Chapter 85: Future Plans

After two hours, Atlas finally brought out all the high-tech blueprints for Arthur to examine. Arthur carefully studied the designs, his eyes moving across the numerous documents spread before him. There were high-powered laser cannons, advanced submarines, spaceships, flying ships, and countless other weapons designed with technology far beyond what humanity currently possessed.

Each blueprint represented a significant technological breakthrough. Some weapons were designed for long-range bombardment, while others specialized in defense, transportation, or underwater combat. The technological foundation of the merfolk civilization was truly astonishing, and Arthur could already envision how useful these inventions would become in the coming apocalypse.

"Good. These should be enough to fend off the monsters during the first month after the integration. Once we establish a stable foundation, I’ll find some powerful blacksmiths and artifact refiners to forge even more advanced weapons."

Arthur muttered to himself as he continued examining the blueprints. Although these technologies were impressive, he understood that conventional weapons would eventually become insufficient against increasingly powerful monsters. He needed weapons capable of growing alongside his forces, combining advanced technology with supernatural materials and powerful enchantments.

After examining the documents for a while, Arthur finally raised his head and looked at Atlas.

"Go outside and call an Archduke."

Atlas immediately nodded before leaving the room. An Archduke had been waiting outside anxiously, hoping to learn what their king had discussed with Arthur. However, when he saw Atlas’s shadowy form emerging from the room, an indescribable sense of loss suddenly overwhelmed him.

Their mighty king, who had once commanded the entire merfolk civilization with an overwhelming presence, had now become a shadow general serving someone else. Even though he understood that their king had willingly accepted this arrangement, witnessing the reality still left him feeling deeply uncomfortable.

"Come inside. His Majesty is calling you."

Atlas’s calm voice brought the Archduke out of his stupor. The latter immediately composed himself and nodded respectfully.

"Understood."

He entered the room without wasting another second and bowed deeply before Arthur. Despite the complicated emotions he was experiencing, he had no intention of questioning their king’s decision. Besides they now had had the same respect and reverence for Arthur as well.

Arthur gestured toward the blueprints spread across the table.

"Prepare your people and manufacture one hundred sets of these technologies within fifteen days. I’ll provide all the necessary materials. Can you accomplish that?"

The Archduke, whose name was Lobar, immediately examined the blueprints. His expression gradually changed as he realized the sheer scale of the task Arthur had assigned him. There were approximately thirteen different designs, and he was expected to produce one hundred complete sets of each. ℴ𝒗ⅇ𝑙.

Even with the technological advantages of the merfolk civilization, this was an extremely demanding undertaking. Some of these weapons required specialized components, while others depended on complicated manufacturing processes that could not easily be accelerated.

"Your Majesty, fifteen days is simply too short to manufacture that many sets," Lobar replied with a troubled expression. "Even if I mobilize our finest engineers and put everyone to work, completing such an enormous order would be extraordinarily difficult."

Arthur wasn’t particularly surprised by his response. He had already anticipated that manufacturing these technologies would require considerable time and manpower. Nevertheless, he wanted to determine exactly what the merfolk could accomplish within the available period.

"All right. How many sets can you produce within fifteen days?"

Lobar considered the question carefully before answering.

"At most, ten sets of each blueprint. Even that would be extremely difficult, Your Majesty. I would need to mobilize our best engineers, establish several production teams, and ensure that the required materials arrived without delay."

Arthur pondered the situation for a moment. Ten sets of each technology were certainly fewer than he had hoped for, but they were not entirely useless. Considering the destructive potential of these weapons, even a limited number could significantly strengthen his forces during the earliest monster waves.

"All right. Proceed with the manufacturing. Also, prepare yourself and select your best engineers. You’ll be leaving with me and establishing your production facilities at my territory. From then onward, you’ll live there and continue developing these weapons."

Arthur had already decided to dedicate a separate shelter to the merfolk engineers. There, they would have sufficient space to establish their workshops, conduct experiments, and develop increasingly advanced technologies without interfering with the other construction projects.

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

Lobar bowed respectfully, accepting the assignment without further objections. Although the deadline was challenging, he understood the importance of their mission. Their civilization’s survival and future development now depended on Arthur.

