Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

The players immediately rejoiced, their earlier anxiety replaced with confidence as they watched their leader, Yohan prepare to use his hidden skill.

"Boss is finally going to use the skill he got from his class at level 5!" one player exclaimed, barely able to contain his excitement. "I always wondered what it was, but he never told us. This is going to be an easy win!"

Arthur frowned, his senses on high alert as he observed Yohan muttering something under his breath.

He couldn't make out the words, but the way Yohan's lips moved and his body tensed, sent a chill down Arthur's spine.

Yohan's voice was low, nearly inaudible. "Camouflage. Silent Step."

Arthur's eyes widened in disbelief as Yohan's body shimmered and then disappeared entirely. One moment, he was standing there smirking confidently, and the next, he was gone.

"What the… Where did he go? Did he teleport away? What the hell is this?" Arthur muttered under his breath, his gaze darting around the area.

"Hank leave them, and look for their leader," Arthur commanded immediately. 'Hopefully, Hank might be able to detect him if he is still near,'

Hank immediately flew and circled above, his eyes scanning the surrounding area, but even the hawk's talent seemed unable to detect Yohan's whereabouts. Arthur clenched his dagger tighter, his heart pounding.

'Stay calm. Don't panic. He's still here… somewhere. His so-called skill wouldn't just be an escape skill, it must be offensive.'

The forest grew unnervingly quiet, Arthur's mind raced as he watched his surroundings vigilantly, trying to anticipate the attack.

'Where is he? Could he be above?' Arthur thought, glancing up into the trees, but there was nothing.

"Wher—arghhh!"

A moment later, a sharp pain shot through his back.

Critical Damage

-10 HP

Arthur stumbled forward, a growl of frustration escaping his lips as he turned to face his unseen attacker. He saw nothing but empty air.

"Damn it!" he hissed, quickly downing a health potion as the warm liquid worked to stabilize his rapidly depleting HP.

Yohan's voice echoed through the clearing, smug and taunting. "What's wrong, Fateless? Can't keep up? Don't worry, I'm just getting started."

Arthur gritted his teeth, his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. 'How is he doing this? Is he invisible? Cloaked? This skill is broken!'

Before he could fully recover, Yohan appeared in front of him with a wide grin.

His dagger gleamed as he flicked it lazily in Arthur's direction. "Having fun yet?" Yohan teased, his tone dripping with mockery. "I can do this all day. Or night. I'm not even breaking a sweat."

Arthur smirked despite the situation, his mind already working to counter his opponent. "Oh, I'm thrilled. Truly. It's not every day I get to fight someone who relies so heavily on cheap tricks."

Yohan's grin faltered slightly, his eyes narrowing. "Cheap tricks? Let's see if you're still joking when I carve you up like a fruit ninja."

With that, Yohan vanished again, his body dissolving into the shadows. Arthur tensed, his senses straining as he tried to predict where the next attack would come from.

This time, Arthur felt a faint shift in the air to his right. Acting on instinct, he twisted his body and slashed out with his dagger.

Arthur's blade connected with something solid, and the collision sent a jarring vibration up his arm.

'The way I blocked that attack was pure luck,' he thought, the thought of how close he'd come to being struck unnerving him for a moment. But there was no time for reflection on that.

His eyes darted to the group of players in the distance. They huddled together, their potions in hand as the gulped it down, clearly trying to recover from Borak and Hank's earlier assault.

'They're regrouping. If they heal fully and come at me all at once, I'm in trouble. I would have to use Sunless, I don't want to use him yet...'

"Hank!" Arthur shouted, his voice sharp and commanding. "Don't let them heal up. Attack everyone until they're all down. No exceptions!"

Hank shrieked in acknowledgement, diving toward the players like a streak of lightning. His claws extended, and chaos erupted as the players scattered, desperate to avoid the bird's relentless assault.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Arthur's focus returned to his own predicament, his gaze sweeping the area. He was trying to pinpoint Yohan's location when—

-5HP

"Argh, damn rat!" Arthur hissed as he felt the sharp sting of another knife attack on his side. He stumbled slightly but quickly regained his footing, his eyes scanning the area.

Yohan's voice came from the shadows, smug and mocking. "Rat, am I? Funny coming from the guy squealing in pain."

"Show yourself, you coward!" Arthur shouted, spinning to where he thought the voice was coming from. His grip on the dagger tightened, his knuckles whitening with the force.

"Why would I do that?" Yohan said, his voice echoing from all around. "This is so much more entertaining."

Suddenly, Yohan appeared a few feet in front of him, grinning like a Cheshire cat. His dagger twirled lazily in his hand as if mocking Arthur's efforts. Find exclusive stories on empire

Arthur's blood boiled at the sight. "Are you making fun of me, you damn rat?!"

Yohan's grin widened. "Oh, absolutely."

Arthur dashed toward him, his dagger poised to strike. But before he could close the distance—

Yohan vanished again.

"Hehe," came the giggling from somewhere behind Arthur. "You missed me, little boy!"

Arthur growled in frustration, his eyes darting to every possible direction Yohan could have gone. His heartbeat thudded in his ears, a mix of adrenaline and rage coursing through him.

"Stay in one place, you coward!" Arthur shouted, his voice echoing through the forest. "Face me properly!"

'He keeps showing up every five seconds from what I estimated so far. Is that a coincidence or is it a skill issue?' He thought as a frown appeared on his face.

Arthur waited calmly in his spot as he waited for Yohan to attack again.

Yohan's voice came again, this time from Arthur's left. "Face you properly? Why? You're doing such a great job entertaining me as it is."