Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons - Chapter 323

Chapter 323: Legendary Item! Ancient Map
After spreading his awareness across the mountain, Arthur frowned.

There is nothing…

His enhanced perception swept every crevice, every cave, every potential hiding place where a protector’s presence might linger.

The mountain stood empty.

Barren.

Devoid of the spiritual resonance that had marked the challenge he had in his village’s mountain.

No soul fragment. No guardian spirit. No tests of worthiness.

The absence spoke louder than any discovery could have.

This complete void suggested only one possibility.

The protector died alongside the demons that came. Total annihilation.

Arthur dismissed speculation in favor of action. Whatever had happened here was history.

The present required his attention.

Without further delay, Arthur activated his spatial talent.

Reality folded repeatedly as he teleported in rapid succession, each jump carrying him closer to Village 419’s perimeter.

Time to see what remains.

The village stood before him.

Arthur’s smile held satisfaction and anticipation. Entering a territory that mirrored his own domain was interesting.

[Ding! You have completed the S-Rank hidden quest: Visiting another Village!]

‘Huh?’

[Ding! You have been rewarded: Ancient Map (Legendary)]

Arthur stopped in his tracks, interface blazing with unexpected notifications.

An S-Rank quest completed simply by entering the settlement?

A Hidden quest. No wonder the rewards are so good. A legendary item.

The legendary item appeared in his inventory—a scroll wrapped in leather that felt older than Earth’s civilisation itself. Arthur withdrew it immediately.

[Ancient Map]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Details: A lost cartographic masterpiece crafted by the first explorers of Armageddon, this map reveals the locations of all five hundred villages scattered across the realm. Each settlement is marked with precise coordinates and elevation data. The map updates dynamically, showing which villages remain active, which have fallen to corruption, and which have been abandoned entirely.]

This was far beyond mere navigation, it was information that would take decades, perhaps longer, to gather through conventional exploration.

For any leader seeking to understand the true scope of Armageddon’s landscape, this item represents unparalleled intelligence value.

Arthur’s eyes widened as he studied the unfolded parchment. Lines of ink traced the boundaries, marking villages with symbols that pulsed with magical significance. Village 420 glowed with golden light, active and thriving. Village 419 flickered with yellow.

Five hundred villages. All of them mapped with perfect accuracy.

The usefulness of the map was staggering. This wasn’t just navigation assistance—it was a complete intelligence network showing every settlement’s status in real-time.

He could identify targets, plan expansion routes, and reach such settlements at a faster pace.

This map is invaluable. Absolutely invaluable. Definitely worth its legendary rank.

Villages marked in green indicated prosperity. Yellow suggested a neutral status. Red revealed conflict or corruption. Black meant complete abandonment.

Too many black marks. The demon war has claimed more than I realised.

Arthur rolled the map carefully and secured it in his inventory.

Unlike his own thriving settlement, the players in Village 419 weren’t radiating confidence or purpose. Arthur observed them through the gates, noting their body language that spoke of chronic stress and barely-contained panic.

Everyone looks tense.

Groups of players clustered together, worrying about their next moves.

Conversations carried undertones of fear and desperation. This wasn’t a community preparing for victory—it was a population waiting for extinction.

Arthur walked inside with his Fateless identity. The swordmaster was only known inside

Village #420, whilst Fateless had become somebody known throughout Earth after his viral video.

The players were too down and depressed to notice him walking nearby. Their attention focused inward, consumed by private terrors and imagined catastrophes.

Arthur made his way to the village mayor’s building. The mayor’s building stood at the settlement’s heart, just as it should.

Same design.

Two guards flanked the entrance, both looking as demoralised as everyone else. Their weapons hung loose in tired grips.

“I’m here to talk to the village mayor,” Arthur said simply.

Both guards straightened reflexively, blocking the entrance.

The captain studied Arthur.

A few seconds later, the guard captain gulped audibly. His hands trembled as understanding dawned. Whatever this person wanted, resistance wasn’t an option.

If he wanted to enter, he would have. We couldn’t stop him.

Before the guards could do anything stupid to anger Arthur, the guard leader took action.

“Yes, sir. Please follow me inside. I’ll let the mayor know immediately.”

Arthur nodded, following the guard leader through the entrance.

…

Inside the mayor’s office, the guard captain’s voice shook as he delivered his message.

“Sir, there’s someone here to see you. Someone with a… terrifying aura. He wants to speak with you directly.”

‘Terrifying aura? I’m being perfectly civilised.’ Arthur thought, hearing the guard from behind the door.

The mayor looked up from his desk, face already pale from weeks of stress. The guard’s description made his blood pressure spike dangerously.

“What do you mean, terrifying? Is he armed? Hostile?”

The captain shook his head frantically. “He didn’t threaten us, but… sir, this person feels dangerous. Like standing next to a predator of the highest food chain.”

Richards felt his stomach clench. Unknown, powerful individuals rarely brought good news.

“Let him in. Immediately.”

‘God have mercy on us all.’ The mayor thought, sighing.

The captain saluted and hurried out, leaving the mayor alone with his mounting dread.

Who could it be? A warlord?

Within moments, footsteps approached. Richards stood behind his desk, trying to project authority he didn’t feel.

The door opened.

Arthur entered with grace that made the mayor’s survival instincts scream warnings. Everything about this person radiated power.

“Welcome, esteemed sir.” Richards managed to keep his voice steady despite his internal panic.

This is either salvation or doom. Nothing in between.

“Thank you for seeing me on short notice,” Arthur replied with small courtesy.

“Of course, of course. Though I must admit… I don’t recognise you. What brings such a distinguished individual to our humble settlement?”

He is fishing for information. Smart but transparent.

Arthur reached into his inventory, withdrawing an object that made the mayor’s breath catch.

The Protector Badge.

“Seen this before?” Arthur asked quietly.