Chapter 92: Top tier Saint grade Artifact

Arthur clenched his fist, and a faint cracking sound echoed through the air. The space before his knuckles trembled under the pressure, revealing the terrifying physical strength he had attained. He examined his hand briefly, a satisfied smile forming on his face.

"Not bad. However, I should wait until my total attributes reach the one million mark before becoming complacent," Arthur muttered.

After admiring his progress a while longer, Arthur took out his satellite phone and dialed Noah’s number. He had been away from the outside world for several days and needed to check what had happened in his absence. The call connected almost immediately, but before Arthur could speak, Noah’s desperate voice rang out.

"Arthur, where the hell are you? We’ve been looking for you for the last five days! The entire family is in an uproar, and even the country’s upper echelon has been desperately trying to find you!" Noah exclaimed, his tone filled with relief, frustration, and disbelief.

"Huh? What are you talking about? Couldn’t you have traced my phone?" Arthur asked, genuinely surprised. He had not expected his brief absence to cause such a massive commotion, especially since he had carried the satellite phone the entire time.

"We tried everything! We attempted to locate your phone, searched through every available channel, and even tried contacting you through the game. We sent messages, but you never replied. Where exactly are you right now?" Noah demanded.

Arthur frowned. Something about the situation did not make sense. He had spent the past few days cultivating and exploring the inheritance without deliberately disconnecting himself. If his phone had functioned normally, someone should have found him.

"That’s strange. Could it be that all my connections to the outside world were severed when I obtained the inheritance? But I’ve been cultivating normally for the past two days. They should have been able to find me by now," he muttered.

A calm voice suddenly sounded inside his mind.

[Greetings, Lord Arthur. I am the artifact spirit of this small island. This island is a top-grade Saint-tier artifact, and one of its functions is to cut off all forms of external connection while its master is cultivating or occupied with important matters.]

Arthur’s eyes widened. He didn’t know that the island possessed an artifact spirit, and he certainly had not expected such a remarkable ability. No wonder no one outside had been able to locate him.

"Holy moly! Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?" he exclaimed. Had he known beforehand, he could have avoided the tremendous commotion among his family and the country’s most powerful officials.

[You were occupied with your cultivation and the inheritance, my lord. I did not wish to disturb you unnecessarily. Please forgive me.]

Arthur shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it. The spirit had not acted from malice. His curiosity quickly shifted to the island’s other capabilities.

"No worries. By the way, what is your name?"

[Please call me Camelion, my lord.]

"All right, Camelion. Tell me, does this artifact possess any other functions?"

He already understood how precious a Saint-tier artifact was. Even a low-grade one could trigger a cosmic war among powerful warlords if news of its existence spread. Yet this island was top-grade, placing it in an entirely different category.

[Yes, my lord. This artifact can amplify the surrounding spiritual energy to a level equivalent to that provided by a low-grade Saint-tier spirit vein. Furthermore, it can conceal its master’s presence from the perception of True Immortals and anyone below that realm. It also possesses a spiritual land capable of cultivating and producing various spirit plants. Most importantly, this artifact can be upgraded by absorbing world essence.]

Arthur’s mouth slowly opened. Every function was valuable alone; together they made the island an extraordinary cultivation treasure. Abundant spiritual energy, concealment from powerful beings, and production of valuable spirit plants—yet the final ability caught his attention most.

"It can be upgraded using world essence?" he repeated, eyes shining. "That’s incredible! Damn, this thing can practically compete with a Mythical-grade item and a high grade one at that."

An artifact that could evolve through world essence had virtually limitless potential, provided he could acquire enough of the resource. Considering his opportunities, he could eventually transform the island into something far more terrifying.

"One more question, Camelion. Can I take the island with me wherever I go, or does it have to remain in this location?"

[You can take it with you, master. Alternatively, you may place it in a secure location and use teleportation to return whenever you wish. You do not need to keep it here permanently.]

Arthur nodded thoughtfully. That solved another problem. He had no intention of leaving such a precious artifact where someone might eventually discover it. Taking it with him would keep it safe while allowing full use of its functions.

