Arthur's inner clock, tuned to the energetic signatures of his partners, told him it was time for his promised check-in with the training team.
He had spent the last hours in the Royal Palace, ensuring the paperwork was being flawlessly executed by Sona and the political integration of his new sister-wives—Crusch, Anastasia, and Priscilla—was proceeding smoothly.
He used his power to bypass the normal Tower Nexus transit, instantly materializing near the Second Floor's entrance point, ready to assess the damage and give a pep talk.
He found the team resting in a secluded clearing.
The entire area was covered in the smoking, cracked remains of Magma Golems and various incinerated Mabeasts.
Asia was sitting calmly, her Twilight Healing aura a faint, golden-green glow over Yuffie's heavily bruised shoulder.
Kuroka and Kitty Pryde were setting up a temporary shield to contain the ambient heat.
And then there was Koneko.
She wasn't resting.
She was performing a rapid series of katas, the ground shaking slightly beneath her focused movements.
Her Nekomata aura was tight and potent, no longer a fluctuating purple but a dense, steady violet.
The physical difference was immense; she moved with the confident, lethal grace of a veteran fighter.
Arthur scanned her parameters instantly.
[Toujou Koneko is now Level 4!]
Arthur raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise.
Her power had not just increased; the quality of her fighting essence had leaped an entire grade.
She had clearly pushed past the threshold in less than a single day of focused grinding.
Koneko finished her move, sensing his massive presence.
She turned, her face slick with sweat but bearing a triumphant, challenging smile.
"Arthur!"
She said, her voice firmer than before.
"I knew you would check on us."
"Level 4, Koneko? In a day?"
Arthur chuckled, genuinely impressed.
"You're surpassing all the goals. What happened to the 'easy' training trip?"
Kuroka snickered, sauntering over.
"She got angry, Arthur, nyaan. We found a giant, surprise Magma Golem Boss, and she decided she wasn't going to run away. Asia's healing was amazing, and we managed to beat it. She leveled up twice from the experience crystal alone, nyaan."
Koneko walked up to Arthur, standing tall.
"I proved I can handle the danger. So, I have a request. We've cleared most of the First Floor. I want to go to the Third Floor with the team. I need the higher-level threats to get stronger."
Arthur looked at the fierce determination in her eyes.
He had planned to keep her on the First Floor for at least a week, but her explosive growth negated that cautious approach.
The entire point was to accelerate her power, and denying her the next challenge would now stunt her growth.
"You're right,"
Arthur conceded, nodding.
"I don't have a reason to refuse you anymore, Koneko. If Kuroka, Kitty, and Kurt agree you're ready, you have my permission to proceed to the Second floor or even Third Floor after a rest period."
He looked at the exhausted group.
"Take a full twelve hours to recover. Asia, make sure everyone is at 100%. Then, you can proceed."
He looked at his wrist, checking an internal clock linked to the cosmic energies of his home dimension.
"Today, I'm going to the Fifth Floor. I have to check on Rimuru."
He gave a final, firm nod to the team.
"Don't stop grinding. I'll check on the Third Floor when I return."
With a final flash of golden-green light, Arthur's powerful form shimmered and vanished from the Second Floor, heading toward the dangerous, concept-bending environments of the Fifth Floor.
…
Arthur flashed out of the Second Floor and slammed into the high-tech terminal hub, barely resisting the urge to crack his neck.
The Fifth Floor access point was always so intense, charged with raw, high-grade Magicule energy—Rimuru's kind of power.
He arrived high above the glittering city of the Jura Tempest Federation, in the massive, silent control chamber.
Rimuru was waiting for him. She looked incredible, lounging on a holographic throne in her androgynous form, silver-blue hair shimmering.
She was the one he truly needed to see.
"Hey, Rimuru. How's it going after I left?"
Arthur greeted, his voice dropping into a more casual, familiar tone.
He covered the distance and pulled her off the throne for a quick, intimate kiss.
Rimuru chuckled softly, leaning into the contact for a moment before pushing back slightly.
"You are back, Arthur. And yeah, everything is going well. However, I noticed the massive spike in your life bond registry. I see your family is... expanding."
She raised a perfect eyebrow.
"Three new women? You've been busy. Did you use force, or was that all natural charm?"
Arthur shrugged, a slightly awkward grin crossing his face.
"Nah, it was mostly political blackmail. Seriously, who asks for that as a deal? But look, I'm not here to talk about girlfriends. I'm here to check on you. How's everything going?"
Rimuru waved a hand, and the room dissolved into a panoramic, holographic display of her entire kingdom.
"Chill, I'm not that high-maintenance. It's running at 99.9% efficiency. I literally haven't had to do anything but exist. It's kinda boring, actually."
"Boring is good for my investment,"
Arthur said, looping an arm around her waist.
"But seriously, who's watching the nation while you're off doing whatever you want?"
"Anticipated that,"
Rimuru replied, her eyes twinkling. With a sudden flash of purifying water vapor and blue fire, a beautiful woman materialized beside her.
She had a kind, experienced face and a tailored officer's uniform.
"Arthur, meet the new temp manager of my nation—Shizuka Izawa!"
Rimuru announced.
Arthur stared.
"Wait, Shizuka? You... you resurrected her?"
"Not quite. I used my Manas: Ciel to grab the concept of her soul, gave her the body and abilities of my Ifrit spirit, plus a tiny slice of my own administrative brain. She's basically the perfect, immortal manager,"
Rimuru explained, utterly pragmatic about this miraculous feat.
"She's got all the wisdom, none of the mortality problems, and the people adore her."
Shizuka gave Arthur a respectful bow.
"I assure you, Arthur, the federation will remain exactly as stable as Rimuru-sama requires."
"Okay, wow. You're seriously the best,"
Arthur said, turning back to Rimuru, deeply impressed by her power and thoughtfulness.
"With her running the place, I can totally peace out."
....ADVANCED CHAPTERS...
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