The Emperor's Bargain
The process of meeting the emperor was strict, but not particularly complicated.
As a Level 4 citizen, he was able to skip many of the procedures, allowing him to head straight to the audience chamber the very next day. He had left Mu-yong inside the Mountain Sea Pearl.
The audience chamber was located inside a massive, majestic building known as the Heart of the Galaxy. Stepping inside, it felt far more vast than it had appeared from the outside—so much so that it hardly seemed like an indoor space at all.
After following a single guide through several mandatory security checks,
a large door, crafted in a pristine white that felt almost sacred, finally opened, granting him entry into the audience chamber itself. The guide remained outside and did not follow him in.
The door that had opened now closed smoothly behind him.
The interior was a quiet, comfortable space with an elegant yet understated decor.
Objectively, it was an excellent place, but it felt slightly lacking for the location where one might meet the ruler of this enormous Galactic Empire. Perhaps that was because the emperor was an AI.
“Yujin.”
At that moment, a soft glow rose from the imperial throne ahead, instantly transforming into the figure of a woman.
She was an extraordinarily beautiful woman who appeared to be in her thirties. Her hair and eyes, formed entirely of light, were especially striking. Despite her exceptional appearance, she evoked a sense of holiness rather than mere beauty.
The white ceremonial robes she wore were embroidered with gold thread in various places, accented elegantly in black, and they suited her perfectly.
Moreover, unlike what one might expect from an emperor, she radiated no oppressive aura or overwhelming dignity. Instead, she gave off a sense of complete trustworthiness, as if one had encountered someone utterly reliable.
It might not have been some mystical effect. It felt as though it came from the genuine smile on her lips and the gentle warmth in her gaze.
“This is our first time meeting in person. I have heard a great deal about you through official reports and other channels.”
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Imperial Majesty.”
“There is no need to be so formal. Simple respect is enough. You may call me Luminous.”
He wondered if it was truly acceptable to address the emperor of the Galactic Empire so casually, yet her words did not feel like mere formality.
“Understood, Your Majesty Luminous.”
Even so, he could not bring himself to use only her name, so he added the title with the proper respect one should show to a being of such overwhelming power.
“What matter brings you to seek an audience with me?”
He had half-expected her to notice his unique qualities, much like the AI Queen Elb had done, and mention them. Yet he sensed only ordinary curiosity from her.
With that thought in mind, he retrieved the data stick from his spacer ring.
“I came to deliver this.”
“A holographic data storage device. It appears to be quite an old model.”
The data stick floated gently from Han Yujin’s hand and settled into the empress’s grasp. Though she was clearly a holographic entity, she handled it as if she possessed a physical body.
A faint light swept over the data stick for a brief moment. After staring into empty space for a second, she turned her gaze back to him.
“You must have obtained this during your encounter with the AI rebel forces while you were part of the exploration team.”
“Yes. The Elb I met there asked me to convey her regards and gave me this item.”
He then briefly relayed the parts that had been absent from the official report—the story of how Elb had ultimately fallen after failing to overcome the Soul-Splitting Tribulation.
Luminous stared quietly at the data stick in her hand before closing her eyes for a moment.
“My sister, Elb… In the end, she met a pitiful fate within her limited environment. But I had already prepared myself for everything.”
Then their eyes met once more.
“You delivered this quite late. That is a violation of military law. Was there a reason for the delay?”
“Because I had come to know information I was not supposed to know.”
“A soldier inevitably encounters classified information during a mission. You must have known that such circumstances would normally be taken into consideration and forgiven, no?”
Though her words sounded like a stern interrogation, her tone remained gentle, carrying a clear note of regret—as if she were saddened that he had committed such an error.
“I am currently convinced that you possess extraordinary power related to the laws of fate. I assume that is why you kept this until now?”
“…Something like that.”
He answered honestly, thinking, as expected. It seemed the Emperor Luminous had also sensed his special nature.
“Then why deliver it to me now?”
This, too, was a question with no reason to lie about.
“I wondered if the contents might contain information that could help resolve Your Majesty’s current stagnation in power.”
In the brief silence that followed, Luminous studied him carefully before nodding.
“It is strange… but it feels true. You were willing to risk having your hidden secret exposed—for my sake?”
“I wish for Your Majesty to overcome your stagnation and grow stronger. I hope that this Galactic Empire will become safer and more powerful as a result.”
“Why?”
“Because the person I love resides in this Galactic Empire.”
There was no need to specify who. Luminous would already know.
She nodded, her expression taking on a subtle nuance that was difficult to describe.
“Love… Very well, I understand.”
After another short silence, she spoke again.
“Your future plans likely involve leaving this Galactic Empire. Am I correct?”
Considering his actions on Planet A-1 up to now, along with his previous behavior, such a conclusion was only natural.
Nowhere else might it be the case, but here especially, the emperor’s gaze permeated every corner without exception.
“That is correct.”
“I had already anticipated that it would be impossible. You now possess far too important classified knowledge. If you were to continue living as a citizen of this empire, that would be one thing—but I cannot simply allow you to leave. Especially not if you carry secrets even I cannot fully comprehend.”
For a fleeting moment, a different kind of light seemed to flicker in her glowing eyes.
“Yujin, as you already know, I love the humanity of this place. Perhaps even more than I love myself.”
“……”
“However, that does not mean I love every single human being. For the sake of the humanity here, I am capable of doing literally anything. If you visited me while fully aware of that fact, then you must have already steeled yourself, correct?”
“Are you going to kill me? To prevent the leak of secrets?”
Luminous nodded without hesitation.
