Colonel Heidern was stunned.
He'd imagined countless possible answers. Cloud might demand world domination, might demand supreme power, might even make incomprehensible demands befitting a deity.
But he never imagined the answer would be wanting to be an ordinary person.
A "god" who had just hand-crafted a universe, and his greatest wish was... "retirement"?
At this moment, the weight on Colonel Heidern's heart completely lifted. He understood.
The man before him possessed the power to create and destroy worlds, yet also possessed the purest, most simple "human heart."
He gave Cloud a solemn military salute.
"I understand, Mr. Cloud."
"On behalf of the entire world, I make you this promise."
"Your retirement life will be this world's... highest priority protection target."
"Absolutely no one will dare disturb your peace."
With that, he turned and departed with firm, relaxed steps.
Cloud watched his retreating figure, smiled, and lay back in his beach chair.
"Peace?"
He listened to the mahjong sounds, arguments, and singing coming from inside...
"Sigh..."
"Looks like I'm destined to never know the meaning of that word."
He put on his sunglasses, basking in the warm sunshine, letting out a sigh that was both blissful and helpless.
His warm yet chaotic "Sovereign's daily life" was only just beginning.
...
After that "divine-mortal conversation" with Heidern, Cloud's "ordinary person retirement plan" received official certification and global protection.
Theoretically, he could now rest easy, enjoying the harem squad's attentive care every day, living the decadent "good-for-nothing" life every man dreams of.
But as a Dimensional Sovereign with lingering traces of "model citizen" in his soul, looking at this world that had become rather battered due to his transmigration and the resulting chain reactions, he felt somewhat guilty.
"Ah, whatever. Consider it property fees for this world."
So on a pleasant afternoon, Cloud finally decided to do a bit of "overtime."
He first turned his attention to that city that witnessed his story's beginning and bore the most suffering—South Town.
This former "City of Sin," after being "remodeled" by a succession of bosses including Geese, Krauser, Rugal, NESTS, and Those From the Past, had become literal ruins.
Cloud didn't simply use time reversal to restore it. In his view, that would only hide scars, not heal them.
What he wanted was—rebirth.
He hovered above South Town, slowly spreading his arms.
"Law Reconstruction!"
Under his will, South Town's physical laws began subtle changes.
The rubble wasn't cleared away but was broken down and reconstituted by NESTS Technology nanobots into a self-repairing "ecological building material" that could absorb impact energy.
Collapsed buildings rose from the ground, no longer cold steel forests but futuristic "vertical ecological cities" perfectly integrated with surrounding greenery and water.
The polluted rivers, purified by Gaia's Soul, became crystal clear—winged koi even frolicked in the water.
But that wasn't all.
Cloud closed his eyes. His divine sense penetrated the temporal dimension, tracing back to the past.
He saw the souls of innocent civilians who had been caught up in various battles and tragically killed. Their soul fragments drifted in the cracks of time, filled with confusion and unwillingness.
"In the name of life, I decree your return."
Cloud activated part of the creation authority he had "plundered" from Otoma=Raga.
Golden light rain descended from the sky, covering all of South Town.
Those former soul fragments, bathed in the light rain, were reconstituted, repaired, and given healthier life forms.
A little girl who had died under Rugal's "Gigantic Pressure" found herself lying on soft grass, her parents embracing her with tears streaming down their faces.
An office worker who had been vaporized by NESTS' satellite cannon found himself sitting in an outdoor café, the coffee in his hand still steaming.
Countless miracles played out simultaneously in that moment.
The entire process lasted less than ten minutes.
When Cloud withdrew his power, the former ruins of South Town had completely vanished. In its place stood a floating city brimming with vitality, hope, and paradise-like beauty.
This city was reverently named by future generations—"City of Divine Grace."
And Cloud, for this casual "overtime work," gained a resounding title worldwide that even he found somewhat embarrassing—"The Merciful God."
...
After completing this "cleanup work," Cloud felt he could finally rest easy and lie flat with a clear conscience.
To celebrate his "official retirement" and to definitively resolve that "ultimate dilemma" that had troubled him for so long, he decided to hold an unprecedented meeting limited to "family members."
The meeting location wasn't KOF Mansion.
It was a picturesque half-dimension that Cloud had casually created using his Dimension Creation ability.
He named this half-dimension—"Infinite Manor."
Here were the Alps' snow peaks, the Maldives' beaches, Provence's lavender fields, and Kyoto's bamboo groves and hot springs. All four seasons coexisted perfectly, and time flow could be adjusted at will.
Most importantly, it was large enough to accommodate his sizable goddess squad, each member possessing "property-destroying" attributes.
On this day, on the enormous grassy carpet at the manor's center, a "Hongmen Banquet" that would determine the family's future "power structure"—ahem, an afternoon tea party—officially began.
Around a table crafted from World Tree branches sat beauties of varying styles, each capable of captivating nations.
If any man had witnessed this scene, they would probably have had a heart attack from happiness overload on the spot.
But for Cloud, at the center of this "Shura field," the atmosphere was even more nerve-wracking than facing Otoma=Raga.
He cleared his throat and, as the "head of household," attempted to control the meeting's pace.
"Ahem, everyone, I've gathered you here today..."
"As the head of this family, I'm now making my final decision!"
All eyes focused on him.
"My decision is..." Cloud cleared his throat, then in an extremely solemn tone, as if proclaiming universal law, slowly declared:
"...From today on, this household will be led by Kula!"
"Huh???"
Giant question marks appeared on every face.
And the "chosen one" herself—Kula—was currently sitting there with her mouth full of cream, holding a half-eaten chicken leg, looking up in complete bewilderment.
...
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