It took Arthur another three hours to properly install the formation rods throughout Avalon. Although creating them had required immense concentration, the installation process was even more tedious because every rod needed to be positioned with perfect precision. A slight deviation in angle or distance could disrupt the energy flow throughout the entire network.
One might ask if someone disrupts the positions of the rods after the formation had been placed would the barrier collapse. But doing that was next to impossible without being able to destroy the barrier as a protective barrier also covers the formation rods and the core.
Throughout the afternoon, Arthur continuously teleported from one location to another. Deep forests, mountain peaks, isolated coastlines, satellite settlements, underground caverns, and even several locations beneath the ocean floor all received formation rods.
The sheer scale of the project was enormous. By the time he finished placing the final rod, an invisible network already connected every corner of Avalon and its surrounding territories. Only one component remained unfinished. The formation core floated before him with countless runes etched on its surface.
He flew toward the exact center of Avalon before opening a massive shaft hundreds of meters beneath the ground. The formation core slowly descended into the prepared chamber while layers of protective runes appeared around it.
Several minutes later Arthur finally completed the last connection. The moment his hand touched the core, the entire structure lit up. Golden light surged through the runic pathways while the 9,999 Immortal Spirit Stones contained within the core immediately began supplying energy to the formation.
He silently monitored the energy consumption while calculations flashed through his mind. Under normal circumstances, the barrier could remain active for almost an entire month before the spirit stones required replacement.
However, if the formation came under continuous bombardment from powerful enemies, the consumption rate would increase dramatically. In such a scenario, fresh spirit stones would be required every day. Even so, he considered the cost acceptable as such a level of security was never cheap.
A moment later an invisible wave spread outward from the core. The barrier expanded rapidly across Avalon, passing through mountains, forests, cities, farms, and harbors before eventually encompassing the entire island and all of its satellite settlements.
Since the barrier itself remained completely invisible, nobody noticed anything unusual. Citizens continued working, children continued playing, merchants continued trading, and sailors continued sailing without realizing that a defensive formation capable of resisting multiple Minor Gods had just activated around their home.
Arthur watched the formation carefully for several minutes before finally nodding in satisfaction. The system was functioning perfectly, any existence above the Demigod Realm would automatically be denied entry.
Furthermore, even individuals below that threshold would be blocked if they possessed malicious intent toward Avalon or its inhabitants. It wasn't foolproof, but it was the strongest defensive system he could currently create within his limitations.
Even though most of the work was done, he wasn't finished. A defensive formation could protect Avalon, but protection alone wasn't enough. If a powerful enemy attempted to attack the island while he was absent, he wanted Avalon to possess attacking capability as well.
However, creating an offensive formation was significantly more complicated than creating a defensive one. Unlike barriers, offensive formations could accidentally harm innocent people of Avalon if not designed carefully.
He spent several hours inside his workshop creating a second formation core specifically intended to function as a weapon. Since the defensive network already existed, he didn't need additional formation rods. Instead, the new core would connect directly into the existing infrastructure. One by one, complex elemental arrays were integrated into the design.
Fire formations capable of creating seas of flame. Lightning formations capable of bombarding targets with thousands of bolts simultaneously. Wind arrays designed to shred aerial enemies. Gravity formations capable of crushing invaders beneath overwhelming force. And Light-based attacks specifically designed to counter demonic creatures.
He even incorporated several spatial attack mechanisms despite the difficulty involved. By the time the second core was completed, the sun had already begun descending toward the horizon. He spent another hour integrating it into the existing network before finally activating it.
Unlike the barrier, the killing formation remained dormant until manually triggered. Nevertheless, its presence transformed Avalon from a fortified city into something far more dangerous. Looking across the island from atop one of Avalon's highest towers, Arthur finally allowed himself a small smile.
If something happened while he was away, Avalon would not be defenseless. The thought eased a burden he had been carrying, when he eventually became involved in the Grand Tournament or ventured into rogue worlds, he would no longer need to constantly worry about what might happen back home.
By the time he returned to the residence, evening had already arrived. The warm lights coming from the windows created a comforting atmosphere and dinner that evening passed peacefully.
…
The next morning arrived quickly. After sharing breakfast with everyone, Arthur informed them that he intended to investigate the ongoing war personally. No one seemed particularly surprised by the announcement.
The recent reports regarding intensified demonic attacks had clearly been weighing on his mind. After exchanging farewells, he left Avalon and disappeared into the skies. Several moments later he reappeared near the northern border regions.
The first thing he saw was a village. Or rather, what remained of one. Smoke still drifted into the sky from several ruined buildings. Charred remains of homes lined the streets while abandoned carts lay overturned near the roads.
He hovered silently above the devastation while observing the aftermath. The attack had clearly happened recently, several fires were still burning and the smell of smoke lingered heavily in the air. He expanded his senses but found no survivors.
Continuing onward, he passed additional signs of war. Destroyed farms, abandoned watchtowers, burned forests, refugee groups traveling toward safer territories. The deeper he traveled into the borderlands, the more obvious it became that the conflict had escalated significantly since his last visit.
Nearly half an hour later he finally sensed an enormous concentration of life signatures ahead. When he arrived, the sight before him immediately confirmed his suspicions.
