Explore protagonist Minhee and her adventures of crushing on Yoobin, in this wlw story.

love is never logical.silver was a cute short 16year old teenage girl who didn't believe in true love or fate but one night when she was strolling in the park he meet these awkward cool guy who happens to be way elder than her. He introduce himself as Lewis Howzier a 25 year old art lover. They both loved art and stars in the sky. The most awkward thing that happens to silver is that when she discovers that Lewis happens to be her next door apartment neighbor her boring life come to a lit as the fate which she did not believe in happens to prove all wrong will she be able to tackle these fate test....

Having just seen the impassioned recording of the qi-trainers banishing the spacers five thousand years ago, Li Yao was truly shocked by Xiong Wuji's proposal. "What did you say?"
"Iron Plateau cannot hold on much longer."
Xiong Wuji was entirely emotionless. Every muscle on his face was as tough as steel, as he explained, "For countless years, the Iron Plateau natives have been struggling, reproducing, and expanding. The east part of the continent below our feet is almost entirely occupied by us. Our society seems to be prosperous and blooming!
"But in fact, we've reached the limit of our expansion and the peak of our development. What awaits us is a path leading straight down to the hell!
"The most critical problem is the lack of resources.
"Every battle against the apocalypse consumes tremendous resources. To deal with the battle of the apocalypse that just happened, all the mother lodes near Furious Bears City have been emptied in order to produce enough war machines and crystal bombs, but the equipment was mostly wrecked in the battle.
"The trophies we collected from the apocalyptic beasts are far from enough to make up for the loss.
"The other five tribes are in a similar situation to the Furious Bears Tribe. All the existent mother lodes will be drained in the new few decades. If they want to excavate more resources, they will have to establish new mines and towns far from the main cities.
"However, building new mines and towns and protecting the supply line between such locations and the main city will consume a lot of resources itself. The scourge of the demon beasts on the way must be taken into account, too. One moment of carelessness may result in tremendous losses!
"The leaders of the six tribes are well aware of the situation. Judging from the trend of our development, the best we can do is to persist for several decades and resist another ten or so apocalypse outbreaks. Then, we will run out of resources and have no way to continue walking on the old path.
"Everybody has been considering how to solve the problem. They have proposed many insights such as improving our technology in excavation and tempering so that we can make use of the mother lodes deeper below the ground.
"But whatever method we employ, they all demand the investment of tremendous time and resources. The upgrade of technology cannot be completed within one day. Dozens of years, or even hundreds of years, and the hard work of several generations are mandatory for the process, not to mention that we might be walking on the wrong path and have to correct our mistakes every now and then.
"However, we have neither time nor resources.
"The outbreaks of the eggs of apocalypse every ten years or so have forced us to spend all our available resources to cope with it. The harassment of the demon beasts has been a major headache for us, too. We don't have the resources to begin research that could potentially last a hundred years!
"Before, it always baffled me why the eggs of apocalypse broke out in such a weird pattern. But after I listened to your assumption, I've figured out everything now!
"The purpose of the outbreaks of the eggs of apocalypse is to act as 'technology blockers'. They block all possibilities of advancement in our basic technology and coerced us to pour our resources into the war and improve ourselves in the pattern that they have set up!
"When such 'improvement' continues for thousands of years, everything about the civilization of mankind will be abandoned, and we will be adept at the mode of war of the Titan Warriors. Maybe, to quote you, 'we' will be transformed into 'them' at that time!"
While talking, Xiong Wuji's body started shivering slightly.
Sha Yulan was behind him, with her hands placed on his shoulders. There was panic her eyes, too.
"I understand now. I understand everything now."
Xiong Wuji mumbled to himself, "I was always curious about one thing when I was training in the Titan Illusionary Land. Titan Warriors were a species that preferred slaughtering to construction. Then why did they boast such finely-made weapons? Many of their weapons were made of special alloys based on technology that was far more advanced than ours. Such weapons were indicative of a high industrialization level!
"Now that I think about it, it might be related to the 'eggs of apocalypse'!
"Eggs of apocalypse, as well as the insects we see in the Titan Illusionary Land, are possibly the tools of production for the Titan Warriors!
"They herd the insects just like we herd cows and sheep!
"They stabbed the eggs of apocalypse deep underground where the eggs would grow weird 'roots' to collect the resources in the mother lodes. Then, a lot of apocalyptic beasts would be born!
"Such apocalyptic beasts were the best metal manufacturers. They could eliminate the impurities inside the raw minerals by inexplicable biochemical reactions so that the purest metals could be retrieved. They could even combine several different kinds of metal and turn them into super alloys!
"Not to mention that the apocalyptic beasts were themselves Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that contained tremendous spiritual energy!
"The Titan Warriors have been herding such apocalyptic beasts. Then, when the time is right, they detonate the eggs of apocalypse, slay the apocalyptic beasts, and collect the super alloys and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures inside the bodies of the beasts to arm themselves!
"I assume that this is the paradigm of survival for the Titan Warriors' civilization!
"Right now, the Titan Warriors are guiding us to give up mankind's way of life and embark on their path!"
Taking a deep breath, Li Yao nodded quickly. "That's very reasonable. Gathering the resources deep underground with eggs of apocalypse and slaying the apocalyptic beasts after they have purified and melted the resources will not only satisfy the Titan Warriors' lust for killing but also provide them with profound resources!
"In such a way, the Titan Warriors can get a huge amount of super metal without any industry and craft indestructible weapons with the materials!
"It is indeed particularly suitable for the Titan Warriors!"
Xiong Wuji gnashed his teeth and said, "There's more to it.
"In the Titan Illusionary Land, I turned into a Titan Warrior several times that was hiding inside giant creatures, which were thousands of meters long and looked like enormous beetles. I was jumping from one planet to another and going on new killing sprees!
"It's possible that such enormous beetles are the 'interstellar warships' for the Titan Warriors. They swallow one planet after another like locusts in such vehicles!"
Li Yao added, "I've had similar experiences!"
Xiong Wuji said, "Maybe, in thousands of years, when all the Iron Plateau natives are transformed into new Titan Warriors, they will grasp the method to produce such 'warship beetles', too. They will collect the underground resources with the eggs of apocalypse and create countless warship beetles, and then—
"They will sabotage the entire Flying Star Sector!"
Li Yao subconsciously shivered. "Although it does not have any proof, your theory sounds rather plausible. The appetite of the Titan Warriors is definitely much bigger than a single planet!"
Xiong Wuji smiled bitterly and replied, "Do you understand now why I propose to get in touch with the space residents despite all the possible opposition?
"The heritage of the Titan Warriors' civilization is like thick ink, while Iron Plateau is like a glass of water.
"If you pour the ink into the glass, all the water will be corrupted before long.
"However, the human civilization of the Flying Star Sector as a whole, which has expanded to every corner of this constellation, is like the pond in front of us!
"Thick as the ink may be, it will disappear once it is poured into the pond.
"In such a case, the Titan Warriors won't be able to transform us. Instead, the civilization of mankind will swallow theirs completely!
"This is a war!
"Maybe the Titan Warriors' civilization perished billions of years ago, and maybe it was millions of lightyears away from us!
"But still, this is a war between two civilizations, spread out over infinite time and space!
"If the Iron Plateau natives continue secluding ourselves and refuse to get in touch with the outside world, we will be transformed by the Titan Warriors sooner or later. Eventually, the entire Flying Star Sector and even other human civilizations beyond this constellation will be jeopardized!
"However, I believe that, as long as the wisdom of the Iron Plateau natives and the space residents is combined, we will definitely figure out a way to unravel the mysteries of the Titan Warriors' civilization and find out the techniques of resource collection and reproduction of creatures behind the eggs of apocalypse!
"By then, the Titan Warriors' civilization will be entirely swallowed by us. We will become even stronger than right now!"
Xiong Wuji's eyes were glittering. Although he was steady on the giant green rock, Li Yao had the feeling that he was even mightier than when he had fought against the calamity-level beast!
A war between two civilizations across billions of years and hundreds of lightyears!
Li Yao was so shocked by the groundbreaking hypothesis that he found it hard to breathe.
He also understood better why Xiong Wuji, the best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau and the strongest man on the planet, was proposing to get in touch with the space residents who had once been considered 'traitors'.
Li Yao asked, "Chief Xiong, what are you planning to do?"
Xiong Wuji pondered for a moment. Then he smiled bitterly. "The chasm between Iron Plateau natives and space residents has become too deep and wide over the years. The icy wall cannot be thawed within one day.
"In fact, about two thousand years ago, the space residents sent representatives to Iron Plateau, hoping to restore communication between the two parties.
"But the resources on Iron Plateau were relatively abundant at that time. Also, our predecessors had made continuous breakthroughs on the path of qi-training from the 50th level to the 70th and even to the 90th.
"Everybody thought that we could make breakthroughs without any constraint. We would surpass the 100th level, the 500th level, and the 1000th level in no time.
"Therefore, the predecessors at that time discarded the space residents' request on the spot and dismissed all the representatives.
"After that, the starships of the space residents were forced to land on Iron Plateau many times.
"You also know that most of the area on Iron Plateau is surging ocean and the Dark Continent, both of which are not under our control.
"Even within the area under the control of the six tribes of Iron Plateau, deserts and demon beasts dominate most of it. We can only ensure that the towns and the transportation lines are secure.
"Therefore, the passengers on those starships did not last long They were either swallowed by demon beasts or slain by the savages in the Dark Continent.
"Then rumors spread far and wide. The space residents began to consider Iron Plateau a forbidden area for Cultivators and us to be barbarians who feasted upon raw meat and blood!
"Such a stereotype cannot be changed shortly. I plan to send a delegation to space to get in touch with the space residents first so that they will see what the Iron Plateau natives today actually look like.
"If possible, we can make some deals by exchanging our unique techniques or resources!
"After we take the first step and our wariness is mostly relieved, we can start negotiating about interacting on a larger scale!
"Li Yao, if you are willing to, I want you to join the delegation as the intermediary between the Iron Plateau natives and the space residents!"


