In the underground basement, Aron's amazement surged even further as he envisioned the vast amount of knowledge and the universe's secrets that he had uncovered, all thanks to the galaxy rotating before his eyes.Meanwhile, Nova inquired to the still enthusiastic-looking Aron, {Should I further increase the time acceleration, or do we stick to the usual five to one we had thought of before?}"How much can you increase it?" Aron asked.Nova replied, {We can increase it up to fifty-five times, but that's only possible when no one has logged in to the system. And currently, despite having our atomic printer, Earth's material advancements are still lagging behind in this aspect. The necessary materials required to ensure the safety of virtual reality logins, where time moves 35 times faster than the real world, don't exist yet, and to obtain them, we'll need to venture out into the unknown.""So how much time acceleration is safe enough for the users to log in without facing any harm with
"Any chances that it is man-made?" asked James Comey, the FBI Director, directing his question to the CIA Director, John Brennan, during a meeting with the President, the Vice President and a few other people in the Oval Office."Based on the analysis of our intelligence, the likelihood is very high," Answered the CIA Director."Based on what?" Biden chimed in, asking for clarification with such a conclusion."Long before the clouds continued to form and started appearing, there was a huge transportation operation taking place on the island. We could barely count as over a hundred thousand machine parts were being transported onto the island," he explained."So, are you saying that those machines are the ones responsible for this phenomenon? Are they perhaps testing some weather control weapons or something?" Obama, who had been listening throughout the meeting this whole time, asked."We can say with a high probability that they are not some weather control machines," answered John w
While the President had finished his meeting with his subordinates, somewhere else."We have already hired around a hundred thousand people and from our cooperation with the government, we have already been able to buy more than 50 percent of the land required for our projects," Felix reported to Aron, meeting inside the second universal simulation that solely stimulated Earth."How much of the railway network land have we already purchased?" Aron inquired further."Since most of the land is passing through the wilderness most of the time, we were able to acquire about 89 percent of the railway network land, as for the remaining portion of the land, since we have to negotiate with different land owners, however, the negotiations are also in the last steps and this matter should be resolved within this month," Felix answered, as he presented the information about railway land acquisition."That's good news. We can begin the construction immediately," Aron said, a smile gracing his face
Meanwhile, Nova, who had already simulated the situation millions of times while Aron was suggesting the idea, replied a second after she was asked, saying, {It is feasible.}She paused shortly before continuing, { For the ones that will be sent at the airport and ports, as long as we make the machines look like something that can be found elsewhere in the world, we can trick them into thinking of them as just mobile fabrication machines that aid in construction.}{As for the ones responsible for the railway construction we can do that too, but we will need to design at least three different-looking machines to avoid raising suspicion. One that will be responsible for cleaning and strengthening the ground the rail will be passing by. The second will be responsible for laying the foundation on the strengthened ground, while the last one will be responsible for laying the rails on the laid foundation. If we proceed to do it this way, we will be able to avoid any su
"How are the tensions with Esparia going on?" Aron asked John in the VR after he had called for him, to which he immediately came without wasting any time at all.John reported, "They have increased soldiers on the border and have also been trying to cause some troubles for us. As a result, we reciprocated their actions and sent additional reinforcements to the border. Additionally, we've deployed a few boats to patrol the waters we share borders with them.""Any chances that it goes out of control?" Aron asked."Chances are not zero, but as long as we keep discipline on our side, the uncertainty of starting a shootout will remain on them," John reported confidently.."What are our chances if a shootout occurs?" Aron inquired.John's response was straightforward, not sugarcoating anything, "Both on the ground and in the water, we have almost no chance of winning.""Mh…" Aron hummed in thought before asking, "I can understand that the
The ground under them shook violently as the shockwave rippled through the air. Dust and debris quickly engulfed the area, making it difficult for him to see clearly.In a split second, he reacted instinctively, leaping towards Aron, attempting to shield him from the explosion's shockwave. But as he did so, it dawned on him that they were inside a virtual reality simulation. And in here, no real harm could befall them unless Aron consciously permitted it.Understanding the truth, he let go of Aron and swiftly returned to his previous location he used to be before the explosion occurred. With a sense of relief and newfound clarity, he resumed his observation of the ongoing battle, knowing that their safety was assured.Raising his head, he focused on the distant horizon to trace the source of the bomb. Two fiery embers glowed at the edge of his vision, confirming his suspicion that the bomb had been dropped from a fighter plane.However, his fleeting sense of calm was shattered as anot
