Legacy of the Void Fleet

And just like that, my conversation with Jack came to an end. Though, it certainly wasn't the end of my troubles—ugh. I could only imagine what would happen when he actually arrived here. But I had a feeling that, more than being angry, he'd be surprised.

Time continued to pass, and soon, a week had gone by. It was finally time for the trip I had planned—to take my family to the Divine Universal Plane. However, both my mother and father rejected the idea for now, asking for another week to settle some matters. They were still wary of the path ahead, even though they understood what was right and what needed to be done.

Since they requested a delay, I happily agreed. After all, it meant I could enjoy more peaceful days with them before everything changed.

However, when the time came, I wouldn't accompany them to the Universal Domain. There were pressing matters that required my attention, and I could no longer afford to delay them. Something major had happened—something I needed to deal with.

Back in the Void Fleet, the Obliterator, a colossal Star Dreadnought, loomed in the depths of space. Two days had passed since Kallus had left the fleet for Earth.

Things were progressing smoothly, just as per Kallus' orders. Under Minister Evans' supervision, another 15 orbital shipyards were under construction. Within a day or so, they would be fully completed and ready to start fabricating ships—effectively doubling the speed at which the required fleet could be produced.

Meanwhile, the alliance and mutual cooperation deal with Earth's powers was nearly finalized, set to be officially signed by Emma in Kallus' absence. As for the Void Star-Earth Alliance, it, too, was progressing well. Some structural and focal adjustments were being made, but they wouldn't significantly alter the overall agreement—those refinements would be discussed later.

At the Obliterator's main command center—currently serving as Kallus' command hub—Imperial Guard Eman and the Red Empress were reviewing various documents and packages meant for Earth.

They were deep in discussion about the phased introduction of technology, debating at what rate and in what manner these advancements should be provided.

The Void Fleet's broader goal wasn't just to establish an alliance; it aimed to elevate Earth's technological state, living standards, and scientific knowledge to a level comparable with its foundational systems.

While fully bringing Earth up to the Void Fleet's standard is impossible at this stage, it remains a long-term aspiration. Even with the enhancements provided by the gene enhancement serum, such progress would take millennia at the very least—and that's still an understatement.

The foundation upon which the Void Fleet was built is so advanced that even its leader, Kallus, has only a limited understanding of its full scope.

However, reaching a level where Earth can integrate with the star fleet technological ecosystem is feasible within two to three decades.

While they were deep in discussion, a sudden notification —or rather, a low-level alarm—resounded through the command center, and interrupted them, bringing their conversation to an abrupt halt. Emma caught off guard, turned to the Red Empress with a look of confusion.

The Red Empress, her eyes closed, was directly receiving the alert's details through Obliterator's main system and SOL—its unique computational framework and data center. A second later, she opened her eyes, a flicker of confusion crossing them.

Noticing this, Emma asked straightforwardly, "What happened, Empress?"

Even though the Red Empress appeared confused, she displayed no other emotion. Emma took this as a sign that the situation wasn't too serious—yet she still asked with a firm tone.

The Red Empress responded, her voice steady but laced with uncertainty.

"Just now—near the central zone of this locked and cut-off region—our ships' advanced bots deployed in the very same area detected a vast and massive spatial fluctuation affecting the central star region.

The cause of the alarm is the same; Obliterator's transcendent detection systems have also picked up the anomaly. The fluctuation appears to be originating directly from the central region itself."

Emma narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the information. "By 'central star region,' do you mean the Regal Star System, Red Empress?"

The Red Empress nodded. "Indeed."

Emma's expression remained sharp. "Do we have a clear reason why this is happening?" she asked.

The Red Empress shook her head. "No. Even our navigation bots weren't able to detect it properly. We're dealing with a spatial fluctuation, and given their limitations, they simply aren't equipped to perceive something of this nature."

Emma let out a deep sigh before continuing, "Should we notify Imperial Commander Kallus about this?"

