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Join the Server“This way to the Imperial Palace, Lord Odinxis, are you alright?”
The envoy from the Universal Empire supported Odinxis, his face etched with concern. Odinxis himself was visibly pale, his steps still somewhat unsteady.
“No, I’m fine…”
Odinxis weakly waved him off, indicating he didn’t need assistance and could walk on his own. After a moment’s consideration, the Imperial envoy released his grip, allowing Odinxis to proceed unassisted.
“It’s understandable if you’re unaccustomed to ships accelerating at such speeds. The Imperial Research Institute has found this to be quite a headache, as super-acceleration in the quantum realm inevitably causes a certain degree of turbulence and distortion within the ship’s internal space.”
“Despite numerous scientific studies, we’ve finally managed to make it barely tolerable for passengers. However, for those unaccustomed to it, riding such a vessel is akin to torture.”
The envoy shrugged, implying there was nothing to be done. Indeed, even he had vomited no fewer than twenty or thirty times while familiarizing himself with the process.
He had become adept at swiftly pulling a paper bag from the dispenser beside his seat and precisely aiming into it. Fortunately, the envoy had assisted Odinxis just as he felt overwhelmed, preventing the newly appointed viscount from losing face on his journey to the Imperial Capital.
Nevertheless, due to the ship’s violent shaking and Odinxis’s inability to control his own trembling, some of his vomit had inevitably splattered onto the envoy.
Yet, the envoy appeared unfazed. He simply pulled out a small orb and lightly sprayed himself, instantly cleaning away the small stains.
Apparently, this device was a rapid stain remover developed by the Imperial Research Institute. The white mist it sprayed was actually composed of micron-sized robots that automatically eradicated all impurities on any surface.
Afterward, one merely needed to place the orb back over the sprayed area to recall all the tiny robots. On that ship, Odinxis witnessed a series of high-tech marvels he had never encountered before.
Some were technologies his own federation had developed, but the Universal Empire possessed product lines that were generations ahead. Odinxis felt a slight daze after just one trip on such a vessel; the Empire’s technological prowess far exceeded his imagination.
When he arrived at the Imperial Palace, the sheer grandeur of the sight left him momentarily speechless.
He couldn’t even begin to describe the palace’s magnificence. If he had to use a comparison, perhaps only the ‘Hall of the Gods’ from ancient myths could adequately convey its scale.
Though the term ‘Imperial Palace’ sounded archaic, when he truly beheld its exterior, the small viewport of the ship could only capture a tiny corner. Especially after the ship docked *within* the ‘Imperial Palace,’ towering walls rose on all sides, blotting out the sky.
Upon entering the Imperial Palace, he witnessed a truly terrifying sight: a blazing fireball contained within an enormous structure. From the outside, it appeared to be an ordinary fireball, albeit with a unique color, suggesting an extraordinarily high flame temperature.
“Allow me to introduce you to our Imperial Research Institute’s first-generation Stellar Containment Unit. This unit can absorb a stellar body up to a Class III star, though it’s now considered an obsolete product.”
“After all, a capacity that large would occupy far too much space if installed on a ship. The core kinetic energy of the warship you traveled on today utilizes our current fifth-generation containment unit. Though its volume has been significantly reduced, I hear the Institute has already begun research on the seventh-generation miniature containment unit.”
“If such a device were to be successfully developed, it might even surpass the most powerful individual combat weapons currently in existence.”
“Are you saying… that’s a star?! The star!”
“Indeed. Haven’t you subscribed to the Imperial Gazette? While this equipment was initially a highly classified project, with the successive emergence of the third and fourth generations, the first generation was repurposed as an exhibit.”
“The very first creation is what you just saw, displayed as an adornment along the Imperial Palace’s pathways.”
“What extravagant decoration…” Odinxis murmured. Only now did he truly realize he had been a frog in a well, his former arrogance appearing utterly laughable.
Seeing Odinxis’s reaction, the envoy merely smiled and said nothing more, continuing his duty as a guide and leading him to a reception room.
“I can only accompany you this far. Someone from within the Imperial Palace will escort you to His Majesty the Emperor’s private chambers. I shall take my leave here.”
“Ah, thank you, thank you…”
At this moment, Odinxis bore none of the former majesty, arrogance, or cold demeanor of a former Alliance leader. He seemed utterly humble, striving to exude politeness in every gesture to win favor with the people here.
After the envoy departed, he sat for a while in the reception room. However, when his fingers brushed the sofa, an incredibly mysterious sensation instantly transmitted from his fingertips to his brain.
“This… My heavens, this is a Colossal Elephant!?”
Odinxis felt another wave of shock. This ‘Colossal Elephant’ was not a terrestrial beast, but a spherical cosmic creature that existed in space. Half a cosmic epoch ago, it was universally declared extinct.
This was because its non-aggressive nature and the exceptionally soft, comfortable mid-layer of its hide made it a target for the insatiable greed of intelligent species, leading to its widespread slaughter. For reasons unknown, it eventually vanished entirely from the universe.
Therefore, a sofa made from its hide, if put up for auction in the universe’s underground black market, would fetch at least tens of millions of billions in Imperial currency. Yet, in the Imperial Palace, it was displayed as an ordinary sofa in a reception room?
As a cosmic biologist, Odinxis generally opposed the hunting of harmless cosmic creatures. However, the deed was done; past facts could not be altered. He might as well appreciate the traces left by this wondrous creature.
“Mr. Odinxis, you seem to be quite fond of this sofa.”
A slightly stern voice suddenly spoke from behind him. Odinxis’s hand twitched in surprise, and he immediately sat up properly before turning to look at the speaker.
“His Majesty the Emperor has been waiting for you for quite some time. Please follow me.”
“Ah, yes, yes…”
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Read : The Phantom of the Library
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