Within the sun of the Imperial Galaxy.
The true form of the Grand Sovereign Entropy Dragon had completely fused with the star. With a non-radioactive core temperature exceeding 150,000 Kelvin and a density 4,500 times that of water, this sphere could no longer be measured by the standards of a normal celestial body.
In fact, the Monarch was constantly and forcibly controlling his own energy radiation. If he didn't, simply dropping him into any new star system would generate gravitational waves and thermal radiation that could devour and melt a solar system of similar mass to Sol within thirty minutes.
Now, at the center of the corona produced by the mimicked stellar activity, the rapidly weakening gravitational field released its suppression and blockade of the surrounding space. Within the ring-shaped ripples that spread outwards, a stream of dark gold light flew rapidly toward the sun's interior.
Several minutes later, the main body's sleeping consciousness slowly began to stir.
It hadn't been long since he had last woken up, but while situated at the center of the galaxy, the Monarch generally maintained a semi-dormant, inactive state. Even a "slightly" more active fluctuation of his consciousness would have an immeasurable impact on the physical world.
After all, the Imperial Galaxy was a natural galaxy that had not been reinforced in any way.
Super-Stellar-class energy activity could cause a cataclysm, to say nothing of this Super-Galaxy-class colossal Dragonkin.
Generally speaking, the vast majority of Grand Monarchs would store their true bodies in some safe, isolated corner to avoid unnecessary harm… a common consideration among the retainers of Astral Gods.
Rumble.
A massive number of solar flares erupted on the star's surface.
High-temperature thermal energy and electromagnetic radiation spread out into the depths of space. As they neared the first planet, they were blocked by an enormous Imaginary energy shield. Kallen, who had returned early from the "Land of the Void," had delivered the intelligence to The Throne, and the Starforge Legion stationed there had already made defensive preparations.
This was a well-practiced routine for them.
In the thousand years since the Monarch's main body had entered the sun, the Starforge Legion had conducted countless drills and live-fire exercises.
"Mm."
The Monarch paid no attention to these things.
Having just been awakened, he was sensing the new power pouring into his body. The 'Origin' attached to the [Authority of Domination] had further strengthened the power of 'Order'. Although he was still two Authorities short of completing this 'Origin', the Apostles carrying out the missions had already reached the end of this river of time, where it flowed into the ocean.
In other words, only one final battle remained before the "Honkai Impact 3rd Current Civilization" was corrected.
And beyond that…
"A Path."
The Monarch's interest was quickly piqued.
Order was still incomplete, so he could not yet absorb the power of this extra Path. As a "not-so-strong" Path, it might play an unexpected role under specific conditions and with its unique effects, but that time was certainly not now.
So, his interest faded just as quickly.
"There's no rush."
His power had already reached a critical point.
Even if he were to face an Astral God alone… if the opponent only wielded a Dominion on the level of "the Path Otto walked," then even if he couldn't kill them due to the dimensional difference, fighting to a draw or even forcing a retreat would not be difficult.
"No rush at all…"
The Empire had more important matters to attend to.
His senses extended to the other side of the starry sea, crossing the deep void and the Milky Way, all the way to the edge of the Vitriel Star System.
This was the territory once controlled by the Celestial Ones.
Now—
It would become the battlefield where the Empire clashed with the Antimatter Legion.
---o---
Vitriel Star System, Morigan Galaxy, border planet "Le Fey."
This place was once a mining and breeding ground for the Celestial Ones. The native creatures living on the planet were a sapient race resembling upright lizards: the Splargh.
They possessed a decent adaptability to Imaginary energy (generally having the power of Knight-class Honkai Beasts), but their civilization had not yet advanced enough to enter space (nor had any individual of their race appeared who could physically survive in space). After the Celestial Ones discovered this place, the Splargh became their food, cannon fodder, and miners.
Half a solar cycle ago (5.5 years), they got a new set of rulers.
That's right.
The Empire had not liberated the slave races controlled by the Celestial Ones. Although its actual governance was not feudal, Imperial law and administration had absolutely nothing to do with "freedom and democracy."
