About an hour after the emperor's journey had commenced, the activity in Proxima A reached a dramatic crescendo.Ptssss, A soft hiss echoed as air escaped from a pod that began to open. The lid slowly rose, revealing a stunning dark elf woman lying peacefully inside.She remained still for a moment longer before her closed eyes began to flutter and then slowly open, revealing striking green eyes that gradually came into focus.“Mh…” she groaned slightly as she grasped the edge of the VR pod, using it for support as she shifted from a reclining position to a seated one.“Although I believed it was real, I still had a slight suspicion that we were merely part of a simulation undergoing a test,” she said, her voice initially crackling. As she spoke, her vocal cords gradually adjusted, growing clearer with each word, signaling their first true use after being constantly stimulated by the pod to prepare for movement when the time for their awakening came.“It’s good to be skeptical and que
Task Force Teegarden.It had been more than a year since their arrival, and they had discovered two planets in the Goldilocks zone, both shrouded in nuclear winter as a result of a devastating war. This discovery marked the beginning of their exploration.Inside a private office, Fleet Admiral Jason Ryfczinski could be seen going through the final pieces of collected data from the entire star system. The majority of important data had been collected from the two habitable planets within the star system, Teegarden B and Teegarden C, both currently experiencing nuclear winter.Despite the primary goal of the exploration fleets being discovery, the selection of specific star systems hinted at the empire's fervent hope to find intelligent life. Each of these star systems boasted planets within the Goldilocks zone.However, after meticulously searching every nook and cranny within the two habitable planets within the star system, they were certain there was no intelligent life remaining. A
{Why not just kill them?} Athena interjected, offering her suggestion amidst the discussion.Although Aron was in transit on his journey, he wasn't exempt from working. He was currently undergoing his daily morning briefing, which was being provided by the head of agencies AI.Currently, they were discussing how to deal with the people who had been exiled by the empire. These individuals were considered irreconcilable opponents of the empire, always on the verge of causing trouble whenever they had the chance.The reason they were discussing these exiled individuals now, despite their banishment a few years ago, was due to recent simulations. These simulations indicated that, given the empire's rapid expansion and the sudden addition of ten billion people, all in their prime and of childbearing age, their population would increase exponentially. If there were no technologically superior civilizations to threaten the empire's existence or expansion, by the time the exiles arrived at th
Six Months Later.Throughout the journey, Aron dedicated as little time as possible to his official duties. Instead, he chose to spend the majority of his time with his wife and his friends, cherishing his friend's rare physical presence together in the past several years. He also enjoyed playing games with his younger brother and occasionally had a talk with his parents, who were still reveling in their renewed vigor like every old person following the empire-wide rejuvenation program."I will do so," Unfortunately, no matter how enjoyable a semi-vacation might be, it eventually has to come to an end. No matter how powerful he was, Aron wasn't exempt from this rule. His fleet arrived outside Proxima Centauri's heliosphere, emerging from FTL travel and releasing whatever they dragged throughout the journey to be dealt with by the heliosphere.The fleet was currently at a full stop, as per Aron’s order. He wanted to test something.“Mhh….” Aron mused with his eyes closed before opening
The moment the fleet entered the Proxima star system, the escort fleet divided itself into four groups of 250 ships each. Three of the groups moved ahead, leaving the emperor and one group behind. These three groups rushed to cover the four sides of the star system, positioning the planet where the meeting would take place at the center. This strategic move was to ensure that they were always ready to deal with any potential threats to the emperor's safety.At the same time, command of all the military forces that accompanied the exploration fleet was transferred to the Emperor's Aegis leader, who also served as the Admiral of his escort fleet. This measure ensured a unified chain of command and prevented any misunderstandings, allowing for coordinated and efficient movements of the entire military force in the star system should any situation arise that required a unified response.……….“Sir, we will arrive in orbit in five hours,” reported Admiral Dimitris, his hologram appearing b
After a few minutes of flying in space, they finally reached the upper layers of the planet's atmosphere. The ship absorbed the impact seamlessly, its occupants not feeling a thing as they descended. The transition from the cold vacuum of space to the warmth of the planet below was smooth, silent, and peaceful.“The planet is truly massive and beautiful in its own way,” Rina remarked, gazing out of the ship’s window. Despite having seen it in VR, experiencing it in reality evoked a different sensation. The abundance of mana was a major factor in this feeling; both she and Aron were exhilarated, their bodies responding to the mana in a way that Earth’s mana was yet to match.“This amount of mana feels like a dream,” Aron added, extending his hand forward and then closing it into a fist. The mana’s influence was particularly profound on him, as his golden blood contained a high percentage of mana. As a result, at the moment, he was feeling constantly invigorated and in peak condition,
“I know that you like for the official meetings to immediately get to the point, so let’s go with that today,” Birch said as they took a seat in one of the many rooms in the palace. The room was well-prepared, with amenities such as water and a few snacks already set on the table. Aron, Rina, Ayaka, and Lee sat on one side, while Rayyan, Birch, Oak, Crabapple, Mangrove, and Cypress sat on the other, facing each other.“I would like that too,” Aron said calmly, answering with confidence. He didn't appear at all like someone attending his first official meeting with peers who could be considered equals in terms of leadership. If Rayyan's government were counted as a separate empire, it would rival his own, at least in terms of population count, which exceeded that of Aron’s empire.“In the past, I have acted as the representative for both the Proximians and my fellow tree folk. Today, everyone here will speak and represent themselves before we decide on the best course of action for ou
Seeing the room still in silence, indicating their curiosity for more details, Aron decided to elaborate.“I received what you call a blessing a few years before the formation of the empire,” he began. “This gave me the opportunity to delve into the study of mana well before it became widely known. Coupled with my company’s advancements in quantum computing and VR, I had access to time acceleration and advanced simulation capabilities. These technologies allowed me to effectively spend centuries, alongside my AI assistant, developing and refining the system from the ground up. We went through countless trials and errors, and I personally experienced many failures, including several catastrophic ones, before mastering the basics and discovering how to harness mana for various effects.”Aron’s explanation was a blend of truth and strategic omission. He carefully avoided mentioning that he had acquired foundational knowledge from the system and that his wife’s and his citizens' awakenin