The Lone SF Transmigrator in the Otherworld Forum
Chapter 71: Galactic Empire

"All forces, advance."

It was just one sentence from Karlstein Babylon's mouth.

Yet, it was the trigger for the entire Galactic Empire's fleet to start moving simultaneously.

Beep-

[3rd Corps advancing, all clear.]

[2nd Corps initiating incineration of Terona-Class Plant contaminated planets.]

[37th Mobile Reconnaissance Battalion progress report....]

[B-307 Advance Route Asteroid Belt confirmed.]

[Traces suspected to be Entity No.6778 discovered. Requesting support.]

The Galactic Empire's advance had begun.

It was the dawn of the Galactic Empire, which had been quietly crouching and accumulating strength since the last war, with the Barrier as its boundary.

A giant colossus had risen. A being that would trample everything in sight as it passed.

The Space Pirate Alliance 'Sparrow' was in chaos trying to recall their forces and lay low, and the same was true for the mega-corporation alliance 'Mighty Corp'.

-Fucking hell! Gather the boys right now! Right now!! Report to the alliance! Tell them to call an emergency assembly!

-As of now, we're entering a full rest period except for minimal trade lines. Withdraw immediately.

They each hid in their main bases and refrained from external activities in their own ways.

No, they absolutely had to.

If they caught attention unnecessarily, they would die.

Everything they had built up would turn to ashes.

If they got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, their heads would fly as an example.

The Galactic Empire's state of war.

The news that Emperor Karlstein himself had moved meant that he would give his all against any enemy. As such, it was all the more serious.

Of course, both 'Sparrow' and 'Mighty Corp' had their own tricks, having built their own forces outside the Galactic Empire.

But that was just a 'trick' at best.

The king of the mountain, the tiger, had bared its claws, meaning it intended to crush and destroy anything that bothered it.

If they unnecessarily caught attention by standing out, they might have to engage in all-out war with the Galactic Empire.

So they could only bow their heads deeply and keep their eyes open, watching carefully.

Although Karlstein was known for being lazy, it was also common knowledge that once he moved, he wouldn't stop until he saw things through to the end.

Naturally, they had no choice but to be cautious.

-Fuck. What kind of sudden misfortune is this?

-Money cannot substitute for life. Withdraw and retreat immediately. Those who do not comply will be expelled from Mighty Corp.

The Galactic Empire had chosen a peaceful path until now.

-Hm? Okay. I'll let you live, so do what you want. But you know what happens if you cross the line, right?

They could each pursue their own interests to a reasonable extent, using their judgment.

Even the Galactic Empire couldn't do everything as it pleased. Its size was too massive to pay attention to every little thing.

But now.

-I'm moving now, okie?

-You better not catch my eye. No, actually… Please, I hope that happens.

-Please, just let at least one of them get caught.

That was exactly it.

It wasn't for nothing that the main cannons of the 4th and 5th Corps were pointed towards 'Sparrow' and 'Mighty Corp'.

An iron will to engage in all-out war immediately if they truly became bothersome.

Although 'Sparrow' and 'Mighty Corp' were skilled at hiding, there was no force that dared to raise its head, betting all its human and material assets existing in the light.

The Galactic Empire was like a bulldozer destroying everything in its path.

Zzzt- Zzzzt-

[D7FD889 Star System’s Kaiju Contamination Level confirmed at 76.77%.]

[Confirmed. Nova approved.]

[Confirmed. All fleets within the relevant star system are to retreat immediately.]

[Roger.]

Indiscriminate bombardment towards the Kaiju began.

[Purification of the relevant area is complete. Will retreat after installing 'KAI'.]

[Confirmed.]

'KAI', the Anti-Kaiju Automatic Interception System.

The Galactic Empire's latest colony type with an interception system boasting 99% accuracy, detecting sporadic Kaiju appearances beyond the Barrier.

The Galactic Empire's advance proceeded smoothly, like a ship with the wind at its back.

However.

"Something feels off."

[What do you mean?]

Karlstein, lost in thought, tapped his fingers on the desk.

"Yes. That’s right. Our progress is far too smooth."

[Are you hoping for failure?]

"Of course not. It's just... right now... I feel a sense of discomfort."

[It is indeed true that higher-grade Entities are not visible. The numbers are too few.]

"Even if it's difficult to observe higher-grade Entities outside the Barrier with our systems, it shouldn't be to this extent."

[When looking at the reports from Fallen Planets, it certainly seems so.]

"Right, there's no way those bastards amount to just this much."

Although they had advanced smoothly beyond the Barrier, smashing contaminated planets and exterminating countless Kaiju.

It felt like something was missing.

"It feels like we're just cleaning up small fry."

[Kaiju do have commanding Entities, so we should consider the possibility of a strategic retreat by the Kaiju.]

"If that's the case, it would be fortunate."

How shoul he she explain it?

Looking at the overall war situation... the characteristic tenacity of Kaiju? Their relentlessness? It didn't feel present.

[We're showing a 63% achievement rate up to the first objective.]

"That's smooth progress."

