Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

Standing near the blacksmith's stall were John and Yohan, surrounded by a few others who had been with them during their previous encounters.

He'd taken his revenge since then, killing them enough times to make them think twice before crossing him again.

This time, however, something was different.

Arthur's gaze locked onto John and Yohan, and for the first time, he didn't see hatred in their eyes. There was no malice, no smug arrogance. Instead, their expressions were... unreadable.

The moment they noticed him, John straightened, nudging Yohan. The two of them exchanged a glance before walking toward Arthur, the others hanging back hesitantly.

Arthur stopped in his tracks, his sharp eyes narrowing as they approached.

Yohan was the first to speak, his voice cautious. "Fateless..."

Arthur didn't respond immediately. He simply stood there, his expression neutral, his piercing gaze locked on Yohan's face.

John at the side shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the other players before turning his attention back to Arthur.

The silence stretched for a beat, the weight of their shared history hanging in the air.

Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly, but his voice remained calm, almost casual. "What do you want?"

Yohan hesitated, his gaze darting to the players lingering in the street. Finally, he spoke, his voice low. "We need to talk to you about something important, but... this isn't the right place."

Arthur's brow arched higher, his sharp eyes scanning Yohan's face. The man's tone was cautious, almost nervous, but there was no malice in his expression.

Arthur shifted his weight slightly, one hand resting lazily on the hilt of Chaos at his hip. "Not the right place?" His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, a quiet warning.

John stepped forward slightly, his discomfort evident in the way he avoided Arthur's gaze. "Look," he muttered, his tone low, almost pleading. "Just hear us out. We're not here to fight."

Arthur's lips twitched into a faint smirk, though his piercing gaze didn't soften. "Not here to fight? That's new for you."

John winced at the jab, but Yohan cut in before he could respond. "We mean it, Fateless. Just... follow us. We'll explain everything."

Arthur tilted his head slightly, studying them both. He wasn't afraid. Even if this was some elaborate setup, they'd just be digging their own graves. He could kill them ten times over if it came to that. But something in their demeanour told him this wasn't an ambush. Their eyes held no hatred—only unease.

After a beat of silence, Arthur shrugged lightly. "Alright."

Yohan let out a small breath, nodding quickly. He gestured for Arthur to follow, turning down a side street with John and the others trailing close behind.

Arthur remained calm, his steps unhurried as he followed Yohan's lead. The inn wasn't far, its modest wooden sign creaking faintly in the breeze.

Yohan pushed open the door, stepping inside without a word.

Yohan led the group toward a staircase at the back, motioning for Arthur to follow.

They ascended the creaking stairs in silence, the tension thickening with every step. When they reached the second floor, Yohan opened the door to one of the private rooms and gestured for Arthur to step inside.

Arthur walked in without hesitation, his sharp eyes quickly taking in the small, dimly lit space. A single table sat in the centre, surrounded by chairs. The window was shuttered, blocking out the noise from the street below.

Yohan closed the door behind them, glancing at John and the others before turning back to Arthur.

Arthur crossed his arms, leaning casually against the wall. His expression remained calm, though his sharp gaze darted between them. "Alright, we're here. Start talking."

Yohan exchanged a quick glance with John, who gave a subtle nod before speaking. His tone was cautious but steady.

"I know we've had... issues in the past," Yohan began, his voice low. "We were in the wrong, and we deserved the punishment you gave us. But we want to fix things. To start fresh."

Arthur didn't respond, his expression unreadable. He simply leaned against the wall, arms crossed, letting Yohan continue.

"To show we're serious, we're willing to give you some information. Something that might explain what's going on."

Arthur's sharp eyes narrowed slightly, but he gave a small nod, signaling for Yohan to get on with it.

Yohan hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Do you know why the other players were acting strange? Staring at you like that, even before you came over to us?"

Arthur tilted his head slightly. "No. I've been in the forest leveling up. I just came back. Haven't exactly been keeping up with village gossip and latest news."

Yohan nodded, as though expecting that answer. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Well," he began carefully, "you know how during the monster horde event, the first wave took a weirdly long time to respawn, right? At first, people thought something was bugged or broken. That's why you and Lieutenant Adam went out to investigate. But when you came back, the monsters had already started appearing. Correct?"
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Arthur nodded slowly. "That's right."

Yohan exchanged another glance with John before pressing on. "After the event ended, some players logged off and started asking around. They reached out to other players from other villages. After talking to the players there, and comparing the events that happened during their own monster hordes."

Arthur's brow furrowed slightly. "And?"

"The players from our village noticed the one crucial difference," Yohan said. "During the first wave, the monsters were supposed to come from all four directions. That's how it worked everywhere else. But here? They only came from three directions. There was one direction that no monsters appeared from."

Arthur's frown deepened, but he said nothing, waiting for Yohan to continue.

"The reason?" Yohan paused, his voice dropping lower. "It meant something—or someone—wiped out one direction entirely before the horde even reached the village."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "I see. And what did they say about the second wave?"

Yohan nodded grimly. "That's where it gets worse. The second wave of monsters didn't just disappear. Every single one of them was killed. Not one monster made it to the village. And because of that, almost no one earned any contribution points. The players are furious."

Arthur's sharp gaze locked on Yohan. "So they're suspecting me..."