Chapter 275: Ch 275 : The Empire is Growing

"SPARE ME-!"The scream was a shockwave of terror that rattled the structure of the universe. It tore through the vacuum of space, vibrating the cores of planets and shattering asteroids into dust.

Every being in that universe, from the smallest microbe to the mightiest emperor, felt the vibration in their bones; a feeling that a higher power was dying.

The Demon God’s death screams were so violent that they threatened to erase all life in that universe. The shockwave expanded, a tsunami of energy destined to wipe everything.

But before the wave could crash against the worlds, a golden light bloomed in the darkness.

It was a barrier, vast and warm, wrapping around the planets like a mother shielding her child.

The shockwave crashed against the gold and shattered harmlessly, dissipating into motes of darkness.

"Destroyer, control your prey a little," a calm, melodic voice sounded in the vacuum. "You will kill these poor souls"

Floating amidst the stars was The Creator, the first clone of Sunny. He wore robes of white, his presence radiating a benevolence that made mortals weep with joy.

Farther away, standing over the dissipating corpse of the Demon God, was The Destroyer.

He wore robes woven from shadows and darkness. He didn’t answer. He didn’t even look back. He simply nodded once, a sharp motion, before turning his gaze to the deep void, hunting for the next enemy.

These beings were Sunny, yet they were not.

To manage the workload of an expanding empire, the clones had undergone a mental restructuring.

They had partitioned their personalities.

The Creator had locked away his rage, his doubt, and his selfishness. He was now a being of empathy, creativity and a Faith farmer.

He saw a planet not just as rocks and water, but as a garden to be tended for the harvest.

The Destroyer had forgotten his mercy, his hesitation and his humanity. He was a weapon. He existed only to hunt, to kill, and to instill the fear of Cosmos into the Demon race.

And War, currently leading the armies elsewhere, had become the embodiment of strategy and discipline.

They were efficient. They were terrifying. They were the hands of the Emperor.

The Creator shook his head, watching the Destroyer vanish into a rift. "Always in a rush," he murmured.

He turned his attention to the worlds he had just saved. He raised his hands, and his Manifestation Affinity flared.

He didn’t visit the planets personally; he didn’t have the time.

Instead, he reached into the consciousness of the lifeforms below. He plucked their hopes, their fears and their cultural myths.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

In an instant, millions of Demigods were birthed across the universe. They were tailored to each specific culture; a dragon demigod for the reptilians, a tech demigod for the cyborgs, a spirit of the forest for the elves.

"Guide them," The Creator commanded his new children. "Protect them. And turn their eyes toward the Cosmos."

With the seeds of faith planted, the Creator checked his map, following the trail of darkness left by the Destroyer.

"To the next universe," he whispered, and dissolved into a ray of light.

The Throne Room, City of Gods.

While his shadows waged war across the multiverse, the Emperor sat in the center of the storm.

Sunny looked down from his throne at the 200 souls gathered before him.

They were the cream of the crop, the geniuses and heroes harvested from Earth over the last few centuries of accelerated time.

But right now, they didn’t look like heroes. They looked like terrified children called to the principal’s office; if the principal was a cosmic entity who could erase them with a thought.

The silence was heavy. The souls exchanged nervous glances, as no one wanted to speak first.

They had spent the last thirty minutes in the guest quarters, and their worldviews had been shattered.

They had learned about the 6 billion Gods. They had learned about over 20 billion demigods. They had seen magic that defied physics and technology that defied logic.

And most terrifyingly, they had learned that they were the Chosen Ones of the God of Gods.

They understood the stakes. This was a chance for true immortality. With the backing of the strongest being in the multiverse, with access to Comprehension Boosts, Wisdom Buffs, and the Nine Lives talent, they could ascend to heights they had never dreamed of on Earth.

But everything had a price.

"So," Sunny said, his voice breaking the tension like a hammer hitting glass. "What have you decided?"

He leaned forward, his eyes scanning them.

"I have given you the options. Those who wish to be reincarnated normally, without anyone watching your life, stand to the left."

He gestured to the other side. "Those who agree to the Broadcast Initiative, to have your new lives streamed to the Gods, to inspire the Gods in exchange for their blessings and artifacts, stand to the right."

He paused. "And if you want neither... stand in the middle. We will find a place for you in the Heaven."

"You all have shown your merits," Sunny continued, his tone encouraging. "Your intelligence in your respective fields overshadows billions. You earned this choice. Do not be afraid to make it."

As Sunny’s words fell, a shift occurred.

