Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons - Chapter 209

Chapter 209: Skyla!
Arthur watched as Hank and the female hawk circled each other in the air, their wingbeats creating a rhythmic pattern.

“She’s really… like me?” Hank’s thoughts filtered through their bond.

Arthur smirked. The mental connection he shared with his summons proved useful in more ways than one. He could feel Hank’s conflicted emotions—fierce predator pride mixed with a loneliness the hawk had never acknowledged.

“Yes,” Arthur replied mentally. “I thought you might appreciate the company.”

Hank’s golden eyes gleamed with understanding. “Master did this… for me? This is why I LOVE Master!”

The female hawk—sleeker than Hank but with equally deadly talons—landed on a nearby branch. Her feathers shimmered with a bluish tint in the sunlight.

Hank couldn’t take his eyes off her, as if struck by love on first sight.

Arthur swiped open his status window, checking the female hawk’s details.

“Not bad,” Arthur muttered. Her offensive talent would complement Hank’s more scouting abilities. Together, they’d be formidable in aerial combat.

Arthur wanted them to become a power couple. He stole a glance at the falcon who stood there looking lonely. Arthur shook his head.

‘You’re going to have to wait, buddy. Unless I see an epic female falcon, I won’t be summoning one anytime soon,’ he thought.

Hank’s thoughts bubbled with excitement. “She’s strong and cute!”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. ‘You can tell that just by looking at her?’ He thought.

The Blue-Feathered Falcon watched the hawks’ interaction with what Arthur swore was jealousy, perched further away on a dead tree.

“Don’t worry,” Arthur called to it. “You’re still part of this team.”

The falcon ruffled its feathers indignantly.

Arthur chuckled, then grew serious. He hadn’t just spared the female hawk on a whim. There was strategy behind his decision—and yes, a lot of sentimentality he wouldn’t admit to anyone.

As a Primordial Summoner, Arthur knew that creating bonds between his summons strengthened them all. And if Hank and this hawk formed a pair bond…

He hadn’t explored the breeding mechanics yet, and he wanted to see what possibilities it offered.

“I’ll call her Skyla,” Arthur decided, watching as the female hawk preened her feathers.

[You have named Shadow Crest Hawk ‘Skyla’]

“Perfect.” Arthur’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

Hank flew over to Skyla, awkwardly offering her a piece of meat from their recent hunt. She accepted it with grace, her movements delicate like a female despite her deadly nature.

“She likes me” Hank’s thoughts were practically preening.

Arthur rolled his eyes.

But internally, he was pleased. His intuition had been correct—there was something special brewing between these two hawks. Something that might change the way he powered up.

The Blue-Feathered Falcon suddenly screeched, drawing their attention to the east. Arthur tensed, hand moving to his blade.

“What is it?” he asked, scanning the horizon.

The falcon’s thoughts were clear.

‘They had entered a dangerous territory.’

Arthur narrowed his eyes. “Looks like we’ve wandered into something’s hunting grounds.”

Hank and Skyla immediately took defensive positions, flanking Arthur from above.

The ground trembled slightly. Whatever was coming was big.

Arthur smiled, a cold, calculating expression. “Perfect timing. Hank needs more kills for his evolution, and the new couple needs some bonding time.”

The trees ahead parted as a massive, reptilian head pushed through. Yellow eyes fixed on Arthur and his aerial squadron.

[Lvl 17 Drake]

[Boss-Grade: Epic]

Reading through the description, Arthur’s eyes narrowed as he assessed the creature. Though smaller than a true dragon, the drake’s crimson scales glinted with a faint magical aura, evidence of its diluted draconic bloodline. Its body was compact but muscular, barely the size of a large horse, yet the fire seeping between its jagged teeth suggested its power shouldn’t be underestimated.

Despite its diminished heritage, the beast’s eyes held a cunning look that made Arthur tense in anticipation.

“Show me what you can do,” Arthur commanded his aerial squad, stepping back against a tree trunk. “Consider this a training exercise.”

The drake roared, flames licking between its teeth.

Hank screeched and dove first, talons extended. The falcon followed, circling to the drake’s blind spot. Skyla soared higher, watching for an opening.

Arthur crossed his arms. Time to see what his team could do.

The drake snapped at Hank, who barrel-rolled away just in time. Flames scorched the air where he’d been moments before.

“Fast!” Hank’s thoughts rang with surprise.

The falcon swooped in, raking its claws across the drake’s left eye. Blood sprayed, and the beast howled.

Skyla struck next, her Wind Rider talent giving her impossible speed as she hit from behind, talons digging into the drake’s neck scales.

Arthur nodded approvingly. “Good coordination.”

But the drake had survived for long with its diluted dragon blood. It wasn’t going down easily.

Its tail whipped around, catching Skyla mid-flight. She tumbled through the air, wings flapping desperately to regain control.

“Skyla!” Hank’s panicked thoughts burst through the link.

The drake pounced on the disoriented female hawk, jaws opening wide.

Hank dive-bombed its head, but the drake merely shook him off. The falcon tried to distract it, but a burst of flame sent it retreating.

Skyla struggled to rise, one wing bent at an unnatural angle. The drake loomed over her, saliva dripping between its fangs.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. “Enough.”

He stepped forward, hand extending. Darkness gathered around his fingers.

“Shadow Bind.”

Black chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around the drake’s legs, tail, and snout. It thrashed against the restraints, eyes wild with fury.

“That’s enough training for today,” Arthur said coolly, drawing his chaos katana. The blade hummed with energy, responding to his touch.

He activated his skill. “Blazing Arc.”

Fire orange like the drake’s, engulfed his blade. Arthur moved in a blur, his agility stat allowing him to cross the clearing faster than the eye could follow.

One moment he stood away. The next, he was behind the drake, katana extended in a perfect follow-through position.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then the drake’s head slid from its neck, the cut so clean that the scales didn’t even crack. Blood sprayed in a perfect arc as the body collapsed.