He soon remembered an Epic-grade shelter in the Genesis Realm that operated using the power of water. Arthur had already considered conquering that shelter, and now he had an even better reason. If he could bring the island into it, he could establish a secure base where its spiritual energy and spirit plants would be well protected.

The island covered approximately five thousand acres—far too large to treat as an ordinary portable treasure. Nevertheless, its artifact functions made transportation possible. For now, he could simply place it inside one of his existing shelters and relocate it later.

After deciding on his next course of action, Arthur communicated his intention to Camelion. The artifact spirit responded at once, and the entire island began to disappear from its original location. Within moments the vast stretch of land vanished completely, leaving no trace.

With that matter settled, Arthur rose into the air and began flying toward the mainland. He was not yet capable of genuine flight through physical strength alone, so he relied on a powerful technique that formed small wings of mana. These wings allowed him to remain airborne and propel himself forward at approximately one hundred kilometers per hour.

Although the speed was nothing extraordinary compared with what he could achieve through other abilities, Arthur thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It had been a long time since he had flown freely through the sky, and the sensation of moving above the clouds reminded him of his previous life, when such experiences had become almost routine.

As a veteran cultivator, he needed no practice to maintain balance or control direction. He simply adjusted the flow of mana through his wings and continued forward, enjoying the scenery below while keeping track of his destination.

Three hours later Arthur finally reached the mainland. The moment his feet touched the ground he activated his Atomic Body Control ability and began running toward Arvia. His physical capabilities had improved tremendously, allowing him to cover enormous distances without exhausting himself.

At his current speed he needed only about an hour to reach the city. Throughout the journey he maintained stealth, ensuring ordinary people would not notice him. Moving at such tremendous speed could create powerful gusts of wind, and he had no desire to frighten people or attract unnecessary attention.

Eventually the familiar buildings of Arvia came into view. Arthur continued toward the Miller family estate, reaching the entrance without encountering significant obstacles. After entering, he made his way directly toward the main palace, expecting the usual atmosphere of activity.

Instead he immediately noticed something unusual.

The entire palace appeared to be in a festive mood, with numerous people gathered throughout the premises. Several high-ranking officials were present, and to Arthur’s considerable surprise, even the president himself had arrived. The atmosphere suggested something important had happened, though Arthur could not immediately determine what.

The explanation became clear when Noah informed the gathered officials that he had finally managed to contact Arthur. The moment they received confirmation that Arthur was safe, the tension that had gripped the entire group began to disappear. For the past five days they had been unable to locate the person who currently served as their greatest source of strength and security.

Arthur was no longer merely an important member of the Miller family. His extraordinary abilities and growing influence had made him a figure whose disappearance could create serious uncertainty throughout the country. It was hardly surprising that the president and other high-ranking officials had become involved in the search.

Understanding their concerns, Arthur decided to reveal himself rather than remain hidden any longer. He deactivated his stealth ability, allowing his figure to appear before everyone gathered in the palace.

The reaction was immediate.

Two streaks of light shot toward him with astonishing speed, leaving Arthur barely enough time to recognize the approaching figures before they threw their arms around him. One was Anastasia, the other Sofia. Both women had clearly been searching for him anxiously, and their tear-streaked faces revealed just how deeply his disappearance had affected them.

"Arthur, where have you been? I was so worried about you!" Sofia exclaimed, her voice trembling as she held him tightly.

"Young master, I’m so happy that you’re safe!" Anastasia added, her eyes still red from crying.

Arthur had expected Anastasia to become emotional given their relationship, but he had not anticipated that Sofia would be so distressed as well. Seeing their genuine concern, he decided not to push them away. Instead he allowed them to hold him for a while, understanding that his unexplained disappearance had caused them considerable anxiety.

After some time both women finally began to calm down. They gradually released him, only to realize they had been hugging him in front of so many people. Their faces immediately turned bright red as they stepped back, embarrassed by their own reactions.

Arthur glanced at them before turning his attention toward the others. The president, the officials, and the members of the Miller family were all watching him, their expressions reflecting a mixture of relief and curiosity.

"Hello, everyone. I’m sorry for causing such a commotion," Arthur said with an apologetic smile.