[The Candy House]
This was an [Outer Key] created by the Shoggoth race by fusing several Herrscher Cores.
From the perspective of a being on the Emperor's level, it could be considered a prototype of a [Dominion]. Its ability was to briefly detach from the current dimension, transforming itself into a discontinuous existence.
To put it simply.
It could jump from two dimensions to three for a certain period.
As a race that had survived the Honkai, this was clearly an ability that the Emperor had not mastered, one that the Astral God of Order had "borrowed" from some other Path.
It was currently unclear which Astral God it originated from, but it was undoubtedly something worthy of the Emperor's attention. Most importantly, for the Shoggoths, who had not yet truly grasped the concept of a [Dominion], the Candy House was merely a vehicle for dimensional jumps and a weapon with limited defensive capabilities.
The Shoggoths were incapable of unleashing the full power of the Outer Key.
"..."
"We are grateful for your assistance," the bearded Shoggoth elder, Konpeitō, was the first to speak.
"As for your request..."
"Please forgive me, but the existence of the Candy House is of utmost importance to the Shoggoth race. Until we can truly guarantee our own safety, we absolutely cannot hand it over."
Elder Konpeitō hesitated for a long time before speaking.
Refusing the other party was a dangerous move.
Given the power this man had displayed, even without other allies or reinforcements, uprooting the entire Shoggoth race would not be a difficult task. If not for the sincere "propriety" the other party had shown by not simply seizing the Candy House when it was already in their hands, Elder Konpeitō would most likely not have had the courage to say these words.
Elder Konpeitō slowly turned his body, looking through the viewport at the cosmic debris scattering in the distance.
That was once the Sky People's Scout Star.
"Your own power commands our respect."
"But destroying a Scout Star... that is but a billionth of the Sky People's true power."
"Even if a being like an [Emissary] stands behind you, it does not mean you can contend with them."
Elder Konpeitō's meaning was clear.
"You're worried about the existence behind them?"
"...Yes."
The Shoggoths feared the Sky People, but as a once technologically advanced race, they had not initially lacked the power or the courage to fight them.
The key was who stood behind them, a name that struck terror across the cosmic sea: the Antimatter Legion.
An Emissary was indeed powerful. These beings who walked at the forefront of a Path, even without considering their faction or civilization, possessed the power to easily erase a civilization.
But compared to the Antimatter Legion...
Whether it was the Lords of Annihilation or the even more terrifying Astral God of Destruction, Nanook, attracting their attention would truly be the end of everything.
"..."
"Friends of the Shoggoth race."
Welt did not get angry at their refusal. Their concerns were rational and necessary.
"When I spoke of 'annihilating the Sky People,' I was not referring to a single Scout Star, nor to the frontline bases they have deployed near this galaxy."
"?"
Elder Konpeitō, who was only a few hundred years old, couldn't immediately grasp the meaning behind that sentence.
"The Empire can dismantle the Sky People's home world."
Welt didn't even give them a chance to be shocked.
"In terms of overall strength, we are certainly not a match for the Antimatter Legion."
"After all, the infamy of the Vanguard of Havoc and the Lords of Annihilation can make the entire cosmic sea tremble."
"However."
Welt's expression instantly turned serious. Himeko, who had been watching from the sidelines, also lost her earlier teasing demeanor.
"The Empire loves peace, but we have never feared war."
"As long as a being on the level of an Astral God does not intervene, the Antimatter Legion alone is not enough to warrant our fear."
The Antimatter Legion was indeed strong, but they also had many enemies.
The Interastral Peace Corporation, along with a host of other "Order-aligned" Astral Gods and their followers led by Qlipoth, the Astral God of Preservation, were all powerful adversaries of the Antimatter Legion.
Because of this.
The Antimatter Legion's forces were spread far too wide. If it was just a matter of a single star field or even a stellar region, the Empire truly wasn't afraid to lock horns with them. As for the most terrifying top-tier combatants, they had the Emperor himself to back them up.
On a side note.
