NOVEL NEXT Chapter 530: Bloom's Intelligence [2]
"They exist in complete ignorance of the broader organisational structure that commands them."
Arthur absorbed this information with growing comprehension. The implications were both tactical and disturbing from a humanitarian perspective.
From this intelligence, Arthur concluded that these Epic-Boss level demons were nothing more than expendable cannon fodder in a much larger military operation. The entities commanding these lesser demons possessed genuine intelligence and sophisticated organisational capabilities that enabled large-scale coordination.
The fact that higher-ranking demons had established breeding farms for lesser demons revealed a chilling strategic mindset—these creatures weren't viewed as soldiers or even expendable troops, but as disposable tools whose lives and deaths held no value beyond their utility as instruments of destruction.
The farming of lesser demons indicated that the true demonic leadership operated with industrial-scale resource management and long-term strategic planning that treated individual lives as renewable resources to be harvested and deployed according to operational requirements.
Arthur's expression darkened as he realised humanity was facing an enemy whose organisational capabilities and resource management approached military-industrial levels of sophistication. The demons weren't desperate refugees fleeing a dying world—they were conducting conquest operations with the kind of logistical support that suggested vast territorial holdings and established governmental structures.
The dimensional war had just revealed itself to be far more serious than even his most pessimistic assessments had projected. Humanity wasn't facing raiders or desperate survivors—they were confronting an organised military force with industrial-scale production capabilities.
As Arthur watched the demons tear each other apart under Bloom's psychological manipulation, he received crucial news through his mental connection with Neko. The primordial cat's telepathic voice carried information that immediately shifted Arthur's priorities.
Jasmine was about to begin Charlotte's medical procedure, and she had specifically instructed Neko to ensure that Arthur did not enter the treatment area under any circumstances.
Arthur's expression cycled rapidly through excitement, worry, and uncertainty as the full implications registered. He had done everything within his power to provide Charlotte with the best possible chance for recovery—securing epic-rank enhancement herbs, obtaining blood from a legendary second-order beast, and unlocking achievements that no other player had ever accomplished.
While most players remained ignorant about beast classifications beyond Superior rank, Arthur had successfully eliminated a legendary-rank second-order creature that possessed its own domain abilities, achieving this victory without even manifesting his own domain yet. The feat represented power scaling that exceeded conventional understanding of what individual capability could achieve.
The more Arthur contemplated the possibility of Charlotte finally awakening and being reunited with him after their prolonged separation, the more overwhelming his emotional response became. The energy coursing through his body rose to levels that felt genuinely terrifying in their intensity—spatial distortions began manifesting around him as his control wavered under the weight of hope and anxiety.
He needed an outlet for this destructive potential before it caused unintended consequences.
His eyes landed on the demons below, still engaged in their manipulated self-destruction under Bloom's influence.
"Bloom, handle the complete elimination of all demonic forces in Port Huron and its surrounding areas," Arthur commanded. "Contact me immediately when the region is entirely cleared of threats."
After delegating Port Huron's liberation, Arthur teleported away to address the broader crisis affecting Michigan. He had decided that the entire state needed to be completely free from demonic presence to create a secure foundation for future operations.
Attempting to cultivate new awakened individuals in the current environment would be counterproductive and wasteful of human resources. For every new awakened successfully developed, tens or perhaps hundreds of civilians would die during the training process. The mathematics of such losses made conventional development strategies untenable.
It would be far more efficient for Arthur to personally eliminate the demonic threats and then cultivate awakened individuals within Armageddon's safer environments when circumstances permitted such luxury.
Arthur was already formulating various methodologies for implementing accelerated development programs that would maximise human potential while minimising casualties.
"Aether, teleport us to Flint," Arthur instructed as he provided general directional coordinates for their next destination.
They vanished from Port Huron's airspace as Bloom continued his psychological warfare against the remaining demonic forces. The plant-based summon would ensure complete regional pacification while Arthur addressed threats in other population centres.
Warren and Monroe were already being handled by his captains and various powerful demon summons he had deployed for defensive operations. Those locations had sufficient supernatural protection to handle whatever threats emerged, eliminating the need for his personal intervention.
Arthur's approach to Michigan's liberation was proceeding according to plan, driven by the desperate hope that Charlotte's procedure would succeed and they could finally be reunited in a world worth protecting.
...
Jasmine stood in the sterile medical chamber, her hands trembling slightly as she arranged the concoction and prepared the magical instruments required for Charlotte's procedure. The weight of responsibility pressed down on her consciousness like a mountain.
The current procedure she was about to undertake could and would most certainly affect not only her own fate, but everyone and everything connected to Arthur's network. Charlotte's status as alive or dead would undoubtedly determine how Arthur would react to the outcome, and Jasmine harboured no illusions about the consequences of failure.
She didn't possess even an ounce of doubt that if she became the cause of Charlotte's death, Arthur might very well kill her without hesitation. Arthur wasn't some random awakened individual—he was someone whose potential terrified even her.
Even with the SS-rank class that she had obtained through Arthur's generosity, coupled with her inherited gravity magic from her father's legacy and her own S-rank light healing talent, Jasmine possessed what could arguably be considered among the strongest developmental potential in existence in this world. Yet when compared to Arthur, she felt woefully inadequate.
The disparity wasn't simply about current capability—it was about the fundamental nature of Arthur's growth trajectory that seemed to transcend understanding of advancement limitations.
Even that deceptively cute primordial cat positioned near Charlotte's bedside filled Jasmine with genuine terror despite Neko's calm appearance and drowsy demeanour. She understood intuitively that the small feline could end her life.