Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

Chapter 106: The Village is Being Attacked!



Adam nodded, though his sharp gaze never left Arthur. "Agreed. Let's move. You're coming with me."

Arthur gave a small nod, his lips tightening into a grim line.

As they began walking toward the reported site, Arthur's mind raced behind his composed exterior.

He knew Adam suspected him, and his every move would now be scrutinised.

Still, he couldn't suppress a faint smirk that flickered across his face for the briefest moment, hidden beneath his sombre facade.

'Keep doubting me all you want, Adam,' he thought silently. 'You'll find what I let you find—and nothing more.'

Arriving at the scene of the slaughter, Arthur scanned the blood-soaked battlefield littered with monster corpses.

His brows furrowed as a thought struck him. 'Wait… I haven't received any contribution points yet. Nor have I seen a notification about the event being cleared.'

His eyes darted to Adam, who was kneeling over one of the dead monsters, inspecting its wounds.

"Lieutenant Adam," Arthur called out sharply, breaking the man's focus.

Adam turned, his expression serious. "What?"

"Did you receive any notifications about the event being cleared?" Arthur asked, his voice steady but laced with urgency.

Adam froze for a moment, then shook his head. "No… Why?"

Arthur's gaze darkened as the realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. "That means the event isn't over yet," he said, his tone grim. "And if it's not over, then…"

Adam's eyes widened, his mind racing as he pieced it together. "You're saying—"

"Yes," Arthur cut in, his voice sharp. "The village might already be under attack. We need to get back. Now."

Adam's face twisted into a grimace, his jaw tightening as the seriousness of his mistake sank in.

He had been so focused on investigating the mysterious killings that he had left the village vulnerable.

"Shit!" he swore, the word slipping out before he could stop himself. It was the first time Arthur had seen him lose his composure.

Without another word, Adam bolted back toward the village. Arthur followed closely behind, his mind racing as he considered the implications.

If the monsters had circumvented their defences while Adam and his team were distracted, the players left in the village might already be overwhelmed.

As they sprinted through the forest, Adam's expression was set in stone, his jaw clenched tightly as the urgency of their situation loomed over him. The only sounds were their heavy breaths and the rhythmic pounding of their boots against the forest floor.

The faint noise of chaos reached them even before they could see the village. Roars of monsters and distant screams filled the air, sending a chill down Adam's spine.

"Faster," Adam said, more to himself than Arthur, his pace quickening.

Arthur's eyes were sharp, scanning the path ahead. "Something's already wrong," he muttered. "We're too late."

The forest thinned, and as they burst out of the tree line, the scene before them made Adam's breath hitch.

Monsters swarmed the village like a dark tide, their guttural growls echoing through the air. Their hulking figures pressed against the defensive lines, pushing relentlessly toward the gates.

Smoke and the metallic scent of blood filled the air, and the faint flicker of flames could be seen licking at the rooftops of some of the buildings near the eastern entrance.

Players fought desperately, their shouts of determination barely masking their fear. barricades of wood and stone had been erected, now splintering under the relentless assault.

Weapons clanged against claws, and spells illuminated the battlefield in bursts of light, but it was clear the defenders were struggling to keep their footing. They were outnumbered, outmatched, and moments away from being overrun.

Adam's sharp gaze swept across the scene. The eastern gate was barely holding, with a handful of players pushing back against snarling beasts. At the northern gate, players worked tirelessly to plug breaches where monsters had already begun to slip through.

The western side was faring no better; the barricade had fallen entirely, and players were locked in frantic close combat to prevent the monsters from spilling deeper into the village.

"It's worse than I thought," Adam muttered, his voice tight with frustration. "They're holding on by a thread."
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"It's worse than I thought," Adam muttered, his voice tight with frustration. "They're holding on by a thread."

Arthur's eyes scanned the battlefield with a sharpness that belied his calm exterior. He could see players stumbling, their movements sluggish with fatigue, their weapons barely fending off the onslaught. Every strike they landed seemed to be met with two more from the monsters. It was a losing battle.

"They can't last long like this," Arthur said, his tone measured yet firm. "A few more seconds, and this whole defence crumbles."

Adam nodded grimly. "We're going straight to the eastern gate. If that one falls, the others will be overwhelmed in moments. We need to stabilize it first."

Arthur didn't argue. His hand went instinctively to his dagger, the weapon gleaming faintly under the eerie light of the burning village. "Fine. But I'm not just patching up holes. Let's clear as much as we can. The fewer of these monsters we leave, the better chance the village has."

Adam glanced at him, a flicker of approval in his eyes, before turning his focus forward. "Agreed. Let's move."

Together, they surged forward, weaving through the scattered remnants of the forest. As they drew closer, Arthur caught a glimpse of the desperate faces of the players on the frontlines. They were battered, bloodied, and clinging to hope by the thinnest thread. For a brief moment, Arthur's lips curled into a smirk, though not out of malice.

