章節 216: The Cruelty of the Universe
[If you are interested in reading 10 chapters ahead, go check out my Pa.tr.eon with the link https://www.patréon.com/LazySageDao, or just type in my writer's name in the website. The plot is getting exciting there and you guys can support me in any way you can.
Additionally, go read my other novel [Journey of the Fate Destroying Emperor] and [The Otsutsuki Clan: A Legacy of Blood and Destruction], it's a Naruto Fanfic with an evil MC born in the Otsutsuki clan.
Join the discord: https://discord.gg/bnsezTApeY]
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The Empire's 123rd Fleet surrounded the entire Black Wood Star System. In all the seven planets occupied by the Fer race, thousands of ships could be seen surrounding them. When the Fer people raised their heads, they could see the ships that covered the sky.
Then, the communication system of these planets was hacked, showing a video of the Commander of the fleet.
"My name is Cisco Fernandez Delacruz, commander of the 123rd Fleet of the Arcane Empire."
As he said these words, all the channels on these planets translated his words into the language of the Fer race.
"As you can see, you are now surrounded and outmatched. As such, resistance is futile. Please surrender to ensure that no unnecessary casualties on your part.
"You have five hours to make a decision."
After Commander Cisco made his declaration, the Worldwide broadcast ended. Then, the Fer people as a whole panicked. The ordinary people worry about the future, meanwhile, the people in power began to quickly assess the situation.
They discovered that the web along with all the weapon systems on each planet was out of their control. So, a meeting of the highest caliber was upheld.
Inside of the Empire's spaceships, Cisco was looking at the meeting of the Fer council with a screen in front of him.
"Sir, do you think that they will surrender?" asked the Vice-Commander.
"It does not matter."
"What do you mean?"
"The choice was never theirs to make," replied Cisco calmly. Immediately, the vice-commander seemed to have thought of something and a look of fear appeared on his face before returning to calm.
As the commander, Cisco was privy to some private information. For example, the majority of the Fer Council has been controlled through Imperius to vote against surrendering.
As for the reason?
There are many. The Fer race is very militant by nature. This can be seen by how many other races they have wiped out or enslaved when they conquer the Black Wood Star System.
So, even if they surrendered, it will most likely be temporary; they will become an unstable factor in the future. For them to properly surrender, they first need to be properly defeated, then instill great fear in them.
This is one of the missions that Cisco was entrusted with. Of course, there are other reasons at play.
The skin of the Fer race is harder than metals while also very malleable and flexible. It is very cheap, a great conductor of mana, and is very abundant. Not to mention that is easy to acquire.
The Empire has already developed spells for them to shed their skin like snakes, then regrow them. A process that is quick, easy, and does not require much money.
With their skin, more spaceships can be created, at a faster rate and cheaper price.
And this is not all the value of their race. According to a recent study, although the Fer race has a very poor talent for magic, they are superb Arcane Master.
With their powerful defense, they would make great soldiers. As such, the Empire has decided to not only use them to mine their skin but to incorporate them into the Empire and served as soldiers.
After all, the Arcane Empire can be considered a multi-racial country with many intelligent creatures that are not humans. However, before that, the militant nature of the Fer race has to be controlled, subdued.
…
Five hours later, as Cisco predicted, the council refused to surrender. The Fer King made a passionate speech to the public that their race was a race of conquerors, not the conquered.
That even if they could not control their fleet, their soldiers can still fight to their last breath.
Not long after the speech, Commander Cisco once again took control of the communication system. He showed a live broadcast of a Fer planet called Ironal.
Many ships surrounded the planet with a humongous one that was a few dozen kilometers in length and width. Inside that ship, Commander Cisco sat in his command sit with a calm look on his face as he said: "Commence the attack. Use the Fire Elemental Canon at full capacity."
The Vice-Commander paused for a brief moment, "Sir, which mode?"
"Use the First Mode first follow by the second."
"As you commend."
All the Fer people watched as a massive gun suddenly appeared under the humongous ship. Then, a red projectile was shot from it. With rapid speed, the projectile broke through planet Ironal's atmosphere and landed in a deserted place.
Then, something that this race will never forget in their lives occurred. The memory of what happened that day will forever be ingrained into their souls, their bloodlines and passed down from generation to generation.
The projectile that landed on the planet contained a large pocket dimension. And inside that dimension was a large quantity of Fire Element. The moment the projectile landed, the pocket dimension opened.
