The Emperor's brows furrowed, while Omar froze in place. He more or less understood which device they were talking about—it was the technology Soran had mentioned in the carriage, developed to awaken people. It was something of immense importance to the country, even to Nevarion itself.
The Emperor carefully calculated the situation in his mind. The device had not yet been tested, and it was extremely important. Initially, he had planned to give it to a special forces soldier and act according to the results. Any other emperor would have rejected the request immediately and confiscated the device—but the emperors of Turanya had never seized others' property since the founding of the empire, especially not the belongings of someone like Soran, who had worked tirelessly for his country and lost his family in the process. Frankly, he did not wish to damage his relationship with Soran by doing so. The Emperor took a deep breath.
"Soran, you know our understanding of governance and justice. We act on the principle that 'those who deserve, receive what they deserve.' You have given everything for this country—thanks to you, we have made great advances in medicine, biology, technology, alchemy, runes, and magic. With the device you have developed, we will be able to increase the number of awakened humans. You have rendered a great service to humanity. I understand that you wish to give the first device you created to the person you value most… But…"
Soran clenched his fists. Omar held his breath. This might have sounded simple, but it was far more serious than that. Despite resistance, humanity was slowly losing territory—this device was vital for a counteroffensive. If the Emperor rejected the request, they would understand, but Soran wanted to give it to Elenor because the thought of her wandering the world powerless while he was far away deeply unsettled him. The Emperor continued.
"Does Elenor want this?"
Soran and Omar looked at each other in surprise. Noticing this, the Emperor frowned.
"Did you think I was going to refuse?"
The two nodded. The Emperor shrugged.
"It never even crossed my mind. The state owes Soran. What he is asking for is a simple thing. The person who created the device is Soran himself, so he may give it to whomever he wishes… so long as it does not go against the state."
He spoke the last part with a serious tone. Soran replied,
"I am ready to die for my state. That will never change—neither now nor in the future!"
He then struck his chest with his right hand and continued,
"Thank you for granting permission, my Emperor."
The Emperor nodded.
"I owe you at least this much. After all, we failed to protect your family."
Soren's fists tightened, almost enough to draw blood from his palms. He had never been able to overcome the loss of his family. With a sigh, he spoke.
"It was not your fault, my Emperor… I was the foolish one for not listening to you."
The Emperor sighed and decided to close the subject.
"You didn't answer my question. Does Elenor want to be awakened?"
Soran spoke calmly.
"Do not worry. I will speak with her."
The Emperor nodded.
"Then there is no problem. If it works, I should select a few candidates. When will the next ones be ready?"
Soran thought carefully.
"If I prepare them personally, I can make three to four within one to two years…"
The Emperor nodded with satisfaction.
"Good. Is there anything else I should know?"
Soran paused for a moment.
"…No… Nothing comes to mind… I simply do not know the limits of the device—I will be testing it with Elenor."
The Emperor's brows knitted together.
"This won't be dangerous, will it? I didn't ask because she's your granddaughter, but what if something happens to Elenor?"
Soran looked the Emperor directly in the eyes with complete seriousness.
"If there had been any danger, I would never have given this to Elenor. This is my greatest invention!"
The Emperor held Soren's gaze for a moment. Seeing the unshakable determination in his old friend's eyes, he decided to trust him. There were things Soren had not explained, but they did not need to be explained—this was a family matter. As he ate, the Emperor asked,
"So how are the recent developments? Can we increase the army's strength?"
Soran began explaining carefully—mechas, military armor; land, sea, and air vehicles; how weapons could be further improved. He also spoke about the five-year development and production capacity plans ahead. The Emperor listened attentively while eating. After a while, there was no food left on the table, yet Soran and the Emperor continued their heated discussion. Omar, meanwhile, leaned back beside Soren, rubbing his bloated stomach. Very few people were as comfortable in the Emperor's presence as Soran and Omar—because the Emperor allowed it. A random person could never behave so freely before the ruler of one of the two most powerful empires. Soran finally finished speaking. The entire discussion had lasted three hours. The Emperor calculated thoughtfully.
"Budget is not an issue. I'm granting you full authority. We are in dire need of military development right now. The Awakened cannot keep up with all the rifts. At the moment, my blood brother and I are focusing entirely on imperial borders and the one-hundred-kilometer zone outside the walls. If you can induce awakenings in humans on a large scale, that would be ideal."
Soran sighed.
"That isn't possible… at least not for now. The device was designed to gradually increase human limits. It's a very slow process."
The Emperor frowned.
"What do you mean? Explain it clearly, Soran."
Soran sighed again.