printraction [ ; ) New word I came up with combining construction and printing into one]Few minutes before the weapons demonstration was set to begin.Nova had been observing Aron's meeting with John. The moment John asked if Aron was prepared for what he had planned to do in order to instill respect and patriotism within the former soldiers who were on the verge of causing trouble, Nova immediately got to work while Aron assuringly answered John that he would be ready in time and John should be preparing for the first batch consisting of five thousand members that they will be sending, as requested by Aron.At the Fusion reactor site.Nova immediately checked the stock of new materials that had been continuously sent to the island since day one and haven't stopped yet.And noticing that the stock seemed sufficient enough for her to begin working with the next phase of the construction on the island, she immediately got to work.She initiated the phase by increasing the energy produ
After completing the basic structure of the underground building, the machines started printing the walls, however, this time they were joined by a new batch of similar machines as they helped in the construction of the building much faster. But, the batch of these new machines wasn't all there for the construction of the walls. Instead, some of them went to the massive square holes that were left by the previous machines while they were printing the rest of the building, each of these holes was more than twenty meters in length from all sides and had a number of over fifty.These holes were strategically placed in similar positions in all of the printed floors, indicating that they were left there for a purpose and these new machines immediately started to accomplish their purpose as they started printing what appeared like electromagnetic rail beams that were being placed in the four corners of the squares, extending directly from the topmost to the lowermost floor of the b
“Seraphina,” Aron began, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of authority, “I’m not your enemy—unless you choose to make me one. I understand your anger, your frustration. You’ve lost control of a situation you believed was firmly under your command. But this predicament wasn’t my doing—you’re here because your leader chose to sacrifice you. What I’m offering you isn’t a chain—it’s an opportunity.”Her sharp eyes narrowed, the intensity of her gaze unwavering, but she held her silence. Aron leaned forward, his own gaze unrelenting as it met hers.“You can continue resisting, pushing the boundaries of the mana oath, and enduring needless pain. Or…” He paused, letting the words linger like a challenge. “You can choose to turn this situation into one that serves us both. Your strength, your insight—these are not things I wish to suppress. Quite the opposite. I want them refined, amplified, and put to meaningful use.”He motioned toward the table, where Nova was still doing fina
[Colosseum]Aron and Seraphina stood motionless, maintaining the same distance as at the start of their faceoff. Neither had moved, even during the spectacular fireworks show that followed Aron’s acceptance of her surrender. The only exception was Aron briefly waving to the citizens of his empire watching the broadcast, many of whom were overcome with emotion, crying in celebration of their historic victory. This event marked the first-ever interstellar combat they had participated in, and despite their lack of experience, they emerged as the sole victors.As cheers of triumph reverberated among his people and the disbelief of others lingered, the broadcast concluded. The moment Aron secured his final victory, the Arena itself was officially handed over to him as part of his reward, along with control of the AI referee. Without hesitation, the AI complied with her new owner’s first command: to end the broadcast. Aron had more pressing matters to attend to—a private conversation with a
[Meeting Room]Inside the Zelvora mental network, an oppressive silence hung over the gathered representatives around the meeting table. The events of the day had left them all stunned, their minds racing with the implications of what had transpired. These were not just any representatives—they were the ones who had signed off on the agreements, the architects of their civilizations’ participation in this contest.Now, they were confronted with the brutal outcome of their decisions.Many representatives sat deep in thought, their faces betraying various degrees of fear, frustration, and resignation. Those who hailed from civilizations steeped in selfish political traditions knew all too well the grim truth: scapegoats would be needed. Someone would have to bear the brunt of the blame for the humiliation, anger, and setbacks their civilizations had suffered.For many of them, the path forward seemed bleak. In the best-case scenario, they might lose their positions, exiled from the corr
