The 7th System

Chapter 0 - prologue

The palace of the Merck family was as busy as usual.

Various lights illuminated the entire planet, so much so that from a distance, the planet could be mistaken for the sun. There were numerous spaceships visible in every corner of the planet; the majority of them being battleships- the most advanced battleships in the galaxy, zero.

Travelling between planets had become commonplace ever since the Merck family discovered a way to connect planets and galaxies. Trading and migrations began, causing some to become wealthy, while others rose to power.

It marked the beginning of a new era.

The technological exchange took the world into a never-before-seen era, and the Merck family played a significant role in this. They were very successful in controlling all the gateways and no matter how hard other organizations and families tried to imitate it, they failed miserably.

In order to use a gateway, one must possess the crystal core, which was given the name 'Bluestone' due to its naturally bluish hue. Bluestones could only be found with the Almas for they were the ones who produced them.

The Almas were a race that created various crystals and materials used for both luxury and construction.

A family of Almas lived next door to the Merck Family. Both families were poor before the discovery of gateways but now were the wealthiest families in the entire galaxy. Their combined wealth could be said to be more than that of individual galaxies, which, in return, created an unbreakable alliance between them.

Because of that, marriages between members of both families became common and on both planets, one could see the mix of families.

Something to be noted was that even in their wealth, they were not advanced in other technologies and never used gateways to sanction or make things difficult for others. If one had the funds, they could buy the materials from Almas and have the Merck family construct the gateways.

Due to this, there was always peace.

However, ...things have changed.

There was a certain person who did not want to see their enemies using gateways to gain wealth or transferring battleships close to their space so utilized their authority, and asked the Merck family to stop developing gateways for others.

But the Merck family has always had a good reputation for being fair, so how could they jeopardize that?

There would be a second and third if they started accepting conditions so as a result, refused.

The Merck family gradually developed enemies, and while they did not express their animosity in public, people began to make things difficult for them. Soon, a heavy rumour began to circulate.

It was said that one of the Merck's ancestors met a God who granted him a treasure - a treasure that enabled him to create gateways and their technologies. It was stated that whoever possessed it would gain all knowledge related to space and all its entirety.

Some shadowy figures attempted to persuade others to attack the Merck family, but their efforts proved to be futile because people understood that if Merck's technology is lost, it will not be fair.

They also knew that if they dared to attack and won, then the gateways would never be available to weak organizations or families. Those inciters would have control over it instead.

To the people, it was better for things to be in control of the Merck family than other ambitious organizations. Also, who would believe, in this era, that some God gave gifts to a family living in a small galaxy? Nobody has ever met God, so how can they say God gives treasures?

People began to interpret it as Merck's enemies' jealousy.

The Merck family's space-related advancement did not end there. They began to produce products such as bags that had double the space inside and reduced the weight by half when filled.

The Merck allegedly spent half of their wealth in the process.

The amount of money had been spent on research for decades. If the Merck family could apply the same technology to battleships or massive storage systems, then the world would move forward once more.

When Merck announced that they would spend their entire fortune on research in similar fields, the world erupted in happiness- but not everyone was pleased.

Some people began to become agitated. They were terrified.

What if the Merck family advanced in weaponry and battleship technology? They didn't have the patience to wait a century. What if the family progressed? What if they had no idea where the fires or bombs are coming from?

Even thinking about it was terrifying for them.

Then a new organization called Chain emerged.

Their goal was to destroy the Merck family, enslave The Almas, and become the sole deciders to who owned a gateway and who did not. They began various plots and schemes.

Right now, in one of the meeting rooms belonging to the Chain organization, the atmosphere was so dreary and quiet that one could hear a pin drop clearly. The air was thick enough to cut through.

"Is this going to work?" asked the person wearing the blue mask.

"Yes, sir, if we take advantage of this opportunity, we can make Merck the number one public enemy."

A sinister laugh erupted in the room, and the shadows from the wicked plan wafted over the beings that were present.

Is Merck about to go to war?

Will the Chain acquire space technology?

Is Merck really holding a divine treasure?

What is the opportunity that Chain is referring to?

Novel Points: *Gateways: The Merck family developed the gateways. A gateway is a device that allows people or spaceships to travel millions of light-years in a single instant. Previously, before its creation, travelling between galaxies required enormous risks and years.

There are two kinds of gateways:

** single way gateway: This only has the source and the destination are not precisely pinpointed. It does have some risks, but it is inexpensive and is primarily used to discover new planets or for exploration.

** standard gateways: This gateway requires two gates, which are the source and destination. It is secure and precise.

*Bluestone: This is a stone that emits only blue light and contains the unique energy required to use the gateways. Before the discovery of gateways, people assumed it was just some kind of useless energy. Bluestones became popular with the advent of gateways, and in some places it even replaced currency.

*The Almas: they are a unique race, but they are similar to humans and belong to the same family. As a result, on different occasions, they are referred to as family or race.

*The space bag: The Merck family discovered a new technology, the space bag. It had the spatial ability to compress a large space into a small bag and when filled, also cuts the weight in half...