NOVEL NEXT Chapter 507: China’s S-Rankers
Arthur was already materializing in China now, his spatial manipulation having carried him across continents in a blink of an eye.
The next S-rank awakened on his priority list operated within Chinese territory. There was also two additional S-rank awakened whose recruitment could significantly enhance Power Guild's influence throughout Asia.
China's political landscape during the dimensional crisis had created unique opportunities for approaching their champions without triggering the same defensive responses that might complicate recruitment efforts in other nations.
President Feng's alliance with Arthur provided diplomatic cover that would make official Chinese resistance to recruitment activities highly unlikely.
The approach was yielding results that exceeded Arthur's most optimistic projections for building a global network capable of reshaping humanity's response to the ongoing apocalypse through coordinated supernatural capability rather than fragmented national defense efforts.
Each successful recruitment brought him closer to the critical mass necessary for implementing his larger strategic objectives while ensuring Charlotte would inherit a world worth living in.
Arthur activated his spatial manipulation and materialized near the heavily fortified complex where President Feng conducted the most sensitive aspects of China's dimensional crisis management.
His arrival had been carefully coordinated through prior communication with Sylvaris, who had already contacted the president regarding Arthur's planned visit.
The serpentine guardian had efficiently handled the preparations, ensuring that Arthur's presence would be expected and accommodated without creating unnecessary security complications.
The guards stationed throughout the perimeter had already been notified of Arthur's impending arrival through encrypted channels that bypassed normal security. Their instructions were explicit—provide immediate access while maintaining absolute respect.
The entire area within a five-kilometer radius had been secured through comprehensive surveillance lockdown and communication blackout procedures. No information about Arthur's appearance or activities would reach external networks, preventing intelligence leaks that could compromise operational security or reveal his survival to hostile nations.
Arthur walked through the facility's corridors with confident familiarity, his spatial awareness detecting the extraordinary defensive measures that protected China's most critical leadership during crisis conditions. The building's architecture had been enhanced with both conventional military fortifications and supernatural defensive systems that reflected China's comprehensive approach to protecting their president.
It seems like they like their president very much.
Before entering the presidential complex, Arthur had already removed the Mask of Thousand Faces, allowing his true features to be visible. The heavily secured facility represented one of the few locations where such revelation carried minimal risk of uncontrolled information dissemination.
The area was populated exclusively by personnel whose loyalty to China's president had been verified through decades of service and rigorous background investigation. No foreign operatives or potential intelligence leaks could survive within such a thoroughly controlled environment.
Arthur entered the president's private conference room to find four individuals awaiting his arrival. President Feng sat at the head of an ornate table while three other figures occupied positions that suggested respect for executive authority and their high authority.
The three S-rank awakened had been summoned by President Feng through emergency channels that indicated matters of extraordinary national importance. Their presence reflected China's commitment to providing maximum security and diplomatic support for whatever discussion was about to occur.
Li Wei, the eldest of the S-rank group, was a high ranking military personnel.
His S-rank swordsmanship abilities had earned him legendary status throughout Asian military circles.
Zhang Ming, significantly younger but equally capable, represented the new generation of military awakened whose development had been accelerated through exposure to Sylvaris's protection. His S-rank earth manipulation talents had proven extraordinarily effective in defensive operations throughout China's vast territorial holdings.
The third individual, Chen Yu, operated as an independent contractor whose S-rank water abilities made her valuable, she was also a beta player like Arthur and Li Wei. Her civilian status provided flexibility while her proven effectiveness made her indispensable for certain objectives.
All three had been informed that an extraordinary opportunity awaited their consideration, but President Feng had deliberately withheld specific details about Arthur's identity or the nature of his proposal.
They had assumed the meeting involved some newly discovered secret realm or classified resource allocation that required their specialized capabilities.
Seeing Arthur alive and standing before them, all three S-rank awakened felt shock that exceeded their prepared responses to whatever revelation they had anticipated.
They had been told that a significant opportunity existed, but none had imagined they would be meeting the individual whose reported death had been accepted by intelligence services worldwide. The implications of Arthur Fate's survival created strategic possibilities that transformed their understanding of current global power dynamics.
Rather than disappointment at discovering the meeting's true nature, they became genuinely excited as recognition settled into their consciousness. The man before them was a living legend whose power had forced entire nations to reconsider their understanding of individual power potential.
It could be accurately stated that Arthur represented the strongest human being in existence, someone whose achievements had transcended normal classification systems and entered realms of capability that approached the mythical.
Just his presence in the room created an aura of controlled power that commanded immediate respect from fellow S-rank awakened who understood exactly what levels of strength were required to achieve his legendary status.
'Seeing his youthful appearance in person makes his achievements even more incredible,' Li Wei thought with obvious amazement. 'His talent and development rate must be unprecedented. He must be Earth's true champion—possibly the only SS-rank awakened in human history.'
The age disparity between Arthur's apparent youth and his capabilities created cognitive dissonance that spoke to supernatural advancement rates that exceeded normal understanding of how power development functioned.
President Feng rose from his chair and extended his hand toward Arthur with obvious respect and warmth, his expression carrying satisfaction that went beyond simple diplomatic courtesy.
"Arthur," Feng said with genuine enthusiasm as he clasped Arthur's hand in greeting. "It's an honor to meet face-to-face with someone whose survival has made fools of American intelligence services."
Feng's laughter carried obvious amusement at the strategic implications of Arthur's continued existence. "The Americans broadcast his death across every major network, convinced their surveillance capabilities had documented successful elimination. Meanwhile, their greatest enemy continues operating from beyond their comprehension."
The president's satisfaction reflected China's position as one of Arthur's allied nations, making his survival a source of advantage rather than an existential threat. Arthur's protection had transformed China from a struggling survivor into an ascending power, creating diplomatic leverage that traditional military capability couldn't provide.
The meeting was beginning with mutual respect and shared understanding of the strategic realities that would determine how the dimensional crisis ultimately reshaped global civilization.