To say Aron was surprised would be the understatement of the gigaannum. The announcement had obliterated every scenario he had meticulously crafted in his mind. In all his time spent in simulations, preparing for countless contingencies, not once had he considered the possibility of the Xor’Vaks surrendering—least of all without a fight.Their pride in their strength was legendary, surpassing even the vaunted arrogance of the Valthorins. For a race that reveled in their dominance, surrendering, especially on such a grand stage, was unthinkable. This sudden reversal of expectations hit him with such force that he could practically feel the metaphorical veins in his temple throbbing from the sheer shock of it all.The audience’s collective astonishment mirrored his own, but none felt it as acutely as Aron, whose carefully laid strategies now seemed almost laughably over-prepared in the face of this unanticipated twist.The largest part of Aron's shock wasn’t just the surrender itself bu
The minutes passed quickly for the viewers, their eyes glued to Aron as he sat unmoving in the same meditative position for over fifteen minutes. Speculation ran rampant on both sides, fueled by curiosity and tension.For those in the Empire, the consensus was that Aron was in VR, likely meeting with family or key figures. Many debated who he might be speaking with, guessing that he was either calming worried loved ones or strategizing for the next fight.On the other hand, viewers from the Astral Conclave harbored a mix of anxiety and intrigue. They questioned whether Aron was recuperating in preparation for the upcoming battle, enhancing his focus and mental clarity, or if his recovery from the previous fight was incomplete and he was still in the process of healing.But their speculations ceased to matter as Aron opened his eyes with five minutes remaining in the waiting period. Calm and deliberate, he removed the glasses from his head, placing them back into their container. His n
The moment the fight was officially declared over, Nova acted without hesitation. She immediately dispatched the collector ship, equipped with a medipod, to retrieve the Trinarian fighter's body. Simultaneously, she ensured Aron could rearm himself with a fresh set of nanomachines. For the first time, this process was being done openly, marking a significant shift.Previously, nanomachines had been classified technology, their existence kept strictly under wraps. However, that secrecy had been unintentionally broken when Nova used them to cover Aron’s exposed body during a critical moment, prioritizing his dignity over confidentiality. As a result, while the technology remained shrouded in mystery, its existence was now officially acknowledged, albeit without disclosing any further details.Aron retrieved a small canister from the ship and opened it, revealing a liquid-like substance inside. Pouring it onto his hand, the substance behaved unnaturally, defying gravity as it began to sp
"Him alive is better than dead, right? I can use his live brain data to study how they use their spatial abilities—it might even help accelerate my plans if things go as intended," Aron said as he stood over the fainting Trinarian fighter.{True, having him alive presents opportunities. But dead men cause no problems, while the living carry infinite potential for chaos—especially one like him. If our spatial lockdown isn’t enough to fully contain his abilities, he could use them long enough to cause catastrophic damage, even if it means enduring the backlash,} Nova replied, her tone laced with caution. She wanted to ensure Aron was fully aware of the risks he was inviting by sparing the fighter's life.Usually, Nova would have been in favor of keeping him alive—it meant more data for her to process, analyze, and extrapolate from. But spatial ability users were in a league of their own when it came to danger. Even a dead one would yield enough data to at least satisfy her curiosity for
“Nova,” Aron called out in his mind the moment his eyes snapped open, rapidly collecting information and orienting himself, realizing he had finally left the enigmatic place the system had sent him.“Nova,” he called again, this time aloud, his voice carrying a commanding weight as it echoed faintly in the arena. Receiving no response to his first call, his sharp gaze shifted to his surroundings. It didn’t take long for him to notice his current state—nearly naked, save for the swarm of nanomachines that had begun assembling around him.{The system had ejected me, sir,} Nova’s voice finally came through, calm but slightly delayed as the nanomachines completed their task. They prioritized covering his lower body, forming a sleek pair of trousers, as there weren’t enough surviving nanomachines to reconstruct full armor. His chiseled upper body remained exposed, glistening under the lights of the Colosseum, much to the awe and unease of the spectators.Nova’s pragmatic choice left Aron l
Following Nova's orders and the AI referee's approval, the mana stone carriers swiftly began moving toward the Colosseum. As the first ship arrived and entered, it wasted no time, promptly unloading its entire cargo of mana stones before departing to make way for the next carrier to do the same. The process was conducted with remarkable efficiency, ensuring a steady flow of mana stones into the Colosseum without any unnecessary delays.The process continued as over fifty ships unloaded their cargo of mana stones, an act many from the Conclave viewed as both excessive and wasteful. With each successive ship, the pain of the Conclave's viewers grew, particularly when the fifth ship alone had already matched the quantity of mana stones used during the Colosseum's initial construction. Yet, they didn’t stop there; instead, they went on to unload ten times that amount, as if mana stones were an endless resource, leaving the Conclave citizens bewildered and horrified by such apparent extra