A few hours after returning to Avalon, Arthur found himself sitting around one of the long dining tables inside their residence together with Selene, Lisa, Kai, Finn, Leon, Eva, Natalya and Sophia, who had become like family over the years.
The atmosphere was warm and lively, a stark contrast to the life and death struggles he had been facing recently. Plates filled with food covered the table while laughter and conversation echoed throughout the room.
For perhaps the first time in weeks, Arthur found peace, he was simply enjoying dinner with the people closest to him. Naturally, the topic of conversation quickly shifted toward his recent adventures, and before long everyone was bombarding him with questions about the cultivation world.
Arthur found himself explaining everything from the structure of sects and clans to immortal cultivation realms, spirit stones, immortal beasts, and even the Grand Tournament of the Nine Heavens. Every explanation only seemed to make his audience more excited.
Even Kai, who normally maintained a calm demeanor, looked genuinely fascinated while listening to descriptions of worlds where immortals could shatter planets and ancient experts could live for hundreds of thousands of years.
"So you're telling me," Finn said while leaning forward excitedly, "that there are cultivators who can destroy planets?"
Arthur nodded. "Quite a few, actually. And according to what I've learned, the truly powerful existences can do much more than that."
Leon nearly choked on his drink. "That's ridiculous."
Arthur shrugged. "The Immortal Realm is ridiculous."
Sophia whistled softly. "And here I thought becoming a Saint was impressive."
"It is impressive," Arthur replied. "Just not there." The table erupted into excited discussions.
As the discussion continued, Arthur gradually described the scale of the Immortal Realm itself. He explained that even the planet where he currently operated was only one insignificant world among countless others.
He told them about organizations spanning thousands of planets, cultivation systems capable of creating godlike beings, and powerhouses so ancient that entire civilizations rose and fell during their lifetimes.
The more he explained, the more everyone's eyes widened. Even Selene, who had heard portions of his adventures before, listened attentively. Eventually Lisa could no longer suppress her curiosity. She stared at Arthur for several seconds before speaking in a small voice while giving him what Arthur immediately recognized as a puppy look.
"Arthur..." she began hesitantly. "C… Could you please take us there with you?" Her puppy-like eyes immediately activated at full power.
Before Arthur could answer, Kai calmly set down his cup and nodded. "I must admit, the world sounds fascinating. If possible, I would also like to visit it someday."
Arthur immediately realized he was outnumbered. Looking around the table only made matters worse. Finn looked interested, Leon looked interested, Sophia looked interested, even Eva and Natalya who were more reserved had an unusually curious expression on their face.
Arthur sighed deeply. "You guys really don't know how dangerous that place is."
Lisa puffed out her cheeks. "That's not an answer."
Arthur rubbed his forehead. "Fine, I'll take you there eventually."
"Yay!" Lisa immediately celebrated while nearly jumping out of her chair.
Unfortunately for her, Arthur raised one finger before she could get too excited. "Hold your horses. I didn't say I would take you there immediately."
The celebration froze. "Eh?"
"Not unless I find a safe place for all of you first." The excitement around the table visibly diminished. Arthur felt slightly guilty seeing their reactions, but he wasn't about to bring them into a universe where even weakened beings like Malphas could wipe out continents.
Seeing the gloomy atmosphere developing, he quickly changed the subject. With a wave of his hand, dozens of objects appeared across the table. "Anyway, I bought some souvenirs."
The reaction was immediate. The table exploded into activity as everyone forgot their disappointment and began examining the various artifacts Arthur had brought back from the cultivation world.
There were decorative jade pendants that glowed softly in the dark, miniature formation plates capable of creating harmless illusions, spirit-metal ornaments crafted by immortal artisans, enchanted cups that kept drinks warm indefinitely, and countless other exotic objects.
Lisa immediately grabbed several items and began inspecting them with sparkling eyes. Finn somehow found a miniature flying sword no larger than his palm and spent several minutes trying to make it obey him.
Leon discovered a self-writing brush and instantly declared it the greatest invention in history. Even Kai looked amused while studying a spirit jade chess set that automatically reset pieces after every game.
While everyone was distracted by the gifts, Selene quietly moved closer to Arthur and asked softly, "When are you going back?"
Arthur looked toward her and smiled reassuringly. "Not immediately, I'll stay here for a few days first."
The answer instantly brightened her mood. "Good." She leaned lightly against him before reaching toward the pile of artifacts herself. Watching everyone happily sorting through the souvenirs, arguing over who got what, and occasionally laughing at particularly strange items, Arthur couldn't help but smile.
For all the power he had gained and all the worlds he had explored, moments like these still mattered most. Looking around the table, he genuinely wondered what more a man could ask for.
The evening continued peacefully after everyone selected the artifacts they wanted. Food gradually disappeared while conversations shifted naturally between topics. Eventually Arthur turned toward his friends and asked, "So how have things been here while I was away?"
