Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons-Chapter 271: The Merge!
The shadow spun, becoming a whirlwind of blades that sliced through the air with deadly precision. The technique was flawless—identical to how Arthur would perform it.
"Amazing," Arthur smiled, already calculating possibilities. "You execute it perfectly."
The shadow stopped, returning to its neutral stance, blades held at its sides.
"This changes everything," Arthur muttered, pacing the room. "A perfect copy that can operate independently."
He approached the shadow, studying it closely. "Can you think for yourself? Make tactical decisions?"
The shadow nodded.
He glanced at the window, noting the sun's position. "It's getting late. Time to test your range."
Arthur opened his map, pointing to a location across the city. "Go to this spot. Observe for thirty minutes, then return. Avoid being seen. Also, let me know when you get there."
The shadow studied the map, nodded, then melted into the darkness beneath a nearby table, disappearing completely.
Arthur felt a strange connection form between himself and the shadow. Not direct communication, but awareness—a vague sense of the shadow's location and status as it moved through the city streets.
As the shadow departed on its mission, Arthur turned his attention to the new notifications waiting in his status panel.
[Congratulations! You have reached level 20! Due to your early achievement, your world will now have the opportunity to merge with Armageddon at an earlier date. Currently, you are the only player able to see the countdown...]
[47:59:51]
Arthur's heart raced, pulse thundering in his ears. He stopped reading at the countdown part, eyes fixed on the numbers ticking down.
"Finally. Finally!" His voice broke, almost a whimper.
Forty-eight hours. Just two days until the merge—the moment everything would change.
Tears welled up unexpectedly, spilling down his cheeks.
Formicia, who had been resting in the corner of the room, opened her eyes at the sound of her master's distress. The massive spider uncurled her legs and moved closer, her movements surprisingly gentle for a creature her size.
"Master?" Her new voice was soft, melodic. "Your heart rate is elevated."
At the same moment, Neko poked her head out from Arthur's pocket where she'd been napping. The tiny primordial being blinked sleepily before registering Arthur's tears.
"Why are you leaking?" she demanded, climbing out to perch on his shoulder. Despite her imperious tone, concern flickered in her luminous eyes.
Arthur hastily wiped his face. "It's nothing."
"Your tears indicate otherwise," Formicia noted, settling beside his chair. "Your breathing pattern suggests emotional distress."
"I don't cry over nothing," Neko said firmly, patting his cheek with a tiny paw. "I'm a princess, you know. I can tell when someone's lying."
Arthur stared at his summons—a giant spider and a miniature primordial being—both looking at him with genuine concern. It was absurd, really. These creatures were bound to obey him, yet here they were, worried about his feelings.
"It's my sister," he found himself saying. "In the real world. She's sick and... captive. But soon I'll be able to help her."
Although his summons didn't fully comprehend his words, they still reassured their master.
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"Hmph," Neko sniffed, though her tail curled comfortingly around his neck. "Of course you will. You have me, after all. And I suppose these other beasts might be marginally useful."
"Your determination is admirable," Formicia added. "In my centuries of existence, I've never observed a human like you."
"You've... observed humans before?" Arthur asked, momentarily distracted from his emotions.
"Many times, I ate them all, but that's beside the point," the spider confirmed. "You are the first who has earned my respect."
Neko headbutted his chin gently. "Enough crying-nya."
Arthur felt a strange warmth spread through his chest. He'd created his guild, made connections, fought and schemed—all for Charlotte. But in this moment with his summons, they felt more than just weapons for his goal.
"Thank you," he said simply.
"Don't get sentimental," Neko warned, though she remained curled against his neck. "It's merely an observation of fact. You're capable. For a human."
Formicia moved closer, one leg gently resting against Arthur's arm. "We will assist you when the time comes, Master. Your battles are our battles."
Arthur hadn't expected this. Yet somehow, in this moment before the merge, before the storm that would soon break over both worlds, he found them comforting him.
Arthur found himself smiling despite everything.
Seeing Arthur finally regain himself, Neko returned to his pocket to sleep once again, whilst Formicia simply curly beside her master.
Arthur took a few breaths to calm down, then continued to read the notification.
Arthur took a few breaths to calm down, then continued reading the notification.
[...Currently, you are the only player able to see the countdown. You are also the only player who is able to use a single talent effect without any physical constraint for a limited time of 1 minute in your world before the merge.]
Upon reading the second line, Arthur jumped up, startling Formicia beside him.
"I don't need to wait two days. I can finally save her...now!" His voice cracked with excitement.
Without hesitation, Arthur selected the talent effect he wanted:
[Space (SSS-Rank)] Talent Effect #1: You have absolute control over space, allowing you to fold, cut, and distort it at will. You can teleport instantly to any location you have previously visited. Short distances have no cooldown, while longer jumps may require minutes to an hour. The cooldown can extend up to 24 hours depending on the distance.
The choice was strategic. His Primordial Summoner talent was on cooldown, and summoning beasts within a one-minute window would be pointless. With only sixty seconds of power in the real world, teleportation was the perfect solution.
'I'll have control over space, able to attack and defend myself if needed.'
His fingers hovered over the logout button. Part of him wanted to materialize in front of Donald and tear him apart right now. But he restrained himself.
'I've waited for weeks. Two more days is nothing. Charlotte comes first. I only have one minute, after all. Also, I don't want them dead so easily, i will be showing them mercy like this.'
Arthur opened his messaging interface and texted Gates.
"Is everything ready?"
The reply came almost instantly: "Yes, everything is ready."
Gates didn't know the full story—only that Arthur needed to extract someone from a dangerous situation. Arthur had instructed him to position trusted subordinates in the old alleyway of the slums where Arthur had once lived. When he arrived with Charlotte, they would transport them to Gates' private, unknown hospital.
"Are you sure it's ready? I want no errors. Gates!"
"...I will double check. Give me 2 minutes."
Arthur's heart hammered against his ribs as he waited. That minute felt like an eternity.
"Everything is ready. They are waiting for your arrival."
In the forest of Caldera, Gates stood with his subordinates and daughter, puzzled by the urgency in Arthur's messages.
'How will he do it?' Gates wondered.
What he didn't expect was that Arthur would teleport instead of arriving through normal means.
Arthur logged out, appearing in the real world, with a notification hovering before his eyes—visible only to him.
[Would you like to use your privilege?] [Yes|No]
His heart raced. This was it. The culmination of weeks of planning, suffering, and preparation.
For Charlotte.
