WORLD: NEO EARTH
BRANCHED WORLD: POSSIBILITY OF EVERYTHING
LOCATION: NORTHERN SPHERE.
Since his subordinates had started to feel useless and aimless under his command, he decided to let them take charge of the worlds he'd already conquered.
It was his way of throwing them a bone, let them manage what he no longer cared to.
"Hahaha! Lady Hayes, Lady Aisrehdar, it's been a while. Good to see the both of you again."
A man's voice echoed with forced cheer as he trailed behind them.
One of the congressmen, dressed in a tailored suit, was hurrying to keep pace with the two women as they strode confidently down a long, narrow hallway that led toward the conference room.
His polished shoes clicked awkwardly against the tiled floor, trying to match their rhythm but falling behind with every step, huffing as he did so.
Although they walked casually, he was running to catch up with them, and even when he did, he couldn't still catch up with them.
But, the two women were striking.
The first had silver hair and mismatched eyes that caught the light with an almost unsettling gleam.
She wore her usual outfit: a skintight bodysuit concealed beneath a flowing cloak that swayed with her every movement.
Despite the simplicity of her wardrobe, she drew attention effortlessly, a magnetic presence that turned heads even in silence.
Beside her walked the other woman—more mature in appearance, with a curvaceous figure that her attire did absolutely nothing to hide.
She too wore her standard gear, tight-fitting and bold.
Between their looks and the confidence they exuded, they appeared less like diplomats and more like goddesses walking the halls of mortals.
The location currently was at the North, a country comparable to America in terms of economic might and global influence.
But this Earth... this Earth was different.
It had just experienced it what was being called its third world war, one of the countless realities branching from modern Earth's endless possibilities.
However, the history here diverged from the Earth that Laurel remembered.
Regardless, it's structure and landscapes made him feel nostalgia, and he spared no effort conquering it by implanting fear.
Now, this world was being nurtured by him.
In particular, the white haired freak, and the time controlling white demon.
"Enough with the chit chat, let's head to business."
Since arriving on this Earth and digging into its bizarre but advanced history, Hayes had evolved rapidly.
She consumed knowledge, and her intellect had grown to terrifying levels.
Eventually, her obsession had manifested into a Unique Skill: [Librarian].
It was absurdly powerful in its own right, allowing her to store and recall vast archives of information within her own mind like a library.
Of course, there were limits...
But that was the drawback of her skill, its very limitation.
In order to avoid complete mental overload, Hayes had to partition her mind, organizing information and memories into separate mental spaces.
Without that internal segmentation, the sheer volume of data would crush her from the inside out.
For now, to mitigate that, Laurel created a conduit for her which she should use to record information and store it.
[Telesnatch],
that was the name. A sort of external like chip, embedded to the sides of her head.
It worked like a cinematic archive, automatically recording and cataloguing every bit of information she came into contact with.
Whenever she needed it, all she had to do was reach out mentally and access the stored footage.
After a short walk through the sterile corridors of the government building, the group reached a heavy steel door.
Without waiting for permission, the congressman who'd been panting behind them suddenly rushed forward, overtook the two women, and swung the door wide open.
The room beyond stretched out like a grand amphitheater.
Rows of curved seating extended upward in rising steps, semi-circular in design, reminiscent of a theater stage or council chamber.
The lighting was dim above but bright near the center, where a wide, circular platform acted as the speaking floor.
Whispers floated around, as well as others with tense expressions.
Leaders of all kinds were already gathered, presidents, prime ministers, monarchs, generals.
Each came from a different nation, ideology, or faction, but they all wore the same expression: restrained unease.
They hadn't come here to bow. They weren't looking to be ruled in the "do exactly what I say" kind of way.
No, if anything, they were bracing for the worst.
Then Hayes stepped forward.
"Goddess Luminous has no intention of controlling your world. What she desires or what she requires, is your affiliation."
Hayes began with a fierce expression. While she had met with some, the rest weren't convinced so.
Yes, they'd witnessed Laurel's strength, however, it was natural some would be cautious.
That, too, was natural. Leaders like these didn't get to the top by trusting easily, especially not those who claimed to conquer for peace.
