《Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons》


 Chapter 1 SSS-Ranked Talent: Primordial Summoner

    Detroit, Michigan, 2045.


    "Come back here, you little thief!" The man shouted as he threw his sandals at the running teenager.


    "hehe." Arthur, chuckled as he held arge baguette in his arms as he ran in between the crowds.


    The man tried to catch him but failed, so he sighed and headed back to his shop whilst shouting some slurs.


    "These damn little scrubs," He spat, as he heeded to his next customer.


    "Can I get one loaf please," said a middle-aged woman standing in front of the counter.


    "Right away," He replied, as he rubbed his hands together from the freezing cold wind of January.


    ...


    After making sure the man wasn''t following him, Arthur walked across different alleyways until he finally arrived at his ce.


    Well.. it wasn''t really his ce.


    It was the slums of Detroit, filled with swarming rats that were your only friendly neighbours.


    He kicked one away, as it tried to climb up his body to get to the loaf of bread.


    "Tsk. Even rats are hungry these days," He grinded his teeth, as he approached the small fire in front of him.


    "Charlotte! I got us some food for tonight." He whispered as he got close to the frail-looking, pale girl who was lying down next to the fire.


    "Charlotte?" He whispered again, as his worry increased.


    ''Why is she not replying, is she getting worse? '', He thought as he quickly approached checking her temperature.


    ''Damn it, she is so cold.'' He thought as he touched her forehead to check.


    His eyes darted towards the bin next to him, that was housing their fire and spreading its warmth to their small, malnourished bodies.


    His eyes scanned the surroundings for anything he could use to make the fire burn stronger, faster.


    "That works," He muttered, as he quickly broke a few tree twigs.


    He quickly ran back to the fire bin and threw the twigs inside making the mes roar.


    "There we go, that''s what I''m talking about." He said as he dusted off his hands.


    He then walked towards Charlotte and checked if the me''s temperature was reaching her.


    ''Not enough,'' He thought, as he repeated his actions several times.


    After being satisfied with the temperature he sat next to Charlotte and sighed.


    "Mom, Dad..." He muttered silently, as sadness erupted in his heart.


    He and Charlotte weren''t always in the slums, in fact, they were well off.


    Charlotte was the adopted daughter of his parents, she was also older than him by 2 years.


    His parents had unfortunately suffered from a fatal ident, that left both of them dead.


    It has been about a month since he and his sister were kicked out from their own home, and left to the slums.


    ''I will make him pay.'' He gritted his teeth, as anger boiled inside of him remembering the cause of their misery and homelessness.


    "Mnm," Charlotte winced, as she moved around in her sleep.


    "Charlotte," He whispered, as he saw her open her eyes slowly.


    Meeting his gaze, she smiled slightly even though she wasn''t fully awake.


    "I got us food, let me help you up," He said with a smile on his face.


    As she leaned on him for support, he tore small pieces of bread and put them in her mouth slowly.


    "Tasty?" He whispered as he looked at her.


    She nodded her head cutely and opened her mouth for the second mouthful.


    Suddenly, A voice echoed in all parts of the earth shocking its residents.


    [Earthlings! You have been summoned to participate in the Universe''s Armageddon...]


    "What the-" Arthur managed to let out before the voice interrupted him again.


    [The earth is now going to experience changes that will affect everything you have known so far.]


    [Armageddon... has arrived!]


    [The first batch of beta testers are now being issued!]


    "Beta testers? Am I hallucinating? Can you hear this Charlotte?" He asked, as he nced at her next to him.


    She nodded her head, and with signnguage she said.


    "I can hear it too."


    [A total of 10 million spots have been issued at random!]


    "This is actually... Real." He muttered as he looked at her expression.


    The next sentence shook him to his core.


    [You have been selected!]


    A small ring slowly materialised on his ring finger.


    "What the Fuck" Arthur, shouted as he heard the global announcement.


    He quickly nced at his sister''s hand but did not find any ring on her hand, he quickly sighed in relief.


    His expression turned grim as he realised the reality settling in.


    "This is bad," He muttered, as he looked at his sister''s worried face.


    Charlotte looked at him with a worried gaze and used her hands to ask him.


    "What is this ring, are you one of the beta yers?" Her face was etched with worry and confusion.


    He nodded slowly.


    "Yes, I have been chosen as a beta yer."


    "I don''t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing," He said, as he held her hands.


    "But I assure you, that I will be safe. Okay?" He said with a smile on his face, although his heart was beating rapidly.


    She nodded slowly, as tears started forming in the corner of her eyes.


    "Hey there, don''t cry. Those tears are too precious okay?" Heforted her, as he caressed her hair and embraced her frail body.


    "I promise, I wille back okay? The so-called armageddon is telling me that I need to enter," He told her, as he nced at the notification in front of him.


    [Do you wish to enter?]


    [Yes/No]


    [5 seconds counter initiated]


    [5..]


    [4..]


    [3..]


    [NOTE: NOT ENTERING THE GAME WILL LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT DISADVANTAGES NO ONE CAN AFFORD!]


    "Shit, I need to enter...NOW!" he thought, as he pressed yes.


    His body slowly turned into pixels, as he threw the coins he had to his worried sister.


    "Take these, I don''t know how long I will stay there, but I will try toe back as soon as possible okay? Wait for me." He said, as his body finally disintegrated.


    ...


    "Where am I?" He thought as he stared at the endless ck void.


    [Wee to Armageddon]


    Soon enough, the scenery changed as a portal appeared in the middle of the ck void.


    After waiting for a while, he realised that nothing was happening so he decided to enter.


    "I better not be digging my own grave," He muttered grimly, as he entered the portal.


    "Wow," He marvelled, as he looked down.


    He was standing on a cloud, and the sky was bright blue making it seem like a dream world.


    "So soft," He thought, as he stepped on the cloud that felt better than cotton on his barefoot.


    [Would you like to register?]


    [Yes/No]


    A holographic screen appeared in front of him.


    Arthur pressed yes, it was toote to back out now, especially after seeing all of these magical things.


    [Identity registered... Arthur Fate.]


    [Enter your ID: ]


    NOTE: This will be the nickname that others, will identify you as. It cannot be changed once set, think carefully.


    Arthur read the note silently, after scoffing he paid it no heed and entered his ID.


    [ID AVAILABLE!]


    [Wee... Fateless!]


    It was quite ironic that hisst name was fate since all he had experienced in the past month was nothing but suffering andck of direction.


    [Teleportation Initiated!]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [You will be teleported in 3...2...1]


    ...


    Arthur''s gaze squirmed around as he took in the scenery.


    "Mountain?" He was on the peak of a mountain, with the clouds right below him.


    "Wow, we are so high up!" One of the yers around shouted.


    "Argh! I''m scared of heights! Mommy save me." A middle-aged man said.


    "Come here son, mommy is here to protect you." A woman next to him said as she hugged him tightly.


    Arthur looked at the roleying couple with disgust, he spat on the floor muttering.


    "These people think this is a joke..."


    ncing around, the mountain peak slowly started filling up with new yers as they spawned rapidly.


    Arthur nced at the man who was in front of him, standing in the air with his eyes closed and his arms folded in front of him.


    After a period of time, the man opened his eyes, he looked around and nodded his head.


    "Alright, since everyone is here. It''s time to start."


    "Let me make something clear, no one is allowed to interrupt me as I speak no matter the reason. Otherwise, the consequences will be something you cannot afford." He said, his gaze sharp enough to cut through their heads.


    "There are a few reasons why you have been transported here, the first being is the exnation of the rules to you."


    "The First Rule: You are able to spend 12 hours inside the game for every 24 hours in your real world, the time can be allocated at your disposal. You can also exit and enter this world at will."


    "The Second Rule: The ratio of game time to earth time is 2:1"


    "This means that for every two hours you spend here, one hour would have passed in your world. Simple right?" He added, with a smile on his face that seemed to contain some sort of amusement.


    "The Third Rule: The game currency is connected to your reality."


    "This means you will be able to exchange your world''s currency with this world''s one and vice versa, the transaction ispleted through the cosmic bank so no scamming will ur."


    "These are the rules you need to know¡­ for now at least." He said as a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.


    Arthur who was in the crowd looked at the smirk and felt a shiver run down his spine.


    ''He is hiding something important¡­ This man isn''t an ally. No way.'' He thought as he looked around at the people who seemed to admire the man flying in the air.


    "With the boring stuff out of the way, it''s time for the real deal."


    "Saying, status, should allow you to see your personal information that only you will view."


    "You can either say it out loud or think about it in your mind. The choice is yours."


    Arthur, looked around after making sure there was nothing wrong with what the man was saying.


    He muttered, status.


    [Race:] Human


    [ID:] Fateless


    [Level:] 1


    [ss:] None


    [Talent:] Unawakened


    [Health Points:] 50


    [Mana Points:] 90


    [Magical Damage:] 9


    [Phyiscal Damage:] 2


    [Damage Resistance:] 5


    [Attributes:] Strength 2, Agility 5, Vitality 5, Intelligence 9


    [Skills:] None


    [Attribute Points:] 0


    [Skill Points:] 0


    [Equipment:] None


    "In front of you, should be a holographic screen that provides you information. I will quickly go over this information."


    "Attributes, are straightforward and don''t need exining except for intelligence. Intelligence is the metric for mana and magic. It''s very important for every ss in this world."


    "sses, are the profession you will choose to beter on. It could be a mage, assassin, warrior and so on."


    "Next, the race is straightforward."


    "Health points and Mana Points. They are calcted by multiplying your attributes by 10. As you can tell, intelligence corrtes with Mana points, and vitality corrtes with Health points."


    "Damage and resistance directly corrte with your attributes." He quickly brushed over the damage, since it didn''t need a genius to figure it out.


    "Next, we have skills and skill points."


    "Skills can be obtained through either loot, quests or other methods you can discover by yourselfter on. Skill points are earned through leveling up, quests and some other unconventional methods."


    "Next, Levels. You can level up by eitherpleting quests, killing, and so on. It''s obvious when levelling up, you will earn attribute points which you can use to increase a specific attribute of your choice."


    "Last¡­but not least. Talent, some of you might be wondering why it says unawakened. Well, it''s because you are unawakened. Don''t be stupid." He added in a sarcastic manner.


    "Talents are what differentiates the weak from the strong, the higher your talent the more you will soar leaving everyone behind."


    "Talents are split into ranks, ranging from F to SS rank."


    "Now that you understand the general idea, it''s time to let you know where you are."


    "You are in the Kingdom of Mera, more specifically in vige #420."


    "I see, you are a man of culture. Do you smoke weed?" A down yer said with his mouth dripping with saliva.


    The man''s face remained expressionless, as he flicked his finger.


    "Click."


    Blood spluttered across the yers who were around the special yer, looking at the mist of blood where the yer was.


    Female yers started screaming due to the gory scene.


    The man''s face remained impassive to all the noise, his facial expressions patient.


    "Yo- You killed him. He was clearly special! Why did you do that!" A man with a righteous face said as he pointed his finger at him.


    Arthur shook his head.


    "Idiot, you got yourself killed." He muttered silently, as he watched the man turn into paste as the same scene repeated itself.


    The yers learning from the mistakes of theirpanions shut up immediately, not daring to let out a fart.


    Afraid of bringing the attention of the demon in front of them.


    "Now that this is done, let me say a few things."


    "I have just punished your fellow humans, I haven''t killed them. They will only be punished for not entering the game for twenty-four hours. They will soon re-spawn, so rx."


    The yers sighed in relief, as their tension lowered hearing his words.


    Arthur scoffed silently.


    ''You didn''t kill them? You basically signed off their death penalty.'' He thought as he nced at the man''s smile.


    He wasn''t naive enough to believe that death in this world wouldn''t have consequences.


    Let alone not entering for twenty-four hours, dying itself probably had its ownplications and hidden penalties that the man in front of them did not share.


    He had learned a lot of things about human nature, for the past month or so. He had slowly understood, how humans acted, and their reasonings.


    The man infront of them was clearly someone dangerous, and not to be fully trusted although he was bound by the games rules.


    "Now, time to continue before I was rudely interrupted."


    "Vige #420, there are many other viges like yours, so you aren''t the first nor thest."


    "You are currently at the peak of the mountain of Vige #420." The man said, his tone casual.


    "There must be something important about this ce, for it to be mentioned." Arthur thought as he took a mental note.


    "These viges are the starting point for all yers, this is where it will all begin¡­"


    "Finally, it''s time for the awakening ceremony."


    The man said as he waved his hands, crystals flew out of his hand and flew towards the yers standing on the mountain peak.


    "Just think about it, and it will activate." He said.


    Arthur, nced at the crystal in his hand as he muttered.


    "Awaken¡­"


    [Talent Awakening!]


    [System...Error!]


    [Retrying¡­ Error!]


    ¡­


    After countless attempts of awakening, Arthur''s forehead was filled with sweat.


    "What the hell is going on, do I not have a talent!" He thought, as fear slowly crept in.


    [Final Attempt¡­]


    [Awakening¡­ Unique SSS-Rank Talent: "Primordial Summoner"]

 Chapter 2 Primordial Summoner

    The yers started awakening their talents, and loud exmations resounded across the whole mountain.


    "I got a C-Rank Talent! Is that bad? Am I cooked chat?" said, a teenager with broli hair.


    "You got a C-rank talent and you are cooked? Then what am I? Burnt?" said a man, with an E-rank talent.


    The man flying looked at the young man who spoke and said to him.


    "A C-Rank talent, you are what we call a survivor. You aren''t special, nor are you weak. You are just there¡­ Existing." He said, with a smile on his face.


    The teenager with the C-rank talent initially was just looking for some attention, but his face paled after hearing what the man said.


    "The real talents start from B-Rank, this is where you can start to make a difference."


    "There is one in a hundred thousand chances, that one is born with a B-Rank talent and one in a million to be born with an A-Rank talent."


    "SS-Rank is an exception, as only one person per race can have it."


    "If anyone in your batch has a B-Rank, then you are considered a good batch. Especially since you are from Earth."


    "Now that the awakening ceremony has been done, you will soon be transported to the vige."


    "See you another time," He grinned, as they were all teleported away.


    Arthur teleported with everyone else to the vige, he was still shocked by the reveal of his talent.


    He paid no heed to his surroundings, as he knew that he was teleported to a safe zone. His main focus was the holographic screen in front of him.


    SSS-Rank Talent: Primordial Summoner


    Talent Effect #1: You are able to summon primordial beasts once every 2 months. Additionally, you can summon normal beasts at will, though these beasts are random. Your summoned beasts level up with you.


    Talent Effect #2: You are able to ''extract'' one talent/Skill from your beast, and keep it as your own.


    Talent Effect #3: You are able to summon any beast you have killed as your own summon.


    Talent Effect #4: *%"$& (Level up to unlock)


    ¡­


    NOTE: The amount of summons = Level. (Lvl.1 = 1 summon)


    "What the f**k! This is so overpowered," Arthur almost jumped up in joy when he read it, but s, there was a crowd around him.


    After reading through his talent effects countless times, his heartbeats finally returned to a normal rhythm.


    Looking at the vige around him, it looked like a small vige from the medieval era.


    There were many yers around, that were trying to find ''Hidden'' missions, but they all failed miserably.


    "Hey, beauty. My name is Sigma, do you need any help?" a yer asked a female npc, with a smug look on his face.


    The female npc nced at him in disgust and continued to do her work.


    "Come on beauty, I know you like that chiseled jawline." He said as he pointed at the sharp edge of his boxy head.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What an idiot, she is clearly not interested. He is the type of guy to keep begging his ex to go back together." Arthur muttered as he nced at him in disgust.


    He decided to ignore the yers around him, every minute counts in this ce.


    He had to take advantage of his talent, he needed toe back to inform Charlotte too.


    [Newbie Pack Gifted: Wooden sword (Common).]


    After checking it out, it was just a normal wooden sword. There was nothing special about it, he ced it back in his inventory and started exploring.


    "In these types of games, the hidden quests are always with the old men. If I can find one, I can test this theory out." He thought as he looked for a mysterious-looking old man.


    Soon he found one, a drunk old man at the side of a small house.


    "Hey old man, do you need any help?" Arthur asked as he nced at the old man.


    "Shh, go away from here. I don''t need any help," He said, as he shooed him away with his hands.


    "Are you sure?" He asked a final time to check.


    "Yes, yes. I''m Su-" He huped mid-sentence.


    Arthur shrugged his shoulders, as he turned around and started exploring the vige.


    The vige wasn''t big by any means, he could see some forest surrounding the vige with his naked eye.


    "This is probably the danger zone, this is where everyone is farming for levels right now." He thought as he noted down the surrounding area.


    Arthur decided that he was done checking the vige, there were all kinds of shops. There were potions shops, which restored your health points and Mana points.


    There were cksmiths, there were merchants, and everything you would expect in a game was there.


    Arthur then pressed the log-out button, he needed to reassure Charlotte first.


    After logging out, Arthur felt the same void tearing as before.


    Instantly appearing in the same spot he was before, he shocked Charlotte who got jolted up from his sudden appearance.


    "Sorry to scare you, I just wanted to let you know that I''m fine. The game isn''t as serious so you don''t have to worry about me, if someone dies in the game they re-spawn so nothing is dangerous."


    "I need to get back to the world, as every minute that passes makes me behind."


    Charlotte nodded, her face much more rxed than before.


    After thanking Arthur for reassuring her, she waved him goodbye.


    "See you!" He said, as he teleported back into the world.


    ...


    "Time to summon a bad boy!" Arthur muttered silently, as he found a secluded area with no yers.


    "Arise!" He said.


    Slowly but surely¡­ nothing happened.


    "What the hell! Why are they not being summoned!" He muttered in frustration.


    After checking his talent out, it seemed that he needed to set a word for the summoning.


    "Rise and shine? Hmm no, I am not waking up."


    "Arise? Nah, that''s too cliche."


    "Awaken. That''s it." Arthur nodded, proud of his naming.


    [Word Chosen: Awaken.]


    "Let''s try again," Arthur muttered, as he took a deep breath preparing for the summoning of a primordial, ancient and powerful beast.


    "Awaken!" Arthur shouted in an excited tone, this was his ticket to the top after all.


    A portal appeared from the floor, it looked incredibly menacing and powerful.


    Energy crackled in anticipation, of the awakening.


    [First Summon Detected! A Primordial beast had been summoned!]


    "Oh yeah boy, I summoned something powerful!" Arthur excitedly said as he waited for the beast to appear.


    Soon enough, a creature appeared.


    Looking at the creature in front of him Arthur''s face turned gloomy.


    "WTF, Is this a glitch in this shitty world!" He said as he nced at the creature in front of him.

 Chapter 3 First Summon is a Cat

    "I summoned a damn CAT!" He shouted, looking at the cute, chubby-looking white cat in front of him.


    The cat was licking its paws as if it had no care in the world for Arthur''s presence.


    "Calm down, this cat must be special. It Must be..." He muttered, as he opened its status.


    [Race:] Primordial Felidae


    [ID:] Maneki-Neko


    [Level:] 1


    [Talent:] Lucky (SSS)


    [Health Points:] 40


    [Mana Points:] 150


    [Magical Damage:] 15


    [Phyiscal Damage:] 10


    [Damage Resistance:] 4


    [Attributes:] Strength 10, Agility 10, Vitality 4, Intelligence 15


    [Skills:] w sh (Rare), Paw Steps (Rare)


    [Attribute Points:] 0


    [Skill Points:] 0


    "That''s what I''m talking about!" He said, excitedly as he saw the SSS-Rank talent ''Lucky''.


    [Talent:] Lucky (SSS)


    Talent Effect #1: Luck = ¡Þ (Near Infinite)


    NOTE: This talent has only one effect.


    "HUH!" Arthur eximed as he looked at the talent''s only effect.


    "This game must be bugged," he said with an excited tone.


    "Hey, I ain''tining." He chuckled as he tried to catch the small cat.


    "Come here, let me pet you. My lucky star," He chuckled as he tried to grab the cat.


    "Eh?" He said, as the cat bounced from its spot and avoided his hug.


    "We are ying a game now huh?" He said, as a grin started forming on his face.


    ¡­


    Fifteen minutester.


    "What the hell, this cat is basically untouchable." He slowly exhaled, as his hands rested on his knees.


    "Fine, you can run all you want." He red, at the cat that was casually cleaning itself.


    "Can you talk?"


    ..


    "Okay." Arthur shrugged, not caring about it for now.


    "Extract." He said, as he looked at his summon with a smile.


    "Please pick the skill/talent you would like to extract."


    "Talent: Lucky(SSS)" Arthur pressed, on the holographic screen


    "Extraction Completed! Talent: Lucky(SSS) has been extracted."


    [Race:] Human


    [ID:] Fateless


    [Level:] 1


    [ss:] None


    [Talent:] Primordial Summoner (SSS), Lucky (SSS)


    [Health Points:] 50


    [Mana Points:] 90


    [Magical Damage:] 9


    [Phyiscal Damage:] 2


    [Damage Resistance:] 5


    [Attributes:] Strength 2, Agility 5, Vitality 5, Intelligence 9


    [Skills:] None


    [Attribute Points:] 0


    [Skill Points:] 0


    [Equipment:] Wooden Sword(Umon)


    "Time to level up!" Arthur thought as he started heading towards one of the vige''s gates.


    There was a gate in each direction, south, east, west and north.


    Arthur picked the closest gate to him, the northern gate.


    "It''s the furthest away from the shop, so there should be fewer yers there anyway." Arthur chose the gate with the lowest amount of yers possible.


    He had picked up on what the flying man said.


    "You can level up by killing..."


    "Killing. He didn''t specify whether it was monsters or yers." He thought.


    "I''m sure I''m not the only one who realised this."


    Arriving at the northern gate, Arthur stepped out whilst making sure his surroundings were safe.


    [You have left the safe zone, you can now be attacked by monsters.]


    [yers cannot attack each other yet.]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Attacking another yer will result in major penalties. Be warned!]


    "Seems like I was too paranoid." Arthur thought as he read the notifications after stepping back into the vige again to be on the safe side.


    Leaving the vige again, the same notification rang out again.


    Ignoring it, Arthur headed inside the forest carefully with the wooden sword in his hand and his summon following him casually.


    ncing behind his back, he looked at the cat that was walking casually.


    "This damn cat, sozy. But I will allow it, It gave me an op talent after all."


    As he looked around, he saw a group of yers attacking a small pack of evolved Beatles.


    "John attack from the back! Paul use your shield to take the aggression, I will make sure you support John." Said George, as he attacked the Beatles.


    Impressed by their coordination, Arthur remained at a distance.


    After watching them for a few seconds, he left the area and decided to find another area.


    Soon he spotted a little rabbit.


    [Corroded Rabbit]


    Level: 1


    Health Points: 30


    Physical Damage: 3


    [Details:] A normal rabbit, that was corroded by the energy that invaded the world.


    "Huh?" Arthur muttered silently, as he looked at the details of the rabbit in front of him.


    It had blood-red-shot eyes, fangs that were unnaturallyrge and teeth that stuck out of its mouth like spikes.


    "Neko.. Go attack him." He tried to reason with the cat, which waszing around on his shoulders.


    The cat looked at him dead in the eyes for a second... then went back to licking its paws.


    "Damn it, you are even making fun of your summoner." He cursed silently, making sure he didn''t alert the rabbit.


    ncing back at the spot the rabbit was at, he didn''t find it.


    "Shit! Where is it." He cursed silently, as his eyes darted around like an eagle.


    Immediately turning his head to the rustling of a bush next to him, he put the wooden sword in front of him as he prepared for what was toe.


    "GUR!" The rabbit growled as it bounced on him its fangs sharp.


    "Damn it!"


    He quickly parried the attack with the wooden sword.


    -1 Hp


    "What! I just parried the attack, why am I taking damage."


    His hand was still shaking from the force of the attack.


    I need to kill this damn rabbit!


    Arthur steadied his stance, gripping the wooden sword tightly. His eyes were fixed on the corrupted rabbit, its bloodshot eyes glinting with a feral hunger.


    The creature''s fangs gleamed under the faint light filtering through the trees, sharp and ready for another lunge.


    His heart thudded in his chest as he felt the adrenaline surge, sharpening his senses.


    The rabbit growled, a guttural, unsettling sounding from such a small creature. Without warning, it sprang forward, ws extended and teeth bared.


    Arthur swung his sword to intercept it, managing a ncing blow.


    -2 HP


    He winced, feeling the sting radiate up his arm despite the sessful parry.


    "What the hell kind of rabbit is this?" he muttered, his eyes narrowed in concentration.


    The rabbit didn''t even flinch at the blow, bouncing back with an eerie agility, readying itself for another attack.


    Meanwhile, Neko, his supposed "Primordial summoning" that was meant to carry him, sat a few feet away,fortably licking its paws,pletely disinterested in Arthur''s struggle.


    The cat''s indifferent attitude only fueled Arthur''s determination to finish the battle quickly.


    "Fine, I''ll do it myself," Arthur grunted, rolling his shoulders and adjusting his grip.

 Chapter 4 First Kill

    The rabbit charged again, a blur of fangs and ws.


    This time, Arthur sidestepped, narrowly avoiding its fangs as he brought his sword down in a swift arc.


    The wooden de cracked against the rabbit''s side, sending it skidding a few feet back.


    -5 HP


    "Gurr." The rabbit growled in pain.


    The rabbit shook itself, crimson eyes ring at him with newfound fury. It was as if the creature had only grown angrier from the hit.


    "Come on, then!" Arthur shouted, trying to rile it up further.


    He adjusted his stance, knees bent, ready for whatever it was nning on doing next.


    The rabbit suddenly crouched, muscles tensing as it coiled up, preparing for something big.


    Arthur''s eyes widened. "Damn it, he is actually pulling a power-up mid-fight, and I can''t do anything about it," he muttered, quickly taking a defensive stance, but the rabbit was faster than he anticipated.


    In a split second, itunched itself forward, its fangs aimed straight at his arm.


    Arthur twisted his body, barely dodging its fangs, but the rabbit managed to scrape its ws across his shoulder.


    -3 HP


    He hissed in pain, feeling the warm trickle of blood seeping through his shirt.


    "Damn it!" he growled, gritting his teeth as he took a step back to reassess.


    "Alright, you want a fight to the death? You got one!" Arthur took a deep breath, steadying his heartbeat and blocking out the pain.


    He noticed a rhythm to the rabbit''s attacks, a slight pause before each lunge.


    "Timing is key here." He thought as he watched every step of the rabbit.


    Just as the rabbit readied itself to attack again, Arthur braced himself.


    It leapt, ws extended.


    This time, he was ready. In one swift motion, he sidestepped and swung his sword with all his strength.


    The wooden de struck the creature right on its exposed nk,nding a solid hit that knocked it off bnce.


    -7 HP


    The rabbit tumbled to the ground, struggling to right itself. Seeing his chance, Arthur didn''t hesitate.


    He dashed forward, raising his weapon high and bringing it down on the rabbit''s head with a loud crack.


    The creature let out a shrill squeal as it thrashed in pain. Still, it wasn''t done yet.


    With a final burst of energy, the rabbit pushed itself up, blood dripping from its injuries, but its eyes still burned with a relentless fury.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Arthur, breathing heavily, held his stance, refusing to let it intimidate him. His entire body was buzzing with the thrill of the fight, his own bloodlust ignited by the creature''s tenacity.


    "You''re one tough rabbit, I''ll give you that," he said, wiping sweat from his brow. "But this ends now."


    The rabbit lunged onest time, and Arthur responded in kind, his sword meeting the creature''s charge head-on.


    The impact of the blow reverberated through his arms as he pushed forward, channelling every ounce of his remaining strength into the strike.


    With a final, desperate shriek, the rabbit fell silent, its body lying still on the forest floor.


    [You have in a Corroded Rabbit.]


    Loot dropped on the floor next to the rabbit, but Arthur ignored it for now.


    Arthur let out a breath he didn''t realize he''d been holding, feeling the exhaustion set in.


    He nced down at his trembling hands, still gripping the wooden sword tightly, his knuckles white.


    "Not bad for a beginner," he muttered, managing a weary smile.


    A faint sound drew his attention.


    He looked over to see Neko, still lounging on a tree stump, licking its paws and gazing at him with an unreadable expression.


    "You¡­ didn''t help at all, you know that?" Arthur called out, shaking his head in disbelief. The cat simply blinked, unbothered, before returning to cleaning itself.


    "Unbelievable." He couldn''t help butugh, his adrenaline slowly fading.


    "Alright, then," he said, rolling his shoulders and sheathing his weapon. "This is only the beginning, I will continue to be stronger."


    Looking at the loot on the floor, he showed a shocked expression.


    An Umon item, isn''t that meant to be pretty rare for a vige?


    [Stone Sword (Umon) has been dropped]


    Picking it up, he threw the wooden sword in his hand and spat at it.


    "Puti!"


    "Useless sword."


    He stored the new sword in his inventory and rested for a while to wait for his health points to rise up to max again.


    As he leftbat mode, his health points started recovering rapidly.


    After his health recovered he got up and headed for the next prey, his thoughts were focused on what he could have done better in the fight.


    After some more searching, he found another rabbit.


    "Lock in." Hemanded himself, as his eyes scanned every motion of the rabbit.


    He remained motionless, as he watched the rabbit like a predator.


    As the rabbit got closer, Arthur stabbed his sword forward.


    The rabbit had a sharp instinct. Although it was in close range, it still managed to avoid the lethal stab albeit not fully.


    The sword prated the side of the rabbit leaving a huge hole, near its kidney.


    -25HP


    "That''s a critical hit!" Arthur got excited, as he sprung forward finishing off the injured rabbit.


    [You have in a Corroded Rabbit.]


    [Backpack (Umon) has been dropped]


    [Backpack (Umon): Able to hold 5 items inside.]


    "Another Umon item?" Arthur questioned before his gaze darted towards thezy cat in front of him.


    "This talent is gonna make....rich." Arthur grinned at the thought of dropping the best loot in the game.


    "Time to farm."


    Thirty minutester...


    [Ding!]


    [You have levelled up to Level 2]


    [All attribute points will be increased by 1]


    [You have gained 1 free attribute point and 1 Skill Point]


    It took him a very long to find more solo monsters, most of them were in groups like the Beatles, so Arthur did not dare attack them without any skill.


    "I need to get a magical skill, I''m wasting my potential by using physical damage." he sighed, as he realised that he is probably much behind talents that have offensive capabilities.


    "Why can I notmand this damn cat, it''s quite strong for a level 1." He thought as he nced back at the cat.

 Chapter 5 The Farming Result

    [Race:] Human


    [ID:] Fateless


    [Level:] 2


    [ss:] None


    [Talent:] Primordial Summoner (SSS), Lucky (SSS)


    [Summons:] 1/2


    [Health Points:] 60


    [Mana Points:] 100


    [Magical Damage:] 10


    [Phyiscal Damage:] 3


    [Damage Resistance:] 6


    [Attributes:] Strength 3, Agility 6, Vitality 6, Intelligence 10


    [Skills:] None


    [Attribute Points:] 1


    [Skill Points:] 1


    [Equipment:] Stone Sword (Umon), Backpack(Umon), Backpack(Umon)


    "Not bad," Arthur looked at his status and nodded in approval.


    He had gained two backpacks, he stored all the Umon items he had gained from the killings inside of them.


    "Time to summon, someone who''s useful."


    He was able to summon again since his level increased.


    "I can summon one moren/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Awaken." He muttered, as another portal slowly appeared.


    He knew that he would not get another primordial beast, since it was on cool down.


    "Let''s hope this beast is obedient,"


    The portal started closing down, as something flew out of the portal.


    "Fast," Arthur muttered, as he nced at the sky.


    "It''s a hawk!" Arthur eximed in excitement.


    The hawk slowly descended after doing someps in the air.


    Slowly, it descended on his shoulder and started rubbing its face across his.


    "There we go, that''s what I''m talking about." Heughed, as he petted its head.


    "You are an affectionate one aren''t you?" He chuckled after he stopped petting its head.


    [Race:] Hawk


    [ID:] Hank


    [Level:] 2


    [Talent:] Scout (C-Rank)


    [Health Points:] 50


    [Mana Points:] 60


    [Magical Damage:] 6


    [Phyiscal Damage:] 5


    [Damage Resistance:] 5


    [Attributes:] Strength 5, Agility 5, Vitality 5, Intelligence 6


    [Skills:] w Grab (Umon)


    [Attribute Points:] 0


    [Skill Points:] 0


    "Nice, he has a C-rank Talent. This scout talent will be helpful for scouting the vige, helps me avoid danger."


    "Damn that cat, he is talented; he has double to triple the attributes of Hank. Unfortunately, he is arrogant. Tsk." Arthur thought.


    He tried to extract, Hank''s talent for scouting but it was on cooldown.


    [Ding!]


    [Extraction Failed!]


    "I have to wait a whole week?" Arthur muttered as he nced at the cooldown.


    "I guess I will just have to try every day," He shrugged and decided not to worry about it.


    "Time to strike it rich." Arthur''s grin widened, as he headed to the vige to sell the items he had received.


    In the novice vige, he went to the spawn area and quickly put a rug on the floor and started selling.


    "Umon-Level Items! At the cheapest price possible!" Arthur shouted, as he looked right and left.


