- "The results are better than expected."
   
   “Y-yeah?”

   Kalstein coughed awkwardly and subtly checked Ariya’s expression. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like he’d get scolded for the situation this time.

- "The Ether extraction rate from alternate dimensions definitely exceeds our initial projections."

   It was rare for anything to surpass Ariya’s estimations. She wouldn’t bring it up unless it was something beyond a singularity-level occurrence.

   Kalstein felt a strange sense of pride. This was a decision he had pushed forward almost unilaterally.

   While it was undoubtedly close to his emergency or "slush" fund, Kalstein didn’t notice anything strange about constantly checking on Ariya’s reactions. He had long become accustomed to Ariya’s way of managing things.

   "It doesn’t compare to the Ether gathered from the entire Galactic Empire, but the actual efficiency gained within the real-time constraints is absurdly high."

   Even when acquiring a single planet, the Ether that could be harvested from another dimension was overwhelmingly higher.

- "But the amount of Ether required for the investment isn’t negligible."

   “That’s… true.”

   Kalstein smacked his lips.

   As part of the forward base plan, a prototype Hyperion of the 12th stage evolution was sent to another dimension.

   Sending a 12th-stage Hyperion alone cost a staggering 12 billion Karma points. That was assuming he could collect 3 billion from Kaisha.

   A total of 15 billion Karma points.

   When considering the points Kalstein had earned in the community, minus what he’d already spent, he had around 20 billion Karma points remaining, making this amount almost equivalent to his entire fortune.

   Of course, when calculating the entire sales from the dimension shop, the amount would be much higher. But with various developments and expenses, it wasn’t unexpected.

   This was similar to running a business. It wasn’t just about earning and stacking up points. Expanding the business and investing in research for the future were necessary steps.

   It was easier to think of it as expanding his business by growing point liquidity and pie size.

   The dimension shop was just a cash cow; he was drawing a much bigger picture.

   Therefore, Kalstein considered this a perfectly normal investment. To see the bigger picture, bold investments were necessary, not just immediate returns.

   To him, Karma was simply a resource and a tool. If it was needed somewhere, it should be used. If necessary, it should be pulled and invested, and in return, something greater should be obtained.

   Looking at it from that perspective, this new dimension was truly fascinating.

   An SF alien from a world rooted in magical engineering? Two completely different civilizations coexisting?

   He hadn’t seen such a case in the community, so he had deliberately deployed the Hyperion. He figured a civilization like the Debrans would be quite useful.

   In fact, when he thought of an apocalypse Earth, the stage was too small for the Hyperion. The civilization was almost entirely destroyed, and he was nearly at the level of having to rebuild everything from scratch.

   Considering that, it seemed like a good choice... but…

   - "Looks like you’ll have to work for a while."
   
   "Ugh…."

   That wasn’t wrong. He had spent too much all at once. The recent busy activities were partly to make up for it.

   "Isn’t that guy just deliberately messing with me by making it so huge?"

   4,200 km was the size of the Moon.

   It was indeed excessive.

   4,200 km could be considered small compared to his largest warship, but…

   Just increasing the size like that?

   - "That’s why it’s not often used. Especially since it’s a prototype, the energy consumption increases exponentially with the size."

   It felt like upgrading a character for casual play, focusing purely on "size" and "weapon" without any efficiency.

   The 8.5 km Imperial Battleship he used to fly was also a type of core ship. Like a Matryoshka doll, it could combine with higher-class warships when necessary. However, he usually flew the Imperial Battleship because of its speed and power.

   ‘I only fly the Imperial to save on energy…!’

   It was like seeing a lazy daughter who spends all her money on luxury goods after her father worked hard to provide for her.

   "That guy is just out of control because he’s far away, huh?"

   Even the latest Hyperion he had grown had this tendency. It was obsessed with upgrading its size and offensive capabilities.

   Right now, it was keeping a 300 km size due to Ariya’s scolding, but…

   - "Should we dispose of it?"

   Ariya’s cold voice broke through Kalstein’s thoughts.