After steady advancement, they install the automatic interception colony 'KAI' to confirm the territory and establish a safe zone.

It was truly an ideal expansion and consolidation of territory.

Despite this, there was this sense of discomfort… Was it simply because they hadn't discovered higher-grade Entities? But even if that were the case, there were few higher-grade Entities to begin with.

It could be the case since all the Heroes of the Galactic Empire were currently deployed, subjugating any that appeared.

"I don't like it."

[Should we stop the operation?]

"No."

That was out of the question.

The entire Galactic Empire was already moving organically for this operation. It couldn't be stopped based on just one uncertain feeling.

However.

Karlstein recalled what had happened before. The incident when a Kaiju appeared and instantly killed the silver fly-like beings just as they were about to capture them.

At that time, that Kaiju clearly had a goal. An impulsive action with a motive.

Right. Although often obscured by indiscriminate hostility towards humanity, when looking at the overall picture, there were many cases where that wasn't necessarily true.

This isn't something to be taken lightly.

Why are they being so passive?

It was incomprehensible. Thanks to that, they had advanced beyond the Barrier without much damage. But still… Something wasn’t right.

"Hmm...!"

Then he recalled Virdel's report.

Kaiju and Sephiroth.

Although he had put out a bounty for information in the community, there was hardly any substantial information. If anything, he had only learned about the general situation thanks to Virdel.

Tok- Tok-

The regular sound of tapping on the desk.

Aria's silence.

Tok- Tok-

Tok.

Karlstein made a decision.

He would intervene.

If they won't come up to the stage, then we'll just have to go replace them.

We have no choice but to forcibly create a battlefield and draw them in.

"What happened to the coordinates Virdel provided?"

[They remain the same as before.]

"They were coordinates presumed to be an Astral Dimension Passage, right?"

[Yes. It's a place we can't do anything about with our current Warp technology.]

"It was also suspected to be the cause of the unstable wavelengths near the Barrier recently."

[It's a place that's not easy to observe either.]

Isn't it quite a hot spot?

How upsetting. Are they excluding us or something? That’s a bit hurtful.

"If they won't invite us, what choice do we have? We'll have to create the stage ourselves."

[What shall we do?]

"Let's move up the currently ongoing project, 'World'. And expand its scale too."

[U-Umm. Then...?]

"For anything else we need, we'll have to ask Virdel."

[...Understood. We shall proceed that way.]

The 'World' project, a Virtual Dimension Creation Project using the 'Dream World' of the newly joined Bluadge, Succubus Queen Selena.

He intended to use that.

"Ah. Don't forget to send one 'KAI' to Virdel."

[Understood.]

Only then did Karlstein feel like his mind was at ease.

***"KYAAAAAAAAAAK!!"

['Cosmic Emperor' has sponsored 1,000,000,000,000P.]

"..."

Selena's mouth fell open.

I-Isn’t this insane?

Wh-What is this!

One, ten, hundred...

Her eyes spun wildly.

"Is, is this a joke? Or, or did he send it by mistake?"

Is this even a real number?

An enormous sum of 1 trillion points.

Even if told to use it all, she couldn't.

Why on earth?!

[A message has arrived from the Administrator.]

-gogo

Huh?

What? Go where? Go what? Does he mean to use it?

[A message has arrived from the Administrator.]

-gogo

Ah...

Of course, if he says to use it, that's what I should do, but…

Is this really okay?

To use such an enormous sum?

One would be happy with a reasonable amount.

But receiving such an absurd amount naturally made one fearful.

Selena's heart pounded.

If, if I invest all of this...?

What would happen?

Even now, she had all but lost her control over the 'Dream World'.

She was just cramming in the Karma the Oradge had invested.

The 'Dream World', which had grown larger than its container, was no longer just her world.

Tremble-

Is, is he really trying to create a new dimension?

That should be impossible, right?

And there’s no need for that either.

She had already received the coordinates.

To prepare to connect with the space at those coordinates.

It wasn't easy to understand what he meant.

For now, Selena was reading through various materials and papers he had given her until her eyes hurt.

At first, she really thought the Oradge might have gone crazy.

However, as she gradually looked through the materials he sent, she couldn't help but think 'maybe'. Just maybe.

Somehow, as time passed, it seemed like he knew more about the 'Dream World' than herself, a Succubus Queen.

Now, she was in the position of learning from him.

As she read, interpreted, and reviewed the materials the Oradge gave her…

"I-I just need to do as I'm told, right?"

Who would dare refuse his orders?

She had engraved it in her heart, seeing the Demon King who had already turned to ashes from the thick fiery beam shot by the worker(?) he had sent.

Absolute loyalty.

Absolute obedience.

"Ugh, ugh..."

The position of Bluadge was far too burdensome.

Selena looked around. Although she was living comfortably thanks to the building he had provided...

All sorts of documents and books scattered messily.

Meals, cleaning, laundry, all of these could be handled with just a finger, but...

What did that matter?

In her spare time, all she could really do was study!

Now she couldn't even rest!

Selena couldn't rest easy even after newly becoming the Demon King.