Kallus said, pursing his lips. “Anyway, the point is I won’t be doing that. Instead, I’ll let it happen slowly. Once the Asura realize the benefits of being with us, they will want it themselves. Or, instead of that ‘old era’ style of subordination, maybe I can create a sort of alliance?

One where the members have the illusion of being an independent force and not in servitude to another.”

He wasn’t entirely certain yet which path he would ultimately choose. Both approaches had their advantages and drawbacks, though he found himself leaning more toward the second option. Still, there was no need to dwell on it now—they hadn’t reached that stage yet.

At present, they were merely at the peripheral edges of the galaxy; compared to its vast scale, their current foothold was barely enough to plant a single foot. Thinking too far ahead would only be a waste of time. Knowing their eventual goal was sufficient for now.

What truly mattered was the outcome of this diplomatic visit.

“Though unannounced, My intention is absolutely clear—to draw the Azura Empire into Our sphere of dominion.” With a hand brushing across his forehead, he continued. “At the same time, we could and would reveal just enough of our strength, our position, and the opportunities we could offer.”

Saying that, he nodded to himself confidently, certain that the opportunity to be revealed during the meeting would be more than enough to draw the Azura Imperium toward his empire—not just willingly, but eagerly. “After all, what Yan shi would promise was something that would tangible, immediate—something no distant power could easily match.”

A faint smirk formed on Kallus’s lips as his thoughts drifted back to his meeting with Yan Shi and the discussions they had shared.

If things unfolded as he anticipated, the gains would not be his alone. His people, in particular, would benefit greatly. For too long, they had been idle—reduced to occasional hunts, their true abilities left largely unused.

Though that applied only to a small portion of the population—those from the older generation. Of course, “old” was no longer an accurate term, not after the Tier-2 gene enhancement serums they had been injected with. Their lifespans had extended far beyond what was once considered normal.

Indeed, that was one of the standard benefits every member of the Void Fleet received. The reality, however, was quite different beneath the surface.

These individuals were, in essence, assigned a singular purpose—continuous reproduction. Beyond that, they had little to occupy themselves with. For most, their roles were minimal, almost nonexistent. Still, it was not something they resisted.

The reasoning was simple. The benefits they received were immense—far too significant to ignore. As a result, many accepted this arrangement, if not enthusiastically, then at least without complaint. After all, the majority of industries remained under imperial control.

Yet despite that, they were not without freedom. On the contrary, they possessed access to high-tier knowledge and education. And because of that… many among them had begun to feel a growing restlessness.

A quiet but persistent urge— To make use of what they knew.

And he kallus had already noticed the growing restlessness among the common populace, a quiet but persistent desire to do more, to become more.

And if the markets of the Azura Imperium were to open… He knew what would follow. Companies formed by his people would begin to emerge across Azura space, one after another—expanding, integrating, thriving. It was a prospect he found himself genuinely looking forward to.

By doing this, Kallus hoped to achieve several objectives. First, he wanted to make proper use of his people’s expertise; after all, they were currently underutilized.

If not for their crucial roles, he might have even admitted them into the military—but honestly, as powerful, trained, and superior as they were physically and mentally due to the Gen-2 serum and early cultivation, they were still far behind the true elites in the fleet and the R&D division.

In a way, it could be said they were “borderline” citizens—those with no specific high-tier talent in any one area. What they possessed was purely due to the resources he had invested in them, and it was time he saw a return on that investment.

His plan was simple: expand the reach of his fleet and his eventual Empire by dominating a huge chunk of the outside market—be it in weapons, food, or other industries. This would start with the Asura Imperium. That would be the first step, where the foundation for future expansion would be solidified.

He knew it would succeed. No matter how “incapable” his people seemed compared to his elites, they were still superior to the rest of the galaxy in both knowledge and grit. They would capture a vast market, and that would benefit him immensely.

The resources gathered could be transported back and used by the Void Fleet, fueling the Grand Expedition and the Grand Conquest he had planned.

While Kallus was lost in thought, the Red Empress, sitting across from him, was fully aware of his mind’s workings—after all, they shared a unique mental connection. Responding to his thoughts, she nodded, thinking that while his plan had a few holes, it was fundamentally sound. With her own refinements, she knew what Kallus had in mind could be achieved without many problems.

With our name already appearing on the Universal Net (the public network the entire galaxy uses, distinct from the Quantum Net the Void Fleet uses for secure channels), we are making a name for ourselves. The end of the Minotaur Clan at our hands should be enough for many to grant us “face,” so problems shouldn’t arise for the businesses that will soon sprout outside our controlled boundaries, she thought.

She spoke her thoughts to Kallus, receiving a nod in return. However, he added, “That won’t be enough. After all, the Minotaurs are but small fry. If we truly want others to fear taking action against our people outside our region, they must remember who is backing them—and they must remember our strength first!

“Anyway, enough of this. Pass my command to Yan Shi to lead the convoy on our first diplomatic mission to the Asura Imperium. Tell her she does not need to be overly cautious; while the matter is important, she must remember her own standing. If the Asura take a tough stance, she does not need to appear weak. She has the freedom to make her own decisions,” he said resolutely.

The Red Empress simply nodded her head in acceptance of the command and immediately passed it through.

Kallus and the Red Empress continued their chat for a while, and Kallus made several major decisions. In preparation for the opening of the Asura market—which he fully expected to happen given Lady Yan Shi’s capabilities and the current state of the Asura Imperium—he knew he had to act. After all, what is the benefit of a market if you don’t have enough products to display and sell?

He decided to relax his control over several major fields: ship manufacturing, mech manufacturing, weapon manufacturing, and the agricultural and food industries. However, these were not opened completely, and they had their own strict limitations.

The technological exports were capped at the galactic standard, being only two or three levels more advanced than what others currently used. Many Tier-3 to Tier-1 technologies were formally opened for purchase by any capable individual or nation able to afford them.

The same was true for other industries; only relevant technical aspects were opened for purchase, and even then, their standards were far behind the Empire’s true power.

After all, the Void Fleet has completely upgraded itself to Generation One technology—which is nearly four levels ahead of standard Tier-1 tech Or rather 40 time more powerful !!

And to give it an extra push, Kallus even introduced subsidies for such ventures—actively encouraging more and more people to invest in them. He was willing to cover the initial funding himself, removing the biggest barrier for those ready to act.

Of course, not everyone was granted such a chance simply because they desired it.

After all, if he started handing out opportunities without restraint, it wouldn’t be long before he found himself begging on the side of the road.

That… would be nothing short of disgraceful.

{Technical Reference Note:}

Arch Tech: Equivalent to Quasi-Zeroth Generation.

Magic Tech: Equivalent to Zeroth Generation.

Generational Tech (Gen-1 and above): A complete fusion of technology and mana.

Unlike standard technology—which relies on common alloys, basic electronics, or energy sources such as dark matter (in the case of Arch Tech and Mana Tech, often no more than a subpar fusion substitute)—these systems remain fundamentally inferior. When compared to true mana-based systems, they fall short in both performance and sustainability.

In contrast, Generational Technology operates on an entirely different level.

It harnesses pure mana—scaled according to the sophistication and magnitude of the technology—and utilizes alloys at their full, one hundred percent potential.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep