compromise

Rose and Rob reached a deal after intense negotiations.

Rose, the prime minister, agreed not to oppose sanctions on countries that 'censor the internet,' and Rob, the president, agreed not to interfere with the selection and removal of the prime minister.

According to the laws of UISEC, the president can choose the prime minister and remove them at any time and for any reason. 

The deal changed this law.

As a result of the deal, in the future, the prime minister will be elected by a majority vote of parliament and can only be dismissed by it. 

The deal, however, did not change the selection of ministers; currently, some ministers are picked by the prime minister, while others are selected by the president, with no input from the parliament.

It also didn't make any changes to the chains of command.

The president, Rob, is the army's supreme commander, while the prime minister has no role in the military. 

The ministers are subordinate to both the prime minister and the president. 

It means that if the president and prime minister give contradictory orders, the ministers must follow both, which is impossible. 

This unclear, dual chain of command can be very disruptive. 

Rob wanted to change it, but Rose didn't agree to any deals.

With control of the military, Rob could have forced his words through, but he didn't; he decided to keep the current system. 

In general, Rob believed in clear chains of command.

There should be no doubt and ambiguity about who is ultimately in charge. 

But he couldn't reach a deal, and using the military for this small thing was overboard, so he left it for later.

With all that done, Rob turned his attention to how things continue to progress with spreading the rumor.

...

As the sanctions law took effect, the surrounding countries blocking the rumor dropped their blockage. 

Trade with UISEC is vital for them. 

As the strongest economy in the surrounding area, a sanction from UISEC means severe economic damage. 

As a result, the rumor began spreading. 

However, very few took it seriously. 

People in medieval times are different from modern times. 

Modern people are very resistant to believing in superstitions, like ghosts.

Do ghosts exist?

Even in modern cultures, opinions on this subject differ. 

Some do believe in ghosts.

But it is indisputable that belief in ghosts declined as time passed and societies advanced.

...

"President Stevenson is brutal, but not a ghost! This article is ridiculous."

"Everyone, report it! It doesn't belong to the 'news' section!"

"Ghost? Lol."

Rob was scrolling through the comment section. 

"It's so hard to make people believe!" he sighed deeply.

He must make people believe he is a ghost, but how? 

Modern people are so hard to convince. 

The rumor was spreading on the Alex kingdom's side much faster, and many more believed it. 

But on this side, very few believed it.

"Alex III, help your 'almost friend' here!" he spoke laudly. 

There is nothing he can think of that can make 80% of the people believe he is a ghost. 

The challenge is that he must keep a tight grip on power while, at the same time, pretending to be a ghost.

The rumor of Alex III being a vampire has been going much better. 

Many people on Alex kingdom's side believe it, and their belief spread over to this side. 

Moreover, it's much easier to believe that 'there are vampires' in what they see as 'the dream world.' 

But believing ghosts in their own 'real world' is a step too far for many.

"Maybe I should pretend to be in the Alex kingdom 'dream world'?" he thought.

If people don't believe him being a ghost in this world, then he could pretend to be on Alex's side.

"Maybe I should pretend to be a ghost controlled by Alex III?" he thought. 

As he was thinking of these, the dream switched.

...

Alex III reviewed the memory and stroked his beard. 

"Don't worry so much! You are included in my new plan!" he assured Rob. 

His new plan is comprehensive.

The most critical changes in his plan involve people with abilities. 

He managed to locate many more people with abilities.

He located around 50 people with abilities in the Alex kingdom and surrounding countries.

Some had interesting abilities. 

One, which Alex III fancied, can make anything written on paper a reality. 

The ability does not change anything in this world; instead, it creates another sub-dream world.

Today, Alex III's understanding of things is much better. 

He knew about different sub-timelines and sub-worlds. 

Sub-worlds and timelines depend on this world; they are part of it, not truly separate. 

This is why there can never be two of the same person simultaneously. 

If Alex travels in time, he would disappear from the main timeline and appear in a sub-timeline wholly isolated from this one but still connected. 

Only one Alex III can exist, so he disappears from the main timeline.

Other implications can be uncovered from this line of thinking.

It means the Alexs on those sub-timelines aren't 'real.'

The only 'real' Alex III is here, in the main dream world.

None of those in the sub-worlds and timelines are real; therefore, they cannot use PWAs to move here from the sub-worlds.

Alex decided to call people with an ability PWA.

In his plan, becoming 'immortal' is not hard.

He could write "Make Alex III immortal" on paper and give it to the PWA, who can make written text reality. 

Just with that, he could become immortal, but inevitably, he would only be immortal in a sub-world, not the main world. 

To be immortal in the main world, the only way confirmed by Dream Fog is that 80% of the people on both this side and Star Dream world's side believe him to be a vampire. 