    Soon, a small crowd started forming in front of Arthur.


    "Hey, handsome. Can you give me this sword?" A woman who seemed familiar asked in a seductive manner.


    "Sure, pay up first. The cost is only 5 silver coins." He said, his expression unreadable.


    "I don''t have silver coins but I can pay with something else,hehe" She winked at him.


    With disgust etched in his face, he said.


    "No thanks, I''m not interested in a furry. Plus, aren''t you the woman that was called mommy earlier?"


    "Don''t you have a husband?"


    Her face quickly flushed, as people started chuckling.


    "Watch your back, Hmph." She snorted and left with her tail between her legs.


    "Can I buy the [Helmet(Umon]" A middle-aged man asked, as he sent him a purchase request.


    [Wiseman69 would like to trade.]


    [Yes/No]


    Arthur pressed [Yes]


    [Wiseman69 deposited ''3 Silver coins'' ]


    [Fateless deposited ''Helmet (Umon)'']


    [Proceed?]


    "Thank you for business," Arthur said with a smile, as he gained the 3 silver coins.


    Seeing someone buy it, the others started flooding in and soon he sold all the items.


    "I''m rich," Arthur thought, "15 Silver coins and 34 bronze coins."


    "That''s around 1534 dors." He thought as he walked back to the forest.


    Hank who was in the air the whole time, descended as Arthur entered the forest.


    [You have left the safe zone, you can now be attacked by monsters.]


    "Hm?"


    Looking behind him quickly, he found no one.


    "I could''ve sworn I felt something move," Arthur muttered out loud. "I''m thinking too much."


    He kept his gaze on the spot for a few seconds, then shrugged and kept moving.


    As he arrived a good distance away from the vige, he spotted a strong monster.


    [Corroded Wild Boar]


    Level: 3


    Health Points: 70


    Physical Damage: 15


    [Details:] A wild boar, that was corroded by the energy that invaded the world.


    Spotting the boar, Arthur grinned.


    Arthur quickly whispered softly to Hank, "Understood?"


    The hawk gave a light shriek in acknowledgement, his sharp eyes glinting with understanding.


    Arthur watched as Hank took flight.


    He quickly climbed a tree nearby smoothly, his gaze shifting toward a faint rustle in a bush just a few meters away.


    "They think they''re so clever and hidden," he thought, barely suppressing a smirk.


    Hank swooped down in a rapid dive, targeting the massive, snarling Corroded Wild Boar that was lying down, sleeping.


    With swift precision, Hank''s talons raked across the boar''s hide.


    -6 HP


    The wild boar woke up, roaring up in fury, its red-rimmed eyes narrowing as it fixated on Hank, who hovered just out of reach.


    Without hesitation, the enraged boar charged, it''s tusks glinting as it thundered toward the hawk.


    Hank, however, was faster, gliding up and away just as the boar lunged.


    Instead of retreating fully, Hank angled his flight path directly over the yers'' hiding spot, his shadow shing across their faces as they watched, eyes wide with growing horror.


    The boar, caught up in its rage, stormed forward, crashing through the dense underbrush¡ªand straight into the yers'' ill-prepared ambush.


    "Ahhh!" one of them yelped as the boar barreled through, its massive weight crushing his leg on impact.


    -10 HP


    -15 HP


    -12 HP


    "Damn it! We''re so unlucky!" one of the yers spat, trying to scramble back, but the boar lunged again, sending him flying.


    Up in the tree, Arthur chuckled softly, his fingers curled around a low-hanging branch as he watched the chaos unfold below.


    "Think you can sneak up on me, huh?" he muttered, shaking his head. "Hank, I didn''t expect your Scout talent to be this useful so soon."


    "This is working perfectly."


    shback POV


    The faintest sound of movement had alerted Arthur as he strolled through the forest, seemingly alone.


    He had acted casual, appearing oblivious, but in truth, he was already piecing together a n.


    Leaning close to Hank, he whispered his suspicions and Hank''s Scout talent had quickly confirmed that three yers were trailing him, moving stealthily through the trees.


    They must''ve thought they were undetected, and that he was unaware of their presence.


    But Arthur''s mind was already calcting his next move.


    ''If they were sneaking up like this, they clearly didn''t have friendly intentions.'' He thought.


    So, he''d instructed Hank to scout for a suitable monster, ideally one of a higher level that could put up a fight.


    They probably assumed he was wandering aimlessly, but Arthur had been leading them steadily away from the safety of the vige. Once he found the right spot, he''d set his trap.


    End shback


    From his vantage point, Arthur observed the yers'' panicked struggle.


    None of them seemed remotely prepared to handle the boar''s sheer strength or its relentless rage.


    As the beast struck again, one of the yers let out a piercing scream, crumpling to the ground as his health points plunged.


    Two of them were down now, their bodies already beginning to dissolve into particles, leaving the remaining yer desperately dodging the boar''s assaults, his face pale with terror.


    "No, no! SAVE ME!" he screamed, stumbling backwards until his foot caught on an exposed root.


    He hit the ground hard, his face twisted in fear as he tried to push himself up, but it was toote.


    The boar lowered its head, tusks gleaming as it charged onest time.


    The yer''s scream cut off abruptly as the boar''s tusks met their mark. His body glowed briefly before disintegrating, leaving nothing but a faint shimmer in the air.


    Arthur leaned back against the tree trunk, letting out a satisfied chuckle.


    "If I can''t attack you myself, I''ll just have the monsters do it for me," he muttered, watching as the boar, now calmer, snorted and ambled off deeper into the forest.


    He couldn''t attack them because of the rule that yers couldn''t attack each other yet, it made him confused as to why they followed him.


    ''They can''t even attack me anyway, what''s the point?'' He thought for a few seconds but quickly decided to put the thought away for the time being.


    He studied the clearing, confirming there were no other threats. He hadn''t recognized the yers, but he had a hunch about their motives.


    "Probably got greedy after seeing me make all that money," he mused in the end.


    "But to think they''d be dumb enough to try and stalk me instead of just farming themselves."


    Arthur jumped down from the tree,nding softly on the forest floor with the cat on his shoulders. He nced at Hank, who had returned to his shoulder, preening with pride.


    "You did well, Hank," he praised, scratching the hawk''s head lightly. "Now, let''s finish this boar" He smirked, as he looked at the injured wild boar.

 Chapter 6 She is Sick

    Hank shrieked in understanding as he remained in the air, waiting for Arthur''s instructions.


    The Corroded Wild Boar turned, its bloodshot eyes wild with fury as it locked onto Arthur since he was the only one left.


    The beast pawed at the ground preparing to charge at Arthur.


    Arthur did not flinch, gripping his stone sword with both hands.


    "Come on then!" he shouted with a smirk, bracing himself for the impact.


    The boar charged, its tusks shimmering with raw and destructive force.


    Right before hitting him, Arthur sidestepped, twisting his body as he swung his sword down hard.


    -8 HP


    The beast roared in anger, skidding to a stop as it swung around to face him once more.


    Before it could react, Hank swooped in from above, diving down andnding another raking blow with his talons.


    -6 HP


    "Good job Hank, that''s what I''m talking about," Arthur shouted, with a smile creeping on his face.


    The boar reared, its attention snapping to Hank, who was already back in the air, circling just out of reach.


    Seizing the chance, Arthur darted in, his sword aimed at the creature''s exposed side.


    Hended another solid hit before leaping back, keeping a safe distance.


    -7 HP


    This was their strategy: relentless, hit-and-run tactics. They took turns baiting the boar, drawing its aggression and then retreating just as it lunged, keeping the creature off bnce.


    The boar snorted furiously, its frustration evident as it whirled between the two, unable to settle on a target. Every time it set its sights on one, the other struck from a different angle, keeping the creature in a perpetual state of confusion.


    Arthur ducked low as the boar charged past him, narrowly avoiding its tusks. He swung his sword in a quick arc, scoring another hit on its back.


    -9 HP


    The boar let out a bellow, swinging its head toward Arthur, but before it could move, Hank dove down again, wing at its eyes. Blinded by rage and pain, the boar let out a frenzied roar, shaking its head as it tried to shake off the hawk''s attack.


    "You''re doing great, Hank! Keep it up!" Arthur called his voice breathless but exhrated. The boar was slowing down, its movements growing sluggish with each strike.


    With one final, coordinated attack, Arthur and Hank attacked together.


    Hank struck first, his talons raking across the boar''s snout, distracting it as Arthur moved in from the side, delivering a powerful, finishing blow directly to its neck.


    The boar let out a final groan, stumbling as its legs gave out beneath it. With a heavy thud, it copsed onto the forest floor, its body dissolving slowly into particles as it died.


    [You have in a Corroded Wild Boar.]


    "Well done, Hank." He stroked its feathers.


    [Leather Boots (Umon) has been dropped]


    "Nice, that''s a new item," Arthur eximed, as he quickly put it on.


    "Time to farm," He smiled, as he went to the area with level 2-3 monsters.


    ¡­


    "Hank attack him, now!" Arthur shouted as he charged in at thest monster.


    Hank shrieked as he swooped in, diving down towards the final beetle alive.


    -9HP


    [You have in a corroded Beetle.]


    [ Backpack(Umon) has been dropped]


    The cat was still aszy as before. Arthur had given up on trying to make it fight for him.


    ''It''s to be expected, he is a primordial beast after all, but I will subdue him one day,'' He thought, as he gave the cat one final look.


    "Hank scout the area ahead, we need to head back to the vige."


    Hank immediately flew from his shoulder and remained in the air looking for any potential danger.


    Soon, Arthur arrived at the vige, he decided to sell some duplicates he had again before logging out. He had been in the game for quite a long, he worried that maybe something happened to his sister since she had been quite sick before.


    After selling the items again, he gained another 25 silver coins and 69 bronze coins.


    "I''m actually rich," Arthur thought in excitement, as he nced at his bnce.


    He had 41 silver coins and 3 bronze coins.


    "I made over $4100 in a few hours, this armageddon is a blessing!" He muttered, before exining to Hank he had to leave.


    He didn''t bother to exin anything to the cat, it was never listening and it probably didn''t care anyway.


    Arthur blinked as the world faded away, the scent of garbage in the air overwhelming alongside the shouts of crackheads bringing him back to reality.


    He was back in the small, secluded alleyway where he and Charlotte had been staying for the past month.


    He turned to his right to check up on Charlotte, and his heart sank from what he saw.


    Charlotte was curled up in a fetal position, on the thing worn nket, her body shivering uncontrobly. Her face was pale, and her breath was so faint he almost couldn''t see it.


    "Charlotte!" he murmured, kneeling beside her immediately, his hand going straight to her forehead.


    ''She is ice cold, what have I done!''


    ''This¡­ this is serious,'' he thought, feeling a swell of panic in his chest.


    He grabbed her and pulled her closer to the small fire he''d managed to build earlier from the tree scraps.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''This isn''t enough. I need to get her to the hospital¡­ fast.''


    His mind raced.


    Just before leaving the game world, he''d earned some silver coins.


    ''Maybe, just maybe, it would be enough.''


    Quickly, he opened the system''s interface and selected the exchange option, watching as twenty silver coins drained from his bnce.


    [Ding! $2000 has been transferred to your bank ount. Your current bnce is $2000.05.]


    Relief filled him, but when he nced back at Charlotte, worry tightened his chest all over again.


    Her condition hadn''t improved, and time was running out.


    ''I can''t just sit here. I have to get her to the hospital now.''


    Without a second thought, he wrapped her tightly in the worn-out, dirty nket and lifted her onto his back, her small body feeling far too light.


    "Was she always this light?" He thought but shook it off.


    ''She was clearly sick¡­ how did I let it get this bad?'' he thought, guilt gnawing at him. But he shook it off.


    Right now, he had to focus on getting her the help she needed.


    He made his way out of the alleyway, walking through the narrow roads with his sister on his back until he reached the main road.


    Cars and people were rushing by, their faces worried and focused, wrapped up in their own problems.


    Arthur tried waving down someone to help, but the few people he managed to catch the attention of just kept walking, earbuds or headphones blocking out his pleas.


    "Someone¡ªhelp me!" he called out, his voice hoarse from all the calling.


    But no one stopped. Everyone was in a hurry, driven by fear or urgency in this chaotic world.


    This made his problem worse, especially since the armageddon had descended, everyone seemed to look out for themselves.


    ''Damn it,'' he thought, panic rising as each passing second felt like a lifetime. ''No one cares enough to help a kid in times like this.''


    Just as hope was slipping away, a middle-aged woman approached, her kind eyes softening as she saw the desperation on his face.


    "What''s wrong, son?" she asked gently, her tone warm andforting.


    Arthur''s hope surged as he said, "I need to get my sister to a hospital¡ªshe''s really sick. Can you call an ambnce?"


    "Yes, of course," she said without hesitation, pulling out her phone.


    Within moments, she was on the line, exining the situation as Arthur held Charlotte close, her breaths barely audible.


    The woman ced aforting hand on his shoulder. "It''s going to be okay," she assured him.


    Twenty minutester, the wail of an ambnce pierced the night as it arrived.


    Paramedics rushed over, lifting Charlotte carefully onto a stretcher and loading her into the back of the vehicle.


    Arthur turned back to the woman, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you," he said, his voice calm.


    "I''ll repay you for this one day, I promise."


    "Don''t worry about that, dear," she replied, giving him a gentle smile. "Just make sure she gets better."


    He memorized her face, determined to remember the only person who had stopped to help.


    As the ambnce doors closed, he whispered, "If fate allows, I''ll repay you. I swear it."


    The woman gave him a wave as the doors shut, herforting smile thest thing he saw before they started driving to the hospital.

 Chapter 7 Your sister has...

    The journey to the hospital wasn''t long nor short, it was about twenty minutes filled with tension, with Arthur clinging to his sister''s side as the ambnce rushed through the city streets.


    When they finally arrived at the A&E, Arthur''s eyes dted by the chaotic scene.


    The waiting area was overflowing with people, each lost in their world of pain and worry.


    Arthur''s heart sank.


    ''It would be hours before we are seen. Can she hold on? as he looked at his sister.'' He thought, his worry etched on his face.


    Time crawled by, each second stretching as Arthur''s mind spiralled with worry and frustration.


    ''Damn it, what is this?'' he thought, gripping his knees tightly as he nced down at Charlotte, who was still pale and barely conscious.


    Every part of him ached with helplessness, anger simmering beneath the surface.


    ''If only I was rich, if only I had real power,'' he thought bitterly. ''I wouldn''t be at their mercy, forced to wait and beg for help like this.''


    Finally, after four long hours, a nurse called his name.


    "Arthur!"


    "Yes, I''m here." He quickly said, as he got up and carried his sister.


    "Follow me," she said, before turning around.


    He followed her into a sterile examination room, holding Charlotte''s hand tightly as she was ced on the examination bed.


    The doctor got close his clipboard in hand, his gaze flicking between Charlotte and Arthur before he approached her.


    The doctor went through his initial checks, his face shifting into a frown as hepleted the physical exam.


    He looked up at Arthur, his expression grave and gloomy.


    "She''s showing signs of¡­" He paused, almost hesitant to continue. "Middle tote signs of¡­ cancer."


    Arthur''s eyes widened, his grip on the edge of his chair tightening as the doctor dropped the bombshell.


    "WHAT! What did you just say?" he demanded, standing up, his voiceced with anger and disbelief.


    His whole world seemed to spin at that moment.


    ''Cancer?''


    The word echoed in his mind, dark and cold.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The doctor raised a hand, urging him to calm down.


    "I understand this might be a lot to take in, but I need you to stay calm. I''m only saying she''s showing signs. I''m not saying it''s a confirmed diagnosis."


    Arthur''s heart was pounding in his chest, his mind racing.


    "So¡­ what now?" he asked, voiceced with both dread and desperation.


    The doctor sighed, his expression solemn. "We''ll need to run more tests to be sure, but¡­"


    "But what? Just say it," Arthur pressed, feeling his patience wearing thin.


    The doctor hesitated, his gaze flicking over Arthur''s worn clothes and the rough condition of his sister''s nket. "The tests are¡­ expensive. I don''t think you''ll be able to afford them."


    Arthur felt a sh of anger re up, burning away the desperation and fear. The doctor''s pitying expression only made it worse.


    He clenched his fists, meeting the doctor''s gaze with a steely re.


    "Don''t give us that look," Arthur said coldly, his voice filled with barely restrained fury. "I don''t need your pity."


    He reached into his pocket, pulling out the card with everyst dor he had from the other world.


    Holding it out to the doctor, he forced himself to speak evenly. "I have the money. Here¡ªtake it."


    The doctor looked at the card, clearly surprised, though a trace of scepticism remained in his eyes.


    After a brief pause, he took it, nodding slowly as he approached the POS machine.


    He calcted the price for the necessary tests, his expression unreadable as he tapped the card against the reader.


    [Ding! The payment was sessful! $500 has been deducted.]


    Arthur exhaled, watching as the transaction went through.


    ''I still have more, in case anything happens,'' He thought, grateful that he was selected as a beta tester.


    His focus was solely on Charlotte.


    As the doctor went to arrange the tests, Arthur returned to his sister''s side, his mind racing with a painful mix of anger, sadness, and determination.


    ''No matter what it takes,'' he thought, brushing a strand of hair from Charlotte''s face, ''I''ll make sure she gets through this.''


    ''I''ll find a way.''


    Arthur sat in the cold, waiting room once more as his sister underwent the tests, his mind upied with his thoughts that he couldn''t quiet down or dismiss.


    He nced at the clock, noting how slowly time crawled.


    ''Cancer. Signs of it, at least,'' he thought bitterly. It was a word that haunted him now.


    ''Everything was finally getting better, why... why!'' He thought as he looked down at his hands, clenched into tight fists on hisp.


    ''How could this happen? To her, of all people?''


    As he waited, memories from their childhood shed through his mind.


    ''If only I had more money. Real money. Real Power.'' The thought swirled in his brain, as anger and frustration built up.


    He was tired of scraping by, of constantly being at the mercy of others, of fate itself.


    He wanted control, the kind that didn''t rely on someone''s pity or charity.


    If he had the means, Charlotte wouldn''t be lying in that room, waiting for tests they could barely afford.


    Hourster, the doctor returned, his face calm but unreadable.


    He motioned for Arthur to follow him into the small office, where he sat across from the doctor, his heart thumping hard against his chest.


    "Alright," the doctor began, flipping through the charts and notes. "We''ve run the preliminary tests, but to be sure of her condition, we''ll need to perform a few more detailed exams in theing days."


    Arthur swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice steady. "What¡­ what did the tests say?"

 Chapter 8 Hospital

    "The tests... they aren''t looking good," The doctor replied, with a grim look.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Arthur clenched his fists, suppressing the rage he was feeling and the sadness.


    The doctor hesitated for a moment, his face softening slightly.


    "It''s still too early to say for sure, but there are indicators that suggest the need for immediate treatment for her."


    "The next tests will help us confirm if it''s cancer or something else. However, I can''t tell you it isn''t. Be prepared for the worst."


    Arthur''s mind raced as he processed the information.


    "What do I need to do?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.


    The doctor gave him a sympathetic look.


    "First, make sure you''re prepared financially for the worst."


    "Cancer treatments are costly. But as I said, that''s the worst oue. Hopefully it isn''t."


    Arthur nodded numbly, his emotions a storm inside him.


    ''I need to go back to the other world, I need to amass more power, more money!'' He thought as he looked at his sister.


    "Alright, how much will it cost to ce her in intensive care in her own room?" He asked as he looked at the doctor.


    "hm?" The doctor asked not expecting Arthur to say that.


    "Well, it will cost around $200 a day, including food of course." He replied.


    Arthur nodded and said.


    "Alright, can you cer her in there? Also, am I allowed to sleep in the room with her?" He asked.


    "Yes, we can ce her In there. However, you will have to pay a deposit of 1 day and payment for a day."


    "Regarding whether you can stay or not. I''m afraid, you cannot with the package of $200. If you want to stay in there, you would need to pay for the $500 package," He added.


    Arthur nodded his head.


    "Alright, we will proceed with the $200 room. Here you go," He said, as he handed him the card once more.


    [Ding! The payment was sessful! $400 has been deducted.]


    "Alright, I will ask the nurses to move her there, you can stay with her until 8 pm." He said as he nced at the time.


    Arthur nodded and got up from his seat.


    "Alright," He said, his voice carrying no emotion.


    As Arthur got up from his seat, the doctor looked at his hand and a flicker of emotion appeared in his mind.


    ''He''s a beta tester?'' He thought but didn''t voice it out.


    After moving with his sister to the room, he stayed with her until it reached 8 pm.


    Although she was asleep, he still found peace in staying with her.


    He stayed with her for around 2 hours before the time hit 8 pm, a nurse came to Arthur.


    "Sir, the time is u-"


    "I understand," Arthur whispered, cutting her off.


    ncing at Charlotte for the final time, he walked towards her bed, kissed her forehead then left with the nurse.


    As he left the hospital, the cold breeze struck him.


    ''Great, I am far from our spot and it''s so cold, it couldn''t get worse,'' He thought.


    But life seemed to be ying games with him as it immediately started raining.


    "Great." He muttered, as his body started getting soaked by the rain.


    After taking shelter in a small resting area in a park, he entered the game.


    Spawning in the ce he left, he found Hank and Neko waiting for him.


    He decided to head to the alchemist shop to buy a few Health potions, he didn''t have much time to waste waiting to recover, so he decided to buy a health potion to save time.


    As he arrived at the alchemist store, he found that someone was standing infront of the store, unsure if he was waiting or not, he asked.


    "Are you waiting to buy?" Arthur asked as he nced at the woman in front of him.


    "Oh no, you can go ahead. I''m just checking what potion should i buy, so you can go first," She said, as she moved out of the way.


    "Alright," Arthur continued, arriving in front of the counter.


    "Hello adventurer, do you want to buy anything?"


    "We have all kinds of potions, we have Mana potions, Health potions, poison and many more!" She eximed.


    "Hi, I would like to buy 1 health potion ofmon rank." He said as he nced at the items they had on disy.


    He would have bought the umon health potion, but unfortunately, potions started from themon rank.


    "That will be 3 silver coins," The young man, said as he ced the potion on the table waiting for Arthur to pay.


    After paying up, the woman''s face beamed in joy as she looked at Arthur.


    "Congrattions sir! You are our 100th customer!"


    "You have won five free health potions!" She said, as she quickly grabbed the potions and ced them on the desk.


    "Huh?" Arthur was confused at the beginning, then his face showed shock.


    "Me?" He asked one final time, as he pointed towards himself whilst looking around.


    "Yes sir, you!" She said, cing the items in front of him.


    "Thanks, I guess?"


    The woman who gave Arthur her ce a minute earlier, looked at him in shock. Her face twisted in a gloomy look.


    "That was mine, give it to me!" She said as she tried to take the potions away.


    Arthur was too quick for her, cing them in his inventory. He had a ce for them because of the backpacks he had.


    Looking at her with a frown, he said.


    "What do you mean it''s yours? She clearly said it''s mine,"


    The woman looked at him with a hideous look covering her face.


    "I know she did, I''m not deaf. But, I was the one who gave you the spot. So you should at least give me some, or are you this ungrateful you little brat," She spat out.


    "I don''t owe you shit, now fuck off," He said, as he left the store without looking back at her.

 Chapter 9 Nasty Woman

    She didn''t listen and followed him whilst throwing curses left, right and centre.


    After realising that she wasn''t going to stop, he red at her.


    "If you don''t stop following me, I will make you regret it," He said, his tone ice cold.


    "Not until you give me my potion,"


    " I will make your life miserable! So just give me one and I will call it even," Arthur red at her for a second.


    Thinking about it for a second, he nodded his head.


    "Fine, I will give it to you." He said, as he took out a health potion out of his inventory and handed it to her.


    After taking the health potion, her angry expression turned into a smirk before turning around and leaving.


    Arthur looked at her leaving, memorising her face and figure.


    ''I can''t deal with her right now. But, I will make her pay for this when the time is right,'' He thought, as he turned around and left the vige heading outside to level up.


    "I need to farm, I''m sure people have already reached level 5 and chosen their ss" He muttered, as he killed a corroded rabbit with ease dropping another backpack.


    [You have in a corroded rabbit]


    [Backpack (Umon) has been dropped]


    "Damn, that cat''s talent is actually too op." He muttered as he picked up the backpack.


    "To think that I am getting Umon rank items from these low-level mobs,"


    A smirk formed on his face, as he realised that he would be getting higher-ranked itemster when he fights stronger monsters.


    Arthur nced at Hank, a grin stretching across his face.


    "Alright, Hank, you know the drill. Use that Scout talent of yours and find us some easy targets."


    Hank, perched proudly on his shoulder, let out an enthusiastic shriek before taking to the sky.


    Arthur watched him soar proudly in the air, scanning the area with his scout skill.


    It didn''t take long for Hank to locate a promising group that screamed money to Arthur.


    The hawk let out a sharp call to Arthur and darted to the east, leading Arthur toward a small clearing.


    A few minutester, they came upon their prey, a group of five Corroded Beetles out and about, their greenish shells thicker than wood.


    They looked nasty but rtively harmless, each only around level 2, which was a perfect setup for an easy farm for equipment.


    "Five beetles?" Arthur murmured, as he readied himself. "It''s like they''ve lined up just for us."


    "Hank, go wait above them," Arthur instructed, as he followed behind.


    Hank swooped down, circling above as he awaited Arthur''smand.


    Arthur couldn''t help but smirk.


    "Time to make some money."


    But before he charged, he couldn''t resist ncing over his shoulder toward a certain nearby tree stump.


    And, of course, there she was¡ªNeko, the legendary Primordial beast he summoned,zing on her side, one paw raised as she casually licked it.


    She didn''t even nce in their direction, clearly immersed in her own world.


    "Oh, don''t mind us, Neko," Arthur muttered sarcastically. "We''re only going to be risking our lives here while you¡­ nap. Again."


    Neko, unbothered by Arthur''s provocation continued grooming herself as though he were an annoying background noise.


    Arthur rolled his eyes. "What a summon, truly primordial."


    "Alright, Hank, let''s show her what a real work ethic looks like!" Arthur shouted, tightening his grip on his weapon.


    Hank shrieked in agreement, diving in a wide arc as he prepared for his part in the attack.


    With a battle cry, Arthur charged forward, swinging his stone sword with confidence as he met the first beetle head-on.


    His swordnded with a satisfying crack against the beetle''s shell.


    -10 HP


    The beetle stumbled back, its legs iling in the air.


    Arthur smirked readying himself for another strike, but before he could finish it off, one of the other beetles let out a low hiss and charged at him, its tiny feet clicking aggressively.


    "Oh, wow, scary stuff," Arthur quipped, sidestepping the beetle''s slow-motion attack with exaggerated ir.


    "A beetle with an attitude problem? Am I attacking your wife, sir?"


    As he danced around the beetles avoiding their weak attacks, Hank swooped down,nding a quick strike on one of the beetles'' backs with his talons.


    -6 HP


    The beetle spun in a dizzy circle, clearly dazed by the hit.


    Hank immediately lifted off again, his timing perfect.


    They''d gotten used to each other''s roles, and it showed in the way they switched attacks so effortlessly.


    Their coordination was much better than when they attacked the Wild Boar.


    "Great work, Hank!" Arthur called out, delivering another solid blow to a beetle in front of him.


    As he whirled around to face the next one, his eyes caught Neko stillzing around.


    By this point, she''d found herself a sunny patch, where she had curled up with her eyes closed, clearly uninterested in their mortalbat with these low-level creeps.


    "Oh, don''t get up to help or anything," he muttered sarcastically.


    "I mean why would you right? It''s not like I summoned you to fight with me..."


    "Damn it, this game hates me too." He spat out, as he looked at Nekozing around.


    "They could''ve game me some overpowered dragon that would make me ride it to the top of this game... but they had to give me azy cat."


    "Sigh!"


    Meanwhile, one of the beetles had managed to crawl behind Arthur and went in for a nibble on his boot.


    He felt a sharp pinch on his ankle and let out a yelp.


    "Hey! Are you a pervert? Why are you licking my ankles?"


    "Do you have a flipping foot fetish you weirdo?"


    Hank realising that Arthur was cornered, quickly swooped in just in time, grabbing the pesky beetle with his talons and tossing it a few feet away.


    "Thanks, Hank," Arthur said, giving the hawk a thumbs-up as he dusted himself off.


    "If it weren''t for you, I''d be sexually harassed by a beetle."


    Another beetle tried to sneak up on Arthur, thinking that it would work again. But Arthur looked down at it, amused.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Wow. Bold move, little guy," he said, stepping away from the beetle.


    The beetle was determined to eat his toes.


    "You want to taste my feet so bad?"


    "Alright, eat this."


    Arthur stomped down the beetle''s unprotected head turning it to mash, then turned to see Hank delivering the final blow on another beetle.


    Only one beetle remained, which was now scuttling back in a desperate attempt to flee away.


    "Oh no, you don''t," Arthur said, striding forward to cut off its escape. "We can''t let you go back and tell your n about us."


    Hank let out a screech, and they both dealt a blow to thest beetle.


    [You have in a Corroded Beetle.]


    As thest beetle disintegrated, Arthur leaned on his sword, catching his breath, feeling slightly exhausted.


    He turned back to find Neko still lying in her sunny spot, now sprawled out as if she''d just had the busiest day of her life.


    "Wow, Neko," he called out, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "How is the breeze over there, do you want some air conditioner?"


    Neko cracked one eye open, giving him azy blink before promptly closing it again.


    She shifted slightly, curling up tighter, and resumed her nap.


    Arthur sighed while rolling his eyes.


    "Alright, Hank," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "That was pretty good. Do you think you can find us another group?"


    Hank gave an enthusiastic shriek, pping his wings as he soared upward, clearly ready for another hunt.

 Chapter 10 Hidden Dungeon?

    As Hank looked for another group of monsters to farm some levels and equipment, Arthur calcted the time it would take to level up to the next level.


    "It should take around three to four hours more."


    "Even though I have Hank''s scout skill, the yers seemed to have killed many of the monsters, and they still haven''t respawned yet."


    After around 10 minutes of looking for their next target, Hank spotted another group of beetles, they were also level 2.


    "Are beetles only level 2s in this area?" He muttered but quickly shrugged it off focusing on the fight ahead.


    He finished the group of 3 beetles quickly with Hank''s cooperation.


    [You have in a corroded Beetle]


    [Stone Sword (Common) has been dropped]


    [Backpack (Common) has been dropped]


    [Armor (Common) has been dropped]


    "Armor? That''s a new drop" He muttered, as he picked it up and wore it.


    After wearing the armour, he realised that he could either hide the armour making it invisible or show it.


    "That''s convenient."


    After moving around in the armour, he realised that it slightly restricted his movement.


    "Well, I am not a pro at dodging so it''s still an amazing addition to my safety." He muttered as he kept it on.


    He was going to sell the other items and keep this armour for himself to use.


    Arthur let out a deep breath, watching the pixted remains of the [Corroded Rabbit] dissolve into thin air as the familiar notification chimed in his ear.


    [Ding!]


    [You have in a Corroded Rabbit.]


    He smirked, waiting for what he hoped would finally be the moment he''d been grinding for hours.


    [Ding!]


    [You have levelled up to Level 3!]


    [All attribute points will be increased by 1.]


    [You have gained 1 free attribute point and 1 Skill Point.]


    "Finally," Arthur muttered, feeling a rush of satisfaction as he checked his new stats.


    It had been three hours, they had spent chasing down every creature in the area.


    Every ten to fifteen minutes, he and Hank managed to find a new target, but it was bing exhausting.


    They''d barely encountered any variety in the monsters¡ªmostly Corroded Rabbits and, of course, those eternally low-level [Beetles]


    "I will make sure to stomp on every beetle I see on earth, I''m sick and tired of them."


    As he turned to scan the forest, Hank let out a satisfied shriek andnded on Arthur''s shoulder, his feathers ruffling.


    Arthur reached up and gave the hawk a gentle scratch on the head.


    "Good work, Hank. Thanks to you, we actually managed to find enough targets to hit Level 3."


    Hank fluffed up, clearly pleased with himself.


    Neko was aszy as ever, but what surprised Arthur was that.


    "The monsters don''t attack her, I wonder why?" He thought.


    She''d only lifted a paw if a monster happened to wander too close to her, and even then, she barely extended her ws before dismissing them as unworthy of her effort.


    "Alright,zybones," he said, rolling his eyes at Neko, "we''re heading back to the vige. Don''t get lost."


    He nced at his inventory, filled with items he''d gathered over the past few hours.


    Backpacks, a couple of Stone Swords, armour and some other items.


    It had been decent loot, but he knew the value of these items wouldn''t hold for long. With so many other yers out farming, the market prices were bound to drop as more items flooded in.


    ''If I waste any more time, the cost of these items will depreciate faster than I can sell them,'' he thought, his stomach knotting slightly. ''If that happens, I won''t even know where to cry.''


    With a sigh, he looked toward the path leading back to the vige.


    "Come on, Hank. Let''s get back and cash in while we still can," he muttered, walking down the trail, his mind already racing with ns for his next level-up strategy.