A flame wave came out and traveled in all directions. Wherever the flame passed by, everything was burned to ash. Buildings were instantly incinerated.
People were burned alive, with only their charred bodies showing that they once existed. Whether it was men, children, women, animals, or the elderly, no one was spared
Luckily for them, the pain was only a moment before they lost consciousness, sent into the eternal void that is death, with only a slight scream left as proof of their previous existence.
The only ocean that existed on the planet was instantly boiled, killing all the fishes, plants, fungi, and all the different species living there.
Mountains, glaciers, forests, plains, farms, historical monuments, libraries, museums, etc. Everything was instantly incinerated, turned into ashes. In just a few minutes, this planet full of wonders, cultures, history, and life was rendered into nothing, leaving only a scarlet world full of desolation.
And this was not the end.
"U-U-Use the second mode of the canon," said the Vice-Commander with a hoarse voice.
The ship fired a second shot. This time, the projectile was much faster and did not land on the planet but penetrated the core. Then, the dimension inside exploded which led to another reaction with the core of the planet.
Boom!
Planet Ironal exploded into thousands of pieces that floated into space. The Fer race watched in horror, feeling intense grief and despair. Today, they finally understood the cruelty of the universe.
They learned a very important truth: higher civilizations prey on weaker ones. Just like they used brute force and their advanced technology to conquer and annihilate other races in this star system, it was now their turn to share the same fate.
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Next Chapter Title: Strongest Will
章節 217: Strongest Will
[If you are interested in reading 10 chapters ahead, go check out my Pa.tr.eon with the link https://www.patréon.com/LazySageDao, or just type in my writer's name in the website. The plot is getting exciting there and you guys can support me in any way you can.
Additionally, go read my other novel [Journey of the Fate Destroying Emperor] and [The Otsutsuki Clan: A Legacy of Blood and Destruction], it's a Naruto Fanfic with an evil MC born in the Otsutsuki clan.
Join the discord: https://discord.gg/bnsezTApeY]
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Arcane Empire, Earth, the Imperial Palace:
Edward sat in a chair with a screen in front of him. Just like the lucky few of the Fer race, he was also watching the live broadcast of the bombing. He watched as the fire devastated everything in its path.
From women to children, to the elderly. He could hear their final scream before dying, echoing inside his mind–all 23 billion of them. Although he was countless light-years away, the sound was very vivid to him, like he was in a front-row seat at a concert.
Before making the final decision, he thought of many excuses to justify his actions. For example, the Fer race had committed many atrocities and this could be considered punishment for their previous actions.
He convinced himself that this was a necessary action for the future of the Empire. That his decision today will prevent countless suffering in the future. He even went as far as telling himself that he was not the one who push the final button, so all the blame cannot be placed on himself.
However, in the end, he could not lie to himself. His decision was a calculated one.
His journey as Emperor will lead to a path of countless wars. By then, a mere planet being destroyed will be inconsequential. By then, galaxies and even universes will be at stake.
If he cannot accept this now, then he should step down from his position.
Did he regret the decision he made today? Yes.
Would he still do it again given another chance? The answer is still yes.
Edward has already made one of his main goals to spread the Arcane Empire throughout the entire universe, and spread the pursuit of knowledge and truths to all races in the cosmos.
To develop a civilization based on power and knowledge.
That way, magic can develop at an unprecedented speed and to an unimaginable height by gathering the wisdom of thousands of races, which in turn allow him to reach the pinnacle of magic and discord its essence, its roots.
Of course, one can make the argument that no one asked Edward to do this; no one asked him to spread civilization. And the reason he is doing this is because of his God Complex.
And to these people, Edward would say that they were right. But he would still not change his mind since he was already determined to walk down that path.
"Just like the purple mad Titan said: 'The hardest choices require the strongest will.'" muttered Edward. He then remembered his aunt's warning to him that he should not become numb to these kinds of things; to the death of countless living creatures.
He decided to keep these words to mind; to act as a constant reminder in the future.
He waved his hand and a bottle of alcohol appeared on his hand. Without hesitation, he jugged the entire thing down his throat. Once he was done, another one appeared before repeating the process.
Meanwhile, outside his room, all his wives stood outside the door with worried looks on their faces.
"He never drinks but now he is finishing bottles like they were water. Obviously, he's not fine," said Fleur.
