Reuel leaned back, remembering something. It seemed he still had one unactivated gift module left.
"System, activate the weapons module."
"Ding! Weapons and equipment module activated. Congratulations to the Host for acquiring the complete tech tree of the Terran Dominion faction from StarCraft."
"Ding! Equipment for 50,000 Terran Marines has been added to the military inventory."
Reuel grinned with satisfaction, his gaze sharp as an Adamantium spear tip.
"With this power... even if a massive war breaks out against Xenos civilizations, we won't retreat a single inch. If only we had more clone troops. It all depends on the White Queen now... how fast she can ramp up production."
His thoughts wandered to his Death Korps forces-deployed to the Highschool of the Dead universe, now annihilated due to nuclear contamination.
"Hopefully their bodies are still salvageable. Even their bones and uniforms are worthy of being reforged into a symbol of power."
He tapped the intercom panel and opened a channel to the Red Queen AI.
"Red Queen, send a message to Major Chris Redfield. Tell him to take over part of Legion Alice. Alice is currently occupied, and we don't have much time. Issue orders to prepare replacement forces."
"Yes, Big Brother!" Red Queen chirped brightly, in a tone far too cheerful for the tension of the moment.
"System, unlock full access to all tech trees from StarCraft."
"Ding! Command received. Access granted."
Suddenly, hundreds of books and documents composed of pure information began appearing in Reuel's study-emerging from micro-rifts in the Webway channel. The books were thick, glowing, and filled with intricate diagrams, weapon schematics, civilization technologies, and war philosophies from the Dominion faction.
Reuel began reading them at an extraordinary speed-far beyond what any normal human could achieve. He didn't entirely understand how he was capable of it, but maybe... it was part of the genetic legacy of the one he now replaced: The Emperor of Mankind.
After a while, Reuel pressed another intercom button.
"Summon one Lexmechanic and Archmagos Belisarius Cawl to the study immediately."
"Understood, Lord Emperor," came the reply from an Astra Militarum officer.
He ended the transmission and looked at the remaining books still pouring in.
A moment later, he asked the system:
"Oh, right. Why do I only get one slot in the Highschool of the Dead universe?"
"Ding! The Host has not yet fully understood the structure and origins of the Highschool of the Dead universe. Full access will only be granted upon successfully identifying the source of the infection and the primary cause of the crisis. Please continue exploration to unlock the universe."
Reuel let out a long sigh.
"Fine. I already nuked every landmass anyway. Let's just call it clean."
Still, something gnawed at him-he knew there was something left undiscovered. Maybe a final boss, a controlling entity, or the main infection node. The anime itself had never been completed. Making requests to the system without fully understanding that world's lore clearly wasn't the smartest move.
As his thoughts continued to churn, the stasis chamber door at the far end of the room slid open. Two figures entered, their steps heavy and commanding: a Lexmechanic in a gleaming cogitator robe, and Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl himself, towering, his body pulsing with slow-throbbing cables like mechanical veins.
"In the light of the Machine Spirit and Thy perfect will, O Omnissiah, this unit awaits the sacred stream of instructions. System litanies have been sanctified. Service protocols active."
The deep, resonant voice of Archmagos Belisarius Cawl filled Reuel's study, punctuated by flashes of red light from his ever-scanning optical lenses.
Reuel pointed to the stack of technological books still emitting faint aetheric particles.
"Cawl, come here. These-sacred artifacts-are tech trees from another dimension. StarCraft, Dominion faction. Store them. And make copies for two academic institutions: Scholastica Techniv and the Confederate Academy."
"Once that task is done, you may keep them in your private archive or study them with the Magos Explorator. Your call."
Cawl stepped forward. His mechanical limbs immediately touched the books' surfaces, scanning and linking the data to his central cognitive systems.
"This unit is initiating evaluation protocols. Unknown artifact detected. Metallic composition indicates pre-Imperial structure. Commencing communion with Machine Spirit..."
Red lights blinked all over his body, and his prayers flowed steadily in Lingua Technis:
"O Great Omnissiah, fountain of all binary truth and eternal design, allow this system to unravel Thy mysteries."
"Cognitive sub-system notes deviation... superiority... possible inconsistency with Ryza Pattern Dogma. Conclusion: innovation. Request: sacred permission to conduct further analysis."