"The potions and chemicals we developed for awakening revealed the biggest problem: overload."
The Emperor and Omar looked at Soren with curiosity. Soran continued.
"Think of humans like balloons. If you fill a balloon with too much air, it bursts. Humans have a certain limit—if they exceed it, the body collapses. All the mixtures we prepared forced awakenings onto people, already pushing their bodies. But those awakenings were so sudden that they shattered existing limits instantly, causing bodily collapse. The device identifies a person's limits and displays them to the user, then shows the necessary formula to slowly push past that limit. That's why I don't know the device's true boundaries. Its potential depends entirely on the individual's limits. It could reach A-rank, S-rank, or even remain at E-rank… unless we alter human genes."
Omar was stunned. The Emperor's eyes narrowed. The Emperor spoke calmly.
"I cannot approve this under any circumstances, Soran. You know our stance on human experimentation. The Awakened project was my only concession. If our military strength and development had been sufficient, this project would never have begun."
Soran continued speaking.
"I know, my Emperor. But human DNA has a limit. Throughout history, only three individuals have ever surpassed S-rank. One of them is your current crown prince. And even they are not enough. If we don't find a way to surpass human classifications, we will lose."
The Emperor listened carefully, thought for a moment, then spoke.
"What do you mean? I understand what you want—but after these procedures, would we still be human? Or monsters? And what if monsters have a hive mind? Will the people you alter be able to suppress monstrous instincts? Suppose you inject wolf DNA into a soldier—later, will he obey us, or an alpha wolf? I will not make a decision that alters my humanity, Soran, nor will I order or fund others to do so."
Soran had anticipated this outcome. Frankly, he knew the risks very well—but he had immense confidence in his own knowledge.
"I can do this safely."
The Emperor sighed.
"I do not doubt your abilities, Soran, but I cannot support this. I cannot allow you to inject monster DNA into humans. If the results turn bad, neither you nor I could ever forgive ourselves."
Soran tried to insist.
"But what if there are people who would accept it? I think—"
The Emperor raised his hand, signaling him to stop.
"I cannot allow it. These experiments were conducted in other empires—and pushed even further, creating chimeras. You know the results better than I do. The so-called test subjects either lost their minds and became monsters, or died. This is also a dangerous path—it feeds the darkness within. I have no intention of letting you fall down such a road. Do not bring this up again, please. If anyone else had suggested this, I would not have spoken so calmly."
Soran opened his mouth for a moment, but the Emperor's resolute gaze stopped him. He understood what the Emperor meant. The fastest path to power indeed lay through monster DNA—but this was research that tested humanity itself. He understood the Emperor's stance, and the Emperor would never allow Soren to do this for his own sake. In truth, Soran admired his Emperor. He never imposed budget restrictions, yet he categorically blocked such power-granting research. Other emperors pursued many dark paths in the name of power—but Azera and Turanya chose not to. Soran let out a deep sigh. As expected, the Emperor did not allow it.
"I understand, my Emperor. I will not bring up this subject again."
Omar, who had been nervously biting his nails at the side, let out a breath of relief. The Emperor also exhaled in satisfaction.
"Good. Now that this matter is settled, there is an important issue."
Soran and Omar became alert. The Emperor spoke carefully.
"Other nations have resumed their spacecraft projects at full speed. Some have already begun constructing ships."
Soran and Omar exchanged shocked looks, then turned to the Emperor. Omar asked curiously,
"Is that bad? It doesn't concern us, does it?"
Soran frowned, thinking for a moment, then spoke with disdain.
"Cowardly lowlifes."
Omar stared at Soren in surprise, not fully understanding. The Emperor sighed.
"As expected, you understood immediately. Yes—other emperors and nobles have decided to abandon Nevarion. They plan to take the Awakened with them as well."
Omar froze, then slammed both hands onto the table and stood up.
"THOSE BASTARDS HAVE LOST THEIR MINDS! EVEN THE SMALLEST EMPIRE HAS A POPULATION OF 200 MILLION! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO TAKE ALL THEIR PEOPLE WITH THEM!"
Soran sighed.
"They don't care, Omar. When things get tough, they run… I can't entirely blame them. When the rifts first opened, humans ruled nine continents. Now only three remain, barely standing. The seas and oceans are swarming with monsters. Six empires remain in Valthera, along with seventeen affiliated kingdoms still resisting—but the rifts keep opening. They believe they've already lost."
The Emperor asked calmly,
"Do you think we should implement this plan as well?"
Omar replied furiously,
"Absolutely not!"
Soran and the Emperor raised their eyebrows in surprise. Realizing his mistake, Omar cleared his throat.
