Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

As Arthur was silently cursing Neko for being a lazy primordial summon, as usual, Sunless was fighting.

Two boars lunged simultaneously from opposite sides, their tusks aimed directly at Sunless's ribs.

Sunless spun sharply, dodging the first with ease, but the second managed to graze its side, sending it stumbling backwards.

-12 HP

"Damn it, they're coordinating," Arthur muttered, his grip on the branch tightening. He had to resist the urge to jump down and intervene. He wanted to test Sunless's strength to have a good estimate of his limits.

"Come on, Sunless. You've got this."

Sunless regained its footing quickly, its claws lashing out in retaliation. The first boar let out a pained squeal as its tusk was severed cleanly, its balance faltering as blood spattered the ground.

-30 HP

The wounded boar staggered, but the others pressed their advantage. The third boar charged headlong into Sunless, its tusks glinting dangerously.

This time, sunless leapt over the beast entirely, landing behind it and slamming both hands down on its spine. The boar collapsed as a sickening crunch reverberated across the area.

-40 HP

[You have slain a Corroded Tusked Wild Boar (Level 4)]

Arthur couldn't help but let out a small cheer. "One down, three to go. Keep it up, Sunless!"

The remaining three boars didn't hesitate.

The largest boar of the group roared, charging with terrifying speed.

Sunless dodged to the left, but as it did, the second boar lunged from the right, its tusks aimed directly at his chest.

Arthur's breath caught as the attack connected, sending Sunless sprawling back.

-5 HP

The impact rattled Sunless slightly, but he quickly rolled to his feet, hands digging into the dirt to reduce his velocity.

Arthur leaned forward, his heart pounding. "Don't let them pin you down!"

Sunless nodded as he darted forward, catching the boar that had hit it off guard.

With a swift strike to the neck, Sunless ended the beast's charge, its body collapsing on the floor.

Thud

[You have slain a Corroded Tusked Wild Boar (Level 3)]

The remaining two boars hesitated, their aggression faltering as they eyed sunless standing amidst their fallen comrades.

Sunless didn't wait, lunging at the smaller of the two.

His bony fingers slashed across the boar's face, blinding it with a spray of blood. The beast let out a deafening squeal, stumbling backwards as it tried to retreat.

Arthur's grin widened. "Finish it!"

Sunless obliged, his claws piercing the boar's chest in one swift motion.

[You have slain a Corroded Tusked Wild Boar (Level 4)]

'The last one is their boss, but his fate will be the same as the rest. Just experience and an uncommon equipment, hehe' Arthur chuckled, at the boar's fate.

The final boar, now alone, growled low, its tusks scraping against the dirt. Arthur could see its hesitation, the fear creeping into its movements as it tried to fake its aggression.

Sunless stood tall, its bony frame exuding strength and confidence you wouldn't expect from a mere skeleton.

The boar charged, its desperation driving it forward with the reckless abandonment of the intelligence it had shown before as it ordered the other Wild Boars.

Sunless waited until the last possible second before sidestepping and slamming his hand down on the beast's skull.

The impact echoed through the clearing as the boar crumpled to the ground.

[You have slain a Corroded Tusked Wild Boar (Level 5)]

Arthur let out a long breath, his heart finally slowing. "Damn, that was intense." He climbed down from the tree, his boots hitting the ground with a soft thud.

Approaching Sunless, he clapped the skeleton on the shoulder. "You did good, buddy."

Sunless tilted its head, the faint glow in its sockets flickering slightly in gratitude to its master's appreciation.

Arthur chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, I know you're tough. Let's grab the loot and move on."

As Arthur approached the last fallen boar, his eyes widened in shock as a notification appeared before him.

[Iron Armor (Rare) has been dropped!]

Arthur's breath hitched. "A rare item?" he muttered, crouching down to inspect it.

"So I was right. Monsters at level 5 really do get a sharp boost in one of their aspects—whether it's intelligence, strength, or maybe even a skill. The way that boar was coordinating with the others... that must've been the skill that it received at level 5!"

He quickly opened his inventory and equipped the armour. A faint metallic sheen appeared over his torso, the iron plates fitting snugly across his frame. He flexed his arms, testing his mobility. The armor was heavy but it did not affect his agility at all.

As he inspected the armour when on, he realised that he could hide it if he wanted to.

"This is good, I won't have idiots following me around seeking their death for the armour." He muttered, before quickly activating the function of the armour.

The armour instantly turned invisible as Arthur could no longer see its metallic plates.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"This is staying with me until I find something better," Arthur said firmly, shaking his head. "No way I'm selling this. Surviving is worth more than a few extra coins. Besides, I could use that to fight more and earn more coins,"

Arthur's eyes drifted back to the boar's lifeless body, an idea slowly forming in his mind. He crossed his arms, considering the potential.

'What if I could summon it?' he thought.

'If it really was leading the others, maybe it could do the same as a summon. I could make it gather other boars, and they'd become my easy experience farmers while I stayed idle.'

The thought was tempting, but it quickly turned into doubt.

'Would other boars even follow a summoned creature?' he wondered. 'I've never seen any of my summons interact with mobs before. But... it's worth a try, right?'

Arthur turned to Sunless, who stood silently by his side, its empty sockets watching him as if waiting for the next command. "Alright, Sunless, we're going to test something."

Taking a step back, Arthur raised his hand above the fallen boar. The air grew heavier as if awaiting the casting of Arthur's skill.

"Awaken," Arthur commanded, his voice calm but with a hint of anticipation.