With those final words, the gathered officers and officials bowed their heads in acknowledgment before turning to leave, the weight of his command still lingering in the air.
One by one, their figures shimmered and vanished as they teleported to their respective stations and ships, utilizing the advanced Transcendent Teleportation Module.
But one person remained alongside Kallus—Tessa, ever so perceptive and watchful. Her expression was serious, her sharp instincts telling her that something was changing about Kallus. She didn’t know what, but she wanted to.
She looked toward him, and he, in turn, met her gaze with a curious expression and a knowing smile, as if he could already guess her question. But then he shook his head, silently telling her that this wasn’t the time for that.
Tessa, who was just about to voice her concerns, hesitated. After a brief pause, she gave a small nod, indicating her understanding. She would find him later.
With one final look, she teleported away.
Now alone in the empty hall, Kallus let out a quiet sigh before teleporting back to his room.
After carefully placing the still-sleeping little white furball on his bed, Kallus settled onto the ground in a meditative position.
His mind drifted to the recent meeting with his high officers, analyzing every detail and its implications. Thoughts of his future plans surfaced—strategies, expansion, and the path he had chosen.
But that was for later.
His mind drifted back—far beyond his reincarnation—to a time before it all began.
I had always been alone.
Losing my family at a very young age changed everything. Once, I had been a cheerful boy, full of hope, happiness, and motivation. But after that incident, it all vanished. The shock was too great. I lost my hope. I lost my happiness.
And yet, despite it all, I gave my best in life. I pushed forward, thinking that if my parents were watching from the heavens, I couldn’t let them down by doing something drastic. But even then, my life moved on without a shred of real purpose. I had no true motivation, no real goal to chase.
And even if I did have the motivation to achieve something… for what? For whom?
I had no one. No real connections. No true friends I could rely on—no one to pull me away from the abyss of my own thoughts. I was adrift, unanchored, moving forward only because time demanded it.
Other than my studies, all my free time had been spent in front of my computer, immersed in Galactic Conquest—a game that became my only escape from reality and the darkness within me.
And then, fate intervened.
For me, it was a fortuitous encounter—being thrust into a new reality, along with the very ship I had designed in that game. It was my way to escape, to lock away those memories, and start anew.
Bestowed with immense power by a supreme being—one whose nature and motives I still knew nothing about.
I found my family in this reality—alive and well, just like any ordinary person would be. And to my surprise, I even discovered that I had… no, that I have a sister in this universe too.
As for Kallus… I know you might already have an idea of what happened to him, but let me tell you anyway. Just like all my other variants, he was erased from existence the moment I was reincarnated here. Their souls merged with mine, forming the person I am now—my complete self.
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It was unconventional, but it was the truth. They were me. And now, after all this time, they have truly returned to me, making me whole.
I know, it’s confusing—even for me. So if you don’t understand, blame the author, not me, okay?
He shook his head, realizing he had let himself get distracted.
Ahem—so, where was I? Ah, yes. I found my family. So, in a way, it was a fortunate encounter for me.
But that didn’t mean the darkness surrounding me had disappeared.
Not yet.
Because I still hadn’t met them.
Umm...It was one of the reasons—but not the only one…
And this wasn’t the first time I had found myself contemplating this.
Even during the nearly 25 years I spent within the Universal Divine Domain—cultivating, training—the question lingered around me, surfacing time and time again.
I had asked myself countless times: What do I truly want?
With all this power, with technological marvels beyond comprehension—the Obliterator-class dreadnought, the vast array of enhanced technologies—along with my own now limitless potential and abilities capable of shaping reality itself… But I found myself asking what my end goal was truly.
Where would I stop? Where would I truly begin?
What was I really striving for?
Because deep down, I knew—I wasn’t myself. Not truly.
The shock of my previous life had changed me. Or perhaps, I had simply been unable to face those moments… unable to accept my reality. The reality that has already changed.
And in doing so, I was being selfish.
Selfish to whom?
To my people. To my crew. And, to some extent… to my true self.
I knew—I couldn’t go on like this anymore.
Why?
Because war was coming.
A war that would destroy everything I wanted to protect.
I could remain untouched, safe alongside my crew and the family I had yet to meet—if I chose to pull them into the Universal Divine Domain.
But that wasn’t an option. And truthfully, I had never even considered it.
Not for anything.
I was building my fleet. And while my actions may have seemed random to some extent, they were never unnatural. They were not wrong. Not entirely.
…Well, whatever.
I knew—I had to step up.
As he contemplated this, his aura surged.
And this was the perfect time to step up—
To be the real me.
And somewhere in the deeper part of his consciousness, the darkness that had lingered within him for so long began to waver—slowly but surely, it started to fade.
And soon, it was gone.
The haze of his once-clouded thoughts began to fade, and at last, his true self started to emerge.
The echoes of the past—the pain I had endured—faded into the distance.
What remained were only memories, no longer shackling me, no longer weighing me down. I had finally come to accept them. The past was unchangeable, and even if I could alter it… I wouldn’t.
I opened my eyes from my deep contemplation, stood up, and walked toward the viewport in my room. Gazing at the endless stretch of stars and the vast blue planet before me, I felt a presence behind me.
The Red Empress.
"You’ve been silent for hours, Kallus," she said in a low yet steady voice. "What’s on your mind?"
Her tone was calm, controlled—but I could feel it. Her worry.
I exhaled slowly, turning slightly toward her with a reassuring smile. Then, with newfound certainty and resolve, I spoke.
"Everything, Empress."
I paused briefly before continuing.
"For so long, since I arrived here, I hesitated. I let the weight of disappointment, the pain of my past, cloud my judgment. But not anymore."
The Red Empress sighed softly. She had sensed the inner turmoil within me, but seeing this change… she seemed reassured. Yet, she asked again.
"And what has changed, Kallus?"
I stepped forward, meeting her gaze.
"I have changed, Empress… No, I have merely reclaimed who I truly am."
My eyes burned with a fire that had been missing for far too long.
"The past is done. It has already happened. I have already endured its pain. Nothing has changed—and so I must. I’m done being shackled by it. It’s time to move forward. Time to build. Time to take our destiny and fate into our own hands.
No more hesitation. No more randomness. And certainly, no more second-guessing."
Hearing the confidence in my voice, the firm resolve behind my words, a slight smile formed on her ethereal, cold face.
"That’s a dangerous path, Kallus," she said. "One that will put countless enemies at our backs.
But it is a grand path."
She held my gaze for a moment before nodding knowingly.
"...And that’s why you did what you did at the last meeting, isn’t it?"
My smile grew wider—I hadn’t expected her to guess that so easily.
I asked, "Is it that easy to guess, Empress?"
She smiled, playfully teasing me as she spoke. "You are, for me at least, Kallus."
"It is indeed a dangerous path," I admitted. "But are we not powerful ourselves, Empress? We are ready for the trials ahead. Even freedom has its price… and certainly, so do destiny and fate."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then, the Red Empress let out a soft, almost musical giggle at my words.
"Took you long enough to figure that out, Master," she said.
"There’s one thing I need to do, Empress," I told her.
She raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her eyes.
"Meeting your presence, huh, Master?" she said, sounding both surprised and intrigued.
I wasn’t surprised that she had guessed it again.
Well, I can’t expect anything less from her, can I?
I let out a small breath and said, "Indeed, Empress. It’s time I meet them before..."