"Ahem… I apologize, my Emperor… I got carried away…"
Soran and the Emperor chuckled. Soran replied,
"Even if we started a spacecraft project, at least half of our people would have to remain here. And there's no guarantee we'd find a habitable planet in space. Living in space isn't realistic either—eventually, ships will begin to deteriorate. That might take a hundred years or more, but I don't want my granddaughter drifting through space in a box where rebellion could break out at any moment… And besides—"
The Emperor asked with curiosity,
"Besides?"
"…Running away doesn't suit us. This is our families' home; our loved ones are buried here. Countless martyrs gave their lives for this country. Are we going to abandon it now? For what? Because a few mindless monsters invaded planets? I say we stay and fight."
Omar nodded firmly.
"Yes! We stay and fight. Every true citizen of Turanya and Azera dies for their home, for their country—but never runs. Never surrenders. Never bows."
The Emperor looked into their determined eyes for a moment. Then he chuckled and let out a sigh.
"I thought the same… But there will be people among us who want to run."
Soran shrugged.
"People with that mindset would only hold us back. It's better if they leave as early as possible."
Omar nodded in agreement. The Emperor nodded as well—it was better for them to leave than to stay and cause internal unrest. Soran asked curiously,
"What about Azera? What will they do?"
The Emperor replied with a chuckle,
"I spoke with my blood brother. He seems inclined to stay as well."
Omar asked with curiosity,
"And your family?"
The Emperor sighed.
"They want to stay too. They are against leaving the people behind."
Soran nodded with a smile. The Emperor and his family were made of madmen—but in a good way. He let out a deep sigh. After another hour of conversation, they were about to stand up and leave when something occurred to the Emperor.
"Soran, when you give the device to Elenor, tell her this—this was a gift from the Emperor."
Soran was stunned. How had something he created become the Emperor's gift? Omar struggled not to laugh. After chuckling, the Emperor continued,
"You already made the motorcycle as a gift, but this device was built using funds and materials from my personal treasury. Sixty percent of that device belongs to me."
Soran nearly choked on his own saliva. The Emperor was right—all the rare materials had been provided by him, budget included. With a sigh, he accepted it. But an idea crossed Soren's mind.
'The synchronization process is extremely painful, and breaking bodily limits is agonizing as well… Which means I can blame all of Elenor's suffering on the Emperor! I'll still be a good grandfather!'
The device's integration process meant weaving a new neural network inside the body using micro-cables. Once installed, removing it was impossible. The device would become like an organ of the body… at least in Elenor's case. Soran happily accepted the Emperor's proposal. The Emperor shuddered briefly, then ignored it. Soran and Omar got into the car and set off. Omar finally let out a relieved breath.
"My friend… I still can't believe you suggested injecting monster DNA into humans."
Soran sighed.
"It's the fastest way to gain power. Right now, I'm the only one who can build the device. Creating the specialized machines needed for mass production would take at least seven to nine years. And I still need to simplify the device."
Omar asked curiously,
"Can an Awakened use this device?"
Soran shook his head.
"Impossible. For someone who has already awakened, using this device would be equivalent to death. Their bodies would collapse from overload."
Omar nodded, then spoke again.
"Are you sure you want to give this device to Elenor?"
Soran remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"I'll be honest—the reason I created this device was Elenor. I want her to grow stronger. The thought of her being defenseless drives me insane!"
Omar stared at Soren in shock.
"What if the Emperor had refused?"
Soran replied calmly.
"I had prepared an extra device. Even if no one knew, I would have given it to Elenor anyway… To be honest, the device I built is tailored entirely for Elenor. Reproducing something this advanced will probably be very difficult."
Omar was stunned, looking at Soren with fear.
"But you said you could make four of them!"
Soran nodded.
"Idiot! I'm talking about Elenor's! I can produce standard-level ones!"
Omar looked at Soren with curiosity. Since Soran trusted Omar more than anyone, he calmly explained a few things.
"The device I'll give Elenor is also a key—it will grant access to everything that belongs to me. I'll also transfer my own knowledge into the device. Elenor will be able to access all my projects."
Omar was shocked.
"Wouldn't it be dangerous if Elenor lost that device?"
Soran chuckled.
"She can't lose it, even if she wanted to… Also, I'm thinking of giving her Garuda and PLD-01."
Omar lost control of the car in shock. After swerving briefly, he managed to straighten out and continue driving. Soran stared blankly at Omar.
"Why are you so shocked?"
Omar spoke with a deep frown.
"Have you lost your mind? Those two are incomplete and dangerous projects! Elenor could die using them!"