Year 3640, more than four centuries had passed since the peace treaty was signed. However, everything was not well for humanity.

  The leaders of humanity had been divided into two factions: Those who wanted to follow the beacon of order’s guidance and resist the aliens’ invasion, and the others who wanted to escape.

  Logically speaking, the latter made no sense. The aliens wouldn’t be able to break the dimensional barrier for millions of years. The fact was further solidified as after a long and arduous research; they had discovered three locations where they could see the other side.

  They gazed upon the other side of their dimension, and what greeted them was a sky filled with horror. Many started to doubt the beacon’s claim that the barrier would last for so long. It was a cowardly tactic to deny the truth, but could one blame them?

  It was as if they were living in a house infested with bugs. It was fine as long as they were unaware of the fact, but now the floor, walls, and ceiling of that house were turned into glass. They could see the bugs crawling all around them, without doing anything to get rid of them.

  Now, they were given two options. One was to reinforce that glass and prepare for the day when they’d have to fight the bugs, and the other was to move into a new home. It was apparent what the majority would choose.

  Zyrus saw the two groups scuffle in the past centuries. Those who wanted to escape were building a galactic ship which he was all too familiar with- The Arc of Noah.

  Compared to them though, the resisting faction hadn’t made much progress. They were in no hurry to act on any immature plans. They had all the time they needed, and thus, they focused these years on researching the technologies in the beacon of order. Logically speaking there should be no conflict between the two groups.

  But as history had proven time and time again, mankind wasn’t always ‘Logical’.

  He as an observer noticed the subtle changes that were taking place in this era. Scientists and experts of various fields joined the resistant faction, while most of the political and wealthy figures spent their fortunes in building the arc of Noah.

  What they sought wasn’t just an escape. Interstellar travel opened a brand-new path of expansion, and they wanted to be the first ones to call dibs on it.

  Such large movements weren’t unnoticed by the public eyes. No secrets could be kept forever, and before long, everyone knew about the arc of Noah. Perhaps intentionally, the common public was still unaware of the resistant faction and the aliens. All they knew was that if they boarded the Arc of Noah, then they would have a chance to explore the stars.

  More than 80% of the population decided to leave. They wanted to be the ‘elite’ who could board the Arc of Noah.

  Years passed by and now, there was a new moon in the earth’s orbit. Naturally, that new neighbor was the arc of Noah. It was unbelievable that such a gigantic construct was built in such a short time.

  Still, the price paid for it was nothing trivial. Just the resources required to build the arc had destroyed the earth’s natural ecosystem. Forests and mines were emptied out without a care. All treaties made to prevent pollution were dissolved into thin air.

  The resistant faction did all within their capacity to fight back, but it was futile. Their declaration of the truth did nothing but add fuel to the fire. Even the remaining 20% were planning to leave after hearing the truth about the alien’s invasion.

  No one cared about the scientists or the fact that there was a long time before the invasion. The resistant faction could do nothing but give up and huddle down in their laboratories.

  Zyrus felt bad for them. He knew that what they did was stupid; they should’ve seen this coming since they were divided into two factions. Unfortunately, politics wasn’t their forte. Their wings had long since been clipped by the escaping faction’s open and hidden means.

  If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  [<[Do you resent those who left?]>]

  Zyrus was surprised at the squirrel, or perhaps, the world will’s question.

  “I…don’t. I think they’re cowards, but that’s one of the reasons we survived so long as a species.”

  [<[I see. I hate them though. If I ever get the chance, then I want nothing more than to annihilate their existance]>]

  Zyrus trembled as he sensed the boundless fury in that voice. If it was someone else with a weak will then he would’ve passed out from fear. The killing intent and wrath emanating from the world will were more destructive than anything he’d sensed on earth.

