"Looks like you guys are having fun, shall I join too?" Noah's voice cut through the laughter, familiar and warm.

"Hello, Your Majesty!" Everyone immediately stood and greeted him with a deep bow.

"Don't worry about the formalities," Noah said with a relaxed smile. "We are not in the Empire right now; you can all be casual. But I want to hear everything that has happened."

Noah pulled out a chair, took a piece of fresh bread, and sat at the large wooden table.

Following his lead, the twelve generals and Rudi sat down as well.

The room felt less like a royal meeting and more like a gathering of old friends.

Rudi leaned forward and started the report.

"Boss, after you were sent away, the system gave us a massive power boost. It was a 'reward' for banishing our Emperor. We all became immortal beings instantly and were labeled as natives of the Realm of Infinity."

"However, there was a catch. The system told us we couldn't leave the territory of our Empire. If we stepped outside the barrier, we would be forcefully moved to a higher realm."

Noah listened closely as Rudi continued.

"So, we never left the barrier you set for us. We just stayed inside and kept cultivating. During that time, we received ten million more people."

"We used the Summoning Gate every single day and brought in many talented natives. That was the main part of our lives. Nothing too exciting happened on the inside."

"But we did hear news from the outside."

Rudi's face turned serious.

"We heard that other races came to challenge the Angel race's castle, but something terrible occurred. Right after you were banished, a roar that shook the entire world echoed through the realm."

"We heard that every single person who was challenging the Tower at that time died instantly."

"The Tower even sent us alluring offers to come and try the challenge, but remembering your warning, we never left the barrier."

Noah was speechless for a moment.

"Huh? That's all you did? What a boring life."

"So, you're saying you are now natives, and if you enter the Realm of Infinity again, you'll be teleported to a higher realm?"

"That's correct," Rudi said.

"But without you, we aren't confident about ascending to a higher place. That's why we decided we would stay here until we found a way to take you back."

"We won't go back in until we are all together."

"Besides, after banishing you, the system gave us all your money. We used it to buy 100 years of absolute protection time. The Empire is safe for a century."

Rudi finished with a smug grin.

Noah rolled his eyes.

"So what's the plan? Are you just going to goof around for a hundred years?"

"Actually, we have a big idea," Rudi said, his eyes lighting up.

"We want to turn our Earth Empire into a Primordial Empire. We plan to expand outside of this universe and enter millions of other worlds."

"We want to be the ultimate rulers."

Rudi started laughing like a movie villain.

"Imagine it! Billions of years from now, some hero in another world starts looking for the 'truth' behind the universe."

"He reaches the peak of power only to find that the Earth Empire has been pulling the strings the whole time!"

"We will be the masterminds behind everything!"

Noah's face twitched, and the other generals looked embarrassed.

Noah reached over and smacked the back of Rudi's head.

"How can a half-step transcended being spend so much time daydreaming?" Noah joked.

But then he grinned and high-fived him.

"But I like the idea. Let's do it."

The other eleven generals were speechless.

They realized that their Emperor was just as much of a child as Rudi was.

But deep down, they liked the ambition.

"Okay Boss, when do we start?" Rudi asked, rubbing his head.

"No need to hurry," Noah said, his tone becoming calm and calculating.

"I have some business to settle with the Aetherion Primordial Empire first."

"Let's go there together."

"We can have some fun, and if we play our cards right, we might even take over their throne."

"It's easier to take an existing empire than to build a new one from scratch."

"Now you're talking!" Fiona shouted with a twisted, excited smile.

"Let's go and show those foolish rulers what real power looks like."

"We will go in disguise," Noah warned.

"I had a bad feeling earlier, a premonition."

"We can't be too confident. In a place that old, anything can happen."

The atmosphere in the room turned serious.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, the door swung open.

"Hey brother! Where are you going? You have to take me with you!" Naomi marched into the room, looking determined.

"Yes, son," Eric said, walking in behind her.

"We want to see the universe too."

Noah looked at his parents.

"Are you sure? It might be dangerous."