After settling the remaining matters, Arthur and his subordinates immediately departed from the Atlantian capital. Once they had reached a suitable distance, Sebas reopened the communication system, restoring the connection with the international leaders who had been waiting for their report.

Arthur appeared on the screen, his expression calm and composed.

"I’ve dealt with the merfolk problem. You no longer need to worry about them becoming an obstacle to our preparations. Now, accelerate your efforts and construct as many fortress cities as possible before the integration begins."

He didn’t waste time explaining every detail of his encounter with Atlas. The international leaders had their own responsibilities, and revealing all his arrangements with the merfolk would accomplish little at this stage.

After delivering his final instructions, Arthur terminated the connection. His gaze gradually deepened as he began considering his next moves.

The merfolk threat had been dealt with. He could now focus on developing his territory, strengthening his forces, and acquiring the treasures that would give him an overwhelming advantage during the coming apocalypse.

As for the construction of his town, he could leave most of the work to the Archdukes. They already possessed sufficient knowledge of urban development, defensive formations, and resource management. All he needed to do was provide them with the appropriate blueprints and specify where he wanted each structure established.

Arthur turned toward the people waiting behind him.

"Noah, take these blueprints and begin clearing the designated areas. I intend to establish two shelters at the locations marked on this plan. Make sure the surrounding areas are prepared according to my instructions."

He handed Noah the town development blueprint before explaining several important details about the proposed layout. Noah studied the document carefully, memorizing the designated locations and the areas that required immediate preparation.

"As for the merfolk, I’ll bring them here after the shelters have been constructed. Their engineers will need sufficient space to establish their workshops and manufacture the weapons."

Noah nodded and immediately began to think of organizing the necessary manpower. With the blueprints in hand, he could coordinate the construction work while Arthur pursued his own objectives.

However, Arthur had another urgent task that couldn’t be postponed any longer.

He needed to leave Herian City and enter the wilderness.

The Sun Kingdom map should have unlocked by now, and several opportunities were waiting for him beyond the city’s boundaries. Among them, two individuals were particularly important to his future plans. One was a Divine Blacksmith who would eventually help him create his life-bound weapon. The other was a powerful NPC hidden somewhere in the wilderness.

The Divine Blacksmith would appear in approximately ten days. Arthur could afford to wait for that encounter, but the second NPC presented an opportunity that he couldn’t ignore.

In his previous life, Arthur had learned about this NPC’s existence too late. By the time he discovered the truth, another player had already obtained the extraordinary treasure associated with the NPC’s mission.

That player was Varian.

The treasure in question was the Heavenly Mirror of Fate, an artifact that had played a decisive role in Varian’s rise to power. Although it was only an Epic-grade artifact at present, its actual potential was terrifying.

By feeding currency into the mirror, its owner could ask questions and obtain answers to an extraordinary range of mysteries. There were certain restrictions, particularly when inquiries involved powerful gods or their temples, but those limitations did little to diminish its value.

The most ashtonishing feature was that, the mirror could be upgraded using various materials. And he could just ask the mirror it self where to find those materials.

In other words, its growth wasn’t limited by luck alone. A sufficiently wealthy and capable owner could gradually transform it into an artifact of unimaginable power.

Arthur remembered its history particularly well because the Heavenly Mirror had remained at the top of the worldwide artifact rankings for ten consecutive years. Only when he acquired a God-grade artifact from an ancient ruin did he finally manage to surpass it.

Unfortunately, that achievement also contributed to his early demise.

The worldwide rankings themselves were far more important than most players realized. They weren’t merely lists designed to display the strongest individuals and most valuable treasures. Every month, the top ten participants in each ranking received exclusive rewards that could significantly accelerate their development.

The combat prowess rankings offered powerful treasures that directly increased attributes or improved other aspects of strength. Meanwhile, the artifact rankings provided rare materials capable of upgrading the listed artifacts, allowing their owners to develop advantages that ordinary players could hardly imagine.

The level rankings were equally valuable. Their rewards included sufficient currency to advance one or two levels, depending on the recipient’s foundation and the requirements for advancement.