“Even if this universe is truly nothing more than a brutal, bloody, shadowy forest, we Cultivators will burn all that we have just to give off a single weak flickering spark in the darkness! 
“No matter how weak each spark is, how short-lived, how small… As long as the sparks flow unabated, then one day one of those sparks will light some tinder, and that tinder shall light some fallen branches, and those branches shall set ablaze each and every last tree of the forest! 
“In the end, even the smallest sparks will eventually set the shadowy forest ablaze and illuminate the whole world!”
------
** Qidian International and the former translator, Mr. Strivon, have reached an agreement to buy out the chapters and host them on our site. We will be continuing the translation from the last chapter translated by Mr. Strivon **

The translation was simply too suspicious. Many were at a loss for words…
What did it mean by "Space Recycling, Recycling all types of technologies and biomass?" This was like an advertisement for a recycling company…
There were plenty of blank expressions in the room, befuddled by this message that was seriously inconspicuous. After who knew how long, Wa Luo suddenly said, "What the f*ck?! The signal is from a garbage man?"
The shock was warranted. The alien civilization that could space warp was a waste picker…? This was too suspicious.
Someone asked, "Could the message have been mistranslated? After all, there must be plenty of linguistic differences between our language and theirs."
These words were echoed by many. After all, the idea that such a powerful civilization was a waste picker didn’t sit well with many. Many even tossed it out as nonsense.
Bo Li gave the screen a closer look and concluded, "No, the translation is correct. This signal is part of the junkyard civilization’s database, and the signal's origin is someone they had made contact with before. I remember now, this signal belongs to the merchant civilization that they traded their two cosmic adaptors with!"
Merchant civilization?
The Hope, or more specifically, the human race within the Hope, hadn’t really had actual contact with other alien civilizations. However, they did know of their existence through other means.
The first was, of course, the junkyard civilization that contributed greatly to mankind’s current technological level. The second was the merchant civilization that traded with the junkyard civilization. The third was the liquid robot civilization that demolished the junkyard civilization. These were the three first alien civilizations humanity encountered.
Technically speaking, the mother nest alien and the aquatic civilizations consumed by the mother nest alien were alien civilizations known to mankind as well.
The above were the alien civilizations mankind had some knowledge about. Of course, the wide cosmos was home to more civilizations than these, each with their own uniqueness and technological levels.
When Bo Li mentioned the merchant civilization, everyone thought back to the information they received from the junkyard civilization on this merchant civilization.
The incomplete information taken from the junkyard civilization stated that the merchant civilization wasn’t exactly a race but a space conglomerate made up of several alien races. Its technological prowess was between the peak of the 4th revolution and the early 5th revolution. The conglomerate had perhaps more than a thousand individual ships across the cosmos.
They were the middle man between many civilizations, trading technologies, materials, and biomass. The merchants slowly picked up pieces of information and improved themselves from the technologies that passed through their doors.
They were a unique space civilization.
In comparison to the many space civilizations, the space merchants were one of the rare ‘peaceful’ civilizations. At least they didn’t present themselves as predators. Even when treating civilizations way below their level, they presented themselves as traders or merchants. They were in popular demand for many civilizations that had just entered space, or level 2 civilizations. This was because they could get the important star navigation maps or valuable 5th revolution technology from the merchants. These were essential to the survival of level 2 civilizations.
When the identity of the signal's origin revealed itself, another set of questions appeared. The main one being: should they warp immediately to avoid the merchants?
The argument for immediate warp was because mankind had no idea who the signal's origin was. Yao Yuan decided to warp in case the alien civilization posed an insurmountable threat to the Hope.
However, now that they knew about their identity and modus operandi, the thought process would be different.
Yao Yuan’s mind started spinning in overdrive. First, humanity couldn’t avoid contact with other space civilizations forever.
Before this, he had discussed the theory of Black Forest [1] with a group of scientists, and the Academy had vetoed the theory directly. According to the scientists, the first rule of the Black Forest Theory, which said that light speed was a barrier that couldn’t be broken, was already wrong. The highest travelling speed in space was light speed. However, technology like warp drive, wormhole, and star gate completely undermined the Black Forest Theory. Since the first rule was wrong, the other rules were questionable as well.
This meant that communication between space civilizations was entirely possible. Of course, while symbiotic relationships weren’t a given, it also didn’t meant that every space civilization must necessarily be out to harm each other.
In other words, for humanity to really be a part of the cosmic society, communication with other space civilizations was inevitable.
Therefore, if the signal's origin was really the space merchants, then it didn’t seem it was necessary for humanity to warp. After all, compared to other unknown space civilizations, having the space merchants as mankind’s first contact with space civilization might be a good thing. At least they could exchange information or even obtain 5th revolution technology like the warp drive from the merchants!
The Hope’s space warp technology, while high up there, was highly unpredictable. The warp exit was a random toss of the dice. To get stuck within the new planet was nothing; what if the Hope suddenly warped into the sun, near a neutron star, or a bottomless black hole? The result would be the extinction of humanity within the blink of an eye.
Not only that, the Hope would always warp out at a location several light-years away from a solar system. The distance of half a light-year was already a despair-worthy distance for humanity, much less several light-years. Therefore, more often than not, mankind had to abandon the possibility of discovering a new home planet. However, with the access to the warp drive technology, wouldn’t that issue be solved? The discovered planets might not be naturally suitable for human habitation, but with humanity’s current technology, they could terraform the planet easily!
Therefore, warp drive was a super valuable technology to have…
Weighing all the pros and cons, contact with the space merchants seemed to be more beneficial than not…
Of course, since the lives of the whole of mankind hinged on this decision, Yao Yuan had to be extremely cautious about it. Even if he had made the decision in his mind, he still needed to consult it with Xiao Niao and Ren… Where was Ren Tao?
Yao Yuan looked around curiously, but he failed to spot Ren Tao. This made him scratch his head. Wasn’t Ren Tao in the room minutes ago? Did he leave without them noticing?
Finally, it was eagle-eyed Ying who spotted him. He found Ren Tao spacing out on top of a 10-meter-tall device. Ying had someone fetch him down, but the question of how he even got up there in the first place was one that no one could answer…
When Yao Yuan sought their opinions, the two of them gave differing answers. Xiao Niao agreed with Yao Yuan. "I believe it is fine for us to stay. Just like you said, instead of placing our bet on a future unknown civilization, why not have our first space civilization contact be with the space merchants? The one thing we’re lacking the most right now is information, information on other space civilizations, like how many are there, what are their customs during communication, the technology variance, and the likes. Valuable information like this we can procure from the space merchants. Furthermore, they’re willing to take anything for trade, right? We have some valuable minerals that we can trade for the information."
Ren Tao’s answer was different. He said, "I think the key to staying or not depends on whether the space merchants have had contact with us humans before or not…"
While others were confused by his observations, Yao Yuan responded directly, "Of course they couldn’t have gained contact with us before; this is our first time being so physically close to them."
Ren Tao shook his head. "Have you forgotten about the humans that left Earth before us? Their technology couldn’t be better than ours since it is statistically impossible for them to stumble into a junkyard civilization that they could siphon technology from. If they ran into the space merchants, I don’t think it would end up well for them. After all, all the civilizations that ventured into space were level 2 civilizations. The government officials’ spaceship technology was only level 1. Do you think the space merchants would trade with them, or capture them to analyze the technology that allowed them to venture into space in the first place?
"They would find out the number of disproportionate cosmic adaptors within humanity. Wasn’t it stated before that their most valuable commodities were cosmic adaptors…
"What do you think will happen when they run into us, level 2 civilization human beings?"


