Agent047
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869 - UPDATE IV
🕑 Added 2025-03-19 04:51:53 +0000 UTC‘Looks like he’s a monster in combat as well,’ thought an awakener among the select few combat personnel who returned with the fleet.
‘This level of strength wasn’t even in the training simulations,’ he added, watching in disbelief as Aron moved at an inhuman speed toward a specific location. Every awakener in ARES—now called, the Imperial Military—had undergone rigorous combat evaluations, much like the infamous Reaper’s evaluation. Their tests simulated battles against a wide range of awakened opponents, each with different abilities and strengths. Yet, even in those scenarios, he had never seen anyone exhibit the kind of raw power and speed that Aron was demonstrating.
The awakener himself was no weakling. His ability granted him control over wind, making him one of the deadliest combatants due to the range and force of his attacks. It also allowed him to achieve unparalleled speed. However, even with that advantage, he knew he couldn’t match Aron’s current velocity. And it wasn’t because of his ability’s limitations, it was because his body simply wouldn’t survive the forces he would endure at that speed.
‘But what kind of ability is that?’ he wondered, watching the emperor seamlessly wield different abilities across multiple affinities. His shield alone seemed absurdly overpowered—it had withstood numerous explosions, each rivaling hundreds, if not thousands, of tons of TNT, without showing a single crack.
‘Looks like I need to challenge his avatar in VR,’ he thought, his competitive spirit igniting. ‘I need to see the gap in our strength firsthand... and find out if I can even put a dent in that shield.’
The Challenge feature was a vital tool for Imperial military combat personnel, allowing them to test their skills against avatars of powerful awakeners and individuals. These simulations provided invaluable combat practice, helping soldiers gauge their abilities in comparison to the elites. However, access to these avatars was restricted because only those who had granted permission for the use of their likeness could be challenged.
As he hoped that the emperor had made his avatar available for combat trials, he refocused on the video, watching in silence as the narrator smoothly transitioned from one topic to the next.
A few hours later.
‘Let’s delay our attempt to face his avatar for now.’
He silently withdrew the challenge he had previously set in his mind. After finishing the recordings of the emperor’s battles against the Conclave civilization’s representatives, he realized just how overwhelming the emperor’s power truly was. Some fights ended in mere seconds, while others demonstrated the sheer scale of destruction he could unleash. Compared to these, his battle against the Proxima elders seemed almost restrained, as if he had been holding back to avoid unnecessary casualties.
The moment that stood out the most was when the emperor had nearly obliterated the entire arena with a single explosion, an attack so devastating that he had to redirect it into space. The thought of facing such overwhelming power in VR now felt premature.
While some were fixated on the emperor’s overwhelming strength, others found themselves captivated by different aspects of what they had just witnessed. The sheer amount of groundbreaking revelations ensured that there was something for everyone to focus on.
"Since when could we make black holes? What the fuck is that weapon?" a physicist blurted out, on the verge of a meltdown as he tried to calculate the energy required to create even the smallest black hole. If not for the detachment between body and mind in VR, his Medipod might have had to intervene before he gave himself a heart attack.
"So that's what aliens look like... but why are they all bipedal?" a biology researcher muttered, his mind already racing with thoughts of anatomical differences and what he might discover if he ever had the chance to dissect one.
"So now we can communicate across any distance? Holy hell." A communication specialist marveled at the newly upgraded quantum communication satellites. If they had possessed this technology during their journey to TRAPPIST-1, they wouldn’t have been separated from their families and friends for over a decade. With real-time VR communication, they could have stayed connected as if they had never left.
"Looks like I need more information on how they came to be," researcher Zhao mused, finally realizing that the arrival of the Conclave meant there were now additional civilizations whose biological history he could study. If he could analyze their evolution, he might be able to determine whether his hypothesis had any merit or if the two recorded instances of spontaneous life creation were simply coincidences.
"Looks like I’m not retiring after all," Amir Riza said to himself. His mind was still replaying the battles that took place in the enemy ships following the breaching, the short yet intense war with the Conclave. The thrill of combat, of pushing himself to the limit without fear of bodily consequences, had reignited something within him.
As they remained engrossed in their thoughts and discussions about the revelations they had just witnessed, Styx once again materialized on the stage, microphone in hand.
{I hope you now have a basic understanding of the major events that took place in the empire during your time away. For those who seek more in-depth immersive summaries on specific topics, you will soon have the opportunity to explore them further. Thank you for your attendance and I hope you found it enlightening.
Before you go, the emperor has decided to leave the fate of your fleet in your hands. Each of you is welcome to submit your suggestions on what should be done with it.}
Her words sparked an immediate wave of murmurs as people exchanged thoughts, some already preparing to select the subjects they wished to delve deeper into. However, just as they were about to take action, Styx’s next statement froze them in place, momentarily making them forget everything else.
{In five minutes, you will finally be connected to the Imperial Network, as the evaluation has now been completed. Meanwhile, your bodies are already being transported to the ships that will take you back to Earth. You may access immersive summaries and other materials at your convenience during the transfer period.
And once again, welcome home}
For a moment, everything paused. The implications of those words settled in. The isolation they had endured for years was about to end. No longer cut off from the empire, from their families, from the ever-expanding knowledge and advancements they had missed.
Some faces lit up in joy, while others were filled with anticipation. A few, especially those who had found solace in the distance, tensed at the thought of returning to a place that might have changed beyond recognition.
And then, as if a switch had been flipped, the room came alive again. Excited chatter filled the space, and people hurriedly discussed what they would do first once connected. Some planned to immediately check on their loved ones, while others wanted to browse research databases or military reports.
Yet, for many, this was the true moment of return. Everything before had merely been the prelude—the eve of their homecoming. Now, at last, they were truly going home.
Comments
Sol_Invictus
TYFTC
Jade
FIRST!! TYFTC!!