"Yes, we call it conquest. But jurisdiction? Autonomy? We're not here to micromanage your lives. Most of that power remains with you. You will still lead your people. What's different now... is the flag you serve under."
She took one step forward.
"Our Venerable Goddess seeks the unity of mankind. From this day forward, under Her light, there will be no more war. She believes that only through unification can this world reach its true potential."
As her voice settled, a wave of silence followed.
Then came the murmurings.
"Unbelievable..."
"Yeah... especially with that kind of power..."
"I find it hard to trust someone who starts with force."
Their expressions changed.
Some appeared uncertain, some outright scowling. A few crossed their arms. One or two muttered under their breath, not bothering to hide their skepticism.
Just as Hayes expected. She said nothing. Let them squirm a little longer.
And it wasn't until—
BANG!
A fist slammed down hard on a desk, the sharp echo cracking through the chamber like a gunshot.
"And how do we know this isn't just some hogwash or propaganda?"
All eyes turned toward the man who stood defiantly in the front row.
He had white hair slicked back with practiced arrogance, a thick beard and mustache groomed to perfection.
His age showed in the wrinkles under his eyes, but his presence roared with the fury of a man decades younger, sixty, perhaps.
He wore a pristine white suit adorned with golden trim, his style flamboyant and self-important.
He slammed his palm again, knuckles turning red from the impact, as he leaned forward with a glare sharp enough to draw blood.
"Unity of mankind?" he scoffed, his voice rising with disgust. "Don't make me laugh."
The room shifted instantly. Some leaned back, lips twitching. Others whispered to their neighbors, their previous hesitation bubbling up again.
Fear, doubt, resistance.
Aisrehdar, silent up until now, stood to the side of Hayes, arms folded. Technically, she was here as a bodyguard, though Hayes didn't need one.
Still, she glanced toward her with a raised brow, curious to see how she'd handle the challenge.
Hayes looked completely unmoved. If anything, she seemed vaguely bored.
"Ha? Is that so?"
She replied dryly, her tone as casual as commenting on the weather.
Then, without missing a beat, she raised her hand and pointed toward the man's desk.
TSUN—!
A mechanical whirr was made, and before anyone could realize, a low hum had resounded, Then a hiss.
A clean hole burst through the center of the desk, smoking at the edges. The man flinched, his head jerking back.
The blast had completely missed its mark, however, he stumbled away from the table, bumping into the row behind him, fingers clawing at the edge of a seat for balance.
If anyone had been watching closely, they'd have seen it, a faint glint floating beside Hayes.
Cocyutus Glorious.
A specialized custom made drag-ride, by using steel from Goddess Luminous World, and using the Force Core of a specialized drag ride.
It was born,
A dragon machine that can grow alongside her
"Hiiick! W-wait!"
The man stammered, stumbling backward in the tight space, eyes wide as he backed into the chair behind him.
Hayes didn't even look at him.
"Honestly, if it weren't for the Goddess Luminous telling us to go easy, our Apostle said to vaporize anyone who dared reject the offer. But oh well, what do I do now?"
Like Laurel had said, he'd placed Luminous above a pedestal again as a merciful goddess, restraining her fearsome followers from outright slaughter, he'd set the tone.
She was divine. Powerful. And benevolent.
Of course, none of them needed to know how thin that benevolence ran.
But it worked.
Silence fell like a curtain over the assembly. Every cough, shuffle, and mutter died. Even the most skeptical faces now carried a different look,
wariness.
It was starting to click: this wasn't totalitarianism.
They weren't here to rule over the world. As long as peace was kept, and progress was made, there would be freedom.
And beneath that peace... the world itself would be upgraded.
The Unity Program wasn't just for order.
It was also a prerequisite to raise the civilization's level, and by extension, boost the Guild's Authority.
"Well then, that was just the surface level, now then, it is time to discuss the progression of the world."
Sooner or later, people will be crossing worlds, something no one in this world could have ever dreamed off, something that felt far from them.
Hence why Laurel administered unity.
And again, it wasn't until he receives a notification can he allow cross-world travel, but that wouldn't be until after a long time.
Even if he did allow it. Only a few, at most, it would be people coming from other worlds, to help their civilization expand.