Endless sky and infinite space, the cosmos isn’t some paradise waiting to be found, it is full of darkness and danger, death and terror of the great unknown. However, for that glittering swath of blue, we have no fear! For the longevity of men, we have no regrets! Nothing shall stand in our way because it is finally our time, our age! The age of cosmos exploration! 


I growled and shifted my wings. Our engines were damaged, I knew my chief engineer well enough to know that she would not put a power restriction on them without a very good reason.
At 50% engine power there was simply no way we were outrunning that cruiser.
"Helm, put the hulk of that cruiser between us and target Alpha. Drones, return and circle." I ordered as I brought the tactical hologram back up.
The cruiser was actually slowing down as we moved to keep the disabled ship between them and us. As they entered weapons range they turned their starboard side to face us, giving us their broadside as they hung in space, stationary relative to us at extreme weapons range.
Tel'te frowned from the pilots seat as she watched the image on her screen. "Why are they staying back?" The blue-skinned twi'lek asked after a moment of nothing happening.
My second in command crossed her arms as she looked up at the hologram, still standing next to my pillar. "Perhaps they are worried we have more of those explosives."
I shook my head "Or it is a trap. If one of the cruisers survived the blast, the second one might have as well."
Jack spoke up after another moment from his console. "I...don't think so. I'm getting some strange energy readings from that ship. I think their port shields might be down." he said, glancing back at us "They cant risk getting closer without giving us a chance to get around them."
I tilted my head in thought. "And with our damaged engines, there is no way we will be able to win in a fight against them at this distance...especially if our ventral shield generator is close to breaking. This is a bit of a conundrum. Commander, if we sent the crows out to intercept, could they get around to hammer the unshielded side without being shot down? What do you think?"
Swan hesitated for a moment before she shrugged. "I don't know, maybe. We don't have that many left and we don't know what weapons that cruiser is equipped with."
If the drones made it, we might be free of our assailant. If they didn't, we would be severely weakened by the time it was time for the real fight. After the fight with the cruiser, we were down to twenty drones as it was.
If that cruiser was outfitted to fight smaller ships instead of things in its own weight class like the other one, they might not even make it across the space between us.
"Captain, they are hailing us." Jack said with a frown. "Want me to put it through?"
"I believe it is time to talk, yes." I answered before a hologram formed in front of my pillar.
The hologram depicted a female Nautolan with green skin and cold bands around her head tendrils, sitting in a command chair. She was wearing some kind of body armor, not too dissimilar to a mandalorian set of armor, but lacking the jetpack. Hard plates mounted on a tight bodysuit.
"I am Velora Kiran" She started. "Captain of the Ravager. I must congratulate you, Captain Atreus, that was a well led trap and fight, but I am afraid that you are all out of space to run." she said with a small smile, crossing her arms and leaning back in her seat.
I tilted my head. A female captain? Harpy dustling!
"I do not believe so, Captain." I finally answered "I believe that your ship is heavily damaged from those explosions. For example, your port shields are down. If it came to battle between us, I believe that either of us could become victorious."
Captain Kiran frowned slightly before she shrugged. "Perhaps. And perhaps I should thank you for taking out my competition. With Krayt and those two fools out of the way, it will be much easier to take control of the Glass Hand."
"If you survive this, you mean." I said as I eyed her. "I believe we are still in a bit of a standoff."
She nodded "Indeed. It is a bit of a problem. What do you suggest we do about it, Captain?"
I spread my head feathers in slight amusement "You could surrender?"
Kiran snorted "I don't think so. I do not believe prison would be something for me. I think I'll just leave the system, there is no profit to be made from continuing this conflict. You may have that wreck."
Well, if they were willing to leave us alive, who was I to argue? Besides, they were pirates and smugglers. There would be very poor profit in fighting us.
"Captain, I believe it might be prudent to..." Dooku started before quieting as I shot him a look before I turned back to the hologram.
"So leave, Captain Kiran." I said "But there is something you should remember as you take control of your Glass Hand."
"And what is that, Captain?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and a small smile.
"What happened to the last leader of the organization when they bothered me and mine." I said before I lowered my beak for her "Farewell, Captain Kiran." I finished before I closed the connection.
The pirate cruiser hung in space for another couple of moments before it started to accelerate out towards the hyper limit.
I closed the hologram down and there was a general atmosphere of relief on the bridge as I sighed "Mr Melton, keep a eye on your sensors in case there is some kind of trick. Miss Tel'te, keep the hulk between us and them until they jump to hyper. Once they do, set a course to the closest republic outpost, maximum safe speed."
"Captain, what about the cruiser?" Swan asked with a small frown.
I hesitated before I finally shook my head "There is no time to take on prisoners or salvage it for valuables. If this turns out to be a trick, we can not risk the extra time. We will blow it up before we leave. Better whoever is still alive there die quickly than choke to death as their air run out."
If I could have saved them without taking to big risks with my crew, I would have. But as it stood now...
My second in command sighed but nodded. "I suppose that is a risk of the profession they took when becoming pirates. What is our destination after we drop off the prisoners?" she then asked.
I shifted my wings in thought "We will see. Somewhere with a good shipyard."

When our MC was falling asleep he did not expect to wake up in that dream from ramming the wall of the Senate building.
This novel is starting in timeline before invasion of Naboo.

"This story is pretty old but still contains a huge amount of "Hiver"-Author's essence in it."

This novel I bring to you from forums that not so many had visited and it's hard to find constantly updated stories.
Forum stories of origin:
https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/here-be-dragons-sw-si.245659/reader/
All right for star wars and etc are reserved by their respected owned, this is work of fanfiction and made by [Hiver] Author!!!
[given permission for re-posting]

[AN: Since many people don't know the background for the story's universe.]
 
[1867]
Formation of the Motosuu Government in Japan. The daimyos of the anti-shogunate-overthrowing faction and the families positioned to accede to the shogunate merge, establishing the restoration of imperial rule. Afterwards, the Motosuu Government, organized by the Five Regent Houses, the major samurai families of Koubuin, Ikaruga, Saionji, Kujou, and Takatsukasa, is installed. The head of the Motosuu Government - the Seii Daishogun - is nominated by the emperor from amongst one of the family heads of the Five Regent Houses. The capital city is switched from Edo to Kyoto, and a centralization of power is pressed forward.
[1944]
World War II ends. The end of the war between the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allies (the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). Germany temporarily occupied most of Europe, but following the European counterattack, the United States dropped a pair of atomic bombs on German territory, securing victory for the Allies.
 
As the war ended earlier for the Empire of Japan than anticipated, Operation Shō-Go 1 (the Battle of Leyte Gulf), Operation Ten-Go 1 (the Yamato's suicide mission at the Battle of Okinawa), and the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings did not take place. As the Soviets did not invade, the Sakhalin Northern Territories of the Kuril Islands remain in Imperial possession. Western culture such as the celebration of Christmas did not seep into Imperial Japanese postwar culture as deeply as it did in real life.
 
The world becomes focused around the ideological conflict manifested by the war between the two major powers, the United States and the Soviet Union, and the Cold War begins between the East and West. A global framework consisting of the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the Warsaw Pact nations is established.
 
The Empire of Japan, which the Allies had re-conciliated with, avoided unconditional surrender but were placed under substantial US control, with several policies effectively turning the former Axis nation into a vassal state of the United States. The Empire of Japan is then incorporated into the world order of the Cold War immediately after the cessation of hostilities, and are promoted by the United States as their most important ally in the Far East during the post-war reconstruction. As part of the postwar restructuring in Japan, power is taken from the Shogunate and granted to the elected Diet and the cabinet.
[1946]
The US Armed Forces form a Space Corps, which becomes the sixth branch alongside the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
[1950-1954]
The ESA (European Space Agency) of the European nations and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) of the United States, in great secrecy, begin work on the Daedalus Project, a plan to develop and launch an extra-solar planetary probe. The project plan was later made available for participation by all Western bloc nations, and was made public in development stages named Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo, which would successively develop and put to practical use large multistage rockets, orbital return vehicles, space stations, MMUs, and other related technologies.
Under the Daedalus Project, orbital satellites and manned flights to the Moon were promoted, the construction of large-scale orbital facilities and permanent lunar bases with an aim towards infrastructure development of the lunar surface, were promoted and achieved in stages. As part of efforts to construct a permanent lunar surface base, large-scale orbital facilities were constructed, and large space-going craft were developed and deployed to establish a supply line in-between the Earth and the Moon. All these were achieved in project stages.
 
