Arthur and Selene did not stay long in Eldraheim after concluding the initial framework of their trade agreement. The discussion with King Theros had been straightforward, almost surprisingly so, given the importance such agreements usually carried.
Resources, routes, and mutual benefits had been laid out clearly, and both sides had enough trust, or at least enough confidence in each other to proceed without dragging the matter into endless negotiations. For Arthur, once the intent was aligned, the rest was just execution, something he or Avalon had never struggled with.
As they stepped out of the palace and into the corridor, Selene didn't say much. She simply rose into the sky, and Arthur followed beside her. The capital shrank beneath them, its towering structures fading into the distance before they disappeared entirely.
Back in the palace, King Theros remained standing near the balcony long after they had left, his gaze fixed on the empty sky as if trying to trace where Arthur had gone. His posture remained composed, but the thoughts behind his eyes were anything but calm.
"What a monster…" he muttered under his breath, the words slipping out naturally, without exaggeration or mockery, it was just a quiet acknowledgment of something he couldn't fully comprehend.
Eveline, standing beside him, didn't refute it. Instead, she nodded slightly, her expression was thoughtful. "He has even greater potential than Steve."
That made Theros turn toward her, his brows tightening. "How powerful is he right now?" he asked, his tone was more serious than before. "To defeat Vaelrond at that age… if he keeps growing at this rate, what will he become in a hundred years?"
Eveline paused before answering, not because she didn't have an opinion, but because the truth was more complicated than she wanted to say out loud. "I don't know exactly," she admitted. "But the last time he sparred with Steve, they were almost at par with each other."
That answer landed heavily on Theros. His eyes widened slightly, the implication settling in almost immediately. "Then he's already at the peak of Sage rank…"
Eveline didn't respond this time. Instead, a subtle smile appeared on her lips. If only her father knew the truth that Steve had already stepped beyond Sage rank and entered the realm of demigods, he wouldn't just be surprised, he would likely question everything he thought he understood about power in this world. And if he realized Arthur truly stood near that level, then what they were witnessing wasn't just talent, it was something far more dangerous.
And for the first time in a long while, even Eveline felt a trace of uncertainty about the future, it was not fear, but the realization that someone like Arthur existed and it could change the balance of the entire world.
…
The next morning arrived and Avalon was as lively as everyday, the people Arthur brought from his universe had settled in the satellite cities. A lot of them had shown desires to explore this new world, and Arthur had no problem with that as it was their decision. He also provided them with the resources they needed during their travel and even communication devices they could use to contact each other and dropped them to the nearest kingdom.
And there were many younger ones who wanted to enter the magic academies in Avalon and Arthur instructed the Guardian AI to handle the procedure.
And at present inside the training facility, Arthur sat alone, and the vast hall was silent except for the sound of his breathing. A small block of Orichalcum rested in his hand, its surface reflected the artificial light of the hall as he studied it with attention. He was using Orichalcum as currently it was the metal with the highest energy conductivity he possessed other than Element-M.
He had attempted to create a spatial ring once before, back when he first entered the cultivation world, but the result was unsatisfactory as he didn't put much effort in it. The internal space he had managed to form had barely the capacity of a medium sized room, it was useful but nothing impressive. At the time, his understanding of spatial manipulation had not been deep enough to push beyond that limitation.
Now, things were different. The spatial ring he created before contained the space inside the ring but currently he was trying something different.
His control over space had improved, his understanding had evolved, and more importantly, he had experienced a world where such artifacts were not rare treasures but common tools. Even the weakest cultivators possessed spatial rings, something that would be considered priceless in Thyrandel. Thyrandel had its fair share of spatial artifacts, but they were extremely difficult to make and only nobles and rich people own them and that too the artifacts had small capacity.
He thought if others could achieve that level with their methods, there was no reason he couldn't surpass it entirely.
Arthur activated Molecular Manipulation, and layer upon layer of Orichalcum separated cleanly from the block, floating in the air before reshaping itself into a simple ring.
The metal flowed smoothly under his control, forming a clean, seamless ring without any decorative features. There was no need to make the ring beautiful as it would only restrict one during battle if he added any extra decorations to it.
Once the physical structure was complete, Arthur's focus shifted to utilizing a ton of his energy as he began shaping an independent space.
