Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

The heavy door creaked slightly as the guard pulled it outward.

Arthur didn't move at first. He simply smirked, nodding at them in approval.

Perfect.

He had successfully removed Adam from the equation, locking him away in a position where he couldn't interfere—at least not for the next two weeks. The game's imprisonment system was strict; once a player was incarcerated, they would be held for a set period unless external intervention occurred. And Arthur had ensured that no such intervention would come.

Even better? He now had an ironclad alibi.

If anyone questioned him about his talents, all he had to do was point out that he, too, had been taken prisoner and his alibi was Adam.

And when the time came for Adam to be freed… well, Arthur would be freed too.

Arthur stepped out of the cell, rolling his shoulders as if he had just finished a long stretch.

"Well then, let's go."

The guards nodded, wordlessly leading him back up the stone stairway, leaving the cold, damp dungeon behind alongside Adam.

The moment Arthur stepped through the doors of the mayor's chamber, Charles was already on his feet.

The mayor squared his shoulders, his expression serious, and then—

He saluted.

"Protector Fateless." His voice was firm, his posture unwavering.

Arthur allowed himself a small chuckle before stepping forward and casually patting the mayor on the shoulder.

"Well done, Charles." His voice carried amusement, but there was an edge to it. "You deserve an Oscar for that performance."

Charles blinked, his head tilting slightly. "Oscar? What is that?"

Arthur waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. It's a good thing."

Charles hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded, accepting the answer without pressing further.

His brows furrowed slightly, and his tone lowered. "Protector…I have a question in mind, I've been meaning to ask."

"What is it?"

"Why didn't we just kill him?" He met Arthur's gaze with confusion. "We didn't need to go through all this trouble. We are strong enough."

Arthur's expression cooled, his smirk fading.

"It's not the time yet, Charles."

The air in the room seemed to shift.

The casual demeanor Arthur had carried before disappeared, replaced with something colder.

"There's a time and place for everything. And right now, Adam needs to be alive."

Charles frowned slightly but didn't argue. He simply nodded in understanding.

Arthur turned away slightly, his gaze shifting toward the large tinted window behind the mayor's desk.

"Things are moving faster than expected," Arthur thought to himself. "I need to move faster."

Arthur exhaled slowly, he wasn't planning to leave the mayor's office tonight or in the next two weeks. No, that would be a foolish risk. If anyone working for Adam saw him walking freely after being arrested, all his hard work would go to waste.

And so—

He would remain here.

"I'll be staying here, Charles," Arthur announced, his voice carrying finality.

Charles didn't question it. He simply nodded, already understanding Arthur's unspoken reasoning.

"As you wish, Protector. I will have the guest quarters prepared for you immediately."

Arthur nodded, stretching his shoulders as he took in the sheer size of the mayor's office.

The entire building was grander than most structures in the village, standing as its own entity rather than just a simple workplace.

Several floors stacked atop one another, the upper levels serving as the mayor's personal residence.

No one would be able to enter, here. It was the perfect place to hide.

He turned his gaze back to Charles.

"No player is allowed to enter this building. Or even be near it."

Charles nodded.

"Understood, Protector. I will make sure of it."

Arthur nodded, before saying. "Right, I almost forgot."

As soon as he spoke, Arthur activated his summoning talent.

A dark portal formed beside him, a second later, a towering, hulking figure stepped through.

The Goblin King.

His massive, armored frame nearly scraped the ceiling, his broad shoulders casting a deep shadow across the room. His green skin was thick like iron, and in his hand, he clutched an enormous spear with a jagged, cruelly curved tip.

The moment he appeared, the air in the room seemed to tighten.

Charles stiffened slightly, his eyes flickering. He had seen powerful creatures before, and this one was near the top of the leaderboard.

The Goblin King stood silently, his piercing eyes scanning the room.

Arthur smirked. "Give him a job as a guard somewhere. Make the players think twice, before rioting. I expect Adam to start applying pressure so that you will release us. No matter what, do not do it. Kill, and do not imprison anyone. Understood?"

The mayor inhaled sharply but nodded. "Understood."

"If anything happens," Arthur continued, "the Goblin King will be here. He can communicate with me, so if you need to tell me something, he'll relay it."

Charles hesitated. "You… can talk to your summons?"

Arthur nodded. "Telepathically."

Charles exhaled slowly. "Very well. But… where exactly do we keep him? He's a bit…" The mayor trailed off, glancing up at the Goblin King's massive frame. "Large."

Arthur chuckled. "Just keep him stationed outside with the guards. He doesn't need to be indoors."

Charles nodded. "I will inform the guards immediately."

The Goblin King turned his head slightly toward Arthur, waiting for an order. Arthur gave a simple nod, and without a word, the goblin turned and stalked toward the exit, each step sending a heavy thud through the wooden floorboards.

With that settled, Arthur had one last thing to check before resting.

Adam.

More specifically, he needed to test something within the prison—something that could change everything.

Arthur turned to Charles. "I'll be back shortly."

Then, without another word, he left the office and made his way back toward the underground cells.

The guards let him through without question this time. They already knew who truly held authority here.

As he stepped into the dimly lit dungeon, the familiar cold weight of imprisonment settled over him once again.

[Ding! You have been imprisoned.]

[Debuff applied!]

[You have lost 50% of your combat prowess.]

Arthur barely paid attention to it.

Instead, he reached into his inventory and retrieved the Teleportation Scroll.

This was a crucial test.

If Adam could simply teleport out of here, then this entire setup was meaningless.

Holding his breath, Arthur activated the scroll. Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire