NOVEL NEXT Chapter 527: Escalation [1]
After leaving Lisa and Moon in the village to begin their training, Arthur appeared at the mountain peak overlooking Village #420. Standing atop the familiar summit, he was struck by the profound contrast between his current position and his first arrival in this world.
He remembered entering Armageddon as a desperate orphan with no power, no money, and no prospects beyond the slums of Detroit. His only motivation had been finding a better life for Charlotte, perhaps earning enough to afford them some food and shelter and escape the poverty that defined their existence.
Now he stood here with the raw power to erase this entire mountain if he willed it—spatial manipulation capabilities that could reshape reality according to his desires, a large number of legendary summons, and influence that spanned across worlds.
It was truly bizarre how completely life could transform in a matter of months. One decision to accept that initial beta player invitation had led him down a path he could never have imagined.
Arthur found himself wondering what would have happened if he had refused Armageddon's call and simply remained in the slums with Charlotte. Would the dimensional merge have taken longer to occur? Would Earth's conventional forces have somehow found a way to stop the invasion without awakened assistance?
The questions were purely academic now. What had happened had happened, and there was no productive purpose in dwelling on alternative timelines that existed only in speculation.
Arthur's reflection was interrupted by an incoming system message that immediately captured his attention. He pressed on the notification, and his eyes widened in shock at the words displayed before him.
The message came from one of his subordinates stationed on Earth.
[More portals have started appearing. The demons emerging are stronger than previous waves, and they are manifesting without stopping. The invasion intensity has escalated beyond our current containment ability.]
Arthur's expression darkened as he processed the implications of this intelligence.
The dimensional crisis wasn't stabilizing as he had hoped—it was entering a new, more dangerous phase that threatened to overwhelm even his summons.
If the demons were growing stronger and arriving in greater numbers, he needed to act immediately.
Charlotte's recovery timeline suddenly became even more critical. The window for ensuring her safety before the conflict escalated beyond manageable levels was closing faster than he had anticipated.
The dimensional war was entering its next phase, and humanity's survival would depend on how quickly he could adapt his strategies to meet escalating challenges.
He didn't even get a few moments worth of rest before It was time to return to the battlefield.
Just after receiving that alarming message, Arthur immediately opened telepathic communication with his summons spread across the globe. His network should have been providing him with real-time updates about any new dimensional activity, yet there had been no reports from his forces.
Arthur contacted Aamon in France, Sylvaris in China, and his various other superior-rank summons positioned throughout allied nations. The response was consistent and troubling—none of them had observed new portal formations in their assigned territories.
Arthur frowned as he processed this contradiction. The possibility of his subordinate lying was virtually nonexistent given the guild's loyalty systems, and the probability of his summons providing false information was absolutely zero due to their mystical bonds.
This meant only one thing: the new portals were strategically avoiding areas where his forces were actively operating. The dimensional incursions had just begun manifesting, so his summons likely hadn't been informed by their respective governments yet.
"Aamon, check with the French military immediately," Arthur commanded through their mental link. "I need confirmation of portal activity outside our operational zones."
Meanwhile, Arthur activated his spatial manipulation and teleported back to Earth to conduct personal scouting of the situation.
Aamon's telepathic voice reached him within minutes, carrying grim confirmation of Arthur's suspicions.
"Reports of gate formations have indeed emerged across multiple continents," Aamon reported with obvious concern. "Earth appears to be facing a coordinated escalation that exceeds the previous invasion."
Arthur frowned deeply at the strategic predicament they now faced. His individual power was overwhelming, and his summons possessed powerful capabilities, but the fundamental issue remained unchanged—they weren't numerous enough to maintain simultaneous presence everywhere that threats might emerge.
Coverage gaps were inevitable when dealing with a planet-wide crisis, and the demons appeared to have identified this weakness for exploitation.
Back in Detroit, Arthur materialized atop the Renaissance Center, using the elevated position to survey the city's skyline with his eyes.
As far as his eyes could see, no new dimensional rifts were forming anywhere within his sensory range.
The confirmation was both relieving and disturbing. The demons were indeed avoiding locations where he and his summons maintained active presence, choosing instead to attack areas without supernatural protection.
It was tactically sound from their perspective—why engage overwhelming opposition when vulnerable targets remained available elsewhere?
Gates and his intelligence operatives were already spread throughout the region conducting searches for new dimensional activity. Their network would continue expanding surveillance until they located the emerging threats.
Arthur wasn't worried about their safety because he had sent with them a few of his most capable summons. Gates and his daughter would remain safe without any threat to their lives. A sueprior ranked demon nearing level 25 wasn't something that a portal demon can deal with.
Arthur sent a direct message through Armageddon's communication system to the subordinate who had originally reported the escalation.
"Where is the gate?"
No response came.
A deeper frown formed on Arthur's face as minutes passed without acknowledgment. The silence was ominous—either his subordinate was engaged in combat too intensive for communication, or something had happened that prevented any response at all.
Neither possibility suggested good news for the developing situation.
Arthur's expression hardened as he prepared to investigate personally. The dimensional war was entering a new phase, and he needed to understand exactly what kind of escalation humanity was facing before it overwhelmed their defensive capabilities entirely.
The hunt for answers would begin immediately.