The Red Empress remained silent for a moment, deep in thought, calculating the implications and weighing whether she should notify Kallus—ultimately disrupting the brief moment of peace he was spending with his family. Finally, she shook her head.

"There's no need to inform the Imperial Commander for now. We've already confirmed that there is no life in the Regal Star System, so this spatial fluctuation was not caused by any third party—as far as we know—based on the information the Imperial Commander has provided."

The Red Empress paused before continuing, "And even though we know it wasn't caused by any third party, we must investigate the cause and determine whether it warrants his attention before disturbing his brief moment of peace."

Emma gave a slight nod. "Understood. Then, should we send a reconnaissance team?"

Even though she was in charge here, she still sought the Red Empress's approval. The Empress nodded once more and replied, "Yes, we should send a reconnaissance team."

The Red Empress considered for a moment before giving her orders.

"Have Fleet Admiral Ezra Tanno deploy an Antares-class battleship equipped with space detection instruments and other necessary equipment. Instruct him to coordinate with Chief Technician Tyler for this. Along with the Antares-class battleship, deploy 10 to 20 Phantom Dagger-class corvettes, 5 to 8 Striker-class light frigates, and 2 Spearhead-class destroyers. Ensure these ships are fully prepared for the reconnaissance mission.

And yes, inform Tyler to send his best researchers specializing in spatial phenomena, along with top-grade equipment, to accompany the team."

After a moment of contemplation, Emma nodded in agreement. The reconnaissance fleet made sense—not only were the smaller ships faster, allowing them to act as vanguards and protectors for the Antares-class battleship, but the Antares itself had ample space to install advanced detection equipment without excessive hassle or time delays.

Thinking of this, she left the command chamber, teleporting directly to one of the Antares-class battleships—Fleet Admiral Ezra Tanno's personal ship. She needed to inform him about the events unfolding in the Regal Star System and the deployment of the reconnaissance fleet.

Meanwhile, the Empress also departed from the room, teleporting directly to the research and development level. She intended to inform Tyler about the situation and have him begin preparations for the deployment while selecting the best researchers for the mission.

And just like that, two days passed in preparation. The reconnaissance fleet was assembled and ready for deployment. The Antares-class battleship was equipped with various top-grade specialized instruments and space-related equipment. Additionally, a team of 10 to 15 researchers, all experts in space-related fields, was selected to accompany the mission.

With everything prepared and ready, the fleet, under Admiral Ezra Tanno's command, awaited final clearance. Once received, the ships began accelerating toward the Regal Star System. Moments later, they activated their FTL drives and soon disappeared from sight, vanishing into the vastness of space.

Meanwhile, the movements of the Void Fleet did not go unnoticed—especially since they were operating openly for all to see. The Star Fleet, along with various superstates on Earth, grew increasingly curious about the Void Fleet's actions. Attempts were made to reach out for clarification, but they were met only with cryptic responses.

The cryptic responses from the Void Fleet left them with no choice but to speculate on their own. However, despite their efforts, they couldn't determine anything significant. This lack of information frustrated the Star Fleet, and even more so, its leader—the Chancellor of the Star Fleet, Bai Zongqi.

Though they had disappeared from sight, their signals were continuously monitored by the Obliterator-class Star Dreadnought and other Antares-class battleships, which shared the live feed.

And just like that, another three days passed. These days were rather peculiar within the Void Fleet…

Meanwhile Back at earth.

During this additional week, things were much calmer—at least at home. However, it was a different case for our family's businesses and corporations.

My father, while still maintaining ownership and shares, had delegated all management roles to his most trusted and talented executives. Despite his efficiency, the entire transition still took about four days under his supervision.

As for my mother, she also ran a business in the beauty sector. Just like my father, she delegated her responsibilities and authority to other talented and senior executives, while still retaining overall control.

Faced with this sudden development, the only thing the others could do was resign themselves to speculation, trying to piece together the reasons behind my parents' actions. However, their concerns were of little significance to our family.

Everything proceeded as planned, and within four days, the entire transition was legally completed—meticulously handled with no loopholes or backdoors left behind.