Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

The world spun for a brief moment before their surroundings solidified. Arthur and Gates glanced around, taking in their familiar surroundings with an uneasy feeling of déjà vu.

"Again? The same spot?" Gates said, his voice tinged with both frustration and curiosity.

Arthur nodded thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing. "I think I get what's going on. It's the same village, but the difficulty keeps increasing. It's like a progressive trial. Although..." He paused, glancing at the horizon. "I do wonder how many floors there are."

...

Arriving in front of the Goblin Village, both Arthur and Gates found themselves frowning.

This time, the scene was markedly different.

Four archer towers appeared in the distance, each controlled by two goblins. The defences had noticeably tightened.

"This is bad," Gates muttered, crossing his arms as he analyzed the setup. "Hank wouldn't be able to deal with two archers at once, would he?"

Arthur's expression remained composed, though he feigned a slight uncertainty to downplay his abilities. "It will be difficult. They'd likely overwhelm him if he tries to handle two at a time."

As they continued their observation, Arthur's gaze shifted, catching movement from behind. His brow furrowed as he realized what was happening.

"Gates…" Arthur's tone was low and sharp.

"What?"

Arthur pointed over his shoulder. A small team of goblins, armed with crude spears and shields, was creeping up on them.

The moment the goblins spotted Arthur and Gates, they let out shrill, guttural shrieks, their high-pitched cries echoing through the cavern.

"They have exploration teams now?" Gates exclaimed, gripping his weapon tightly. "This didn't happen in the earlier levels."

Arthur's expression hardened as he drew his dagger. "Well, guess they're done playing defense. Let's handle this quickly."

The goblin team charged, their shrieks growing louder as they closed the distance. There were six of them, their weapons considerably better than the previous floors. Despite their apparent lack of coordination, the goblins' raw aggression was evident.

Arthur glanced at Gates, signalling with a quick nod. "Three each. Let's keep this quiet."

"Got it," Gates replied, stepping forward with his blade raised.

Arthur moved swiftly, closing the distance between himself and the first goblin. It lunged at him with a spear, but he sidestepped gracefully, the weapon slicing harmlessly through the air.

With a quick slash of his dagger, Arthur sliced across the goblin's exposed side.

-12HP

The goblin staggered, clutching its side, but Borak didn't let the goblin recover. He charged and drove his tusks into this chest.

-25HP

[You have slain Goblin (Level 3)]

Arthur didn't waste a moment, his gaze darting to the second goblin that rushed at him. This one carried a shield, raising it defensively as it advanced.

Arthur frowned slightly, adjusting his grip.

Meanwhile, Gates was locked in combat with his own three goblins. He struck the goblins with power and took down one goblin with a clean thrust to the chest.

Arthur dashed to the side, feinting a strike to the shielded goblin's left. The goblin instinctively shifted his shield to block the incoming attack, exposing its right flank.

Arthur took advantage of the opportunity, slashing across the goblin's unprotected side.

-15HP

The goblin roared in pain, its shield dropping slightly as it faltered. Borak followed Arthur's attacks, complementing them with a charge that killed the goblin. Read latest stories on empire

[You have slain Goblin (Level 3)]

The third goblin rushed Borak, its sharp teeth bared and saliva dripping as it raised a jagged club. Borak rushed the goblin, not scared of its attack in the slightest.

Arthur quickly assessed its movements, noting its wild attack.

As Borak's tusks met the goblin's midsection, the goblin's club almost met Borak's head but Arthur struck the club making it fly away from the goblin's hand.

After striking the club, Arthur spun and landed a stab on the goblin's chest.

The goblin stumbled, its balance thrown off. Arthur spun around, slashing across its torso with a decisive blow.

[You have slain Goblin (Level 3)]

Arthur turned his attention to Gates, who had dispatched the last goblin.

Arthur watched as Gates parried a strike and countered with a swift thrust. The goblin let out a strangled cry as Gates finished it off.

'I wonder what his talent is, I don't think he used it yet.'

The clearing fell silent as the last goblin dropped to the ground. Arthur and Gates exchanged a glance, their breathing seemingly heavy.

"Well, that was fun," Gates said, sheathing his blade.

Arthur smirked faintly, wiping his dagger clean. "This floor is going to be difficult, I can tell."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Gates nodded, agreeing with Arthur's words. "Difficult might be an understatement."

Turning their heads, they looked back at the goblin village. The archers in the towers had their bows drawn and were staring in their direction. Their postures were clearly tense, their expression filled with vigilance.

"It seems like they heard the goblin shriek," Gates observed, watching the way the goblins moved with urgency. "They're on high alert now."

Arthur's eyes moved as he caught movement at the village gates. "Check this out," he said, his voice low and cautious.

The wooden gates creaked open slowly, revealing a hulking goblin that emerged from behind the gates.

