“Advance all fleets.”  

That single command from Emperor Karlstein Babylon was all it took to set the entire Galactic Empire's fleets into motion.

*Beep—*  

- [3rd Corps reporting: No anomalies detected during advance.]  
- [2nd Corps: Commencing incineration of Therona-class contaminated planet.]  
- [37th Recon Battalion: Reporting progress….]  
- [Asteroid field detected on Route B-307.]  
- [Traces suspected to belong to Entity No. 6778. Requesting support.]  

The Galactic Empire had begun its advance.

After the last war, they had quietly fortified their strength, waiting on the edge of the Barrier. Now, the dormant giant had risen. This behemoth would crush everything in its path.

The interstellar pirate coalition "Sparrow" scrambled to recall its forces and retreat to their bases, and the reaction from the mega-corporate alliance "Mighty Copper" was no different.

- "Damn it! Get everyone back here, now! Report this to the alliance and call for an emergency assembly!"  
- "Effective immediately, all operations are suspended, except for the most essential supply lines. Evacuate immediately."  

Each faction withdrew into their strongholds, ceasing all external activity.  
It wasn’t a choice; it was a necessity.

To be noticed meant certain death.  
Everything they had built could be turned to ash.  
A single mistake could result in them becoming an example for the galaxy.

The Galactic Empire had entered wartime mode.  
And if Emperor Karlstein himself had taken action, it meant total, unrelenting dedication to eliminating the enemy.

Although "Sparrow" and "Mighty Copper" were forces to be reckoned with in their own right, capable of carving out domains even beyond the Empire’s reach, they were only formidable in relative terms.

When the tiger, the king of the mountain, unsheathes its claws, everything in its way is destined to be shattered.  
Defying the Galactic Empire now would be tantamount to declaring total war.

Thus, they had no choice but to bow their heads, watching warily and waiting for the storm to pass.

Though Karlstein was known for his lethargy, his reputation as someone who never stopped until a task was finished preceded him.  
Understandably, they were terrified.  

- "Damn it. What kind of disaster is this?"  
- "Money won’t save your life. Withdraw immediately, or you’ll be expelled from Mighty Copper."

The Galactic Empire had previously followed a path of peace.

- "Sure, do whatever you want. But if you cross the line, you know what happens, right?"

As long as one was careful and didn’t provoke them, it was possible to coexist while reaping some benefits.

The Empire, vast and sprawling, couldn’t monitor every minor detail.  
But now...

- "I’m moving."  
- "Just show yourself. I dare you."  
- "Please, let me catch one of you."

That was the current situation.

The main cannons of the 4th and 5th Corps were aimed squarely at "Sparrow" and "Mighty Copper."  
Their message was clear: any provocation would lead to all-out war.  

While "Sparrow" and "Mighty Copper" were adept at hiding, none dared to raise their heads against the Empire, risking their assets and lives.

The Galactic Empire was like a bulldozer, crushing anything that dared to block its path.

*Chhh—*  
*Chhh-chhh—*

- [Sector D7FD889: Confirmed contamination by cosmic creatures at 76.77%.]  
- [Acknowledged. Nova clearance approved.]  
- [Acknowledged. All fleets in the sector, withdraw immediately.]  
- [Roger that.]  

A relentless bombardment against the creatures began.

- [Sector cleared. ‘KAI’ system installation complete. Withdrawing now.]  
- [Confirmed.]  

The "KAI" autonomous countermeasure system: the Galactic Empire’s latest defense colonies, capable of detecting and intercepting creatures from beyond the Barrier with 99% accuracy.

The Empire’s advance was proceeding smoothly, like a well-oiled machine.

But...

“Something feels off.”  
- [What do you mean?]

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

“Yes, too smooth.”  
- [Are you hoping for failure?]  
“Of course not. It’s just... this feels wrong.”  
- [Indeed, we’ve seen no high-level entities. Their numbers are too low.]  
“Even beyond the Barrier, where detecting higher entities is harder, this shouldn’t be the case.”  
- [Reports from the Fallen Planets confirm as much.]  
“Exactly. There’s no way they’re this weak.”

They had annihilated contaminated planets and wiped out countless creatures while advancing beyond the Barrier.  
And yet, it felt... hollow.

“It feels like we’re just sweeping up trash.”  
- [Even creatures have command structures. Perhaps they’re strategically retreating.]  
“That would be a relief.”

How could he describe it?  

