Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

Arthur's lips curled into a faint smile. "Sure thing. You'll be the first to know."

The portal shimmered around them as they stepped through, the hidden realm fading away as the outside world came into view.

Once outside, the two stood for a moment at the edge of the forest.

Gates glanced at Arthur, giving him a small nod. "Alright then, I'll catch you later."

Arthur returned the nod. "Take care."

After watching him leave for a few seconds. Arthur headed off in the opposite direction with a satisfied grin, "Now, let's see what other opportunities this world has to offer."

After walking in the forest for a while, Arthur paused as a notification appeared in front of him.

[Global Announcement: A Player Has Reached Level 10!]

[The Global Ranking Leaderboard is Now Available! Check Your Rank in the Rankings Menu!]

Arthur blinked at the announcement, his steps coming to a halt as his eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What…?" he muttered, his voice trailing off as he stared at the glowing message.

"What kind of freak reached Level 10 already? Does this guy even sleep? Does he eat, or does he just live off pure grind-fueled insanity?" Arthur ranted, waving his hands in disbelief.

"It's been, what, a couple of days since the beta launched? How is someone already Level 10?!"

He opened his menu to check the new Global Rankings tab. A holographic list popped up, displaying the top-level players in all of Armageddon.

[Global Rankings]

1. [???] - Level 10

2. [???] - Level 9n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

3. [Lao_Tzu] - Level 9

…

"Damn," he muttered, pausing for a moment. "It seems like there's more than one lunatic out there grinding their life away. Two players are already almost at Level 10."

He continued scrolling down, watching as the levels gradually decreased, with most players hiding their identities except a few.

"Let's see… where am I?" Arthur whispered to himself, his finger flicking the scroll bar lower. The levels trickled down further until his eyes landed on a golden name.

99. [???] - Level 6

Arthur paused, looking at the golden glow of his anonymous tag, a visual indicator marking his own ranking. A smirk crept onto his face. "Well, at least I made it to the top 100. Barely, but hey, a win is a win."

He leaned back slightly, his mind racing as he examined the gap between him and the players above. "Almost Level 7 now. Even if I'm behind in levels, I doubt I'd lose to any of these grind maniacs in real combat. They might have the levels, but I've got something they probably don't—skills, summons, and an overpowered class."

His expression turned thoughtful as he considered the implications of being at the top. "Although, I wonder how much stronger the player at Level 10 really is. Did they get some insane stat boost or unlock another skill? It's hard to say."

"Either way, rushing to the top was never my goal. My main focus was money—for Charlotte's treatment," he said aloud as if reminding himself of the journey so far.

"But now that I have enough coins..." He muttered staring at his wealth.

[Coins:] Gold: 121 Silver: 63 Bronze: 53

"This translates to $1,216,353," he muttered, a hint of pride mixed with relief in his tone. "This should be enough for her treatment. And I'll still be making much more as I venture deeper into this world."

For a moment, he stood still, staring at the numbers.

A soft exhale escaped his lips as his thoughts drifted back to Charlotte. "But I can't just focus on levelling and forget about her. Especially not now, when she needs me the most. Mental health is just as important as physical health. I need to find a balance—grinding here, while also being there for her."

His gaze shifted to the glowing question marks at the top of the leaderboard. There was no envy, only a spark of determination.

"Alright," he said, his voice steady, "let's start grinding."

Arthur stepped back, his hand raised.

The summoning portal materialized before him, swirling with energy.

One by one, his summons Hank, Borak, Sylvaris, Sunless, and Lupin emerged except for Neko.

"Good, listen up everyone," Arthur said, his voice firm as his summons stood in formation before him. "It's time we pick up the pace. We'll start grinding levels aggressively, but I'll be strategic. I need you all at your best."

Arthur turned to Hank and Lupin. The hawk perched on a low branch while the wolf stood tall, its ears twitching in anticipation.

"Hank, Lupin, you'll team up. Head west," he said, pointing toward the dense underbrush in that direction. "Same command as usual—take down any monsters you encounter. But if they're too strong, retreat immediately. No unnecessary risks."

Hank screeched in agreement, his wings spreading wide as he took off into the air. Lupin growled softly, nodding before sprinting into the forest.

The two quickly disappeared.

Arthur turned to Borak. "Borak," he said with a smirk, "you know the drill. Go find your harem and start grinding with them. The more experience they gain, the stronger we become."

Borak snorted loudly, his tusks glinting in the sunlight as he stomped off, his head held high. Arthur watched him go, shaking his head with amusement.

Finally, Arthur's gaze landed on Sunless. "Sunless, you'll go solo. You're strong enough to handle most, if not all, of the creatures in this forest. No need for anyone to accompany you."

"Sylvaris you will accompany me," He said, moving his gaze to the huge silver serpent next to him.

At those words, Sunless's posture stiffened. His glowing eyes flickered with a hint of emotion—jealousy, frustration, and a burning desire to prove himself. Arthur didn't miss the subtle change and raised a brow.

Continue your adventure at empire

"You're strong, Sunless," Arthur said, his voice carrying reassurance. "But I'll be heading into unknown territory. Sylvaris will stay with me for emergencies, but don't let that make you feel less capable. You've already proven your worth, I picked you solely because I know that you are a killing machine."

Sunless didn't respond but instead dashed off into the forest with blinding speed. Arthur sighed softly, watching his figure disappear into the forest. "Always so eager to prove his loyalty," he muttered, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Turning to Sylvaris, Arthur gestured for the serpent to follow. "You're with me, Sylvaris. Let's go." Sylvaris hissed softly in acknowledgement, his silver scales catching the light as it slithered beside him.

Arthur adjusted his grip on his dagger, his senses heightened as he prepared to move forward. "Alright," he said to himself, his voice low but determined. "Time to get to work."

As Arthur ventured deeper into the forest with Sylvaris by his side, his notifications began lighting up one after another.

[You have slain Level 3 Corroded Rabbit.]

[You have slain Level 4 Corroded Beetle.]

Arthur couldn't help but smile as the steady stream of kills rolled in. "They're already working hard," he muttered, his voice carrying a hint of excitement.

...

[Ding!]

[You have levelled up to Level 7]

[All attribute points will be increased by 1]

[You have gained 1 free attribute point and 1 Skill Point]