A massive human city stood surrounded by countless demonic forces. The scale of the battle was dramatically larger than anything Arthur had witnessed during his previous visit to the border.
Tens of thousands of demons filled the plains outside the city walls. Siege beasts larger than buildings advanced slowly while monstrous flying creatures circled overhead. Explosions erupted continuously as spells collided throughout the battlefield.
Archers fired endless volleys while mages launched attacks from behind defensive positions. He immediately concealed himself and approached the battlefield. His eyes swept across the demonic army while he evaluated the strength of individual combatants.
Multiple demonic commanders immediately stood out. At least three possessed power comparable to Sage Rank experts. Behind them stood hundreds of Archmage-level demons commanding the lower ranks and thousands more filled the battlefield below.
On the human side, Arthur identified only one Sage rank aura standing atop the city walls. His presence surprised him slightly. Prior to the war, encountering a Sage Rank expert had been incredibly difficult as most remained hidden from public view.
Yet now powerful figures seemed to be emerging from every kingdom. It appeared the war was forcing long-hidden powerhouses into the open. However, something else quickly caught his attention.
There were no representatives from the Church anywhere on the battlefield. Considering the Church's influence across Thyrandel, their absence was unusual. He landed silently atop the city walls while remaining concealed. Nearby, the Sage rank defender stood with a grim expression while watching the battlefield below.
Neither side's strongest combatants were actively participating. The demons hadn't deployed their Sage rank commanders, and the humans hadn't sent out their own powerhouses. Both sides appeared in a tense standoff.
Arthur understood immediately, the moment one side committed its strongest fighters, the other side would respond. Until then, both sides were testing each other's endurance. Seeing that the battle had temporarily settled into a stalemate, he decided to gather information directly from the city's inhabitants.
After entering the city, he quickly discovered that due to the ongoing siege, the streets remained sparsely populated, with only refugees clustered around public shelters while soldiers moved constantly between defensive positions.
Fear lingered beneath the surface, but the city had not yet fallen into despair. Eventually he entered a crowded tavern near the city center. The establishment was packed with people despite the war. Most weren't soldiers or mages, they were ordinary civilians too weak to participate in the war.
Some drank to distract themselves from their fears while others exchanged rumors regarding the ongoing siege. Arthur approached a table occupied by four men and sat opposite them. The group immediately looked at him suspiciously.
Before anyone could ask what he wanted, he placed a heavy pouch onto the table. The unmistakable sound of gold coins instantly captured everyone's attention. The four men stared at the pouch with widened eyes. Even patrons at nearby tables glanced over enviously.
He pushed the pouch slightly forward. "Answer a few questions," he said calmly. "And the gold is yours."
The shortest member of the group nodded so quickly he worried he might injure his neck. "Ask anything you want."
Arthur leaned back slightly before asking his first question. "How long has the siege been going on?" The men exchanged confused looks. From their perspective, the question made little sense. Nobody had been able to enter or leave the city since the siege began so Arthur should have known about it.
Still, the short man answered. "Five days, the demons started attacking five days ago."
Arthur nodded thoughtfully. The older man beside him snorted. "Five days? Feels more like five weeks." Several others nearby laughed bitterly.
Arthur allowed them a moment before asking his next question. "Where are the people from the Church? I thought every city had a branch."
The atmosphere immediately became more serious. The older man sighed heavily and took a long drink before answering. "They do, normally there would be plenty of church people here ranging from priests, knights, and healers. But a few days ago the capital came under attack."
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly. "The capital?"
The man nodded. "We heard there was a massive demonic assault happening there. Most of the Church's strongest people rushed there to protect the Pope. The demons probably planned it from the start. They attacked the capital first and then launched offensives across the border cities while the Church was distracted."
Another man joined the conversation. "If the kingdom's powerhouses hadn't arrived when they did, this city would've fallen already, the demons almost broke through on the first day."
Several nearby patrons nodded grimly. Arthur continued asking questions for nearly twenty minutes. He learned about food shortages, refugee conditions, military casualties, and recent demonic attacks. More importantly, he confirmed that the city's defenders were becoming increasingly exhausted.
Supplies were running low, there was no information about reinforcements. Morale remained stable only because the walls still stood. Eventually Arthur left the pouch behind and rose from his seat. The four men stared at the gold with disbelief while nearby patrons watched enviously, he ignored them and exited the tavern.
Returning to the city walls, he looked once more toward the battlefield. The situation was becoming increasingly clear. The city remained standing not because it was winning, but because neither side had committed fully. The moment the demonic commanders decided to attack personally, the defenders would be forced to respond.
Unfortunately, there were three Sage rank demons and only one Sage rank human. Even if the human gave his all, if there was no miracle it was given the city would fall soon. He stood atop the wall while observing the countless demons gathered beyond the horizon.
The smoke rising from distant villages, the exhausted soldiers preparing for another day of battle and the civilians trapped within the city. He had originally come merely to investigate the situation. Now that he understood what was happening, remaining a spectator no longer seemed possible.
He released a sigh. "Looks like I'll have to get involved after all." Somewhere beyond the battlefield, war drums began sounding once more as another demonic assault prepared to begin. Arthur's gaze sharpened, the next clash was coming.
***
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