Chapter 782: The Sealed Realm [Monthly Bonus 1]
’I can’t win... even with my Progenitor Authority.’
Arthur didn’t delude himself. He acknowledged it right away.
Kalvaro was a Mid-Tier Deity. Inferior Stage, yes, but a Mid-Tier Deity all the same.
Besides the vast gap in Existence Realm alone, Kalvaro also possessed a Unique Authority whose powers Arthur was unaware of.
’I can nullify it with my Aspect Manifestation, sure, but there’s no way a Mid-Tier Deity only has one Authority.’
There were likely weapons and concealed artifacts Arthur didn’t know about.
Most importantly, his most effective card against gods couldn’t lower a Mid-Tier Deity’s strength to a level he could properly fight.
At best, the current Inferior Stage Low-Tier Deity Arthur could drag Kalvaro down into that limbo between realms. But even then, he wouldn’t win.
Not a draw, but an inevitable loss. If it really came down to a fight, Arthur would go all out right from the start, but only to escape. Escape after inflicting significant damage.
Power gap aside, Arthur still possessed an Aspect of Destruction, held two Unique Authorities, and was a Progenitor. He was confident he could injure Kalvaro badly enough to prevent immediate pursuit.
’If I became an Intermediate Stage, that limbo would be tough, but I’d have higher chances...’
The problem was, Arthur couldn’t just leap into the Intermediate Stage by sheer will. He had only recently reached the Inferior Stage. His Realm wasn’t going to rise anytime soon.
All these thoughts passed through his mind in seconds, and then he spoke.
|The only Realm Gate within a light-year of our current location, that’s where I’m headed. I’m going there to retrieve an item my ancestor left behind, probably before you were even born.
The sooner you let me collect it, the sooner I’ll be out of your empire of Permanence.
So please, make your decision quickly. I’ve got other universes on my itinerary, and I’m already a few days behind schedule.|
After Arthur finished speaking, he let out a soft yawn, while Kalvaro narrowed his eyes and muttered,
|Other universes, you say?|
|Hmm? You didn’t know? I figured your galaxy would’ve informed you already. Or perhaps it’s not strong enough to perceive that much?
Either way, I’ve got no interest in fighting you. I only want to retrieve my item and leave. Consider your subordinate’s arm as compensation for attacking me on sight.|
When Arthur said this, Kalvaro, still narrowing his eyes, asked,
|You claim you don’t want to fight me, and yet you killed subordinates of mine?|
|If you’re referring to the ones stationed on that High-Level world I visited three days ago, then the story’s frankly a lot different from whatever you assume.|
Kalvaro wanted to speak, but Arthur cut in before he could, continuing as projections of his memories appeared in the empty space above him.
|As you can see, it was your subordinates who detained me first. I complied without resistance, despite their aggression and the threats they made, and I even answered all their questions.
But they attempted to tamper with my mind. That Planet Lord also attacked me before I could utter a single word.
So tell me, do you really believe I was wrong for defending my own life?|
|You are an intruder in this galaxy, as such, their actions were justified given their duty and position.
I care little about your origin, but not only did you trespass into my domain, you also violated the laws that govern my Empire, disturbing its stability with your mere existence.|
Kalvaro’s divinity erupted from his body in powerful waves, flooding the area, and in response, Arthur gripped Celestia, releasing a burst of Anti-Divinity that clashed violently with the god’s divinity.
|You seem deeply concerned about maintaining your empire’s stability, but I have to wonder, how much of that stability would be preserved if you and I were to clash right here and now?|
Arthur activated his Authority of Destruction as he finally rose to his feet, flooding the surrounding space with his crimson-silver energy.
|You’re a Ruler, aren’t you? Then weigh the consequences carefully. Consider the pros and cons of us trading blows.
This isn’t my galaxy, nor is it my universe. Unlike you, I couldn’t care less how many planets are lost in the aftermath of our battle.|
The space around Arthur began to warp and twist under the overwhelming pressure of his energy, hovering dangerously close to collapsing into another singularity.
|...|
Kalvaro’s expression changed for the first time, a frown forming on his face.
He still couldn’t gauge Arthur’s full strength, but he had witnessed the boy destroy the arm of someone with one foot already in the Mid-Tier Deity Realm, and not just by any means, but with a black hole.
From what he could discern, Arthur possessed both Destruction and Temporal Authorities, meaning that any wide-area attacks he unleashed could severely disrupt the weave of Permanence throughout the galaxy.
And with multiple Permanence Anchors located in this region, the consequences, should even one of them be damaged...
Kalvaro remained still, his gaze locked on Arthur as he mentally combed through the potential consequences of engaging in battle now.
He had little doubt about Arthur’s willingness to follow through. He had evidently held back when creating that earlier singularity, and the spatial distortion forming behind him now was no bluff either.
The destruction energy he radiated was strong, enough that Kalvaro couldn’t gauge the level of his Authority over the law, and it was clearly unconcerned with collateral damage.