    As he walked, Nekogged along a few steps behind, moving at her own unhurried pace, stretching with every other step as though she''d done all the hard work herself.


    "Yeah, yeah, don''t overexert yourself there, Neko," he muttered, a smirk forming as he adjusted the straps of his new armour


    Arthur couldn''t help but shake his head.


    The difference in Hank''s excitement in fighting monsters, and Neko''s absolute disregard for anything made him feel nostalgic.


    "It reminds me of when the teacher used to put the bully and the victim in the same group, thinking they would work well together," He sighed, ncing one final time at Neko.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As they made their way back to the vige, Arthur nced over his shoulder to check what the cat was doing. But as he turned he noticed that Neko was not following him.


    Thezy cat had actually wandered off on her own, her nose twitching as if sniffing out some hidden secret.


    "Hey! Where are you going?" Arthur called out, his voice suspicious.


    Neko barely nced in his direction, entirely focused on whatever had piqued her interest.


    Arthur squinted watching the cat walk between trees, asionally ncing back at him with an unreadable expression.


    "This cat is actually looking for something?" Arthur muttered, genuinely intrigued now.


    "Okay fine, you got my attention. Let''s see what you are looking for," He muttered.


    Neko had been indifferent and nonchnt even since he summoned her but now she was moving for a reason in her mind it seemed.


    She wasn''t lounging, sunbathing, or ignoring him outright like usual¡ªshe was leading the way.


    ''For once, she seems almost¡­ motivated.'' Arthur thought, ncing at the cat.


    Arthur exchanged a quick look with Hank who shrieked, clearly bewildered by her actions.


    Arthur made up his mind to follow her until she reached what she was looking for.


    ''Who knows, it might be a good thing. Hopefully... it is'' He thought.


    After all, he''d never seen her act like this before. It might be worth the detour.


    Arthur and Hank followed her through bushes and in between trees.


    Her small, white figure slipped between bushes and hopped over roots with ease meanwhile Arthur struggled to leave some bushes due to his size and their spiky, entangling nature.


    "Damn it, is this cat doing this on purpose? Why is she purposefully going through the bushes!" He muttered silently but still followed her through another bush.


    After a couple of minutes of walking, Arthur found himself ducking under a low-hanging branch and emerging into a small clearing.


    His eyes widened as his eyes registered the sight before him.


    "A cave?" He muttered.


    It was half-hidden behind an overgrowth of vines and moss, nestled between tworge, twisted trees.


    It looked ordinary enough at first nce, but something about it exuded a sense of mystery, as though it were veiled in a faint, otherworldly aura.


    Neko stood in front of the cave entrance, sitting on her haunches and studying it intently, her gaze fixed as if sizing it up.


    She seemed entirely captivated by whatevery within, her normallyzy eyes focused.


    Arthur approached her cautiously, standing beside her as he observed the cave.


    "So¡­ what exactly are we looking at here, Neko?" he asked, half-expecting an answer he knew would nevere.


    Without any warning, Neko nced up at him and then, in a single bound, leapt onto his shoulder, settling herself there like a queen on a throne.


    She sat perfectly poised, her eyes still locked onto the cave, her tail flicking left and right.


    Arthur waited, expecting her to leap down and lead him into the cave. But instead, she simply sat there, as if waiting for him to make the first move.


    A feeling of exasperation bubbled up in Arthur.


    ''Damn it¡­ Is she treating me as her servant or something? Why does it feel like I''m the summon and she''s the master?''


    Thezy, yetmanding, look she gave him only reinforced the feeling.


    Her eyes narrowed slightly, as though reminding him that she had chosen to lead him here, and he should be grateful for it.


    Arthur gritted his teeth, letting out a resigned sigh.


    "Fine. I''ll check it out," he muttered, casting onest look at her little face that had an unreadable expression.


    "I can almost swear that she is feeling smug about this on the inside,"


    With Hank perched on a nearby branch, keeping a vignt eye out, Arthur took his first step into the mouth of the cave.


    As he passed beneath the overhanging vines, a faint, cold breeze drifted from within, carrying with it a weird scent and something else¡ªsomething metallic, like old, rusted iron.


    His footsteps echoed softly as he ventured deeper, his senses growing with each step.


    "I need to be vignt here, I don''t know what I could find in this weird ce," Arthur thought, as he held his sword in front of him.


    After a few moments, he came upon an open cavern, and his eyes caught a glimmer of light reflecting off a collection of¡­ something.


    "What''s that?" He muttered, whilst squinting, his curiosity piqued.


    On the ground before himy a bunch of rusted weapons and armour, half-buried in the dirt, as though forgotten by time.


    Most of the items were rusty and worn, but as he sifted through them, his hand brushed against something smooth and solid.


    He pulled it free, revealing a dark, iron-hued dagger with a faint crimson sheen along its edge. The de felt cool and sharp, and it seemed to hum softly in his hand, as though alive with a strange power.


    [Iron dagger (Rare): A dagger of an old hero, lost through time. The dagger yearns to be used again and achieve its mission of spreading chaos]


    Arthur''s eyes widened, a grin spreading across his face.


    "Now, this is what I''m talking about," he whispered, feeling the weight of the weapon in his grip.


    The dagger had a strange aura to it, one that made his skin prickle with a sense of foreboding, but he couldn''t deny its allure.


    "A rare dagger? This is what I like to see," He chuckled, cing his sword back into his inventory.


    "This thing is worth at least a couple hundred silvers at this stage of the game. It was the rank above Umon, and he was sure that only monsters of higher level could drop something like this."


    "It''s probably even stronger than items that are gotten from ordinary monsters, the description says a lot about it."


    Neko''s eyes gleamed as she watched him examine the dagger, and for a brief moment, Arthur thought he saw a flicker of disgust in her eyes. It was as if Arthur was holding something dirty.


    "Is she feeling disgusted?" he muttered, ncing over at her.


    She ignored him and kept looking forward as if he still hadn''t reached what they hade for.


    Arthur rolled his eyes at her indifference. "Fine, let''s see what''s inside."


    With the dagger securely in hand, he nced around and examined a few more of the items strewn about, but most of them were too degraded to be of any use.


    He ventured inside the cave for a bit more.


    And, suddenly he heard something.


    [You have discovered the hidden realm: Forsaken Legacy!]


    [You are the first to discover a hidden realm (Difficulty: Normal)]


    [The rewards will be increased by 2x]

 Chapter 11 Global Announcement

    [An announcement will be made to all beta yers.]


    "a global announcement to all yers? That''s tricky." He thought, as a frown formed on his face.


    [Would you like to reveal your name?]


    [Yes/no]


    "phew, almost thought I was done for a second there," He wiped, a nonexistent sweat bead from his forehead.


    "No." Arthur selected, without hesitation.


    He didn''t have enough power in the real world, and nor did he have enough power in this world.


    "It''s too risky, especially since the people I trade with will see my name." He muttered silently.


    [Global Announcement!]


    [Attention to all yers!]


    [yer **** has discovered the first secret realm in armageddon.]


    ...


    "A secret realm?" said a man, with red hair as he fought against a few level 4 monsters alone.


    Somewhere far away from Arthur, a woman with silver hair opened her eyes.


    "Interesting." She muttered, as a smirk formed on her face.


    Her beautiful ocean eyes slowly closed again.


    ...


    Arthur felt the familiar feeling of teleportation as the cave faded away, reced by the shadowed, dense growth of an ancient forest.


    "What is this ce," He thought, ncing at the trees around him stretched high, their branches twisted and scary.


    There was barely any light let through due to the dense trees.


    He nced around uneasily, the forest was very strange. Every so often, he could hear faint sounds of screaming or crying in the distance.


    "...damn it, I''m already regrettinging here," he muttered, feeling a shiver crawl up his spine.


    The ce had a vibe he did not like at all.


    "Why does it feel so¡­ creepy?"


    He took a steadying breath, determined not to let the eerie atmosphere get to him.


    ''Come on, Arthur, you can''t always remain weak,'' he thought, clenching his fists. "I need to get stronger,"


    He gave his cheeks a light p with both hands, as if to shake off the unease, and forced himself to focus.


    To his relief, Hank and Neko were still by his side.


    Hank sat alert on his shoulder, his eyes scanning the trees with a hawk''s sharp focus, while Neko walked along at her own pace, her nonchnt expression back.


    As they moved deeper into the forest, a faint noise drifted through the trees.


    "¡­Crrreeak¡­"


    Arthur stopped in his tracks, ncing around for the source of the sound.


    "What¡­ what are those noises?" he whispered, casting a quick nce at Neko.


    Surely, she''d have some idea¡ªafter all, she was the one who led him here in the first ce.


    But Neko merely looked up at him, unimpressed, her gaze dismissive as she resumed her casual stroll.


    Arthur sighed.


    He buried his face in his hands, his palms pressing against his eyes as if to block out the absurdity before him.


    "Great. Perfect time to go back to acting like you don''t care," he muttered, rubbing his forehead. "Thanks a lot, Neko."


    A small rustling sound caught his attention next, like leaves brushing against each other in a soft, persistent whisper.


    He quickly turned around his dagger in hand ready for an altercation.


    After waiting for a while, nothing happened.


    "Shhhh¡­shhhhh¡­"


    It was so faint that he almost missed it, but there it was again.


    The noise seemed toe from somewhere just ahead of him, as though something or someone was whispering through the trees.


    Arthur couldn''t shake the feeling that he was being watched by something but he didn''t know what or where it was.


    "Alright, this ce is seriously messed up," he muttered, gripping his dagger closer to his chest.


    The forest around him seemed almost alive, the shadows seemed to move in ways that made him question his own senses.


    "Am I hallucinating?" He thought as he could''ve sworn he saw a shadow move.


    A cold breeze suddenly travelled towards them, sending chills down his spine as it rustled the leaves above.


    "...scrratch¡­scrape¡­"


    Hank let out a sharp shriek, alerting Arthur to move off to their left.


    Arthur squinted, but all he could make out were the vague shapes of tree branches.


    "Hank stay on alert, alright?" Arthur said, his voice heavy.


    Hank gave a low shriek in response, his eyes scanning their surroundings.


    Arthur looked down at Neko, who was now sitting calmly, staring straight into the dark expanse ahead.


    "...creeeeak¡­snap¡­"


    Another sound echoed again from behind, making him turn around quickly.


    But as he turned around...


    "There is nothing there?"


    "Ugh, this must be a ghost ying games with me," He muttered in frustration.


    "Just show up and fight, stop ying these petty tricks," He spat out, ncing around in slight fear.


    Despite the slight fear, he took a deep breath and continued, his footsteps crunching softly on tree branches.


    The ground was uneven, littered with decaying leaves and vines that seemed to move slightly with each step.


    Arthur gritted his teeth, doing his best to shake off the anxiety creeping up his spine. "This ce feels like it''s testing me," he murmured. "But I can''t turn back... it''s toote."


    As Hank and Arthur walked around vignt for any sound, or movement.


    Neko had resumed her leisurely stride, asionally ncing back as if checking to make sure Arthur was following.


    ''What lies deeper in this ce?'' he thought, ncing into the darkness of the forest.


    As they walked into the forest, Hank suddenly shrieked and attacked a shadow of a tree.


    -6HP


    "Hank?" Arthur got confused, seeing his summon attacking a shadow but his faceter showed a shock.


    "T-The shadow moved??" He thought, not believing what he was looking at.


    "It''s really moving, the shadow is moving." He said, rubbing his eyes.


    After Hank attacked the shadow, Arthur was able to see the information.


    [Shadow ve]


    Level: 3


    Health Points: 40


    Physical Damage: 11


    [Details:] A ve long forgotten in the realms of the vast universe.


    ncing at the shadow information provided by the system, he frowned.


    "Shadow ve... really?" He muttered, "I mean that''s cool, especially since it''s quite sunless here."


    "Seems like I will bemitting a horrendous act that many will hate," He thought, as a smirk appeared on his face.


    "Time to level up, Hank you ready?" He said as he charged in at the shadow.


    ...


    [You have in a Shadow ve]


    [Magic wand (Umon) has been dropped]


    "Hmm, so there are new item drops in this area. Interesting," He said, as he ced the magic wand in the backpack.


    "Let''s go," He gestured for Hank, as he continued forward.


    On the way, he met with a few more Shadow ves that he beat with Hank without any issues.


    "What is this?" He said examining the narrow path, that was in front of him.


    "Well, I have no option but to get in since I can''t go back anyway," He shook his head and entered.


    Arthur continued down the narrow path, pushing branches aside and stepping carefully over roots that were embedded in the soil.


    The forest around him was silent and eerie, its shadows swallowing every atom of light that dared to filter through.


    He could feel an odd, oppressive aura in the air, it was like an invisible hand on his shoulder.


    After walking for what felt like an eternity, he stopped, frowning as he scanned his surroundings.


    ''Something feels off¡­'' He thought.


    He couldn''t ce it at first.


    Everything looked as it had ten minutes ago¡ªthe same trees, the same silence, the same strange feeling of being watched.


    "Yeah, something is definitely wrong," He muttered, as he checked his surroundings.


    He quickly took out his dagger and marked a tree on his right with an ''X'' shape.


    After marking it, he continued walking and 10 minutester he was still walking and everything felt the same yet again.


    "I can''t be at the same ce, I haven''t seen the mark at all," He thought.


    Although everything pointed to him being in the same ce as before, the mark he ced on the tree wasn''t there.


    "Wait!" He thought, when something suddenly clicked in his mind ncing at the trees next to him


    With a slight frown, Arthur reached into his inventory and pulled out a [Stone Sword (Umon)] he didn''t care much about.


    Crouching down, he ced it on the forest floor and marked the nearby tree with a quick scratch from his dagger.


    "Alright, let''s see what''s going on here," he muttered to himself, ncing at Hank, who had settled on a branch above him, and Neko, who was busy licking her paws a few steps behind.


    He moved forward, letting his feet carry him down the path once more, his senses on high alert as every fibre of his body was alert.


    He walked, counting each step and second in his mind, focusing on every twist and turn of the forest trail, determined to make some progress.


    Ten minutes passed, and Arthur felt the ground level off as he approached a clearing.


    But as he looked down at the forest floor, his heart skipped a beat.


    There, lying on the ground, was the [Stone Sword] he''d ced earlier, and the scratch on the nearby tree he had made was gone.


    "Oh no¡­ this isn''t good," he muttered, horror creeping in.


    He knelt down, his knees touching the forest ground as his fingers hovered over the [Stone Sword] as if it might vanish.


    He''d been walking in circles¡ªno, it was worse.


    Somehow, he''d been walking forward for ten minutes, only to end up exactly where he''d started.


    His mind reeled, racing through possibilities.


    ''Is this some kind of illusion? Or¡­ a trap?''


    Arthur gritted his teeth, unwilling to ept that he was trapped so easily.


    He stood up, determination hardening on his features.


    "Alright, let''s try this again," he said, scanning the trees with a keener eye.


    This time, he pulled a piece of bark from a nearby tree and dropped it onto the path, marking it with an X.


    He nodded to himself and moved forward again, making sure to remember each detail of his surroundings.


    He counted his steps and timed himself again, ncing back asionally to reassure himself that he was moving farther away from the marking.


    Ten minutester, Arthur paused and looked down at the ground.


    His breath hitched.


    The marked bark was gone, not lying on the path next to the [Stone Sword].


    "Damn it! What''s going on?" Arthur muttered, his frustration increasing.


    He kicked some soil away in anger, but it only thudded softly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Hank, sensing his distress, let out a soft shriek, but even his reassuring presence couldn''t quell the unsettling feeling crawling up Arthur''s spine.

 Chapter 12 Paradox

    He was trapped in a frightening loop, a paradox that seemed impossible to escape.


    "Alright, fine. You want to y games?" Arthur muttered, pulling out another [Stone Sword (Umon)].


    He nted it firmly in the ground, slightly angled as a new marker for his n.


    Then, he grabbed a handful of pebbles from the forest floor and arranged them in a straight line, forming a trail he could follow.


    "If I can''t use the trees as a trail, then I will use my equipment and pebbles." He muttered, scoffing at the forest around him.


    "There," he said, satisfied. "Try to confuse me now."


    He started walking again, each step carefully taken, whilst ncing frequently at the ground to make sure he was still leaving the trail.


    But as he moved forward, something strange began to happen.


    One by one, the pebbles he''d ced started to vanish from its ce, as though the forest itself were swallowing them up into an endless void.


    He watched in shock as with every few steps he took, another pebble disappeared from his sight.


    "What the¡­?" Arthur stammered, realising that his worst fear was right.


    His trail was being erased, each step he took seemingly rewriting reality behind him.


    "Everything in this forest is being erased?" He muttered as he nced over his shoulder, half-expecting to see his starting point right there, but it was only empty darkness stretching back endlessly.


    He clenched his fists, feeling determined to find a way out of this maze.


    "Alright, if that''s how you want to y¡­ I will y with you." He said to the forest, although it was mainly to reassure himself.


    Arthur took a deep breath, focusing on each step and each sound around him.


    He wasn''t going to miss any detail of the forest, he couldn''t.


    He kept his pace slow, observing everything making sure nothing missed his eyes.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ten minutes passed, and he found himself back in the same spot.


    "It''s the same spot, shit!" He cursed.


    He was where he''d started, with the [Stone Sword (Umon)] nted firmly in the ground and his initial markers gone.


    "It''s like¡­ like the forest resets every ten minutes," he realized as shock and frustration built up within him.


    The idea of an infinite paradox was mind-boggling. No matter how far he walked, he would always be pulled back, his progress erased.


    Arthur walked in circles around his markers, trying to think.


    ''So if it''s a reset¡­ then that means there must be a trigger, or maybe a way to stop it.'' He muttered.


    Taking a deep breath, he stood still, letting his mind race through everything he''d observed. Everything he had been doing to try to get out; the sounds he''d heard, the rustling, the whispers and the shadow salve that had moved.


    He knelt beside the Stone Sword, running his fingers along its hilt.


    "If it''s resetting, then that means there''s something that doesn''t want me to move forward. And maybe¡­ just maybe¡­ it can''t reset everything at once."


    "Realistically, it doesn''t seem to be able to reset my equipment. It had been able to do that to the pebbles and marks on the trees. But it can''t seem to touch my equipment," He thought as a theory formed in his mind, and he felt excited that he might have found the way out.


    ''This might actually work,'' He thought, "Although, it will be damn expensive."


    Quickly, he stood and left the sword as a marker but began pulling out other items he had, such as [Wooden Sword(Common)], and [Stone Sword(Umon)] and other items.


    He spread them across the path, creating a map of markers. He went back to the sword, moved a tree branch and ced it next to it.


    Then he waited.


    He stood still, watching his markers, his heart pounding as he held his breath, waiting for the next reset.


    A sudden gust of wind swept through the forest.


    In an instant, he felt something change.


    When he looked down, the tree branch was gone, and the Stone Sword remained.


    He stared at it, hope swelling.


    "That''s it," he muttered, realization dawning on him. "Only things I''m connected to directly can survive the reset."


    Arthur then quickly walked forward picking up every item he had dropped until he saw the sword from about 2 meters away, he threw an item on the floor and waited in between both of them.


    He was trying to break the loop, by staying at the weakness of the loop. Right between the end and the beginning of the loop.


    Minutes passed, each step feeling like a battle against the forest.


    But he waited.


    "This has to work," he thought.


    As the time for the reset was about to be reached, the system notified him.


    [12 Hours had passed since you entered, time is up!]


    [Teleporting in 3... 2... 1...]


    [Telerporting!]


    "No!, just wait a few seconds." He yelled out, as he felt the gust of winding.


    "Damn it, the damn system might have just ruined everything I had done!" He cursed out, as he found himself in the middle of the park.

 Chapter 13 Armageddon

    The cold breeze struck him as he appeared in the park, it was in the middle of the night.


    "Great, not only is it cold. It''s dark too," Arthur sighed,


    Arthur''s gaze locked onto therge billboard as the broadcast illuminated the dark street.


    A news reporter, her expression solemn and unyielding, addressed the camera with a level of urgency that made him stop in his tracks.


    Her voice carried the weight of the subject, a tone that hinted at fear and uncertainty, as she spoke to the millions who were no doubt watching, just as transfixed as he was.


    "Armageddon," she said, her voice echoing over the quiet night, "has ced our world in a predicament, one that we never could have anticipated."


    This phenomenon known as ''Armageddon''," she intoned, her voice low but steady, "is not something of human design. It is not a game made by us, nor a simtion constructed by our technologies."


    "It is an event¡ªa summoning¡ªthat we do not control. Humanity has been thrust into this universe-wide ordeal without choice, without preparation. And as this new reality looms before us, we must confront the truth, Armageddon is here, and it is changing everything we know."


    "The earth itself," the reporter continued, "is shifting. And the people living on it¡ªwe¡ªare changing too, though many of us cannot yet see the full extent of it."


    "At least that''s what armageddon has promised us, a change that we cannot stop."


    "Beta testers¡ªrandomly selected individuals from all walks of life¡ªare being drawn into Armageddon''s world."


    "And now," the reporter continued, "the governments of the world are beginning to respond. We cannot deny this as an isted event, as if it''s merely happening in a virtual reality. It is affecting our reality here and now."


    "The currencies of Armageddon are finding their way into our economies. Leaders are forming teams, gathering yers based on their talent rankings¡ªan entirely new kind of hierarchy. And now, we face a future where these yers could be a new kind of elite. Individuals with high-ranking talents are being scouted, drafted, and ranked in tiers of influence¡ªbased not on their wealth, or titles, or power as we knew it, but on their abilities, their talents, within Armageddon."


    The screen switched to a press conference, where government officials sat. Their faces were grim, and their expressions heavy as they addressed the press and public.


    "In response to Armageddon''s unprecedented arrival," one official said, "we are organizing elite teams of yers with ranked talents. These teams will not only explore this world but try to understand it."


    "We have confirmed that one of our own holds an A-rank talent, and for now, they will lead our strongest team. As S-rank talents are identified, we will ensure that they take positions where they can be¡­ managed."


    The screen cut back to the reporter, her voice adopting a contemtive tone, as though she were speaking to herself just as much as her audience.


    "This is no longer simply about survival. It is about power. Authority. Perhaps even domination. It is the dawn of a new era¡ªone where wealth, status, and influence are being redefined by a world we know almost nothing about. And as Armageddon continues to unfold, the question we must ask is this: will those who rise to the top of its ranks be heroes, protectors of humanity? Or will they be something else entirely?"


    Her eyes glinted with a rare, raw vulnerability. "Armageddon is not just a virtual experience; it is a call to war, a fight for dominance. And those with high-ranking talents are not just yers¡ªthey are warriors, maybe even¡­ rulers."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Her words lingered in the silence, her gaze intense, as though she could see straight into the hearts of her viewers.


    "Armageddon has introduced a new kind of currency, a new kind of power. Those who are strong enough will change the world, but at what cost? How many will lose themselves in a pursuit for strength, for dominance, for survival?"


    "It is the dawn of a new age¡­ but one born from forces we do not understand. And so we wait, holding our breath, wondering if those who rise will save us¡­ or if they will be the ones to bring about our downfall."


    Arthur thought about her words and he stood there, frozen, as a chill spread through him. It was as if a new chapter of his life had been forced open before he''d even turned the page.


    "Heroes, huh?" he muttered to himself, turning away from the billboard. "It could never be me."

 Chapter 14 Drunkards

    Arthur walked down the empty street, his steps echoing in the silence of the night.


    The city lights were bright as he walked on, shivering slightly from the cold breeze that hit his body, seeping through his thin, torn clothes.


    He kept his gaze on his surroundings, hoping to find some out-of-the-way corner where he could rest until morning.


    As he passed a row of bars that were beginning to close up for the night, the sound ofughter caught his ears.


    A group of three men stumbled out of a nearby pub, their voices loud and slurred, their eyes bloodshot and unfocused.


    They spotted him almost immediately, their attention drawn to his slender frame and handsome, youthful face.


    One of them, a burly man with a dishevelled beard and unsteady stance, squinted in Arthur''s direction.


    "Hey¡­ look at that one over there," he slurred, nudging his friend with a grin. "Is that a girl or a guy? Can barely tell from here."


    The second man, tall and skinny with a crooked smile, squinted as well, leaning forward to get a better look.


    "Oh, that''s a guy alright¡­ but damn, look at that pretty face. Could probably mistake him for a girl in the dark, huh?"


    The third one, shorter and stockier, let out a drunkenugh.


    "Hey, pretty boy! What are you doing walking alone at night? Looking for some fun?"


    Arthur stiffened at their sound, his shoulders tensing as he picked up his pace, hoping to leave them by putting some distance between himself and them.


    But the men noticed his quickened steps and took it as a challenge,ughing among themselves as they began to follow him.


    "Hey,e on now, no need to be shy!" the tall man called out, his voice mocking. "A gu- girl like you doesn''t walk around looking that good unless you want some attention, am I right?"


    "Maybe he''s just lonely," the bearded one snickered, stumbling slightly as he followed Arthur''s path. "Or maybe he''s a little scared out here by himself. Poor thing looks like he could use somepany. heh."


    Arthur''s mind raced, his pulse quickening as he considered how to escape without confronting them.


    There was no one around, no witnesses, just him and these three drunkards.


    They were getting closer, their expressions were filled with lust, bing more intense with each step they took towards him.


    He clenched his fists, assessing the situation.


    ''Running might just encourage them to chase me.''


    ''Maybe if I take one of them out, I can use the distraction to get away.''


    The fat man in the lead stepped closer, his grin widening as he reached a hand out toward Arthur.


    "Don''t be like that, sweetheart. We''re just trying to have a good time."


    "You look like the kind who could help us with that¡­ you know?"


    Before he could finish, Arthur snapped into action, throwing a quick punch directly into the man''s face.


    His fist connected on the man''s jaw sending a jolt of pain through Arthur''s knuckles, but the effect was immediate.


    The man''s eyes widened in shock as he staggered back, his expression frozen in surprise.


    He didn''t even manage a gasp before he copsed to the ground, his body twitching slightly before going limp.


    A faint trail of foam dribbled from his mouth, and his eyes rolled back into his head.


    Arthur froze, his heart pounding as he stared down at the man lying motionless on the ground.


    ''Did I hit him that hard?'' he thought, a wave of confusion crossing his mind.


    He nced at the other two men, expecting them to lunge at him in anger, but they were both standing rooted in ce, their faces pale and eyes wide as they stared at their fallen friend.


    "What¡­ what the hell?" the tall man stammered, taking a shaky step back. "Did you see that? He¡­ he just knocked him out with one punch!"


    The shorter man swallowed hard, his gaze darting between Arthur and his unconscious friend. "He''s¡­ he''s foaming at the mouth! What¡­ what did you do to him? You killed him!"


    Arthur didn''t wait for them to recover from their shock.


    Without another word, he turned and bolted down the street, his footsteps slowly disappearing he put as much distance between himself and the men as possible.


    His mind reeled, his thoughts racing as he struggled to make sense of what had just happened.


    ''So weak?'' he thought, ncing back briefly to see the two remaining men still standing there, their faces etched with disbelief.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    They made no move to follow him, too stunned by the sight of their friend lying unconscious on the ground.


    Arthur quickened his pace, leaving them behind.

 Chapter 15 Another day

    Arthur slowed his pace as he realised he was far from the drunkards.


    Looking at his surroundings, he found himself drifting into one of the narrow, forgotten alleyways, that no one enters.


    "Guess that''ll have to do," he murmured to himself, taking in the sight of cracked walls and crumbling brick.


    The faint smell of garbage filled the air, but he ignored it.


    The alleyway was just wide enough for him to sleep in.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Nice, there are some newspapers and cardboard boxes" He muttered.


    They had probably been tossed aside, either another homeless person''s baggage or some person''s garbage. Either way, he was going to use it tonight.


    Arthur leaned back against the cold wall, he pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them, drawing himself in for some warmth in the dark, cold night.


    It wasn''tfortable¡ªnowhere near it, far from it. But he was used to it by now.


    He''d gotten good at finding little corners like this, ces where no one would bother him, ces that most people wouldn''t even nce at as they walked by.


    "It''s not much," he muttered, ncing at the broken alcohol bottle lying a few feet away.


    "But at least no one''s gonna find me here, It does the job."


    A soft sigh escaped him as he looked up at the slice of sky visible between the rooftops above.


    He let his head rest against the wall.


    "It''s funny," he thought.


    "How something so disgusting can feel like home after a while." He thought, ncing at the dirty alleyway that was housing him when no one else did.


    "This isn''t a life, is it?" he murmured to no one in particr. "It''s just¡­ surviving. Just getting by."


    "The other world was nice, although it was dangerous."


    "I felt alive, I felt like I had control over my life, over my future..." He muttered as he couldn''t wait to go back there.


    He closed his eyes, trying to get some sleep in. A few hourster, he opened his eyes back.


    "I can''t sleep, this type of life is really unbearable without Charlotte." He muttered, as his thoughts wandered to her.


    The warmth of her smile, the quiet strength in her eyes.


    She was the one bright spot in his life, the one thing that kept him pushing forward, and kept him getting up each day despite everything he went through.


    "Just hang in there, alright, Charlotte?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I''m gonna get us out of this shit hole soon."


    The night slowly drifted away, as the sun slowly rose marking a new day.


    Opening up his eyes with difficulty, Arthur felt groggy.


    "It''s finally daytime," He muttered.


    He hadn''t been able to sleep the whole time, he was in the realm between sleeping and being awake, it honestly felt like torture but he couldn''t do anything about it.


    Standing up and stretching, he made his way out of the alleyway.


    He smelt himself, bringing his twitching nose to his underarms.


    "Damn it, I stink now," He said with disgust, as he nced at the area he was in that was filled with garbage.


    "I need to go back into Armageddon as soon as possible, and farm some more equipment."


    After leaving the alleyway, he stepped into the main road as people went about doing their thing.


    Be it work, appointments or just a morning job.


    Life seemed to be slightly different from before, as people seemed to have a lot on their minds due to the descent of Armageddon.


    But it wasn''t an overwhelming change, in fact, some people found it a good change.


    He had heard many people talking about it, as they walked on their daily life.


    Being able to enter another world, plunder the resources of that world and transfer it to real money, it was simply a dreame true to many. Whilst, others thought there was more to it than meets the eye.


    Arthur was in the middle, he wasn''t firmly stuck into a position, and he believed it could be a good change.


    "At least, it''s good for me," He muttered, as he realised he wouldn''t be able to pay for his sister''s medication if it wasn''t for the game.


    "But there must be an equivalent exchange, the smirk on that man''s face as he said the rules, still irks me today," He muttered, remembering his smirk.


    Shaking his head, deciding to not worry about it for now.


    He headed to the hospital, it was a day visit anyway.


    "I should be able to take a shower in the hospital, but I need some change," He realised, as he made it near the hospital.


    After looking around, he found a small clothing shop.


    After entering, he quickly bought a cheap set of clothes for $15 because of its low quality and left.


    "Some new clothes," He smiled, as he couldn''t wait to finally wear some new clothes in almost a month.

 Chapter 16 New Summon (1)

    Arthur entered the hospital and headed towards his sister''s department.


    Hematology/Oncology department


    "Hello sir, how can I help you?" a nurse asked him, as he entered the department.


    "Hi, my sister is in room 24. I am here for the daily visit," He said, responding to her question.


    "I see, let me know if you need any help." She nodded warmly, as she walked to do other things.


    ...


    Entering his sister''s room, he looked at her as she slept.


    "She must be very fatigued," He thought, as he headed to the room''s shower.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    After showering, Arthur changed into new clothes and put the old ones into a bag.


    "I can''t throw these just yet, but I can still wash them and use them." He muttered.


    As he sat on the chair next to her bed, he looked at her beautiful face as she slept soundly.


    After watching her sleep for around twenty minutes, he realised that she probably wouldn''t be awake any time soon.


    So he decided to check if he was allowed to enter the game again.


    After heading to the bathroom, he decided to enter the game.


    [Do you wish to enter?]


    [Yes/No]


    "Yes."


    Teleporting back, he realised that he wasn''t in the same spot anymore.


    "Nice!"


    "I broke the paradox," He said in an excited look, as he found himself in a new ce.


    He nced to his side and found both of his summons waiting for him.


    He then nced at therge door in front of him, it excused a sense of mystery and power he couldn''t quite ce.


    "This door... there is something terrifying behind it," He thought, as he nced at the runes that filled the huge, ancient-looking door in front of him.


    He then shifted his gaze to his summons.


    "I just reached level 3, I can summon another one, but..." He muttered, "I will hold it for now, I can summon it inside anyway."


    As he approached the door, a new prompt appeared in front of him.


    [You have reached Forsaken Legacy Realm''s boss room.]


    [Do you wish to enter?]


    [Yes, No]


    ncing at the prompt in front of him, Arthur hesitated slightly.


    "What happens if I press no?"


    "Do I get teleported out of the dungeon? Will I lose the opportunity ?" He muttered out loud, mainly to himself.


    After thinking about it for a while, he couldn''t press no.


    ''I can''t lose out on this opportunity, this is my chance to be different,"


    "I will take it, I can''t risk being removed from this dungeon."


    He pressed, yes.


    [Entering the boss''s room.]


    [The level of difficulty has increased from ''Normal'' to ''Helldive'']


    "What the fuck!" Arthur swore as he was teleported into the boss''s room.


