World Keeper

Chapter 1169: Security Concerns

Chelsea sat within her office, contemplating how she would advance her power at this point. Now that she was the Origin of Security, she needed as many security-related features as possible within her world. The soul locking system that James had previously set up was indeed a good start, but that was all it was. She needed far more if she wanted to be useful as an Origin.

I may have picked a more tricky domain to operate as an Origin… She thought to herself, before shaking her head. The fact that there were more requirements for her to achieve her power did not truly bother her. Rather, it made her look forward to what she could accomplish later on.

Dana can only grow by manipulating natural laws within her world to create various zones of effect. She can get away with that because of her newfound magic affinity, but that’s also not something that a normal Origin would be able to consider as ‘easy’. Meanwhile, in my case, I need a civilization that develops high level security measures.

As she was thinking about that, Chelsea’s eyes lit up. There is a way to do it. She had already been forming a foundation for a civilization with the drones that she acquired from Dana. Additionally, she had managed to elevate a single race to the point where they were developing within the territory that she established for them.

Sooner or later, they would fully acclimate and become the masters of their territory. However, that wouldn’t be enough. If they were simply developing safely, without any external stimuli, their security achievements would not account for much.

Thus, she needed to invest in creating the stimulation necessary for the civilization to advance beyond in the direction she required. Thankfully, she had just the way to do that. Exhaling, she halted the time acceleration of her inner world, which had become a routine for her whenever she wasn’t busy. “James, I’m going out for a bit!” She shouted down the hall, and began to walk towards the door.

Is everything alright? James asked mentally. I thought you were busy trying to promote your inner world.

That’s why I’m going out. I need to visit some old friends. I’ll be back in a little bit. She assured him, teleporting as soon as she was out of the facility. She didn’t have to travel far, as her destination was within the same solar system.

Soon, she appeared in front of a large, government building. On the sign of the building was an eye with a vertical line drawn through it, and Chelsea walked in casually. There was a lycan woman sitting at the reception desk, and she smiled when she saw Chelsea.

“Welcome back, Researcher. Who are you looking to visit today?” She asked, typing on the terminal at her desk.

“I want to speak with Vespa.” Chelsea explained calmly. “Tell her that I have an offer for her.”

The receptionist blinked at that, but nodded her head, sending the message as requested. “She’ll be waiting for you in the third floor’s conference room.”

As soon as Chelsea heard that, she nodded her head, moving to the stairs. Of course, the ‘stairs’ here were not normal by any means, and were thin poles sticking out of the wall at random intervals. Seeing this, Chelsea rolled her eyes, jumping to the third floor all at once.

Vespa was one of the great elders of the ninja clan, which was residing in the same universe as the research institute. They would sometimes loan manpower to the researchers when they required it, as thanks for allowing them to live there.

By the time Chelsea arrived in the conference room, Vespa was already waiting. She was an elderly felyn, her face wrinkled from age. “To what do I owe this honor?” She asked, and Chelsea could detect a faint bitterness in her tone. She knew that Vespa didn’t have a great impression of Chelsea, ever since the Four Shadows project started to get out of control.

However, Chelsea ignored that bitterness, moving to sit down. “As I told the receptionist, I’m here to make an offer, as well as a request. You see, I am no longer a goddess.” She informed the woman, and Vespa seemed briefly surprised.

“What do you mean?” She asked, given that godhood was not something you could simply retire from.

“I am now at a higher stage, something known as an Origin.” Chelsea explained calmly. “I’ll spare you the technical details. The important aspect here is that I have an entire universe within my body. In order to maximize my power in this new stage, I require a form of civilization within that universe. To be precise, I need two civilizations in conflict. One of these civilizations, I have already created myself, but--”

“You want the ninjas to be the civilization fighting them?” Vespa finished, her mind racing as she worked to process this information. “Couldn’t you simply create another civilization as you had done with the first?”

Surprisingly, Chelsea shook her head, denying that. “Unfortunately, no. While it would be possible to elevate another civilization, I need to ensure that they will not create a peaceful relationship between one another. My power grows based on the security measures developed within my inner universe. For that reason, I need them to continue to develop in that direction.”

“Thus, I require the second civilization to be one that meets two key factors. First, they must be powerful enough to pressure the civilization I have elevated as they develop. Secondly, they must be loyal enough to maintain this hostile relationship, even when hundreds or even thousands of years have gone by.”

“Of all the factions I am aware of, there are only two that fulfill both conditions. The first is the Metong, who can carry out orders over generations due to their slightly more robotic mindsets. The second is the ninjas, who have been carrying out the orders of the four goddesses since the dawn of civilization. Loyalty and tradition is so deeply embedded in your culture that I am confident you would be the perfect choice.”

