(Update!!) [Supreme Quest: Absolute Freedom]
[Wars Lost: 0 / 580 (0%)]
[Human Casualties: 23,092 / 4,020,000 (0.57%)]
['Mission 1: Supreme Command' is successful]
[Congratulations! You have won all the wars under your supervision.]
[Mission Reward: [A Box Outside of the Box]]
[You did not lose a single war! You have earned a bonus reward!]
[Bonus Reward: Supreme Authority (New World Kingdom)]
[Your losses are under one percent of total troops deployed! You have earned a bonus reward!]
[Bonus Reward: [Haven of Peace] (Tier 1)]
Sora read through the notifications one by one, struggling to assess their significance at a glance.
"The last reward is a Tier 1 ark, just like the one I earned in the tower… And I got something that rare despite the casualties. The rest must be insane."
Curious, he opened the description of a small cube that had materialized before his eyes.
[A Box Outside of the Box]
[Description: Materializes an isolated box under your absolute control. The interior of the box is not visible to the moderators and administrators of this world.]
[Warning: You are still visible to the Creators and the Overseer.]
Sora was stunned by the description. "Moderators? Administrators? That's insane as an item... That means I could enter a space cut off from everything—except the Creators and the overseer? But who knows who or how many they are… Maybe it'll help me gain a little freedom, but I still don't know to what extent."
He didn't question it further and immediately activated the item.
As soon as he did, the ground beneath his feet trembled.
Sensing a familiar energy, he looked down, and moments later, an object he hadn't seen in a long time surged out of the earth and began to release a light that enveloped him.
It was a black orb, identical to the ones he'd seen around the center of the planet during the world update.
Once the process was complete, a strange sensation overtook him—a feeling that something was missing.
Before he could analyze it or understand what was happening, the energy surrounding him linked with the cube in his hand.
The next instant, he was pulled into the cube.
Looking around, he found himself in a cubic space. An empty space.
'One kilometer wide, long, and tall... Not very big, but not that small either. No trees, no buildings... It's lacking life and decoration.'
The white floor and mirror-like walls gave the space a disconnected, otherworldly feel.
Looking for some kind of interface to interact with the dimension, his hand suddenly froze mid-gesture.
'That feeling…' he thought, trying to put words on the phenomenon.
'The system… I can't feel it anymore? I've lost access to it? Is this space truly that disconnected from the world?'
Faced with this unprecedented situation, he tried something.
"Exit!"
"Leave!"
"Cancel!"
"Return!"
Trying every kind of 'command' he could think of to return to the server, his heart begin to race.
Like a man drowning, he began to panic.
"Abort!"
"Help!"
As he began to consider which god to pray to for rescue, the orb floating quietly nearby let out a sound.
"Hehe..." The laugh was pleasant, and the voice distinctly feminine.
Sora spun around at the sound of the orb's giggle.
"Of all the Planetary Threats I've seen, you're definitely the funniest one, Sora Hashino..."
Hearing the melodious voice laced with authority, Sora didn't focus on the words themselves but rather on the strange familiarity they stirred within him.
"It's been years but… that voice... it's the same. You're the one I saw after my first death, aren't you?"
The orb suddenly emitted a blinding light, forcing Sora to shut his eyes.
When the brightness finally receded, he opened them again—and saw a young woman floating a few inches above the ground.
She had long black hair, almond-colored eyes, and a radiant smile that was almost contagious.
But it was the absurd heart-shaped glasses perched on her nose that nearly made Sora burst out laughing.
"The Overseer. You're right, that's me," she confirmed with a mischievous smile.
Sora returned the smile. "That orb... what was it?"
"I can't really talk about things like that... But let's just say you already know way more than anyone else in this world. You poked around between two versions of the server, after all."
Sora stepped back instinctively at her words.
'She knows what I did! Shit. Shit.'