    His eyes widened as he took in the sight before him.


    In the centre of the vast room, stood a throne.


    The shadowed seat seemed almost to pulse with a presence of its own. The throne was grand yet haunting, crafted from an obsidian-like material that absorbed all light.


    It was as though the throne itself told a story.


    Upon the throne rested a skeleton, upright and with a presence that couldn''t be ignored, its figure unnervingly still.


    The bony hand rested on what remained of its cheek as if frozen in an eternal state of contemtion.


    The skull tilted slightly to one side, empty eye sockets seeming to gaze out into the room as though seeing beyond the physical, peering into something.


    Arthur''s eyes scanned the room, and he couldn''t suppress the creeping unease settling over him.


    ''How can something look so¡­ alive yet dead at the same time?'' he thought, his gaze lingering on the skeleton resting on the throne.


    ''How is it still sitting like that?'' Arthur wondered, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rise.


    Arthur kept looking around the room, noticing the weird circr arrangement of candles lining the walls, each me giving him the creeps.


    ''What kind of ce is this?'' he thought, his gaze snapping back to the throne. The skeleton hadn''t moved, but it didn''t need to.


    ''Where is the boss?'' He thought, as he nced around the room one more time before it clicked.


    Turning his head slowly to the skeleton in front of him, worrying that his thought might be correct.


    And... it was.


    The skeleton''s expression which was unreadable, slowly formed into a creepy smile that made his heartbeat faster than a drum on a caravan day.


    "No, no. There is no way, I''m fighting this thing. Plus, how the hell can a skeleton even smile." He said as he watched it slowly rise from its throne or what he thought it was.

 Chapter 17 New Summon (2)

    [???''s subordinate (Epic-Boss)]


    Level: 5


    Health points: 500


    [Details:] A powerful being, he had been waiting in this room for the past hundreds of years, waiting for a person worthy of his Emperor''s Forsaken Legacy.


    Looking at the boss''s stats in front of him, Arthur gulped loudly.


    "Five...hundred...health points." He muttered.


    "Honestly... Why don''t you make him immortal, because what in the world am I mean to do with my damage," He said, in frustration ncing at his own stats after levelling up to level three.


    [Race:] Human


    [ID:] Fateless


    [Level:] 3


    [ss:] None


    [Talent:] Primordial Summoner (SSS), Lucky (SSS)


    [Summons:] 2/3


    [Health Points:] 70


    [Mana Points:] 110


    [Magical Damage:] 11


    [Phyiscal Damage:] 4


    [Damage Resistance:] 7


    [Attributes:] Strength 4, Agility 7, Vitality 7, Intelligence 11


    [Skills:] None


    [Attribute Points:] 2


    [Skill Points:] 2


    [Equipment:] Dagger (Rare), Backpack (Umon), ...


    "I can only do 4-8 damage to him after every attack depending on whether it''s a critical hit or not, and I need tond at least 100 of those attacks to kill this skeleton." He muttered silently, as he looked at the cat in front of him grimly.


    ''Is she going to make a move?'' He thought.


    Looking at the cat, he hooked his head.


    ''Doesn''t seem like it...''


    He decided to ignore her for now and focused on what was in front of him.


    Hank was on his shoulder, his eyes focused on the skeletal monster in front of them.


    "Hank, I need you to do the same thing as usual."


    "We will both attack at different intervals, we will keep making him change aggression so he wouldn''t be able to hit one of us directly. Okay?" He said his voice urgent as he realised they didn''t have much time before the skeleton was going to start attacking.


    "You think I will wait for you to power up like some idiot?" He mused as he darted forward, his dagger shing in an arc as it struck the skeleton''s side.


    -6 HP


    "Nice one, Hank!" he called as Hank swooped down, shing the skeletal figure with his talons before taking to the air again taking its aggression away from Arthur.


    -8 HP


    The skeleton swayed, turning its hollow eye sockets toward Hank in what might have been an irritation.


    Arthur smirked, his confidence growing with every sessful attack they did.


    They were working in perfect sync, alternating their attacks and keeping the boss off bnce.


    The skeletal figure''s bony hand swung out in a slow attempt to retaliate, but Arthur easily sidestepped the attack.


    "This is almost too easy," Arthur muttered under his breath, feeling excited about the reward he was going to receive.


    He tightened his grip on the dagger, waiting for another opening as Hank circled above, waiting for his next strike.


    The boss''s Health Points dropped under their constant attacks.


    -7 HP -6 HP -10 HP (Critical)


    Its health bar ticked lower and lower until...


    "Nice Hank, we are halfway through his health bar. Just repeat the same steps again, and we can enjoy the rewards." Arthur couldn''t stop the grin that spread across his face.


    He felt unstoppable. "You are nothingpared to me and Hank, you little piles of bones!" he taunted, circling the skeleton with a swagger that hadn''t been there at the start of the fight.


    "You can act all mysterious on that dusty throne of yours, but when ites to fighting? You''re nothing but an old bone."


    Hank let out a triumphant shriek, diving down for another hit as Arthur stepped in close tond another blow himself. The boss staggered back under their assault, its frame rattling with each strike.


    But then...everything changed.


    The ground beneath Arthur''s feet trembled violently, the tremor filling the whole room.


    The candles lining the walls flickered and swayed, their light bending and twisting in erratic motion.


    Pebbles fell from the ceiling, ttering against the floor as the room seemed to copse.


    "What''s happening?" Arthur muttered, his grin vanishing as his confidence turned into unease.


    He instinctively took a few steps back, putting some distance between himself and the boss, his eyes darting around the shaking room.


    Even Hank faltered, pping his wings hard to stay in the air.


    A notification appeared in front of him, the words glowing ominously.


    [???''s subordinate (Epic-Boss) has entered an enraged state.]


    [Some intelligence has been restored! Attack power has doubled, and Health points have been reduced by half.]


    Arthur''s heart sank as the skeletal figure began to move differently.


    Its motions were no longer sluggish and predictable.


    It carried a sharpness and power that hadn''t been there before.


    The hollow eye sockets that had once felt empty now seemed to burn with a faint, eerie light as if a fragment of the being it once was had stirred awake.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "What is that light in its eye sockets," He thought, as he nced at the faint, ck me in the boss''s eyesocket.


    "Oh, no. No, no, no!" Arthur eximed, clutching his dagger tightly as he backed away further.


    "This wasn''t part of the n. It was meant to be an easy win, and an amazing reward."


    The skeleton slowly straightened, standing taller than before, its bony frame exuding an aura of menace that made the room feel colder.


    It turned its head toward Arthur with an unnerving motion, the faint light in its eye sockets locking onto him.


    Then, with a sudden burst of speed that Arthur hadn''t seening, it lunged.


    Arthur barely managed to leap out of the way as the skeleton''s massive, bony hand smashed into the ground where he''d been standing a moment before. The force of the impact cracked the stone floor, sending splinters of debris flying in every direction.


    -10HP


    "Hank! Keep it distracted!" Arthur shouted, his voice filled with panic.


    "10 HP lost, and I haven''t even been hit directly. I don''t want to find out how much I would have lost if I was hit directly... I might be even dead."


    The hawk let out a sharp cry and dove at the skeleton''s head, ws shing at its exposed skull.


    -8 HP


    The skeleton didn''t flinch.


    Instead, itshed out with a speed that caught even Hank off guard, its bony hand narrowly missing the hawk as he swerved out of reach.


    Arthur felt his stomach churn at the evolution of the boss.


    "This¡­ this isn''t good," Arthur muttered, gripping his dagger tightly as he tried toe up with a new strategy to counter the enraged boss.

 Chapter 18 Hidden Class: Shadow Monarch (SSS)

    Arthur''s dagger trembled in his hand, his breaths ragged and shallow as he lunged at the skeleton for what felt like the hundredth time.


    Each swing of his weapon came slower, his movements losing their precision with every passing second.


    The once-crisp coordination between him and Hank was no longer there, instead, it was a desperate, disjointed array of strikes, each one barely keeping the skeletal monster at bay.


    The boss, now fully enraged, moved with terrifying speed, its bony limbsshing out with enough force to shatter the stone beneath their feet.


    Hank swooped down for another attack, his talons raking across the boss''s exposed ribcage.


    -8 HP


    But the skeleton countered, its massive hand swinging upward and grazing Hank''s wing. Hank screeched, veering off his course, his feathers trailing behind him as he pped furiously to stay airborne after the attack.


    -15 HP


    "Hank, hang in there!" Arthur shouted, his voice hoarse.


    He could feel the change of aura in the air.


    His own body screamed in protest, bruises forming where the skeleton hadnded scraping blows, and his left shoulder throbbed from narrowly dodging a strike that had smashed into the wall behind him.


    The skeleton was relentless, each attack more aggressive than thest.


    Arthur barely managed to roll away as its massive hand mmed into the ground beside him, sending shards of stone flying into his face.


    Blood trickled down his temple, stinging his eyes as he scrambled to his feet.


    "This is bad¡­ this is really bad," he muttered, his voice trembling.


    He risked a nce at Hank, who was circling above, his flight unsteady unlike before.


    The hawk had taken too many hits for him, to the point where his movements were sluggish, his shrieks tinged with desperation.


    Arthur tried to force himself forward, his grip on the dagger tightening as he aimed for another attack.


    But the skeleton anticipated him this time, its bony hand sweeping sideways and catching Arthur square in the ribs.


    Pain exploded through his side as he was thrown against the wall, copsing in a heap.


    "Shit¡­" he gasped, clutching his side as the skeleton loomed over him. His dagger had slipped from his grasp, ttering to the ground a few feet away.


    He crawled backwards, his vision swimming. "I shouldn''t have been cocky¡­ damn it¡­ I got too greedy."


    Hank let out a piercing shriek, diving at the skeleton with all the strength he had left.


    His ws struck the boss''s skull, but the skeleton retaliated with a swift, brutal swipe that caught Hank mid-flight.


    The hawk let out a final, heart-wrenching cry as he plummeted to the ground and turned into particles.


    "No!" Arthur shouted, his voice breaking as he watched Hank hit the floor with a sickening thud.


    A prompt appeared before his eyes.


    [Your C-Rank Summon ''Hank'' has died.]


    [''Hank'' will respawn in 24 hours.]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Arthur''s heart sank.


    "Damn it, I''m done for¡­" he muttered, his back against the wall as the skeleton advanced.


    He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable strike that would end it all.


    Every muscle in his body screamed at him to run, to fight, but he was too drained. Too broken.


    He waited.


    And waited.


    But the strike never came.


    Instead, there was a deafening crash, followed by sounds of cracks and creaks.


    Arthur opened his eyes hesitantly, his vision blurry. His breath caught in his throat as he took in the scene before him.


    The skeleton was no longer standing. Its massive framey crumpled on the floor, its once-formidable presence reduced to a pile of broken bones scattered across the room. A flood of notifications appeared before him:


    [Ding! You have killed ''???''s subordinate (Epic-Boss).]


    [Ding! You have cleared the hidden realm: Forsaken Legacy.]


    [Ding! 2x Reward is granted!]


    [The Reward is being altered]


    [Ding! You have gained the hidden ss: Shadow Monarch (SSS).]


    Arthur stared at the prompts in disbelief, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. "What¡­?" he murmured, his voice barely audible.


    "How?"


    His gaze darted around the room, searching for an exnation for what was going on.


    That''s when he saw it...


    Neko, was a few feet away, her tail flickingzily as she groomed her paw.


    At first nce, she lookedpletely indifferent, as though none of this had concerned her in the slightest.


    But as Arthur''s eyes fell on her tail, his heart nearly stopped.


    One of the skeleton''s feet bones was beneath Neko''s tail as if the skeleton had stepped on it as he went forward to attack Arthur.


    Arthur''s mind reeled, piecing together the scene.


    "Did Neko¡­ kill it? Because the boss stepped on its flipping tail?" he thought, cold sweat forming on his forehead.


    The absurdity of it left him speechless.


    He rubbed his eyes, half-expecting the scene to change, but it didn''t. The skeleton''s remains were still scattered across the floor, and Neko remainedpletely unbothered, her tail flicking slightly as though this were all beneath her.


    Arthur let out a shakyugh, part relief and part disbelief. "No wonder she''s considered a primordial summon," he muttered, his tone containing both admiration and exasperation at the same time.


    Neko gave him a single nce, her golden eyes half-lidded as if to say, What are you looking at? before resuming her grooming.


    Arthur shook his head, pushing himself to his feet. His body ached, and his mind was still spinning from the sheer chaos of the fight.


    But the rush of adrenaline was quickly reced by curiosity as he remembered the slew of notifications he hadn''t properly read.


    He opened his interface, scrolling through the system prompts. His eyes widened as he took in the rewards.


    [Hidden ss: Shadow Monarch (SSS)]


    ''Is it so easy to get an SSS-Rank ss like that? Isn''t it meant to be an end-game type of thing?'' He thought as he nced at the notification in front of him.


    "I''ll figure this outter," he muttered, ncing at Neko, who was now lounging amidst the broken bones.


    "For now¡­ I need to summon these old bones to fight for me, he is so flipping strong... especially with that skill."


    As he said that, his face twisted in shock.


    "There is no way I forgot that I could summon a beast to help me fight against that old pile of bones over here, I''m so dumb.." He shook his head, feeling like an idiot.

 Chapter 19 New Summon: Sunless

    Looking at the notifications, Arthur''s expression quickly turned into a wide grin.


    [Magic wand (Very Rare) has been dropped]


    [Large backpack (Rare) has been dropped]


    [1 Gold coin has been dropped!]


    "Wow, I''m rich!"


    Inspecting the items, he was very pleased.


    The rare backpack was able to hold fifty items inside of it, which meant that it was ten times better than the umon ones.


    "Thankfully he dropped me a bigger backpack, it got so annoying cing a backpack inside of a backpack and so on." He muttered as he moved his items from the umon backpacks into the rare ones.


    [Magic wand (Very Rare)]


    [Description: Grants +10% intelligence when equipped, also increases spell casting rate.]


    "That''s amazing, that increase is kind of huge." He muttered as he ced it in the backpack.


    "I can''t use it now anyway, since I don''t have any offensive or defensive spells."


    "Status,"


    [Race:] Human


    [ID:] Fateless


    [Level:] 3


    [ss:] Shadow Monarch (SSS)


    [Talent:] Primordial Summoner (SSS), Lucky (SSS)


    [Summons:] 2/3


    [Health Points:] 70


    [Mana Points:] 110


    [Magical Damage:] 11


    [Phyiscal Damage:] 4


    [Damage Resistance:] 7


    [Attributes:] Strength 4, Agility 7, Vitality 7, Intelligence 11


    [Skills:] None


    [Attribute Points:] 2


    [Skill Points:] 2


    [Equipment:] Dagger (Rare), Backpack (Rare), ...


    "Not bad,"


    "Time to try awakening this old pile of bones... he almost killed me," Arthur muttered as he shook his head in disbelief.


    "It''s fine though, I will only get stronger from here. It''s just a newbie mistake, I won''t repeat it again...hopefully,"


    Walking up to the small hill that was made out of bones, Arthur reached his hand above it and muttered.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Awaken,"


    What followed was far from ordinary.


    Dark energy swirled up from the bones like a storm, a vortex of shadow and power engulfing the skeletal remains.


    The air grew heavier, and the sound of a low, ominous wind reverberated through the room.


    Arthur instinctively stepped back, his eyes widening.


    ''What is going on?'' he thought, his heart pounding as the portal that normally summoned his beasts opened below the pile of bones and engulfed it.


    The portal pulsed, and the swirling energy grew more chaotic until, with a sudden eruption, arge, dense swirl of shadow burst outward.


    Arthur shielded his face with his arm, feeling the force of the release as the dark energy coalesced into a solid form.


    From the swirling darkness, a skeletal hand reached out, wing its way through the portal. Its bony fingers grasped at the edges, pulling itself free.


    Soon, a fully formed skeleton emerged, its frame the same as before, around the size and shape of a normal human.


    Arthur stared in awe as the skeleton stood before him, its hollow eye sockets glowing faintly with a dim light.


    But then, to his utter shock, the skeleton bent down onto one knee, bowing its head low in a disy of submission.


    "Huh?" Arthur muttered,pletely baffled by what he was witnessing. His voice cracked slightly as he took a hesitant step forward towards the skeleton.


    The very creature that had nearly killed him now kneeling as if acknowledging him as its master.


    ''This has never happened before¡­'' Arthur thought, his mind racing.


    Neither Neko nor Hank had done this during their awakenings. Neko had strutted out like she owned the world, and Hank had been more neutral.


    But this? This was reverence¡ªsomething entirely new.


    He nced at Neko, who sat nearby with her usual indifferent expression, grooming her paw as usual.


    "Okay, bad example," he muttered to himself, rolling his eyes. His thoughts flicked to Hank¡ªwho listened to orders but didn''t show this kind of behaviour.


    ''What''s different here?;


    Arthur''s eyes darted to his system interface as a sudden realization struck him.


    ''Wait, Is it because this is the third effect of my talent?''


    [Talent Effect #3: You are able to summon any beast you have killed as your own summon.]


    ''Maybe the beasts I summon after killing are different,''


    After thinking about it for a while, it made sense to him. The beasts that he kills would harbour ill intentions if he revived them, so to counter that the talent seems to make them loyal.


    Sudden new notifications appeared in front of his eyes.


    [You have summoned ''???''s subordinate. They are nowpletely and utterly loyal to you, they will do as you instruct them without any fail. You have the right to name them.]


    [Would you like to name ''???''s subordinate'']


    [Yes/No]


    "Completely loyal? That''s a twist I wasn''t expecting, but hey... I''m notining."


    Pressing ''yes'', a new notification gave him the option of either saying it or typing it.


    "Hmm, let me think." He muttered, as his hands rested on his chin pondering.


    "Alright, I think I got it,"


    He nodded his head, looking at the skeleton that was kneeling in front of him.


    "Since you seem to have an affinity to shadows, I will call you...Sunless"


    [Name Confirmed, ''Your summoned beast ''???''s subordinate'' is now called ''Sunless'']


    "Time to see your status, big boy."


    ncing at Sunless''s stats, Arthur''s mouth dropped.


    [Race:] Undead


    [ID:] Sunless


    [Level:] 5


    [Talent:] Darkness (A)


    [Health Points:] 120


    [Mana Points:] 90


    [Magical Damage:] 11


    [Phyiscal Damage:] 9


    [Damage Resistance:] 12


    [Attributes:] Strength 11, Agility 6, Vitality 12, Intelligence 9


    [Skills:] Rage (Epic)


    [Attribute Points:] 0


    [Skill Points:] 0


    "Not only does he have an A-Rank talent, he also has a damn epic skill!" Arthur''s voice crackled, as he looked at his summon''s skills.


    Looking at the stats, Arthur realised a few things.


    The beasts he summons after killing will have the same level they had before death, which means they won''t remain at his level. Although, he wasn''t sure how they would level up.


    "Would he start levelling up with me when I hit level 5?" He asked himself but found no answer, so he ignored it.


    Hepared Neko''s status screen, and Sunless''s and he frowned upon the difference.


    ''Neko has two (Very Rare) skills while Sunless has one (Epic). This doesn''t make sense, why does Sunless have a higher skill rank than a primordial beast? ''


    ''It might be due to his level, it seems like I need to get to level 5 as soon as possible," He thought, after some thinking.

 Chapter 20 Threat

    "Time to check out the shadow monarch ss," Arthur muttered, as he pressed on it.


    [ss:] Shadow Monarch (SSS)


    # Talent Effect 1: (Locked)


    # Talent Effect 2: (Locked)


    ...


    Note: You do not meet the requirement of: *Level 5*


    "Alright, now it seems like I need to level up without a doubt," Arthur said as he decided to leave the Hidden realm.


    As he approached the portal that appeared after Neko killed Sunless, his eyes spotted something shining on the throne.


    "Hm? What''s that thing shining,"


    Approaching the throne, he spotted a pure ck ring with a small gem on it.


    "A ring?" He muttered as he picked it up.


    As soon as his hands touched the ring, the ring seemed to melt and then formed on his ring finger.


    [Ring of Darkness (Legendary) has chosen you as its host.]


    [Ring of Darkness has been permanently bound to you. It will not drop as loot no matter the cause.]


    [Ring of Darkness]


    Description:


    > Increases all attributes by 20%


    > Dark-based skills deal 50% more damage


    "What the hell is this overpowered artefact,"


    Taking a nce at Neko, his smile widened.


    "The ''Lucky(SSS)'' talent is actually insane, I''ve been getting the most overpowered things back to back like it''s garbage."


    ''If I was able to bring back things from the real world, I would''ve rewarded thatzy cat with some delicious cat food. But s, that''s impossible,'' He thought, as he shook his head.


    After finding out that he almost missed a legendary grade item, he decided to check every inch of the boss''s room before he left.


    He groaned, dragging his hand down his face as if it could erase the memory of wasting thirty minutes. "Seriously? Thirty minutes... for absolutely nothing."


    As he stepped into the portal, he was teleported back into the cave.


    [Global Announcement: yer **** has sessfully cleared the first secret realm!]


    [Global Announcement: yer **** has...]


    [Global Announcement: ...]


    The announcement echoed three times before it finally stopped, and yers around both worlds heard the announcement.


    ...


    "General Adam? Why are you frowning?" Asked a reporter, as she watched the general''s face twist randomly.


    "..."


    Adam did not respond for a few seconds, as ifpletely immersed in a different world.


    "There was a global announcement to all yers."


    Adam finally exhaled, his shoulders drooping under an invisible weight.


    His gaze lingered somewhere beyond the reporter, unfocused and distant, as if he were seeing something only he could understand.


    "General Adam?" The reporter pressed, her voice tinged with curiosity and unease. "The so-called global announcement¡ªdoes it mean something significant?"


    Adam blinked, returning to the present with a sharp inhale.


    His expression hardened, his lips thinning into a line.


    "It changes everything," he muttered, more to himself than to her.


    Adam''s fingers tapped a restless rhythm against his thigh as the echoes of the announcement reyed in his mind.


    He turned to his aide, his voice a low rumble barely audible over the murmurs in the room.


    "A monster or a hero," he said, his tone grim. "We can''t afford to wait until thest second to find out which."


    The reporter, still hovering nearby, caught the edge of his words, her brows knitting in confusion. "General, are you suggesting¡ª"


    Adam cut her off with a raised hand, his gaze sharp and unwavering.


    "This is the end of the interview. Have a nice day," He said, as he gestured for the soldiers to escort the journalists away.


    After the journalists left, Adam called a meeting of the highest order.


    "A yer has just cleared a secret realm, and the armageddon has just started. This person is talented... too talented, he can''t be left to do as he pleases. He is a force of his own, especially since the information we received about the world merging."


    "His powers will break the scale, we need to do something about him immediately." a person in the meeting said, agreeing with Adam.


    "The world doesn''t have the luxury of patience anymore," Adam said, his voice cold and resolute. "Prepare the task force. I want every resource we have to track this yer. If they obey and listen, then they are a hero. If they don''t..." He paused, his eyes narrowing, and his voice growing colder.


    "...then they''re a monster," he continued, each syble deliberate, like a de drawn slow. "And monsters should be dealt with before they grow too strong."


    The air in themand centre turned grim, the generals exchanged uneasy nces. Adam didn''t need to borate on what he meant. Everyone knew what "dealt with" meant in his hands.


    ...


    Arthur leaned against the wall of the cave, his grin refusing to fade as he looked at the coins he had.


    [Coins:] Gold: 1 Silver: 21 Bronze: 3


    He rubbed his fingers together absentmindedly as if he could already feel the coins he''d earned, even though they existed only as numbers in a virtual interface.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Rich," he thought, the word echoing in his head like a triumphant anthem. "I''m actually rich now. Not just scraping by, not just surviving. I''ve got enough to do something real."


    The thought of Charlotte came to him immediately, her fragile smile and tired eyes etched into his memory.


    For so long, everything he''d done was to make sure they could survive.


    "I can finally get us out of that hellhole," he muttered to himself, a flicker of determination crossing his face. "A proper ce. Somewhere clean, warm... safe. No more trash cans as heaters."


    The vision of a small apartment began to form in his mind.


    Nothing extravagant, just a cosy ce where they could rest.


    "And her treatment," Arthur whispered, his voice softer now. The money he''d earned should be enough for her treatment.


    "This is $12,103, not including the items that I will be sellingter,"


    "Finally," he muttered, his grin growing wider. "Finally, I can do something." He pushed himself off the wall, stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders.


    Arthur took a deep breath, his excitement bubbling over.


    "Alright," he said with a wide grin, his voice echoing slightly in the cave. "Time to get even richer by selling those items. Let''s go, Neko!"


    He waited for a moment, expecting to see thezy cat trailing behind him.


    But when no soft paw steps followed, he frowned.


    "Neko?" he called, ncing over his shoulder. The cave was empty except for himself.


    "Where the hell did that cat go?" he muttered, scanning the corners of the cave.


    Shaking his head, he stepped outside the cave to look for her. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he spotted her a few feet away, lying sprawled across a smooth rock at the cave''s edge.


    Her white fur practically glowed in the sunlight as she stretchedzily,pletely unconcerned with anything else around her.


    Arthur sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of course. Why am I even surprised?" he muttered under his breath.


    Walking over to her, he folded his arms and stared down at the cat. "You''re sunbathing? After all, that just happened, and you''re out here like nothing in the world matters?"


    Neko opened one golden eye, ncing at him briefly before closing it again, clearly uninterested in hisints.


    While he imagined building a peaceful life, others werebelling him a potential threat¡ªa monster to be monitored or eliminated...

 Chapter 21 Selling the items

    Arthur moved steadily through the forest, his dagger shing in quick arcs as he dispatched another corroded rabbit that leapt at him from the underbrush.


    -12 HP


    [Ding!]


    [You have levelled up to Level 4.]


    [All attribute points will be increased by 1.]


    [You have gained 1 free attribute point and 1 Skill Point.]


    Arthur''s lips curved into a satisfied grin as the notification shed before him.


    "Nice," he muttered, ncing at his stats. "Looks like the boss fight gave me so much experience that I was only a few kills away from levelling up again."


    [Race:] Human


    [ID:] Fateless


    [Level:] 4


    [ss:] Shadow Monarch (SSS)


    [Talent:] Primordial Summoner (SSS), Lucky (SSS)N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [Summons:] 3/4


    [Health Points:] 80


    [Mana Points:] 120


    [Magical Damage:] 12


    [Phyiscal Damage:] 5


    [Damage Resistance:] 8


    [Attributes:] Strength 5, Agility 8, Vitality 8, Intelligence 12  (All Attributes +20%)1


    [Skills:] None


    [Attribute Points:] 3


    [Skill Points:] 3


    [Equipment:] Ring of Darkness(Legendary) Dagger (Rare), Backpack (Rare), ...


    He rolled his shoulders, feeling stronger energy coursing through his body. "Only one more level to go until level 5," he said to himself. "Once I unlock my ss skills, mybat power is going to skyrocket."


    Arthur stepped through the gates of the spawning vige, the hustle and bustle of other yers talking to NPC''s and each other.


    Behind him, Neko walked along, her tail swishingzily as she nced around with her usual indifferent expression. However, her presence didn''t go unnoticed this time as people were now calmer than when they first started the game, they weren''t as paranoid and started to enjoy the ce.


    "Oh my god, look at that cute cat!" one female yer eximed, pointing toward Neko with wide eyes.


    "What''s this adorable fluffball doing here?" another added, crouching down slightly as if to get a better look.


    "Look at those cheeks!" the first girl yer said again, practically squealing. "They''re so fluffy, I just want to squeeze them!"


    A male yer nearby, raising a sceptical eyebrow, said, "Pause there. Are you into bestiality? Because that sounded nuts."


    The female yer straightened up immediately, her expression twisting into a frown as she rounded on him. "Get your head out of the gutter, moron. I''m talking about its face cheeks, not the ones you can''t get."


    The nearby group of male yers burst intoughter, one of them clutching his stomach as he doubled over. "She just called you a virgin, man. LMAO!" he wheezed, pping his knee.


    Arthur, who had been half-listening, couldn''t help but chuckle at the exchange, though he quickly shook his head and moved past them suppressing a grin.


    Neko, for her part, acted as though themotion had nothing to do with her, walking on without so much as a nce in their direction.


    Arthur found an empty spot near the vige''s main za.


    He quickly pulled out all the umon items he had and beganying them out one by one.


    Armour pieces, swords, and various umon items were on disy.


    "Alright," he called out, raising his voice to attract attention.


    "Come one,e all! Umon items for sale at 25% off the shop price! I''ve got armour, swords, backpacks¡ªyou name it, I''ve got it!"


    A small crowd began to gather almost immediately, their curiosity piqued by the discounted items.


    "No moremon items, no more bad loot drops. You can buy umon items at a price lower than the shops by 25%, you can finally kill the monsters that have been haunting you. Don''t miss the offer!" He shouted, as his voice started gathering yers.


    Arthur''s eyes scanned the faces, gauging their interest as he leaned back with an air of confidence.


    ''Time to make some more money,'' he thought, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips as he prepared to sell items.


    Arthur stood above his stall, his arms crossed, as a male yer stepped forward.


    The man''s username, herChair, floated above his head in bright text.


    "Can I have the [Backpack (Umon)]?" herChair asked, his tone polite but eager.


    "Sure," Arthur replied with a warm smile. "That''ll be ten silver coins."


    herChair''s face twisted in confusion. "Wait, what? But the price tag says it''s only five silver coins! Why are you selling it to me for ten?"


    Arthur shrugged nonchntly, his expression that of indifference.


    "Because I changed my mind. Either buy it or don''t." His attention wandered, clearly done with the conversation.


    herChair let out a frustrated sigh, ncing at the crowd forming around the stall.


    "Fine," he said, his shoulders slumping. "I''ll pay ten. My girlfriend needs one of these anyway."


    Arthur smirked inwardly as herChair sent over a trade invite.


    [yer herChair has sent you 10 silver coins.]


    Arthur epted the trade, sliding the backpack toward the yer. "Pleasure doing business with you," he said with a nod. "Next!"


    Another yer stepped up, this one with the username kitsune. "Hey, can I get the other [Backpack (Umon)]?" he asked.


    "Of course, brother!" Arthur said, his tone friendly and casual. "That''ll be five silver coins."


    herChair, who hadn''t walked away yet, froze mid-step. His jaw dropped as he turned back to Arthur, his face a mixture of shock and outrage. "What?! You just told me it was ten silver coins!"


    Arthur nced at him, an amused smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yeah, well, I sell it to whoever I want, for whatever price I want. Did I force you to buy it?" He raised an eyebrow. "I don''t think that''s possible."


    The crowd around them erupted into muffledughter, several yers stifling grins as they watched the exchange.


    herChair''s face flushed red as he gritted his teeth. "But that''s¡ª"


    Arthur cut him off, his grin widening. "So why don''t you go and let Gorlock the Destroyer sit on you since you''re apparently her chair?"


    The crowd exploded intoughter, even Kitsune chuckled as he handed over his silver coins for the backpack.


    herChair stomped off in a huff, muttering under his breath as the crowd''sughter followed him.


    The reason Arthur did this was because it was these types of yers that always aggravated him in games when he used to y games before, so he decided to return the favour.


    The calction is not included in the attributes, let me know if you want me to include it.

 Chapter 22 Getting Rich, Rich Customers!

    Arthur had just finished counting the silver coins from histest sale when a shadow loomed over his stall.


    The chatter of the surrounding yers died down as a man stepped forward.


    His presence was overwhelming, his aura almost tangible as it seemed to dwarf everyone around him. He stood tall, his gaze calm but piercing, and his voice carried some authority that was hidden but obvious.


    "Hello," the man said, his voice deep and measured. "I''d like to buy all the items in your store."


    Arthur raised an eyebrow, meeting the man''s eyes. This wasn''t the first time he''d dealt with someone trying to flex their wealth, but something about this guy felt different.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Still, business was business.


    "Sure," Arthur said with a nod, keeping his tone casual. "That''ll be 80 silver coins."


    The crowd around them erupted into murmurs, the sudden surge of interest pulling more yers closer to the stall.


    "Did he just say 80 silver coins?" someone muttered, their voice tinged with disbelief. "That''s¡­ that''s $8,000 in real money!"


    "Is he insane?" another whispered, their eyes wide as they stared at the tall man.


    "This is the rich folks'' world," someone else said, shaking their head. "We poor folks can never understand it."


    "If I had even one umon item, I''d sell it for a few hundred dors," a yer sighed. "But all I''ve been getting aremon drops. How does this guy have so many to sell?"


    Arthur smirked slightly at the chatter but didn''t let it distract him. He nced at Neko, who was lounging nearby,pletely uninterested in themotion.


    Before the deal could be finalized, another figure barged through the crowd, his voice booming over the noise. "Excuse me, boss," the new man said, his toneced with excitement. "I''ll buy everything you have. I''ll pay one gold coin!"


    The crowd gasped audibly, their whispers escting into outright chatter.


    "A gold coin? Did he say a gold coin? That''s worth¡ªwhat, $10,000?"


    "Wait a second," someone said, narrowing their eyes. "This guy looks familiar¡­ isn''t that the owner of SoftMicro?"