As long as 80% believe it comes true. 

As long as it comes true in the main world, PWAs could no longer pose any threat. 

He discovered it using the dream fog. 

This world and the star world are dreams, he found it out a few years ago.

His recent discovery is that if 80% of both worlds believe in something, that thing becomes a constant, not modifiable by PWAs. 

From then on, Alex III of all sub-worlds and timelines would also be a vampire.

Alex III doesn't want to be immortal only in a sub-world; he wants to become immortal in the main world. 

Still, if for some reason he failed to achieve it through the years and was dying of old age, as a last resort, he would escape to a sub-world as an immortal. 

But for now, he has a long life ahead, so there is no need for that.

Now, it's time to start the first stage of the plan! 

He took out a pen and paper and started writing. It was not a wish for the person with the ability; it was a formula. 

A formula for an addicting drug! 

It was completely harmless and very pleasurable—the perfect drug. 

It is a drug that has no side effects, not for the lungs, not for the brain, and may even clear the mind and make one concentrate more easily, removing depression, etc. 

Even in high doses, it is safe and not dangerous. 

It is the ultimate drug.

Alex III found its formula from one of the dream fogs.

It was the dream of a housewife. 

In an alternative reality, she became an alchemist and devised this drug. Unfortunately for her, in the main world, she was

married off and never had the chance to tap into her talent. 

Alex III included an addicting drug in his first plan, too, but the last drug was harmful, so he replaced it with this one.

It's not that he is doing it for the people.

Alex III isn't doing it because he wants to harm people for his plan; he is doing it because he plans to use it to control the world later.

For that purpose, the more the more palatable and harmless the drug, the better.

He called Jack IIIV, the right-hand man, and gave him the formula, which was quite complicated, and ordered, "Take this formula to the chief alchemist and ask him to produce 100 tons. Remind him this is top secret, and the formula must not be leaked." 

Even if it does leak, it won't be a big problem.

But, it would be better if it remains secret.

Jack bowed and said, "Yes, your highness." 

Then, he left. 

"The first stage is done!" Alex smiled.

...

Lee was observing the dream world. 

"Are you going to add 'upside down' formation?" asked Rachel. 

During this time, Lee had been browsing through a formation list to find a suitable one to add. 

She found a suitable one but was hesitant.

Its effect would be too disruptive. 

"No! Let's wait a few million years to see how things go!" she said calmly, turned around, and left. 

The 'upside-down' formation would create sub-realities parallel to the Alesx kingdom and star worlds and connect the two in interesting ways.

However, its impact would be too disruptive, and if not handled well, it might even be harmful, so Lee decided against it.

She will no longer pay much attention to the dream world and instead focuses on her Humanoids academy. 

She cannot do much; she only has to wait for the dream world to be realized naturally.

...

The two dream worlds are not directly in the endless space; they couldn't tolerate the chaos. 

Only rank 10 dreams and above can tolerate chaos.

The dream worlds Lee set up are only ranked 9. 

A rank 9 dream could be realized much easier, making it more suitable for experimentation. 

The Humanoids Academy cleared a piece of endless space from the chaos and placed the dream worlds in it. 

Lee left that piece of cleared endless space and entered the chaos. 

The chaos is fatal to anyone below rank 10 but does not affect those above. 

"OH! We have a guest!" said Rachel. 

"Who?" Lee asked curiously. 

"It's Zagronan! Host of one of my fellow incarnations!" 

Lee became pale at the mention of that name. 

She, of course, knows Zagronan. 

She lived with him in a world for many years, long ago. 

But that's why she fears him. 

He is chaotic, killing and destroying for no reason. 

Alex III and others in the dream world, at least, have a reason for their destruction. 

But Zagronan is unpredictable and destroys things for no reason.

"Why is he coming?" Lee asked with an annoyed tone. 

"I don't know!" Rachel replied. 

Lee quickened her pace and returned to the Humanoids academy.

...

Zagronan was moving through space with incredible speed. 

His speed in the endless space is only below rank 12s. 

Because, with infinite illusions complete law, he could always move at the maximum speed. 

The infinite space is not a vacuum; there is chaos everywhere. 

One cannot move at a constant speed like in a vacuum because the chaos causes velocity to be lost. 

So, to move with maximum speed, one must constantly clear the chaos on the way. 

It will consume energy, so rank 11s usually move slower, reducing the consumption. 

But Zagronan has infinite illusions; he can produce endless illusions at no cost. 

After a while, he reached his target—the new academy, the Humanoids Academy. 

He took out an invitation letter and threw it to the oval-shaped world. 

"Bam!" 

The whole academy shook! 

A few high-level mages came out, all bowing. 

Soon, Lee also arrived.