As for formalism…
In the vast cosmic sea, a civilization's choice of which Astral God to worship had long since exposed its own proclivities. Apart from the retainers of a few neutral Paths who did not participate in conflicts, no one bought into that sort of thing.
"Varg!"
In a mine shaft 3,500 meters beneath the planet's surface, Dorg, who had finished his day's work, called out to his friend who was also getting on the elevator to return to the surface.
"My dear Dorg."
Hearing the voice, Varg squeezed out from the crowd of lizards and threw an arm around his friend's shoulder. The Splargh had extremely slender, scaled limbs, but their three-fingered, webbed "hands" with hooked claws were not well-suited for making and using tools.
To this end, the Celestial Ones had created a complete neural-linked exoskeleton system to help them mine more efficiently.
"Shall we go for a drink on Level -247?"
"They have freshly squeezed Scale-Ai fruit roots, and I heard a new batch of pure-colored Dotonlag girls just arrived."
There was a large age gap between Varg and Dorg.
With the Splargh's average lifespan of two solar cycles, a difference of one solar cycle was definitely a friendship that spanned generations. The Splargh had almost no childhood; they matured rapidly and maintained a relatively energetic state until death.
"No, I can't."
After serious consideration, Varg gave up on the tempting offer.
"Worg has laid another twenty-plus embryos. I have to go back and help watch over them."
"Oh!"
Dorg exclaimed with great exaggeration.
"My dear Varg, you already have over two hundred children!"
"If you have that kind of energy, I really suggest you come for a drink on Level -247. The girls there will surely be impressed!"
Another coworker nearby also teased Varg.
"I bet the subsidies alone are enough for Varg to live ten lifetimes without worrying about food and clothing! He could even stay on Level -300 until he dies!"
The Splargh had no concept of "family." As for laying lizard eggs, as long as they successfully hatched, the "Mining Company" would provide a considerable sum of money. It was also worth noting that the Splargh had no male or female individuals; their sex could be freely changed… though of course, the form they habitually took was more or less influenced by "off-world culture."
"Hmm…"
"Still, no."
Varg once again refused the temptation.
"...Hey, Varg."
Dorg looked at his silent friend.
Their friendship was born from an underground mining disaster. Back when they were still working for the Celestial Ones, out of more than thirty thousand Splargh working in a certain mine, only the two of them had managed to escape.
"You're not thinking of leaving Dotonlag, are you?"
"…"
The boisterous elevator instantly fell silent. The slightly grating sound of the electric current echoed outside the metal lift.
"Dotonlag" was the local name for the planet Le Fey.
"…"
"Hey, Varg."
Dorg lightly punched Varg in the abdomen. This was a weak spot for the Splargh, a part of the body that every member of the race had to protect well during fights and struggles before they were passively brought into the cosmos.
"An eight-hour workday with a two-day weekend."
"Although we haven't shed our status as 'slaves,' compared to when the Red Claws ruled… are you dissatisfied with your current life?"
"Do you have to—"
"No, I'm not…"
"—go and become one of those damn upper-class citizens!"
"…"
The Empire had changed the way of life for many of the original civilizations, and the level of exploitation was far less terrifying than that of the Celestial Ones.
At the same time, the path to advancement, though very narrow, was not completely blocked. The prerequisite for all of this was… that one's soul was not bound by gravity.
The Splargh had a natural lifespan of about two solar cycles.
If they were willing to spend half of that time accumulating wealth, they would have the first ticket to seeing the wider universe. The space elevator to the Morigan Galaxy's second planet (the parent and administrative planet, and a branch of the Mining Company) departed once every eighth of a solar cycle. It would transport refined ore from Le Fey to medium-sized transport ships, and would also sell a limited number of tickets at a price equivalent to "the wealth a common Splargh accumulates in one solar cycle."
And all sapient species that arrived on the second planet—
Would automatically be granted Imperial citizenship.
Although the other races that had recently joined the Empire had internally created their own class divisions for this citizenship, it didn't affect the official "validity of citizenship"… even for the so-called lowest-level third-class citizens.