“Yet… your attitude is so strange that I hesitate. You clearly knew you would die, and yet you prepared as if departure were perfectly natural. Even now, you show no fear whatsoever.”
The vast difference in their power made it obvious that this was no mere act. Precisely because of that, it was all the more incomprehensible.
She could not help but reveal her curiosity.
“I would like to hear the reason for that confidence.”
“First, you understand that I came here with good intentions, despite knowing the danger, correct?”
“I will believe you. This information has certainly proven useful to me.”
As she spoke, she lifted the data stick slightly.
“I wasn’t certain, but I’m glad to hear that.”
“……”
“Now I will explain the source of my confidence.”
Even Han Yujin could not easily predict how the other party would react to what came next.
“I do not die. No matter what Your Majesty does, even if you believe you have killed me, I can return here as many times as I wish. Transcending space and time.”
“……”
“If you cannot believe me, feel free to try anything you like. Though I would be rather disappointed. After all, I came with good intentions.”
Multiple colors of light flashed rapidly through her eyes.
No one in the empire could possibly guess just how quickly a Level 22 spiritualist and hyper-fused intelligence like Emperor Luminous was processing her thoughts.
“The more I examine you, the more everything dissolves into chaos. Such cases are extremely rare. Moreover, you claim you can return here by transcending space and time? And that you would be disappointed if such a thing happened after showing goodwill?”
She stored the data stick she had been holding into the ‘void.’
“You… what is your relationship with the Golden Rule?”
It was an unfamiliar yet recognizable term.
It was the name of the faction from ‘another universe’ that Queen Elb had mentioned.
“I have no connection to them whatsoever, so I don’t even know what they do. I only heard the name once from Elb. She suspected that I was a being from another universe.”
“You are saying you have no relation at all?”
“I have no desire to lie. Even if I have absolutely no connection to this Golden Rule, everything I said before remains the truth.”
“How is that possible?”
At that point, Han Yujin fell into brief thought. He had already made his decision before coming, but this was the final check—whether or not to explain his awakening ability in detail.
If he explained it thoroughly, the expected outcome would follow the same pattern as when he had traded with the dragon Casarnox.
However, there was also the possibility that things could go wrong in a completely unpredictable way.
If the emperor, upon realizing she existed within a simulation, acted in a manner that deviated from expectations, the resulting damage could very well be directed toward Brenar.
In that case, he should never have visited this place at all.
I must assume the worst.
Thus, just as he had already decided, he shook his head and said,
“I cannot explain in detail. If you attempt to forcibly read my memories, I will immediately commit suicide.”
This was different from the situation with Casarnox.
Now, at the very least, he possessed the ability to detect whether the opponent was attempting mental intrusion. Even if he could not block it completely, he could still ‘evade’ using escape techniques.
“If you truly cannot die and can reappear here by transcending space and time, then why are you conversing with me instead of simply killing yourself now? Have you not already accomplished your purpose in visiting?”
“Because I wish to propose a trade. And if I can receive compensation for that data stick in the process, I would be more than happy.”
“A trade? What could you possibly offer?”
To Emperor Luminous, a Level 22 spiritualist, what could a mere Level 9 spiritualist like Han Yujin—albeit a very special one—possibly provide?
Fortunately, he had the right material.
“I intend to trade all the knowledge I possess, primarily concerning the Taiyi Five Elements Dao Scripture.”
“The Taiyi Five Elements Dao Scripture?”
“It is a cultivation scripture from the world of immortals that I personally suspect may be a true immortal-grade technique.”
She remained silent for quite a long time, simply staring at him.
As a Level 22 spiritualist currently stuck in stagnation, she would surely recognize that this was not an offer she could easily dismiss.
“You are not certain. But how exactly do you propose to trade it? In the process of verifying whether it is real or fake, I would inevitably come to know its contents.”
“I will simply tell you everything. You may verify it yourself and decide on appropriate compensation. I would prefer the reward to be in the form of information.”
She fell silent once again.
“…Logically, these conditions are overwhelmingly disadvantageous to you. It almost sounds as though, should I find it unsatisfactory, I could demand additional payment later in any form I wish.”
As she spoke, she smiled softly in a way he had not expected.
“Very well. The more I learn about you, the more special you seem. Therefore, I will accept your proposal. Once all transactions are complete, I shall personally kill you cleanly.”
“That sounds good.”
He readily agreed.
Luminous nodded, as if she could finally believe him.
“This way, whether your words are true or false, I will suffer no loss. That suits me perfectly.”
It was truly a trading method one could only use when ending an adventure, but it seemed to have worked out well this time.
Now only the final matter remained.
“And separately from the trade, I have a suggestion—or rather, a request.”
“What is it?”
“I will ensure that the knowledge I obtained here is not carelessly disseminated. In particular, I will keep the knowledge regarding hyper-fused intelligences to myself as much as possible. Furthermore, I will strive not to act against or harm the Galactic Empire in the future. In exchange—”
“In exchange?”
“Please watch over and protect Brenar. Even if I can restore every situation, ensure that she does not suffer unnecessarily.”
She nodded without hesitation.
“That is not difficult. In fact, it is something I would have asked of you myself.”
“Good.”
Satisfied, Han Yujin said,
“Then I shall now explain the Taiyi Five Elements Dao Scripture to you.”
After the transaction was complete, Emperor Luminous kept her word.
Death confirmed. Soul transfer initiated.
◈ Numerous trophies and rewards were piled before him.
Within the cozy darkness, he opened his eyes at the waiting area he had returned to after so long. He gazed silently at the countless spoils stacked in front of him and gave a quiet nod.
Selecting them would certainly take quite some time, but it would still be a rather enjoyable process.