From an overall perspective, the creatures lacked their usual relentlessness—their sheer desperation.

- [We’ve achieved 63% of the first objective so far.]  
“Progressing smoothly.”

Step by step, they advanced, establishing the "KAI" colonies to solidify safe zones.  
An ideal method of territorial expansion.

Yet, the unease persisted. Was it merely the lack of higher entities? That alone couldn’t explain it. Higher entities were scarce to begin with, and the Empire’s heroes were systematically hunting down every one they encountered.

“I don’t like it.”  
- [Shall we halt the operation?]  
“No.”

That was out of the question.  
The entire Galactic Empire was moving in unison for this operation. They couldn’t stop based on mere intuition.

Still...

Karlstein remembered an incident from the past. While attempting to capture silver-winged creatures, a massive monster had appeared and killed them all in an instant.

That monster had a clear objective—a motive behind its sudden appearance.

Beneath their indiscriminate hostility toward humanity, many creatures’ actions followed patterns that hinted at intent.  
This wasn’t something to dismiss lightly. Why were they being so passive?

It made no sense. Though their advance beyond the Barrier had gone smoothly, with minimal losses...

“Hmm...!”

Then, Birdel’s report came to mind.

Creatures and the Sephiroth.

They had placed bounties on the community for information, but useful data was scarce. Birdel’s contributions had been their only solid leads.

*Tap-tap-tap.*

The steady rhythm of his fingers on the desk.  
The silence of Aria.  

*Tap-tap.*  
*Tap.*

Karlstein made a decision.

They would intervene.  
If the enemy wouldn’t show themselves, they’d create a battlefield to draw them out.

“What about the coordinates Birdel provided?”  
- [Still unchanged.]  
“They were identified as an Astral Dimension passage, correct?”  
- [Yes. Current warp technology cannot access it.]  
“And it was also linked to recent unstable signals near the Barrier.”  
- [Indeed. It’s difficult to observe directly.]

It seemed like a hot spot.  
Annoyingly exclusive, almost as if they were being deliberately excluded.

“If they won’t invite us, we’ll make our own stage.”  
- [What are your orders?]  
“Accelerate the ‘World’ project. Increase its scale as well.”  
- [Understood. And...?]  
“We’ll need Birdel’s help for the rest.”  
- [Acknowledged. Proceeding as instructed.]

The "World" project, a virtual dimension creation initiative using the "Dream World" powers of the newly recruited Succubus Queen Selena, would be their tool.

“Oh, and make sure to send Birdel a ‘KAI’ system as well.”  
- [Understood.]

Karlstein finally felt a sense of satisfaction.

---

***

“Kyaaaaaaah!!”  

- [‘Space Emperor’ has donated 1,000,000,000,000P.]  

“....”  

Selena’s jaw dropped.  

W-What?!  
This... what is this?!

A trillion points.  
Her eyes spun as she tried to comprehend the sheer magnitude.

“Is this a joke? Or a mistake?”  

It was an absurd amount of points. She couldn’t imagine spending it all.

Why...?  

- [Administrator message received.]  
*Go.*  

Huh? Go where?  

- [Administrator message received.]  
*Just go.*  

Ah...  

Of course, when he says jump, you ask how high.  
But was this really okay? Could she even use such a ridiculous amount?

Her heart pounded in her chest.

If she invested it all... what would happen?  

Even now, she was losing control of the "Dream World."  
It was no longer hers alone, bloated beyond her capacity to manage.

*Shiver—*

Was he really trying to create a new dimension?  
That was impossible.  
Wasn’t it?  

But the coordinates had already been provided.  
Her task was to establish a connection.

Reading the mountains of documents and theses he sent her, Selena couldn’t help but think: *Maybe... just maybe, it’s possible.*  

The more she read, the more she realized that he seemed to understand her powers better than she did.

Now, she found herself learning from him, studying his materials and interpreting his instructions.

“Just do as he says, right?”

How could she dare refuse?

She had learned her lesson from the fiery beam of destruction that had obliterated the Demon King into ash.  

Absolute loyalty.  
Absolute obedience.  

“Ugh...”  

Being a "mod" was exhausting.  

Though she lived in comfort thanks to the structures he provided, her workspace was cluttered with documents and books.  

She could handle meals, cleaning, and laundry with the snap of a finger, but what was the point?  
All her free time was spent studying!  
She couldn’t even rest anymore!  

Even as the newly crowned Demon Queen, Selena found no peace.