The tour of the base brought its own share of awe and shocking moments. The Council members were still in disbelief, unable to grasp how one being could possess such immense power.
The sky bridges were not just paths for walking. Even if that were the case, the distance was just too vast. At the sides of the sky-bridges were shuttles that took the group wherever they wanted, so long as they input their destination.
The main halls of the UAC were as grand as they had imagined. A sleek blend of technology, with silvery walls, gave the halls a domineering yet powerful atmosphere. Inside, the leaders saw various automated bots.
However, the bots were not the regular ones the leaders were used to. Each of the bots resembled living entities almost uncannily. From their mannerism to the way they operated, it was scary.
Some worked in administration, some as guards and others as assistants. The leaders wondered if humans were even needed. Worst of all was that each of these bots had the presence of Venerable stage beings.
Since the main AI of the universe operated them, there was no chance of hacking any of the existing systems. Xex was not your typical computer program. He was a sentient entity with a universal reach.
Alexander had put Xex in charge of universal communications and network, layering Xex's authority over the existing network without actually replacing it. Through this, Alexander eliminated the nuances that plagued communications across vast distances.
Back to the bots, the Council members looked at them with all manner of expressions. Some looked at the bots dreadfully, while others looked at them with intrigue. Try as the leaders might, they could not scan anything with their senses or devices.
'I see…' Lord Valemont swallowed, his eyes going towards the masked guards Alexander arrived with. 'They aren't living beings, but it's also very difficult to tell the difference. To think Lord Alexander could make these things with that level of strength.'
If Alexander could create such things with but hand gestures, what else couldn't he do? This thought made Valemont wonder why Ross was fighting his forces for that cluster of ruined galaxies when Alexander could find him a better one.
'No…' Malcolm realised his thinking process was flawed. 'I wouldn't want someone else to provide everything for me; I still have my pride. Moreover, the struggle is with the boy's father, and Ross is simply doing his duties as a son.'
Stationed within the halls and in almost every section were small teleportation hubs anyone could use to quickly explore the base. With an AI system that one could link with and access the various departments within the UAC, getting lost was not going to be a thing.
With every place shown to them, the Council members and their retainers realised they were not in the same league as Alexander at all. Whatever fantasies they still held about taking power for themselves went out the window.
Outside the main base and around the docking area for the spaceships, the leaders were made to appreciate the ingenuity of Alexander's creation, which connected every corner of the universe through the gates.
There was no need for another gate on the other side, as anyone who wanted to arrive here could simply input the destination and Xex would establish the connection. When the leaders asked how it was made possible, Alex simply said he'd mapped the universe.
Of course, the mapped-out universe was only accessible to officials of the UAC. There were a few secrets most members did not know about, the secret of the other races Alexander brought over some time ago.
The armouries were even more impressive. With an even higher grade of advanced technology than what was already in existence, the suits of armour, weapons, and other accessories were a sight to behold.
Alexander did not pull any stops when he created the base. Everything one could possibly think of to run such an organisation was made available. With what the UAC had here and what Alexander could do, why would they covet the claims of others?
"As you've all experienced, this place will serve as the heart of the UAC." Alexander faced the gathered Council after a few hours of exploring. "Everything is already operational and ready to proceed. The bots you see around will be handling things until we begin recruiting members."
"So organisations can begin registering their claimed territories now?" Lord Valemont asked, drawing everyone's attention.
"Yes, Lord Valemont." Alex nodded, confirming the man's words. "But as I mentioned before, an inspection of the territories would be done within a few hours to recognise the territory. There must be no ongoing conflict with the territory when the process is initiated."
"Thank you, Lord Alexander." Malcolm bowed respectfully, a slight grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
"How would you choose the heads of each department, Lord Alexander?" Another question was raised. "Surely, those positions would be left to humans…"
"Indeed…" Alex agreed, staring at the Councilman who asked the question. "But they would have to be personally inspected by me. I'll not tolerate any corruption or hidden agendas in the UAC. You only join the UAC to follow its mission — nothing more, nothing else."
"..."
"No resource of the UAC would be used anywhere else," Alexander added for good measure, pulling the Council members out of their thoughts. "It's physically impossible to do so. Being a part of the UAC is already the greatest organisation one could join."
He wasn't simply bragging. To curb a bit of human greed, Alex planned to ensure that every member of the organisation was well taken care of. There would be nothing they would ever desire.
The leaders understood the meaning behind Alexander's words. Joining the UAC meant giving up on everything else. Claiming a territory for yourself wouldn't make any sense.
Then again, Alexander also understood that human nature was ever-changing. It was something that couldn't be changed, and he had no intentions of changing anything either.
"With no more questions for me, we can successfully conclude the tour," Alex added a final note before they left the base. "The process to apply is open and on the network. Take your time to read through every material before making a decision."
Alexander glanced at Julia, the two exchanging gentle smiles before turning around to leave. Aaron was far behind, and under the gaze of the gathered Council and their retainers, the trio disappeared from sight, returning to the ship.
"I hope we all understand where we stand," Lord Basso turned to face the Council soon after. "There is no need for long-winded words; you've seen it yourselves."
Basso turned around, heading for the teleportation hub to the side. His co-heads did not linger, going with Basso. Soon, others began moving towards the hub, leaving a few behind, lost in thought.
The leaders had finally seen a glimpse of the power Alexander wielded. Nothing was going to change that, not with their measly power levels and understanding of the universe.
'Hah… I'm going home.' Lord Baltor sighed for the umpteenth time. 'This is simply too tiring…'
The Councilman's pride as a powerful man was shattered. There was no will left, no desire to stand against Alexander anymore. He had seen more than enough. It was time to put the foolishness aside.
***
Ross had been training ever since his call with Lady Serenya. Knowing what was at stake for his father's forces, the redhead didn't want his lack of control to ruin things for him and everyone else.
A couple of days after he began his training, a notification from his system drew his attention to the creation of a commission spearheaded by Alexander himself.
Skimming through the files, Ross couldn't help but smile proudly. 'So this was what he was talking about. It's not a bad idea… '
He went through the thoughts circulating about the issue, noting that many were not happy about giving that much power to such an organisation, fearing they might be cheated in the future.
'Can't say I blame them…' Ross shook his head at some of the comments. 'They have no idea what Alexander is truly capable of doing. At the very least, Father can be assured that once he claims the territories, no one will take them away.'
Ross wasn't particularly interested in joining the organisation. His goals were set on something far grander — the multiverse. He still intended to follow Alexander outside their universe.
'Void creatures are still a threat. Not to mention, there are other universes out there with who knows what kind of Veilwalker at the helm.' The redhead thought as he resumed his training.
Even with his full strength sealed, Ross could still do what Immortal-level beings could do. That in itself was already more than enough to handle anything the Arkheons could throw at the Starbane forces.
All around Ross was a sea of destroyed worlds, cosmic gases, and storms. Flames of all colours raged through the planetary graveyard, their hues casting a celestial and wondrous sight to anyone who saw them.
The redhead abruptly stopped his training when he sensed his brother and father flying over, the two S-Tier hunters streaking across the vast space like meteors.
Turning around to face them, Ferlok and Eein soon came to a stop a few meters before Ross. Ross's father and brother had turned serious, already giving away their reason for coming over.
"They're making their move, aren't they?" The redhead asked, receiving nods in return. "Hehe, this is going to be interesting."