Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

"I intend to utilize Singularity Collapse! My aim is to eradicate all life and matter in this cavern! She must face the consequences!" Arthur could perceive the genuine distress in his companion's emotional state. Aether held himself solely accountable for Arthur's injury, torn between his protective instincts and his urge for severe retribution against the entity responsible for his master's suffering.

"I am to blame for Master's injury!" Aether's inner turmoil surged through their mental bond. "I have failed twice! She has outwitted me twice! No more!"

Acting without seeking Arthur's consent or guidance, Aether leapt from Arthur's side and positioned himself in front of him. Aether's body began to rapidly expand. Starting from his small, kitten-sized form, he grew in size until he matched Pride's imposing stature, his scales shimmering with spatial energy.

In a swift teleportation move, the colossal void dragon vanished from Arthur's shoulder and materialised right beside the Cackle Queen before she could react. Despite her vigilance and strategic foresight, the queen was powerless to prevent the impending assault. Aether's teleportation was too abrupt and impeccably timed, transforming him from a harmless companion to a formidable threat in a fraction of a second.

Aether's enlarged claws, now resembling blades in size and sharpness, slashed across the queen's face with brutal accuracy. It was not a haphazard act of violence but a calculated act of vengeance aimed at inflicting maximum pain without ending her life immediately.

The queen's agonised cry reverberated through the throne room, causing the bone structure to tremble. Her legendary resilience offered little defense against claws capable of rending the very fabric of space.

"You have harmed Master!" Aether bellowed with a rage that seemed to shake the cave's foundations. "You have caused me to fail him! Now you will face the consequences!"

Aether's fury had metamorphosed him from Arthur's cheerful companion into a formidable entity driven by primal anger. His usual playful demeanour had vanished, replaced by a wrathful force demanding retribution through violence.

Desperate to gain an advantage, the queen swiftly tried to employ her Nightmare talent against the enraged dragon. Her mental assault struck Aether with the full force of her legendary abilities, inundating his mind with visions intended to induce terror and paralysis.

However, Aether's fury surpassed the realm of psychological manipulation. The moment he sensed the queen's intrusion, his focus sharpened to crystal clarity, dispelling the illusion as sunlight banishes shadows.

"No more deceptions!" Aether growled as he shattered the queen's spell before it could take hold. "No more games!"

His claws struck once more, targeting her sides with precision. The queen's invulnerable hide yielded before Aether's claws, weapons that slash dimensions.

As Aether continued his assault, each strike designed to maximise agony while keeping his victim conscious, it was evident that this was not mere combat but a form of punishment driven by a protective instinct pushed to its limits.

Despite the queen's attempts to escape or disorient him with speed and psychological tactics, each effort was met with swift and overwhelming retaliation, leaving her in a more dire state than before.

Arthur observed the dismantling with a faint smile. Aether's protective fury was not only moving but strategically sound.

Aether was ensuring that the queen would never pose a threat to Arthur's safety again.

Yet, as the cave reacted adversely to the escalating energies and damage, Arthur took swift action, employing his spatial manipulation skill on a grand scale to teleport all ten restrained hyenas outside the collapsing cavern before they could be crushed by debris.

Bound by his Shadow Bind ability, these creatures represented valuable assets, promising epic item drops that Arthur was not willing to forfeit lightly.

Meanwhile, Aether persisted in his relentless assault on the queen, his fury unabated despite her desperate resistance. When he realised the imminent collapse of the cave, he made a choice that showcased both his intelligence and his desire for Arthur to witness the culmination of his vengeance.

Effortlessly, Aether teleported himself and the severely injured queen outside the cave, appearing in the forest clearing where Arthur had relocated the hyenas. He wanted his master to witness the final stages of his retribution against the one who had caused Arthur harm.

As the Bone Cathedral, a symbol of psychological warfare for generations, crumbled behind them, Aether's quest for justice was far from over.

Arthur assessed the tactical situation with cold efficiency. The ten superior-rank hyenas remained bound by his Shadow Bind skill, their forms immobilized but still draining his mana reserves to maintain the restraints. They represented potential threats that served no useful purpose now that their queen was being systematically destroyed by Aether's fury.

"No point in wasting mana," Arthur muttered with pragmatic finality.

Moving with methodical precision, Arthur approached each bound hyena and ended their lives with clinical efficiency. His Chaos Katana cut through their legendary hides without resistance, each strike calculated to sever vital connections instantly rather than prolonging unnecessary suffering.

[You have killed a level 23 Crimson Hyena (Superior-rank)]

[You have killed a level 24 Crimson Hyena (Superior-rank)]

...

[You have killed a level 23 Crimson Hyena (Superior-rank)]

As each hyena fell, items materialised from their defeated forms, epic-rank equipment. Arthur immediately checked and stored the drops, his mind already assessing their potential usages.

All ten hyenas had dropped epic-ranked items, creating a treasure trove that exceeded most players' wildest dreams. Three of the items were attack-based weapons—a serrated war axe that pulsed with crimson energy, twin daggers whose blades were sharp enough to cut down superior-ranked beasts, and a spear whose tip crackled with lightning that defied the clear sky above.

Five items were defensive in nature, armour pieces that would provide substantial protection enhancement for anyone. The drops were exceptional, each piece designed not just for protection but for flexibility in extended combat situations.

Two items were accessories: a crimson amulet that radiated with illusion resistance properties, and a ring that increased mental defences.

Arthur's attention was immediately drawn to one particular piece among the defensive items—a set of light armor that perfectly matched his preferred combat style. The equipment was designed for mobility and flexibility rather than maximum protection, prioritizing speed and agility over raw damage absorption.