[The clothes... I almost forgot.]
“!!”

Only then did Kalstein realize he wasn’t wearing any clothes and quickly hurried to put them on.

No wonder I was freaking out earlier!
But why didn’t anyone say anything?

Sighing, he listened to her explanation.

[The backup possessed body is merely a backup. There will definitely be a noticeable difference in metallic control. However…]

“However?”
[In terms of electromagnetic systems, it seems to have been enhanced.]

“Hm.”

Metal control was a power of the high-level double-number entities that were subdued by the Galactic Empire in the past.

It was one of the monsters that caused considerable damage to the Galactic Empire.

The creature that manipulated all kinds of metal was a disaster that had tormented the Empire for a long time.

One of the monsters Kalstein had personally eliminated.

Metal control.

While it didn’t reach the original creature’s capabilities, it had become usable to a certain extent within the Galactic Empire.

Monster genes didn’t sprout as easily as planting seeds, but it was a power that Kalstein’s unshakable mental attributes could barely handle.

Anyway, it wasn’t something that could generate infinite genes.

“That should be enough.”
[Then I’ll proceed with that understanding.]

“What’s the situation?”
[It doesn’t seem very good.]

“Really? I thought it wasn’t going to be easy.”
[But with KAI and Hyperion joining, we’ve gained some breathing room.]

“Mm. It’s about time. So, how’s the control of Debra Planet?”

I had heard that Hyperion had a major hand in it.

[There should be no problem. If there were thoughts of rebellion, they wouldn’t dare. If they were foolish enough to try, they wouldn’t be worth using.]

“Is that so?”

If Aria says so, it must be true.

“How about multi-connections? Any issues?”

[The possessed body is just a terminal like the one I’m using right now, so as long as it’s not simultaneous access, there’s no problem. More importantly, how is your mental condition, Master?]

“Hm… It’s strange. But it seems stable for now.”
[Is that so?]

Aria’s expression brightened.

“Though it feels different from when I’m in my real body.”
[What do you mean by that?]

It’s hard to explain in words…

If my real body is like an infinite sea, the possessed body feels more like a limited reservoir of water.

After that water runs dry, I don’t know what will happen.

[In that case... it could be dangerous.]

Aria’s worried gaze turned toward him.

She was probably worried about the possibility that the memories and emotions he had endured through the [Unchanging Mind] might suddenly flood back once the mental barrier was lifted.

How it might affect him was hard to predict. There could be a backlash like a dam breaking. Aria didn’t seem to think that the [Unchanging Mind] would last forever, and that concerned her.

[Master must remain eternal.]

“…Huh?”

Her tone felt chilling, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

“Yeah.”

Kalstein understood. Thinking back to when he first implanted the single-number genes, it wasn’t hard to understand Aria’s concern.

Still, he could just disconnect before it became a problem, right?
And the [Unchanging Mind] was tough enough to withstand even a double-number level without a scratch.

“Overthinking it.”

Aria’s mood lightened.

Phew.

[Master?]
“Hm?”

What is it now? Is there something else?

Kalstein felt a little uneasy.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be anything serious.

[When you enter the World this time, please research the silver branches you obtained from those creatures.]

Those he had left in Berdel’s care.

“Got it. I’ll pay special attention to it. Shall we get started soon?”
Let’s get this done and head over to the xianxia world.

***

Commander Karon of the 27th Regiment, 16th Division, 1st Corps of the Debra Defense Forces.

Whenever he stepped out into the streets, everyone would look at him with respect.

Debrains would line up, spending large sums of money just for a brief meeting with him.

As the Commander of the Defense Forces, his status was that of the highest noble class.

However, now…

“Oh, you’ve arrived!”

Karon, surrounded by heavy iron armor, helped remove the locking mechanisms from the shoulder armor before assisting in taking off the rest of his gear.

“Phew. That was tough.”
“You’ve worked hard, sir!”

The blue-skinned Debrain, Karon, took the armor handed to him, spraying it with a special solution and beginning to polish it with a rag.

“How was the battle today?”
“Phew. It seems like we made it through another day without incident.”

Karon diligently cleaned the heavy iron plates that were carelessly discarded.

The glory of the past was long forgotten. No, even if he hadn’t forgotten, he had deliberately pushed it out of his mind.

Those close friends who were trapped in the glory of the past had already been demoted to 4th-class citizens, wandering the slums.

Debra had lost.

All because of a single space battleship.

