Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

With the guide dismissed, Arthur turned his full attention to the Cackle Queen's lifeless body. Her powerful form, though torn and bloodied from their earlier clash, still radiated a residual aura of strength. She had been a true apex predator, and now, even in death, she would serve a new purpose.

Arthur raised his hand and pressed it against the queen's still-warm flank. His voice, steady and resolute, echoed with authority as he activated his Primordial Summoner talent.

"Awaken."

A rumble passed through the earth as the summoning portal opened beneath her corpse.

A vortex of pure blackness erupted from the ground, an abyssal gate formed from his primordial summoning energy. The edges of the portal crackled with threads of violet lightning, searing the air with mana as it expanded to accommodate the queen's imposing size.

Her body, once a feared legend of the territory, was now absorbed into the summoning space, a realm between life and death that only he could access. In that darkness, her essence would be reforged.

Moments passed. Then the portal stirred again, this time reversing its flow.

The energy reshaped, now opening as a gateway from which the queen would return—no longer a wild creature bound by instinct, but a legendary summon bound by his talent and will.

She emerged, fur sleek and unmarred, her red eyes burning with intelligence and loyalty. The aura she radiated was no longer chaotic or sadistic, but measured and controlled, tempered by loyalty to her new master.

Arthur observed her with a mixture of approval and curiosity. She was magnificent. Still fearsome in presence, but now refined in bearing.

The transformation was complete.

"You shall retain your title," Arthur said, his voice low but firm. "Cackle Queen. It is a name you earned, not just for your strength, but for the cleverness with which you ruled your territory. Even if your methods left much to be desired, your instincts were undeniable. You've made Aether really angry to the point that he didn't wait for my order before attacking you."

The Cackle Queen bowed deeply, her large body lowering in a gesture of absolute submission. Her eyes no longer held wild defiance. Instead, they brimmed with respect and reverence for her monarch.

Arthur stepped closer, studying her expression for a moment longer before continuing.

"Cackle Queen," he said, "I am searching for a rare herb—crimson petals like blood, with a core that burns like open flame. It is called the Pyro's Lotus. It is vital, and its properties may be linked to strong emotional or elemental influences. Have you ever seen such a plant in your lands or neighbouring regions?"

The queen's mental voice responded swiftly, her tone laced with genuine regret.

"Master, I have not. In all my decades ruling the territory, I have never seen nor sensed such an herb within my domain. Neither have I heard whispers of it in any bordering region. If such a plant does exist, it should be either in the Winter Beast's territory or deeper into the Grieving Hollow."

Arthur gave a slow nod.

It was disappointing, but not unexpected. Still, her knowledge, or lack of it, served to confirm what he had already suspected: the Pyro's Lotus would not be found easily. Its rarity was real, perhaps even exaggerated by the elemental sensitivity of creatures who failed to detect it.

It was no wonder that those who had accepted the mission either died trying to find it or never found it at all. He had just cleared two places that very few adventurers could enter and leave without dying, and found nothing, even with the leaders of the territory under his wing.

It was simply an impossible task for 99% of adventurers inside Caldera

Arthur exhaled slowly, the frustration evident in his expression. Two legendary territories had been thoroughly explored. Two legendary creatures had been subdued and claimed under his command. Yet, despite all that progress, there was still no sign of the herb Charlotte so desperately needed.

With each passing moment, the possibility of venturing into the Winter Beast's domain loomed larger in his mind. That territory, infamous for its dangers, offered a chance at success but at the cost of confronting a very possible level 25 entity with active domain abilities. A direct engagement with such a creature would not be easy, not even for someone of Arthur's calibre.

Before he could dwell further on the logistics of such a risk, a sound echoed through the forest, cutting cleanly through his thoughts.

"Ahwooo! Ahwooo! Ahwooo!"

The sharp cries were unmistakable.

They were hyena howls, aggressive and alert. Arthur pivoted calmly, his senses sharpening as he scanned the treeline. Dozens of glowing red forms began to emerge from the gloom, weaving between the trees with unnerving steps. There were roughly thirty of them, each closing in from every direction.

Their arrival was no random patrol. These were reinforcements, responding to the alerts and screams of their queen from earlier. Whether they had come to investigate or to aid her, it no longer mattered.

Arthur's heightened perception quickly dissected their capabilities. Each creature radiated the strength of a superior rank, most sitting solidly at level 20, with a handful pushing into level 21. In sheer force, they were impressive. Most solitary legendary beasts would have been hard-pressed to withstand such a group assault.

But Arthur was no ordinary creature.

Rather than concern, he felt satisfied. In a twist of fortune, thirty highly valuable enemies had arrived on his doorstep, hand-delivered by their own instincts.

They were not just enemies. They were resources. A walking stockpile of epic-tier materials and combat experience.

"Perfect timing, I was starting to think this land had nothing more to offer," Arthur muttered, a smile creeping across his face.

The hyenas advanced with confidence, moving as a single pack trained for strikes.

Seeing their queen alive and well, they were clearly more confident. They believed they were coming to support their queen. They believed Arthur was weakened. Their posture said as much. It was the attitude of predators expecting to deliver a finishing blow.