"Let's give them something to fight for," he muttered under his breath, before his steps quickened, closing the distance to the fray.

Arthur's voice boomed across the battlefield, cutting through the chaos like a beacon. "TO ALL PLAYERS! Listen up! Whoever secures a spot in the top 15 contribution rankings will get a free uncommon item of their choice from me!"

The announcement caused a ripple among the beleaguered defenders.

Desperation was momentarily replaced with determination as the promise of a reward reignited their fighting spirit.

Players exchanged glances, gripping their weapons tighter, the lure of rare loot pushing their exhaustion to the back of their minds.

Arthur didn't stop there. He smirked inwardly as he continued, "And for those of you who aren't able to rank in the top 15—don't despair! Five lucky winners will be chosen randomly to receive uncommon items as well. But remember, to qualify for these rewards, you have to survive. So keep fighting!"

The players shouted in acknowledgement, their voices overlapping as they roared in renewed unity.

Even Adam, standing at the eastern gate, turned briefly toward Arthur's direction, his brow furrowing but his lips twitching upward into a faint smile. Arthur's cunning way of motivating people was effective.

Arthur, however, had already moved into the thick of the fray. Monsters snarled and lunged around him, but his movements were fluid and precise.

He ducked under a swipe from a wolf-like creature and leapt back to avoid the lunge of a bear-sized beast. Hidden among the chaos, he crouched low, activating his summoning.

From the swirling darkness of a portal, Hank and Borak materialized, their forms radiating strength and menace.

Hank let out a piercing screech, launching into the air to rain chaos from above, while Borak's heavy frame stomped the ground, challenging the monsters around him with snorts of aggression.

Arthur wasn't done. With a flick of his wrist, another portal opened, and Lupin emerged. The wolf stood tall, his sharp eyes surveying the battlefield. Arthur's grin widened.

No one knew Lupin was part of his arsenal. To the players, he would simply appear as another monster.

"Lupin," Arthur commanded, his voice calm but firm. "Howl of Fury. Let's give these players a little boost."

Lupin responded immediately. He raised his head to the darkened sky and let out a ferocious howl.

The sound echoed across the battlefield, primal and empowering. The effect was instantaneous.

Arthur felt the surge himself—a slight but undeniable increase in his attack speed, his movements becoming sharper.

The players, though unaware of the source, were startled by the sudden surge of energy coursing through their bodies. Strikes that once felt laboured now cut through monsters with renewed precision. Exhaustion seemed to fade, replaced by a strange vitality.

"What… what just happened?" a player stammered, pausing mid-swing before slashing at a wolf-like creature with newfound speed.

"Did you feel that?!" another shouted, her voice tinged with disbelief. "My arms don't feel heavy anymore!"

Arthur smirked watching the chaos unfold. Perfect. The howl's area of effect had reached the players, just as he'd hoped, and their reactions confirmed it.

"Must be some kind of hidden buff for the event!" one player theorized, his voice filled with awe.

"Whatever it is, keep it coming!" another shouted, unleashing a flurry of attacks on the monsters, emboldened by the mysterious strength.

Arthur's grin widened as he darted forward, weaving through the fray unnoticed. He directed Hank and Borak with sharp commands. "Hank, focus on that serpent! Blind it! Borak, take down that ogre and keep it away from the front lines!"

Borak wasted no time, barreling into a massive ogre-like creature with enough force to send it reeling. The beast let out a guttural roar, swinging its club wildly, but Borak expertly dodged, keeping the brute occupied. Above, Hank swooped low, his talons gleaming as he tore into the serpent's glowing eyes, blinding it and sending it thrashing into its own allies.

Meanwhile, Lupin darted through the battlefield, a blur of fur and fangs. His swipes were precise, and powerful. To the players, he was just another beast—albeit one that seemed oddly on their side. None of them questioned it; there simply wasn't time amidst the chaos.

Players continued to voice their astonishment, their shouts blending with the sounds of battle.

"Is it just me, or is everything easier all of a sudden?" a swordsman called out, cleaving through a monster's defences with an ease that left him stunned.

"It's not just you!" another player responded, her bowstring twanging as arrows found their marks with uncanny accuracy. "Something's boosting us!"

"Whatever it is, don't jinx it!" someone else yelled, slamming their shield into an advancing beast and sending it sprawling.

"Keep fighting!" Arthur shouted suddenly, his voice cutting through the din of battle. "You're doing great! Remember, those rewards are waiting for you!"

His words added fuel to the fire. The players roared in response, their focus sharpening as they fought harder, spurred on by the promise of loot and the unexplainable power boost.

Arthur's smirk deepened as he observed the fights.

Everything was unfolding perfectly. The players thought they were benefiting from some mystical event boost, but the reality was far simpler.


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