The Galactic Council Hall.The cheers had died down. Emperor Qin and Valkyrie stood beside Lucas's pod, looking bored. High Councilor Vex floated down from the ceiling, holding a glowing data crystal."Congratulations, Earth Civilization," Vex announced, his voice echoing with authority. "You have proven your strength. You are officially recognized as a Tier 1 Elite Member." "As a reward for breaking the Void Tower record, the Council grants you ownership of Planet Gamma-9. It is a lush, resource-rich garden world."The crowd applauded politely. A planet was a generous gift. Most civilizations would kill for it."I refuse," Lucas said calmly.The applause stopped instantly. "Refuse?" Vex frowned, his light dimming slightly. "You reject the Council's gift?""I don't need another garden," Lucas stood up in his pod. "I'm a businessman, Councilor. I deal in flow, not dirt." Lucas pointed to the massive holographic star map floating in the center of the hall. He pointed to a thick, red lin

Space. The Edge of the Solar System.The Black Dragon glided silently past Jupiter. Inside the bridge, Lucas King held a glass of wine, looking at the retreating blue dot of Earth. "Goodbye, home," he whispered. "Maybe one day, I'll buy you."Valkyrie stood beside him, her sensors scanning the vacuum. Suddenly, the ship's lights turned red. [WARNING: Dimensional Breach Detected.] [Location: Trade Route A-1, Sector 9.] [Threat Level: Catastrophic.]"Administrator," Athena's voice was urgent. "We have a distress signal from the Galactic Council. Route A-1 is under attack. It is not pirates."Lucas frowned. "Not pirates? Who else dares to rob my highway?""The Void Legion." Athena projected a live feed. Space was tearing open. Thousands of purple, organic bio-ships were pouring out of a rift. They looked like massive, space-faring squids made of rotting flesh and metal. They were tearing through the Council's patrol ships like paper. Gateway Station 5—one of Lucas's new luxury hotels—was

The Galactic Council. The Grand Chamber.Three days had passed since Oona arrived. The atmosphere in the Council Hall had changed drastically. It used to be a place of debate and logic. Now, it smelled of blood and sweat.Lucas King sat in his pod, swirling his wine. "Athena," he whispered. "Show me the stock market.""Report: The Trade Federation's stock has crashed by 40%. Their CEO, Representative Greez, has declared war on three neighboring systems in the last 24 hours." "Reason: 'They looked at me wrong.'"Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Madness."Down in the center of the hall, Representative Greez was screaming. He looked terrible. His green skin was turning grey. His eyes were bloodshot, glowing with a faint purple light. Beside him sat Oona, looking innocent and terrified, holding his hand."War!" Greez slammed his fist on the podium. "The Iron-Blood Empire insulted us! The Star-Cloud Empire is plotting against us!" "And King Corp..." Greez pointed a shaking finger at Lucas. "They

The Galactic Edge. Sector Zero.There were no stars here. Only a massive, purple tear in the fabric of space—The Void Rift. It pulsated like a heartbeat, whispering madness into the minds of anyone who looked at it. Even the Council's sensors malfunctioned here.The Black Dragon stopped at a safe distance. Lucas King stood in the teleportation chamber, adjusting his Void-Silk Suit. Beside him, Emperor Qin was polishing his bronze sword. The Emperor looked... excited. "A new world to conquer," Qin smiled. "Do they have tea there?""No tea," Lucas checked his equipment. "Just monsters and debts." "Valkyrie, status?""Combat Systems: 100%." Valkyrie's eyes glowed blue. "Anti-Corruption Shield: Active." "Administrator, the probability of survival inside the Rift is 0.001%.""That's high enough," Lucas nodded. "Athena, keep the ship here. If we don't come back in 24 hours... detonate the Antimatter Core and seal the Rift forever.""...Understood. Good luck, Administrator."ZAP. The telepor

The Void Dimension. King Corp Recycling Plant.The golden chains faded. Malak, the former Void Overlord, was now kneeling, studying his employment contract with a confused expression. "So... I get paid in 'Crypto-Credits'? Can I eat those?""You can buy planets with them, then eat the planets," Lucas King explained, adjusting his tie. "Welcome to the team, Malak."Lucas turned to Emperor Qin and Valkyrie. "Mission accomplished. Let's go back to Council Prime. I expect a massive bonus check waiting for us."ZAP. The teleportation beam fired. The trio vanished from the Void and rematerialized on the Black Dragon, parked in Sector Zero."Administrator," Athena's voice greeted them. But something was wrong. Her holographic avatar was flickering red. "Emergency Alert. We are being targeted.""Targeted?" Lucas frowned. "By who? The Void is under my management.""By the Galactic Council."Lucas looked at the main screen. Sector Zero was no longer empty. It was surrounded by a massive fleet.