Arthur, now a Level 9 entity who could probably punch a hole in the space-time continuum if he was bored enough.
He arrived at the Desert of Whispers, the place rumored to house a civilization that ignored the entire concept of magicules.
The desert region was a huge mana sink; the air felt perpetually empty, which was honestly kind of cool.
Arthur scanned the ruins, which looked strangely sleek and non-magical, using crystals that processed pure spiritual energy instead of elemental mana.
"Seriously? No magicules at all?"
Arthur muttered to himself, kicking a piece of crumbling crystalline structure.
"That's wild. It's like they built a firewall against this entire reality's energy source. Pretty smart, actually."
Arthur knelt before a ruined altar. To understand the civilization's power—which was all about the soul and life force—he bypassed conventional analysis.
He flicked on his Authority of Greed (Refined), using the insane energy from his Magicules Breeder Reactor to gently peel away the conceptual data baked into the stone.
It felt less like researching and more like downloading an enormous, complicated patch.
As the knowledge flooded him, Arthur's brow furrowed in concentration, but the internal assessment was concise:
"Okay, so this is how you turn life energy into a shield against death magic. Solid. Now I can basically tell any Ultimate Skill that messes with my soul's connection to my body to buzz off." (Conceptual defense secured).
"They sealed powerful stuff just by conceptualizing it out of existence. No magic required. That's a serious containment hack. Good for neutralizing threats that rely on raw magicule size." (Non-magic containment acquired).
Just as he finished the conceptual download, a distinct, powerful magical signature registered far in the distance—a cautious, precise ripple in the dimensional fabric.
It was the envoy from Demon Lord Luminous Valentine, arriving at Tempest.
Arthur stopped, his magicule perfectly controlled. Every part of his Dragon's Heart and strategic mind urged him to pop over and check the situation.
But he shook his head, leaning against a half-buried pillar.
"Nah. That's Rimuru's problem, not mine,"
Arthur decided, his tone detached.
"It's Luminous trying to sniff out weakness after the Church went sideways. It's a political bluff, a total test of courage."
He smiled, a touch of pride in his voice.
"Veldora's there to intimidate, and Rimuru's the master of convincing people she's the good guy. She needs to prove she can handle the Demon Lords without me babysitting the negotiations. If she calls, I'll shred reality to get back, but until then..."
Arthur used his Conceptual Reality Blending to erase every trace of his high-powered pitstop from the desert.
He was satisfied; he'd acquired a crucial layer of conceptual defense and confirmed his partner was handling her business like a true sovereign.
He set his sights on the next dimensional curiosity, content to be the ghost in the machine.
Arthur, having secured knowledge on non-magic conceptual defense, decided his next move should be to assess the ultimate external threat to Tempest: Guy Crimson, the Lord of Darkness, and the most powerful, ancient Demon Lord.
This was not an attempt at diplomacy or conflict, but pure intelligence gathering—a spectator's visit to the court of a king.
Arthur materialized in the highest atmosphere above the Ice Continent, where Guy Crimson held court.
He used his power to achieve a state of near-perfect temporal distortion, ensuring his movements were imperceptible to even the highest senses.
"Alright, Guy Crimson,"
Arthur murmured, his voice retaining that analytical, adolescent edge.
"You're supposed to be the strongest thing here besides the other True Dragons. Let's see how you manage your kingdom. This is officially a peer review."
He activated his Conceptual Reality Blending not to fight, but to mask his own concepts—the reality of his presence—from the world's detection system, turning himself into a transient anomaly.
His goal was to observe the Demon Lord Capitol (The Rondo of the Eternal Night) without leaving even a single, faint ripple.
Arthur casually phased through the outer defenses, which were immense, primordial magic systems that would vaporize most intruders.
To Arthur, they were just complex patterns of energy he could choose to ignore.
He settled into a position high above Guy Crimson's main throne room.
Arthur's first, most intense assessment was of Guy Crimson himself.
He could sense the overwhelming, almost suffocating presence of the Lord of Darkness.
"Yep, he's the real deal,"
Arthur thought.
"Ancient, smart, and terrifyingly strong. He's operating at the upper limit of the natural laws of this world. Good reference point."
Arthur observed the interactions between Guy and his immediate subordinates, noting the arrival of several Demon Lord envoys—likely discussing the chaos Hinata had caused in the Western Church.
Arthur quickly downloaded the conceptual blueprint of their diplomatic language using his Authority of Greed (Refined), gaining immediate fluency in Demon Lord politics.
Arthur noticed the subtle tension in the room.
The chaos caused by Hinata's actions was clearly annoying Guy, confirming that Rimuru was right: the Demon Lords ultimately preferred order.
The Non-Interference Clause
Mid-observation, Arthur sensed a distinct, powerful spike of emotional distress from Milim Nava, who was currently with Rimuru.
It was pure friendship-fueled frustration—Milim likely wasn't happy about Rimuru having to deal with the Luminous envoy.
Arthur instinctively tensed.
A small, almost invisible flicker of energy moved towards him from Guy's direction—a testing probe.
"Woah, easy there. Don't blow your cover. Milim is fine. Rimuru's got this. Guy is just testing the air pressure in his room. I am not getting pulled into a Demon Lord tantrum negotiation. That's a diplomatic disaster waiting to happen."
Arthur consciously exerted his Conceptual Reality Blending to make himself less real, sinking further into the dimensional fabric.
The tiny probe from Guy passed through the empty air where Arthur had been, completely missing him.
Satisfied that he now possessed the key intelligence on the Demon Lord faction's true baseline, Arthur activated his dimensional shift.
His Conclusion: Guy Crimson and the Demon Lords were a serious threat, but a predictable one. They preferred stability and operated within the known laws of the universe.
Rimuru's challenge was tough, but manageable.
Arthur left the Rondo of the Eternal Night, ready to continue his personal quest for knowledge, completely confident that his partner was handling her business.
Arthur remains exploring and observing, leaving Rimuru to manage the simultaneous crises of the Church Civil War and the Luminous Valentine Probe.
[email protected]/phelio 120+ more chapters