Reuel held his breath and rubbed his temples. Cawl's speech never failed to give him a headache, no matter how many times they spoke.
"Enough, Cawl. Take the documents and get to work. Once you're done, do whatever you want with them."
Cawl bowed stiffly with a mechanical reverence.
"Acknowledgment received, O eternal light of the Omnissiah. May Thy data streams remain pure and Thy semiconductors never burn."
Cawl and the Lexmechanic carefully loaded the documents into stasis containers and left the study, their heavy steps accompanied by the hiss of servo motors.
But before Reuel could breathe a sigh of relief, the door opened again.
Richelieu and Belfast entered-wearing expressions far too calm for what was clearly bad news.
Richelieu's arms were full of documents.
"Commander, it's time to handle the administrative backlog from your absence."
Reuel glanced at his desk-and froze. The desk was no longer visible. Stacks of paperwork buried the entire surface, spilled across the floor, climbed onto the bookshelves, and reached the very threshold of the exit.
"Richelieu... this much?"
Richelieu smiled. But to Reuel, it felt more like the smile of an angel of death.
"You've been away far too long, Commander. Belfast and I have done our best. But these require your direct authorization."
Reuel could only manage a bitter smile. Not even the intellect inherited from the Emperor of Mankind was enough to save him from this one true horror: bureaucracy.
With reluctant acceptance, he got to work.
Between the mountain of papers, Reuel asked:
"Richelieu, how's the progress on you becoming Imperial Navy ship girls? Any breakthroughs?"
Richelieu answered while pouring him tea.
"We still face frequent failures, Commander. Akashi is attempting to restructure Enterprise's hull into the Imperial Navy pattern, but her size and internal complexity make it extremely difficult. This is our first attempt, so many things are still unstable."
Reuel nodded slightly.
"Don't push yourselves too hard. Make sure you stay healthy. Take breaks if needed."
The days passed.
Reuel spent nearly an entire month in his study-clearing paperwork, revising military plans, signing off resource allocations, and approving strategic projects across the Imperium.
He only returned to his quarters to sleep-and sometimes only for two hours. Even with enhanced intellect, his brain was still human, burdened by titanic responsibility.
Finally, after a full month, the documents were done.
He stood up from his chair, stretched his body, and smiled at Richelieu.
"Richelieu, I'm heading back to my residence. Make sure all of you rest when needed. Don't hesitate to ask Alice, Jill, or the others for help while I'm gone."
Richelieu gave him a graceful nod.
"Understood, Commander. We'll keep everything running smoothly."
---
When Reuel arrived at the Imperial Palace, the atmosphere was warm and serene. He opened the main door and was greeted by the muffled sounds of chatter from the dining hall.
The girls had just woken up. Gentle laughter, the clinking of plates, and the aroma of breakfast filled the air. They looked happy and relaxed.
Reuel slumped comfortably onto the living room sofa, leaning back, quietly waiting for them to finish their meal.
For a moment... just a moment, the world felt at peace.
"Alice, I've sent a few additional units your way. All fresh recruits from the Astra Militarum. Red Queen has also informed Chris Redfield about the situation. You can decide how to deploy them. How's your barracks? Enough to house the incoming troops?"
Alice glanced over briefly while chewing her breakfast.
"More troops? Relax. The coastal military base is fully operational. Capacity's about a hundred thousand. But... how many are you sending this time? I'm still busy cleaning up zombie corpses to ship off to the Tech-Priests. It's a ridiculous number-including dead animals."
She gave Reuel a tired look, though her tone remained steady.
"Fifty thousand. They've already begun moving from the initial staging area, a hundred kilometers from the Imperial Palace."
Reuel leaned back into the sofa, settling comfortably.
"By the way, how's your telekinesis coming along?"
Alice shrugged casually before replying.
"Not bad. I can use my full power now without passing out. Claire and the others can lift about ten kilograms. Even Angie-that mouthy little brat-can move a glass of water without shattering it."
Reuel nodded thoughtfully, then added:
"Oh right, I injected that virus serum into Takagi Yuriko and a few other women last month. Maybe you can help train them."
Before Alice could respond, Jill cut in from the corner of the room, sipping her coffee. Her voice was relaxed, but carried a sharp undertone.
"Relax. That's our business, not yours."
