Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons-Chapter 306: An Army

After the equipment distribution finished, Arthur's distributors moved through the crowd. They separated players into groups of ten, each formation carefully balanced. Veterans paired with newcomers. DPS matched with support. Ranged attackers complemented close combat specialists.

These weren't random assignments.

Each group received a designated leader—not always the highest level, but the one whose talents or skills best suited command. Some possessed tactical talents.

Others had communication abilities that enhanced team coordination.

A few simply radiated natural leadership that others instinctively followed.

The transformation happened with remarkable speed. Where a chaotic crowd had stood an hour before, organised columns now formed, each group standing at attention before Arthur.

An army.

Arthur stood on the platform once more, surveying what he'd created. Pride flickered across his features before settling into calmess.

"Alright, everyone." His voice carried effortlessly through the evening air. "Remember. Our goal isn't just to level up, but to survive."

Players stood straighter, weapons held at ready positions.

"If you find yourself in an unpredictable, unwinnable situation, call for help." Arthur's tone hardened. "No heroic last stands. No foolish sacrifices. We need every one of you alive when the merge happens."

Nods rippled through the formations.

"All groups will operate within a three hundred meter vicinity of each other." Arthur swept his arm, indicating the tactical spacing. "If one group is overwhelmed, you must leave your position and assist them. Immediately."

A Level 9 Ranger raised her hand. "But what about competition for resources? For kill experience?"

Arthur met her eyes directly. "That mindset ends tonight."

The certainty in his voice made her lower her hand.

"Why?" Arthur addressed the question to everyone. "Because these people will be the ones protecting our safe haven alongside you when the merge appears."

He stepped to the edge of the platform, intensity radiating from him like heat from flame.

"We are no longer competitors fighting to get richer or stronger." Each word struck like a hammer on anvil. "We are now allies."

Wind stirred through the plaza, carrying his voice to the farthest corners.

"Competition between each other is still allowed—encouraged, even." Arthur's expression softened slightly. "But it must be healthy competition that builds everyone up. Not the kind fueled by envy and hatred."

Murmurs of agreement spread through the formations.

"One teammate's strength is the team's strength," he continued. "One group's victory is Village #420's victory."

A burly warrior in the front row pounded his chest in agreement. "Together we fight!"

Others took up the chant: "Together we fight! Together we survive!"

Arthur let the chant build, then raised his hand.

Silence fell instantly.

"I would also like to thank the village chief for his great contribution to our cause." He gestured toward the far side of the plaza where a small group stood apart from the player formations. "He has sent us sixteen capable, powerful elites of the village fighters."

All eyes turned.

They didn't look like much at first glance. Not compared to the flamboyant armor and weapons many players favored. But something about their stillness, their confidence, made experienced players look at them with respect.

Jasmine stood at their centre. Beside her, the twins Cain and Abel maintained their characteristic mirror-image stance. Theodore's massive body towered behind them.

Twelve others—all village elites—formed a perimeter around them.

"I've seen them fight!" shouted a player from the third column. "Last week at the eastern woods—they tore through elite-ranked beasts like it was nothing!"

The testimonials spread, rippling through the crowd. Awe blossomed on faces.

Jasmine stepped forward, her posture regal despite her simple attire.

She smiled, transforming her serious features. "Tonight, we fight alongside you as equals. Tomorrow, we face the calamity as brothers and sisters in arms."

The cheer that erupted shook nearby buildings. Players stamped feet, clashed weapons against shields, howled approval to the sky.

Arthur waited until the noise subsided slightly before continuing. "These powerful warriors will join you today. They'll help you eliminate monsters in the forest and respond to any call for help."

Another cheer rose, even louder than before.

"They know the terrain better than any of us," Arthur added. "Listen to their advice. Follow their guidance. They were here long before any player arrived."

The native warriors nodded in acknowledgment, respect flowing both ways.

Arthur surveyed the assembled forces—players and natives, veterans and newcomers, believers and reformed sceptics.

The countdown pulsed in his vision.

[09:11:52]

Time to begin.

"The hunt begins in an hour," Arthur announced. "All groups report to your designated forest sectors by then."

Excited whispers rippled through the formations.

"For now—rest, prepare, study your group tactics. Soon..." His voice dropped, compelling them to lean forward. "Soon we show the forest what Village #420 is truly capable of."

Arthur raised his fist. "For the village!"

"FOR THE VILLAGE!" The response shook the ground, a thousand voices united in a single purpose.

"For humanity!"

"FOR HUMANITY!"

"For the future we'll build together!"

"FOR THE FUTURE!"

The formations broke with disciplined chaos. Groups clustered together, leaders outlining strategies, members checking equipment and supplies. The native elites moved among them, offering advice, demonstrating techniques, answering questions about forest sectors and monster behaviors.

Jasmine approached Arthur as he descended from the platform.

"Impressive speech," she said, voice pitched for his ears alone. "You've united them remarkably well."

Arthur inclined his head slightly. "Thank you for coming."

A smile flickered across her face.

Throughout the village, preparation intensified.

The inn overflowed with players discussing strategies, comparing equipment, forming bonds that would be tested under fire. Laughter mingled with serious conversation—the particular camaraderie of soldiers before battle.

Arthur moved among them all, a word here, an encouragement there. Adjusting plans. Reinforcing confidence. Building loyalty with each interaction.

Less than a day remained until the merge.

In the real world, Charlotte lay pale and still in Gates' facility, time running out for her fragile body.

Whilst In Armageddon. Arthur's army prepared to hunt monsters, preparing for war.

And somewhere between worlds, the fabric of reality itself began to tear.