With the US leading the western nations, the international moonbase, Plato-1, is completed, and the geological surveys and exploitation of raw materials on the Moon begins.
The final extrasolar planetary exploration stage would eventually be announced to have failed due to loss of communication with the Icarus I probe.
 
While the Soviet Union and her Warsaw Pact allies initially developed similar plans and held the lead in the development race, they eventually lost the Moon race. Afterwards, most of their technology shifted to heavily emphasize on unmanned probes and low orbit deployment technology.
 
The United States-Japan Security Treaty is signed. Under this treaty, the American occupation forces officially become the USFJ (United States Forces Japan), strengthening US influence in the Far East. The Empire of Japan, resigned to its situation, pushes forward in the recovery of its economy.
[1955]
In the US, approval is given for the development of a larger version of the MMU (Manned Mobile Unit) for greater efficiency, due to the delays in construction of the Icarus I unmanned deep space exploration craft. The enlarged MMU is essentially a powered exoskeleton.
 
Japan enters the Prometheus Project, a subsidiary under the umbrella of the Daedalus Project, and is mainly responsible for the allotment of Icarus I orbital construction duties, material development, and debris processing.
[1956]
The US space station Hope II is used to facilitate the development of Super Carbon as a structural material for probes.
[1957]
The larger-scale MMUs developed as part of the Daedalus Project are put to practical use, and are able to use their manipulators to utilize a multi-purpose knife tool made of Super Carbon, presumably to facilitate large-scale material cutting during construction.
[1958]
The Viking 1 probe reaches Mars and deploys its landing module, which transmits data images of creatures assumed to be of Martian origin. Satellite date from Viking-1 in orbit aids in confirmation of the creatures inhabiting all across the surface of Mars. Communication with the landing module was lost shortly after. Subsequent probe projects by the United States and the Soviet Union all failed, and information of the creatures remains rare for some time after the initial discovery. This would later be recorded as the first BETA encounter.
[1959]
Due to Viking-1's orbital trajectory, large structures were discovered across the Martian surface. The discovery sends waves across the scientific community. Because of the implication that the large structures suggested the possibility of intelligent Martian life, the special duty research organization, Dignified 12, comprised of 12 people ranging from mathematicians and linguists to other important personnel, was created for the purpose of establishing a method of cross-species communication.
[1961]
The large unmanned space probe "Icarus I", equipped with a nuclear pulse propulsion/ram scoop drive, is launched from Earth orbit. Besides collecting scientific data on deep space, its purpose is to find a planet suitable for human habitation. Communication with Icarus I would later be lost.
 
Control of Project Prometheus is transferred from the Empire of Japan's NASDA (National Space Development Agency) to its newly-established Imperial Japanese Aerospace Force.
[1965]
The Imperial Japanese Aerospace Force decides to adopt the multi-purpose knife tool made from Super Carbon as auxiliary equipment for their large MMUs. The tool would later be renamed as the Type-65 PB Knife, to be used as an auxiliary weapon around the time of the TSF F-4 Phantom's introduction.
[1966]
Dignified 12 makes their transition to the Alternative Plans, becoming a global large-scale project. (At this point, the BETA have not yet been named as such, since they have not yet proven to be hostile adversaries to the human race).
[1967]
The Sacrobosco Incident.
While surveying the interior of the Sacrobosco Crater, a geological exploration team from the international permanent lunar base Plato-1 encounters beings identical to the lifeforms discovered on Mars, making this the first time humanity has encountered an extraterrestrial species. Thereafter, contact with the team is lost, and they are never heard from again.
 
Immediately following the Sacrobosco Incident, the extraterrestrial species, in great numbers, attack numerous locations on the lunar surface. Due to that, these lifeforms are christened as the BETA: Beings of Extraterrestrial origin which are Adversaries of the human race, or "Extraterrestrially-Originating Life, Hostile to Mankind". The subsequent battles on the lunar surface, lasting until 1973, would later be called the First Lunar War, the first contact with extraterrestrials, and also the first war against extraterrestrials, in human history.
 
Upon examining the data from the Sacrobosco Incident and the results of subsequent combat, the United States Department of Defense questions the combat effectiveness of pre-existing conventional arms. Government-sponsored fundamental research into anti-BETA space weaponry by the military-industrial complex results in many development projects in all fields, from advanced materials to electronic engineering. The four United States Armed Forces branches (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Space Corps) begin the joint development project, the NCAF-X Project, as one of these developments.
[1968]
Once it was apparent that a state of war had emerged against the extra-terrestrials, the Alternative Plan shifts to the second stage, in order to directly study the full ecology of the BETA. Thereafter, the previous stage is referred to as Alternative I, and the current stage would thereafter be referred to as Alternative II.
 
The main objective of Alternative II was to find a means of communication with the BETA by studying their biology and interactions with the environment. However, completely alien forms of the BETA's organic structures and functions shocked the researchers; due to concerns for deviating from bio-ethical guidelines, Alternative II would eventually be shelved to make space for Alternative III.
 
While the results gained from the enormous financial expenditure and sacrifices made to capture and study BETA were mocked as "confirming the BETA to have been carbon-based life forms, and nothing more", the discovery of an enzyme affecting the metabolism decline was considered a significant contribution to humanity's cause. Nevertheless, the plan would later be widely considered a failure because of its abysmal main result.
 
As a solution to the stagnation of Alternative I in finding a method of communication with the BETA, the Soviets proposed a plan to probe the thoughts of the BETA directly with ESPers. As a precaution against setbacks in Alternative II, the plan was ratified, and the Soviet Academy of Sciences begins UN-sponsored research. Research on man-made ESPers speeds up.
[1970]
The first mechanized infantry units, making use of the Hardiman Feedback Protector, are deployed on the Moon to fight the BETA. The FeedbackProjecter would later be further developed into exoskeleton equipment, and deployed amongst armies around the world as mechanized infantry equipment.
[1971]
Based on combat results in the First Lunar War, the Empire of Japan decides to begin basic research on the inclusion of the Feedback Protector as a possible domestically-produced effective anti-BETA weapon.
[1972]
The member nations of the European Community, which was previously formed along economic lines as a federation, further develop their regional organization framework into that of the European Union, which establishes a cooperative framework in-between the governments and armed forces of the European region, so as to improve their capability to wage war against the BETA. At the same time, NATO forces undergo reorganization.
 
The United States of America officially discloses the existence of the prototype Tactical Surface Fighter; upon the US government's disclosure, McDonnell Douglas, its developer, begins marketing the prototype to allied nations.
 
Japan immediately decides to adopt the new F-4 Phantom, and Japanese-required performance specifications for the manufacturer are examined. Orders are also placed for a Melee Halberd type for the exclusive use of Japanese machines.
[1973]
April 19th: The BETA invasion of Earth begins. A BETA landing unit launched from the Moon lands on Earth, in the Kashgar Autonomous Area, western China. Construction of H01 (the Original Hive) begins in the Kashgar region of Western China
With the arrival of BETA on Earth, the United Nations Space Command treats the situation as an emergency, and declares the abandonment of the permanent lunar base Plato-1 and the complete withdrawal from all personnel from the Moon, bringing to an end 6 years of fighting on the lunar surface. With the Moon left under the complete control of the BETA, the famous phrase of "The Moon was hell", spoken by UN General Campbell during his command of the lunar surface forces, would be remembered in history as the defining words of the First Lunar War.

https://discord.gg/TavCbDV2qg

Genkei Kouzuki was many things. A pilot in the JSDF, an avid reader, and a fan of mecha video games. He also had an unhealthy obsession with leaving a mark in history. One day without warning he appears in a dark void and is asked. "What is it that you desire?"

He answers, "I want to die for something greater than myself. To leave my mark on history."

And his wish was granted, though no one ever told him he had to be careful of loopholes when asking anything of a ROB.

Now he appears in a new world with no memories of his past life. With only grit, and his skills as a former pilot, he will have to carve out his place in this new, mad world.

Under our twin grasps space was twisted and rendered as we stepped across the void between realms. Different from the void between worlds the void between these lower realms was much weaker. The usual pull and sense of nothingness barely registered in my mind.
I reckoned that even a rank one archmage without an innate understanding of space could survive moving through this. That was assuming he found a way past the space bubble protecting each realm.
"Abel, after we're done visiting Red and Rose should we find one of the seven greater lower realms?"
"I don't think that would be a smart decision. The mundane lower realms aren't predefined so they are relatively easy for us to move around in. But both the seven greater and the four major lower realms should have enough stability to keep some knowledge about us. If the inhabitants there got the wrong idea I'd like to have the mundane lower realms dealt with."
"You're worried about them rashly antagonizing us and trying to conquer the mundane realms we haven't reached yet, right?"
"Something along those lines."
Aurelia didn't respond but had probably given up on the idea. And if not... I wasn't her keeper nor her boss so she would have to decide what to do herself. All I could and would do was caution her and share my thoughts.
The journey through the void didn't take long and soon we tore through the space bubble of the lower realm that was our destination. We stopped using our powers and the torn spatial rift behind us quickly mended. 
Around us was the blue sky with the occasional cloud flitting by driven by strong winds. Far below us, we could see a desert spanning as far as the eye could reach and right in the middle of it was an oasis.
The vegetation in the oasis was strong and the life energy pulsing from all plants like a heartbeat. Creating this unique effect without the help of Rose's special condition would have been a challenge.
We were still observing the small town nestled into the oasis when both Red and Rose came flying up towards us. Rose's speed was slightly too fast as she crashed into me and hugged me. I gently ruffled her hair and pried her off myself. Red just looked on and smiled at me.
"Seems she missed you, Abel. You should have come to visit earlier."
"We came as fast as possible but things just kept popping up."
Rose had exited little, hugging sister mode and invited us to the oasis. Most of the buildings were made of sandstone with wooden pillars with only the middlemost ones being made completely from wood. Rose had grown a giant tree in the middle of the oasis and hollowed it out to make a house.
Interestingly, the tree was alive and growing despite being mostly hollow inside. Rose's frequent presence within the tree had allowed it to absorb an absurdly large and pure amount of life energy. This tree would likely remain here for a few hundred years easily.
We entered the treehouse and sat down around a table. The room was kept cool by a few runes set up here and there and we were drinking chilled lemonade.
To bring Rose and Red up to speed Aurelia and I told them about our side of the story. We had come here hoping to find merchandise we could sell so talking first was in order. Then Red began to tell us about what had happened on their end.
"You already know about the oasis. We stay here most of the time unless we feel like going out to destroy some of the undead. Our population has reached 300 people and we have proven ourselves against a few of the surrounding oases trying to take over.
"We have only encountered one slight problem. Two days ago a group of self-proclaimed priests arrived and demanded we give them a good spot for a temple of their gods and that we bear all the costs for the temple's construction. After we declined their outrageous demand they said their gods would tear the oasis apart.
"The same day I found a sketchy world god trying to sneak into the city and trigger something. I was careless and he noticed me. Then he disappeared into a pile of sand. Since then they are observing the city using their divine senses. I did some investigating and apparently, we are dealing with a whole pantheon of gods."
Wow, and I thought we had a hard time dealing with world gods. A whole pantheon sure was troublesome. Pantheons usually consisted of many weak gods under a few stronger ones. Since they held large territories they could receive a lot of faith and grow quickly.
Before we could continue our discussion someone stormed into the room and kneeled before Red. It was a bulky man with a dark skin tone, black inked tattoos, white fluffy hair, and two cream-colored bunny ears on his head.
"Forgive the intrusion, lord Rem. A giant sand storm is coming towards the oasis. We tried to disperse it but our attacks showed no effect."
All four of us immediately stood up in a fluid motion and left the treehouse. We had just been in the air space above the oasis and had seen the entire surrounding area. For a sand storm described as large to appear out of nowhere in the short time we had been in the house would be impossible. Unless it wasn't natural but instead man or to be more accurate god-made.
Once we left the treehouse the sand storm was hard to overlook. It definitely wasn't natural. Real sandstorms looked like an avalanche or wave of sand that swept over vast areas at the same time. What we saw was more of a sand vortex that moved towards us. And the source was clear too.
"Looks like the pantheon is ready to make its move. I can hardly ignore the divine power radiating out from it."

On an island in the forgotten seas, there lies a mansion. In truth it's a glorified prison for the strongest mages known to man. They were imprisoned after the ancient war that had taken place 500 years ago. But can they truly not leave?

As the prisoners stop to remain as docile as they were before the world suddenly learns why those people were kept away from society. But the escaped prisoners have much grander plans and set their sight on the lower realms, a unique set of worlds below the surface.

Author's note:
If you find any mistakes in my writing feel free to point them out in the comments. I'm always trying to improve the quality of my writing and any help is much appreciated.

I you want to chat or ask more specific questions about any of my books join my discord: https://discord.gg/aCcmyzw

“The Chief Sovereign of Light?” Linley and Bebe exchanged glances. Their hearts clenched as they then turned towards Beirut.

Beirut was leading Linley and Bebe at high speed towards the Yulan Plane, while at the same time chatting with the Chief Sovereign of Light through divine sense. “Haha, Augusta, as I see it, you should go back to your Divine Light Plane. Chasing after me is a complete waste of time. Afterwards, you’ll have to go back with nothing to show for your efforts.”

Beirut’s mocking laughter was hidden within his words.

“Hmph. It’s too early to say such a thing. You still have quite a long distance between you and the Yulan Plane. You had best hope that you can enter the Yulan Plane first. If I catch you, then you and those two people with you will both definitely die!” The Chief Sovereign of Light’s face was quite sinister. The distance between him and Beirut in chaotic space was quite significant, and he was currently advancing at an astonishing speed. In terms of speed, he was indeed much faster than Beirut.

Unfortunately…

The Higher Planes and Divine Planes were very far away from the material planes to begin with. The vast majority of material planes, however, were located in the same region. The distance between the Okerlund Plane and the Yulan Plane, by comparison, was tens of times less than the distance between the Okerlund Plane and the Divine Light Plane.

“Haha, then keep chasing!” Beirut didn’t say anything else.

Within the vast, endless reaches of chaotic space, one side was hurrying forward while the other side was chasing.

The Infernal Realm.

“Linley actually entered chaotic space?” A figure covered completely by a black aura mused in a low voice, then let out a laugh. “It seems Linley actually isn’t willing to give up the Overgod talisman or to give it to any other Sovereigns. That Beirut which stands behind him…he really has quite some courage.”

The Infernal Realm. The Redbud Continent. The Amethyst Mountains.

“Aside from Beirut, there can’t be anyone else.” The Redbud Sovereign could easily judge what had happened as well. “Given how cautious Beirut is, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

The news that Linley had torn open a spatial rift, then entered it alongside Bebe, had been quickly reported back to the various Sovereigns by the Highgods. It wasn’t just the Chief Sovereigns of the various Laws and Edicts; the other Sovereigns had also sent people to watch over Linley’s movements.

The Divine Wind Plane.

“Hmph, from the Yulan Plane to the Okerlund Plane? Excellent. My homeland, the Dylan [Di’lun] Plane, happens to be between them.” A hawk-nosed, silver-haired man, upon receiving this news, immediately began to fly at high speed towards the teleportation array of the Divine Wind Plane. Soon, he reached the array.

“Dylan Plane.” The Sovereign of Wind, Teresia, said calmly as he showed his Sovereign medallion.

“Yes.”

The soldiers didn’t dare act sluggishly. They immediately activated the teleportation array, and light began to flash and flicker. In the blink of an eye, the Sovereign of Wind, Teresia, arrived at his homeland…the material plane known as the Dylan Plane. He immediately tore open a spatial rift, then entered chaotic space. He immediately spread out his divine sense.

A hint of a smile played at the corners of Teresia’s lips. “Beirut, what a rare occasion. You actually left the Yulan Plane!”

“You actually left the Yulan Plane!” This voice rang out in Beirut’s mind, and Beirut’s face couldn’t help but sink.

“Grandpa Beirut, what is it?” Bebe noticed that the look on Beirut’s face was off, and he hurriedly asked.

Linley looked towards Beirut in concern as well. Beirut had an ugly look on his face. “Linley, Bebe, the situation is quite bad. That Teresia is quite close to us, and is in the way between us and home. Given his speed, he will probably encounter us shortly.”

“Teresia?” Linley and Bebe both looked at each other.

The Sovereign of Wind, Teresia, was someone who Linley knew. When the Lord Prefect of Skymount Prefecture, Molde, had released the Overgod mission information, Teresia had threatened Linley to try and force him to hand over the nine soul pearls. If it hadn’t been for the Bloodridge Sovereign’s intervention, Linley could very well have been killed by Teresia back then.

“Grandpa, that’s not a problem, right?” Bebe said, worried.

“This Teresia is a Lesser Sovereign of Wind. I, too, am a Lesser Sovereign of Wind. However…in the Laws, he has reached the level of Paragon. Thus, he is quite troublesome.” Although Beirut was concerned, he still led Linley and Bebe in a constant advance.

Linley frowned.