The territory seized from the Celestial Ones was vast.
Only a few short years had passed (the flow of time inside and outside the time vortex was drastically different), and the Empire temporarily lacked the manpower to govern and administer these places. The Monarch also couldn't maintain numerous inter-star-system-level [Root Links] at all times (especially since they were not one of the three native races of Honkai), so he could only issue some basic systems. Fortunately, due to the existence of "Inspectors," the so-called "ruling classes" of these distant galaxies did not yet have the courage to feign compliance.
The Empire had more important matters to attend to.
So did Varg.
He was the last one left on the empty elevator.
The second-to-last coworker had gotten off at Level -95. His residence was not there, of course. To be precise, none of the miners could afford the expensive underground housing. The Splargh disliked sunlight, so they naturally despised the "upper class" who enjoyed it.
Among the many entertainment facilities, the closer one got to the surface, the lower the prices.
Level -247, which Dorg had mentioned earlier, was already the most extravagant place a miner could afford. Pure (white) Splargh girls (in theory) were not something they could encounter in their daily lives.
But Varg wasn't interested in any of that.
Once the new lizard eggs hatched, he and Worg, whose thinking was so different from ordinary Splargh, could leave this sunless cavern together. All of Varg's ideas were taught to him by Worg, who had lived through the era of the "resistance (against the Celestial Ones)."
In truth, this idea was not selfless.
Varg and Worg were nearing the end of their lives.
For the Splargh, who only lived for about twenty-odd years, the technology to extend one's lifespan by altering their genes… was available on Morigan's parent planet. This kind of technology, which fell under the category of repairing genetic defects, was not actually that advanced.
Hiss—
Clank!
The rickety elevator finally reached the surface.
Through the thick, impact-resistant glass, the comfortable night enveloped the sky.
Lifting a claw and stepping out of the elevator, Varg's body automatically hunched forward. Le Fey's gravity was 3.3 times that of Earth. To increase mining and refining efficiency, the exoskeletons worn by Splargh miners were usually equipped with anti-gravity systems… the ascending elevator also had a similar device: crude, but effective.
Once they reached the surface and returned the valuable equipment (the entire system was worth a miner's wages for one solar cycle), the Splargh had to revert to a reptile-like posture for movement.
But today…
Unlike his usual self, Varg was trying hard to stand up straight. Worg had told him that becoming a citizen wasn't just about having a small certificate… he had to stand tall, from the inside out.
Even if it meant he would be lying in bed with a sore back for a whole week.
However!
After today, as a citizen of the Empire, he would never have to enter that dark, lightless pit that had buried who knows how many Splargh.
Though it was a dream given to him by another, his life, as one of the very few Splargh to look up at the stars, would no longer be spent in the company of dirt and mine dust.
It was also black, but the boundless universe was far more profound and mysterious than the land beneath his feet, more—
"?"
For the first time, Varg looked at the starry sky with such seriousness.
He didn't know if the sky was always like this, or if this was one of those "astronomical phenomena" Worg had mentioned. A sky-blotting shadow, like a giant curtain, was obscuring the twinkling starlight.
A waterfall of silver light cascaded down, illuminating that indescribable form.
"What is…"
VMMMM!
The ground trembled.
Gravel and stones began to break free from the earth's grasp, one piece after another. A vibrant crimson light shone from the very center of that black shadow.
"What?"
A murmur struggled out from the depths of his throat. His temperature-sensing tongue even forgot to retract into his mouth out of fear.
I know too little, I need to ask Worg—this was Varg's first thought upon seeing the silhouette of the behemoth.
As for his second thought…
How could there be such a giant bug in the universe?
That's right, a bug.
Although its form was very different, this massive thing looked remarkably like the Ore-Eater Worms that were everywhere in the mines. These little things, with teeth sharp enough to chew through ore pillars, often caused them to lose part of their harvest.
And then, as the crimson beam of light swept toward the ground, Varg… no longer had a third thought.
BOOM!!!