Twenty years ago, a nuclear incident shocked the political world to its core. During a routine exercise testing the country’s nuclear arsenal, a hypersonic missile malfunctioned and veered off course.
Coincidentally, it struck the house of one of the twenty members of the Central Military Commission while he was celebrating his birthday, killing him and all four generations of his clan instantly. This opened up a position in the CMC that General Alexander, with his meritorious service in the previous war, was able to take advantage of.
This catapulted him among the ranks of the most powerful individuals in the country, but his journey since then had been a rocky road. He was counted among the top five most valorous generals, but in terms of political power, he was among the weakest in the CMC. He could not compare to the premier’s power and the various ministers serving the Supreme Ruler.
Colonel Biran was currently in an elevator, traveling at high speed through a secret facility towards General Alexander’s private office.
It had already been five minutes since he’d stepped inside, yet the journey seemed endless. He was always baffled by the route, feeling as if the elevator sometimes traveled sideways, sometimes upwards, making it impossible to pinpoint the general’s private quarters.
Although he wouldn’t be able to locate it, he knew that if another nuclear device ever malfunctioned, it would be impossible to strike the general. He doubted even the Supreme Ruler knew of his location.
A gentle alert sound filled the elevator as it came to a stop. The doors opened, revealing a long hallway lined with dozens of luxurious wooden doors on each side.
At the end, a large glass wall displayed a lush garden with various exotic trees and plants.
Colonel Biran cautiously shuffled down the hallway towards the garden, knowing the general always hosted him there. As he passed the doors, he could hear voices behind them.
He knew these were the general’s immediate family members, but if asked how many children the general had or what his wife’s hair color was, he couldn’t answer. He had never laid eyes on them and couldn’t be certain they were even his family. For all he knew, they could be the general’s toys, but he assumed they were his family.
He had heard that other CMC members led similar lives, with their clan members living under extreme secrecy. As much as he wished for more power, Colonel Biran did not want so much power that it forced him to live underground like a mole. Although he himself craved power, he wondered if he would ever trade places with the general if presented with the chance. Would he sacrifice his freedom for the influence the general wielded?
As he stepped through the glass door into the garden, his ears were assaulted by a myriad of bird calls and even monkey sounds. The garden was enormous, as big as ten football fields, and the ceiling was a digital display that perfectly mimicked the sky outside, complete with a day-night cycle.
Sometimes, he wondered if this was above ground and the general had fooled him into believing it was a bunker.
He followed a stone path through the subterranean forest and arrived at a wooden pavilion with simple decorations inscribed on its pillars.
Biran’s breath was taken away when he saw a man with grey streaks in his hair, cross-legged with his eyes closed. He dared not advance and remained at a distance, lowering his breath for fear of disturbing the general's meditation session.
After what seemed like an eternity, the middle-aged man opened his eyes and caught sight of Colonel Biran.
Biran’s breath stalled completely, and the world spun around him. His legs trembled, feeling like he was targeted by the most powerful predator he had ever met. Despite his tremendous strength and the extreme attitude he displayed in front of his subordinates, Biran couldn’t help but bow his head while advancing toward the pavilion.
Under the heavy gaze of the general, Biran slowly reached the pavilion and sat cross-legged not far from the man.
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General Alexander had a face as if carved from steel. His heavy eyes seemed never to relax, and his expression bore the semblance of an iron mountain. As he gazed at Biran, it felt like a million pounds of steel and rock were pressing on the colonel.
This silence lasted for another five minutes, during which Colonel Biran’s clothes became soaked with sweat. He knew he had committed a grave mistake, and the general was punishing him. All he wanted to do was apologize and thank the general for not using a heavier hand, but before he could muster the courage to speak, the general handed Biran a screen playing a video of a young man jumping from a fifth-story building.
Biran recognized the young man and, while analyzing the video to grasp why the general was showing it to him, a deep voice reverberated through the air, making all his viscera tremble painfully.