They were both Lesser Sovereigns, but one was a Paragon in the laws. By the looks of it, Beirut wasn’t a match for him.

“Fighting with Teresia isn’t a problem. The main problem is…once he ties us down, if the Chief Sovereign of Light makes it over, we will be finished.” Beirut said, rather worried.

“Right. If Grandpa starts to fight with Teresia, there’s no way he will be able to move forward.” Bebe was so frantic that his face turned red. “Once the Chief Sovereign of Light catches us, then…”

Linley looked at Beirut.

Neither he nor Bebe were able to help. They had to rely on Beirut.

“Teresia! Why do you want this Overgod talisman? The red caltrop diamond isjust one of the three talismans. There isn’t much benefit to you for acquiring it. Can it be that you, a Lesser Sovereign, also dream of completing the mission and acquiring an Overgod artifact?” Beirut sent.

“If you don’t want me to bar you, that’s fine. Beirut, agree to the request I made last time.” Teresia sent.

“In your dreams.” Beirut couldn’t help but feel enraged.

“Haha, if you refuse, then I’ll stop you. Soon, I imagine, you and I will encounter each other.” Teresia laughed smugly.

Beirut suppressed his range. “Speak. Aside from that, what else do you want in exchange for not stopping us.”

Teresia was a Paragon and a Lesser Sovereign of Wind. In terms of speed, he was slightly faster than even Beirut.

If Beirut wanted to bypass Teresia to return to the Yulan Plane, first of all, he would have to take a very roundabout path that was too distant. And secondly, Teresia could choose to simply travel straight to the Yulan Plane and wait for Beirut there. No matter what…there was no way to avoid Teresia.

“I’ve already told you what I want. Fine, if you aren’t able to satisfy that request, this is also acceptable…hand over the red caltrop diamond, and I’ll let you pass.” Teresia sent.

Hand over the red caltrop diamond? Wouldn’t that have made this journey pointless?

“Teresia, don’t force me too far.” Beirut sent furiously.

“Force you too far? And what will you do if I do force you too far? All you ever do is hide in the Yulan Plane, never daring to come out.” Teresia said arrogantly.

“Hmph. Then why don’t the two of us have a head-on competition.” Beirut sent furiously.

“Haha. So Beirut, who has the cowardice of a mouse, actually dares to speak such bold words! How rare, how rare indeed!” Teresia laughed mentally towards Beirut.

Beirut let out a cold snort, no longer saying anything.

Linley didn’t know what Beirut and Teresia were saying to each other, but he was able to guess what had happened, based on the look on Beirut’s face. “It seems Lord Beirut and Teresia weren’t able to come to an agreement. This…is going to be trouble.” Linley and Bebe had no choice but to wait and watch what was going to happen.

Currents of multicolored chaotic energy swirled about, with spatial rifts occasionally appearing.

Beirut continued to lead Linley and Bebe forward. Moments later.

“Grandpa, Teresia.” Bebe called out in surprise.

Linley stared hard into the distance. That aura of green light. That tall figure with long, flowing silver hair. Those narrow, slitted eyes that seemed to contain a knife-like gaze. That upwards-crooking cold smile as he looked at Beirut and the other two.

“Beirut.” Teresia spoke out.

“Teresia. You’d best leave right now. Later, you won’t be able to.” Beirut’s gaze was cold.

“Hmph.” Teresia’s face suddenly changed. “You actually notified a helper.”

“Of course. As soon as I noticed you, I made the notification.” Beirut said coldly.

“Just a Lesser Sovereign of Fire. Do you think I am afraid?” Teresia laughed disdainfully. “There are less than ten Sovereigns who have become Paragons. There aren’t many Lesser Sovereigns who are able to beat me. You, at least, aren’t one of them. I imagine your helper won’t be a match for me either.”

Linley rather frantically sent to Beirut, “Lord Beirut, Teresia is clearly delaying. The longer he delays, the worse it will be for us.”

“I know.” Beirut winked towards Linley. “Don’t worry, Linley. Everything is as I expected.”

Seeing how calm Beirut was, Linley couldn’t help but be influenced and feel more confident.

“Linley, last time, the Bloodridge Sovereign let you escape. This time, you will find it hard to.” Teresia waved his hand, and a cold, sharp light flashed as an enormous, thin sickle appeared. The aura that emanated from the sickle caused the surrounding chaotic space to tremble.

His body flashed. Then, like a dragon taking flight, he pierced through the kilometers separating them and chopped down towards Beirut, the sickle seeming to contain the power to shatter the heavens.

“Linley, take Bebe and make haste towards the direction of the Yulan Plane. I’ll be there shortly.” Beirut sent frantically.

“Yes.” Linley didn’t hesitate at all.

A long black staff suddenly appeared in Beirut’s hands. The long staff suddenly expanded to a length of a hundred meters long and many meters wide, and it viciously smashed over.

“Clang!”

The terrifying scimitar tore through chaotic space and smashed directly against the long black staff, but was only able to make it tremble slightly.

“Bebe, let’s go.” Linley grabbed Bebe and immediately worked hard to resist the flows of chaotic space and make haste towards the Yulan Plane.

“Boss, Grandpa will be fine, right?” Bebe said, worried.

“If we stay behind, we will negatively impact your Grandpa Beirut.” Linley understood the situation quite well. “If Teresia were to attack us in order to threaten Beirut, that would be troublesome. Let’s go now. After Beirut’s battle concludes, he will catch up to us.” Although he said this, in his heart, Linley still felt worried.

If Beirut and Teresia fought for too long, and the Chief Sovereign of Light caught up to them, what was to be done?

“Rumble…”

A terrifying surge of wind-type energy suddenly swept over, actually slamming against the body of Linley, who had flown more than a thousand kilometers away.

“Swoosh!” Linley actually borrowed the momentum from that surge and fled even more quickly!

“It really is a battle between Sovereigns. Even remnant energy ripples from a thousand kilometers away are far more powerful than the strikes of Paragons.” Linley was secretly shocked. He continued to hold Bebe as he frantically charged forward.

Linley and Bebe constantly advanced forward. A few moments later.

“Boss, there is someone else up ahead.” Bebe said, stunned.

“Another Sovereign!” Linley’s face instantly turned ashen!

Beirut was already blocking Teresia from behind; if another Sovereign came, how could he or Bebe resist?

A fiery light flashed over from far away. Moments later, it arrived by Linley and Bebe’s sides. Linley and Bebe looked cautiously at this person, and as he slowed down, they were able to clearly see who it was.

“This is…” Linley and Bebe were both stunned.

Long black hair. A long white robe. Scarlet, crimson eyebrows!

“Bluefire.” Linley called out in shock.

They would never have imagined that the newcomer was Bluefire! And, judging from the aura around Bluefire’s body, he was using fire-type Sovereign power…clearly, Bluefire was a Sovereign of Fire!!!

“Mr. Leylin, you…” Linley was completely flummoxed.

“Mr. Leylin, how did you become a Sovereign?” Bebe called out in surprise. Only Sovereigns could possibly move through chaotic space at such speed.

“Bluefire, you came.” A green blur hurried over from behind at high speed.

“Beirut.” Bluefire smiled as he looked at him. “You lead Linley and Bebe and hurry back to the Yulan Plane. I’ll help you ward off this Teresia. I’m more than enough to deal with him.”

“While fighting with him, move towards the direction of the Yulan Plane. No matter what, don’t let the Chief Sovereign of Light catch you.” Beirut instructed.

“Don’t worry. In terms of speed, I’m a bit faster than you.” Bluefire smiled.

“Linley, Bebe, let’s go.” Beirut didn’t waste any words, immediately leading Linley and Bebe once more towards the Yulan Plane.

As for Bluefire, his entire body covered with a blazing aura, he very confidently stood there in the middle of chaotic smile, smiling as he looked at the rather haggard-looking Teresia who was in hot pursuit. “Teresia, you want to seize the red caltrop diamond and offer it to the Chief Sovereign of Light? Give up. You have no chance.”


Empires rise and fall on the Yulan Continent. Saints, immortal beings of unimaginable power, battle using spells and swords, leaving swathes of destruction in their wake. Magical beasts rule the mountains, where the brave – or the foolish – go to test their strength. Even the mighty can fall, feasted on by those stronger. The strong live like royalty; the weak strive to survive another day.

This is the world which Linley is born into. Raised in the small town of Wushan, Linley is a scion of the Baruch clan, the clan of the once-legendary Dragonblood Warriors. Their fame once shook the world, but the clan is now so decrepit that even the heirlooms of the clan have been sold off. Tasked with reclaiming the lost glory of his clan, Linley will go through countless trials and tribulations, making powerful friends but also deadly enemies.