    Another yer let out a weary sigh. "The rich will always have privilege, no matter where they go. Even in another world, they''re still above us."


    "Calm down, Mr. ''Communism Is in My Blood,''" a nearby yer retorted with a smirk. "This guy worked hard for his money. It''s not like it''s just daddy''s cash, and even if it was, his dad worked for it. He has every right to spend it."


    Arthur barely suppressed a chuckle as the crowd''s debate grew louder.


    Turning his attention back to the two potential buyers, he crossed his arms and smiled. "Alright," he said. "I guess it''s time for a bidding war, huh? Who''s ready to pay more?"


    Arthur''s grin widened.


    ''This was about to get interesting.''


    The man''s tone became sharper, but still that of respect. "Mr. Gates," he said, addressing the man from SoftMicro. "I''m Lieutenant Adam. This purchase is intended to strengthen our soldiers in this world. I''m sure you understand how crucial that is."


    His words carried a weight that silenced the murmurs around the stall. There was something in his gaze¡ªsomething hidden¡ªthat was only understood by him and Gates.


    The yers surrounding Arthur''s stall began chattering again, trying to piece together what was happening.


    "What does he mean by that?" one yer whispered, ncing at his friends.


    Another snorted. "Lmao, even the soldiers are too busy levelling up in a game instead of protecting the borders. These are the same soldiers, who start crying when they don''t get a veteran''s discount at MCDon"


    A yer nearby rolled his eyes and snapped back, "Shut up, you idiot. First of all, they just entered the game world, so all the time before this, they were protecting you. If they get discounts or benefits here, they''ve earned it. Don''t be a moron."


    Arthur, watching the exchange between Lieutenant Adam and Gates, frowned as his mind raced.


    ''What does he mean by that?'' he wondered, the lieutenant''s words and expression gnawing at his thoughts.


    ''I knew there was something about this world that felt off, but this confirms it. They''re hiding something from the public¡­ but what?'' He made a mental note to dig deeper when he had the chance.


    Gates nodded respectfully to the lieutenant, his demeanour shifting from casual to cooperative.


    "Oh, Lieutenant Adam," Gates said, his voice calm and measured. "I didn''t realize this was an army expenditure. Of course, I won''t contest it. I just need a few supplies for myself."


    Lieutenant Adam offered a faint smile. "Thank you, Mr. Gates. Your contribution won''t go unnoticed."


    Turning to Arthur, Adam initiated a trade, his focus now entirely on the young merchant.


    [Lieutenant Adam IV would like to trade.]


    [Yes/No]


    Arthur pressed [Yes], and the trade interface opened.


    [Lieutenant Adam IV deposited ''80 Silver Coins.'']


    [Fateless deposited ''Helmet (Umon), Backpack (Umon), ...'']


    Both confirmed the trade with a press of [Yes], and the transaction waspleted smoothly.


    "Thank you for your cooperation," Adam said, his tone more personable now. "Can we add each other as friends? It would be useful for future trades."


    Arthur nodded, his curiosity about the lieutenant piqued. "Sure."


    [Lieutenant Adam IV has sent you a friend request.]


    [ept/Decline]


    Arthur pressed [ept].


    [Lieutenant Adam IV has be your friend.]


    With the tradeplete, Adam turned to Gates and gestured politely. "I''ll leave the rest to you."


    Gates smiled warmly and stepped forward. "Well then, I suppose it''s my turn." He initiated a trade, selecting a handful of items from Arthur''s inventory.


    [yer Gates would like to trade.]


    [Yes/No]


    Arthur pressed [Yes], and Gates deposited 10 silver coins for a few items.


    "Don''t forget me when you get more good items," Gates said with a chuckle as the trade finalized.


    He sent Arthur a friend request, which Arthur quickly epted.


    [Gates has be your friend.]


    Both Gates and Lieutenant Adam offered parting words before departing.


    "Don''t forget us when you have better gear, I will give you the best price," Gates said with a wink.


    "Your help to the military will be rewarded," Adam added, his tone serious but warm. "Thanks for cooperating with us in the future."


    Arthur watched them disappear into the crowd.


    ''What''s really going on in this game?'' he thought, his fingers tapping lightly on his arm.

 Chapter 23 Awkward Position

    Arthur nced at the total coins he had on his interface, his grin widening so much it almost hurt his cheeks.


    [Coins:] Gold: 2 | Silver: 21 | Bronze: 3


    "This is what I mean by grinding!" he eximed, clenching his fists triumphantly. "I just made $22,103 in less than a day!" The excitement bubbled up inside him, and he almost leapt into the air, his entire body tingling with exhration.


    He turned to Neko, who satzily on the edge of the stall, watching him with half-lidded eyes. "I''ll be backter," Arthur said. "I need to log out."


    Neko blinked once, unimpressed, and went back to ignoring him.


    Arthur didn''t care. He quickly logged out, not bothering to deal with her.


    **


    In the toilet¡­


    Arthur froze as Charlotte, still half-asleep, was on the toilet seat with her head down.


    Her head slowly moved up as her big eyes blinked at him, barelyprehending his presence.


    For a brief moment, she seemed to stare right through him, her expression soft but confused.


    Arthur''s heart pounded as the awkward scenario unfolded.


    ''No way¡­ there is no way this is actually happening right now.''


    Charlotte''s hand moved slightly as if she was about to use signnguage to say something, but she stopped, clearly too tired to do so. Instead, her brows furrowed faintly, as though questioning his presence with her eyes alone.


    Arthur felt his face heat up, his thoughts spiraling. "I¡ªuh¡ª," he stammered, his voice low.


    "I''m sorry." He muttered and immediately turned his head away and logged back into the game, vanishing from the toilet leaving Charlotte speechless as she shook her head.


    Arthur reappeared in the game world.


    He leaned against a tree in the yer vige. His face was still burning red as he buried it in his hands.


    "What the hell was that?" he groaned, his voice muffled. "Out of all the possible moments, why now? What kind of cosmic joke is this?"


    He paced around in a small circle as his thoughts raced.


    ''Did she even realize what happened? he wondered. She was so out of it¡­ maybe she''ll think it was just a weird dream.''The thought gave him a sliver of hope, though it didn''t erase the sheer awkwardness of the meeting.


    Arthur sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. After pacing for ten minutes, he finally mustered up the courage to return back to the toilet.


    ''5 minutes should be enough for her to finish, she was inside before i appeared after all.''


    ''Okay, calm down. Just check if the coast is clear first. Simple.''


    Teleporting back to the hospital, Arthur cracked open his eyes to check the bathroom.


    It was empty.


    He exhaled in relief. "Alright, she''s gone," he muttered. ''Time to get out of here before something else happens.''


    Arthur groaned, rubbing his temples. "Okay, okay, calm down. Just leave and pretend like nothing happened, she was dreaming, yup. She definitely was dreaming,"


    Taking a deep breath, he opened the bathroom door just a crack and peeked out. Charlotte was back in her hospital bed, her back turned to him as she faced the window. She appeared to be resting quietly, her small frame still.


    "Perfect," Arthur whispered. He crept out of the bathroom, moving as silently as possible. His steps were as slow as a snail, each one feeling like it took an eternity.


    He kept his eyes on Charlotte, holding his breath as he neared the door.


    ''Damn it, I wasn''t this sneaky in the boss room.''


    Finally, he slipped out and gently closed the room door behind him. Once in the hallway, he let out a huge sigh of relief, leaning against the wall. "Okay, phase oneplete," he muttered to himself, his heart still racing.


    After collecting himself, Arthur took a deep breath and straightened his posture.


    He knocked on the door to Charlotte''s room acting as if he just arrived there now.


    He waited a few seconds before stepping in, putting on his best casual smile.


    "Hey, Charlotte," he said, his voice light and cheerful. "I just got here. How are you feeling?"


    Charlotte turned in her bed and look at him with a soft expression.


    Arthur stood there awkwardly for a moment before finally rxing.


    ''She didn''t say anything about it¡­ maybe she really thought it was a dream.''


    He sighed inwardly.


    His thoughts were interrupted as her hands started moving.


    Looking at the signs she was giving, Arthur''s face paled lightly.


    Charlotte : "Don''t act like you didn''t just peep on me, pervert."


    Arthur froze in ce, as all the possible responses he was going to give failed to render in his mind when he needed them the most.


    "Uh. I don''t know what you are talking about Charlotte, you were probably dreaming." He said acting nonchntly, as his heartbeats elerated.


    Still, as he sat down in the chair by her bedside, a single thought burned in his mind.


    "I will never, ever log out in a bathroom again."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Charlotte''s hand once again moved, ying with Arthur''s heart strings after every sign.


    Charlotte: " i heard the door close, i know you tried to act as if you just arrived. Stop hiding it¡­ it makes you more guilty."


    "How is that possible, it must''ve been a nurse. I just arrived Charlotte, you must be sleepy. I think you should sleep a bit more, i will leave you to it," He chuckled nervously, getting up from his chair.


    ''Deny, deny and once again deny. No matter how shameless it sounds, its not as shameless as the usation.'' Arthur thought.


    Charlotte''s hand grabbed his as he got up.


    "Sit down," She said using signnguage.


    "Bu-" Arthur tried respond, but he was quickly shut down.


    "I was sleepy, i think I was daydreaming."


    Although she said that to him, she didn''t believe it one bit.


    She said that because she realised that she teased him to his limit, any more and Arthur might explode from embarrassment.

 Chapter 24 Terrible News

    Arthur sat beside Charlotte, they spent their time together with light conversations.


    While she couldn''t speak, her gestures and soft smile spoke volumes.


    For over an hour, they spoke about memories, books, and even her thoughts on the hospital food.


    But then Charlotte made a gesture, her hands forming words slowly, her eyes carrying a tinge of curiosity.


    Why am I here?


    Arthur''s heart sank, but he kept his expression calm.


    ''So they haven''t told her yet,'' he thought grimly.


    He quickly diverted the topic, rambling about a funny memory from their childhood. Charlotte tilted her head, giving him a faint, knowing look, but didn''t press the question further.


    A soft knock interrupted them, and the door opened to reveal the doctor. Arthur immediately recognized him¡ªit was the same one who had given him the initial diagnosis.


    "Hello, Mr. Fate. Miss Fate," the doctor said, giving a respectful nod to both of them.


    Arthur tensed. He had been dreading this moment. The doctor''s serious expression left no room for hope of a false diagnosis.


    "I hate to be the bearer of bad news," the doctor began, his tone gentle but firm. "Unfortunately, our spection was correct. Miss Fate has cancer."


    Arthur had braced himself for this, already knowing what wasing, but his eyes flicked to Charlotte, watching her reaction closely.


    She remained still, her expression unreadable. She didn''t blink, didn''t move¡ªnothing.


    ''She isn''t reacting at all?'' Arthur thought, his chest tightening with worry. ''Why isn''t she reacting?''


    Arthur''s mind churned as he watched Charlotte''s reaction¡ªorck thereof.


    Her face remained calm, her body unmoving, as though the news hadn''tnded at all. Her eyes now stared past the doctor as though she hadn''t even heard him.


    His chest tightened, his breath catching slightly.


    ''When people don''t react to such bad news, there are only a few reasons.''


    ''The first...'' His thoughts grew darker. ''...is the most dangerous. They''re hiding their grief, suppressing it so deeply that it festers inside, growing like a sickness. It doesn''t go away. It slowly eats at them until it''s toote.''


    Arthur''s fingers clenched into fists on hisp. He tried to dismiss the thought, but the fear lingered.


    ''What if it''s already happening?''


    The second reason isn''t much better. His gaze flicked to her hands, still resting limply in herp.


    ''Denial.''N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''The shock of the news is so great that the mind refuses to ept it as real. It''s as if reality hasn''t fully registered yet.''


    He swallowed hard, fighting the wave of helplessness threatening to overwhelm him.


    The third reason... epting the truth but not understanding its consequences. Arthur studied her face, looking for any sign ofprehension.


    ''Does she realize what this means? Or is she just¡­ lost in it?''


    And then there was thest possibility. The fourth reason. His thoughts hesitated before brushing it aside.


    ''Strong faith. Strong will. The kind of resolve that can''t be broken no matter the circumstances. But that''s so rare... and honestly, it''s unlikely.''


    Arthur''s heart sank. He couldn''t ignore the nagging fear that it was the first reason¡ªhiding grief, burying it so deep that it couldn''t be reached. That fear gnawed at him as he looked at his sister, his thoughts racing in circles.


    ''Charlotte¡­'' he thought, her name echoing like a plea in his mind. He wanted to reach out, to say something, anything that might pull her out of whatever storm was brewing inside. But his throat felt tight, the lump there making it impossible to speak.


    He blinked, his vision blurring slightly. ''If it is the first reason¡­ if she''s suppressing this¡­ how am I supposed to help her?'' The question remained, unanswered.


    The doctor cleared his throat, drawing Arthur''s attention back. "Unfortunately," he continued, his voice heavy, "the cancer has spread extensively in Miss Fate''s body. There is no cure for this stage¡­"


    The words hit like a sledgehammer.


    Arthur''s mind went nk for a moment, the world around him seeming to fade into a distant past.


    He blinked, his vision blurring slightly. His heart hammered in his chest as the weight of those words settled over him.


    ''No. No, this can''t be real.'' His breathing quickened as his mind scrambled for an escape from this reality.


    ''This must be a mistake. He must be joking with me.''


    His thoughts spiralled, each one sharper and heavier than thest.


    ''Not after surviving for so long. Not after enduring everything life has thrown at us. Not after I was finally able to crave a way... a way forward.''


    His hands trembled slightly, and he quickly clenched them into fists to stop the shaking. He nced at Charlotte again. She hadn''t moved, her face still calm, her eyes unfocused as though she were gazing at something far away. It was unnerving.


    Arthur swallowed hard, forcing himself to speak. "What¡­ What are our options?" he asked, his voice quieter than he intended. He hated how weak it sounded, hated the desperation that bled into his words.


    The doctor gave him a sympathetic look. "There are treatments that can ease the symptoms and improve her quality of life, but they won''t stop the progression. I''ll leave you both to discuss this in private, and I''ll check inter to go over the details."


    Arthur barely heard him leave. His gaze was fixed on Charlotte, searching her face for any sign of emotion, anything to let him know what she was feeling. But she remained quiet, her expression unchanging, her hands resting lightly in herp.


    "Charlotte," he said softly, the lump in his throat making his voice uneven. She turned her head slightly to look at him, her calm gaze meeting his. Herposure was unnerving, almost surreal.


    Arthur forced a small smile, though it felt like his face might crack from the effort. "It''s going to be okay," he said, his voice trembling despite his best efforts.


    ''It has to be okay,'' he thought desperately. ''It has to be.''


    But as he sat there, the doctor''s words pressed him down like an immovable mountain, threatening to crush the fragile hope he was clinging to.

 Chapter 25 A promise, and Options

    He looked at Charlotte, her face still calm, her silence deafening. The lump in his throat swelled so much it was hard to breathe, let alone say something meaningful.


    ''I have to be strong'' he told himself, forcing his hands to stop trembling.


    ''I can''t show weakness in front of her. If I break now, it will utterly destroy her.''


    Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself to his feet and moved to sit beside her on the hospital bed.


    Gently, he reached out and took her hands in his, their warmth grounding him in the moment.


    "Charlotte," he said, his voice soft but steady, "look at me."


    Her gaze shifted to him slowly, her big eyes searching his face. Arthur tightened his grip on her hands as though it would somehow make his words more convincing.


    "I promise you," he said, forcing his voice to stay firm despite the doubt gnawing at his heart, "I will find a solution for this."


    The words he uttered felt like a gamble, a wager against the impossible but he had to do it.


    He didn''t know how he''d do it, but he couldn''t let her see his fear. ''Even if I don''t believe in myselfpletely, I have to make her believe.''


    "Remember," he continued, his voice gaining strength as he remembered a certain memory in the back of his mind. "Do you remember how we were kicked out of our house? Left with nothing¡ªno money, no food, no shelter?"


    Her fingers twitched slightly in his grasp, and he saw the flicker of emotion cross her face. Slowly, she nodded.


    "You asked me," he said, "how we were going to survive."


    Charlotte''s hands moved, her signing slower than usual.


    "You said," she signed, "we''ll get through this. We''ll survive."


    Arthur nodded, his grip on her hands tightening ever so slightly.


    "Exactly," he said, his voice firmer than before. "And did we not survive? Even though it wasn''t much, even though it felt impossible at the time, we made it through. It''s a miracle we''re still here. Isn''t it?"


    Charlotte nodded again, her hands moving slowly as she agreed.


    "You''re right"


    Arthur leaned closer, meeting her gaze directly. "This time isn''t any different. I don''t know how yet, but I will figure this out. I will find a way, just like I always have. We''ll get through this. Together. Okay?"


    Her lips formed into a faint smile, small and hesitant, but it was enough to make Arthur feel as though a tiny crack had formed in the suffocating storm of despair.


    A knock broke the silence, and the doctor re-entered the room.


    His expression was professional but softened slightly as he nced between the siblings. Before the doctor could speak, Arthur met his gaze head-on.


    "What are our options?" Arthur asked firmly, his tone unwavering.


    The doctor paused, his eyes widening slightly. He hadn''t expected such determination from someone so young.


    For a moment, he studied Arthur, noting the fierce look in his eyes, the kind of determination that only came from someone who had been through far too much for his age.


    ''How could a kid this young have such a strong will?'' the doctor thought. Then his gaze shifted to Arthur''s hand once again, where the Beta yer''s ring rested snugly on his finger. His thoughts clicked into ce.


    ''Right! I forgot he was a beta yer. That exins it. He must have seen and felt things that forced him to grow up fast, I can tell he had a hard life growing up. it''s no wonder his will is unyielding.''


    Clearing his throat, the doctor spoke with measured care. "The options you have are as follows," he began. "There are treatments we can administer to dy the progression of the cancer. However, I want to be clear: these treatments will not cure her. They''ll only buy time. All we can do is buy time until a new treatmentes out, hopefully..."


    Arthur nodded, his expression stoic. Charlotte''s eyes darted between the two of them, her hand tightening slightly on his.


    The doctor continued. "The first option is a more affordable treatment. It will cost approximately $1,000 per week, and it may dy the progression for about two months. It''s not extensive, but you can start with that treatment at the beginning if money isn''t avable."


    Arthur''s brows furrowed slightly, but he waited for the doctor to go on.


    "The second option is significantly more expensive," the doctor said, ncing at Charlotte for a moment before continuing.


    "It''s a cutting-edge treatment that would cost $20,000 per week. With this, we could dy the progression up to six months, but it requires intensive care and consistent monitoring."


    The doctor went on to describe the procedures in medical detail, exining how the treatments would work to slow the spread of the disease, the tests that would need to be conducted regrly, and the side effects Charlotte might experience.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Arthur''s face betrayed a flicker of shock at the sheer cost, but he quickly hid it under a viel of nonchnce.


    He could feel Charlotte''s gaze on him, her big eyes searching his face for answers. He knew he couldn''t let her see his doubt.


    "Alright," Arthur said, his voice resolute. "We''ll do the second one."


    Charlotte''s hand tightened around his, her head shaking vehemently. She lifted her free hand, signing with quick movements.


    "We don''t have that kind of money. Don''t put yourself into debt for me."


    Arthur shook his head, gripping her hand tighter as he met her gaze. "Don''t worry about that," he said softly. "Just trust me."


    Turning to the doctor, Arthur asked, "When can we start the treatment?"


    The doctor blinked, taken aback by how quickly Arthur had made his decision. "We can start almost immediately," he said after a moment. "As long as you pay for the first week upfront, we can begin right from early tomorrow."


    Arthur nodded without hesitation. "Where can I pay?"


    The doctor''s shock deepened.


    ''A kid like this, is willing to pay $20,000 upfront? It has to be the game. He must be a powerful beta yer. To make that much money this quickly... He is extraordinary.''

 Chapter 26 Payment

    The doctor quickly recovered hispsure.


    "Well,you should be able to pay at the reception desk in a few minutes. I''ll notify them."


    Arthur nodded again, his face unreadable but his mind already racing.


    ''This is going to cost me everything I''ve worked for. But, It''s worth it.''


    The doctor nced at him once more, a glint in his eyes that was hard to decipher, before leaving the room.


    As the door clicked shut behind the doctor, Arthur turned back to Charlotte, giving her hand a gentle squeeze trying to reassure her.


    "I''ll be right back," he said softly. "I need to take care of the payment."


    Charlotte''s expression remained conflicted, her lips pressing into a tight line, but she didn''t try to stop him and nodded.


    Arthur stood up and slowly walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.


    In the hallway, he exhaled deeply, steadying himself.


    ''This is what I''ve made so far,'' he thought, his fingers brushing the edge of the yer ring.


    ''Her treatment is worth every coin, in fact, it''s worth everything.''


    With that thought, he headed toward the reception desk, ready to get Charlotte the treatment needed, no matter the cost.


    Arthur approached the reception desk, his face calm despite the storm of thoughts in his head. The receptionist looked up, her kind eyes softening as she saw the young man before her.


    "How can I help you?" she asked, her tone polite.


    Arthur gave her a small nod. "I need to pay for the treatment for the patient in room 24," he said, keeping his voice steady. "Charlotte Fate."


    The receptionist''s expression faltered for a moment, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face. "The payment required is $20,000, sir," she said gently, clearly expecting him to buckle at the amount. Her tone held the same sympathy Arthur had encountered from others, the kind that was more of a pity.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Arthur didn''t waver. Instead, he nodded and reached up to open his yer system interface, his fingers moving as he essed the currency conversion feature.


    [Ding! $20,000 has been transferred to your bank ount. The ount bnce is $21,100.05.]


    Arthur''s gaze flicked to the remaining bnce in his ount, he let out a small sigh.


    ''The $1,100.05 left is from the previous exchange of 20 silver coins,'' he thought. He recalled spending $500 for the diagnostic tests and another $400 to cover two days of hospital bills for Charlotte.


    ''I''m back to being broke again.''


    The realization hit him hard.


    He had fought tooth and nail for every coin he''d earned, and now most of it was gone in an instant.


    He clenched his fists for a moment before rxing them.


    ''It''s fine,'' he told himself. ''I''ll just have to make more money again. Otherwise¡­''


    He didn''t allow the thought to finish, knowing it would only distract him.


    The receptionist waited patiently, and when Arthur handed over his bank card, she ran it through the POS terminal.


    The machine processed the payment with a faint beep before disying the message:


    [Ding! Payment Sessful.]


    The receptionist nced at the screen and offered him a warm smile. "Thank you, sir. The payment has been processed sessfully. I hope your family has a speedy recovery."


    Arthur nodded absentmindedly, his mind was already elsewhere.


    ''Twenty thousand gone just like that,'' he thought, his expression hardening.


    ''I need to start grinding as soon as possible. This payment is going to be needed every week.''


    Arthur spotted the doctor standing in the hallway, having a conversation with a nurse. He decided to approach him.


    Spotting Arthur walking towards him the doctor turned toward him, recognizing him immediately.


    "Mr. Fate," the doctor said, offering a professional nod. "How can I help you?"


    Arthur stopped a few feet away, his posture straight. "I just paid the amount for the treatment," he said. "I had a few questions in mind."


    The doctor adjusted his clipboard slightly and gestured for him to continue. "Go ahead, sir."


    Arthur hesitated for a brief moment, choosing his words carefully. "I''d like to ask if I can take my sister out today. You mentioned the procedure and its consequences earlier, and I understand she won''t have such opportunities going forward. I want to know if taking her out for a while would negatively affect her health."


    The doctor''s face softened as he processed the request. "I see," he said, nodding slowly. "That''s a reasonable question."


    He nced at the clipboard in his hands before shaking his head. "You can take her out today. The treatment hasn''t started yet¡ªit will begin tomorrow. So yes, this is likely the only opportunity for her to enjoy herself without additional strain on her health."


    Arthur nodded, though a small frown flickered across his face, the doctor''s words confirmed the difficult times awaiting.


    "Alright," he said, his voice quieter now.


    He nced back at the doctor, deciding to ask something else. "What about me staying in her room?"


    The doctor raised an eyebrow and then gave a small, approving smile. "Ah yes, that''s included in the package. The $20,000 covers a high level of patientfort, which includes a private room equipped with a convertible guest bed. You''re wee to sleep there. Just inform the nurse when you''re ready, and they''ll prepare it for you."


    Arthur nodded again. "Alright,"


    The doctor gave a brief nod. "If you have any more questions, don''t hesitate to ask."


    Arthur nodded then turned and walked back toward Charlotte''s room.

 Chapter 27 Shopping

    Arthur stood outside Charlotte''s room.


    Taking a deep breath, he straightened his back and forced a smile onto his face.


    ''She needs to see a strong person beside her,''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''No hesitation or fear.''


    He pushed the door open gently and stepped inside to find Charlotte lying on the bed, her gaze on the window.


    She seemed lost in thought, her eyes following the drifting clouds or perhaps staring beyond them entirely.


    "Charlotte," Arthur said softly, walking closer. "How are you feeling? Are you tired or anything?"


    She turned her head to look at him and shook her head slowly, her expression calm but unreadable.


    Arthur nodded, his smile unwavering. "I just paid the money for your treatment, and the doctor said we''ll need to move to a new room now. Are you okay with doing that, or do you want to rest for a while and moveter?"


    Charlotte tilted her head slightly, considering, before letting her feet slip out from under the thin hospital nket.


    She stood up carefully, and with a small gesture of her hand, she signed.


    "Let''s go now."


    Arthur nodded, keeping a smile on his face. "Alright, I''ll let the nurse know."


    Arthur spoke with the nurse at the reception desk, who made arrangements to move them.


    A team arrived shortly after with a wheelchair for Charlotte, but she waved it off, insisting on walking.


    Arthur stayed by her side, ready to help if she needed it.


    They were led to another section of the department, one quieter and less crowded.


    As they approached the door to Charlotte''s new room, Arthur''s eyes caught the subtle details of the area¡ªthe polished floors, the soft lighting, theck of the constant sound of machinery and footsteps.


    When the nurse opened the door, Arthur couldn''t help but blink in surprise.


    The room was spacious, far more luxurious than the old room.


    Arge,fortable hospital bed sat in the centre. Beside it, a plush armchair and a convertible guest bed waited, clearly meant for family members.


    A t-screen TV hung on the wall opposite the bed, already on a calming nature channel.


    A small round table near the beds held a basket of fresh fruits.


    Apples, bananas, oranges, and even a few rare imported ones like dragon fruit¡ªwrapped in transparent stic and tied with a ribbon.


    There was even a small counter equipped with a coffee machine and a selection of teas and snacks.


    ''That''s quite the hospitality,'' Arthur thought, ''But then again, it does cost $20,000.''


    The room felt more like a high-end hotel room than a hospital.


    Arthur nced at Charlotte. He saw her hand reach for the edge of the hospital bed, her fingers brushing against the smooth, soft linens as if she were testing the quality.


    "Well," Arthur said, breaking the silence, "this is... definitely better than thest room." He chuckled lightly, trying to lift the mood. "They''ve even got snacks. Fancy ones."


    Charlotte gave a faint smile, her gaze lingering on the fruit basket for a moment before moving to the window.


    She didn''t say¡ªor sign¡ªanything. But a faint hint of appreciation showed in her expression.


    Arthur walked over to the guest bed, pressing on it lightly. "Not bad," he said to himself. "I guess this is my spot now." He turned to Charlotte, his tone more serious.


    "If you need anything, just let me know. This ce seems like it''s got everything."


    Charlotte nodded slowly, sitting down on the edge of her new bed. She looked out the window again, her hands resting in herp.


    Arthur sat down on the guest bed, watching her quietly for a moment.


    Time slowly passed by with neither of them speaking.


    **


    After some time, Arthur finally stopped hesitating.


    Leaning forward, he finally broke the silence.


    "Hey," he said softly, drawing her attention. "I''d like to take you somewhere."


    Charlotte turned her head, her brows lifting slightly in curiosity. She signed quickly, "Where?"


    Arthur grinned a yful glint in his eyes. "That''s a secret," he said with a light chuckle.


    Charlotte blinked at him before nodding slightly, a small smile on her face.


    She lifted her hands again, signing slowly. "Alright. But I need to go to the toilet first."


    Arthur nodded, standing. "Sure. I''ll wait for you."


    After Charlotte returned, Arthur took her hand gently and led her out of the hospital.


    Their first stop was a nearby clothing store that was nearby.


    Stepping inside, Arthur looked around, already forming a n in his mind. He turned to Charlotte with a grin.


    "Alright," he said. "Do you want me to choose for you, or do you want to pick?"


    Charlotte met his gaze, then pointed at him without hesitation.


    "Alright, I''ll choose," he said, smiling confidently. He started walking through the aisles, his eyes scanning the racks with focus.


    First, he picked out a NorthFace jacket, a durable and well-insted coat perfect for keeping her warm. "This one will protect you from the cold," he said, holding it up for her approval. Charlotte tilted her head slightly but nodded, trusting his choice.


    Next, he grabbed three packs of winter socks, their soft, thick material designed for ultimate warmth. "These are a must," he said, cing them in the shopping basket.


    They moved to the undergarments section, where Arthur awkwardly gestured for her to choose.


    Charlotte rolled her eyes slightly, a faint smirk ying on her lips as she selected a few items. Arthur quickly grabbed the basket again, moving to the next section.


    In the pyjama section, he found a set offortable, fleece-lined pyjamas for colder nights. "These are perfect for staying cosy," he said, adding them to the growing pile.


    When they had finished, Arthur saw the worried look in Charlotte''s eyes as she nced at the items in the basket. She lifted her hands hesitantly.


    "Isn''t this too much? I feel like I''m being a burden."


    "Don''t ever think like that again, you are my only family in this world. Everything I do is for both of us, money is nothing. Besides..."


    Arthur crouched slightly, leaning close to her ear. "Don''t worry," he whispered, his voice light but firm. "Your brother is a top yer. I''ve made lots of money in the game."

 Chapter 28 Surprise

    Arthur crouched slightly, leaning close to her ear. "Don''t worry," he whispered, his voice light but firm. "Your brother is a top yer. I''ve made lots of money in the game."


    Her eyes widened slightly at his words, her ear twitching at the tickle of his breath. She nodded hesitantly, though her worry didn''tpletely disappear.


    At the cashier, the attendant pulled up the items, her hands moving quickly as the total cost was disyed on the screen with all the items they purchased.


    "Sir, that will be $450.05," she said, looking up with a professional smile. "Would you like to pay in cash or card?"


    "Card," Arthur said confidently, pulling out his bank card. He inserted it into the reader and waited.


    [Ding! Payment Sessful!]


    "Thank you for shopping at our store," the cashier said cheerfully. "Drop by againter!"


    Arthur nodded, taking the bag of items and turning to Charlotte with a satisfied grin.


    "Alright, let''s get going," he said.


    She gave him a faint smile, her hands clutching his tightly as they headed out of the store.


    Arthur walked down the street, heading towards the hospital with Charlotte. His eyes caught sight of a store "GigaMobile Electronics."


    "Used Smartphones at Unbeatable Prices" were disyed on the window.


    He paused and gestured toward the door.


    "Let''s check this out," he said, leading Charlotte inside.


    Arthur approached the counter, and a salesperson greeted him politely.


    "Hi, I''m looking for a cheap smartphone," Arthur said, his tone casual but direct.


    The salesperson nodded, pulling out a box containing a used iApple 6. "This is one of our budget options. It''s not new, but it''s in great working condition. Perfect for basic use."


    Arthur inspected the phone briefly. It wasn''t fancy, but it would do the job. "I''ll take two of these," he said.


    "That''ll be $200 total," the salesperson said. "Do you need SIM cards as well?"


    Arthur nodded. "Yeah, and top them up, please."


    The salesperson added two prepaid SIM cards to the bill and activated them on the spot. "The total is $250 now, sir."


    Arthur handed over his card, the transaction processing quickly.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [Ding! Payment Sessful!]


    He slipped the phones into the bag and turned to Charlotte. "Alright, let''s head back."


    Returning to the hospital, Arthur handed Charlotte the bag with her new clothes and said with a grin, "Try these on. I want to see how they look."


    Charlotte tilted her head, signing, "Now?"


    "Yes, now," he insisted, pointing to the hospital bathroom.


    With a small sigh, she rolled her eyes but took the bag and headed into the bathroom.


    Arthur took the opportunity to set up his phone, inserting the SIM card and downloading a few essential apps, including a rideshare app.


    When Charlotte returned, Arthur froze.


    She stood in the doorway wearing the NorthFace jacket, a soft scarf wrapped snugly around her neck, and the fitted clothes he''d picked out for her.


    Despite the effect of her illness, her calm demeanour and the way the jacket framed her slight figure gave her a fairy-like beauty that descended onto modern earth.


    "Beautiful," Arthur muttered under his breath, the word escaping before he could stop it.


    Charlotte raised an eyebrow, then rolled her eyes yfully, signing, "Stop being silly."


    Arthur chuckled but quickly moved to block her as she turned to head back to the bathroom to change back. "Where do you think you''re going?" he said, grabbing her hand gently. "We''re not done yet."