And with that one battle, the Debrains realized something.

They could never win.

Numbers? Meaningless.

As beings who had ventured into space, they immediately understood once they saw the specifications of that single battleship.

The technological gap.
The gap in civilization.

They experienced firsthand the enormous disparity.

Yes. Perhaps after many sacrifices, they could do something about one battleship like that.

But what then?

Shaking his head—

In just two battles, the Debrains had surrendered decisively.

The battleship was one thing, but could they even dare to defy the force behind it?

Of course not.

And then came a human woman to the surrendered Debra planet.

Governor Keisha Winsler.

Her reign over the Debra planet began. The citizens were divided into classes, those useful and those useless.

Then, exactly 27 rebellions occurred. None of them lasted an hour.

The resistance was hunted down, eradicated without leaving any meaning behind.

And then…
As time passed, certain rumors started to spread, and the advanced equipment she had distributed began to be circulated. The Debrains could only look at the Galactic Empire with awe.

This... is possible? What kind of technology is this? It’s absurd!

And more than that, the Galactic Empire, which conquered not just space but entire dimensions… what kind of place was that?

And then the recruitment began.

The recruitment of troops, with the promise of citizens’ rank increases along with various benefits and rights as rewards.

Naturally, Karon applied.

It wasn’t just the benefits; he also wanted to experience firsthand what the Galactic Empire was truly like.

How truly amazing was it?
How exceptional was it?

Why had Debra been unable to put up any real resistance?
Was it our will that was lacking?

He wanted to know the answer to that question.

Thus, he arrived at this place called the World.

Was this truly a dimensional war?

What the...!

Humans, flying through the sky with no equipment, fought in the battlefield while wearing high-tech gear.
There were even dragons casting magic, and all kinds of unknown monsters appeared.

“Haah…”

But that wasn’t all.

Zing—flash—

A ring-shaped orb hovering above the occupied territory.

The blue flashes shot from the rotating ring, burning numerous monsters.

Whoosh—whoosh—

And then.

Flash—Kaaang!

Up in the sky, the grand space battleship “Hyperion.”

Its shape had been reduced, but Karon, being a commander, clearly remembered its unbelievable power.

The power of the ship called “Hyperion.”

Flash—Kaaang!

However.

“Kkh…”

The crushing gravity that made it hard to keep his body in check.
The drastically reduced firepower.
And the monstrous creatures surging toward him.

He realized as he watched all of this unfold.

Dimensional war… it’s not easy!

Still, the battleship Hyperion exuded an enormous presence.

And the Galactic Empire, which was fighting such a massive war?

“Heh.”

But what was the scariest part?

-Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
-Galaxy! Galaxy! Galaxy!
-For the Galactic Empire! For the Galactic Church!

Perfect mental fortification.

What kind of person was this “Your Majesty” that people worshipped like a god?

Even though everyone was struggling against the waves of monsters, the fire in their eyes never wavered.

-Just hold on until His Majesty Kalstein arrives!
-Do you want to show such shameful faces? Hold on! Fight!
-We are the Galactic Church of the Galactic Empire! Take pride, everyone!
-For the great Kalstein! For him!

What kind of person could inspire such fanatical devotion?

Karon’s question was soon answered.

-All hail! All hail Kalstein!
-His Majesty has personally arrived!
-Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
-Galaxy! Galaxy! Galaxy!
-Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!

A frenzy of madness.

“That… that’s His Majesty?”
“The ruler of dimensions…”
“The Emperor of the Galactic Empire…”
“Ugh. Just being near him makes my skin tingle.”
“I can’t even breathe.”

The Debrains who had followed as supply troops quickly realized.

He was truly an extraordinary being!

The Emperor of the Galactic Empire, who handled advanced equipment as if it were an extension of his body with just a wave of his hand.

“Overdrive activated.”

Seeing him casually speak of legendary battleships and interception turrets as if they were disposable items nearly made them faint.

‘That’s the number one person in the Galactic Empire.’

Indeed.

As soon as he arrived, the battlefield began to brim with energy, as if what they had seen so far was just the opening act.

The soldiers’ morale soared, piercing through the sky.
The Emperor’s overflowing confidence and spirit.

Nothing was lacking.

The counterattack of humanity, which had been worn down by the waves of monsters, began.

What abilities would he show?

Karon’s heart began to pound in anticipation.

“For the Galactic Empire!”

It was an instinctive outburst.