Come witness a new legend in the making. The legend of Linley Baruch. 

***Story of Ickapoo the Alien and his encounter with humanity in 2046***
It was the year 2046. In the distant and faraway planet or Yr lived a lonely alien named Ickapoo. It had no friends as all its species had been vanquished from a meteor storm. In its solitude and misery it pined for a companion. All it had for company was a stone. It named the stone Ump.
                Yr was a bare and inhospitable planet. With winds blowing at 150 km an hour, it was virtually impossible to see past the blizzard and storm. Various storms alternated, ice storms, snowstorms and sandstorms. With the intense and unendurable weather conditions, it was a wonder that any life survived at all. The weather did nothing to elevate Ickapoo’s depressed mood. 
             Ickapoo yearned for friends and company. He wondered if any life existed elsewhere in the universe. Many a time he fiddled with his transistor radio, sending out messages and hoping for a response. Contact with another species- was that so much to ask? He sent fire launchers and rockets into space, hoping that some space traveler would find out about his existence. Ickapoo was an alienated alien. It was an inescapable fact of his existence – his loneliness. In the same way humans wondered whether we were the only species to inhabit the universe, Ickapoo felt estranged and isolated from the rest of the cosmos.  He tried communicating with his stone, but the stone was as responsive as a dead person or any non-living object could be. He ended up rambling monologues and poetry about solitude. Ickapoo lived in a metallic steel capsule that sheltered and shielded him from wind, rain and sun.
            One day as Ickapoo was talking to the faceless and silent Ump as usual, a crackle sounded on his transistor radio. Ickapoo shot up with excitement and anticipation. It was the first crackle he had heard in years. Ickapoo frantically meddled with the knobs and signals in order to elicit a response. After a whir of incoherent buzzes, a clear voice sounded.
                 “Hello?” said the voice.
                  “Whakasanga?” asked Ickapoo curiously.
                  “This is Captain Nero. We would like to establish contact.”
              Ickapoo had no idea what Captain Nero meant. Nevertheless he made some effort to reply.
                   “Gutteripu Aiyla Mankai!”
               Ickapoo was trying his best to sound friendly and welcoming.
                   “We’ll be landing and trying to meet you in about 5 minutes. See you then.”
                 Ickapoo vaguely recognized the command to meet. He hurried out in excitement. A huge space ship was landing in the snowstorm. Ickapoo put on his best snow suit and bounded up to the spaceship with quick leaps as gravity was low. Captain Nero glided down the steps and waved a flag at Ickapoo. But it was difficult to see through the blizzard. Ickapoo radiated cosmic warmth and beams and hovered over to Captain Nero to guide him through storm. Ickapoo waved nervously. Captain Nero extended his hand. Ickapoo extended his head. Captain Nero was aghast. He grabbed hold of one of Ickapoo’s tentacles and shook it warmly.
                 “Hi! I am Captain Nero!” boomed the Captain, pointing at himself.
                  “Watta Ickapoo!” chirped Ickapoo, waving his tentacle.
                  “Where do you live?” asked Captain Nero, gesturing the shape of a house.
                   Ickapoo nodded and used one of his tentacles to grab Captain Nero’s hand. They floated through the snowstorm to Ickapoo’s metallic steel capsule.
                  In Ickapoo’s home was a cosy fireplace. Ickapoo poured Captain Nero a cup of slime. Captain Nero eyed it warily before taking a gulp and turning green. It was not fit for human consumption! Ickapoo laughed in amusement before guzzling down the slime himself. 
                 “Those your family?” asked Captain Nero, pointing to the figures on the wall in a 3-dimensional photograph.
                 “Jampat!” said Ickapoo, shaking his head sadly.
                   “They’re gone?” asked Captain Nero, concerned.
                    Ickapoo nodded.
                    “You must be lonely” said Captain Nero.
                     Ickapoo pointed to his stone. “Whaki froond!”(“My friend”)
                    “You are a sorry chap!” said Captain Nero, shaking his head. “We’ll set up a colony here, then you’ll have friends and a community again!”
                    Ickapoo nodded excitedly.
                   “But you’ll have to teach us first how to build houses as strong and durable as yours!”
                 “ Wakka! Me pleeeasure!” agreed Ickapoo.
                   Ickapoo levitated in delight and radiated cosmic beams that enfolded Captain Nero as a symbol of their friendship.
                   And Ickapoo was never lonely again as Captain Nero brought his fellow human companions to establish a space colony on the planet of Yr. Ickapoo taught Captain Nero to build a magnificent space colony of steel and gold. And in time, Ickapoo married a human lady and had baby aliens of his own. The climate and the weather may have remained as inhospitable, but the human fellowship was tangible and heartwarming.


             Ickapoo’s loneliness derives from our conception on Aliens as Others. For instance, we encounter aliens as Others in Stanislaw Lem’s novel Solaris. The novel Solaris reads like the perfect precursor to Baudrillard’s theories on simulation in which the copy or image of the original has effaced the original and there is no longer any possibility of distinguishing between the copy and the original. In the case of Solaris, Kevin is visited by his beautiful ex-wife Rheya only it is an alien reproduction of her from the cosmic ocean Solaris sent as an instrument of interrogation to probe Kevin’s conscience. Kevin though fearing this alien simulacra of Rheya initially begins to fall for the copy Rheya and there is no longer any ability on his part to distinguish between the original Rheya and the copies that the ocean Solaris sends him in order to probe his conscience and consciousness. What begins as a feared encounter between Kevin and an alien Other becomes a means of revisiting an old love whose suicide he had caused through neglect and whom he eventually falls more for. It could be said that the copies of Rheya that the ocean Solaris sends him hold more power over him than the original Rheya whom he had neglected and caused to take her life in his younger days.
	“We take off into the cosmos, ready for anything, for solitude, for hardship, for exhaustion, death. Modesty forbids us to say so, but there are times when we think pretty well of ourselves. And yet, if we examine it more closely, our enthusiasm turns out to be all sham. We don’t want to conquer the cosmos, we simply want to extend the boundaries of Earth to the frontier of the cosmos. For us, such and such a planet is as arid as the Sahara, another as frozen as the North Pole, yet another as lush as the Amazon basin. We are humanitarian and chivalrous: we don’t want to enslave other races, we simply want to bequeath them our values and take over their heritage in exchange. We think of ourselves as the Knights of the Holy contact. This is another lie. We are only seeking Man. We have no need of other worlds. A single world, our own, suffices us, but we can’t accept it for what it is. We are searching for an ideal image of our own world: we go in quest of a planet, of a civilization superior to our own but developed on the basis of a prototype of our primeval past. At the same time, there is something inside us which we don’t like to face up to, which we try to protect ourselves, but which nevertheless remains, since we don’t leave Earth in a state of primal innocence. We arrive here as we are in reality, and when the page is turned and that what is revealed to us- that part of reality which we would rather pass into silence- then we don’t like it anymore. (Lem, 1961: 72)
	In seeking out alien Others thus, what we wish to see is a reflection of Man which we can appropriate for ourselves, anthropomorphizing other galaxies in terms relative to Earth, but what we are sometimes confronted with is something that not merely mirrors but disturbs us about ourselves in revealing the ugly areas of our own nature, as Solaris projects Rheya as a memory from his past that he would rather conceal, a wife whose suicide he caused through neglect. Yet while confronted with the darkness of his past Kevin also manages to overcome this darkness and transcend it into love for this alien Other that is a projection from his memory, indeed he eventually loves the alien Rheya more than the original Rheya and is forced by his conscience to deal with the ugliness within himself that had driven the original Rheya to suicide. Baudrillard’s thesis that the image or the copy has effaced the real applies here, indeed the copy comes across as more real and intoxicating than the original. 