Vespa paused at that, before slowly nodding her head. As much as she disliked her people being described in such a way, she could not deny it. The information network that they had built and maintained for thousands of years served as proof of this. “What exactly do you need, then? You said that this is an offer, so I am sure that you aren’t asking for the entire ninja planet to enter your universe.”

“That’s right.” Chelsea smiled, leaning forward on the table. “I want ten thousand of each of the four beastkin races. Among those, I want one thousand of each to be trained for battle. However, I do not want any gods or fallen gods to be chosen. All of them must be mortal.”

“I will prepare a highly advanced planet for them to settle in, similar to what you would expect from the Metong homeworld. Finally, I would like you to personally lead this troop. You can think of it as a retirement from your current duties, if you want. However, I need a skilled leader that the migrating ninjas would respect as they are settling in.”

Vespa narrowed her eyes in thought. “I see… and, to ensure that I am understanding this properly, this will be a one way trip for anyone who accepts your offer, is that right?” She asked, to which Chelsea nodded her head.

“That’s right. I’ll be using some tricks to accelerate time. A thousand years could pass in a week, which is why I want enough people to create a stable population.”

Hearing Chelsea’s answer, Vespa nodded as well. “In that case, I would like to ask a few questions to clear things up. First, why is it that you require all migrants to be mortals?”

Chelsea smiled at that, leaning back in her seat. “For the same reason that only mortals can assume the role of elder. If a god were to enter my world with the migrants, they would ultimately obtain leadership, and cause the civilization to shift from the desired course. It’d be different if it was someone as fiercely loyal as Tsubaki, but people like her aren’t easy to come across.”

“Additionally, the civilization you will be opposing is only in its budding stage at the moment. It will take more than a hundred years for them to reach the point where they are ready for any form of conflict, even with the assistance I’ve given them. With that being the case, if an immortal were to be included in the migrants, they would be the only surviving member of the first generation at that time.”

“That’s not to say that you won’t be allowed to develop gods over time. However, that will be several hundred years down the line, when the other civilization has advanced to the point where they can resist gods.” Chelsea finished her explanation, waiting for Vespa’s next question.

The felyn elder thought it over for a moment, before letting out a sigh. “Why did you specifically come to me for this matter? Surely, you could have approached one of the elders that you have closer connections with. Or, are you wanting to get me out of the way, so that your control over the ninjas will be even more secured?”

Chelsea tilted her head curiously. “I’ve never tried to control the ninjas in the first place. The reason that I chose you was because you were the most suitable for this task. In fact, you could say that your aversion to me as an outsider, despite the benefits I bring, makes you perfect. I need a traditionalist that will lay the foundation for the ninjas to continue their mission for thousands of years.”

Vespa blinked in surprise, having not expected a response like that. “I see… I will, of course, need to confer with the other elders before I make a decision on what to do with forty thousand of our citizens. Additionally, if I am to accept, I will need to appoint a replacement to my role here, as you said that I would never be returning. For all intents and purposes, any that take this deal will be dead to the outside world.”

Chelsea didn’t argue with that. While it wasn’t quite accurate to say that, it also wasn’t entirely wrong. “That’s perfectly acceptable. While you discuss, I will begin to prepare the starting world for you. If you think of any specific requests for this world, whether they are educational structures or geographic landmarks that you think would benefit the cause, I will do my best to include them.”

Vespa shook her head, still unsure if she would even accept the proposal in the first place. 

This was a rather major request from Chelsea, and she wasn’t sure if the other elders would agree to use their manpower in such a way. “If I may ask, what are the powers of an Origin, that you need such preparations to grow?”

Chelsea smiled, having expected a question like that. She knew that they needed to know what they were fighting for, after all. “You can think of it like another form of deity. I can manifest anything from my inner world that is defined by my domain. I can manifest this power in any location, and on any scale that I choose.”

”For instance, let us say that there is a force field created that disintegrates any matter that passes through it, and this field is used to protect highly classified weapons or documents. I could choose to create that same type of force field, but make it large enough to surround an entire solar system. My Origin domain is Security, so I can manifest any effect that falls under that definition, so long as it is within my inner world.”

Vespa’s eyes widened at that, lowering her head in thought. If that were possible, it would be understandable why she needed two civilizations in conflict with one another. Additionally, this aligned with the core goals of the ninjas, as well. Now that she heard this, she was somewhat confident that the other elders would agree to the request.

“I understand.” She said with a long sigh. “I’ll inform you of our decision after conferring with the others.”