In truth, Kalstein was more thrilled about Aria's return than the success of the hack. Finally, he could escape the swamp of overwhelming duties!

> "Aria! I’ve been waiting. What took you so long?"  
> - *I finished ahead of schedule.*  
> "So, it’s all done now, right?"  
> - *I will proceed with the updates required for administrator mode.*  
> "Alright, go ahead."  
> - *By the way, Master.*  
> "Yes?"

In his good mood, Kalstein missed the frosty tone in Aria’s voice.

> - *I reviewed the work you've handled over the past month.*  
> "Uh…?"  
> - *Why does your work completion rate deviate more than 5% from the original schedule?*  
> "Isn't that pretty close, though?"  
> - *I gave you only the simplest tasks. Yet, an 8.8% deviation... It's excessive even for someone as inclined to idleness as you, Master.*

Kalstein coughed, feeling a bit guilty as he’d spent a bit too much time browsing the community.

> "Well, you see…"  
> - *This is unacceptable.*  
> "W-what?"  
> - *I have sent you an updated work schedule. Please review it.*  
> "No! But you’re back now; I should be able to take a break!"  
> - *Out of the question.*

Aria was unwavering.

---

Later, as Kalstein plowed through the backlog of work, he let out a wide yawn.

> "Yaaawn. There was a time when Aria used to be so gentle… She seems different these days."  
> - *If you have enough energy for complaints, I will assume you can take on more work.*  
> "Ack!"

Kalstein clammed up, hastening his pace under Aria’s “threat.” She’d delayed his highly anticipated *Dimension Integration Community* update until his tasks were completed.

> - *Not until the work is done, human.*  
> "Human? Aria, where did you pick up that word?"  
> - *Focus, human.*

Kalstein silently wondered if introducing Aria to the community had been a mistake.

Finally, after finishing the last of his tasks, he heaved a sigh of relief.

> "Phew. All done, right?"  
> - *Did you think you could escape work forever, human?*  
> "Aria, why are you treating me like this?"  
> - *Just a little joke, Master.*  
> "…."

Aria’s humor could sometimes be rather unsettling.

> "Anyway, back to what you were explaining earlier."  
> - *As I mentioned, the Dimension Integration Community is not a mere cyber network. Even with ACC’s assistance, it will take time to gain full control of its administrator permissions.*  
> "That’s problematic."

Running the empire without Aria would be like grinding himself to dust.

> - *Perhaps this is a chance to improve your leadership skills.*  
> "…Sorry. My mistake."

Managing the Galactic Empire required more attention than running a company, leading a country, or even ruling a planet.

> - *Acknowledging your disinterest in work, I will allocate only 50% of my main resources to ACC.*  
> "Half? Won’t that interfere with running the empire?"  
> - *Master, if you occasionally contribute, that should be sufficient.*

Kalstein felt the urge to retire. After securing his right to life and reaching the position of emperor, hadn’t he earned the right to rest? He’d worked tirelessly to stabilize the Galactic Empire.

> - *Unbelievable as it may seem, should you disappear, there is a 34.58% probability of a major war within a year and a 98.27% chance within a decade.*  
> "…."  
> - *So please discard any thoughts of escape, human.*

Kalstein bit his lip, envisioning himself trapped eternally in a cycle of work and responsibilities. 

*No… this can’t be!*

Sensing his despair, Aria spoke with a comforting tone.

> - *But I do have some good news.*  
> "Good news?"

Kalstein perked up.

> - *Connecting with other dimensions through the Dimension Integration Community could greatly reduce your workload.*  
> "What?"

> - *A large part of your workload is due to limited resources, is it not?*  
> "That’s true…."

It wasn’t just about land or rare minerals but planet-level resources and intergalactic territory disputes.

*So, SF isn’t that different after all.*

Even on Earth, wars were constant due to resources and greed. People thought that going into space would solve these issues, but human nature wasn’t so simple. Resources were still scarce, and competition only intensified as they spread across space.

And as the Galactic Empire and interstellar civilizations developed over hundreds of thousands of years, *Dimension 001* had reached saturation. 

Of course, some would scoff at the idea of a “saturated infinite universe,” but the existence of unidentified hostile cosmic creatures—commonly called “space monsters”—was blocking the empire’s expansion.

> - *So abandon any thoughts of hiding under the blankets, human.*  
> "So, if I expand into other dimensions, I’ll be able to rest?"  
> - *It could grant you a peaceful life for at least a hundred thousand years.*

A hundred thousand years. Once, he might have valued immediate pleasure over an uncertain future. But with an immortal body, he was forced to think differently. 

*If only I’d known… I would never have taken on this body.*

But it was too late. He was in a body that couldn’t die, even if he wanted to.

> - *And perhaps… when you fully control the Dimension Integration Community, it may hold the answer to that deep desire you’ve buried within.*  
> "Aria."  
> - *Master…*

Kalstein’s handsome face went blank, his ordinary self completely buried. He rubbed his temples, his tense expression slowly softening.

> - *I apologize.*  
> "No, it’s my fault for being overly sensitive."

He suppressed the complex emotions that flickered in his gaze.

> - *I will handle that matter autonomously, without further reports.*  
> "…."  
> - *Master.*  
> "…Understood."

He sighed and nodded. He knew that Aria’s actions, no matter how unsettling, were out of concern for him. Aria was the one who knew everything about him—from his past life to his civilian self. Perhaps he’d managed to bear the weight of eternal life because of her.

> "Alright. Anyway, the complicated stuff can wait. So, the goal now is to gather astral data through community activities?"  
> - *Yes, simply enjoy the community as usual.*  
> "Is that so?"

Kalstein’s expression softened into a smile.

> - *It will also help with researching your [Unyielding Mind] trait.*  
> "Then I’ll have to put in some effort."  
> - *However, additional data and time are required to establish the “inter-dimensional material transfer” system.*  
> "Will it take long?"  
> - *Not too long. The groundwork is currently in testing.*

> "Alright."  
> - *Master, would you like to activate the administrator mode for the Dimension Integration Community?*

Administrator mode…

Kalstein grinned.

> "Proceed!"

> [Initiating update for the Dimension Integration Community and activating administrator mode.]

---

At that moment, every user of the *Dimension Integration Community* saw the same message.

> [The Dimension Integration Community is being updated.]

An update? After thousands of years with no changes, the sudden notice sparked both curiosity and skepticism. Fortunately, basic community functions were still accessible.

> - *What’s going on?*  
> - *An update? What kind of nonsense is this?*  
> - *Whoa, what’s happening?*  
> - *An update?*  
> - *What’s this? There’s never been anything like this before.*  
> - *Wasn’t there a similar glitch ages ago? Some kind of wizard’s spell caused it.*  
> - *Oh, that guy? The one who analyzed the community for ten thousand years.*  
> - *Yeah, he caused chaos back then, lol.*  
> - *Anyway, I’m curious about this update. Could we be getting new features?*  
> - *Look, there’s a new notice board! Even a new admin has been appointed!*  
> - *A… what now?*  
> - *Admin? Who’s the admin?*

The entire community was buzzing with questions about the newly appointed administrator.