In the Ecstasy of Communication, Baudrillard once again reminds us that with the advent of television, as in hyperreality, the subject-object distinction collapses and we are immersed in its reality – “television becomes a control screen” (13). He uses the metaphor of driving to relate our relation to television- no longer controllers of a device, we are now subjected to its control, we become a “computer at the wheel”, not a “drunken demiurge of power” (13). He argues that television creates a space of hyperreality that overtakes reality and hence displaces metaphysics. Our subjectivities are dissolved- we are no longer ‘subjects of interiority” (13) in control of television but subjected to the controls of multiple network satellites. Television becomes an intrusive actor in our domestic space- that overtakes our lives from work, consumption, play, social relations and leisure. Baudrillard further explains that the hyperreal displaces the real and renders it useless. Social relationships within the home are destroyed. Reality is ‘minituarized’- television replaces our desire for human relationships or ideals and renders organic and real bodies and events superfluous (Ecstasy 14). The obscene fascinates us, and replaces the organic with the machinic. In this regard, advertising also becomes an omnipresent reality – materializes its ‘obscenity’- monopolizes public life with its exhibition. This is also precisely what  television shows are: Simulations and the triumph of the hyperreal and mediated reality. Reality television demonstrates Baudrillard’s thesis that the obscene lies in the fact that there is ‘nothing to see’ and that the spectator, rather than desiring difference from others, desires sameness with the subjects that we witness on television. As Baudrillard notes in Ecstasy of Communication, all that matters now is to resemble oneself, to find oneself everywhere, multiplied but loyal to one’s formula. It is the universe of the fractal subject, dreaming of a formula to reproduce himself to infinity (Ecstasy of Communication 41). Consequently, television incarnates our desire for sameness and our fascination with the obscenity or pornography of objective reality. It is the obscenity of the hidden that is suddenly overexposed and visible. In this dissolution of the exterior and the interior, Baudrillard likens the contemporary subject to the schizophrenic – who cannot distinguish between inner and outer and is subject to all the vagaries of the external world (Ecstasy of Communication 14). The subject’s sense of individuality and distinction from external objects is dissolved. He/she becomes obscene, as is the world. The subject is total prey of hyperreality, a pure screen, a switching center for all networks of influence. For Baudrillard, both the body and the ‘self’ (both conform to images) can be divided and commodified, as governed by the capitalist/advertising code (Ecstasy 42). To see the ‘self’ as a technology possessed by the mediascape, as Baudrillard does, is to become schizophrenic. Baudrillard’s subject is therefore, completely de-centred and dominated by the image. 

	Hence the hyperreal Rheya is what television is to Baudrillard- an image which has replaced and monopolized the real. The copy or hyperreal Rheya as an image has displaced the original Rheya and dominated Kevin’s consciousness so he can no longer distinguish between the original and the copy and indeed Kevin falls more deeply for the copy than the original.This also reflects the earlier thesis that we conquer civilisations to find mirrors of ourselves only to become more obsessed with the simulations of ourselves than original man.Hence the image or copy is more compelling and grips and exercises more control over us than the original and we are in the realm of Baudrillard’s hyperreal where we can no longer distinguish between image and object or original and simulation. Hence this is what happens when youth are addicted to the internet and videogames- the simulation has replaced reality and we are firmly in the grip of the hyperreal.
	Lem’s novel while being a speculative love story thus functions as a foreboding of Baudrillard’s theories of hyperreality and simulation in which the copy or image becomes more compelling and real than the original. In today’s virtual society where facebook and twitter are rapidly replacing solid and tangible relationships, this has become very much a reality of modern society- the hyperreal has replaced the real. Kevin’s romance with Rheya is thus not merely a speculative romance with an alien Other but a precursor of the current immersion in the world of the hyperreal which has replaced and indeed effaced objective reality.

We fear Aliens because we fear the Other. Christopher Nolan posits love as the element that transcends space and time and can flow across universes and galaxies to bind humanity together as a race. Specifically in Interstellar it is the love between astronaut Cooper and his daughter Murph that will eventually save humanity as they- humanity’s future descendants who have evolved beyond 3 dimensions to 5 dimensional beings will allow Murph and Cooper to communicate through the Tessaract- a construction in which space and time functions in the 5th dimension to be infinite and allow communication across time and space through a bookshelf which Cooper as a ghost who communicates to Murph having deserted her for his mission to save humanity will eventually communicate with her via morse the missing elements of Dr Brand’s equation for gravitational time travel across work holes and black holes and eventually be able to transport doomed humanity off Earth into more habitable planets in other galaxies.
	Hence for all the science that the film explores including complex explanations of how worm holes and black holes work the film remains at heart a tribute to the central element that makes us human- the ability to love. In the film it is love that drives Dr Brand to seek Dr Miller her old flame across galaxies to rescue humanity. It is Cooper’s love for Murph and his son that drives him to seek to travel across galaxies to save the planet Earth. It is eventually Cooper’s love for Amelia Brand that will drive him to travel across galaxies again to initiate Plan B of the rescue mission- planting a human colony on a habitable planet.
	Cooper in such a context may be viewed as a Christ figure when he sacrifices himself to travel into the black hole Gargantuan knowing it might entail his death. It is love for humanity and specifically Murph that leads Cooper to make this sacrifice, much like Christ died on the cross to save humanity from sin and out of love for his father God. Love does not feature as prominently in other religions but in the religion of Christianity, it is the fundamental core that drives the religion. Christianity defines God as love and commands believers to love their neighbours as their self. Hence while this is not explicitly stated by the film, I would infer that at the heart of film’s message- the command to love – is an implicit Christian message that it is love which will save us from ourselves- from polluting the planet to global warming till it is no longer inhabitable to saving ourselves from destruction through savior figures like Cooper Brand and Murph who risk their lives in space travel in order to save us from ourselves- driven fundamentally by love more than anything else. Hence while Interstellar is known as a science fiction film- its philosophical premise – that love will save humanity from itself – sounds more like something Christ would expouse.
 The Jewish patriarch Abraham as a knight of faith acts out of duty to God and yet makes the personal decision to make a living sacrifice of his son.
 Faith is constituted by paradox- it is a double gesture of love and betrayal, a dying to the self and a singular purpose, it exists only in negation of what it is not- the demonic. In conclusion Derrida writes of a central paradox that Jesus elucidates- to love your enemies and those that persecute you. It is thus assymetrical and exceeds economy. Faith is a gift- to love those that do evil to you and thus exceed the bounds of utility and reciprocity.
Derrida thus captures the essence of Christianity in his characterization of faith as a gift- a gift of love and a gift of death, it has to exceed reciprocity and to exceed self and world, towards the wholly Other and mysterious tremendum that is God.
It is thus essentially faith as a gift- a gift of love that drives Cooper to sacrifice himself by throwing himself into Gargantuan and thus reach the tesseract constructed by future humans who exist in five dimensions who will allow him to communicate across space and time to Murph who will eventually save humanity with the equation that will allow them to transport existing humanity across time and space with gravity to another habitable planet in the galaxy. For all its science thus Interstellar remains a story of love and sacrifice. What will eventually save humanity from itself is love for all beings, be they Aliens, humans, animals or robots. Ickapoo the alien is lonely because he is viewed as a freak, an alien Other. When we look at our similarities rather than differences, that is when we transcend violence, war, fear, rejection.


It was the year 2046. In the distant and faraway planet or Yr lived a lonely alien named Ickapoo. It had no friends as all its species had been vanquished from a meteor storm. In its solitude and misery it pined for a companion.
Yr was a bare and inhospitable planet. With winds blowing at 150 km an hour, it was virtually impossible to see past the blizzard and storm. Ickapoo yearned for friends and company. Many a time he fiddled with his transistor radio, sending out messages and hoping for a response. He sent fire launchers and rockets into space, hoping that some space traveler would find out about his existence. Ickapoo was an alienated alien. In the same way humans wondered whether we were the only species to inhabit the universe, Ickapoo felt estranged and isolated from the rest of the cosmos.  Join Ickapoo on his escapades across galaxies and worlds in search of company.
Ickapoo the lonely Alien, 2046 is created by Chung Chin-Yi , an eGlobal Creative Publishing Signed Author

   Neil was well aware of the theory which explained the repelling between galaxies. He often wondered if that caused the furious waves. But he knew that would be dramatic.

06.05.2048

   He had attended 9 meetings between a group of experienced astronomers and heads of ISRO; and this was one among them.

"That's a lot dramatic", said Virat, an astronaut, as Neil explained if the repel caused the waves.

"Cosmos is always dramatic, Mr.Virat", explained Izava, the CEO of ISRO, "In the years of my work, space and astronomy has always been dramatic and unbelievable but nothing less. Maybe what Mr.Neil explained, could be right".

      "Alright, let's guess, the waves are caused by the repulsion. But when we don't know if there is a point from where everything repels", said Dr. Vaaga Karthikeya, staring at Izava.
        
       "Well; that leads us to a forgotten destiny we seeked for in the past – The Heart of the Universe. We all believe that after the Bigbang, all the particles in the Universe are thrown away; blasted away into the space; which later formed planets, stars, galaxies and the thing we call The Universe. And the repulsion from the place where the Bigbang happened continues to a particular point of time, known as the Half Age – the time when Universe is at its half age. According to us, the repulsion stops then; and the attraction starts from the same point in space. All the particles in the Universe come together at the point and then happens, a New Bigbang and causes in creation of a New Universe. We, the scientists of ISRO, tried hard to find that point but invain. So, I guess, this is the opportunity for us, to do two things", said Izava and took a long breath.

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