  [<[You asked me if I was the earth’s will, correct?]>]

  “Yes,”

  [<[I used to be that. Your level of existence and your knowledge is far too lacking to understand what a world’s will truly is, but I’ll tell you this-]>]

  Zyrus calmed the raging waves in his mind and listened to the thundering voice,

  [<[If the humans hadn’t left, if I had enough time to mature, then the aliens would’ve stood no chance against me. I alone can push the earth on the same level as the sixth ring of the sanctuary]>]

  Zyrus chuckled in a deprecating tone as he heard the bold statement. He knew better than anyone what the sixth ring represented. To put it into perspective, it could be called the land of gods. Every creature in that place could destroy the present earth with a flick of their finger.

  Just how strong would earth be if everyone on the planet reached the same level? He didn’t understand why the beacon of order was sent so early on. Why did they give humans two choices in the first place? But it was obvious now.

  “It was a test, a test that we failed miserably…”

  [<[The ones in charge of the sanctuary didn’t need a greedy civilization. Why would they nurture someone who had no intentions to fight against the aliens? They’re better off being used as tools]>]

  Zyrus could do nothing but accept the bitter truth.

  [<[Do you wish to see further?]>]

  “No need.”

  He already knew what happened after that. The arc of Noah was built upon the foundation of earth. It was a fact that before the humans left on the arc of Noah, the environment on earth was uninhabitable. Besides, those in power tended to hide their dark secrets, even if the said secrets were on an abandoned planet.

  [<[Thanks, I didn’t want to recall those days either. They extracted my energy and killed billions of lives just to build the core of that accursed ship…Anyway, take your rewards. You can read this on the sanctuary]>]

  Zyrus was pushed out from the memory zone. He looked around the empty room and found a compact chip on the chair. Just as he picked it up, a text floated up in front of him.

  [Remaining Time: 00:00:10]

  He immediately teleported towards Franken and spoke a few words to Zirnitra.

  “Didn’t we have some more time?”

  “Looks like we don't have a choice,” Zyrus replied as he gazed towards the ocean. The sudden course of events should be due to the chip in his palm.

  ‘They don’t want me to find this huh,’

  [Remaining Time: 00:00:00]

  ‘Well, too late for that.’

  …

  *Kraackle*

  “Brace for Impact!”

  *Shaaaa*

  A stormy sky and crashing waves greeted the returning Zyrus. Nuckelavee was already merged with the ships. There were some message logs from the system as well, but now wasn’t the time to check on them.

  “Abandon the longboats and board the galleons, just hold onto the ropes so that the boats aren’t lost on the tides.”

  Zyrus's orders were heard again after half a month. Ria was amazing at commanding the troops, but she lacked the charisma and the strength of a leader.

  Just a shout from Zyrus was enough to calm the anxious crowd. In the players’ eyes, he was far more dangerous than any storms on the sea.

  “Phew… where were you holed up this whole time?”

  “It’s a secret,” Zyrus replied to Lauren and the others who were running towards the dragon of war.

  *Kaboom*

  The darkening sky became full of lightning strikes, posing just as if not more danger than a field boss. The power of nature was nothing to scoff at.

  “How far are we from the island?”

  “A day or two,” Ria replied after some calculations. They would have reached the beach already were it not for this weather. She was glad that they had listened to Zyrus’s words and made the voyage before the monsoon.

  Their ships were no better than twigs in front of the raging ocean.

  *Whoosh*

  A large wave doused the group’s clothes with salty water. Zyrus told Franken to rescue any unfortunate players and made his way to the mast. Sharp winds blew against his scales as he observed the faraway waters.

  Under this terrible weather even the annoying fish didn’t dare to attack them.

  ‘Huh, to think I’d find this here,’

  Zyrus’s yellow eyes gleamed in surprise as he looked at the northeast corner. A wreckage of planks was floating above the churning waters. Since there were no ships besides theirs on this ocean, that could only mean one thing.

  “Turn the wheels to the north, we’ve found ourselves some treasure!” Zyrus bellowed like a pirate as he noticed the golden sheen amidst the wreckage.

  It wasn’t rare to find some treasure chests and other items in the wild, but it was a different story on the ocean. And as one would expect, the loots were better with the increased difficulty.