The universal currency of the cosmic sea, the "Credit," was issued by the Interastral Peace Corporation. They were the wealthiest organization in the entire universe.
Qlipoth, the Astral God of Preservation, a survivor of the "Twilight Wars," was on the same level of power as Nanook and had absolutely no fear of him.
"..."
Elder Konpeitō was rendered speechless.
The meaning of that last statement was clear: as long as an Astral God didn't get involved, this Empire didn't even fear the renowned Lords of Annihilation.
If they weren't just arrogant fools with a speck of knowledge about the vast cosmic sea, then the ruler of this Empire had to be, at the very least—
"Your ruler is..."
Elder Konpeitō couldn't even finish his sentence.
"A Grand Monarch?"
"Naturally."
The two from the Empire spoke almost in unison.
"Behind us..."
"...is His Majesty, the Emperor."
---o---
In the ensuing silence.
Elder Konpeitō and the other Shoggoth leaders present exchanged long glances.
"Your Excellency."
"Can you make the promise you just gave us on behalf of your 'Monarch'?"
Elder Konpeitō's meaning was clear.
If the other party truly possessed such a level of power, their attitude towards other races, especially a wandering race like theirs, might not be one of great importance. The Shoggoths understood the cruelty of civilizational development—after their value had been completely extracted, being thrown onto a barren planet as mining slaves was an all-too-common fate.
"Of course."
Welt waved his hand in the air.
Dense text converged in the space, forming a thick, book-like mental construct that landed with a thump in front of Elder Konpeitō.
"This is the Imperial Codex."
"All policies and related procedures regarding the treatment of foreign races can be found here, with corresponding explanations."
"Including our current contact."
"..."
Elder Konpeitō did not open the book before him.
The sincerity had been demonstrated. Regardless of its truthfulness, the fact that they were willing to "negotiate" despite possessing overwhelming power was a testament to their "level of civilization."
"Finally, please permit me one presumptuous request."
"Please, speak."
"Can we... witness the fall of the Sky People?"
Their home world destroyed, over ninety percent of their kin killed, and a few individuals captured by the Sky People as specimens—this deep-seated hatred for the destruction of their nation had lain dormant in the hearts of the Shoggoths surviving in the Candy House for hundreds of years.
"But of course."
"If you wish..."
Welt glanced at Welt Yang, who had been listening quietly all this time.
"It may be a big step, but broadening one's horizons is never a bad thing."
"Mr. Yang, witness for yourself what 'war' truly is. Perhaps it will help you find a way to coexist with the Honkai."
---o---
"That's all well and good."
"But Professor Welt, how do you plan to get out of here?" Himeko reminded him at a very "inopportune" moment.
"The Shoggoths' Candy House can pass through the time vortex via [Dimensional Jump] by consuming a massive amount of Honkai energy. The Sky People's Scout Star was just coincidentally swept here."
Having destroyed the Scout Star herself, Himeko knew a great deal about the Sky People.
"Unless one of the Apostles makes a move... but we are likely on different timelines. Requesting aid might disrupt His Majesty the Emperor's plans."
"Wait a minute."
Himeko's mind worked fast, and she quickly grasped the key point: although the intelligence and mission provided in her "contract" only involved the Herrscher Core, that didn't mean it was the same for Professor Welt, the Head of the Eighth Chamber.
"No way," Himeko said with an incredulous expression.
"That's right. We can't wait for His Majesty the Emperor to handle everything for us."
"As pillars of the Throne, the Ninety-Nine Chambers still possess some degree of autonomy."
Ping!
In the dark, deep space between Earth and Mars, a massive ring, several times the size of a planet, slowly appeared.
"His Majesty the Emperor has stabilized the origin point of time and the spatial passage."
"We who serve under him..."
Himeko quickly witnessed the difference between the Ninety-Nine Chambers and St. Freya.
Even her familiar professor was now displaying a completely different demeanor. The single-digit Heads of the Ninety-Nine Chambers each held a lifeline of the Empire's operations; these were not positions that any "ordinary person" could hold.
"Although we cannot match His Majesty's flawless foresight."
"We do, at the very least..."
"...have brains of our own."
VMMMM!!
In the silent, empty void.
Large, sci-fi-esque starships, their surfaces a dark silver with deep purple light streaming across the insides of their shields, emerged one by one from the opened space gate.
"Four Starship-class Mechanical Species!?"
Himeko looked at the information projected from her bracelet.
"Professor Welt, this isn't something a Chamber Head should be able to mobilize!"
Unlike the Stellar Whales, which evolved from Cruise-class Primordial Species and could traverse the Sea of Quanta by their individual strength alone, these four Starship-class Honkai Beasts, each over ten thousand meters long, were formed by the combination of over a thousand large Mechanical Species proficient in the Authority of Reason. They represented the pinnacle of the Empire's biological and mechanical fields.
Comparable to Higher Primordial Species, each starship possessed combat power on par with a Legion Commander when directed by a high-ranking officer.
This was, in fact, already quite weak.
Considering the Empire's combat strength was not known for individual duels, the primary function of these Starship-class units was actually... troop deployment.
"Of course."
Looking at the four colossal starships cruising through space, Welt turned to Himeko beside him.
"The selection and promotion of Apostles have just begun. There are plenty of elites from various legions who didn't make it to the preliminaries but took their public holidays in advance."
"Aside from the 'Star-Forging' and 'Abyssal' legions, which are needed to stabilize the balance on both sides of the Sea of Quanta, all the other legions have members who chose to participate."
"After all, the Emperor's decree, as relayed by Lord Jiuxiao, was... to prohibit participation in Apostle-related activities. It said nothing about joining an expeditionary force."
"A large-scale battle after several hundred years, and against a somewhat renowned opponent at that."
"For the Imperial legions who have been cooped up in this tiny star system for so long, only able to fight seafood... this should be a rather decent whetstone."
The Empire loved peace.
This was, of course, not a lie. It was just that the hidden part of that statement was not usually discussed. As a civilization that had evolved from Honkai Beasts, no matter how "civilized" they appeared, it didn't change their desire for destruction.
This included the Apostles, and even the Triumvirate.
If not for the Emperor's suppression, in these short four thousand years, they would have long since carved out a reputation in the vast cosmic sea no less infamous than that of the Antimatter Legion.
"Let's pack up and prepare to depart."
Welt gestured to Himeko beside him.
"If we didn't have the coordinates for the Sky People, the legions would never have expended so much effort to open a gate in this time vortex."
"After all, this is something that even His Majesty would have to put some effort into. Even with the difficulty reduced several dozen times over, the legions probably can't maintain it for long... At the very least, the energy consumption must be heartbreaking."
"If we delay any longer, they'll surely nag me about it afterwards."
"Everyone—"
Welt's body began to turn ethereal.
Imaginary energy, interwoven with gold and silver, began to pour out from his body, weaving an even larger construct outside the Valhalla.
"This is...!?"
Welt Yang pressed his face against the Valhalla's viewport, his expression one of utter disbelief. The power level of the being before him far exceeded his own limits. His senses couldn't gather any information at all; he could only rely on his eyes.
"You mean Professor Welt—"
Through the window, Himeko also cast her gaze outside.
"It really has been a long time since I've seen his Collapsed State."
"As expected..."
Starlight glinted in Himeko's eyes.
A cosmic battleship, comparable in size to the Starship-class vessels, appeared in the starry sky. On the surface of its silver-grey armor, a vast array of weapons was displayed without any concealment, as if one were touring an armory.
This beauty, a blend of wildness and order, was the complete opposite of the image Welt projected in his human form.
"The template for an Imperial Standard Battleship."
"The pride of the Mechanical Species... Professor Welt, this form is truly the most captivating!"
Just as Himeko finished speaking.
A distinctly mechanical voice emanated from within the battleship:
"—Let us, begin the expedition."