Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

Gates wiped sweat from his forehead, his wounded shoulder forgotten in the face of approaching doom.

"Arthur, please tell me you have a plan."

Plan? Against that thing that came so abruptly?

Despite his thinking, Arthur started thinking of various ways in which he could delay the demon or deal with it once it approached.

Through the shattered window, the massive demon's body became increasingly visible. Unlike the defective creatures they'd been fighting, this entity radiated intelligence and purpose.

True demon. Ancient power.

Its burning eyes never left the hospital window as it approached at high speed.

Arthur's countdown timer pulsed in his peripheral vision, numbers that suddenly carried desperate significance.

[00:01:37]

Less than two minutes until the merge.

The demon's laugh grew louder as distance decreased. The sound carried harmonics that made glass vibrate and metal groan.

Psychological warfare. It wants us to be afraid.

Arthur's photon weapon felt inadequate against something that massive. The energy beams that had destroyed defective demons would probably tickle this creature.

Need bigger guns. Much bigger.

Seventy-five meters.

"Sir," Dave said quietly, "my weapon's showing full charge, but..."

But it won't be enough.

"I know."

The business-suited man who'd caused this disaster pressed himself against the wall, babbling apologies that nobody wanted to hear.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't let it kill me—"

Gates didn't let him finish slapping him in the face before grabbing him by the collar as he shouted at him.

Arthur's mind raced through tactical possibilities as the massive demon closed the distance with terrifying speed.

Two kilometres and shrinking. Need a distraction. Need bait to buy me some time...damn it!

His eyes fixed on the trembling businessman who'd triggered this catastrophe. The man's terror was absolute, but terror could be moulded into something useful.

Perfect sacrifice. He caused this—he can fix it.

Arthur began backing away from the window, his movements casual enough to avoid drawing attention.

The survivors remained focused on the approaching threat, their fear making them oblivious to subtle repositioning.

Positioning is everything.

He leaned close to the nearest nurse, a young woman with kind eyes who'd been tending to Gates's shoulder.

His whisper was barely audible in the sounds of the photon weapon as the security team pushed back the few remaining demons.

"When I give the signal, you and the other women need to convince that man to be a hero. Use whatever it takes—tears, pleas, promises...everything. Make him think he can save everyone."

To get him to step up as bait, I need volunteers who can sell the act. He's got a textbook hero complex—eager to prove himself, desperate to be seen. That's my leverage.

The nurse's eyes widened with a mix of understanding and horror. She nodded reluctantly, then began whispering to her colleagues. The message spread through the female survivors like ripples in disturbed water.

Guilt is a powerful motivator.

The businessman remained pressed against the wall, completely unaware of the conspiracy forming around him. Gates still held him by the collar, his rage providing excellent distraction.

'Gates's anger helped, although he is quite loud and it's starting to get annoying now.' Arthur thought with a frown.

Arthur stepped forward, his expression shifting to something approaching sympathy. The change was so subtle that only someone studying him closely would notice.

"Gates! Stop it! Let the man go, he just meant to help us. What do you think you are doing shouting at him so much!"

"Arthu-"

"ENOUGH!" Arthur shouted staring at Gates's eyes.

Gates looked puzzled, he wasn't sure why Arthur was shouting at him for a random character that was bound to die in the next few seconds.

Arthur walked towards the man, completely ignoring Gates, who stood there petrified in his place, as if questioning if this was real.

"T-Thank you, I'm sorry about what I've done."

"Listen," Arthur said, his voice carrying calmness.

"I need you to understand something important about what's coming."

The man's tear-streaked face turned toward Arthur with desperate attention. Any information seemed better than ignorant terror.

"That thing out there—it's not hunting random people. It's specifically targeting beta players."

The first lie.

Arthur raised his hand, letting his ring catch the flickering light of the hospital. The black ring marked him as one of Armageddon's chosen beta players.

Everybody had come to know what the ring of players looked like; it was common knowledge at this point in time.

"See this? This is what it's tracking. The ring connects us to the game world, makes us detectable to demonic senses."

The businessman's eyes widened as understanding seemed to dawn.

"You mean... because I don't have a ring, it won't target me?"

Good...he is taking the bait.

"Exactly. You're invisible to its supernatural senses. If it can see you, then you are just another civilian in a building full of people."

Second lie. Building the framework.

Hope began replacing terror in the man's expression. The prospect of survival always overrode rational analysis.

"But here's the problem," Arthur continued, his tone growing urgent.

"Everyone else in this room is either a beta player or connected to one. When it gets here, it'll slaughter everyone."

Make it personal; he has to feel some sort of risk, otherwise it's not enough for him to make a move, even if he has a hero complex.

The businessman looked around the room with new eyes. Children, medical staff, wounded survivors—all of them depending on protection that wouldn't come.

"What... what can I do? I-I'm willing to help, to rectify my mistake."

Perfect question. I was waiting for it.

Arthur gestured toward the window of the building across the street.

"There's a sniper position over there. Perfect line of sight, defensible location. You could hide there."

Plant the suggestion.

"But why would I—"

"Because," Arthur interrupted, "you're the only one who can save everyone."

The businessman's confusion was evident.

"I don't understand."

Arthur's expression grew grave.

"That demon is going to reach this window in less than a minute. It's already been some time since it started moving."

"When it does arrive, it'll be focused on killing beta players. But if someone—someone it can't detect—hit it with a surprise attack at exactly the right moment..."