Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons
Chapter 442: Frost Sword

Chapter 442: Frost Sword

Ottawa, Canada - Command Center

Prime Minister Fitzgerald reviewed the reports from his own territories with growing amazement. The Frost Wyvern that Arthur had assigned to Canadian operations was proving even as effective as always.

It was as if the Frost Wyvern didn’t get tired, lose stamina or mana. The Wyvern was constantly killing the demons without stopping, and that was the best news that the Canadians could have.

"Prime Minister," his chief of staff approached with the latest field reports. "The Frost Wyvern has helped hundreds of our newly awakened gain power to start taking control of rifts by themselves. Our newly awakened are now heading to the rifts across the northern territories for backup."

Fitzgerald nodded with satisfaction, though his mind was already moving to broader considerations.

"That’s great. How are the casualty reports among civilian populations?"

"Although the rate at which lives were lost during the initial merge was high, sir. After the Wyvern’s appearance, the rate had decreased sharply. It’s at a minimal rate currently, our hospitals are having better protection as demons are no longer able to attack where the Wyvern is situated.

He seems to prioritise protecting human life over simply eliminating demons. Several rescue operations have been documented where it specifically evacuated civilians before engaging hostile forces."

The Prime Minister found himself genuinely impressed by the sophistication of Arthur’s planning. The man hadn’t just provided powerful allies—he had ensured those allies operated according to principles that aligned with Canadian values and priorities.

"Sir, we’ve received another communication from Washington. They’re requesting renewed alliance discussions, citing the elimination of Arthur Fate as removing the primary obstacle to cooperation.

They are saying that we should get back to becoming allies with them, as the person we tried to back is dead. They are also shaming us for our earlier decision of siding with a ’terrorist.’"

Fitzgerald’s expression hardened slightly. "What was our previous response to similar overtures?"

"We indicated that the requirements for renewed alliance would be too complex for immediate implementation, sir. Essentially, diplomatic stalling while maintaining the appearance of potential cooperation."

"Become more lenient, send some of our weaker troops to help at the borders, but continue the close but distant approach," Fitzgerald instructed.

"Express cautious interest while raising increasingly complex procedural obstacles. We want them to believe reconciliation is possible without actually committing to anything substantive.

After all, we have our own problems over here that we are unable to deal with," Fitzgerald smiled.

His aide nodded understanding. "Yes, sir. Maintain the illusion of potential cooperation while avoiding actual entanglement."

As reports continued flowing in from around the globe, a pattern became increasingly clear to all of Arthur’s allied nations. The elimination of demonic rifts wasn’t random or coincidental; the demons were able to assess and change tactics to stop their losses.

Meanwhile, the Americans continued celebrating their imaginary victory, completely unaware that the man they believed dead was orchestrating humanity’s salvation from the shadows. Their ignorance had become Arthur’s greatest strategic asset, providing operational cover that no amount of planning could have achieved.

The irony was delicious, and none of Arthur’s allies had any intention of spoiling the surprise.

...

Staring at the epic-rank equipment that had dropped after killing the golden beetle, Arthur smiled as he inspected the weapon that had dropped from the creature’s death.

It was a powerful sword!

[Frost Sword]

[Rank: Epic]

[Details: A blade forged from crystallised winter essence and tempered in the breath of ice. The sword’s core contains a reservoir of pure frost element that can imbue any strike with bone-chilling cold. When activated, the weapon’s edge becomes wreathed in supernatural ice that can freeze opponents’ blood in their veins or shatter armour like glass. The frost element recharges every twenty-four hours through the slow absorption of surrounding magical energy. Depending on the strength and intensity of each strike, the stored frost can either be fully extinguished in one devastating blow or carefully rationed across multiple attacks. The blade’s pommel bears the mark of eternal winter—a snowflake that never melts. Once equipped, the weapon’s magical resonance boosts the wielder’s strength and Intelligence by 5 points.]

The sword was undeniably powerful, and its blade was sharp and durable. Arthur could feel that the weapon contained a good reserve of ice elemental energy.

Although it wasn’t as strong as his legendary Katana, Chaos, Arthur could appreciate the craftsmanship and magic that had gone into it. The frost element storage system was particularly elegant—rather than requiring external mana to activate, it generated its own power through environmental absorption. For most warriors, such a weapon would represent the pinnacle of their equipment goals.

However, Arthur’s mind quickly identified the sword’s fundamental limitation. Whilst the weapon provided a significant boost to strength and agility compared to other epic-rank items, it offered a flat numerical increase rather than a percentage-based enhancement.

This meant that after a certain stage of personal development, the sword would become progressively less valuable as it failed to scale with the wielder’s growing power.

For example, his current primary weapon operated on entirely different principles.

[Chaos Katana]

[Rank: Pseudo-Legendary (95%)]

[Details: A blade forged in the heart of dimensional chaos. Increases all attributes by 5%. While equipped, it increases all attributes by 5% while equipped. For every true demon slain, the katana grants an additional 0.1% boost to all attributes (stackable up to 100 times, 5/100).

Special Skill: Blood Drain – Chaos absorbs the blood of those it slays, using it to repair its damaged state and regain its former power. Each kill contributes to restoring the blade’s strength, accelerating its progression back to true Legendary rank. The weapon’s thirst for battle grows with each victory, creating a symbiotic relationship between wielder and blade.]

The difference in design philosophy was striking. Where the Frost Sword provided static benefits that would eventually become obsolete, the Chaos Katana grew alongside its wielder, becoming more powerful with each victory achieved. Its percentage-based enhancements meant that as Arthur’s base attributes increased, the weapon’s contribution scaled proportionally.