The atmosphere changed slightly. Finn exchanged a glance with Leon before answering. "You probably won't believe what's been happening recently."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Try me."
Finn sighed. "The demons have intensified their attacks on Arkanis." The table grew noticeably quieter. "The Church has apparently deployed several of their champions to reinforce the border regions. There have been battles almost every day for the past few weeks."
Arthur's expression became thoughtful. That alone was concerning, but Finn wasn't finished. "There are also rumors that a demigod-level demon has appeared on one of the battlefields."
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly. That piece of information was much more significant. As far as publicly known information went, there shouldn't be any active demigod-level entities on Thyrandel. Steve was the only exception Arthur knew personally.
Before he could respond, Leon continued. "Nobody knows if the Church has a demigod-level champion of their own or not. But there are stories about several summoned otherworlders performing exceptionally well." He paused briefly. "One of those otherworlders is actually staying in Avalon right now."
Arthur blinked. "In Avalon?"
"Apparently he's some kind of outcast from the group," Sophia explained. "I haven't spoken with him personally, but that's the rumor."
Arthur nodded slowly while processing the information. His thoughts inevitably returned to the strange sensation he experienced upon returning to Thyrandel. The world itself had changed, the restrictions were weaker than before. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that Thyrandel possessed some form of world consciousness.
Perhaps the world was actively lowering its limitations. The real question was why, and one possibility immediately came to mind. His own existence might be disrupting the balance of the world. Or perhaps the approaching conflict with the demons was forcing the world to adapt.
Whatever the reason, Arthur didn't like being unprepared. He decided right then that Avalon needed stronger defenses. Weapons, armor, emergency contingencies, protective formations, everything would need upgrades before he left again.
The discussion continued long into the evening, touching on everything from politics and military developments to strange rumors circulating throughout the world. By the time the gathering finally ended, Arthur had already begun mentally planning his next major project.
…
The following morning Arthur wasted no time putting those plans into action. Before the sun had fully risen above Avalon, he was already standing inside one of the city's largest workshops. His first objective was straightforward, to create an island-wide defensive formation capable of protecting Avalon even in his absence.
The scale of the project was enormous. Covering an entire island required a vast network of interconnected formation nodes, support structures, energy channels, and a sufficiently powerful central core.
Fortunately, Arthur possessed both the knowledge and resources necessary to accomplish it. The workshop quickly came alive as thousands of materials floated into the air under the control of his telekinesis.
Massive ingots of Orichalcum hovered alongside blocks of Element-M. Sparks flew as Matter Manipulation continuously reshaped metals at the molecular level. Formation diagrams filled the air around him while countless calculations ran simultaneously through his mind.
Hours passed in near silence as he focused entirely on his creation. Formation rods emerged one after another, each nearly three meters long and covered in countless runic inscriptions. Every rod was forged from a carefully balanced alloy combining Orichalcum's extraordinary conductivity with Element-M's unmatched durability and most importantly its adaptability.
The process required immense precision. A single mistake would compromise the entire formation network, yet Arthur never slowed down. As one rod finished, another immediately began taking shape. Hundreds gradually became thousands until a mountain of completed formation rods filled one side of the workshop.
The true centerpiece of the project, however, was the formation core itself. Unlike the rods, the core required far greater attention. He spent nearly two hours refining it alone, and the final structure resembled a crystalline sphere nearly two meters in diameter suspended within multiple rotating metallic rings.
Thousands of runes covered every surface while layers upon layers of defensive protocols were embedded deep within its structure. Arthur personally coded every function into the formation. The finished system would create a protective dome covering all of Avalon.
More importantly, it possesses advanced detection capabilities. Every individual approaching the island would be automatically analyzed. Those possessing hostile intent toward Avalon or its citizens would be denied entry regardless of their cultivation level. Meanwhile, any existence exceeding the Demigod Realm would be blocked entirely.
The completed formation represented an extraordinary achievement. Once activated, it would be capable of withstanding simultaneous attacks from multiple Minor Gods. Arthur would have preferred setting the threshold even higher, but practical limitations existed. Creating something capable of reliably stopping Major Gods remained beyond his current abilities.
For Thyrandel's current circumstances, that level of protection was more than sufficient. Nearly five hours after beginning the project, he finally stepped back and examined the results. Thousands of formation rods filled the workshop while the massive formation core hovered silently above the central platform.
It wasn't perfect, but it was the strongest defensive system he could currently create. Taking a satisfied breath, he stretched his shoulders before storing the completed components. The difficult part was finished, now came the time-consuming process of installation.
A few moments later Arthur left the workshop and rose into the sky above Avalon. Looking down at the sprawling island beneath him, he smiled faintly. If he was going to leave this world again, then he intended to ensure Avalon would remain protected no matter what happened in his absence.
***
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