Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

A player near the back pushed forward, desperation overcoming reverence. "Does everyone get these benefits?" His voice strained with barely contained hope.

Arthur nodded, letting his gaze sweep across the gathering. "Everyone."

Relief blossomed across hundreds of faces.

"However."

They froze.

Arthur's expression turned solemn, shadowed. "Any violation of guild rules will lead to removal. These rules aren't meant to restrict you, but to protect you."

The crowd held its collective breath.

"Harming another guild member without forgiveness results in immediate removal." Arthur's voice hardened. "Failing to complete missions on time results in sanctions. Not removal, but consequences."

Players exchanged glances, measuring the cost against the benefits. A trivial price for such power.

"We want to build a community," Arthur continued, voice gaining momentum with each word. "A base that can protect itself. We want to develop powerhouses and expand our protection to brothers and sisters in other villages."

His voice dropped lower, pulling them closer.

"The Swordmaster has already implemented his plan—clearing outer parameters, attempting to reach neighboring villages. But it will take time."

Time we don't have.

The silence that followed weighed heavier than any sound could have. Players stood motionless, processing a future suddenly bright with possibility.

"What's the guild's name?" someone finally called out.

Arthur smiled, the expression transforming his face from commander to comrade.

"Power."

The word rippled through the crowd. Not just a name. A promise.

"Power," they repeated, first in whispers, then with growing conviction.

Arthur watched transformation sweep through them like wind through a field of wheat. Fear yielding to purpose. Uncertainty hardening into resolve. Individual players becoming something greater.

Not just players. Soldiers.

"With the merge approaching, we need every advantage," he said, voice low but carrying. "Every skill. Every level. Every member."

A massive warrior pushed forward. He was one of the strongest in the village, at level 10. The crowd parted for him like water for the prow of a ship.

"How do we join?" His deep voice rumbled across the plaza.

Arthur met the Berserker's gaze with unwavering confidence. "Once in Caldera, all you've got to do is simply ask for the Power Guild." His voice carried across the hushed crowd. "When you reach the guild headquarters, you'll be assessed and invited to join. Upon entering, every benefit I've mentioned becomes yours."

The massive warrior nodded, satisfaction evident in his stance.

Arthur turned his attention back to the gathered masses. Thousands of eyes fixed on him—some brimming with hope, others clouded with doubt. He could read their thoughts as easily as an open book.

They need more. They need purpose.

Wind rustled through the square. The late afternoon sun set shadows across the gathered players' faces.

Arthur squared his shoulders and stepped to the edge of the platform.

"Now that you understand what we're heading toward—what we're facing—one question remains unanswered."

His voice dropped, forcing them to lean forward. "Are you ready?"

The question hung in the air, simple yet profound.

"Are you ready to put in the work?" Arthur's intensity built with each word. "Who among you will head out from these village walls and fight? Fight for your freedom!"

He swept an arm across the gathering, his movements sharp and decisive.

"Fight for your families' safety!"

Players shifted, spines straightening as if physically pulled upright by his words.

"Fight for your honour!"

Arthur's voice rose, reaching every corner of the plaza.

"FIGHT TO GET STRONGER!"

Something ignited in the crowd. A spark that caught and spread like wildfire.

"US!" The cry erupted from hundreds of throats at once. "WE WILL!"

Players raised weapons overhead—swords, axes, spears.

"WE FIGHT!"

The chant built, each repetition stronger than the last.

But not everyone joined.

At the edges of the crowd, figures detached and drifted away.

Skeptics. Doubters.

Those who'd heard enough to make their judgment.

A cluster of players exchanged knowing glances. One tapped his temple, signalling to his companions.

This guy's delusional.

They slipped away toward the village gates, their departure subtle. What they'd heard was enough.

Impossible benefits. Grandiose promises.

The ravings of someone who simply offered the impossible to gain some following, before everything fell as his promises never turned true.

Let the fools believe.

We know better.

One last look over their shoulders at the fervent crowd, then they were gone.

Back in the plaza, Arthur watched them leave, his expression revealing nothing. His focus remained on those who stayed—those who chose to believe.

When the chanting finally subsided, Arthur raised his hand. The crowd fell silent instantly.

"Look around you," he commanded, his voice gentler now. "Look at who stands beside you. Not everyone has the courage to face what's coming. Not everyone has the strength to acknowledge hard truths."

Players turned, noting the reduced numbers, the empty spaces where doubters had stood.

"You who remain—you who choose to fight—you are the wall that will stand between your loved ones and annihilation."

His words flowed like water over parched ground, soaking into their consciousness.

"I will not ask you to die meaninglessly. I will not demand sacrifice without purpose." Arthur's voice carried absolute conviction. "But I will ask you to become stronger than you ever imagined possible."

He paused, letting his gaze sweep across their upturned faces.

"Some believe our enemies are invincible. That the coming storm cannot be weathered." A cold smile touched his lips.

"They are wrong."

Players hung on his every word, barely breathing.

"Our enemies are strong, yes. The challenges ahead are grave." Arthur's voice hardened. "But they have never faced what stands before me now."

His arm swept across the gathering—a commander acknowledging his troops.

"They have never faced players who know what's coming. Who stand united, prepared, determined."

The crowd stirred, energy building once more.

"When the merge happens, when monsters spill into our reality, the world will cry out for saviours. And you will answer."

A smile spread across his face—sudden, brilliant, transformative. Women in the crowd gasped, almost mesmerised by it.

"Now. For those who've chosen to fight. For those who've proven to me—and to themselves—that they deserve a chance..." His smile widened.

"I will not send you out unprepared."