Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

Arthur took a deep breath, forcing his frustration into a tight, controlled box in the back of his mind. "Regulus's Vengeance isn't just a place," he reasoned aloud. "It's not just a one-time event." His eyes narrowed as he considered the possible reasons and outcomes. "Based on the visions I've seen, this hidden realm is most likely going to make the person who completes it gain a class or the talent of Regulus. But at the cost of... vengeance. To complete what Regulus failed to do."

Arthur paced around the obsidian pillar, his mind calculating possibilities. "I don't really need his talent," he muttered. "It's very similar to my Space talent and without a doubt weaker than my SSS-Rank. It wouldn't help me significantly." A new thought began to form. "I would rather make someone I trust gain that power boost."

He stopped pacing, fingers drumming against his jaw as he considered the angles. Could the hidden realm's power be claimed by someone else, even though he had already entered the realm.

The potential advantages were substantial.

After a minute of contemplation, an idea sprouted in his mind.

"Let me try this..." he muttered.

Arthur closed his eyes, focusing on his newly enhanced Space talent. He visualized the cave entrance where he'd first discovered the hidden realm, every detail crystal clear in his mind. With a thought, he bent reality around himself.

His body shimmered out of existence from within the hidden realm.

An instant later, he reappeared exactly where he wanted to be—outside the hidden realm, specifically at the spot where he'd first found the mysterious doorway carved into the mountainside.

A smile crept across his face. "Space talent is truly overpowered if I can simply enter and exit a hidden realm at will."

The doorway pulsed with energy, recognizing his presence. A notification materialized before him:

[Would you like to enter the hidden realm "Regulus' Vengeance"] [Yes|No]

Arthur ignored the prompt. He had no intention of re-entering, knowing it would serve no purpose. The challenge now was ensuring the realm remained undisturbed until he decided who should receive its power.

"Time to set up some guardians," he murmured.

Arthur activated his Primordial Summoner talent.

Three dark portals materialized in the air around him, expanding into swirling vortexes of shadow. From these dimensional tears emerged his summons:

First came the drake, its crimson scales gleaming like fresh blood in the cave. Its wings unfurled with a leathery snap, nearly spanning the width of the passageway. Yellow eyes blazed with predatory intelligence as it remembered its surroundings.

Next emerged the red-feathered falcon, in a burst of speed that sent it circling the cavern before perching on a jutting rock. Its gaze was sharp, missing nothing.

The poisonous painted serpent slithered from the third portal, its iridescent scales shifting through a hypnotic rainbow of colors.

Venom dripped from its fangs, sizzling where it touched stone.

Arthur examined his three Epic-ranked summons with a critical eye. "They are strong, but perhaps not enough," he mused. "An intruder equivalent to a superior-ranked being would be able to beat them."

After contemplating for a few seconds, he decided to be safe. He reached for his Primordial Summoner talent once more. His consciousness drifted into the void—that subspace where all monsters he had slain resided, waiting to be called forth.

The void was darker than natural darkness, a nothingness that seemed to devour light. Yet within this emptiness, Arthur moved with certainty, his will sifting through countless beings until he found what he sought: the Flamefang Tiger he had recently killed.

The majestic beast materialized in Arthur's consciousness—eyes glowing with inner fire, muscles rippling beneath fur that shimmered with heat haze.

"Awaken," Arthur commanded.

His consciousness snapped back to reality as another portal tore open beside him. From this fourth gateway emerged the Flamefang Tiger, its massive paws landing silently despite its bulk. Heat radiated from its body, warming the cave air around it.

Arthur surveyed his assembled guardians with satisfaction. "Four Epic-ranked summons should be enough to delay a Superior-ranked beast or someone of equivalent strength for a while until I can get here." His lips curved into a cold smile. "They might even win, depending on the strength of the intruder."

He approached each summon in turn, giving specific instructions.

To the drake: "Patrol the perimeter. Alert the others at the first sign of intruders."

To the falcon: "Take the high position. Your eyes miss nothing. If anyone with strength approaches, send a warning."

To the serpent: "Hide in the shadows. Strike without warning if anyone attempts to enter the doorway."

To the Flamefang Tiger: "You are the final line of defense. Position yourself directly before the entrance. Let none pass."

Each beast acknowledged in their own way—the drake with a huff of smoke, the falcon with a sharp cry, the serpent with a sinuous bow, the tiger with a rumbling growl.

"One more precaution," Arthur muttered.

He placed his palm against the cave wall beside the doorway and channeled his Space talent.

By placing his palm against the wall beside the doorway and channeling his talent, he manipulated the spatial dimensions of the area.

The spatial distortion created an optical illusion where light rays were bent around the entrance to the second pathway. When anyone looked in that direction, the light that would normally reflect off the second pathway was redirected to make it appear as if there was only a continuous cave wall. This meant that even if someone was standing directly in front of the hidden entrance, their eyes would perceive only a single pathway continuing forward.

This type of spatial manipulation essentially folded space in a way that made the second pathway exist in a slightly different dimensional plane than the main cave. The entrance was still physically present, but it occupied a spatial pocket that was visually imperceptible to normal observation.

"Perfect," he said, stepping back to admire his handiwork. "Now to decide who should receive this power..." Arthur considered his options carefully.

The ideal candidate would need to be both powerful enough to complete the challenges and loyal.

Not a simple combination to find.