Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons
Chapter 439: Summoning

Chapter 439: Summoning

Back in the ancient forest, Arthur felt the summoning slot become available, the mystical space within his consciousness clearing like a room being prepared for a new occupant.

With the superior-ranked demon removed from his summoning roster, Arthur turned his attention back to the fallen Golden Beetle. He placed both hands on the creature’s carapace, feeling the residual warmth that still radiated from its massive frame.

"Awaken," Arthur murmured.

The familiar dark energy of his Primordial Summoner talent responded immediately to his call. A portal of absolute darkness began to form beneath the beetle’s body, its edges crackling with dimensional energy that made the air itself seem to bend and warp. The portal expanded rapidly, growing large enough to accommodate the creature’s impressive bulk.

Dark tendrils of energy, visible as streams of liquid shadow, began to flow upward from the portal’s depths. They wrapped around the beetle’s limbs and carapace like gentle hands, lifting the massive creature with surprising delicacy. The body rose slowly, suspended in the embrace of otherworldly forces as it was drawn inexorably toward the swirling vortex below.

The portal shimmered and pulsed as it accepted its offering, the beetle’s form disappearing completely into the dimensional space where Arthur’s summoned creatures resided when not actively manifested. For several seconds, the portal continued to emit waves of dark energy, the summoning process reaching its critical phase.

Then, with a sound like reality itself sighing, the portal began to reshape itself. Instead of closing, it transformed, becoming a gateway for the beetle’s return rather than its departure. The darkness within began to stir, something massive moving in the depths of dimensional space.

A golden gleam appeared first, followed by the distinctive clicking of mandibles that Arthur remembered from their recent battle.

The Golden Beetle rose from the dark portal, its form exactly as it had been in life. Its golden carapace, which Arthur had destroyed during their fight, was now perfectly restored, gleaming with an inner light that spoke of supernatural resilience. Its compound eyes, previously filled with rage and confusion, now held an unmistakable intelligence and loyalty.

The portal closed beneath the beetle’s feet as it settled onto the forest floor, its massive frame causing the ground to tremble slightly. The creature turned its great head toward Arthur, fixing him with a gaze that held depths of understanding that hadn’t existed in its original incarnation.

Arthur smiled with satisfaction as he felt the mental connection establish itself between them. The Golden Beetle was now his to command, its powerful defensive capabilities and superior rank adding another powerful piece to his ever-growing collection of supernatural allies

...

On Earth, Gates and his daughter Tiana, coupled with a few of his subordinates, were inside one of the military trucks that Jax had gotten for them.

The trucks were large and comfortable for the group, their reinforced steel frames designed to withstand impacts that would crumple civilian vehicles. Military-grade suspension systems absorbed the worst of the terrain irregularities, while blast-resistant windows provided clear visibility without sacrificing protection. Despite these enhancements, the interior still vibrated with each large hole caused by the damage of the demons and the debris pile they encountered.

Due to all the chaos that had been caused by the dimensional rifts and demon incursions, the roads weren’t particularly comfortable to ride through. What had once been smooth highways were now obstacle courses of abandoned vehicles, emergency barricades, and the occasional crater left by supernatural combat. Street signs hung at odd angles or lay scattered across asphalt that bore the scorch marks of battles fought between worlds.

The truck had been specially designed to deal with obstacles like these. Its all-terrain tires could grip surfaces that would challenge vehicles, while its enhanced engine provided enough torque to push through debris fields that blocked most routes. The vehicle’s navigation system had been updated with real-time hazard reports, routing them around the worst areas of destruction.

Gates sat in the passenger seat, his hands gripping a tablet that displayed their current mission parameters. His eyes occasionally flicked to the rearview mirror, not out of paranoia, but to check whether he was able to feel the superior-ranked demon’s presence. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on his shoulders—not just for the mission, but for the safety of everyone in the vehicle, especially his daughter.

Tiana occupied one of the rear seats, her young face pressed against the reinforced window as she watched the transformed landscape roll past. At her age, the destruction outside should have been terrifying, but her expression held more fascination than fear. Perhaps it was the resilience of youth, or perhaps growing up as Gates’s daughter had prepared her for a world where the impossible became routine.

"Dad," Tiana’s voice cut through the engine noise. "How much further until we reach the rift?"

Gates turned slightly in his seat, offering his daughter a reassuring smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "About twenty minutes, sweetheart. The GPS shows we’re making good time despite the road conditions."

One of the subordinates that Gates trusted was seated across from Tiana. He checked his equipment one final time, and it still felt like a dream. To be able to get such powerful weapons and transport in the apocalypse was something that very few could get, if any at all.

He was happy that he had served Gates in this life, and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. After all, he had followed Gates for his wits in business, the man knew how to pick the right friends and connections; it wasn’t money that made him follow Gates.

His rare-ranked armour gleamed dully in the truck’s interior lighting, while his enhanced weapons remained within easy reach.

Behind the truck, invisible to anyone’s observation, the superior-ranked demon that Arthur had assigned to protect Gates and his daughter followed with supernatural stealth. The creature moved through shadows that shouldn’t have been deep enough to conceal something of its size, its speed so quick that it seemed like he was teleporting, which made direct observation nearly impossible.

The demon’s presence was a constant comfort to Gates, though he was unable to see the demon. Knowing that Arthur had personally assigned such a powerful guardian to ensure his family’s safety spoke volumes about the level of trust and value their partnership had achieved.