Seeing the barely concealed excitement on Johnny's face, Lucas patted him on the shoulder.
"Your current abilities are decent—but in the future, they won't be enough. You still need to keep improving."
"I want to see you standing beside me for a long time. Understood?"
Johnny's excitement intensified.
"Boss, don't worry. I won't slack off!"
Satisfied with how effectively his encouragement had worked, Lucas stepped into the autonomous vehicle that had pulled up before them.
Johnny quickly joined him. Once the destination was set, the car accelerated smoothly, cruising at 150 kilometers per hour toward Saiyan Corporation's headquarters.
---
Saiyan Corporation Headquarters
"That's an impressive design," Lucas remarked as the massive structure came into view.
"It really looks like an interstellar spacecraft."
The headquarters occupied several hectares of land. Its architecture resembled an upright trident-like formation—almost like a colossal starship standing vertically.
The exterior carried a metallic sheen without harshly reflecting sunlight. It radiated understated luxury and advanced engineering.
Johnny stepped forward with a grin.
"Boss, your instincts are sharp. It is a starship."
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"A real one? Then why park it here?"
"It was Phastos' idea," Johnny explained. "He believes extraterrestrial civilizations may already have noticed Earth."
"If that's the case, humanity needs defensive capabilities."
"This ship is his masterpiece."
Lucas was genuinely surprised.
Phastos had quietly advanced to the point of building an interstellar vessel.
---
Johnny guided Lucas beneath the structure. At first glance, there appeared to be no entrance.
Suddenly, two beams of light descended from the hull, scanning them.
A neutral voice sounded:
[Unidentified lifeforms detected. Verifying identity.]
[Identity confirmed. A-Class Authorization: CEO Johnny.
S-Class Authorization: Big Boss.]
[Welcome, CEO Johnny. Welcome aboard, Big Boss.]
"This is 'Alpha,'" Johnny explained. "An artificial intelligence system developed entirely by Phastos. It oversees maintenance and command operations for the entire ship."
As authentication completed, a seamless section of the hull rose, revealing an entryway large enough for five people.
"Most of the ship," Johnny continued, "is constructed from nano-scale particle materials."
"It can reconfigure its structure according to the commander's instructions."
"The material's defensive capacity is extraordinary—it can withstand a close-range hydrogen bomb detonation."
They entered the main hall.
The interior was breathtakingly futuristic.
The walls resembled flowing galaxies, shimmering with countless star-like lights beneath soft overhead illumination.
Johnny continued his briefing as they walked.
"This warship's propulsion, energy, weapons, and defense systems each surpass contemporary Earth technology by at least a century."
"The propulsion system can accelerate the vessel to one percent of light speed—approximately 2,997 kilometers per second. That's around Mach 8,800."
"For comparison, the fastest craft humanity can currently produce—aside from ours—barely reaches 200 kilometers per second."
"The energy core generates thirty times the output of New Los Angeles' central power system."
"With that energy backing it, the ship's weapons and defensive systems could completely overpower—no, annihilate—any technological military force on Earth."
"Even if it simply hovered motionless in the sky, no existing weapon—including hydrogen bombs—could breach its defense grid."
Lucas gave him a knowing look.
"I suspected you were holding something back."
Johnny nodded.
"From the beginning, Phastos warned me that if humanity suddenly gained technology far beyond its development stage, the consequences could be catastrophic."
"That's why our public products are deliberately limited to advances within twenty to thirty years of current technology."
"We will not disrupt the balance of civilization."
Lucas nodded approvingly.
"He's right. I agree completely."
Phastos, as an Eternal, had observed human civilization since near its infancy.
His understanding of societal progression was deeply grounded.
Unless Lucas had a major strategic objective, he had no reason to interfere with such judgment.
---
As they continued touring the ship, Lucas reflected on how astonishing Phastos' progress had become.
Designing a complete interstellar vessel required mastery across countless scientific domains.
With full support and resources, Phastos' research had clearly entered a new acceleration phase.
In a universe where two great worlds had merged—where scientific geniuses were abundant—Phastos was still only one among many brilliant minds.
Yet if Lucas had to choose again, he would select Phastos without hesitation.
---
After finishing the tour, Lucas bid Johnny farewell and returned home.
He informed everyone about Carrie's condition, assuring them there was no need to worry.
Then, for once, Lucas personally prepared a lavish dinner for the family.
That night, he did something unusual.
He did not meditate.
Instead, he lay down and fell into genuine sleep.
He could not remember the last time he had truly rested.
Meditation surpassed sleep in efficiency—but ordinary sleep offered something meditation could not:
Complete mental release.
For the first time in a long while, Lucas allowed himself to think of nothing.
He drifted into a deep, natural state.
And for the first time in ages—
He dreamed.
A dream vivid and intensely real.
What Lucas did not realize was that this sleep would last far longer than he intended.
.....
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