Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons-Chapter 303: Powerhouse!

Arthur spread his arms wide, encompassing the village, the players, the world they'd built together.

"When the merge completes, those with the highest levels will be the strongest. The most whole. The best equipped to protect others."

He leaned forward, intensity burning in his eyes.

"And the military knows this. They've been monitoring the strongest players, tracking their real-world locations. They want to control, contain, and utilize us."

A ripple of anger moved through the crowd.

"But they've underestimated us. Underestimated you." Arthur's voice rose. "They see weapons. Assets. I see people. A community. A family forged in shared struggle."

The word "family" hung in the air, unexpected and powerful.

"That's why I came back. Why I risked everything to warn you." Something in Arthur's voice cracked, just slightly. "Because what we've built here is worth protecting."

Silence held for three heartbeats.

Then, from the back of the crowd, a single voice called out: "We stand with you, Fateless!"

Another joined: "Village #420!"

The cry spread, building like a wave until it became a roar that shook the very ground beneath their feet.

Arthur watched, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.

Then, from the back of the crowd, a single voice called out: "We stand with you, Fateless!"

Another joined: "Village #420!"

The cry spread, building like a wave until it became a roar that shook the very ground beneath their feet. Arthur watched, something unreadable flickering in his eyes as the chant grew louder, fiercer.

In the middle of the crowd, a stocky warrior with a braided beard nudged his companion. "Who will be the new leader?" His voice carried just far enough for nearby players to hear.

"The Swordmaster has been great to us. Under his leadership, we've accomplished more in days than most managed in months."

The question rippled outward like a stone dropped in still water. Players turned to each other, uncertainty blooming across faces still processing Arthur's revelations.

"Does this mean we're replacing the Swordmaster?"

"Are we supposed to pick sides?"

"I don't want a civil war before the monsters even arrive!"

The murmurs grew louder, more anxious. Unity fractured as quickly as it had formed.

Arthur raised his hand. The crowd fell silent instantly.

A smile ghosted across his lips, there and gone in the space of a heartbeat.

"Everyone seems confused."

His voice carried effortlessly despite its calm tone. "I don't want to be your leader, nor am I saying this to become your leader."

He stepped forward, arms open in a gesture of transparency.

"Everyone knows I was offered leadership during the monster horde. I rejected it then." His eyes swept across the gathering. "And I reject it now. Fateless will not become the leader."

Confusion swirled through the crowd, players exchanging bewildered glances.

"The Swordmaster will remain as leader, as he should. He's earned that position, and we share the same goal." Arthur's voice carried absolute conviction. "My purpose—his purpose—is the protection of players and their safety. Nothing more."

Relief cascaded through the gathering. The possibility of conflict between their two most powerful figures had lingered unspoken beneath the surface.

Now it evaporated like morning dew.

But Arthur wasn't finished.

"There's something else we need to address." His tone shifted, grew heavier. "Many of you plan to leave for the city once you reach level 10."

Guilty expressions flashed across dozens of faces. This exodus was common knowledge—the natural progression for players outgrowing the starting village.

"Going to such a place without community will be devastating after the merge." Arthur's gaze hardened. "You will no longer die and respawn. You will die and... die."

The words landed like physical blows. Players who'd been planning their departure paled, the gravity of permanent death settling over them like a shroud.

"What are we supposed to do?" A young mage pushed forward, panic edging her voice. "We can't stay in the village forever! We'll never progress enough to protect ourselves!"

Similar cries rose from the crowd—fear, frustration, the desperate need for direction.

Arthur smiled.

"Of course not. The village is a safe haven for everyone on their path to becoming strong." He paused, letting anticipation build. "As for those who are already strong? They should enter the first player guild in Armageddon."

Eyebrows rose throughout the crowd. Confused glances were exchanged. Guilds were commonplace—clusters of friends who played together, shared resources, and tackled missions as units.

Several such groups already existed within the village.

Arthur shook his head, reading their thoughts.

"I'm not talking about unofficial guilds. I'm talking about a guild created through the world system itself." His voice took on a resonant quality. "A guild recognised by Armageddon, receiving benefits such as..."

Arthur paused, watching anticipation build across their faces.

"Plus ten percent experience gain."

The words landed like a stone in still water. Ripples of shock spread through the crowd.

"And an additional point zero-one percent experience for every member that joins."

Louder murmurs now.

Players turned to each other, eyes wide, their brains running all the calculations of their experience gain.

Arthur continued, each benefit striking with precision.

"Shared Skill Enhancement. All members can access the guild skill library, temporarily borrowing one skill per day from any fellow member. Skills may be borrowed for free or for a price set by the owner."

A veteran player at the front staggered backwards as if physically struck. Impossible. The system didn't work that way.

Couldn't work that way. Skills were bound to individuals, untradeable, unshareable.

But before the crowd could process this revelation, Arthur delivered the final blow.

"Infinite Storage Room. Privileged members gain access to universal storage, unique to their character and accessible from anywhere."

The plaza exploded with sound. Gasps. Curses. Prayers. Players who'd struggled with inventory limits throughout their Armageddon experience couldn't fathom such freedom. fгeewebnovёl.com

"That's impossible," a veteran player whispered, her voice barely audible above the commotion. "The system doesn't—"

"Shit," Another breathed. "This changes everything."

The crowd surged and rippled like an ocean in a storm.

Solo players saw their survival chances multiply. Fighters imagined accessing healer abilities when cornered by monsters.

Perfect. They see it now. The possibilities.