   "No?! How much Ether went into that? What are you saying?"

   - "It’s a sunk cost. It was nice to see you working so hard for once, Master."

   "!!"

   Ariya had a surprisingly aggressive side.

   "No! No, anyway, it was necessary for the forward base after taking over the Debra planet. That one is meant to be the main base, not an outer deployment. The size increase doesn’t matter."

   - "Understood. Hmph."

   Ariya’s lips curled up slightly, then quickly returned to their neutral position.

   Even though her words sounded cold, if she had actually disposed of it, she would have been upset, considering she personally trained the strong AI.

   "…Anyway, are we ready?"

   - "Yes, Master."

   Despite all that, he wasn’t planning to neglect the cash cow.

   "Then let’s get the shop ready."

   Kalstein smiled pleasantly.

   "For the high-end store."

   - "Updating."

---

**The Video**

[Do you want to achieve your dreams?]

A woman dressed in a bright pink, fancy outfit struck an overly energetic pose on the screen. However, the comments were far from flattering.

- "Is this for real…?"
- "Lol."
- "She needs to think about her age."
- "She's pretty though."
- "Hyperactive, like Andromeda."
- "My eyes!! My eyes!!!"
- "Did Paddak really post a cringe pic like this? It’s so rare."
- "Waiter! Bring some food here!"
- "Don’t lose your humanity, human."
- "Isn't Paddak crazy?"
- "(Lich King is Lich) Looks like my friend has crossed the point of no return."
- "LMAO"
- "Half-blind, but it actually suits her."
- "You gotta squint to make it work. Just a little blurry. Lol"
- "Eyes half-closed ON"
- "Seriously, guys, is no one concerned about the mechs?"

The video featured Kaisha, showing off her overly cheerful attitude in space, with various ships making their appearance. Initially, there was a lot of commentary about the main character of the video, but slowly, the focus shifted to the equipment shown.

- "I've been buried in the mountains for 40 years, training. But now I don’t even feel the meaning of it."
- "Old man, why train? Just roll the dice, and you’re done."
- "What were you doing in your past life, not saving the country? Lol."
- "Old man, go outside and get some action. Gotta earn that Karma, lol."
- "Hmm. That’s some nice equipment, I’m interested."
- "No! That’s a ‘maid exclusive’ outfit! Why…!"
- "No!!!! My heart is still young!!"
- "This isn’t a youth problem."
- "But look at the expression… Looks like she’s given in to capitalism. I know the feeling from my past life."
- "Hmm? You’re right. Lol."
- "Someone probably threatened her with a knife to make her wear that, huh?"
- "Is this the new norm in Paddak's community? Lol."

Although there were some sharp critiques, the video format created quite the buzz in the community.

- "What’s that video?"
- "Can we upload videos now?"
- "I think only admins can post it right now? After some Paddak style stuff."
- "Can you earn points through views?"
- "How the hell should I know?"
- "Why does it feel like Admin lives in a totally different world, even though we're in the same community?"
- "If I knew, I’d be Admin, lol."
- "This must be some viral update for the next patch."
- "So, is that video fake?"
- "Nah, seems real."
  
The video ended with Kaisha confronting an entire fleet of space ships, showcasing her power and various gear, with all the expletive-filled scenes neatly edited out.

Boom-

A massive flash erupted from the massive barrel transformed into the mech, and the video ended.

[Do you want to achieve your dreams?]
[Stay tuned for the next update! COMING SOON!]

*This video was uploaded with product rental and a small ad fee supported by ‘Space Emperor.’*

---

While there were a lot of mixed reactions, the support wasn’t lacking.

- "Can we experience an SF civilization too?!"
- "Aaaah!"
- "First, release the TS pills!!"
- "Next update, skip the food stuff! Well, not that I mind, heh."
- "Hmm, I think I’ll grab some chicken now."
- "When is it coming out?"
- "I dunno."
- "Ah! Master, hurry up!!"
- "Seriously, if I get one of those, my life will change in an

 instant."

Kalstein’s cultural invasion was proceeding steadily.