The moment had finally arrived.
It was time for Arthur to climb to the fifth floor of the Tower Dungeon.
He stood at the threshold of a new challenge, having settled down with Aerith and everyone.
"You are already old enough to take care of yourself and your family,"
Pepper said, her voice a mix of pride and gentle sadness.
"Thank you for everything,"
Arthur replied, his voice sincere as he gave her a final, warm hug.
Pepper became visibly emotional.
Even though she had only adopted Arthur in his teenage years, their bond was absolute; she had treated him as her own son, pouring all her maternal love into him.
"Take good care of yourself,"
Pepper managed, blinking back tears.
Then, she addressed the group gathered there.
"And everyone, please take care of my boy."
Her gaze swept over Aerith, Yuffie, Tifa, and Sephira—the powerful women who had chosen to permanently reside in this world, forming an unconventional but staunch family around Arthur.
They had all promised her, with solemn nods, that they would look after him.
With their blessings secured, Arthur made his way to Stark Tower, the central hub where the portal to the Tower Dungeon awaited.
Before his final ascent, he had spent time surveying the progress of others.
He noted the increasing number of adventurers who had successfully reached the 2nd floor, and the encouraging handful who managed to climb to the 3rd floor.
"People are getting stronger. This is good,"
Arthur murmured to himself, a feeling of satisfaction washing over him.
The increasing strength of Earth's population was a necessary shield against the myriad dangers of the wider Marvel universe.
The more formidable Earth became, the more comfortable he felt embarking on his own quests.
After a few final checks and deep breaths, Arthur stepped through the shimmering gateway and went straight to the fifth floor.
As always, he was the first to enter this new stratum.
He materialized instantly, the world coalescing around him, and then, the familiar holographic screen of his Mission appeared:
[Mission: Help Rimuru found a nation of monsters]
[Reward: Parameters up, Ultimate Skill: Magicule Breeder Reactor.]
"Holy shit!"
Arthur breathed, his eyes widening. The reward was, in a word, overpowered.
The sheer potential of the Ultimate Skill: Magicule Breeder Reactor was staggering.
Combined with the other powers he already possessed, this new ability would grant him a phenomenal increase in strength.
Even if he were to obtain it at a lower level of mastery, he was instantly confident that he could stand toe-to-toe with Serafall.
As he was still processing the magnitude of the mission reward, he briefly glanced at the reward for being the first person to enter the new floor.
It was clearly not as significant as the main mission's reward, so he quickly dismissed it, focusing his attention back on the task ahead.
It was in this moment of deep concentration that a sudden, booming voice broke the silence.
"Hum? Who are you? You are a dragon but from a different bloodline… Are you coming from another world?"
Arthur snapped his head up to locate the speaker, and his eyes went wide in disbelief.
Standing before him, sealed within a powerful magical barrier, was a majestic figure.
It was Veldora!
Arthur had materialized inside the Cave of the Seal, the subterranean starting point of the familiar That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime story.
Veldora was still sealed, which meant the protagonist, Rimuru, had not yet arrived.
Weeks passed within the cave, a blur of slow, agonizing time for Arthur, though not as fast as he wished for in his anticipation.
"Hey, are you listening to me?"
Veldora's voice, a perpetual rumble of curiosity and boredom, cut through the quiet.
Arthur released a long, silent sigh that felt like the thousandth since his arrival.
He had been a captive audience to the mighty Storm Dragon for an entire week, and Veldora hadn't paused his stream of chatter for more than a few minutes.
"Can you please shut up for a few hours?"
Arthur finally snapped, the frustration evident in his tone.
"I'm trying to think about something important."
Ignoring the sealed dragon, Arthur turned his attention to the cave surroundings, searching for the tell-tale sign of the world's future savior.
It had been a week; the timeline was about right. And then, he saw it.
In the distance, a blue slime moved with surprising speed.
It suddenly shot out a devastating arc of wind—a Wind Cutter—that sliced neatly through a level 5 Giant Serpent, instantly killing it.
The slime then rapidly engulfed the creature, devouring it whole.
This slime must be Rimuru, Arthur concluded, a wave of intense focus replacing his prior frustration.
The mission was about to begin.
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