Blue Moon City, in a meeting room at the Array Hall.
"Head Array Master, what should we do now? The Foam Desert has been stabilized by an artificial Earth Vein, but another wave of Magical Beasts could attack at any time." an Array Master asked while seated at a round table with ten participants.
As he spoke, he looked anxiously at the Head Array Master that was sitting at the opposite end of the table. His brows were furrowed, and his hands were clasped together as he looked downward at a large map depicting the Foam Desert.
On the map were five X marks, which represented the various Earth Veins. As the Earth Veins moved around, so did the X marks on the map. One of the X marks was fluctuating, fading in and out as if it wasn't real. This was the artificial Earth Vein the Array Master spoke of.
A pair of old male Cultivators not from the Array Hall were seated on either side of the Head Array Master. They both wore robes with the Blue Moon City crest on their left shoulders, and were the ones placed in charge of maintaining order among the civilians while they dealt with this calamity.
One of the men whispered in the Head Array Master's ear, "We have heard from the Guild Hall that there has been an increase in Cultivators applying to join the Guild. Perhaps we could make use of them to defend against these Magical Beast tides?"
"More Cultivators? If they are newbies in the Qi Refinement Realm, they won't be of any use to us."
"While some of them are, there are others in the Foundation Establishment Realm that have recently become Platinum-Ranked.
Their combat power greatly exceeds the normal standard. We don't even know where these people came from, but there are hundreds applying to Blue Moon City alone."
The Head Array Master nodded. This was a good solution to their current problem and would give the Array Hall time to replenish their stock of Guardian Statues. He looked at Array Master Fowley, who seemed to have something to say.
"Head Array Master, I believe I can also be of some use."
"Oh? This isn't like you, Fowley. What do you have in mind?"
Array Master Fowley stood up from his chair and pulled out a large disc from his Space Ring. The disc was made of pure metal and seemed to weigh around a hundred pounds, but Fowley carried it effortlessly to the corner of the room where he set it down.
The others watched in confusion as Fowley pulled out a second identical disc from his Space Ring and placed it in the opposite corner of the room.
Fowley returned to the first corner and channeled some Mana of the Space Element into the disc, causing both discs to light up simultaneously. A portal formed between the two discs, and Array Master Fowley stepped through to wind up on the other side.
"A portal? So what, you can do that anyway." one of the other Array Masters didn't understand why Fowley showed them this. A few became jealous, thinking Array Master Fowley was just trying to show off to the two men next to the Head Array Master.
Fowley shook his head, "It's not just that. Here, you try it."
"How? I don't have the Space Element."
"Okay..." the Array Master was very skeptical, but he went over to the first disc anyway. He didn't want to look bad in front of his superiors, but he swore in his heart that if Fowley did something to mess with him, he would get his revenge.
He looked back at Fowley for confirmation, then channeled some Mana into it. Since he wasn't accustomed to the item, the Array Master had some trouble funneling the Mana and it took a few seconds longer.
Just like before, both discs lit up and a portal formed, allowing the Array Master to travel from one side of the room to another.
"As you can see, Head Array Master, I have invented a new Runic Artifact. I call it a Space Port, which does not require the constant use of the Space Element to send someone from one place to another."
"Marvelous!" one of the Cultivators seated next to the Head Array Master shouted in delight. He never expected his trip to the Array Hall to be so rewarding this time around. "How does it work, Array Master Fowley?"
"In simple terms, it absorbs Mana of the Space Element from the environment, then activates when someone actively pours Mana into it. This way, I only need to be around to maintain the Runic Artifact, but I don't actually have to supervise the portals personally."
The man nodded. He was thankful that Fowley didn't go in depth on the explanation, since he was just a member of the City and had little knowledge of Arrays. "How far can it go?"
Fowley scratched his head, "This one can only range around one kilometer, but I think I can create a larger version that can reach thirty times that distance. I will need a few weeks to prepare and I will provide updates as needed to the Head Array Master, Sir."
The man nodded again. He turned to the Head Array Master, "Perhaps with the use of your...Space Port, and the manpower from the Guild Hall, we can issue Quests to the new Adventurers. If everything goes according to plan, we may be able to prevent another tragedy like the one at Thin Creek Village."
The Head Array Master nodded. "Speaking of Thin Creek Village, what are we going to do about the Livingwood Forest? Does anyone know the current state of that Region?"
Another Array Master spoke up at this moment, "Sir, I've been keeping an eye on the Livingwood forest for about a month now. It seems the Cultivation of the Wind Wolves has increased on average to the Nascent Soul Realm.
There are even rumors of a new Magical Beast in the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, but we cannot confirm this yet. As of right now, the Magical Beasts are no longer increasing in number, but we may have to label the area as a new Forbidden Zone."
The Head Array Master looked back at the man in surprise, "It's that bad already? How does it compare to the Providence Zone?"
"I'd say it is equivalent to the outermost Ring, the First Ring of the Providence Zone."
"Disciple William, it seems you made it to the laboratory on time. I'm impressed." Riyald nodded in satisfaction at William's ability to navigate his home. Thɪs chapter is updated by novelꞁire.net
William nodded his head but was inwardly annoyed. Embedded in his rear end was a poisoned crossbow bolt that welcomed him the moment he entered the laboratory.
If not for this Navigation Radar, your damn maze that you call a residence would have killed me multiple times!
On the way to the laboratory, William's Radar showed dozens of traps hidden in the walls, ceiling, and floor that he had to carefully avoid. It seemed that creating traps was one of Riyald's favorite pastimes.
Thankfully, William had plenty of practice dodging poisoned crossbow bolts from the trial towers, and the last month of constant battling had turned William into a battle maniac that always had his Navigation Radar and Life Sense active.
You damn old man, I'll get you back for this!