Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons-Chapter 353: Testing Powers Against Superior-Rank

Arthur couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. The mighty daughter of Regulus, wielder of gravitational forces, was reduced to an adorable girl over a minor debt.

"What can I say? I'm a practical man. Money is money."

And watching you get worked up is priceless.

"Practical? Practical?" Her voice pitched higher with each word.

The rocks orbiting her position began moving faster, creating small whirlwinds of displaced air. Mercury flowed slightly further away, recognizing the signs of unstable gravitational manipulation.

"Besides," she continued, her indignation reaching new heights, "I used that money for necessities! Food, shelter, basic survival needs! You can't seriously expect—"

"I'm kidding."

Time to put her out of her misery.

Arthur's gentle interruption cut through her rant like a blade through silk. The gravitational distortions immediately calmed, rocks settling back to earth as her emotional state shifted.

"What?"

"I'm kidding, Jasmine. You don't owe me anything."

The relief on her face...It's like she was worried about those silver coins.

"That wasn't funny!"

Oh, but it was.

"It was a little funny," Arthur countered, his smile softening. "Besides, you needed to know that power comes with emotional control. What if you'd been facing an enemy instead of having a conversation?"

Jasmine's expression grew thoughtful as understanding dawned. "The gravitational fields... they were responding to my emotions."

"Exactly. Superior power requires superior control."

Every ability has its price.

She nodded slowly, the lesson sinking in.

The lighter moment had served its purpose, helping her process the overwhelming changes without being crushed by their weight. But darker business awaited.

"Now then," Arthur said, his tone shifting to something more serious. "Ready for that superior-rank boss?"

Time to see what you can really do.

Jasmine's smile turned predatory, gravitational fields already beginning to stir around her position.

"Let's find out exactly how strong I've become."

...

The Verdant Maw stretched endlessly before them, trees casting shadows that seemed to writhe with their own malevolent purpose.

Arthur led the way deeper into the forest's heart, his perception scanning for the specific type of threat they needed.

Superior-rank near level twenty. Not too many options in that range. Superior rank monsters are quite difficult to find after all.

"So," Jasmine said, falling into step beside him.

"what exactly are we looking for?"

Her voice carried new confidence, but Arthur caught the subtle undertone of anticipation.

She was eager to test her limits properly.

"Something that'll make you work for the victory," he replied.

"The Grizzly Mane was a trainning dummh at best, you dominated it too easily. We need a challenge that'll push your new abilities."

And teach you the difference between raw power and good application.

They moved through groves where the very air shimmered with

mana.

Mercury flowed alongside them, his liquid form adapting to the terrain with fluid grace.

"Master," the guardian spoke up, "the surrounding mana density is increasing. We're approaching a territory marker."

Territory marker. That means there is a predator around here.

Arthur's senses confirmed Mercury's observation.

He could feel a magical signature ahead, and it was massive, concentrated, carrying the distinctive feeling of something that had claimed dominion over a significant area.

"Perfect," he murmured.

Jasmine's golden-silver eyes brightened.

"You found something?"

"Yes, we found it."

Or rather, we're walking into its domain.

The trees ahead began changing. Bark twisted, leaves took on a shrivelled look.

"This is..."

Jasmine trailed off, her senses picking up details her original perception would have missed.

"Territorial transformation," Arthur explained.

"Some creatures are so magically potent they alter their environment just by existing."

Which means whatever we're about to face isn't just strong—it's a predator.

A low rumble echoed through the transformed forest, carrying harmonics that seemed to resonate in their bones.

The sound wasn't quite animal, wasn't quite elemental, but something caught between both states.

"There," Arthur pointed toward a clearing where the trees formed a perfect circle.

At the center stood their target.

[Thornback Sovereign]

Level: 19

Rank: Superior-Boss

Details: An ancient forest guardian that has absorbed centuries of mana. Its bark-like hide provides exceptional defense while thorn projectiles can pierce most armor. Territory control allows manipulation of all plant life within a fifty-meter radius.

That'll do nicely.

The creature was magnificent in its distinct beauty.

Standing twelve feet tall, it resembled a fusion of tree and beast—humanoid in basic structure but covered in bark that shifted and flowed like living armor.

Glowing veins of sap pulsed beneath its surface, and massive thorns jutted from its shoulders and arms like organic weaponry.

Most impressive were its eyes. Deep green orbs that held intelligence far beyond mere animal cunning.

"Magnificent," Jasmine breathed, her mind already analyzing potential approaches.

The Thornback Sovereign's gaze fixed on her, recognition flickering in those ancient eyes.

It could sense that the power of the human infront of it, it understood that Jasmine posed a genuine threat, one that it had never faced before.

Good. Mutual understanding of stakes makes for a better fights.

"Any advice?" she asked, not taking her eyes off their opponent.

"Don't underestimate its intelligence," Arthur replied, his arms crossed.

"Superior-rank bosses earned their classification through more than just raw power."

They're survivors. Adaptable. Intelligent.

The Thornback Sovereign raised one massive arm, and the forest responded. Vines erupted from the ground around Jasmine's position, seeking to entangle and immobilize her.

It's going all out despite that move being an opening one. That tree must be anxious.

Jasmine's response was immediate. She was not using her wand yet. She wanted to test her powers without a legendary item's aid.

Gravitational force exploded outward from her position, not in a directed attack but as a protective field.

The approaching vines suddenly found themselves fighting against gravity, something that mere human should not have the ability to manipulate.

She's learning. Using area denial instead of direct confrontation.

But the Thornback wasn't finished. Its other arm swept forward, launching a barrage of thorn projectiles that cut through the air with whistling precision.

Ranged follow-up. Smart.