“Biran, do you remember the day you first came to me, a mere lieutenant with no prospects?”
“Yes, General. I owe everything to you. Without your intervention, I would have never risen through the ranks or received the enhancements that make me what I am today.”
The general’s eyes seemed to harden further, if that were possible. “Indeed. I took a chance on you, molded you into a feared warrior, and yet here you stand, disappointing me.”
Biran felt a chill run down his spine. He knew the general had the power to strip even his very soul away from him.
The general continued, “It took me ten years of hard work and sacrifice under the most ruthless generals and facing the most cunning of enemies to have the right to enhance my body to the level that this young man possesses. Ten years of hell, but it took this infant a measly two days.”
Every word felt like a hammer drumming on his organs, and Biran could see the air itself compress as the soundwaves pushed against it. He couldn't help but speak up, fearing that if the general continued, he would sustain internal damage. “Compared to you, my general, he is still nothing but an ant.”
Boom!
Biran felt a shockwave blow him away, sending him flying through the air. He slammed into a tree a hundred feet from the pavilion but ignored his grievous injuries and executed a military movement technique, his legs turning into a blur as he reappeared in front of the general.
At some point, without Biran being aware of it, the general had rose to his feet, now standing straight, looming over Biran like a mountain pressing down on its own earthy foothills.
“And how many weeks is my advantage going to last against such speed of advancement?! What are you going to do about Satell?”
Despite blood flowing from the corner of his mouth and the deep pain in his chest, Biran spoke steadily, “I have already secured a hundred other scientists, some even more talented than him—”
“But none of them are Satell!” The words instantly blasted Biran’s eardrums, and he struggled to make out the next words. “I have received a communique from the Supreme Leader’s residence. Apparently, he has taken a liking for poetry as of late, and today is the publishing of the first poem in a series that the Supreme Leader has been working on. Let me read it to you: 'The heavens are turning, and man observes. Whoever grasps the mystery it shows shall be gifted everything under the heavens.' That’s it. Now tell me, what do you think it means?”
Colonel Biran did his best to ignore the pain and tried to unravel the words, recalling a certain rumor that had been circulating in the higher political world over the past five years. His eyes opened wide, and his breathing quickened when the message's meaning became clear.
The general smirked. “It took you a whole minute, but you finally grasped the meaning. The Supreme Ruler is saying that whoever can conquer and control this new world will be gifted the ultimate prize. That means all factions are on their own with this one. No one will give us even a glass of water on this perilous journey through the desert we're about to cross. Now tell me, my precious right hand that seems to work against me sometimes, what do you think happens to Satell now that he’s left our facility?”
Colonel Biran’s face turned red as he realized what had happened. He had gone to great lengths to secure contracts for the over a hundred scientists that would lead the research into the transmigrators. Would other facilities established by the other factions also not try to secure Satell?
“I have failed you, general. Please allow me to go after Satell and get him back!” Colonel Biran slammed his forehead against the wooden floor of the pavilion, cracking the wood with his head. But the general immediately dashed his hopes of fixing his mistake.
“I have already received word that his wife has sent him to work for Kaine. That bitch has my treasure in her clutches again. I don’t have to specify how disappointed I am that my greatest enemy so far has once again managed to foil my plans.”
“I have failed you, general. Please give me permission to kill myself!”
Pa!
Biran’s world shook again, and he felt a severe burn assault one of his cheeks.
“You think I’ll allow you to escape so easily? Heed my orders!”
“Command, general!”
“Find out everything you can about that world and bring back any useful information. Have the scientists work day and night, without rest, and make them understand the power that world gifts to everyone who enters it! Make those transmigrators loyal, and have them work for us with reverence as if we had given birth to them! Find every little secret of that world. Go!”
Colonel Biran got up and practically galloped towards the garden's exit, but before he could leave the grove of the pavilion, a voice traveled through the air to reach him. “I will kill your whole family if you fail me again.”