For a long moment, the area was seeped in a tenuous silence as Kalvaro’s overflowing divinity pushed against the volatile destruction energy surrounding Arthur.
The gods tightly gripped their weapons, ready to attack the moment their Ruler gave the order.
Then finally, Kalvaro spoke, his voice as even as ever.
|You will retrieve your item. Nothing more.|
Arthur’s expression didn’t change. He merely shrugged, releasing his grip on Celestia and allowing the blade to hover beside him as he crossed his arms.
Kalvaro withdrew the tides of divinity surging from him, and in response, Arthur retracted his destructive energy, allowing the space around him to begin knitting itself back together.
|You will be observed. You will not leave the zone of that Realm Gate without being tracked. And once you retrieve what you came for... you leave.
If you overstep...I will not be this accommodating again.|
|No problem. As I said, I have no desire to fight, not unless I’m pushed. Let’s both hope it doesn’t come to that, after all, I really do hate collateral damage.|
While Arthur spoke calmly, he made sure to remind them of the threat he posed, veiled beneath his polite tone.
Kalvaro didn’t respond. He just silently activated his Galactic Ruler Authority to collect information about the Realm Arthur spoke of, only for his expression to darken upon discovering that its interior was sealed off from perception.
It also appeared to be a Realm that had been sealed off because entry was deemed impossible.
While he retrieved these details, Arthur let himself fall backwards, descending into the ship through its overhead hatch before powering it on.
Its boosters revved to full power, propelling Arthur out of the region in a flash, leaving the field of gods behind.
Kalvaro remained where he was, silently observing as Arthur’s ship closed the distance and finally arrived at the Realm Gate, a vast, vaguely oval-shaped rift in space.
It had long been sealed beneath a dense layer of powerful spatial energy, and Kalvaro found himself wondering how Arthur intended to enter it.
’He likely doesn’t even realise it’s seale—’
His thoughts abruptly stopped as Arthur exited his ship upon arrival, sent the vessel into his subspace, then casually raised his hand and cleaved the seal apart with a single slash of destruction energy before stepping into the Realm as though there had never been a barrier.
One of the nearby gods, evidently familiar with the Realm, was visibly stunned by this and immediately flew forward, attempting to enter as well to confirm if the entrance embargo had been lifted.
But the moment he reached the rift, he was struck by an overwhelming wave of cosmic spatial energy that blasted him backwards, hurling him thousands of kilometres across space.
This confirmed that the entry restriction was still very much active, yet Arthur had somehow passed through it effortlessly.
Deactivating his Galactic Ruler Authority, Kalvaro shifted his gaze to the gods still gathered around him and ordered.
|Place him under surveillance. I’ll dispatch Hierarchs. If he so much as steps a toe outside the Gate’s activity zone... eliminate him.|
Then, turning to the one who had lost his arm, he told them to follow, before opening a spatial gate and exiting the region.
◇ ◇ ◇
Arthur had just emerged from the Realm Gate, floating a few metres into the dimensional space when the cosmic energy gathered around the gate behind him suddenly flared up.
He turned his head, gaze shifting back towards the gate with a confused expression.
Before he could speak, Lostvayne materialized beside him, silver light tracing the lines on the Rule Breaker’s blade as it floated next to him and spoke.
[Master, I think someone probably tried to follow you inside.]
Arthur slowly nodded and replied, "I see. That makes perfect sense. They’d definitely try to follow me to find out exactly what I’m doing in here."
But since Lucifer had tweaked the realm’s entrance, configuring it such that only cosmic superiors could pass through, they couldn’t follow Arthur into the realm.
Arthur was certain that none of the gods stationed outside fit that description.
He shelved the thought and returned his gaze to the realm before him. At first glance, he counted five stars scattered across the vast expanse, each one with at least five to seven planets gravitationally bound to them.
Between these small star systems, there were several rogue planets drifting in the gaps like loose marbles.
While Arthur scanned the region, Lostvayne spoke up again.
[It’s a rather small realm.]
Arthur turned his gaze toward the sword, eyebrows raised as he asked, "Small? I’m pretty sure the distance between each of those stars is at least two light-years."
[That distance is small in astronomical terms. Or have you forgotten about the existence of large realms like Varona that can hold entire galaxies inside them?]
Arthur blinked, then thought of Varona, and a second later he responded, "Yeah... actually, compared to that, this place is tiny."
That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The smaller size meant less space to search, and fewer celestial bodies to investigate, meaning he’d be done here faster.
But then Lostvayne asked, [Master, do you even need to search?]
"No, I don’t need to search. I don’t even need the Seed Engine’s key anymore."
Arthur replied as he turned his gaze toward the midpoint between three of the five stars where a small light shone. It wasn’t as bright as a star, but it was far too luminous to be the reflection of a planet catching light from a nearby star.
"That’s definitely where the Seed Engine is," Arthur said.