"We're sure," Eric confirmed.

He had spent his whole life on Earth; he wanted to see what was beyond the stars.

"Alright," Noah agreed.

He then looked at his generals.

"Do you want to bring your family members too?"

Rudi shook his head.

"Let's go first and check things out."

"Once we settle down and make sure it's safe, we can bring them over later."

After the meeting, Noah went to check on Arthur.

The young prince had recovered from his injuries and was sitting cross-legged, cultivating.

Noah knocked gently.

"Arthur, may I come in?"

Arthur opened the door and looked at Noah with a complicated expression.

"Noah... I'm sorry. I feel like I'm just a burden to you."

"Don't worry about that, man," Noah said warmly.

"I'm planning a trip to your Empire."

"Do you want to come along?"

Arthur's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Are you crazy? They will destroy you the moment they see your face!"

"The emperor and the Ancestor won't let that slap go unpunished."

Arthur hadn't seen the final moments of the battle because he had been unconscious, so he didn't realize how much the power dynamic had shifted.

"Don't worry. We have backup plans," Noah said.

"Just tell me if you want to go or not."

Arthur went quiet, thinking it over.

"If I don't go, you'll probably get yourself killed instantly."

"I guess I have to come to keep you out of trouble."

He grumbled and closed the door to pack.

Noah just smiled; he knew Arthur was a genuine friend.

Noah walked out to the open space in front of his castle.

He took a deep breath and waved his hand.

"Create."

Particles of dark energy and matter gathered in the air.

Slowly, a massive, sleek black spaceship formed.

It was beautiful and looked far more advanced than anything the Primordial Empire owned.

"So Boss, when do we leave?" Rudi asked, appearing at his side.

"Tomorrow morning."

The next day,

The black spaceship launched.

It moved silently, leaving Earth's atmosphere without the public ever knowing it was gone.

Inside, Noah activated the "panorama mode."

The walls of the ship became transparent, allowing his parents to see the stars.

Martha and Eric gasped.

"Son... the universe is so beautiful," Martha whispered.

"It feels so ancient and dangerous, but I can't look away."

Noah spent hours telling them stories.

He talked about distant civilizations, giant space beasts that lived between stars, and the ancient history of the cosmos.

With his current power, Noah could easily spot the hidden pocket dimensions where the Primordial Empire was tucked away, places that used to be invisible to him.

After his parents went to rest, Noah turned off the view and pushed the ship to its limits.

They traveled at a hundred times the speed of light, using wormholes to jump across vast distances in seconds.

Noah used his powers to change everyone's appearance.

He altered their faces and masked their auras.

Even a god would have trouble recognizing them now.

While the ship moved, Noah retreated to his cabin to study the laws of the universe.

A month passed.

Noah had mastered 1,400 laws.

He could feel his strength growing steadily, even though he was still technically in the half-step transcended realm.

He knew he wasn't as strong as when he wore the Crown of Destruction, but he was getting closer every day.

"Boss, we've arrived," Rudi called out.

"We are near the entrance to the Primordial Empire."

Noah walked to the bridge.

Outside, the space was filled with floating debris and strange, flickering lights.

He could sense thousands of hidden guards and ancient monsters patrolling the borders.

It looked like a scene from a nightmare.

Boom!

As their ship crossed a hidden border line, a massive weight of pressure slammed into the vessel.

It was an "authority check" designed to crush any unauthorized intruders.

To Noah and his generals, this pressure felt like a light breeze, but they had to act the part.

"We wish to enter the Empire," Noah's voice projected out into the void, sounding strained as if he were struggling.

"I am the rightful heir of a Count returning home."

The pressure didn't stop.

A cold voice echoed back.

"Prove it, peasant."

Noah used a light projection to show the official seal of the Count.

The seal flickered in the dark space.

Suddenly, the crushing pressure vanished.

Several guards emerged from behind large asteroids, their golden armor shining.

They scanned the ship and then bowed deeply.

"Our apologies, sir," the lead guard said.

"We did not recognize the vessel."

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