"Anyway, I’ll just do as I’m told."

Selena began pouring karma into her authority, the "Dream World."

“Ugh…”

The sensation of her soul being entirely drawn out, coupled with the privilege of creating and nurturing a new world, was something only she could experience.

1,000P.  
100,000P.  
10,000,000P.  
...

As the invested karma points increased, the Dream World became sturdier and more intricate. By the time the total karma exceeded 100 million points, sweat beaded on her forehead.

“Ughhh!”

It felt like a child trying to wield a heavy sword—clumsy and already reaching her limits. But she had endured this much before.

Selena checked her balance and bit her lip.

At this pace, who knows when it’ll be done?

Although there wasn’t a strict deadline, this was an order from none other than the "Space Emperor." She couldn’t afford to waste time.

Her intense fear of the admin fortified her determination.

“Even if I overdo it...!”

Using every artifact she had, along with the advanced machinery sent to her, she pushed herself to increase the pace.

Once over 10 billion karma had been poured in, she even considered giving up.

“Ugh! The efficiency… it’s too much...!”

The machinery was built according to blueprints sent by the admin. Of course, Selena hadn’t installed it herself. That honor belonged to the "Great Workers" he had dispatched.

Perhaps that’s why.

The equipment was too effective—so effective that she couldn’t even faint from overexertion!  

Whenever the machinery detected any danger to her condition, holographic indicators would flare up, and the devices around her would automatically spring into action, adjusting her environment.

Though Selena didn’t understand how it worked, the machinery ensured she could continue.

*Is this really okay?*

It felt like being forced to sprint even when she wanted to walk. She was uneasy, but there was no alternative. All she could do was keep running.

Designing the Dream World with precision was out of the question.  

She couldn’t focus on increasing stability, recovery, or expansion. She couldn’t indulge in adding her personal touch to the world’s theme either.

She was too overwhelmed just managing the influx of karma.

Before she realized it, she had passed 100 billion points.

*Hold on.*

This was an experience she would never have again. With such immense support, it wasn’t something money could buy.

For days and nights, she continued to pour karma into the Dream World without rest.

But then, she realized something was wrong.

Massive energy was flowing in from the coordinates connected to the Dream World.  

“Huh?”

The incoming energy was silvery, alien to the karma she was handling.

“What the…?”

Panicking, Selena struggled to maintain control. As the foreign energy’s flow increased, her grip slipped further.

She frantically increased the influx of karma in an attempt to stabilize the balance.

It worked—barely.

“Ugh!”

But things remained precarious. A sense of impending crisis loomed.

Desperate, she kept pouring karma into the Dream World, ignoring her limits. She couldn’t afford to stop.

If she lost control now, everything would collapse!  
She couldn’t let that happen after such an enormous investment!

The myriad rumors about the "Space Emperor" swirled in her mind, fueling her resolve.

Eventually, as karma was recklessly poured in...

“Huh?”

Something changed. It didn’t feel the same as usual.

“What the—?”

It felt like the Dream World was *absorbing karma on its own*.  

Having reached a singularity, the Dream World seemed to be devouring all her remaining karma. Worse, it was pulling in the alien energy as well.

More terrifying than her depleted reserves was the ominous sensation of...

*Thrum—*

“What?!”

No, no, no!  
If it keeps pulling like that...!

“It’ll explode!!!”

*Boom—*

A heavy reverberation shook her very core.  

“Ahhhh! I’m screwed!”

Selena couldn’t stop the Dream World, which had turned into a black hole, sucking in everything around it.

“AAAAHHHH!”

---

### Elsewhere, in a Dimensional Passage

[The damage is severe.]

A man wearing a laurel wreath clicked his tongue as he surveyed the battlefield.

[Why has it come to this…?]

The battle was in full swing.

- *Screeech!*  
- *Grrrk!*  
- *Kyaaahhh!*  

Silver giants clashed with the frenzied monsters. They appeared to have the upper hand, but their numerical disadvantage was apparent.

A silver silhouette approached the laurel-crowned man.

[Looks like they’ve hit their limit. They’re retreating.]  
[Hmm… as expected.]

The enemy’s offensive had noticeably weakened. Sending a constant wave of monsters had to be taxing, even for the "Chaos" faction.

[Fighting in a dimensional passage… unheard of.]  
[Should we abandon the spoils?]  
[There’s no alternative.]

*Crunch—*

The laurel-crowned man crushed a descending monster with one hand.

Even as they surveyed the battlefield, neither let their guard down.

[Once the battle ends, we’ll see what can be salvaged.]  
[They’re just as greedy as we are. Chaos won’t back down easily.]  
[Both sides will have to withdraw.]  
[Damn it.]

