NOVPUB"That is completely the opposite of what we experienced when we took over the world," Aron said with a chuckle as he skimmed through the report detailing the Zypharion people's reaction, comparing it to humanity's during their last world war.
By just the second week, Dreznor had already gained the support of the majority of the population, a stark contrast to Aron's own experience, which involved battling numerous insurgencies and unifying fractured governments.
{Your situation was different from his,} Nova said in an attempt to offer some false consolation. {His people were already accustomed to living under a centralized authority. In your case, you had to unify multiple sovereign nations, each with distinct systems and professional militaries. If Earth had been in its current state back then, the transition might have mirrored Dreznor's, though with a few differences in how quickly people accepted new leadership.}
"What do you think?" Aron asked. "Should we help him expand his forces now so he can start taking over other planets, or leave him to build things up on his own?"
Nyx answered this time, due to her deeper insight into Dreznor and the other "little protagonists."
{If we leave him to grow at his own pace, it'll take at least a decade before his forces are large enough to become a notable threat to the Conclave. But by then, the wormhole highway system would already be complete, making it easy for a Conclave coalition to assemble and crush him before he can solidify his position.
So, I suggest we go all in. Have him reach a threatening size by year five, enough for the Conclave to consider his demands seriously. That would also be a sweet spot: VR would have spread far enough to help disseminate his ideals, but there wouldn't yet be enough wormhole routes for the Conclave to move a massive force against him without serious strain.}
"Mhm…" Aron murmured, weighing both options carefully before speaking. "What if we gave him a fleet and included wormhole-capable ships? How much would that reduce the timeline?"
{That would shorten it significantly,} Nyx replied after running a few simulations, {but wouldn't that be too much, too soon? It might force the Conclave to act faster. And since it involves wormhole technology, they might suspect outside interference, especially if it doesn't align with their tech profile.}
"Can't we use the same cover story we used to explain the VR element of his speech?" Aron countered. "We could give him a few wormhole-capable ships strictly for carrying invasion fleets. Let even their soldiers believe it's thanks to a Tranrian defector or someone with privileged knowledge who joined their side. Then we just keep the wormhole use quiet until it's inevitably discovered."
Nyx paused as she analyzed that logic.
{If we frame it that way, it could work. But to achieve real strategic momentum in a short time, the number of ships we'd need to give them would have to be astronomical.}
"I'm sure that won't be a problem," Aron said with a confident smile. "No one matches us in quality or quantity when it comes to production. Start coordinating with the Little Protagonist. Let's implement this as soon as possible. We'll do our best to ensure the wormhole lane creation efforts aren't used against him."
{Understood.}
……………………….. 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝖔𝔪
Inside the VR planet fully controlled by the Drakthar civilization's government, shielded beneath the encryption veil of their own design, a report was being delivered.
"Your Excellency, we've failed the daily planetary connectivity check-in with Ukubun's planet, Zypharion, for more than two weeks," reported Biksa, head of the Drakthar intelligence division.
Because of the vast distances between star systems, most civilizations maintained highly independent planetary governments. To retain oversight and ensure interstellar safety, the central government required every planet to conduct weekly mana-powered long-distance check-ins. Missing more than two consecutive check-ins typically signaled one of three possibilities: rebellion, pirate activity, or rogue governance.
"Ukubun?" the leader muttered, not even lifting his head. "That's a first for him."
Such disruptions weren't unheard of, and he had long stopped reacting to them with urgency. It was the planetary leaders' responsibility to gather the mana required for these systems. Failing that duty often resulted in administrative punishment by the empire.
"Yes, sir. It's his first time missing a check-in in over three decades"
"Then let's wait a few more weeks. If there's still no response, follow the standard procedure," the leader replied, then immediately ejected Biksa from the virtual chamber, a feature he particularly enjoyed.
While some leaders remained wary of surveillance inside the VR world, even with the heavy encryption safeguarding each system, he was less concerned. His civilization wasn't among the top ten most influential ones, meaning the risk of empire-level espionage was minimal, even if the encryption were somehow breached.
This freedom allowed him to fully centralize government operations within the VR, effectively turning the virtual planet into the beating heart of his administration. Life had become far simpler. He could instantly remove anyone who irritated him or spoke too long, an indulgence he took often.
But that wasn't the only reason for the shift.
With the VR network slowly spreading across more planets, he had begun reclaiming direct control from the semi-independent planetary elder councils. Their original purpose, decentralized management due to communication limitations, was now obsolete. Some resistance had emerged, but it was swiftly neutralized by dispatching military units through the newly established wormhole lanes, sending a clear message.
It was this decisive use of VR and wormhole tech that even the top ten civilizations had started to cautiously adopt, despite the associated risks.
The results had been immediate for those who embraced the change, it effectively erased the practical limitations of interplanetary borders. As a result, many of the older safety procedures, which had slowed progress but ensured stability, were now deemed unnecessary and removed for the connected planets. This led to a rapid acceleration in the implementation of various initiatives.
With their newfound ability to operate more efficiently, both the Drakthar civilization's leader and other planetary leaders were taking the soon-to-be-launched VR-based commerce system very seriously. They understood that the way they implemented it on their end could determine whether they thrived independently, or ended up with the empire dominating their economic sector, leaving them vulnerable to its whims. Still, no one was even considering fully blocking it.