Sensing his panic, the young woman added quickly, "Don't worry. It wasn't a known bug, so you can't be punished for it. That said, the admins could've taken everything you gained from it—but they were too busy fighting among themselves."
Sora stayed silent but listened closely.
"Since no one reported the bug, it still hasn't been flagged… So, next time there's a world update, make sure your astral form is loaded with even more Soul Power, and come visit me again." She pointed downward.
'I'm not so eager to return to the Earth's core now that I know I was spotted last time…' Sora thought bitterly.
He asked, "And what if the admins come after me this time?"
"I outrank them. They can't hurt you. Plus, this time I'll be expecting you, so I'll make sure no one notices. I'm kind of the boss around here, you see?" she replied with a wink.
Not used to being given special treatment, Sora was a little thrown off.
"But… why would you help me, Overseer? Aren't you supposed to be neutral? And calling you 'Overseer' feels a bit awkward. What should I call you?"
She chuckled. "If you want, you can call me... Kara?"
Sora's face twisted in disbelief.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Relax. Call me Sanya."
She continued, "I'd love to be neutral, really. But some people are being idiots—bending the rules of this world mid-game just to eliminate certain players or push certain races to win. There's a lot at stake, and too many people pulling the strings. It's becoming a circus. So I figured... throwing a wrench into their plans might be fun. I'm just setting the scales right."
Sora didn't fully understand, but he caught the meaning.
'The update? Kara's death? Is she referring to those kinds of unnatural events?'
He had a mountain of questions he wanted to ask, questions Sanya could certainly answer.
But she had other plans. "As much as I enjoy your company, my presence here is visible to the Creators, so I can't stay long. I came to explain how this space works."
Ignoring the obvious disappointment on Sora's face, she continued, "In here, you have no access to the system or notifications. To interact with the cube, you'll have to use the orb that appears upon creation. Feed it Soul Power and communicate your intention."
"You can decorate the space, convert your Soul Power into other energy forms for training, or fulfill any need you have. Soul Power will be your base unit here. But every expense is permanent. You can't get back what you spend."
"Since this space is cut off from the outside, it won't passively regenerate Soul Power... But you can invite others to join you, simply by thinking about them."
"And that's it from me. See you soon, holder of [Prestige]." Sanya concluded.
The young woman disappeared in another flash of light, and the orb reappeared in her place. Flooded with information, Sora stood still for a few moments before sighing.
'What was that? She felt so real… Is she someone who exists outside this world?' he wondered. 'First the hooded guy who appeared before Shade, and now her? Is this all connected to my Supreme Quest?'
He then focused his Soul Power and communicated his intention to the orb: he wanted to leave the cube.
As he reappeared outside, his body relaxed, and he turned his attention to the other reward. He read the description of the reward, a black hexagonal badge.
[Supreme Authority (New World Kingdom)] (Badge)
Description: You have proven yourself to be an exceptional leader, accomplishing a mission that would be impossible for ordinary players. A player of your caliber doesn't need anyone's permission to obtain what they want.
Effect: You have acquired Supreme Command within your kingdom.
Not understanding the badge's effect, he poured a bit of mana into it and a map appeared before his eyes.
"What is this thing?" he wondered as menus and options began to surround the map.
Swiping his finger over his home country, he watched France light up and enlarge on the map. A list of names appeared on the side, and when he clicked on "Jérôme Figaro," a profile popped up:
[Profile: Jérôme Figaro]
Current Status: President – France, New European Union.
Affiliation: New World Kingdom.
Contribution Ranking: 2724th
Options:
[Promote] – New European Union Representative, Commander (Military).
[Demote] – Minister, Colonel.
[Assign Mission] – Select from list of missions or create a custom directive.
[Inspect Unit] – View the 10,000 troops currently under his command.
[Open Communication] – Direct-link voice or text transmission.
[Summon] – Summon Jérôme Figaro to your side.
[Ban] – Ban Jérôme Figaro from a specific territory.
Sora smiled at the list.