugate every Wild Boar you find, and kill anything dumb enough to cross you. Players are off-limits unless they swing first. Clear?"

Borak's answering snort was sharp and quick, his hooves pawing at the earth like a warrior awaiting the signal for battle.

"Good lad," Arthur chuckled, giving the boar a nod. "Now go earn your keep."

Borak wasted no time, thundering into the forest with a dream ready to be fulfilled, each step leaving faint tremors in the ground.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Arthur watched until the Borak's shadow disappeared into the dense forest, then started heading deeper inside the forest in another direction.

'Borak's a one-man farming squad,' Arthur thought, a small grin forming on his face. 'I'll hit level ten before I know it.'