The process wasn't simple. As he tried to expand the pocket dimension, instability appeared almost immediately. The space resisted, distorting and threatening to collapse under the strain of expansion. It wasn't like working with physical matter, this was something far more delicate, something that required absolute precision.
Arthur didn't rush. He adjusted his approach, refined the flow of energy, and tried again. Each attempt brought him closer to creating a stable space, each failure revealing another facet of spatial understanding. Gradually, the resistance lessened, not because it weakened, but because Arthur learned how to navigate it.
A few hours passed without him noticing and eventually, the space stabilized.
Within the ring, a pocket dimension had formed, vast and self-contained, roughly the size of a football field. The structure held firm, and it was no longer showing signs of collapse or distortion.
Not only that he had to attach a few runes to the pocket dimension such as one that collects ambient energy and directs them to the pocket dimension to keep it running, also a link rune that would anchor it to the ring he created.
Arthur exhaled slowly, his expression was calm but satisfied. This was already far beyond what he had achieved before, but he didn't stop there.
He began inscribing runes with pure energy, carefully etching them onto the ring. He added a total of five major runes serving several functions and each one required precise control to ensure they didn't interfere with one another.
The first rune was the other half of the link rune, it helped link the ring to the pocket dimension and anchor the space securely with it.
The second rune could create a protective barrier around the user, it was capable of withstanding attacks even from a demigod-level opponent.
The third stored a single devastating attack, powerful enough to kill such an opponent if used correctly.
The fourth managed energy storage, ensuring the previous two functions could operate properly by providing the required energy.
And the fifth… was a life-saving mechanism, a rune capable of pulling someone back from the edge of death.
These were not runes known to the current world as Arthur had gotten them from the Ancient Realm. Each one came from knowledge long lost, remnants of an era where power was understood on a completely different level. Even one of these runes could disrupt the balance between kingdoms if revealed.
When he finished, the ring glowed faintly before settling into a stable state. Arthur observed it for a moment, then stored it away and left the training hall.
…
When he entered his home, he heard the sounds of movement from the kitchen, along with the faint aroma of something cooking.
Arthur walked toward the kitchen, with curiosity evident in his steps.
"What are you doing?" he asked as he stepped inside.
Selene stood near the counter, focused on what she was preparing. She didn't turn around immediately, but she replied while engaged in what she was preparing. "I got a recipe from grandma, so I wanted to try it."
Arthur leaned slightly, trying to see what she was making, but before he could get a proper look, Selene turned and gently pushed him out of the kitchen.
"Wait in the dining hall," she said firmly.
Arthur raised a brow but didn't argue. "Alright."
He settled into a chair and passed the time reviewing data related to Avalon's growth, though his attention drifted occasionally toward the kitchen.
After about half an hour, Selene finally stepped out, carrying a bowl carefully. She arranged the dishes neatly, then sat across from him, watching him closely. "Go on, try it."
Arthur nodded and took a bite, he noticed the anxious look Selene was giving him, and a mischievous idea came to his mind so he deliberately scrunched his nose.
Selene, seeing Arthur's expression, asked disheartenedly, "Was it that bad?" she continued, her voice dropping slightly. "But I followed everything written in the recipe carefully."
Arthur couldn't hold it any longer and let out a stifled laugh.
Selene understood with a glance that Arthur was just joking and pouted. "You are bullying me!"
Arthur stopped his laughter, he stood up and walked around the table, stopping behind her before wrapping his arms around her gently.
"It was really good," he said, his tone becoming softer now.
Selene glanced back at him. "Really?"
"Yeah," he replied. "I wouldn't joke about that."
Her expression eased, though a faint pout remained.
Arthur paused for a moment, then said, "I have something for you."
He took out the ring and slipped it onto her finger.
Selene's cheeks flushed instantly as she looked at the ring, then at him. And then realization hit Arthur just as quickly.
"…Wait."
He sighed, 'That looked like a proposal.' He facepalmed as he felt he just ruined a special moment he should have reserved when he finally proposed to her.
Selene, seeing Arthur's guilty expression, understood what he was thinking, she smiled softly and leaned back into him, wrapping her arms around his. She didn't say anything, but the message was clear.
Arthur secretly sighed seeing Selene forgive him for his blunder and held her a little tighter. "I will always be there for you, no matter what," he said.
Selene nodded lightly. "I know."
Just like that, the moment settled into something simple and real, without the need to prove anything. And the day passed with them enjoying each other's company.
***
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