The goblin was unlike any they had encountered so far. This one was massive, at least three times larger than the average goblins they had been fighting.

His green skin was of a darker shade, and his bulging muscles were pressed against the armour he wore. A massive basket was strapped to his back, and inside were two smaller goblins, armed with bows, chuckling menacingly.

"What's this? That goblin has to be a boss," Gates said, gripping his weapon tighter.

Arthur nodded, his sharp eyes locked on the towering figure.

'Yeah, no doubt. This one's different. A pseudo-elite for sure. I'd bet it's at least level five.'

The large goblin let out a roar that shook the air, the sound reverberating the area.

Gates tensed as he saw movement behind it. More goblins began filing out of the village gates, forming ranks behind the boss. The archers from the watchtowers climbed down, joining the swelling small army.

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "It's not just the boss. That's a full squad… and they're all coming for us."

The massive goblin raised a crude, oversized club, pointing it toward Arthur and Gates as if issuing a challenge. With a bark-like roar, it began advancing, its small army following close behind.

"Well, I guess they've decided to bring the fight to us," Gates said dryly, his grip tightening on his sword.

Arthur smirked, rolling his shoulders to loosen the tension. "Good. Saves us the trouble of sneaking around."

Gates glanced at him, his expression wary. "This is going to be tough. They've got the numbers, and bosses are known to be much stronger than normal monsters."

As the goblins closed in on them, Arthur made a plan. "Here's what we do," he said quickly. "I will summon Hank to harass the goblins in the basket—take out the archers so they can't pick us off from range. Borak and I will focus on thinning out the weaker goblins, create some space, and cut down their numbers."

Gates nodded, his grip tightening on his sword. "And the big guy?"

Arthur's gaze shifted to the massive goblin boss advancing toward them. "I need you to hold it off. Delay it as much as you can until we've dealt with the smaller ones. Once the field is clear, we'll regroup and bring it down together."

Gates shook his head, his expression grim. "I can't do it with my current strength. That thing will crush me in no time."

Arthur feigned a look of realization, snapping his fingers. "Right! How could I forget? I've got just the thing." He reached into his backpack inventory and pulled out a book.

Gates squinted at it, his curiosity piqued. "What's that?"

Arthur smirked, holding the book up for Gates to see.

—

<Sword Slash>

<Rank: Rare>

<Active>

<Description: Releases a concentrated energy wave through a powerful slash. Effective for wide-range attacks.>

—

Gates's eyes widened as he stared at the rare skill book, barely able to contain his amazement.

"This...this is a rare skill!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief. He glanced at Arthur, clearly wanting to ask how he got his hands on such a valuable item but stopping himself, knowing that everyone had their secrets.

"How much do you want for it?" Gates asked his tone a mix of eagerness and caution. He knew that Arthur wouldn't give it to him for free, only a fool would do such a thing after all.

Arthur smiled, his expression calm. "How much are you willing to pay?"

Gates paused, his gaze flickering between Arthur and the skill book. He understood the value of this moment. Building a stronger connection with someone as resourceful as Arthur could pay dividends in the future.

"Fifty gold coins," Gates said firmly. "And consider the earlier condition about selling me an exclusive item fulfilled."

Arthur's smile widened. "Deal."

Inwardly, Arthur was practically doing backflips. "Fifty gold coins for a single item? I'm going to be a millionaire by the time this realm ends."

Gates didn't waste a second. He opened his inventory and completed the transaction, transferring the gold coins to Arthur as the goblins advanced slowly.

A notification confirmed the trade as Arthur pocketed the coins, his inward smirk growing larger.

Gates immediately activated the skill book. A blue light enveloped him as the knowledge of the skill was transferred into his mind in mere seconds.

"This is… incredible," Gates murmured, flexing his hands as if feeling the effects of the skill coursing through him. "I think I can handle that boss now, but let me double-check." He turned toward the advancing goblin horde, his gaze locking onto the massive boss.

Arthur watched Gates's reaction with mild amusement, his own expression unreadable. "Take your time," he said coolly. "We've got a pseudo-elite boss to deal with, and I'd rather not rush into something without a plan."

Gates raised his sword. "With this skill, we should have a chance to beat them."

Arthur nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Alright, here's the plan. I'll summon Hank and Borak. They'll keep the big guy occupied while I assist from the sidelines. You focus on the smaller goblins and use your skill to thin out their numbers as quickly as possible."

"The skill is AOE," Gates said, nodding as he processed the plan. "It's definitely better used on the smaller ones. I'll clear the field, then back you up."

Arthur smirked faintly. "Exactly. Just worry about them and leave the big one to me and my summons. Once they're down, we'll regroup and take on the big guy together."

"Got it," Gates said, gripping his sword tightly.