They had gained nothing and suffered immense losses.

[Victory is still ours.]  
[That’s true.]

The Chaos forces began retreating, and the Sephiroth faction mirrored their movements.

Both sides knew when to step back.

It seemed the battle was drawing to a close.

[If only we could deal with *that*…]

They turned their gaze toward a massive turtle-like creature spewing endless monsters.

Known as the "Summoning Turtle" or "Dimensional Turtle," it was a rare Chaos entity. Its sheer size dwarfed even the giants, blocking half the passage.

It could summon infinite monsters by linking to turtles in other dimensions. On top of that, its body secreted a fluid that made the summoned creatures resilient to the passage’s unstable conditions.

*Crack—*

The Sephiroth forces, despite their prowess, hesitated to engage the turtle. They wanted to eliminate it, but...

[Tch.]  
[Are your injuries okay?]

The turtle itself could be defeated with time, but...

A small, crimson creature sat atop the massive turtle’s shell, leisurely observing the battlefield with a long staff resting on its shoulder.

A high-ranking Chaos entity.  

The "Red Ghost."  

Its agility and cunning had earned it the name among the Sephiroth forces.

The injury on his waist? The Red Ghost’s doing—its venom was spreading throughout his body.

As they gritted their teeth, readying for another attempt, something changed.

[Wait…]  
[!!]  
[What is this sensation?]

Something extraordinary was happening.

[Use your blood essence to form a barrier!]  
[Tch! What’s going on?!]  
[This feeling... it’s from those inferior remnants…!]  
[But at this scale—!]  
[Impossible!]

The dimensional passage shook violently, destabilizing further.

*Kyaaaah!*  

Some were flung into the passage walls, their existence erased on impact.

- *Screeeeech!*  
- *Grrraaaaah!*  

Even the monsters weren’t spared from the chaos.

The entire battlefield was consumed by tension and fear.

Dimensional passages were already unstable. This one was narrow, making it even more dangerous. Yet now...

[Fall back!]  
[Gather together!]  

All entities in the passage began to lose their physical cohesion.

*Thrum—*  
*Krrrgh!*

A black spot appeared in the center of the void. It spiraled outward, growing into a vortex that devoured everything.

The vortex expanded relentlessly, consuming monsters, blood, and debris alike.

[Connect with the Mother now!]  

They needed a lifeline—a saved coordinate at the very least.

Even the Chaos side scrambled. The Red Ghost slashed open the Summoning Turtle’s belly, extracting its heart to make preparations.

But it was futile.

The vortex engulfed the entire passage, plunging it into darkness.

---

### Back at the Galactic Empire

“What about the ‘World’?”  
[Initialization appears successful.]  
“But the control system...?”  
[That’s the issue...]  
“Is this a glitch?”  
[Observations are remarkable.]

Karlstein and Aria examined the data with interest.

[Indeed. Something extraordinary has occurred.]  
“I’m genuinely impressed.”

The holographic displays showed astronomical readings. The ether reactions far exceeded expectations, and a variety of fascinating data poured in.

“This alone could cover all expenses for the first operation and more.”  
[Isn’t it dangerous?]

Karlstein smirked at Aria.

“For me?”

Ha.

“They’ve been invited to the stage. Shall we greet them?”  
[The spoils will be worth it.]

As Karlstein’s room shifted, a metallic capsule was revealed. When he approached, its mechanisms opened automatically, revealing a body identical to Karlstein inside.

“A downgrade, but it’ll do.”  
[It’s sufficient for temporary use.]  
“Take care of the original. And finish the first Barrier expansion.”  
[Understood.]

A massive capsule stood in the center of the room, ready for him.

---

Meanwhile, in another dimension:

“Yo, yo, yo, everyone!”  

A red-haired boy smirked mischievously as he gazed at the void.

“Been waiting long?”  

Talking to no one, the boy’s behavior seemed bizarre.

“Today’s a masterclass! Messing with dimensional magic—just enough to tweak the passage. Let’s go!”

- *Here he goes again.*  
- *At this point, it’s a condition, lol.*  
- *(RichIsRich): I can’t keep up with your pace, teacher.*  
- *They say even dragons were lucky to develop this spell, haha.*  
- *Think we’ll survive this time?*  
- *Does the admin enjoy this? Maybe that’s why he spares him?*  
- *You think he’s sparing him?*  
- *Feels like he’s just hitting him hard enough not to kill him, lol.*

The "Fire Dragon" was quite a character in the [Dimensional Integration Community].

“For today’s experiment, we’ll need a dragon heart… and a body tough enough to survive the admin’s smackdown! Haha!”

Little did he know the chaos that awaited him.