She then pulled Takagi Yuriko aside and whispered something into her ear. Yuriko looked a bit surprised-but intrigued. Reuel glanced at them briefly. He knew Jill was likely planning to bring Yuriko into her police department. He also suspected Alice would recruit Rika Minami into the military to assist with logistics or field medic duties.
As for Shizuka Marikawa? Best left in the Golden Palace-the eccentric doctor was far more suited to caring for children and palace personnel. Busujima Saeko, with her obsession for combat, was almost certainly going to end up under Ada Wong's command. Reuel could already imagine Saeko and the Sisters of Battle in a single squad-a terrifyingly deadly combination... and wildly entertaining.
As the girls chatted and mingled, the room filled with a warm, familial air. Reuel simply smiled faintly, watching them. There was no need for him to interfere-they already knew what to do.
In the back of his mind, Reuel planned to take a few days' rest before resuming his journey to the next universe.
---
Two months passed.
Reuel spent his days in the Resident Evil world in relative peace and quiet joy. He strolled around the Imperial Palace almost daily, admiring the scenery or relaxing with the girls.
Angie now had new companions: little Airi and little Marina, two tiny beings who had instantly become her devoted followers. Behind them, Kiriko trailed silently wherever they went, acting as their quiet, ever-present protector.
One by one, more women from different worlds began to arrive, and Reuel arranged accommodations for them in rooms near the palace, based on their skills and roles.
But Nakaoka Asami was an exception. Claire immediately claimed her and brought her into the police department.
"I need her help rebuilding our security system and personnel database. She has the experience and... she's dependable," Claire said plainly when asking for permission.
Reuel had no objections. To him, distributing responsibility was at the heart of running an empire-especially if it gave these women a real stake in shaping this civilization.
Once more, he stepped onto the golden palace balcony, letting the morning sunlight wash over the sacred marble walls.
The road ahead was long-but for now... all was under control.
---
The next day, Reuel prepared for his next expedition: a journey to the world of Underworld. Before departing, he took a moment to speak to the women gathered in the main hall of the Imperial Palace.
"No volunteers this time?" he asked, slipping on his tactical gloves, emblazoned with the golden Aquila.
But none of them-not even the ship girls-seemed interested in joining. Each was still buried in duties and ongoing projects. While the Underworld universe wasn't as overtly dangerous as others like Doom or the Tyranid Hive Fleets, the presence of vampires and lycans was still no laughing matter.
"Don't get the wrong idea. It's not fear," said Richelieu as she stacked a pile of reports. "But our work here isn't done yet. That world's still practically primitive."
"Yeah," Claire added. "Even I... don't want to talk about it."
"I'm sitting this one out too," Jill chimed in while checking her weapons. "But be careful. Vampires aren't like zombies you can roast with a flamer. They're cunning-and old."
Reuel gave a slight nod, reassuring them calmly.
"Relax. This time I'm bringing twenty Behemoth-class Imperial Navy battlecruisers. If anything tries to get clever, they'll be cosmic debris in five seconds."
Concern was still etched on their faces, but none of them said another word. They knew Reuel wasn't reckless-and while they weren't coming along, they understood this mission had to happen.
"Well then, I'm off. If things go smoothly, I'll be back in a few days. If they don't... maybe a month."
He kissed them one by one-including little Angie, who jumped into his arms for a tight hug like she always did.
"Make sure you all eat properly. And don't stress too much over the paperwork."
"I knew it. This is just an excuse to escape the reports," Belfast muttered under her breath, drawing laughter from the others.
Reuel simply shrugged, then walked out.
In front of the Imperial Palace, a Thunderhawk transport awaited him, the double-headed Aquila shining on its wings. Inside, Creed was already seated, ready to lead an Astra Militarum detachment for this expedition. Off to the side, Mira Han leaned casually against the ramp, arms crossed, dressed in her signature Dominion combat armor, that mischievous grin never leaving her face.
Without further words, Reuel boarded the craft. The women remaining at the palace stood along the balconies and terraces, waving as he departed-the man who had become the center of their world.
The Thunderhawk roared to life, taking off toward Lion's Gate-the main bastion of the Imperial Navy and the gateway to other universes.
That day, another interdimensional operation was set in motion. Destination: the world of Underworld.