"Then, what should we do? Should we go see him?" asked Bellatrix.
"No, let him vent for tonight," replied Rowena. "Knowing him, tomorrow morning, he will regain his normal self–at least on the surface."
"There should be something more we can do?" asked Luna.
"Edward is a very open person when it comes to his feeling. Give him a few days, then we can ask him and he will tell us," replied Olivier who secretly left the army to come here.
Although she is the last one to become his wife, she has spent the most time with him back in her world. Even the time Rowena spent in the different timeline with Edward cannot be compared to her.
So, she knew him best. So, the others nodded after hearing her proposition.
Black Wood Star System:
After watching the live broadcast, Commander Cisco's hand on his chair trembled. He clenched his hands really hard to focus, hoping the pain would calm him down, but it did not.
At some point, his breathing was a little more difficult to control. A memory suddenly flashed inside his mind. It was when he was at the Marine Academy and learning about history.
More specifically, the history of the Old Age. It was about the creator of the Atomic Bomb and how he regretted his action later on. When reading that part, Cisco always had a look of disdain towards Oppenheimer, thinking that he was a weak will man.
However, today, Cisco could understand how he felt. Thinking about all the lives that die under his action, he instantly felt like he was about to have a panic attack.
Nevertheless, Cisco was still an elite properly trained. So, he instantly cast a Mechanized Mind Spell on himself, thus entering an emotionless and logical state of mind.
He then ordered his men to once again broadcast his face to the Fer people. With a calm voice, Cisco said:
"As you can all see, this is the repercussions of your decisions. According to the law of the Empire, a second chance will be granted to your species. Surrender of face extinction."
This time, the Fer council did not hesitate to surrender. In front of such a powerful force, they were simply incapable of resisting. The next day, Edward dressed luxuriously, wore his crown, and headed to Black Wood Star System to meet the delegates of the Fer race and sign their surrendering treaty.
As he sat on a golden throne, looking at the Fer King and a few council members, he briefly read their minds. He could feel their fear, hatred, and disgust for him. And some of them were even thinking of the possibility of taking this opportunity to either kill him or take him as a prisoner.
Edward suddenly used the Spiritual Pressure spell, releasing a powerful pressure that not only prevented all of these people from moving, breathing, and even thinking.
Immediately afterward, they removed the little rebellion thoughts that they had in their minds.
"For starting this war and your resistance, your species will be classified as Second-Class Citizen, with limited rights and powers," said Edward calmly. "However, everything is not hopeless. As long as you served in the military and earn enough merit for the Empire, all of you will eventually become regular citizens.
"By then, you will get access to education, magic, long lifespan, great healthcare, and many more."
The Fer Council was a little surprised by this decision; they were all prepared to become slaves for their entire lives, just like they did to the conquered races of their star system.
Of course, they also knew that their lives from now on will not be easy. Fortunately, they now had hoped. Although they did not know whether this Arcane Emperor would keep his words, it was better than nothing.
Truth be told, Edward never planned to enslaved the Fer race. He knew that it was very difficult to enslave any intelligent race as they would eventually rebel. No matter how long it took, no matter whether it succeeded, it would eventually happen.
The only way to enslave another intelligent race is to systematically change their way of thinking and make them believe that it was their honor to be enslaved, to served their conqueror–just like the house-elves.
Another method would be to use a powerful Bloodline Curse to enslave them. However, this kind of method is not absolute as there is a high chance for such magic to have problems over time.
Not to mention the possibility of some genius being born in the Fer race and finding a way to remove the said curse.
So, Edward decided to use another approach. First, made the Fer race suffer a little, have them work hard for their freedom so that they can appreciate it.
While working for their freedom, slowly instill a yearning for the life of real citizens by showing them all the benefits and advantages. Finally, when they gain their freedom, slowly forge their identity as people of the Empire and integrate into it.
Although the process will be long and slow, it is the best method that will lead to fewer issues in the future.
(AN; I know that every time I try to give Edward any form of weakness, display of emotions or character growth, or generally trying to add some complexity to his character, a lot of people began to complain that he is acting out of character.
(So, I usually try to stay away from these kinds of moments. But recently, I realized how bland of a character he was and decided to add a little human touch to him.
(Additionally, the new world is coming in like the next chapter or 2. I am a little disappointed with the War Arc in general but still satisfied with the end."
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Next Chapter Title: Uninvited Visitor
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