    She blinked at him, her expression curious but patient. Arthur grinned and nodded toward the door. "Come on. I''ve got another surprise for you."


    Arthur led Charlotte outside, stopping by the curb. He tapped away on his phone for a minute, then pocketed it and stood next to her.


    Charlotte nced at him, then at the road, where a car pulled up and stopped right in front of them.


    Her brows furrowed, and she looked at him again, her eyes clearly asking, "What''s going on?"


    Arthur smirked and nodded. "Yep, it''s for us. I ordered it."


    He opened the car door, gesturing for her to get in.


    Charlotte hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside, her gaze darting around the interior of the Uber.


    Arthur climbed in after her and gave the driver their destination.


    "It''s a bit far," he said with a grin, ncing at Charlotte, "but trust me, it''ll be worth it."


    Charlotte gave him a small smile, leaning on his shoulder as the car began to move. Whatever Arthur had nned, she knew better than to argue, it was his way of showing her that even in the darkest times, there was still room for light.


    The uber driver drove them for around forty-five minutes before he came to a stop in front of arge sign.


    Stepping out of the car, Arthur''s hands were glued to Charlotte''s.


    Looking at her face by his side, he smiled.


    "So, what do you think about the surprise?" He smirked, as he watched her face beam slightly.

 Chapter 29 Winter Wonderland!

    Looking at her expression, spoke volumes. She didn''t need to utter or signal a single thing for him to understand¡ªshe was happy.


    Winter Wondend.


    Beside him, Charlotte''s gaze lingered on the sign, her expression momentarily distant. She lifted her hands to signal, "Arthur, you remembered."


    Arthur smiled, squeezing her hand gently. "Of course, I remembered," he said, his voice warm.


    This was the ce that Charlotte had wanted toe to long ago, back when their world was different, before the ident that took their parents before... everything fell apart.


    Charlotte''s gaze softened, but Arthur quickly shifted the conversation, not wanting her thoughts to wander into the dark shadows of their past.


    He grabbed her hand with both of his and tugged her forward. "Come on, let''s see the wonders of this ce!" he said, his tone cheerful.


    Charlotte''s scarf covered her mouth, Arthur did not notice the crinkle at the edges of her eyes, it was a genuine smile.


    Had he seen her whole face, it might''ve stolen his breath.


    It wasn''t just any smile, it was real, the kind of smile he hadn''t seen in years. But her expression quickly disappeared into her usual calmness as he pulled her toward the entrance.


    As they stepped into the heart of Winter Wondend, bright lights circled above rows of painted horses and other fantastical creatures as a tune yed out.


    Arthur turned to Charlotte with a grin. "What do you think? A little nostalgia to start things off?"


    Charlotte looked at the spinning carousel and signed, "I''ve never ridden one before."


    "Well, today''s your chance!" Arthur eximed, already leading her to the ticket booth.


    Momentster, they stepped onto the tform, and Arthur helped her onto a gleaming white horse adorned with gold detailing.


    He chose a dragon next to her, its wings spread wide.


    ''Only if I got a primordial dragon instead of thatzy cat, I would have probably finished the game by now,'' He thought with a wry smile, as he remembered Neko''szy and arrogant attitude.


    ''Well I can''t bepletely ungrateful, she did save me from sunless...even though it was by mistake,''


    As the ride started, Charlotte''s usual calmness melted away for a moment, her eyes lighting up as the carousel gently spun.


    Arthur leaned toward her. "Not bad, right?" he teased, holding onto the dragon''s neck.


    Charlotte rolled her eyes yfully, her hands gripping the pole tightly as the horse rose and fell in a smooth rhythm.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She signed at him mid-spin, "You look ridiculous on that dragon."


    Arthurughed loudly, his voice mingling with the soft music.


    "Ridiculous? You''re just jealous mine has wings!" The sight of her holding backughter made him grin wider.


    ...


    "That was fun," Arthur said, as they left the carousel and walked around some more to find their next ride.


    After a few more stalls, Arthur spotted something, smirking as if he had an evil n he pointed at it and told Charlotte.


    Charlotte''s gaze followed his signal, and she signed, "You''re kidding. This roller coaster looks scary,"


    Arthur smirked. "Nope. Let''s do it."


    Charlotte hesitated, looking at the ride, but Arthur nudged her shoulder gently. "You trust me, right?"


    With a faint sigh, she nodded, allowing him to lead her into the line.


    Soon, they were seated, the harness snug against their chests as the ride started.


    Arthur could feel her tense beside him, her fingers gripping the edges of the seat.


    "Don''t worry," he said feeling slightly upset that he made her this worried, "that''ll be over before you know it."


    ''I shouldn''t have made her this scared, what if this ride makes her health worse? Damn it, I should have been more careful,''


    The cart ascended slowly, the clicking sound of the chain lifting them higher and higher.


    Arthur nced at Charlotte, her eyes wide as she stared at the view ahead. "Hey, it''s just a big slide," he joked trying to ease her mood. "You like slides, don''t you?"


    Her re was, enough of an answer.


    The drop hit suddenly, the cart plummeting down the first hill. Arthur let out a whoop, the wind whipping through his hair.


    He nced at Charlotte and saw her gripping the harness, her expression frozen in surprise before it shifted into something unexpected¡ªa wide, unrestrainedugh.


    The ride twisted and turned, flipping their stomachs and sending their hearts racing.


    By the time the ride screeched to a halt, Charlotte was shaking her head with disbelief, but there was a brightness in her eyes that hadn''t been there before.


    Arthur felt somewhat better as he looked at her as they stepped off. "Not bad, huh?"


    Charlotte signed, "You''re insane."


    Their final ride of the evening was the Ferris wheel, as the wheel began to lift them high above the park, Arthur leaned back in his seat, letting out a deep breath.


    "This is nice," he said softly, looking out at the twinkling lights below. Charlotte nodded, her gaze fixed on the cityscape that slowly moved further from them.


    The two of them were lost in their own thoughts.


    Arthur nced at Charlotte, noticing the way the soft light of the moon highlighted her pale features.


    "Charlotte," he said suddenly, his voice low.


    She turned to him, her eyes questioning. "Thanks for trusting me today. I''ve enjoyed today a lot, and I really hope we will be able to enjoy ourselves like this in the future."


    She gave him a small smile and signed, "Thank you,"


    After stepping off the Ferris wheel, Arthur led Charlotte towards some food stalls.


    The stalls were alive with activity, selling everything from hot chocte to steaming bowls of soup.


    Arthur paused, turning to Charlotte with a grin.


    "Alright," he said, gesturing to the stalls. "Your turn to pick. Something tasty but healthy, okay? I know what you''re like when you see sweets."


    Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him, a faint hint of mischief in her eyes as she scanned the different vendors.


    Her gaze stopped on a stall advertising crepes. The vendor was folding paper-thin crepes around fresh fruits and light yoghurt.


    Arthur nodded approvingly. "Seems like a good choice."


    At the stall, Charlotte pointed at a crepe filled with sliced strawberries, blueberries, and a drizzle of honey.


    The vendor added a dollop of whipped Greek yoghurt on top, creating a bnce of sweetness and healthiness that satisfied them both.


    When it was ready, Arthur handed the vendor a few bills and turned back to Charlotte. "Looks amazing," he said, his tone slightly envious. "I should''ve gotten one for myself."


    "Let me go back and get one real quick," He said but was quickly stopped as Charlotte held his hand stopping him.


    Charlotte smiled behind her scarf and handed him a piece with her fork, her expression teasing as if saying, "Don''tin, we can share this."


    Taking a bite, Arthur''s eyes widened. "This is¡­ so good!" he said, his mouth still full. Charlotte nodded, taking her own small bites.


    They sat on a nearby bench, sharing the crepe and watching the Winter Wondend lights twinkle around them.


    Arthur enjoyed the moments fully with Charlotte, knowing that what wasing was going to be tough and he needed to be strong to not crack under the pressure.

 Chapter 30 The Drunk Man

    Returning to the hospital room after their evening out, Arthur slowly pulled out the guest bed provided for family members and sat down on it.


    ''This bed is quitefortable...Well, anything is better than cardboard, I guess,''


    Charlotte moved toward the hangers on the back of the door, removing her jacket and scarf.


    She hung the clothes neatly before turning back toward him, her pale face tranquil.


    With a small gesture, she signed: "I''m tired. I''m going to sleep. Goodnight Arthur."


    Arthur nodded, offering her a soft smile.


    "Goodnight, Charlotte" he replied, his tone warm. "I''ll stay awake for a bit. I need to fix a few things on my phone."


    Charlotte nodded, as she climbed into her bed.


    She tucked herself under the nket, her small, fragile frame almost disappearing beneath it.


    Arthur focused on his phone, updating a few apps and skimming through some update notifications.


    The room was peaceful, with the sound of their breathing the only breaker to the silence.


    Time passed quietly, and as Arthur adjusted his phone brightness, he felt a slight touch against his hand.


    Looking down, he noticed Charlotte''s hand touching his, her delicate, long fingers brushing against his slightly.


    Their beds were close together which allowed the contact.


    He nced at her, but her face was turned away to the other side, her breathing even and steady as though she had already fallen asleep.


    A faint smile tugged at Arthur''s lips as he gently held her hand, enclosing it in his own.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Her fingers were cold, and he warmed them as he rested back against his bedframe.


    ''This girl...'' he thought.


    The realisation softened him, filling him with warmth as he held her hands softly but tightly.


    Charlotte''s lips curved into a small smile as she drifted deeper into sleep, though Arthur couldn''t see it.


    She seemed at peace, her hand remaining loosely in his as her breathing deepened.


    An hourter, Arthur noticed the rhythm of her breathing hadn''t changed for a while.


    ''She''s asleep now,'' he thought.


    Carefully, he released her hand, cing it softly back on her bed. He stood up slowly, his movements careful not to disturb her rest.


    Walking to the window, Arthur stared out at the city lights.


    ''I can''t just sit here and do nothing,'' he thought, his fists clenching at his sides.


    ''Her treatment, the future¡­ I need to make more money, and fast.''


    With a determined expression and unshakable resolve, he entered [Armageddon].


    He smiled feeling the familiar pull into the void as the real world faded around him, and he reappeared in the vast, unpredictable world of Armageddon.


    Looking around him, the vige was still bustling with yers who were either trying to flirt with female NPCs or other female yers.


    ''What are these idiots doing? How can you possibly waste your time doing this shit, when this world is so unpredictable. Like, this isn''t just a random game. Its origins are unknown, and the creators are also unknown.''


    ''Some of these guys are way too thirsty,'' he thought with a sigh. ''Horny for missions and just about anything that walks and has a hole.''


    Lost in thought, he suddenly felt a small weightnd on his right shoulder, startling him.


    His heart jumped as he quickly turned his head, only to find Neko perched there, her tail curlingzily around his neck.


    "Neko, you scared the shit out of me. At least meow or something, don''t just jump on my shoulder." He said, shaking his head.


    Neko, as expected,pletely ignored him. Instead, she rubbed her ears with her paw, her face the epitome of indifference.


    Arthur shook his head. "Figures," he muttered, continuing his walk.


    **


    As he wandered deeper into the vige, Arthur passed by a small but familiar run-down house.


    A familiar figure caught his eye, it was a drunk old man sitting slouched against the wall, a bottle in his hand.


    Arthur recognized him immediately.


    ''It''s that guy from before,'' he thought. ''The one who said he didn''t need help.''


    The old man seemed oblivious to Arthur at first,zily sipping from his bottle.


    But as Arthur passed, the man''s gaze shifted to his shoulder, locking onto Neko.


    His blurry eyes squinted slightly, and for a moment, his entire personality changed.


    The man''s body stiffened, his drunken stupor fading instantly.


    His eyes widened as they met Neko''s calm, golden gaze. His hand trembled, and he nearly dropped the bottle as fear crept onto his face.


    ''That beast¡­'' he thought, his mind racing.


    ''How the hell is this kid walking around with that thing on his shoulder like it''s a normal cat?''


    Neko continued to stare back at him, her gaze unwavering and unreadable.


    The old man swallowed hard, the bottle slipping from his hand and ttering to the ground. The sound snapped him out of his daze, and a sudden idea struck him.


    ''Maybe¡­ maybe he can actually help me,'' he thought, standing up with surprising speed for a supposed drunkard.


    The drunken wobble was gone from his step almost as if it never existed in the first ce.


    Arthur frowned as the old man approached him, a wide smile stered across his face.


    "Hello, young man," the old man began, his voice unusually cheerful. "How are you doing today? I heard you''re an amazing adventurer! I was wondering if¡ª"


    Arthur raised an eyebrow and cut him off mid-sentence. "Wait a damn second," he said, his tone sceptical.


    "Aren''t you the same guy who told me he didn''t need any help? You were pretty sure about that, too. You made me waste minutes that I could''ve been using to level up, what do you want now?"


    The old man froze, his smile faltering. For a moment, he simply blinked at Arthur, his mind scrambling for a response.


    ''What the hell?'' he thought, his panic rising. ''Aren''t yers supposed to be desperate for quests? Why is this one rejecting me?!''


    Arthur tilted his head, his expression deadpan. "Well?" he asked. "What''s changed? Or are you just here to waste my time again?"


    The old man''s lips parted, but no words came out at first. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, his confidence wavering. ''How am I supposed to exin this?''


    Finally, he cleared his throat and forced another smile. "Ahem. Well, young man," he said, his tone overly formal almost boot-licking, "I may have¡­ uh¡­ underestimated you before. But I can clearly see now that you''re someone special."

 Chapter 31 The Drunk Man has a Hidden quest!

    Arthur''s eyebrow twitched as he listened to the old man''s reason. "Special?"


    The old man nodded vigorously, his gaze darting nervously toward Neko. "Yes, very special," he insisted. "Thatpanion of yours... you''re no ordinary adventurer. And, well, I do have a problem that needs solving."


    Hearing the old man''s words, Arthur''s expression remained neutral, but inside, a smile crept into his thoughts.


    ''Neko is something else,'' he mused. ''I just got a hidden mission by hanging out with her. This old guy probably thinks Neko will help me achieve something amazing for him, hehe.''


    Arthur nced at the indifferent catzing on his shoulder.


    ''If only he knew the truth,'' he thought, suppressing an inward chuckle.


    ''She''s just azy ass cat who barely moves unless it''s to sunbathe or dodge my attempts to pet her.''


    Arthur kept his face serious, arms crossed and his tone t. "Alright then," he said, nodding at the old man. "Tell me what this is about."


    The old man nodded eagerly, clearly relieved that Arthur was finally listening to him without interrupting. "Of course, of course! Let me exin¡­"


    Inside, he chuckled to himself.


    ''Let''s see what kind of mission this is going to be. Thanks for the reputation boost, Neko¡ªeven if you''re as useful as a rock most of the time.'' He suppressed a grin, focusing on the old man''s exnation.


    [Ding! You have triggered the A-Level hidden vige #420 quest: Help John Kill the silver serpent that killed his young daughter. Reward: Rare Skill book, 5 Gold Coins.]


    [Would you like to ept the hidden quest?]


    [Yes/No]


    "Yes," Arthur muttered.


    [Ding! You have epted the A-Level hidden vige #420 quest: Help John Kill the silver serpent that killed his young daughter. Quest duration: Four days. Reward: Rare Skill book & 5 Gold Coins. Failure: You will lose -50 reputation points in the vige, and most vigers will despise you.]N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''Although I''m not sure about the consequences of losing reputation this early on, I can not miss out on the rare skill book. Even if it''s a terrible skill book, I will still be able to sell it for tens of gold coins...maybe even hundreds, hehe.''


    "Alright, so how do you want me to prove that I killed it for you? Is there anything in particr you are looking for?" Arthur asked because he wasn''t sure how quests worked.


    John''s face darkened, his tone filled with a murderous intent. "Bring me its fangs," he said, his hatred almost materialising. "That serpent has lived far too long."


    Arthur nodded, his expression serious. "Understood."


    After exchanging a few more words, Arthur said his goodbyes, leaving John behind.


    As Arthur walked toward the forest, the details of John''s quest ran through his mind like a film on 2x speed.


    ''This is going to be tough,'' he thought, his steps calm but his mind restless.


    ''A level 10 elite boss... That''s no joke. If it were just a regr boss, it might have been manageable with enough strategy. But elite bosses are a different beast entirely, even though I killed my current summon Sunless which was an epic boss, that was solely because of Neko. Otherwise, I would''ve been dead long ago. Sunless was also only level 5, whereas this serpent is level 10.''


    He nced at Neko, lounging on his shoulder, her eyes half-closed in her usual persona of indifference.


    He sighed internally.


    ''It would''ve been a lot easier if thiszy cat actually helped inbat. But no, she''s too busy pretending she''s royalty.''


    Arthur shook his head and refocused on what he could control.


    ''Still, this mission isn''t impossible. If I can reach level 5 soon, I''ll unlock the ability to summon two more beasts. With Sunless and two new summons, I might actually stand a chance. The trick is levelling up fast enough.''


    ''My Shadow Monarch ss should also grant me some pretty powerful skills when I reach level 5, so that will also help out a lot. Level 5 will also give my other summons skills if my guess isn''t wrong.''


    As he nned his next moves, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a sharp ding in his ears.


    [Global Announcement: yer Demon has sessfully killed the first pseudo-elite boss!]


    [Global Announcement: yer Demon has...]


    [Global Announcement: ...]


    Arthur came to an abrupt stop, his eyes narrowing as he processed the announcement. His brows furrowed deeply, and a frown crept onto his face.


    "Already?" he muttered, his toneced with disbelief. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, the implications of the announcement sinking in.


    ''The first pseudo-elite boss, and this early into the game? These yers are no joke. I wonder why the system didn''t announce that I killed an epic boss when I was in that secret realm, was it because the secret realm was more important than the epic-grade boss? or was it something else?''


    After thinking about it for a while, he decided that he wouldn''t get any answers anytime soon. So he forgot about the issue and decided to level up, his steps quickened as he thought about the gap between himself and the other yers.


    ''I can''t afford to fall behind. If I don''t level up faster, I''ll be left in the dust. I''m sure the other yers have already hit level 5.''


    Arthur approached the gates of the vige, nodding briefly to the NPC guards who stood watch.


    The forest loomed ahead, its dense trees and shadowed paths inviting him back into its dangerous embrace.


    He adjusted the dagger strapped to his side and took a deep breath.


    ''This isn''t just about levelling up anymore. I need to prove myself, not only for the thrill of it. But for Charlotte''s sake. Every gold coin, every rare item, every skill point I earn in this game puts me closer to giving her the life she deserves.''


    The gate creaked slightly as Arthur stepped through, the sounds of the vige fading behind him.


    The forest awaited, and with it, the challenges that would either break him¡ªor make him stronger.


    [You have left the safe zone, you can now be attacked by monsters.]


    [yers cannot attack each other yet.]


    [Attacking another yer will result in major penalties. Be warned!]

 Chapter 32 Levelling Up to Level 5, Sunless Debut!

    Arthur walked through the forest, his boots crunching softly against the leaves and dirt beneath his foot.


    As he walked through the forest, he encountered a few corroded rabbits that darted into his path, their red-glowing eyes filled with malice as they spotted him.


    He smirked. "I love me a walking money and experience orb,"


    He wasted no time, lunging forward leaving a trail of wind behind him.


    He dispatched them quickly with fatal strikes of his rare dagger that plunged into their heads.


    [Critical Hit!]


    -25 HP


    -30 HP


    [You have in a Corroded Rabbit (Level 2)]


    The system notifications rang in his ears as the rabbits dropped to the ground, leaving behind items.


    Arthur knelt beside the items and quickly stored them inside his rare backpack.


    ''Umon drops again,'' he thought. ''Not bad, that''s around 6 silver coins which means I just made around $600 already, kek.''


    As he nced around, he noticed a few yers scattered in the area, their voices loud and theirbat stiff as they farmed low-level monsters.


    He frowned.


    ''I''m not far enough into the forest yet, I need to head deeper. The real opportunities lie deeper in.''


    Adjusting his grip on his dagger, Arthur walked forward.


    The noise of other yers faded as the trees grew denser and the forest floor darker.


    The air was thick with silence, the kind that made your skin prickle and your heart race.


    He slowed his pace down a notch, each step he took was thought of not avoid making any necessary sounds.


    The eerie stillness wrapped around him like a dark shroud.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Suddenly, he froze. Ahead, a small clearing came into view, and with it, a group of hulking creatures.


    [Corroded Tusked Wild Boars]


    [Description:] Known for their incredible physical defence, these creatures have evolved to cover their weaknesses. Their tusks deal devastating damage.


    Arthur''s grip tightened on his weapon as he observed the boars, their massive tusks gleaming in the faint light filtering through the canopy. Each of them pawed at the ground, their bodies brimming with raw power.


    ''These wild boars could be trouble if I head in without a n,'' he thought. ''Even two of these boars could be dangerous if I''m not careful, and there are...''


    He crouched low, counting under his breath. "One, two¡­ three. Four," he finished, his gaze scanning the surroundings.


    His eyes darted to the trees around him. ''If there''s a hidden horde, I could get myself killed like an idiot for heading there without scanning the surroundings first.''


    Satisfied that the area was clear of any surprises that might prove to be unpredictable, he climbed a nearby tree.


    He stood on a thick branch that seemed to be strong enough to hold his weight without making any suspicious noise.


    The position offered him a clear view of the group of wild boars below.


    From his vantage point, he nned his next moves.


    Suddenly, Arthur facepalmed, the realization hitting him.


    ''Why haven''t I thought of this before? I''ve been so used to doing everything myself...that Ipletely forgot I could summon him.''


    A sly grin spread across his face as he essed his summoning interface. The dark energy swirled around him briefly before Sunless materialized beside him on the branch.


    The skeletal warrior stood silently, its hollow eye sockets fixed on Arthur as if awaiting his royal decree.


    [Race:] Undead


    [ID:] Sunless


    [Level:] 5


    [Talent:] Darkness (A)


    [Health Points:] 120


    [Mana Points:] 90


    [Magical Damage:] 11


    [Phyiscal Damage:] 9


    [Damage Resistance:] 12


    [Attributes:] Strength 11, Agility 6, Vitality 12, Intelligence 9


    [Skills:] Rage (Epic)


    [Attribute Points:] 0


    [Skill Points:] 0


    Arthur met its gaze with a smirk. "Sunless, you''re up. I need you to go down there and fight."


    The skeleton''s head tilted slightly as it acknowledged themand.


    Arthur''s tone grew serious. "If you feel like you''re in danger or that you might not make it, retreat immediately. Understand?"


    Sunless gave a slow, understanding nod.


    "Good," Arthur said, leaning back against the trunk of the tree. "Now go down there and show them what you''ve got."


    Without hesitation, Sunless leapt from the branch,nding with a loud thud that drew the attention of the boars. The creatures snorted aggressively, their tusks glinting as they turned to face the intruder.


    Arthur leaned forward, his heart pounding. "Alright, sunless, show me what you''ve got. You better not have been nerfed like crazy, otherwise, I am pissed,"


    Thergest of the boars wasted no time, barreling toward Sunless with an earth-shaking charge.


    The ground trembled beneath its hooves, and Arthur gritted his teeth. "Here we go."


    Sunless stood perfectly still, its bony fingers flexing in anticipation.


    Just as the boar reached it, tusks aimed at its ribcage, Sunless sidestepped with a dancer''s grace, spinning on his heel and shing at the boar''s nk. Its ws scraped against the thick hide, leaving a gash.


    -15 HP


    The boar screeched, skidding to a halt a few feet away, blood trickling down its side. Arthur smirked. "Nice one. Keep it up."


    The other three boars, spurred on by the first one''s attack, began to circle Sunless, their growls getting louder in frustration.


    They moved as a unit, their eyes gleaming with some intelligence that surprised Arthur.


    "This big one¡­ is he their leader? It seems like he''s giving them orders, they are some clever boars, too clever. If I''d rushed in thinking I could handle all four alone, I''d be on the run right now, with four wild boars chasing me,"


    He exhaled sharply.


    "I need to hit level five soon. Going without a single skill is like walking blindfolded through a minefield. But at least I''ve got Sunless here. He''ll do the hard part, and I''ll sit back and collect the rewards." A sly grin tugged at his lips.


    "Work smarter, not harder, right Neko?"


    The thought shifted as his eyes drifted to his right shoulder. Neko lounged therezily, her expression that of indifference.


    His lips twitched.


    ''Is this what it''s like for her? Just coasting along while someone else does the fighting? She''s got it easy.''

 Chapter 33 Horde Of Wild Tusked Boars Vs Sunless

    As Arthur was silently cursing Neko for being azy 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 wsshing out in retaliation. The first boar let out a pained squeal as its tusk was severed cleanly, its bnce 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,nding behind it and mming both hands down on its spine. The boar copsed as a sickening crunch reverberated across the area.


    -40 HP


    [You have in 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.


    Thergest 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 copsing on the floor.


    Thud


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


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


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


    His bony fingers shed 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 ws piercing the boar''s chest in one swift motion.


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


    ''Thest one is their boss, but his fate will be the same as the rest. Just experience and an umon 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 thest possible second before sidestepping and mming his hand down on the beast''s skull.


    The impact echoed through the clearing as the boar crumpled to the ground.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [You have in 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 pped 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 thest 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¡ªwhether 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 tes 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 tes.


    "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 be 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 nextmand. "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," Arthurmanded, his voice calm but with a hint of anticipation.

 Chapter 34 New Summon: Borak!

    Energy swirled from the wild boar like a storm, a vortex of energy engulfing its dead body.


    ''The summoning isn''t as intense as when I summoned Sunless,'' He thought, giving Sunless a quick nce over his shoulder.


    The portal that normally summoned his beasts opened below the wild boar''s body and engulfed it.


    The portal pulsed, and the swirling energy grew until, with a sudden eruption, arge, dense swirl of energy burst forward.


    Arthur shielded his face with his arm, feeling the force of the release as the energy coalesced into a solid form.


    "Wee home," Arthur muttered with a small grin, as he watched the boar kneel to greet him.


    [You have summoned a Tusked Wild Boar. He is nowpletely and utterly loyal to you, he will do as you instruct him without any fail. You have the right to name him.]


    [Would you like to name the Tusked Wild Boar'']


    [Yes/No]


    Arthur grinned, his finger moving to press ''Yes''. "Of course," he muttered, already deciding on a name. "I''ll call you¡­ Borak."


    [Name Confirmed, the summoned ''Tusked Wild Boar'' is now called ''Borak'']


    [Race:] Wild Boar


    [ID:] Borak


    [Level:] 5


    [Talent:] Leader (C-Rank)


    Health Points:] 100


    [Mana Points:] 50


    [Magical Damage:] 5


    [Phyiscal Damage:] 67


    [Damage Resistance:] 10N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [Attributes:] Strength 7, Agility 7, Vitality 10, Intelligence 5


    [Skills:] Horde Lead (Common)


    [Attribute Points:] 0


    [Skill Points:] 0


    After looking at Borak''s status, he expected great things from that boar.


    Arthur looked at Borak expectantly. "Alright, Borak. I need you to tell me. Can you control other members of your species?" His voice carried an edge of hope as his heart silently begged for the answer to be yes.


    Borak tilted its massive head, the faint red glow in its eyes flickering, then shook its head firmly.


    Arthur''s face twisted into disbelief. "No? What do you mean no? I saw you controlling the others before! Stop joking around with me, Borak¡ªI know you can do it!"


    The boar let out a deep grunt and began to stomp its hooves, snorting and huffing as if it were trying to exin itself.


    Arthur blinked, leaning in slightly. "Wait, are you actually¡­? Oh no, am I seriously interpreting boarnguage right now?"


    Borak let out another snort, pawing at the ground for emphasis. Arthur crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing as he pieced together the message.


    After a few minutes of boar-sining, Arthur finally understood what Borak was trying to say.


    "Oh, so you weren''t actually ''controlling'' them," he muttered, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "You just... dominated them physically, made them submit, and then used your talent and skills tomand them. Is that it?"


    Borak snorted sharply as if to say, ''Exactly.''


    Arthur sighed and shook his head. "Great. Here I thought I had a super mind-controlling genius on my hands, but no, you''re just a boar bully." He nced at Borak, who looked entirely unbothered by the remark. "Alright, so can you still do the same thing now? If so, how many can you ''dominate andmand'' at once?"


    Borak stood still, seemingly deep in thought. After a moment, it let out a soft grunt and tapped the ground twice with its hoof.


    Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Two? That''s it?"


    Borak gave a definitive snort, ''Yes.''


    Arthur chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, two is better than nothing. Honestly, I thought you''d get nerfed as much as Sunless, so I''ll take it."


    He straightened, his tone bing moremanding. "Okay, Borak, here''s the n. I need you to go around the area, find two of the other boars, and dominate them¡ªphysically, of course."


    He added thest part with a wry grin. "Once you''ve got your little squad, start killing any monsters you see. But¡ªand this is important¡ªdon''t attack any yers unless they attack you first. Got it?"


    Borak let out a low grunt, which Arthur took as understanding. Even though Arthur knew that Borak will just do as he was told without asking any questions, he still decided to tell it the reason.


    "Look, the penalty for attacking other yers is still in ce, okay? If you start swinging those tusks at someone unprovoked, it counts as me attacking them, and I am not dealing with that headache."


    "But if a yer attacks you first, the penalty doesn''t apply because it''ll be considered self-defence. See how that works?"


    Borak let out another low grunt.


    "Good," Arthur said, patting Borak''s thick neck. "Now go out there and show this forest why you''re the king of the boars. Adventure awaits, Borak!"


    The massive boar gave onest snort before stomping off into the trees. Arthur watched it go, a smirk on his face.


    Arthur moved stealthily through the dense forest, his steps careful. Every now and then, a beast would scuttle or charge toward him, only to meet its end under his dagger or Sunless''s bony fingers.


    [Critical Hit!]


    -15 HP


    [You have killed a Corroded Beetle]


    He bent down to pick up the loot from thest kill, shaking his head as he nced at his inventory.


    "My rare backpack is getting full already," he muttered, tucking an umon sword into the backpack. "At least I''m picking up some umon items. They should still sell for some silvers, although I should probably decrease the price from 3 silver coins to 2 silver coins and 50 bronze coins."


    As he stood, a distant scream ripped through the air, sharp and panicked.


    "Arghhhh, help me!"


    Arthur''s head snapped in the direction of the sound. His brows furrowed as he scanned the forest, his hand instinctively gripping his dagger.


    ''Should I help?'' he thought, his mind racing through the possibilities. ''It could be a trap... or it could be someone in actual danger.''


    ''Even if it was a trap... the game hasn''t allowed yers to engage in fights yet. So it doesn''t make sense for it to be a trap...''


    After a moment of hesitation, he clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Alright, let''s go check it out," he muttered, darting off toward the source of the scream. The forest blurred around him as he sprinted, his footsteps silent in the thick underbrush.


    "Let''s hope I''m not running straight into trouble," Arthur muttered under his breath, his grip tightening on his weapon.

 Chapter 35 Coward

    Arthur sprinted through the forest, his heart pounding as the distant screams abruptly ceased. His mind raced with possibilities.


    ''Is it already over?'' he thought, his grip tightening on his dagger. Still, he didn''t slow, his instincts urging him forward.


    Breaking through the dense trees, he stumbled into a clearing. His breath hitched at the sight before him.


    A girl, no older than fourteen or fifteen¡ªaround his age¡ªwas pinned to the ground by a wild boar. The creature''s tusks gleamed as it loomed over her, ready to deliver a fatal strike.


    "Sunless!" Arthur shouted, his voice sharp and urgent as he hurled his dagger at the boar.


    -5 HP


    The dagger struck the boar''s nk, not enough to do significant damage but enough to draw its attention. The creature''s head snapped up, its glowing eyes locking onto Arthur with a furious snarl.


    Sunless didn''t wait for furthermands. The skeletal warrior dashed forward, its bony ws shing across the boar''s side in a powerful strike.


    -15 HP


    The boar squealed in pain, momentarily stunned. Arthur''s sharp eyes darted around the clearing. ''Where the hell is Borak? This is a boar right here, he should have manipted this one,'' he thought, frustration bubbling in his chest. ''This is the perfect situation for him to help, but he''s probably off looking for females...''


    Suddenly, his thoughts took a bizarre turn.


    ''Wait a second...'' A memory surfaced of the boars Borak had previously led. ''They were all female. Was that what he meant by dominating them?''


    Arthur''s lips twitched involuntarily, a mix of disbelief and annoyance shing across his face. ''Seriously? This pig''s idea of domination is just a glorified mating game?''


    ''Damn this boar, I thought he was a master maniptor in his race. Turns out, he was just a harem seeker,''


    Despite the ridiculousness of his thoughts, his body stayed on high alert. He rushed forward, scooping the girl into his arms and carrying her away from the thrashing boar.


    "Stay down," he instructed firmly as he set her behind arge tree. Her wide, frightened eyes met his, but she didn''t say a word, nodding shakily instead.


    Arthur turned back to the battle just as Sunless delivered another strike, the skeleton''s ws raking across the boar''s chest. The beast retaliated, its tusks charging trying to m into Sunless''s ribcage.


    Sunless sidestepped with gracefulness and retaliated with a counterpunch to the Boar''s side, sending it flying across.