It started with Shiro, the gamer. He stepped confidently to the right. Then Gora, the general. Then Sushruta, the surgeon.

Like a tide, the entire group of 200 souls drifted to the right. Not a single one chose the left.

The idea of losing the chance to gain blessings and artifacts was not a good idea.

They chose the path of power, even if it meant living in a glass house.

But one soul raised a trembling hand.

"God... Your Majesty," the soul stammered. "Will... will all things be streamed? Or only the things that are necessary?"

A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd. They wanted power, yes. But they were human. They had private moments.

They went to the bathroom. They fell in love. The idea of six billion deities watching them intimate moments was... terrifying.

Sunny chuckled, a warm sound that eased the fear in the room. "Will my answer change your decision?"

The soul looked at his feet, then back at Sunny. He stayed on the right side. "No. But... it would ease my mind."

"Fair enough," Sunny nodded. "The answer is simple: It is your stream. You are the decision maker of your own life. You can switch off the broadcast whenever you wish. If you want privacy, it’s your decision."

He leaned back. "I know every being has secrets and I do not wish for my future Gods to be open books that can be read by the other Gods. That would be a weakness."

A collective sigh of relief swept through the 200 souls. The tension evaporated.

"Any more questions?" Sunny asked, his eyes sparkling with interest.

The crowd shook their heads. They had a million questions; What world will I go to? What race will I be? Will I have magic?

But no one had the guts to ask them. They didn’t want to waste the Emperor’s time.

"Good luck on your journey, then," Sunny said.

He flicked his fingers.

Snap.

Space twisted, and a portal of green leaves and earthen energy opened. From it walked a figure of breathtaking, natural beauty. Gaia, the Demigod of Life.

She looked at the 200 souls with motherly affection, then turned and bowed deeply to Sunny. "Master."

Sunny nodded. "Take them to the Gateway of Rebirth. Brief them on the races available in our territory. Let them choose whatever race that they want"

"As you command," Gaia said softly. She turned to the souls and gestured for them to follow. "Come, children. Your new life awaits you."

The souls bowed deeply to Sunny, a bow of genuine gratitude and reverence. And followed the Goddess of Life into the portal.

"One task done," Sunny exhaled, checking it off his mental list. "Now... it’s time for the Universe of Cards."

He waved his hand, and the view of the throne room shifted. A projection of the subspace of card universe expanded before him.

He zoomed in on the pocket dimension he had created using Merlin’s memories and the Law of Cards.

Inside, the violent era of the Big Bang was over. The clouds of superheated gas had coalesced.

Stars were burning steadily in the void. Planets had cooled, their surfaces shifting from molten rock to solid crusts. Oceans were forming.

"It is ready for life," Sunny noted.

He manipulated the controls of the subspace and decreased the time acceleration to match the time acceleration of Veridia.

Now, he needed to jumpstart the evolution.

He activated his another talent: [God’s Authority].

But instead of using anyone’s talent, this time he used a technique of Adam. This technique was a divine buff, that Adam has initially used on every god’s planet.

[Divine Buff: Breath of Evolution (1000x)]

Sunny raised his hand and golden energy began to rain down upon the planets within the Card Subspace.

"Grow," Sunny whispered.

In the beginning, Sunny hadn’t understood how 1000x Evolution worked. He had assumed it was simple math, that things just grew 1000 times faster.

But that wasn’t enough to turn a single-celled organism into a mammal in a few years.

Now, armed with Adam’s knowledge, he understood. Evolution wasn’t just speed; it was efficiency.

The buff didn’t just speed up aging. It evolved the entire generations. When a creature bred under this buff, its offspring didn’t just inherit a mix of traits; they will have a huge gentic leap.

A process that usually took a thousand generations of trial and error; growing a lung, developing an eye, hardening a scale, happened in a single generation.

A fish lays eggs. The hatchlings don’t just swim better; they have lungs. They crawl onto land. They breed. Their children have legs.

It was biology with fast-forward button.

Sunny watched the subspace for a few months as the oceans of the Card Universe turned green with algae, then teemed with complex life.

The land masses, previously barren, erupted into forests. Beasts began to roam these lands and oceans.

"Excellent," Sunny nodded. The stage was set. The materials, the monster cores, the magical herbs would soon be available for harvest.

He opened his communication panel.

"Now I need a caretaker," he muttered. "Someone who knows how to guide a civilization of Card Masters."

"Thea, call Merlin here, I have some tasks for him" Sunny said.

He leaned back, rubbing his temples. "Too much work," he sighed, though a smile played on his lips. "But the empire is growing and that is all that matters for now.