[7 days later]

I opened my eyes, exhaled, and stepped down from the bed, stretching my body lazily. The clock on the wall told me it was evening.

For the past seven days, I had been grinding my laws, one after another, then working on my skills. I had also spent time thinking about the kind of domain I wanted for myself. This would be the first step toward shaping my own Absolute domain, not the one I had from my class, but one that truly used everything in my arsenal.

Each day, I also went out to help Steve with his quest. Watching him struggle and grow was a quiet kind of satisfaction.

I glanced at the time and smiled. Every evening, we all gathered in the lounge to hear stories from Anjee about his world, and Primus would often join in.

I stepped forward, and the cabin door slid open smoothly. The lounge was already alive with its usual chaos.

"You're late," North said from her reclining chair, which Lyrate had specially created for her.

Lyrate lounged on a swing she'd made for herself and Knight, though Knight and Ragnar weren't around. Primus was at the bar, making a drink, while Steve and Anjee sat at the counter.

I slid in between them, glancing at Steve. Like every day for the past week, he looked exhausted, his head resting on the counter as he swirled his drink.

"Ahh, I wonder why the system hates me," he muttered.

I chuckled softly. He hated his quest with a passion, mostly because it was repetitive and boring but I couldn't blame him.

But I had something I really wanted to talk about today, so I ignored Steve and turned my attention to Anjee.

"Anjee, we've been discussing Feradros all week, but today I want to know more about how the war is going. And how involved is our Blue Spiral Galaxy in all of this? I'm sure you must have more information than anyone else here."

As soon as I finished speaking, the room perked up slightly, eager to hear what Anjee had to say.

The tiger adjusted himself in his seat and shook his head slowly.

"Sir Billion, I've been avoiding this topic on purpose. Nothing good happens on the front lines. It's always a hopeless situation. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Yes," I replied, keeping my expression serious. "I want to know about this hopeless situation. I need to understand it because I will be involved in it."

Anjee hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Very well, sir. If you insist… I'll tell you what's happening out there."

Primus quietly poured a glass for him and slid it across the counter. Anjee picked it up with his clawed hand, took a slow sip, then began to speak.

"The Blue Spiral Galaxy is led and represented by the Nagas. As far as our records go, they've always been the dominant force, occupying most of the Essence-rich and law-rich zones in the galaxy.

The reason I mention them first is because the strength and influence of the ruling race in each galaxy decide how that galaxy stands on the front lines. And the Naga race, in our case, is powerful enough to rank somewhere between the top and middle tier among all galaxies outside the Prime Galaxy."

I listened quietly, unsure how to feel about that. In all my life, I had rarely noticed their presence. On my world, they seemed almost absent, like they didn't care about what happened on our side of the galaxy.

Anjee continued, his tone turning heavier. "As you know, the war against the Eternals is being led by the Prime Galaxy. The most powerful forces from there formed what is known as the Council. It's a ruling body that guides and manages the war across all galaxies. The Council has exactly one hundred seats, each belonging to a dominant galaxy. Our Blue Spiral Galaxy holds the thirty-third seat."

I raised an eyebrow at that.

Steve leaned back on his chair and frowned. "Only a hundred? That sounds too few for an entire universe full of galaxies."

Anjee nodded slowly. "Yes. But those hundred are the strongest, the ones whose laws, armies, and worlds actually make a difference in the war. Of course, there are many other powerful galaxies out there, but they don't make the cut. Most of them deal with each other directly instead of through the Prime Galaxy."

He took another sip from his glass before adding quietly, "That's why being part of the Council matters. It decides not only how much authority a galaxy has, but also how much protection it receives when the Eternals attack."

"And?" I asked.

Anjee glanced at me, his expression turning dry. "And it also decides the loot you get from the Eternals if you defeat them."

Steve and I exchanged a look. We both turned back to Anjee, confused.

Seeing our expressions, he gave a small chuckle and continued. "When there's war, there's loot. That's just how it works. Skills, insights into laws, rare Essence-rich materials, ancient techniques, these are all spoils that can be claimed from the fallen.

The Eternals aren't the only ones who invade either. There are times when our forces enter their universes too, breaking their worlds apart, plundering and taking whatever we can."

He paused for a moment, swirling his drink before continuing. "But the most important reward of all is strength.

Every battle is a chance to level up, to push your limits. That's why each seat on the Council walks a fine line.

They want to avoid too much bloodshed, but at the same time, they don't want to miss the chance to grow stronger. It's a double-edged sword, peace keeps you alive, but war makes you powerful."

Primus looked at Anjee and spoke up, "You forgot about them," he said, pouring another drink for Steve.

Anjee let out a heavy breath. "Yes… another variable in this war — the Warlords of the Void."

He paused for a moment before continuing. "They're made up of powerful races, lone individuals, and organizations that refuse to be part of any galaxy's rule.

They don't answer to the Council, and they sure don't take orders from the Prime Galaxy. They fight the Eternals in their own way — wild, unpredictable, but strong. Their sudden interference has turned more than a few losing battles into victories. But their presence also makes the Council nervous. No one controls them."

Primus nodded, taking a slow sip from his glass. "And then there's the criminal underworld," he added. "Those vultures don't care who wins the war. They only care about the spoils. There's no side for them, just greed."

He set his glass down and stared into the liquid. "And in this chaos, it's the weak who suffer the most. Beings at my level or even higher get crushed like ants.

Whole planets, sometimes entire solar systems, are wiped out when the Eternals attack. The Council doesn't take it quietly, of course, they strike back, destroy a few Eternal worlds, then the Eternals retaliate again… and the cycle keeps going. Blood for blood, until only one of us remains."

Suddenly, Lyrate appeared beside me. She looked straight at Primus. "So… are we losing the war right now?"

Primus didn't even pause. "Yes," he said flatly. "We're losing and fast. Every report that reaches us is bad news. Hardly any word of a major victory. It's always them claiming another world, another system."

Anjee's ears twitched. "He's right," he said quietly. "When I left Feradros, the biggest news was that the Thirty-Seventh Seat had lost half their galaxy in a single ambush. The Eternals hit them hard and they had a traitor from the inside helping them. Half a galaxy gone… just like that. Imagine the number of lives erased, the destruction left behind."

No one spoke after that. The lounge fell into complete silence.

The Thirty-Seventh Seat of the Council… it had to be a powerful galaxy, one with multiple Transcendents at the helm, commanding legions of warriors and worlds.

And yet, even they had been crushed. That kind of loss showed the reality we were facing, how fragile everything truly was, no matter how strong you thought you were.

Primus broke the silence after a long pause, his tone calm. "When you leave this quiet corner of the galaxy and go closer to the center, you'll hear news like that every day," he said. "In a way, the ignorance of your world, of most of the outer worlds, is what keeps them peaceful. Keeps them… happy, even."

He took a sip from his drink and stared into the glass before continuing.

"Our homeworlds aren't like that. They're bleak, full of schemes and despair. If you die, your soul is corrupted by the war's aftershock. And if you live…" He looked up slowly. "You live with the fear of when it'll be your turn to die."

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