    -15HP


    Arthur turned back to the battle just as Sunless delivered another strike, the skeleton''s ws raking across the boar''s chest. The beast retaliated, its tusks mming into Sunless''s ribcage and sending the skeletal warrior skidding backwards.


    -10 HP


    "Sunless, keep it together!" Arthur shouted, rushing to retrieve his dagger from the ground. He positioned himself at a safe distance, ready to jump in if needed.


    The boar charged again, its tusks aimed directly at Sunless. The skeleton sidestepped, its wed hand shing across the boar''s neck in a clean arc.


    -20 HP


    The boar let out onest agonized squeal before copsing to the ground, its body twitching briefly before dissolving into shimmering fragments.


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


    ''Sunless, go back'' Arthur said, as he dismissed him.


    He wasn''t sure if sunless would scare the girl to death, but he decided not to take the risk.


    Sunless quickly evaporated into nothing, going back into a space that Arthur called summon''s space.


    Arthur let out a long breath, wiping sweat from his brow. "That was closer than I''d like," he muttered. He turned to check on the girl, who was still huddled behind the tree. Her wide eyes were filled with both fear and curiosity.


    He approached cautiously, kneeling in front of her. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice softer now.


    She nodded, her gaze flicking nervously to the spot where the boar had fallen.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The girl''s face suddenly twisted in fear as if she had just remembered something critical. Her wide, terrified eyes darted toward Arthur.


    "We¡ªwe need to leave this ce quickly!" she whispered urgently, ncing around the clearing as if expecting something to leap out from the shadows.


    Arthur frowned, confused by her panic. "What''s wrong? Calm down. I already killed the boar. If another one shows up, I''ll kill it too."


    She shook her head violently, her voice trembling. "It''s not about the boar."


    Arthur''s frown deepened. "Then what is it?"


    "There''s a group of bandits chasing me," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "My bodyguards stayed behind to dy them, but there were too many. They told me to run."


    Her words hit Arthur like a cold ssh of water. She clutched his sleeve, her grip desperate. "We need to leave this ce, now. It''s not safe. Please, let''s go."


    Arthur nodded, his tone firm. "Alright, we''ll go."


    He stood, scanning the area for any signs of immediate danger, his fingers tightening around his dagger. A chill ran down his spine, a primal instinct warning him that something was wrong.


    "Hehe¡­"


    The sinister chuckle sliced through the air, freezing Arthur in ce. He turned his head sharply to see a figure stepping out of the shadows. Dressed in ck, the man''s face was obscured by a hood, but his malicious grin was unmistakable.


    Arthur''s grip on his dagger tightened. He had already dismissed Sunless after the fight with the boar, leaving him alone with the girl.


    The man in ck let out another low chuckle, tilting his head. "You want to run?" he sneered, his tone mocking. "Hehe, it''s toote for that now."


    Arthur instinctively looked at the girl behind him, his mind racing. ''Damn it, I walked right into this.''


    Arthur looked at the bandit standing before him, his mind racing. He nced at the little girl behind him, then slowly began to side-step away from her, raising his hands in surrender.


    "Uh, sorry, sir," he said, his tone awkward and overly polite. "Can I¡ªuh¡ªlike, you know, leave? You can have her, by the way."


    The girl''s mouth fell open in shock, her eyes widening as she stared at him. "But you just¡ª"


    "Shut up," Arthur snapped, cutting her off mid-sentence. "I don''t know you." He waved his hands dismissively at her like she was some random passerby on the street. "This isn''t my problem."


    The bandit let out a low chuckle, his shoulders shaking with amusement. "You''re quite the odd one, aren''t you?" he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "First, you try to make a run for it, and now you''re selling her out like a cheap trinket."


    Arthur shrugged, stepping back another pace. "Look, I''m just a guy trying to live his life. I''m sure you understand. She''s clearly the one you want, so I''ll just... you know, get out of your way."


    The girl red at him, her shock giving way to outrage but she slowly sumbed to her fate.


    "Cowards..." She muttered silently.


    Arthur threw her an exaggeratedly offended look. "Coward? No, no, this is called strategic thinking, thank you very much."

 Chapter 36 Making a run for it

    The bandit''sughter rang out, echoing ominously in the forest. "I like you, kid," he said between chuckles, his toneced with menace. "Too bad I''m going to have to kill you anyway."


    Arthur raised his hands defensively, taking a cautious step back. "Hey, hey,e on, man. What did I do to you?"


    The bandit smirked, his eyes narrowing as if sizing up his prey.


    Arthur continued, his voice quick and persuasive, "Just so you know, my grandad''s the elder of the town nearby. I''m just out here in the woods to, uh, experience life. My bodyguards are in the shadows right now, watching your every move."


    The bandit''s brow furrowed as his gaze flicked briefly to the dense trees around them.


    Arthur seized the moment, pressing further. "I don''t want to fight you. Seriously, just let me go, man. I don''t want unnecessary bloodshed around here. Think about it¡ªit''s bad for your reputation."


    The bandit''s eyes scanned the surroundings cautiously for a moment before his scowl returned. "Do you think I''m an id¡ª"


    Before he could finish, the realization hit him, Arthur had bolted. In the blink of an eye, the boy had dashed into the forest and left the girl without a second nce.


    "Eh?!" The bandit''s eyes widened in surprise before his expression twisted into anger.


    "You little¡ª!" He cursed under his breath, his gaze falling on the girl. With a swift movement, he knocked her out cold, hoisting her limp body over his shoulder.


    "You''re not going anywhere, kid!" he growled, dashing into the forest in pursuit. His voice turned sharp and menacing, echoing through the trees. "Stop trying to escape your fate!"


    Arthur darted between the trees, his heart hammering in his chest. His breaths came in ragged gasps, as he heard the heavy footfalls of the bandit closing in behind him.


    "Of all the times to be out of stamina," he muttered through gritted teeth, pushing himself to keep running. He risked a nce over his shoulder, and his stomach dropped.


    The bandit was gaining ground, his ck-d figure weaving effortlessly through the forest. Worse, the girl''s unconscious body was slung over his shoulder like a sack of grain. The sight made Arthur''s jaw tighten in frustration.


    "Come on, think, think!" he urged himself out loud, but his panicked outward thoughts were cut short as his foot snagged on an exposed root.


    Thud!


    Arthur hit the ground hard, dirt smearing his face as the impact rattled through his bones. "Ugh, you''ve got to be kidding me," he groaned, spitting out a mouthful of soil.


    The bandit slowed to a halt a few feet away, his lips curling into a sinister grin. "Hehe, you think you can run?" he sneered, setting the girl down against a tree. "You''re quick at running like a chicken, I''ll give you that. But too bad¡ªyou''re also too mature for your own good."


    Arthur scrambled to his feet, his hand instinctively reaching for his dagger. But the bandit took a deliberate step forward, the confidence in his stride making Arthur''s blood run cold.


    "Anyst words, kid?" the bandit taunted, his tone mocking as he drew a long, jagged knife from his belt.


    The bandit set the unconscious girl against a nearby tree, taking a moment to nce around the clearing.


    His sharp eyes scanned the area for any threats, his lips curling into a smug grin.


    ''Only two exits for monsters toe through. It''s secure enough,'' he thought, straightening up.


    He turned his attention back to Arthur, who was still sprawled on the ground.


    Slowly, deliberately, the bandit began to approach, his boots crunching against the underbrush with every calcted step. Each step seemed to echo in the tense silence, amplifying the dread he tried to instil in his prey.


    "That''s a nice dagger you''ve got there, kid," he said, his tone dripping with greed. His eyes gleamed as he took in the faint glint of the de. "Bet it''ll sell for a couple of silver coins."


    He chuckled darkly, licking his lips. "And it''ll be mine after I kill you. Ehehe."


    Arthur didn''t move, his chest heaving slightly as if in fear. His dagger remained loosely gripped in his hand, and he didn''t seem to make any effort to rise. The bandit''s grin widened, confidence blooming in his chest.


    The bandit''s hand shifted, gripping his own jagged knife tightly as he stepped closer. "Goodbye, kid," he sneered, raising his weapon high. "You''re nothing but a stepping stone."


    With a sudden burst of motion, the bandit brought the de down, aiming directly for Arthur''s chest. But just as the de began its descent, something caught his eye¡ªa faint, almost imperceptible smirk that flickered across Arthur''s face.


    The bandit''s breath hitched in confusion. "What the¡ª?"


    Arthur''s voice was low, almost a whisper, but the mocking tone was unmistakable. "Idiot."


    Before the bandit could react, Arthur''s free hand shot forward, grabbing a fistful of dirt and flinging it upward.


    The dust and grit struck the bandit square in the face, forcing him to stagger back with a string of curses. His knife sliced through the air, missing Arthur by inches.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Damn it!" the bandit roared, clutching his eyes as the dirt burned and blinded him temporarily.


    Arthur didn''t hesitate. "Sunless! Borak! Now!" he bellowed.


    The sound of cracking bones filled the air as Sunless, who had been lying in wait on a tree branch above, leapt down with deadly precision. His skeletal hands shed across the bandit''s chest.


    Critical Hit!


    -35HP


    At the same moment, Arthur summoned Borak, who charged into the fray with the force of a battering ram.


    The ground trembled as the massive boar mmed into the bandit, his tusks gouging deep into the man''s side.


    Critical Hit!


    -20HP


    The bandit staggered backwards, his body wracked with pain from the simultaneous strikes. His HP bar plummeted, the red indicator shing dangerously close to empty.


    "What the hell is going on? How did these monsters just randomly appear out of nowhere!"


    Arthur smirked, seizing the opportunity. He dashed forward, dagger in hand, and drove it into the bandit''s exposed side with a swift motion.


    Critical Hit!


    The bandit let out a guttural cry, his HP bar dipping below 15% in mere seconds. His breath came in ragged gasps as he dropped to one knee, his weapon slipping from his hand.


    Arthur stood back, watching as Sunless and Borak stood over the bandit.

 Chapter 37 The Bandit

    Arthur watched as the bandit dropped to one knee, his breathboured and uneven. He turned toward Borak, his voice calm butmanding. "Protect the girl. Make sure nothinges near her."


    The boar let out a low snort of understanding, its sharp eyes scanning the forest as it lumbered toward the unconscious girl. It stood vigntly beside her, its tusks gleaming.


    Arthur shifted his gaze back to the bandit, his expression unreadable. ''Even though his HP is dangerously low, I can''t afford to get cocky. He''s a bandit, after all¡ªthey always have tricks up their sleeves.''


    ''The only reason I was able to inflict so much damage on him was because of the sneak attack,'' he thought, his grip tightening around his dagger.


    ''The sneak attack needed to be believable, so I took the chance to show weakness¡ªcowardice, even¡ªying the part of someone unwilling and incapable of fighting back.''


    His mind reyed the events leading up to this moment, analyzing every step.


    ''Luckily, I think he dropped his guard when he saw I was trapped. The stumble worked in my favour to lower his defences. He underestimated me, and he is now paying the price for it.''


    Arthur''s eyes scanned the clearing, taking in the details of the terrain. ''And luckily, he didn''t think much of the area I brought him to. He thought I ran out of fear, but I chose this ce for a reason.'' His lips pressed into a thin line, his expression grim. ''It''s secluded, tight enough that he couldn''t run even if he wanted to. I made sure that the terrain worked solely in my favour.''


    He tightened his grip on his dagger but made no move forward. Instead, he motioned to Sunless. "Sunless, attack him!"


    The skeletal warrior gave a silent nod, its bony body moving with eerie grace as it charged toward the bandit. The ground seemed to vibrate slightly under Sunless''s heavy steps, the air filled with an ominous tension.


    The bandit remained on one knee, his head slightly lowered as if in defeat. But just as Sunless''s wed arms were about toe crashing down across his face, the bandit''s hand shot upward with startling speed.


    ng!


    The bandit''s dagger met Sunlee''s bony hand in a sharp counterattack. The force of the strike sent Sunless stumbling back a few steps. The bandit rose slowly, his face twisted in pain but his eyes zing with defiance.


    "I underestimated you," the bandit admitted his voice rough but tinged with begrudging respect. "You yed me well. I expected you to walk right into my trap like I fell for yours. But it seems you''re smarter than you look."


    Arthur''s eyes narrowed as he kept his face expressionless, but inwardly, his mind raced. ''How does he still have so much fight left in him? His HP is critical¡ªhe shouldn''t have this kind of strength.''


    The bandit''s smirk was faint, but it carried an air of triumph. "You''ve got guts, kid," he said, his grip on his weapon tightening. "But guts only take you so far."


    Arthur didn''t respond, his frown deepening. "Sunless, don''t give him a chance to breathe¡ªkeep attacking!" he ordered.


    Arthur wasn''t in the mood to wait for the bandit to start drinking health potions and using a secret forbidden skill.


    Sunless lunged forward again, its ws slicing through the air with deadly precision. The bandit parried the strikes, his movements slower but no less calcted.


    Each sh of bone and steel echoed in the clearing, the tension growing with every exchange.


    The bandit''s attacks grew more erratic, his strength waning as Sunless pressed on. But his desperation made him dangerous¡ªhe lunged suddenly, feinting an attack toward Sunless before spinning toward Arthur.


    Arthur''s eyes widened as he barely sidestepped the swipe of the dagger, the de grazing his arm.


    -10HP


    Pain shot through him, but he bit back a curse, his focus on the bandit.


    "Sunless, now!" he barked.


    Taking advantage of the bandit''s overreach, Sunless struck with a brutal w to his side.


    -10 HP


    The bandit staggered, blood trickling from the deep gash Sunless had delivered. He clutched his side, his breathing in ragged gasps, but his lips curled into a manic grin.


    His knees wobbled as he struggled to remain standing, yet a hystericalugh burst from him, echoing through the clearing.


    "I won!" he wheezed, his voice filled with triumph despite his condition. "Hahaha, I won!"


    Arthur frowned, confusion shing across his face. "Huh?" he muttered, his grip tightening around his weapon.


    Before he could make sense of the bandit''s words, a series of system notifications appeared in front of him.


    [A Venom Has Entered Your Bloodstream.]


    [You have entered the state: ''Poisoned.'']


    [You will lose 5HP/min.]


    Arthur''s heart sank as he processed the information, his face paling. "Oh no," he muttered, the shock evident in his voice.


    The bandit''s crazedughter intensified. "Your dagger was poisoned," Arthur growled, gritting his teeth.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "You bet it is," the bandit sneered, his voice cracking with malicious glee. "How does it feel to know you''re already dead, boy?"


    Arthur''s eyes narrowed, his expression hardening as panic gave way to anger. "Sunless, finish him off!" he barked. Then, turning to Borak, hemanded, "Borak, attack with Sunless! I''ll protect the girl."


    Borak let out a guttural snort, lowering his head as his tusks lit up faintly. Without hesitation, he charged forward, his massive frame barreling toward the bandit. Sunless followed in his wake, his bony arms raised and ready to strike.


    The bandit barely had time to react. His eyes widened as Borak mmed into him, knocking him back several feet with a forceful blow. He staggered, coughing up blood, only to be met with Sunless''s ws tearing across his chest.


    -10 HP


    -20 HP


    The bandit crumpled to his knees, his grin faltering as his strength ebbed away. "N-No," he stammered, his voice barely a whisper now. "This... this wasn''t how it was supposed to go..."


    "I was meant to be rich, I was... meant to get the leader''s approval...be his right hand."


    Arthur stood protectively in front of the unconscious girl, his dagger at the ready despite the poison coursing through his veins.


    "Finish him quickly," he ordered, his voice steady despite the droplets of sweat on his brow.


    Borak let out another snort, rearing up before driving his tusks into the bandit''s chest with a sickening crunch.


    Sunless followed with one final, bone-crushing strike, and the bandit''s body fell lifeless to the ground.

 Chapter 38 Poisoned

    [You have in a Bandit (Level 8)]


    "Sunless, bring me the loot quickly," Arthur muttered, his voice tight with urgency.


    The skeletal summon didn''t hesitate, scooping up the items the bandit dropped and sprinting back toward Arthur.


    [You have received: Dagger (Umon), Gold Coins x3.]


    Arthur barely nced at the notification before turning his attention to Borak. "Borak, carry the girl on your back. Sunless, clear out the path in front of us toward the vige. I need to make it there ASAP."


    Borak snorted in understanding, his tusks gleaming as he knelt to allow Arthur to ce the unconscious girl onto his broad back.


    Sunless, meanwhile, darted ahead, his bony limbs moving dangerously as he shed through anything that blocked their way, including the asional small creatures.


    Arthur adjusted the girl''s position to make sure she was secure before breaking into a sprint behind them. His mind was racing as fast as his legs.


    -5HP


    "Shit!" he hissed under his breath, ncing at the persistent notification reminding him of his deteriorating condition. "I don''t have much time left."


    His calctions were grim. "Fourteen minutes¡ªgive or take. I can''t afford to get into any trouble right now."


    The trio raced through the forest, ignoring small creatures and monsters that crossed their path.


    Most of them were low-level nuisances, and Arthur couldn''t spare the energy to deal with them. Sunless dispatched a few in their way, but Arthur waved him forward whenever it wasn''t necessary.


    "Come on,e on, I only have three minutes left to live" Arthur muttered, his breath growingboured as the minutes ticked away.


    Arthur''s heart pounded in his chest as he finally broke through the forest and into the vige, making a run to the alchemist''s shop.


    yers around him seemed confused as to why he was in such a hurry.


    "I think he needs the toilet, do you think it''s number one or number two?"


    "Maybe number one? It''s kind of hard to run like that when you are doing a number two."


    ...


    The familiar wooden door creaked as he threw it open, the faint smell of herbs and potions wafting over him.


    Behind the counter stood the young woman who always ran the shop, her expression calm and polite.


    "Hello, adventurer," she said, her voice lilting with an overly cheery tone. "Do you want to buy anything today? We have a wide variety of options for all your needs¡ªhealth potions, mana potions, even¡ª"


    "Enough of that!" Arthur interrupted, waving his hands frantically. "I need an antidote. Quickly. I''m losing 5HP per minute as we speak!"


    The woman blinked, tilting her head. "Adventurer, that poison sounds quite severe. Are you sure you wouldn''t also be interested in some healing potions? We currently have a special¡ª"


    Arthur mmed his palm on the counter, cutting her off again. "I don''t care about your specials! Antidote. Now. Or I''ll die!"


    The woman nodded serenely, entirely unfazed by his outburst. "Of course, adventurer. Let me tell you about our selection of antidotes. We have a mild antidote for lesser poisons, an advanced antidote for¡ª"


    "Lady!" Arthur shouted, his face turning red as he gestured wildly. "I''m literally dying here. Just give me the antidote that saves me from this,"


    Finally, the woman seemed to register his desperation. "Oh, I see. You must be talking about our umon-grade antidote," she said as if this were a casual conversation about the weather. "That''ll be 10 silver coins. Please confirm the purchase¡ª"


    "Just hurry!" Arthur practically screamed, fumbling with his inventory to send the payment.


    The woman nodded calmly. "Alright, adventurer," she said, her hands moving slowly as she retrieved a small vial from the shelves behind her.


    "This antidote should counteract the poison in your system. I''d rmend drinking it all at once, and make sure you¡ª"


    Arthur snatched the vial from her hands before she could finish, yanking the cork out with his teeth. "Don''t need instructions on drinking a potion, thanks," he muttered, tilting the vial back and downing the contents in one gulp.


    [You have consumed Antidote (Umon). The poison in your bloodstream has been neutralized.]


    Arthur slumped against the counter, letting out a long exhale as the notification shed in front of him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His HP bar stabilised at its current level, no longer declining.


    [Health Points:] 5/80


    "Finally," he muttered, wiping his mouth. "I thought I was a goner."


    The woman smiled brightly at him, entirely unbothered by the chaos. "Thank you for your purchase, adventurer. Pleasee again!"


    Arthur shot the young shopkeeper a look, then shook his head, muttering under his breath.


    Ignoring her farewell, he stepped out of the shop and headed toward the forest where he had left Borak and the unconscious girl.


    His strides were quick, and he noted with some relief that his HP bar was steadily climbing back to a non-critical level thanks to the nonbat effect.


    The closer he got to the spot, however, the more uneasy he felt. Something about the yers around the area made him frown.


    ''Let''s hope what I think isn''t true,'' he thought grimly, quickening his pace.


    As he approached, faint voices drifted toward him. His frown turned into a scowl as he began to make out the conversations.


    "Hey, that poor girl is being abducted by a boar!" a young man eximed, his tone brimming with misced righteous indignation. "Unfortunately, I''m only level 2. Otherwise, I''d totally kill that boar and save her. No doubt about it."


    Arthur''s eye twitched.


    "What should we do?" a young woman asked, her voice tinged with genuine concern. She appeared to be in her early twenties, and her expression was a mix of worry and outrage. "That boar seems like a pervert! What if he''s... he''s touching her inappropriately?"


    Arthur nearly tripped over his own feet. ''A pervert? Really?'' His palm met his face in an exasperated p.


    "Don''t worry, guys!" Another yer spoke up, his tone smug and self-assured. He puffed out his chest as if he was the main character. "I already called my buddy¡ªhe''s a level 4 elite yer. I told him what happened, and he''s on his way right now. He''ll handle it. I basically saved her.

 Chapter 39 A Hero

    Once the other yers heard that the person had a level 4 elite friend, the mood among them shifted to boot-licking.


    "Oh, you''re so powerful!" a young woman eximed, her eyes practically sparkling as she sped her hands in admiration. "I knew you looked strong the moment I saw you."


    "You''re not just strong, you''ve got connections too," another chimed in, nodding vigorously. "That''s what you call a real man¡ªsomeone who can lead and protect!"


    "Wow, I bet your friend is a true legend," someone else added, their tone dripping with envy. "It must be amazing to have a level 4 elite yer as your backup."


    The yer had a smug look on his face, as he basked in their praise, puffing out his chest even more as he crossed his arms.


    "Well, you know," he said, his tone oozing with fake humility. "It''s not just about connections. You have to earn the respect of people like my buddy. Not just anyone can call on someone that powerful."


    "Oh, of course, of course!" another agreed. "It takes a special kind of person to get that kind of respect. I bet you''re super strong yourself!"


    Arthur, who had been quietly listening from the sidelines, resisted the urge to roll his eyes. ''This guy''s ego is inting faster than the US dors during the great intion period.''


    Thepliments kepting.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Honestly, we''re lucky you''re here," another yer said, practically gushing. "Who knows what could''ve happened to that poor girl if you weren''t around to call for help?"


    Arthur slowed his steps, a dry chuckle escaping him. ''Of course. A bunch of busybodies standing around doing absolutely nothing but talking like they''re heroes.''


    Arthur muttered under his breath, "Yeah because standing around and talking about your friend saving the day is so heroic."


    The smug yer, oblivious to Arthur''s disdain, grinned even wider. "Don''t worry, everyone. Once my friend gets here, we''ll sort out this whole situation. Stick with me, and you''ll be safe."


    "Then I will be in your care, big brother," A woman said, acting coquettishly with him.


    Arthur sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. ''These people are unbelievable.''


    The yers continued their chatter, oblivious to Arthur approaching through the shadows of the forest. "Man," the first guy said, shaking his head sadly. "That boar''s so lucky. If I were just one more level up, it''d be a whole different story."


    "Yeah, yeah," another chimed in. "And it''s not just a boar¡ªit''s a perverted boar."


    The young woman gasped dramatically. "What if... what if she''s a princess in disguise? And that boar is trying to¡ª"


    "Enough!" Arthur''s voice cut through the air like a de, startling the group. He stepped into the clearing, his face a mix of irritation and disbelief.


    "Who are you?" the smug one asked, squinting at Arthur suspiciously.


    "I''m the owner of that perverted boar, I''m a summoner" Arthur snapped, his tone dripping with sarcasm.


    He pointed at Borak, who stood guard over the unconscious girl, looking more confused than threatening. "And he''s not abducting her¡ªhe''s protecting her."


    The yers stared at him, clearly not convinced. "Uh, sure," the level 2 guy said, folding his arms. "That''s exactly what someone with a perverted boar would say."


    Arthur rolled his eyes, walking over to Borak and the girl. "Borak," he muttered, cing a hand on the boar''s head. "You''re doing great. Well done for ignoring these idiots, and not shoving your tusks up where the sun don''t shine."


    Borak snorted in agreement, casting a disdainful nce at the crowd of yers.


    "Wait," the smug one interjected, narrowing his eyes. "How do we know you''re not lying? Maybe you''re the one who¡ª"


    Arthur raised a hand, cutting him off. "Look, if your elite yer friend shows up and starts swinging, he''ll end up in the respawn zone. I don''t have time for this nonsense."


    The young woman gasped again, whispering loudly to herpanions. "He''s threatening us! Do you think he''s a bandit?"


    Arthur sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "No, I''m a beta yer trying to save this girl. Can I get back to doing that without you idiots making up weird fanfiction about my boar?"


    The smug yer''s mouth opened to argue, but a low growl from Borak silenced him. Arthur smirked. "That''s what I thought."


    He turned to Borak and the unconscious girl on top of him. "Alright, let''s move," he muttered, leading them away as the yers stared in stunned silence. Behind him, he could still hear their murmurs.


    "...Do you think we just met a viin?"


    As Arthur walked away from the scene, the smug yer suddenly shouted, his voice filled with excitement. "He''s here! My friend is here!"


    "Hehe, that arrogant summoner of the perverted boar is about to get his ass whooped," one yer snickered.


    "Finally, some justice for the poor girl!" another chimed in, their tone filled with righteousness


    The smug yer sprinted toward the level 4 elite yer who had just arrived, his face flushed with excitement.


    The new yer that just arrived was tall, he had an imposing figure d in armour, his sharp eyes scanning the area as he approached.


    "Where is the girl?" the level 4 yer asked in a calm,manding tone.


    The smug yer''s heart raced, his mind working overtime. ''This idiot better not be lying to me,'' he thought. ''If there''s actually a quest here, I need to activate it before anyone else!''


    "The girl? Someone took her!" the smug yer eximed, pointing dramatically in Arthur''s direction. "It''s that guy over there!"


    The level 4 yer''s eyes narrowed, his gaze following the outstretched finger to Arthur, who was walking away with Borak and the unconscious girl in tow.


    "Took the girl?" the level 4 yer muttered, his expression hardening as he watched Arthur. His hand instinctively moved to rest on the hilt of his weapon, suspicion creeping into his eyes.


    Arthur, sensing the attention, slowed his steps slightly. He could feel them staring at him, he could also hear what was happening behind him, he wasn''t far. ''Here we go,'' he thought, suppressing a sigh. ''This is exactly why I try to avoid crowds.''

 Chapter 40 A Deal

    Behind him, the yers started talking nonsense again.


    "This is going to be good!" one yer whispered to his friend.


    "That summoner''s about to learn what happens when you mess with the wrong people," another said, grinning ear to ear.


    Arthur stopped in his tracks, slowly turning to face the level 4 yer who had begun walking toward him.


    His eyes locked with the man''s, his expression unreadable. "Something I can help you with?" he asked, his tone calm.


    The air seemed to slightly crackle as the two stared each other down.


    The man stood directly in front of Arthur with aposed look, but his cautious gaze betrayed his wariness of Arthur.


    Beside him, the smug yer had a smirk, clearly enjoying himself.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "My name is John," the man said, his voice calm. "May I know yours?"


    Arthur tilted his head slightly, evaluating the man before replying, "Fateless."


    John nodded, the name rolling around in his head as if trying to match it to any rumours or feats. "I see."


    "Is what they''re saying true? Did you summon this boar?" His eyes flicked to Borak, who was carrying the unconscious girl.


    Arthur met his gaze evenly and gave a small nod. "Yes, it''s my summon."


    "I see," John repeated, his tone neutral butyered with thought.


    ''He either has a summoner ss, or his talent is rted to summoning. Either one, he isn''t weak...''


    He nced briefly at the smug yer next to him before returning his attention to Arthur, he asked, "May I know your level?"


    Arthur frowned, his patience wearing thin. "You''re asking too many questions," he said, his tone firm but still controlled. "I don''t have time for this. Don''t beat around the bush¡ªjust get straight to the point."


    The smug yer immediately spat back, his voice loud. "You should be honoured he''s talking to you! Do you even know who this is? He''s an elite among elites! He''s already reached level 4, and he''ll hit level 5 soon to get his ss. You''re nothingpared to him!"


    Arthur''s expression didn''t change. Instead, he brought a finger to his ear, cleaning it out with indifference before flicking the wax onto the ground. "Are you done?" he asked, his tone t and uninterested.


    The smug yer froze, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. For once, he was at a loss for words.


    The tension in the air was choking, but John broke the awkward silence with a calm chuckle. "Alright, I get it. You''re not one to waste words," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Arthur''s demeanour. "I can tell you''re strong. That much is obvious."


    Arthur said nothing, watching John closely.


    John continued, his voice lowering slightly as if the conversation were meant only for them. "That girl you''re protecting," he said, ncing at the unconscious figure on Borak''s back. "I can tell she carries a hidden mission. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have gone to such lengths to ce your summon as her guard."


    Arthur''s eyes didn''t betray any emotion, but his silence spoke volumes. John pressed on. "You must have some idea of what she represents. I know how this world works¡ªvaluable quests don''t just drop into anyone''sp. But you know as well as I do that her presence here is no coincidence."


    The smug yer next to John, still trying to regain hisposure, added hastily, "If you think you''re keeping her all to yourself, you''re out of your mind. A hidden mission like that belongs to everyone."


    Arthur finally let out a sigh, his patience thinning further. "Are you done?" he asked again, his gaze movingzily between John and the smug yer. "I don''t owe either of you an exnation."


    "You-"


    John raised a hand, silencing the smug yer before he could argue. "Rx," he said, his tone firm.


    "We''re not here to fight you. I''m just... curious. Someone with your skills could be an ally in the right circumstances. But..." his tone sharpened slightly, "if this girl''s presence is going to cause unnecessary chaos, I hope you''re prepared to deal with the consequences."


    Arthur smirked slightly, crossing his arms. "You''re concerned for someone who ims not to be here for trouble. Let me make this clear¡ªI don''t need or want your advice. If there are consequences, I''ll deal with them myself."


    "You, on the other hand," his eyes flicked to the smug yer, "should stop sticking your nose where it doesn''t belong."


    John''s gaze stayed on Arthur for a moment, curiosity shing in his eyes. Finally, he sighed, his shoulders rxing slightly as he spoke, his tone no longer casual.


    "Alright," he began, his voice low enough that only Arthur and the smug yer could hear him. "I''m not sure if you''re dense enough not to pick up on the hints I''ve been dropping, or if you''re just choosing to ignore them."


    Arthur''s frown deepened, his posture tensing. He didn''t respond, letting John continue.


    "Here''s the deal," John said, his tone turning sharper, and more direct. "Either share the quest with me, and we''llplete it together so we both benefit or..." He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping even lower. "Prepare for the consequences of yers finding out you''ve got a hidden mission."


    Arthur''s eyes narrowed dangerously. "Are you threatening me?"


    "Take it how you see it," John replied with a shrug, his expression neutral. "I see it as mutual benefit."


    The smug yer next to John grinned smugly, clearly enjoying the tension. "You should listen to him," he interjected, his tone dripping with condescension. "It''s not every day you get an opportunity like this. You got an elite yer wanting to help youplete a hidden quest, what else would you want,"


    Arthur ignored the smug yer entirely, his focus locked on John.


    Finally, Arthur spoke, his voice cold. "Let me get this straight. You want me to share the quest with you, to work together. But if I don''t, you''re going to spread the word about it and cause trouble for me."

 Chapter 41 Regret, Global Announcement!

    John''s lips twitched slightly, before forming into a small smile.


    "I wouldn''t phrase it like that. Think of it as a friendly suggestion."


    Arthur let out a bitterugh. "Friendly, huh? That''s what you''re calling this?"


    John didn''t respond immediately, letting the silence overtake for a moment before he said, "I think you''re smart enough to see the bigger picture."


    Arthur''s eyes locked on John, his expression calm but his words sharp. "Well, unfortunately for me, I don''t like art. So I don''t really like seeing pictures, let alone big pictures. But hey, your friend over here seems like the type to appreciate the big picture. Why don''t you go do your thing with him?"


    John frowned, his hand moving to his side before hovering subtly as though considering something.


    Arthur caught the change in John''s attitude but didn''t react. His calm expression did not change in the slightest.


    John''s thoughts churned as he analyzed Arthur''s reaction.


    ''This guy is trouble. I don''t want to risk fighting him with that boar by his side and losing. Furthermore, I don''t want the penalty of attacking other yers to fall on me. Any penalty at this point in the game is critical¡ªit would set me back by days. Worse, I can''t steal the quest outright without his permission to join it.''


    His eyes narrowed slightly. ''And that calm look on his face... he''s not bluffing. He really isn''t afraid. Is it because of the rule that protects yers? I''m not sure.''


    John exhaled slowly, his gaze cold and calcting. "Final chance," he said, his voice low and deliberate. "Let''s team up on this, or bear the consequences."


    Arthur smirked, his grin growing wider with every word. "Final chance," he echoed mockingly, "Get out of my sight or... die."


    The tension hung thick in the air. John''s frown deepened, but he didn''t retort. His hand twitched near his side, but he ultimately turned around, signalling the end of their standoff.


    The smug yer beside him, who had been swelling with confidence earlier, now stood frozen, his bravado vanished.


    He quietly followed John, not daring to meet Arthur''s gaze after John''s attitude.


    Arthur''s smirk didn''t waver as he watched the pair walk away.


    His eyes gleamed with a dangerous intent as he saw John''s backpletely unguarded.


    ''This bastard is lucky the rule of attacking another yer still exists...otherwise, why would I let someone who is clearly threatening to harm me walk away like this.''


    [Global Announcement! yers are now allowed to attack each other.]


    ''This is it!'' Arthur thought, before dashing forward with a burst of speed, closing the distance in an instant.


    Before anyone could react to the announcement or understand the consequences, Arthur shot forward and arrived right behind John.


    "Oops, it seems like you didn''t see the bigger picture behind that announcement... John," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he plunged his dagger into John''s back.


    Critical Hit!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    John staggered forward, his breath stopping for a second as the dagger drove deep into his heart.


    His eyes widened in disbelief as the notifications popped up in front of him.


    -70HP


    [You are in critical condition. You will lose 1HP per second.]


    He stumbled forward but forced himself to spin around and face Arthur, blood pouring from the wound that Arthur had created.


    Arthur stood there, his smirk wide and his dagger painted red in his hand.


    The smug yer let out a strangled gasp, staring at his critically injured friend in sheer horror. His lips quivered, but he dared not speak. He stood frozen, too terrified even to let out a sound.


    John''s knees buckled slightly, but he held his ground.


    His voice was hoarse, as shock and pain overwhelmed his senses. "Y-you... you lucky bastard, I will make you regret this." he hissed, his eyes flickering with desperation as he clutched his chest, trying to stem the blood flow.


    Arthur twirled the dagger casually in his hand, his smirk turning to a casual smile. "Regret? No, John," he said, his voice low and venomous. "The only regret here is yours. Threatening someone and then giving them your back? Really? Who does that?"


    "I mean I can finally understand your friend here, you really are an elite... elite dumbass that is." He said slowly, making sure that his words were provocative.


    John''s face twisted in pain and rage as he stumbled back another step, blood continuing to seep from his wound. Meanwhile, the smug yer finally found his voice, though it came out as a trembling whisper. "H-he... he just..."


    Arthur''s gaze flicked to the smug yer, who was visibly trembling under his gaze.


    "And you," Arthur said, his tone dropping several degrees, "shut up, or it''ll be your turn next."


    The smug yer recoiled, his face turning a sickly shade of pale. "I-I¡­" he stammered but quickly fell silent under Arthur''s icy re.


    Arthur stepped forward slowly.


    The yers around him woke up from their daze, as they watched the scene with exasperation.


    "Did you see that? He did so much damage in one hit. How is that even possible?"


    "Yeah, it was a critical hit, but still... That''s insane. John''s supposed to be an elite."


    "We should help John," one yer suggested hesitantly, looking toward the critically injured elite. "Maybe he''ll owe us a favour."


    Another yer scoffed loudly. "Help him? Are you nuts? That guy just obliterated him in one move. What are you going to do¡ªdie for free? Stay out of it."


    "Exactly," someone else chimed in. "You''d just be offending this guy to suck up to John. Either way, you''re ying with fire."


    The chatter among the crowd grew louder, a mix of disbelief, fear, and awe. Arthur ignored them all, his focus entirely on John, who barely managed to stay upright.


    "Here''s a tip, John," Arthur said, crouching slightly to meet the injured yer''s furious gaze. "Next time you threaten someone, make sure they''re actually afraid of you. And more importantly¡­"


    Arthur''s grin widened, his tone darker.


    "Don''t lose..."


    John''s health continued to drain, his face growing paler with every passing second. Yet his fists remained clenched, his pride refusing to let him fall.


    ''Damn it, I just came from a levelling session. I used all the Health potions I bought, it''s all because of that idiot who told me toe quickly...'' He thought, ncing at the guy who was shaking next to him.


    ''What do I do... I will die either way, I might as well take him with me. Even if it doesn''t work, I should be able to do enough damage to make other yers think about attacking him.''


    John''s mind worked overdrive, as his eyes remained on Arthur who was standing in front of him.

 Chapter 42 Elite Player Dead.

    With only seconds left before his death, John began formting a desperate n.


    His body trembled as he prepared for onest move that would decide the oue of Arthur.


    Arthur''s eyes narrowed as he heard John mutter something under his breath, and in an instant, the air around him crackled.


    A faint shimmer of energy surrounded John''s body as he activated his B-Rank Talent, Speed.


    Arthur''s senses heightened as John''s speed increased dramatically, his movements almost a blur.


    The grass under John''s feet bent and snapped as he pushed off with incredible force,unching himself toward Arthur like a bullet.


    Whoosh


    The sound of the sudden dash filled the air as John closed the short distance between them in an instant.


    Arthur''s pupils dted slightly, his calm expression briefly changing.


    ''He''s fast.''


    The attack was already in front of him, too quick to avoid. Arthur braced himself, his instincts kicking in.


    ''I can''t dodge it. I have to block.''


    He raised his hand toward the iing attack as if he was going to block it using his bare hands.


    John''s expression twisted into one of confusion and disbelief as he noticed Arthur''s movements.


    "Is he trying to stop my attack with his bare hands?" John thought, his mind racing. "I thought he was just a summoner! He can''t possibly have that much defence¡ª"


    But before the thought could finish, a dagger materialized in Arthur''s hand mid-motion, summoned from his inventory at the perfect moment.


    The de intercepted John''s attack, the force of the sh creating sparks.


    ng


    The sound of metal on metal reverberated through the air.


    John''s momentum halted as the sh sent a small shockwave rippling outward. His eyes widened in shock as he realized the skill and uracy behind Arthur''s timing.


    "This guy¡­" John muttered, his voice barely audible as his HP reached zero. His body lit up briefly before dissolving into pixels, vanishing.


    [You have killed Level 4 Human, John_2024.]


    Arthur lowered his dagger, his breathing calm as he watched the pixels fade. His expression remained calm, though his mind was on alert for any sneak attacks from the yers around him.


    "That was close," Arthur muttered, his voice low. He flicked the blood off his dagger before sliding it back into his inventory.


    The surrounding yers, who had been frozen in shock, began murmuring among themselves.


    "He just killed an elite yer¡­"


    "Did you see that reaction time? He''s not just a normal summoner¡­ He can''t be."


    Arthur ignored the crowd''s chatter, his gazending on the smug yer who had been boasting earlier.


    ''It''s all this idiot''s fault.'' He thought, before dashing towards him without any warning.


    Though his pace was only normal, to the trembling yer, it felt as if Arthur was moving at the speed of sound.


    The smug yer barely managed to stammer out, "I''m sorr¡ª" before Arthur''s knee drove into his stomach with brutal force.


    Critical Hit!


    -25HP


    The impact knocked the wind out of the yer, his eyes bulging as he crumpled to the ground, clutching his stomach.


    His body trembled as he gasped for air, unable to form words. The notification of the critical hit shed across Arthur''s vision, catching his attention briefly.


    ''These people always getting critically hit... How is that possible?'' Arthur mused, his brow furrowing slightly.


    ''Does the critical hit chance increase if their level is lower than mine, or is it because I know the weaknesses of the human body?''


    The weaknesses of the human body were known by many, it was the sr plexus, liver, head throat, and so on.


    Deciding that it didn''t matter at the moment, Arthur focused back on the yer who was on his knees. "You talk too much, next time learn to keep your mouth shut," he said coldly, raising his foot and delivering a strong kick to the yer''s face.


    Critical Hit!


    -20HP


    The smug yer let out a choked whimper as he copsed fully onto the ground, unable to muster even the strength to beg for mercy. The pain he felt was very real, and he had never felt such pain in his life.


    Arthur''s expression was calm and unreadable, he crouched slightly and drew his dagger. Without hesitation, he plunged the de into the back of the yer''s neck.


    Critical Hit!


    [You have killed Level 2 Human, TheGloriousVic.]


    ncing at the level, a smirk formed on Arthur''s face.


    ''All this talk and he was nothing but a level 2 moron. You can honestly tell by his name too,''


    The yer''s body dissolved into particles, vanishing like the morning mist.


    Arthur stood, flicking the blood from his dagger once again before slipping it back into his inventory. He didn''t need to do that, as the blood would automatically vanish soon but he did because it felt cool.


    The yers standing around the clearing stared, their faces pale with shock.


    None dared to speak, move, or even breathe too loudly, their fear overtaking their nonexistent senses. It was as if the entire forest held its breath, wary of provoking the summoner who had just taken down two yers so effortlessly.


    Arthur scanned the crowd, his gaze sweeping across their frozen expressions before muttering under his breath.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Finally, no more brain rot."


    He turned away from them, his focus shifting back to Borak who was standing guard over the unconscious girl.


    Walking past the motionless spectators, he calmly picked up the loot that ''John_2024'' and ''TheGloriousVic'' had dropped.


    Without a single nce at the others, he gestured to Borak.


    "Let''s go," Arthur said, his tone casual, as if the altercation with John had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience.


    The onlooking yers remained silent as Arthur and Boark who was carrying the unconscious girl walked away from the scene.


    No one dared to follow, and no one dared to intervene.


    "Was I hallucinating, or did he really just do all that?" a younger yer muttered, his voice shaky as he pointed to the now-vacant spot ofnd where John had met his demise.


    "You''re not hallucinating," another said, their tone filled with awe. "That move he pulled earlier¡ªblocking like that¡ªit was insane. I''ve never seen anything like it."


    "It wasn''t just insane, it was genius," a third chimed in, their voice filled with admiration. "The timing, the precision... It was perfect. Howe no one''s ever thought of that before?"


    The first yer nodded thoughtfully in response. "I mean, it''s so practical and effective. He just pulled it off like it was second nature to him."


    "What do you think it''s called?" someone asked, tilting their head. "Maybe... the Fateless Block?"


    The other yers exchanged nces before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, probably. It fits."


    Unbeknownst to Arthur, his quick thinking and improvised defence had not only left an impression but had also earned him unintended fame.


    yers began to murmur among themselves, nning to replicate the move in their next encounters.


    Meanwhile, Arthur walked through the forest with Borak.


    His mind was upied with ns for the unconscious girl next to him,pletely unaware that his name and the so-called Fateless Block were beginning to circte among the yer base and would soon send shockwaves.


    ''What shall I do with her, I got into so much trouble because of her and she didn''t even give me a damn hidden quest like they thought. Even if I wanted to tell them it wasn''t, it''s not like they would have believed me anyway.'' He shook his head.


    **


    Arriving at the vige gate, Arthur grabbed the unconscious girl from Borak''s back and ced her on his shoulder with a calm face.


    "Thanks, buddy," he muttered, patting Borak''s back. With a soft snort, the Wild Boar vanished as Arthur unsummoned him, leaving no trace of its presence.


    As he stepped into the vige, the murmurs began almost instantly. yers paused mid-conversation, their eyes darting toward him as they whispered to one another.


    "Who''s that guy? What''s he doing with that girl?"


    "I bet he drugged her. No way she''d willingly go with someone like him."


    "Seriously, how is this guy not locked up yet? Someone should report him. I tried to flirt with an NPC girl, and I was almost killed by the guards. Yet, this guy is walking around with an unconscious girl on his shoulder and a beautiful one at that."


    Arthur''s eyes twitched slightly at their conversations, but he kept his gaze forward, refusing to give the gossipers any reaction.


    He had neither the time nor the patience to deal with them.


    He decided to head towards a famous inn in the vige, it was the most secure ce for the girl. yers use it as a spawn point and, as Arthur often suspected, shady dealings.


    He ignored the yers lounging outside and pushed open the wooden door.


    The inn''s interior was lively, it was a medieval-style inn with thenterns being the only source of light. There were wooden tables and a crowd of yers within.


    yers gathered around and discussed quests, levelling tips, or simply bragged about theirtest loot.

 Chapter 43 Misunderstanding

    Arthur booked a room in the inn which cost him 10 bronze coins, and ced the girl on the bed.


    Arthur let out a small sigh as he looked at the unconscious girl resting on the wooden bed.


    cing his hands on his waist, he frowned. "What now?" he muttered to himself, his mind wandering. "Do I just leave her here alone?"


    He nced at the door, then back at the girl. Her face was pale and serene.


    "Should I... maybe summon Borak to watch over her?" he thought aloud.


    His brow furrowed as he pictured the Borak standing over the girl, his tusks gleaming. "but... he might scare her to death when she wakes up." He shook his head, quickly dismissing the idea.


    Arthur stepped closer to the bed and leaned against the wooden frame, his eyes scanning her for any sign of waking.


    "What am I even doing?" he muttered under his breath. "I don''t even know who she is, and now I''m ying babysitter?"


    "She''s obviously involved in something dangerous. Bandits don''t just chase random girls through the forest," he thought.


    His fingers tapped against the bedpost absently. "But whatever her deal is, I can''t have her slowing me down. I have a quest toplete, levels to gain, and money to make."


    ''But what if she has a hidden mission for me?'' He thought.


    As Arthur was lost in thought, he didn''t realise that he was very close to the unconscious girl in front of him.


    Lost in his internal debate, Arthur didn''t realize how close he had leaned toward the unconscious girl on the bed. He was so deep in thought that he missed the faint mumble that escaped her lips.


    Suddenly, the girl''s eyes shot open, wide with fear.


    "Arghhh!"


    Her scream pierced the quiet room, startling Arthur so much that he instinctively jerked back, nearly tipping a chair.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Ahh! What are you doing?!" she yelled, her voice shaking as her hands darted to pat down her clothes, checking herself frantically. "You! The coward! What are you trying to do to me?"


    Arthur blinked, momentarily stunned by the volume of her voice. "Huh?" he muttered, before realizing how close he had been to her just moments ago. "Wait! It''s a misunderstanding¡ª"


    Before he could finish, she grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him with surprising force.


    "You¡ªYou rascal!" she yelled, her cheeks flushed with anger, fear and humiliation. "Did you touch me?"


    Arthur caught the pillow mid-air, setting it calmly back down on the bed. "Calm down! I saved¡ª"


    Before he could even finish the sentence, she snatched the pillow again and threw it with even more power.


    Arthur groaned in frustration. "Enough!" He climbed onto the bed and grabbed her wrists firmly, his face close enough now that she could see the irritation on his face. "I said¡ªI saved you from the bandit!"


    The girl froze, startled not only by his close distance but by the strength in his grip.


    She stopped struggling, her wide eyes locked on his. "But... but you ran away!" she said, her voice wavering as her anger soon turned to confusion.


    Arthur sighed, loosening his grip but not letting go entirely.


    "Yes, I ran. But it wasn''t because I was scared." He spoke slowly, trying to make his words clear. "I ran to lure him away to a better spot. I knew he wanted to kill me and keep you alive for whatever reason. So I decided to use that to my advantage and get him to a ce where I could fight him."


    Her lips parted slightly in surprise, her gaze searching his face for any sign of lies. "So... you weren''t just a coward?"


    "I mean... it depends," he thought, smirking faintly in his mind.


    "Of course not. Otherwise, you wouldn''t be here right now." He said, with confidence and righteousness.


    The girl''s expression softened for a moment, though she still seemed wary of that im.


    "You could''ve told me that," she muttered, looking down at herp. "You left me behind, and I saw him run towards me and everything turned ck. I thought I was dead at the moment he attacked me,"


    Arthur released her wrists and sat back, exhaling heavily. "I''m sorry, but if I didn''t do that I would be dead and you would be... god knows what would have happened to you."


    She nced at him and didn''t argue. "You''re really not what I expected," she said after a long pause.


    Arthur raised an eyebrow. "And what did you expect?"


    "Some guy who ditches weak girls after acting heroic to save himself," she said bluntly.


    Arthur chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Sorry to disappoint, but I''m a little moreplicated than that."


    The tension between the two of them began to ease, and the girl rxed slightly against the pillow she had so fiercely used as a weapon moments ago.


    "Thank you," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.


    Arthur blinked, not expecting the sudden shift in her tone. "For what?"


    "For saving me," she said, her gaze still fixed on herp. "Even if you ran, you still came back."


    Arthur''s smirk softened into a small smile. "Don''t mention it," he said, leaning back into the chair as he thought that a hidden mission would bepleted.


    After waiting, seconds soon turned into minutes.


    He drummed his fingers lightly on the armrest, his eyes darting to the girl, who was now sitting calmly, her wide, innocent eyes blinking at him like a confused doe.


    ''Any moment now,'' he thought. ''The hidden mission notification, the overpowered reward¡­ It''s all going to drop right now.''


    But nothing happened. Not a single ping, not a pop-up screen, not even the faintest whisper of a system acknowledgement.


    ''Where the hell is my hidden quest?! Where''s my OP item?!'' His mind screamed, panic slowly creeping in.


    Arthur cleared his throat, leaning forward slightly. "Umm¡­" he started, his tone a little too casual. "Remember how you thanked me earlier?"


    The girl tilted her head, her doe eyes narrowing in confusion. "Uh-huh," she nodded enthusiastically, her movements like a bobbing chicken.

 Chapter 44 Where is my reward?

    Arthur forced a chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, about that. I might have changed my mind about the whole ''don''t mention it thing."


    "Oh, I see." She nodded again, her toneced with understanding.


    Arthur blinked. ''Wait, that''s it? That''s all she''s got?'' He waited a few more seconds, giving her a chance to redeem herself. Surely, she''d say something about the hidden reward he''d clearly earned.


    But the silence persisted. Her innocent expression didn''t waver, as if she was entirely oblivious to his mental spiral.


    Finally, he couldn''t take it anymore. "So¡­" he began, leaning forward again, his voice filled with exasperation. "You know. Where''s my reward?"


    The girl blinked at him, her brows furrowing. "Reward?"


    "Yes," Arthur said, nodding with exaggerated patience. "My reward. You know, for saving your life?"


    Her face lit up as though she''d just understood, and Arthur felt a flicker of hope. Finally, progress.


    "Oh!" she eximed, her voice chipper. "I already thanked you."


    Arthur''s hope shattered like cheap ss. "Thanked me?" he repeated slowly, his disbelief dripping from every syble.


    "Yes," she said, her tone firm. "I thanked you for saving me. Isn''t that enough?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Arthur stared at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. "You¡­ You think a thank you is enough for saving your life?"


    She tilted her head again, genuinely puzzled. "Isn''t it?"


    "No!" Arthur practically shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "You don''t just thank someone for saving you from a bandit who was probably going to sell you to some underground operation! You¡ª" He paused, catching himself. "You give them something tangible! Something useful!"


    The girl furrowed her brows, her tone defensive but soft. "I don''t have anything to give you. I was running for my life! Do you think I had time to pack a thank-you gift?"


    Arthur''s face fell into his hands. "Unbelievable," he muttered, his voice muffled.


    He peeked at her through his fingers, desperation shining in his eyes. "No gold coins? No ancient family heirloom? Not even a low-level item?"


    She crossed her arms, her expression turning stern. "You think I''d be running around in a forest with an ancient heirloom in my pocket? Are you stupid?"


    Arthur groaned, flopping back in his chair. "This is why I avoid saving people," he muttered to himself.


    The girl, unbothered by his antics, grabbed the pillow she''d thrown at him earlier and hugged it to her chest. "You should be grateful I thanked you at all," she said primly.


    Arthur shot her a deadpan re. "Oh, I''m positively overflowing with gratitude."


    She smirked, clearly amused by his frustration. "Maybe next time you''ll think twice before ying hero."


    Arthur waved her off, muttering under his breath. "Next time, I''m charging up-front. Her work doesn''te for free."


    The girl burst intoughter. "You''re ridiculous," she said, her voice light with amusement.


    Arthur rolled his eyes but couldn''t help the small smirk that tugged at his lips. "And you''re stingy."


    Arthur slumped dramatically, pointing an usatory finger at her. "You won''t even spare a silver coin?"


    The girl shook her head, her lips twitching with amusement. "Nope."


    "Damn it!" Arthur groaned. "At least the 10 bronze coins I spent to put a roof over your head¡ª"


    "Not a single thing," She shook her head again, her smile growing, clearly enjoying herself.


    Arthur ced a hand on his chest as if she had physically wounded him. "Sigh! Fine. Charity it is. Fateless, protector of penniless damsels in distress." He turned on his heel. "Alright then, enjoy yourself. I''m out of here."


    "Wait, what? Don''t leave me!" she cried, scrambling off the bed. "How are you leaving a cute girl like me in the woods by herself? What if the hungry wolves eat me?"


    Arthur stopped mid-way and turned back with a raised eyebrow. "Woods? Wolves? Are you blind? You''re in a nice, cosy room I paid 10 bronze coins for!" He gestured wildly at the four walls around them. "Where''s the woods? Where''s the wolves?"


    Her mouth opened, but no words came out as she faltered. "Well... uh..."


    "That''s what I thought," he said, turning back towards the door.


    "Wait!" she yelped again, nearly tripping over the bed as she rushed after him. "I-I can give you a reward!"


    Arthur stopped, spinning around with an incredulous look. "Oh, really? What reward could you possibly give me? You couldn''t even pay me 10 bronze coins! That''s a week''s worth of bread for some people!"


    "That''s true!" she admitted, her voice pitching up slightly in defence. "But I can pay youter. Trust me!"


    Arthur squinted at her. "Trust you?" He scoffed. "Heck no. I''m too busy to babysit someone who can''t even afford her own lodging."


    "It''s not babysitting, it''s protecting!" she said in frustration, stomping her foot on the wooden floor.


    The stomp didn''t have the dramatic impact she likely imagined, but it made Arthur blink at her.


    "Oh, protecting," Arthur repeated, rubbing his chin. "Right, because guarding someone who''s broke and stomps on floors like that, is just the kind of job I''ve been dreaming of."


    "Exactly!" she said, missing the sarcasm entirely. "See? You understand!"


    Arthur''s expression ttened, his eyes narrowing. "No, I don''t. I was being sarcastic!"


    "Please!" she pleaded, her voice softening, her wide eyes doing their best impression of a helpless kitten. "Just until I get back to my family. I promise they''ll reward you."


    "Ah, there it is!" Arthur eximed, pointing at her. "The family card. Do you have any idea how many people have used that before you? ''My family''s rich,'' they say. ''They''ll reward you handsomely,'' they promise. Spoiler alert...they don''t."


    She groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "I swear! My family really is rich!"


    Arthur crossed his arms, looking down at her with suspicion. "Sure they are. Next thing you''ll tell me is you''re secretly a lost princess."


    Her eyes lit up, and Arthur immediately regretted his sarcasm.


    "Well, I am from a noble house..." she began.


    Arthur groaned loudly, dragging a hand down his face. "Of course you are."


    "Really! I swear!" she said, tugging at his sleeve.

 Chapter 45 Princess

    Arthur groaned inwardly as he nced to his right.


    Jasmine, the so-called "princess," was grinning at him with a wide, triumphant smile as she trailed along beside him.


    Facepalming, he thought, ''I can''t believe I fell for the oldest trick in the book. How did I end up with her following me around like a stray cat? My hands are already full with Neko who acts like royalty.''


    Breaking the silence, he looked at her, his voice firm. "Like I said, you can only walk with me in the vige. Outside of it, I''m not taking you."


    Jasmine''s head bobbed up and down vigorously. "Yes, yes! Of course! Just the vige!" she chirped, her enthusiasm unshaken.


    Arthur sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Alright then," he muttered, clearly resigned to his fate.


    Jasmine pped her hands in excitement, almost skipping in step next to him. "This is going to be so fun!" she eximed, drawing the attention of a few nearby yers.


    "Fun," Arthur muttered under his breath, side-eyeing her. "Yeah, because babysitting a self-proimed princess without a single penny, in a different world is the definition of a good time."


    Jasmine didn''t seem to hear him, too busy ncing around the hustle and bustle of the vige. "Oh, look at that shop!" She pointed to every stall they passed, her enthusiasm boundless.


    Arthur''s shoulders slumped further with every step. ''What have I done? What kind of princess gets excited seeing a damn stall, she is at best homeless like me,'' he thought. ''I should''ve just walked away.''


    A yer passing by gave Arthur a thumbs-up and a knowing grin. "Nice catch, man! I''ve been trying to get one for the past few days and I almost lost hope. You just revived the fire that burned inside of me."


    Arthur shot him a re so cold the yer''s grin vanished instantly. "Shut up you scum, don''tpare me to you," he growled.


    Jasmine, however, didn''t seem to hear or care. "Oh, Fateless, look at that sword! It''s so shiny!" she said, grabbing his arm and pointing to a nearby stall.


    Arthur stared at her, his patience wearing thin. "You do know you don''t have any money, right?"


    Jasmine paused, her excitement dimming slightly. "Oh... right," she said, her tone sheepish. "Well, I''m just looking around, maybe if you are gener-"


    "No," Arthur cut her off immediately, walking ahead.


    "But you didn''t even hear what I was going to say!" she protested, hurrying to keep up.


    "I don''t need to. The answer is still no," Arthur said tly, his eyes fixed forward as he tried to ignore her.


    Arthur texted the owner of SoftMicro, checking if he wanted to buy his items.


    Fateless: I have some more items to sell, they are of umon grade. Do you want to trade?


    After waiting a few minutes without a response, Arthur shrugged his shoulders. ''Maybe he isn''t logged into the game right now.''


    Next, he sent a message to the lieutenant who had added him as a friend. When that too went unanswered, Arthur let out a long sigh. "Great, the so-called VIP clients are ghosting me."


    Still, he had anticipated this and made his way to the usual spot where he set up his stall. "At least I was efficient with my time," he muttered.


    As he began arranging his wares, Jasmine leaned in curiously. "What are you doing?"


    "I''m setting up a stall," Arthur replied, ncing at her. "Unlike some prince who gets money handed to him on a silver tter, I have to work hard for mine."


    "Oh, that''s so cool!" she eximed, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she watched him work. "Can I help?"


    Arthur raised an eyebrow. "You helping me would probably cause more chaos than sales."


    Jasmine pouted but quickly returned to watching him like a curious child.


    Arthur cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Umon items for sale! Cheapest prices in the market! Come and get them!"


    It didn''t take long for a crowd of yers to form around his stall.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "How much for this one?" a yer asked, holding up a pair of umon boots.


    "One silver coin and fifty bronze," Arthur replied.


    The price of umon items had depreciated since he''d been flooding the market, and other sellers had jumped in topete.


    Still, Arthur held a monopoly on the supply.


    The yer nodded, paying without hesitation.


    Soon, more yers crowded around checking to see his equipment. Coins were flying into his inventory as yers bought items one after another.


    Jasmine, watching the chaos, tugged on Arthur''s sleeve. "Wow, you''re like a king with all these people around! Does this happen every time?"


    Arthur smirked. "Pretty much. I''m the Santa us of umon items."


    Then, as the crowd reached its peak, Arthur pped his hands loudly to get everyone''s attention.


    "Listen up everyone! I have an important announcement to make!" he shouted.


    The crowd hushed, their eyes glued to him.


    "This announcement will make one of you unique. I am nning to auction a... RARE ITEM!" He paused mid-sentence, letting the suspense kill the yers around him.


    Gasps rippled through the crowd. The yers began talking excitedly among themselves as they expressed their shock.


    "Did he just say rare item?"


    "No way, does he actually have one this early?"


    "Rare items are game-changers! I have to get it no matter what! I haven''t heard of a single person having one, umon items are rare let alone rare items."


    One yer, lost in his daydreams, muttered to himself, "While others are wearingmon rags, I''ll be strolling around in rare gear. Everyone will call me a legend! I will get all the beauties..."


    Another yer elbowed him. "Wake up, idiot. You''re not the only one thinking that!"


    "Ahem," The yer woke up from his daydream.


    The word spread like wildfire, and even more yers began flocking to Arthur''s stall. Some weren''t even there to buy¡ªthey just wanted to see if what they heard was true.

 Chapter 46 Rare Item Auction, Logging out

    "Are you really selling a rare item?!" someone shouted from the back.


    Arthur on his stall, nodded with a sly grin spreading across his face.


    "Oh, I am. This is something special, unprecedented. You''ll see soon enough, make sure you tune in."


    Jasmine leaned over and whispered, "Wow, you really know how to attract traffic."


    Arthur whispered back, "It''s all part of the n. The more you hype it up, the higher they''ll bid."


    As the noise in the crowd grew louder, Arthur couldn''t help but chuckle. "Anyway, The auction will open in about 24 hours. Let your absent friends know, who knows you might be able to borrow some money and get it yourself."


    After spreading the information about the rare item auction he would be hosting, Arthur left the area and dropped Jasmine off at the inn.


    After that, Arthur logged out of the game. Arthur was used to the pull by now, so he rxed as the reality around him changed.


    Arthur stretched his arms as he appeared back in the hospital room, the faint beeping of medical equipment entering his ears.


    He nced around the room, his eyesnding on Charlotte, who was still resting peacefully. The soft rise and fall of her chest reassured him.


    ''She looks so small and fragile in that hospital bed.'' He thought.


    Arthur sighed, running a hand through his hair. "One gold coin," he muttered. "It''s something, but it''s nowhere near enough."


    [Coins:] Gold: 1 Silver: 21 Bronze: 3


    "That''s around $12,103, I almost made enough money for the weekly expenses of the treatment. I should be able to pay for it pretty easily if Iplete that quest."


    [Ding! You have triggered the A-Level hidden vige #420 quest: Help John Kill the silver serpent that killed his young daughter. Quest duration: Four days. Reward: Rare Skill book & 5 Gold Coins. Failure: You will lose -50 reputation points in the vige, and most vigers will despise you.]


    ...


    Arthur decided to check if there was any important news. Opening his new iPhone 6 he had recently bought, Arthur opened the tweet app.


    He scrolled through the endless stream of news and updates flooding the app.


    Most of it was things he already knew¡ªtalk of pseudo-elite bosses, theories about game mechanics, andints from yers who felt underpowered.


    "Breaking News: A yer has sessfully killed the first pseudo-elite boss monster. What does this mean¡ª"


    He swiped past it with a flick of his finger, muttering to himself, "Yeah, yeah, we''ve all heard that one before. Next."


    The next headline caught his attention.


    "Military forces begin integration efforts with beta yers. How will this affect the global bnce? Will beta yers be considered celebrities?"


    Arthur frowned, pausing his scrolling. "Military integration? That''s... new."


    Clicking on the article, he skimmed through it.


    "Recent reports have confirmed that various governments worldwide are coborating with high-ranking beta yers, many of whom possess rare and legendary talents."


    "There are rumours saying that this initiative is aimed at strengthening Earth''s defence capabilities against potential threats posed by Armageddon''s world merger. Officials have stated that this integration will prioritize elite yers with C-rank talents or higher."


    Arthur''s brows knitted together as he read further. ''This...this can''t be real, will the world actually merge?"


    "If so, the governments are already taking action, trying to use the top yers for their own goals. Well, it will be hard for them to find out the identity of specific yers if they don''t want to reveal it themselves" He muttered.


    The article continued with spective details about how beta yers were already being treated as strategic assets. Governments were providing these yers with resources in exchange for cooperation.


    The resources included money, housing, and special benefits.


    Arthur leaned back in his guest bed, his mind racing. ''This means they''re not just watching¡ªthey''re actively recruiting.''


    He scrolled again, deciding not to dwell on the implications.


    After reading for a while, Arthur decided that he had enough.


    "Yawn-"


    Arthur put his head on the pillow and he quickly knocked out and entered the world of dreams.


    ...


    The next day marked its presence as the sun''s rays filtered through the window andnded on Arthur''s face.


    Arthur stretched his arms, the stiffness of the night''s sleep lingering in his muscles. The morning sunlight filled the hospital room.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Ugh," he groaned softly, rubbing his eyes and pushing himself upright.


    Turning his head, he froze.


    A nurse stood next to Charlotte''s bed, busily writing notes on her clipboard while performing a few checks on his sister.


    Her presence caught him off guard, and he instinctively straightened, trying to act like he hadn''t just been drooling in his sleep a moment ago.


    The nurse, noticing his attempt at nonchnce, chuckled slightly but spared him any further embarrassment.


    "Good morning," she said with a warm smile, finishing her notes and cing the clipboard at the foot of the bed.


    "Morning," Arthur mumbled, his voice still groggy.


    "Miss Charlotte has been such a cooperative angel this morning," the nurse said, her voice soft and professional as she adjusted the IV line attached to Charlotte''s arm. "We''ll be doing some final testster with the doctor, and then we can begin her treatment in the afternoon."


    Charlotte nodded, her calm expression still intact. She offered the nurse a small smile but nced briefly at Arthur, her eyes silently asking him how he was holding up.


    Arthur gave her a reassuring look, though his heart felt heavier than he let on.


    "Thank you," he said to the nurse, forcing himself to sound more awake. "Let us know if there''s anything we need to do."


    The nurse smiled again. "Of course. If you need anything, just press the call button." She turned back to Charlotte. "Alright, Miss Charlotte, I''ll be back in a few hours with the doctor. You just rest for now, okay?"


    Charlotte nodded again, her expression calm. The nurse gave them both a small wave and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.


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